DONE 7/28!! My Life on the DVC Blacklist - an August '09 Pre-Trip.

[Disneyland_Mama]

You are all killing me. I don't arrive until the 9th. I may get to meet T2 , but I will miss T and V

DUDE - you need to change your dates too.

 

[Trentmom]

Glad you got a nice CM on the phone

Great to know you are not on the blacklist.

....You are just helping them with Job security, like you said, which is needed in this economy

Can't wait to hear all about Kidani Village when you get back

 

[DisneyJo]

So, really, my continual calls are helping retain jobs, right?!

Now that definitely is some serious fuzzy thinking

So me coming in December instead of my normal mid August is actually better for meeting you V right?

 

[Lauralee131]

LMAO here. Nice to know it's not just me that calls, cancels and then re-books SEVERAL times before the trip. Sounds like you've been lucky though and got some really nice CM's.

Mine haven't been such shiny, happy people

So glad I'll have some new reading to do

Ummm...that is, when I can get here

Looking forward to seeing the direction you're taking this too, I'm intrigued. And of course I've never read a V TR I didn't like!!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

subbing! Can't wait for more.........

 

[1Princess1Prince2006]

Assuming…


…availability at a DVC resort.

And you know what that meant.

Uh-huh.

A call to DVC Member Services (MS).

Dun-dun-duuuuuuuunnnnnn...

And it struck me – MS isn’t in the business of making sales, unlike Disney Reservations. If the MS reps are consistently busy answering calls, there continues to be a need for them. Need = job security in these tough economic times. So, really, my continual calls are helping retain jobs, right?!

Nice save!

I was completely flummoxed! I’m not a morning person in the first place and I just could not think where we’d like to be. Olivia was great! She said something to the effect of “You were booked at AKV Jambo House, and AKV is really a great resort. Maybe you’d like to stay there but try Kidani Village? It opens in May, so it’ll have had a chance to iron out the kinks by August, but will still be fresh and new!”

I was sold. Thanks so much Olivia!

So glad you got a good CM and that you'll be at a great resort. Can't wait to hear all about it.

 

[PrincessV]

GAAAAHHH!!! I'd just finished typing out individual replies and hit the Backspace to edit a word... and the whole stinkin thing went POOF!

I'm out of time, so please forgive the non-individualized replies...

I, too, was much relieved by apparently not being on the Blacklist!

Welcome to the new readers, and thanks for joining in!

SOME people (coughT2coughJanetcoughcough) need to look into a little date changing.

Pool hopping to Kidani is technically illegal. But I'm open to a little aiding and abetting T.

It's awful, but Floridians, too, often do a little happy dance about lower attendance at WDW.

I learned my mad DVC skillz from the best LL.

No plans are ever written in stone... but this one looks pretty solid.

Dec. is highly unlikely to change Jo, beyond adding another night - we're ON!

I'll usually take quagmired over flummoxed. But befuddled is another story altogether.

Thanks again for reading everyone!

 

[jcc0621]

SOME people (coughT2coughJanetcoughcough) need to look into a little date changing.

I wish I could. Unfortunately I have already put in the vacay request and it will take an act of Congress to get it changed To add more days is tough becasue of the way school starts around here is a pain. Jim goes back Sept 1st, but Jimmy doesn't go back until the Tuesday after Labor day . I may or may not have to take that week of Sept 1st. We are waiting for the camp schedule too. If camp runs that week of Sept 1st we are good, and the camp is great because you only pay for the weeks he goes He will definitely go the last 2 weeks of June, and possible that week of Sept. 1st. It's crazy.

 

[lovemyblt]

I don't think its awful that you do a little dance when its slower than normal.... Its hard to do Disney with HUGE crowds, which is why I love September so much....

The best thing about Disney is it's ability to bounce back , as soon as the economy sligtly turns for the better their attendance will increase again so for one year(or two) maybe relishing lower crowds is not bad!

 

[mrsksomeday]

GAAAAHHH!!! I'd just finished typing out individual replies and hit the Backspace to edit a word... and the whole stinkin thing went POOF!

I have done that before. Sometimes you can use Ctl and Z and it will undo your last change.

I loved the last installment. I wish we had DVC so it is great to hear how things work. You are such a great Disney supporter to keep those MS people busy .

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

I'm late. Please forgive me. Life has gotten in the way of my DIS'ing again. BUT, I have to tell you that Jordan & I started watching one of your favorite shows recently... and wow, are we hooked! The Tudors ROCK. Anyway, just had to tell you that.

I'm looking forward to comparing travel plans/notes once we finally hear if Jordan is going to be doing the DCP. The waiting is killing us... I have to MAKE RESERVATIONS but I CAN'T! ARGH!!! It's like having my hands tied behind my back. I'm so glad I can live vicariously through you and your ever changing trip details... Keep those DVC MS cast members on their toes!

Cheers!
Michelle

 

[PrincessV]

I wish I could. Unfortunately I have already put in the vacay request and it will take an act of Congress to get it changed

I totally understand. And if I could, I'd extend mine by a day or two, believe me! But Leo's scheduled with his dad that weekend.

