Followed the plans on here and no Elsa FP

[bc7ate9]

If there truly is nothing you can do, the points are non-transferable and the company won't work with you at all, then honestly I'd just chock the cost up to a loss and cancel. Sorry, I would. I had something in the same realm happen once, and went to WDW on a super tight budget. I worried over every penny I spent. In retrospect, I should have just cancelled because I couldn't enjoy the trip trip for constantly worrying about my budget.

I don't want to agree with this - I think everybody offered great suggestions and your trip CAN be magical - but...I do kind of agree with this. If I was going to be at Disney a week and could only afford one or 2 park days, I'd stay home. It'd be too hard to see everybody else going to and from the parks...I'm not saying this is how you should feel, but maybe something to think about. Good luck!

 

[Nancyg56]

I don't want to agree with this - I think everybody offered great suggestions and your trip CAN be magical - but...I do kind of agree with this. If I was going to be at Disney a week and could only afford one or 2 park days, I'd stay home. It'd be too hard to see everybody else going to and from the parks...I'm not saying this is how you should feel, but maybe something to think about. Good luck!

The problem is that the OP has already spent the bulk of the cost so if she backs out, that money will not be refunded, and she will not be able to reschedule with the existing reservation. She is trying to make the best of a bad situation. SHe can throw away monies already spent, and stay home, or she can compromise and take the family and cut back on what they do.

If she was staying at Motel Backwoods in the Middle of Nowhere, I would agree, but AKL DVC resorts are gorgeous with plenty to do even while not visiting the parks. I have friends who vacationed at FW every year for years, and they only visited the parks two or three days tops. It is a different vacation, but it is a vacation nonetheless.

 

[bc7ate9]

The problem is that the OP has already spent the bulk of the cost so if she backs out, that money will not be refunded, and she will not be able to reschedule with the existing reservation. She is trying to make the best of a bad situation. SHe can throw away monies already spent, and stay home, or she can compromise and take the family and cut back on what they do.

If she was staying at Motel Backwoods in the Middle of Nowhere, I would agree, but AKL DVC resorts are gorgeous with plenty to do even while not visiting the parks. I have friends who vacationed at FW every year for years, and they only visited the parks two or three days tops. It is a different vacation, but it is a vacation nonetheless.

I understand that. It'd be too depressing for ME to go through with the trip, but that's just me. I hope the original poster CAN make the most of her trip!

 

[lustergirl]

The problem is that the OP has already spent the bulk of the cost so if she backs out, that money will not be refunded, and she will not be able to reschedule with the existing reservation. She is trying to make the best of a bad situation. SHe can throw away monies already spent, and stay home, or she can compromise and take the family and cut back on what they do.

If she was staying at Motel Backwoods in the Middle of Nowhere, I would agree, but AKL DVC resorts are gorgeous with plenty to do even while not visiting the parks. I have friends who vacationed at FW every year for years, and they only visited the parks two or three days tops. It is a different vacation, but it is a vacation nonetheless.

I would cut my losses and move on. Cutting back as much as she needs to isn't a vacation. And I wouldnt go to Disney without visiting the parks for more than one day. From her description of things, her house getting robbed, ie, she has enough issues at home to contend with.

 

[GaryDis]

I don't want to agree with this - I think everybody offered great suggestions and your trip CAN be magical - but...I do kind of agree with this. If I was going to be at Disney a week and could only afford one or 2 park days, I'd stay home. It'd be too hard to see everybody else going to and from the parks...I'm not saying this is how you should feel, but maybe something to think about. Good luck!

I don't want to go as far as saying this is what she should do - I don't know enough about the situation, and it's not my decision. But cutting ones losses like this is something that should be on the table for consideration.

This is why we're planning on cancellation insurance for our DVC rental.

 

[crostorfer]

I understand that. It'd be too depressing for ME to go through with the trip, but that's just me. I hope the original poster CAN make the most of her trip!

I think if I took my kid to the park one day out of seven, and she loved it and wanted to go back the next day, but we couldn't afford it, I'd feel terrible. Or if we only went to one park, but in the room she watched one of the 5 channels full of things to do at Disney and she saw something she wanted to do at a park we couldn't afford to buy another ticket for, I would feel really terrible. Like, so terrible I'd have a pity party and cry.

 

[DoingDisney]

IF this was legacy FP ... rope drop A&E to grab an FP, walk to mine train and ride, bang both done with ease. Thank god for FP+.

 

[mummabear]

First off...thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. I needed help figuring out how to make the most of my situation and a lot of good help has come of it. I didn't realize the wait was an hour now. Last I heard it was 6 no matter what. I certainly can wait one hour. That's not a problem. I also didn't know people cancel so often and things open up daily.

I wasn't looking for sympathy or even a place to complain. I was just really frustrated with my circumstances and looking for a way to make them better. When we planned this trip we rented AKL DVC (paid and can't get money back), bought Halloween tickets (paid and can't cancel). We had saved up for our first vacation ever and were pumped- had a whole week planned and were so looking forward to it. Meanwhile, my husband suffered financial loss at work (unfortunately like many today), we also had to come up with a lump sum of money to help family, and my grandmother who raised me- is sick and there are bills I must pay. On top of all that, Our house was broken into and it was destroyed and everything was stolen. They even took our shower head and toilet seats...no really. We are currently fixing it all and putting it on the market to sell. This costs extreme money too. I realize these are no ones problems but our own, but we don't have much money at this point, even though we did when we reserved our trip.

