Family Reunion At Easter 08

[canwegosoon]

Hi All-starting an early planning session. Several Family members will be celebrating birthdays during our Easter Break08...so I need to start weighing the options. If you have any experience with this ....please post!!!!Thanks

Cast:

GF(70ish) not great on the mobility-has hip/knee mobility problems by this time. Will turn 74yo during trip.
GM(70ish) very mobile
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Sister#1(40ish)
Sister#2(30ish)Down's Syndrome poss some mobility problems(currently walks with hip limp)
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DH(30ish)
Me(40ish)
DS(9yo)-will turn 10yo during trip
DS(9yo)-will turn 10yo during trip
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Sister#3(40ish)
Niece(17yo)
Niece(15yo)
Niece(13yo)
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Brother(30ish)
SIL(30ish)
Niece(4yo) Will turn 5 during this trip
Niece(3yo)
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GM(70ish)very mobile
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BIL(40ish)
SIL(60ish)
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Sister#4(40ish) ???Hasn't been at a family event in 2 years
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Friends-visiting WDW at the same time-staying at Vistana-2A3C
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Cousins-I know they go to WDW every Easter from NY and are also DVC members.

Dilema: I do not have enough points for everyone. I do have enough points to cover my GM/GF/DH/me/DS/DS/Sister#1 and Sister#2 in a 2brm or 2 stuidos. Should I rent points? Should I not even try to get everyone in the same hotels? My Dad(GF) wants stuidos for privacy. I was thinking a 2brdm might be better, but...can see his point. (I would be willing to pay for my parents(GM/GF and Sister#2-since finances are an issue for them) I am considering an add on that might give me enough points for GV if I bank/borrow. But cancellations might be an issue with Sister#3+nieces. How do you handle that?

Location: OK- Big problem- My home resort is SSR(and I would be fine there)...but with the mobility issues should I try for a Epcot area or VWL DVC properties? Or should I bank points, and just rent standard rooms...perhaps on monorail or other choices.

I will also have an AP at the time...but kinda doubt an AP discount...

Who do I work through? And when do I contact them?
Does anyone have helpful advice? What about contacting extended family members that vacation there at the same time...should I let them know our plans and ask if they want to join in?

Dining advice? I can not imagine that we would be able to eat anywhere together(except for Ohanna's and Beirgarten). I guess I should get the DDE card again.

Thanks for the help-Terri

 

[MAO]

I took my immediate family to BWV (my home resort) in October of 2004. I put my parents in a 1 bedroom, my brother and family (wife & 2 kids) in a 1 bedroom, my sister and family (husband & 4 kids) in a 2 bedroom, and my other sister took the couch in my 1 bedroom. We were all on the same floor, pretty much right next to each other (I think my sister & family might have had one room between them and the rest of us.) Having every 'family' in their own room was, I think, the best way to do things because it allowed the parents to keep control of their kids without having to deal with "but cousin so-and-so doesn't have to" or "the cousins are going here, can't I go with them?"

My mother had been in a very bad car wreck just a couple of months before the trip and was using a wheelchair to get around. It was nice being in an Epcot resort, since it was so easy for Dad to get her to both Epcot and MGM, but she had no problems getting on the buses either. In fact, their favorite CM was a gentleman who drove one of the buses and really spent a lot of extra time and effort helping her on and off. We did not specifically ask to be next to the elevators; in fact Dad mentioned that he was very glad the carpeting at BWV was so easy to "drive" on since we were so far from the elevators. Of course, they were both about a decade younger than your parents.

One of my nieces had a birthday while we were there. My sister got a birthday cake from somewhere at Disney and had it presented to her daughter at our big family get-together meal (my only "payment" requirement) at the Yachtman's (sp?) steakhouse. I still haven't figured out if someone in the family requested or if Disney just gave us a couple of roses -- I believe the birthday girl and my mother both got one. (I know my mother did; I just can't remember who else.)

You'll spend more points, relatively speaking, going for a 'hotel' versus a studio. All of the rooms I had at the BWV were standard view (thank goodness for that 11 month window!) and everyone was very pleased with the view. We'd watch the high fireworks from, I believe, MGM at night from our balconies. Personally, I don't get along well enough with my siblings to want to stay with them in a GV which is why I would recommend studios or 1 bedrooms.

I started by telling the family what I was willing to do -- how many nights, what kind of rooms, what dates, etc. I gave them a deadline to decide if they were coming and what dates they wanted. Once I had agreement from them, I called Member Services and set up the rooms. I did call and talk to someone about the Grand Gatherings or whatever that's called, but my family's not one to want to spend an entire day together much less the money needed to go on one of their special tours, so I dropped that idea. If you want more information, ask Member Services how to go about setting that up and I think they'll give you a phone number to call. The GG folks wanted specific information (like birthdays for the kids, etc.) that I didn't have handy, so I had to "call them back." After contacting the others in the family, I decided that we didn't have the interest needed to set that up so I didn't mess with it anymore.