I don't think its awful that you do a little dance when its slower than normal.... Its hard to do Disney with HUGE crowds, which is why I love September so much....

We're so not crowd people, it's ridiculous. And I got very, very spoiled by starting my regular visits to WDW during the last recession. Our early Dec. trips included literally EMPTY parks back then!

I loved the last installment. I wish we had DVC so it is great to hear how things work. You are such a great Disney supporter to keep those MS people busy .

Thanks! I have sort of a love/hate relationship with my DVC membership; it definitely costs me less than I'd have been paying otherwise, but the advance planning can get irritating.

I'm late. Please forgive me.

Nothing to forgive - I'm just happy to have you here my friend!

BUT, I have to tell you that Jordan & I started watching one of your favorite shows recently... and wow, are we hooked! The Tudors ROCK.

Isn't it the best?!

I'm looking forward to comparing travel plans/notes once we finally hear if Jordan is going to be doing the DCP. The waiting is killing us... I have to MAKE RESERVATIONS but I CAN'T! ARGH!!! It's like having my hands tied behind my back.

I was thinking about that as I read your last update. Sooo frustrating, right?! FWIW, we're definitely on for Halloween this year!

 

[T-i-double-g-err]

Just popping in to say hi!

Our reservation confirmation for SSR finally showed up yesterday. We're confirmed for 7/8-7/17. Looks like we're really going in July. We'll miss you by a few weeks.

 

[PrincessAlways]

Hey V!!! I can't believe I just found this one!! Pardon my tardiness!
Now.....OMG I feel like I've suffered whiplash!!!! Here, no there, no back there, no over here!! Aug, no June, no May, no Dec, no June, no Aug!!! Fasten those seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy V ride!!! We will definitely not be bored!!! Can't wait for the ride!

 

[lazydoxy66]

So saaaaaweet! Kidani village will be awesome.

OK, ramble on.

 

[SunnieRN]

Just popping in to say hi!

Our reservation confirmation for SSR finally showed up yesterday. We're confirmed for 7/8-7/17. Looks like we're really going in July. We'll miss you by a few weeks.

We still haven't gotten our SS confirmation slip. I hope it comes soon!!

 

[DWFan4Life]

I just wanted to say have a great time, have fun and enjoy in your upcoming trip. Looking forward in hearing more from you after you came back.

Have a nice day everyone.

 

[__disneygirl]

Hi PrincessV! I haven't read any of your TRs before but this one is cracking me up so far. I love Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List so the title made me laugh! Excited for more & subscribin'!

 

[PrincessV]

Our reservation confirmation for SSR finally showed up yesterday. We're confirmed for 7/8-7/17. Looks like we're really going in July. We'll miss you by a few weeks.

Woo hoo for going in July! But boo hoo for missing you by mere weeks. I forget - have you guys stayed at SSR yet? I know you'll LOVE it!

Now.....OMG I feel like I've suffered whiplash!!!!

I know - tell me about it! It's been surprisingly quiet for me the past few weeks, though... makes you wonder what's coming, doesn't it?!

So saaaaaweet! Kidani village will be awesome.

I've really excited... but a little nervous, too. New is always a little nerve-wracking.

I just wanted to say have a great time, have fun and enjoy in your upcoming trip.

Thanks! We've still got some time to go, though so don't go away yet!

Hi PrincessV! I haven't read any of your TRs before but this one is cracking me up so far. I love Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List so the title made me laugh! Excited for more & subscribin'!

I recognize you from some threads I've frequented over the years - thanks for coming over! Kathy Griffin cracks me up - the woman will say ANYthing!

 

[PrincessV]

I seem to be channeling Cyndi Lauper today. Only without the Technicolor hair. I left that in the 80’s, thank you very much. (NO Bibbidy Bobbedy Boutique)


And, if I’m to be honest, there isn’t anything all that unusual about my WDW crew. I’m sure readers will find commonalities with any one of us. Which, of course, is what makes reading the trip report ramblings of complete strangers interesting in the first place.

But we do have our share of idiosyncrasies, unique personality traits, and preferences. That, put together in a hotel room for several days, could unravel the nerves of even the most chillaxed Buddhist monk.

We are…




Traveler #1: V. That’s me – I’m not so much a fan of the “Princess” title, but I’m unwilling to re-register on the DIS and lose my post count.



Okay, okay, I just don’t want to lose my tags.

Anyway, contrary to popular belief, I’m more of a big picture person than one who sweats the minute details. In this, the pre-trip planning stage, I enjoy the process of envisioning what each potential resort will look, feel and smell like. Ditto that for each restaurant, theme park and swimming pool. Deciding which park to visit on what day, where we want to eat, and when I need to call for reservations is not fun for me. I futz around with those details only because I know that if I put in the time early, I’ll be able to kick back and enjoy the big picture-style Disney trip once I’m there.

Another interesting aspect of my personality is that I need lots of alone time. Lots. I need frequent breaks from the action at WDW and if I don’t get enough, I become cranky. My fellow traveler is exactly the same way…

If forced to single out a ride to label “Favorite,” I suppose I’d have to go with Tower of Terror (TOT). Anything that drops me repeatedly and makes me feel weightless is a winner in my book. Couple that with some amazing Imagineering and a nod to a creeptastic TV show, and I’m a happy camper.

I haven’t been on TOT more than a couple times since 2002. That’s due to…



Traveler #2: Leo. Leo is my soon-to-be-7-year-old son and fellow WDW addict. Leo loves him some Disney World and shares my enthusiasm for the place, but is a much more detail-oriented person. He likes specifics and does not enjoy surprises.

Planning with Leo is a bit complicated. He can become so mired down in details, he loses sight of the end goal and winds up stressed and unhappy. So, in past trips, I’ve left him out of most of the planning. This year, though, I feel like he can shoulder a bit more and I’ve been asking him for input. At the first sign of distress, however, I back off. I’ll discuss this process more in a future installment, but, for now, let’s just say I’m cautiously optimistic about the success of this experiment.

Not unexpectedly, Leo’s “Favorite” rides change continually. Nowadays, it would be a toss-up between the Jungle Cruise and the People Mover (or TTA – but Leo calls it by its true and proper name. )

Leo and V in Epcot, Nov. 2008



Traveler #3: Gramma. Oy vey, she’s back. Gramma is my mother and Leo’s grandmother. She lives with us and generally drives me batty, though she’s been better in recent months. Far from being a helicopter mom, Gramma refuses to voice her opinion on anything when asked… but you can totally tell she has one. She hates dealing with plans and details on vacation and won’t take part in pre-trip planning, so I get to guess what she might or might not enjoy.

When this trip was first planned, there was no Gramma on board. Too hot for her. And Leo and I had plans to spend our time with other people, so she wasn’t interested in tagging along. When I moved the trip to June, I told Gramma about it in front of Leo. Who invited Gramma to join us. Gah! When will I learn?! With our plans now moved back to Aug., Gramma says she’s out again. Will this latest decision hold? I rather suspect so. So, no Gramma on the trip, but there’s always a possibility she’ll show up in an installment, so I thought it best to introduce her.

Gramma’s “Favorite” ride, by the way, is the drive back home.





In addition to Leo and me, there are some other folks certain to be featured in this report, and they’re all DISERS! Yep – those friends with whom we so enjoyed traveling last year? Met ‘em right here on the DIS a few years ago. How freaking cool is that?!

This part is a work in progress, though. Summer plans are being made and/or altered all over the place and there are few definites at this point in time. A few other DISer buddies just might make it, too (you know who you are )… I’m wishing on every Disney star they do. But I’ll save their intros for now, so as not to jinx anything.


Sadly, the plans some other DIS friends with whom we traveled last year don’t mesh with our vacation dates, nor do the plans of others we’ve yet to meet in person and would someday like to. Both situations make me sad.



For now, I can introduce two families who we’ll almost-for-sure see in August…


Traveling DIS Family #1: The Waldos! T, her husband Andy, daughter Maddie and son Evan. Also T’s dad, Waldo, and her mom, TE.

I first met T shortly after I joined and began posting on the DIS. I was pretty unfamiliar with Internet discussion boards on which vast numbers of strangers congregate, and was pretty suspicious of who might be on them. But something about T just clicked with me – I liked her instantly and was excited to meet her in person after chatting online for more than a year. Real life turned out to just be an extension of the DIS; T was everything I thought she’d be and more, as evidenced by the very real friendship we’ve forged since that time! We had a great time getting to know each other with our fellow DIS friends in Summer of 2007, and repeated the process in Summer 2008. In both cases, we included our kids… to say they hit it off is a major understatement. To this day, Leo wonders aloud what his “Disney Friends” are doing and when he’ll get to see them next. I frequently do the same.

I think, by now, you begin to understand my happiness at being able to switch our dates back to August, when we can meet the Waldos at WDW.




Another family I’m pretty darned sure we’ll see is…

Traveling DIS Family #2: TheDISneyFamily! Okay, we’re ALL DISney families, but this is the DISney Family, as so-named on the DIS. Michelle, her husband Steve, daughter Jordan, son Conner, and daughter Brenna.

I’m not sure exactly when I “met” Michelle on the DIS, but it wasn’t long after I joined, either, I don’t think. I remember reading her first trip report and being so impressed with her family – they just struck me as really, really good people. We, too, spent years chatting online before finally meeting in person this past fall. Halloween 2008: we met TheDISneyFamily for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and had a BLAST! If you’ve had the opportunity to meet up with TheDISneyFamily in person, you already know – they are, every one of them, as lovely and kind and fun as they seem online. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Michelle and Jordan online very much and look forward to seeing more of them all in Aug.!





As I mentioned, there’s plenty of room in this TR for more, so I’m hopeful that this is not the end of introductions. We’ve still got five months before arrival; anything could happen.

And,

When you wish upon a star… your dreams come true.




Not that I’m enabling, mind you.



Next: Six-year-olds are the most interesting planners…