Not sure what to advise you on whether or rent points or not. I personally would not offer to take all but one of my siblings -- as mentioned, we don't get along well enough to warrant that particular snub. I am taking just my father this year (my mother died last year) and would have no problems with the other siblings if I took my little sister (she's 15 years younger than the rest of us, so "fairness" issues are a little different -- plus, she's not married with kids like the other two.) You're the only one that can determine how well the siblings you don't "treat" will react. And after saying that, I will stick my nose in a little bit -- what about asking everyone to chip in some portion of the total 'cost' and use that money to rent the extra points necessary to get everyone in? If sister #3 has given you non-refundable money, it's less likely she'll cancel.

Good luck.

 

[canwegosoon]

MAO, Thanks for the input-from someone who has been through it. I think I am between
1) renting points from friends to suplement room costs(and then telling people $XXX is non-refundable and due by. (the sister that I am planning to cover is my sister with Downs-and my parents...noone in my family would take this as a snub, since we all know they are really having a hard financial time, the #1 sister might go with sister#4 or she would offer to pay a share). I do have a friend that is a BWV owner that loves SSR, so we might be able to trade ressies, and I am thinking about an add on at BWV or BCV. I guess I could always get rooms at a cash rate.


2) Second option is banking all my points and just renting hotel rooms (like I used to do before DVC). I will have an AP so I can get 3 rooms at a discount. I forgot to mention that Brother/SIL are Florida residents so might also qualify for some discount(or at least have their tickets). I would think that by renting rooms everyone could be responsible for their own finances...and if someone has to cancel it's not as big of a problem.

I think this might be 5-6 rooms. It just seems over whelming to me(who is very used to planning my 1 little room trips). MAO I really appericate you posting about how you were all together on the same floor, but in seperate rooms. That seems to be inline with what my Dad is thinking...So I guess I don't have to worry about a GV. Also I guess it will help with cancellations.

 

[MAO]

It was a bit overwhelming to me, as well, making reservations for 4 rooms instead of the one I'm used to dealing with even if I bring company.

Btw, I only offered hotel rooms, not tickets or transportation to/from. Everyone but me lives in Missouri, so some of them drove and others flew.

Trading with another DVC friend who has the 11 month window for the resort you want sounds like a great idea. Of course, it adds yet another person with whom you need to coordinate dates! Don't forget that just adding on points only gives you the 11 month window for *those* points, not the original ones. So if you have 200 points at SSR, buy another 50 at BWV, you can only rent something 11 months out using the 50 points. (You probably already know this -- sorry.)

As far as cancellations go, yes, having separate rooms does help your comfort level I think. I know that the family grapevine had the one family with 4 kids not coming or not bringing all the kids at various times, for various reasons, not the least of which was I could only afford to do this during October so all of the kids had to be taken out of school. As it ended up, everyone showed up and I haven't heard since about anyone flunking out of school so my conscience is clear. LOL.

The only other point I'd like to make that you may not have considered is that by renting hotel rooms you're basically forcing everyone to "eat out," which adds to the total cost of the vacation. Even if all the rooms you get at a DVC resort are studios, you at least get a microwave and small fridge in every room. Some people do just fine with a small fridge in a hotel room to keep cold cuts and soda, but I like being able to cook if I want to. On the 2004 trip, we made a run to the grocery store early in the week and I cooked a roast that my sister and I ate off of for several meals. My parents made muffins and brownies and pizza. Hot biscuits (from a tin or Bisquick) can really make a meal. (Now I'm making myself hungry and I just finished breakfast!) Also, don't forget the laundry facilities at the DVC resorts -- even in a studio you can get to a washer & dryer within a floor or two of where you are.

I'm not sure how long of a trip you're planning. Some of that last paragraph may be moot if you're only going to be there two or three nights, or if your family is big on eating out. I know that all of mine were especially pleased with the capability to cook and wash, even if they didn't take as much advantage of it as I did.

 

[canwegosoon]

The only other point I'd like to make that you may not have considered is that by renting hotel rooms you're basically forcing everyone to "eat out," which adds to the total cost of the vacation. Even if all the rooms you get at a DVC resort are studios, you at least get a microwave and small fridge in every room. Some people do just fine with a small fridge in a hotel room to keep cold cuts and soda, but I like being able to cook if I want to. On the 2004 trip, we made a run to the grocery store early in the week and I cooked a roast that my sister and I ate off of for several meals. My parents made muffins and brownies and pizza. Hot biscuits (from a tin or Bisquick) can really make a meal. (Now I'm making myself hungry and I just finished breakfast!) Also, don't forget the laundry facilities at the DVC resorts -- even in a studio you can get to a washer & dryer within a floor or two of where you are.

I'm not sure how long of a trip you're planning. Some of that last paragraph may be moot if you're only going to be there two or three nights, or if your family is big on eating out. I know that all of mine were especially pleased with the capability to cook and wash, even if they didn't take as much advantage of it as I did.

I did think about this, and if my parents just cover their meals and tickets they will be fine. I was thinking about the DDE...(since I have an AP), and we usually do breakfast in the room, and I just figured with all the picky eaters I have in my family- the last thing I wanted to do was be a short order cook...but we still might switch a stuido to a 1 brdm for a little cooking. My DH hates it, and will not eat more than a toasted bagel on vacation- He loves to eat out.

A few of us will be there for a week, and my sister and neices, and brother and his family I think 3-4 days tops. Thanks again these are all things we need to think about and discuss now, so some of the family can start bugeting.