At the time we planned our trip all was gravy. Now things aren't and we really shouldn't even be going to DIsney at this point, because we still have to pay for food, park tickets, and gas to drive down there..maybe hotel on the way down. But I said to him, look we already paid for the hotel and its nice and fun, can't we please just go down there and swim in the pool? With all we have going on it would be better than whats going on here. I heard Elsa might not be at the Halloween party- So we paid for one park day because we just wanted to get to see our little girl be happy, with so much sadness hurt around here. So we bought the tickets and its a stretch for us, then I wasn't able to get the ticket with Elsa and I felt crushed again. It maybe stupid to some of you on here. I read your writings and I see how much people vacation and love Disney. I looked for help and I got some and to those I am very thankful.

OP that is a terrible situation to find yourself in, but you are right, there is no point in wasting the money already spent. There is loads to do without needing to be in the park for enjoyment. Some free things to do would be watch Wishes from the Poly Beach and The chip and dale campfire at fort wilderness. Enjoy swimming in the pool and look at your resort activities for the pool parties and other events.

 

[bc7ate9]

I think if I took my kid to the park one day out of seven, and she loved it and wanted to go back the next day, but we couldn't afford it, I'd feel terrible. Or if we only went to one park, but in the room she watched one of the 5 channels full of things to do at Disney and she saw something she wanted to do at a park we couldn't afford to buy another ticket for, I would feel really terrible. Like, so terrible I'd have a pity party and cry.

Yes, exactly...I'd probably end up spending so much money to make up for all the things we weren't able to do that it'd be cheaper to just buy park tickets for a week. I'd really think long and hard about that before taking the trip at all. Sometimes accepting a substantial loss really is a money saver in the long run.

 

[piccolopat]

You might think about upgrading your one day pass to a multiday pass. If you change to a 2 day pass you'll pay about $270 extra in total. A 5 day pass will cost about $656 extra with everything else in between. It's cheaper on a per day basis the more days you buy. If you keep your food costs down by eating breakfast in your room, quick service instead of sit down, etc. that should offset this increase at least a little bit. I know that you can't change your accommodations or MNSSHP tickets at this point but it might be worth a little more stretch in your budget to have an extra day or two and go to other parks since you might not be back for a long time. You can decide on this when you get there. The only downside to waiting is you won't get your FP+ in advance. You can also use some of your non-park time and go to Disney Springs or even check out other resorts where you're free to wander (but not use the pools and some other facilities). Going RD is the best choice if you don't get the FP+ for Elsa that you covet but keep checking because availability changes all the time. Try to forget your troubles and enjoy yourself while you're there.

 

[piccolopat]

Yes this is exactly right. We rented points through a company not a person who might be willing to hear my story. We signed a contract, paid our money and that's that. All the money we had saved (a big lump sum) has had to go to other things, therefore I cannot pay $1,000 for week of park passes for the 3 of us. We have to skimp now is all.

Of course we don't know the details behind the lump sum but it sounds like it is not for your family but rather some relative. I don't think it is unreasonable to tell that person that you had vacation plans with no refunds and you can only give them "X" instead of "Y". Can you hold back an extra $500 and use that to buy multiday passes?

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I think if I took my kid to the park one day out of seven, and she loved it and wanted to go back the next day, but we couldn't afford it, I'd feel terrible. Or if we only went to one park, but in the room she watched one of the 5 channels full of things to do at Disney and she saw something she wanted to do at a park we couldn't afford to buy another ticket for, I would feel really terrible. Like, so terrible I'd have a pity party and cry.

Yes, exactly...I'd probably end up spening so much money to make up for all the things we weren't able to do that it'd be cheaper to just buy park tickets for a week. I'd really think long and hard about that before taking the trip at all. Sometimes accepting a substantial loss really is a money saver in the long run.

And some of us teach our kids that they can't have every shiny penny they see, and that sometimes in life you simply can't afford to do everything you want to do. If my kid couldn't be happy spending a week at an awesome resort like AKL, then I'd think I was doing something wrong as a parent.

 

[bc7ate9]

And some of us teach our kids that they can't have every shiny penny they see, and that sometimes in life you simply can't afford to do everything you want to do. If my kid couldn't be happy spending a week at an awesome resort like AKL, then I'd think I was doing something wrong as a parent.

I don't even have kids - I was talking about ME. If I couldn't afford everything I'd want to do, I'd stay home - it'd be too depressing for ME.

 

[piccolopat]

First off...thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. I needed help figuring out how to make the most of my situation and a lot of good help has come of it. I didn't realize the wait was an hour now. Last I heard it was 6 no matter what. I certainly can wait one hour. That's not a problem. I also didn't know people cancel so often and things open up daily.

I wasn't looking for sympathy or even a place to complain. I was just really frustrated with my circumstances and looking for a way to make them better. When we planned this trip we rented AKL DVC (paid and can't get money back), bought Halloween tickets (paid and can't cancel). We had saved up for our first vacation ever and were pumped- had a whole week planned and were so looking forward to it. Meanwhile, my husband suffered financial loss at work (unfortunately like many today), we also had to come up with a lump sum of money to help family, and my grandmother who raised me- is sick and there are bills I must pay. On top of all that, Our house was broken into and it was destroyed and everything was stolen. They even took our shower head and toilet seats...no really. We are currently fixing it all and putting it on the market to sell. This costs extreme money too. I realize these are no ones problems but our own, but we don't have much money at this point, even though we did when we reserved our trip.

At the time we planned our trip all was gravy. Now things aren't and we really shouldn't even be going to DIsney at this point, because we still have to pay for food, park tickets, and gas to drive down there..maybe hotel on the way down. But I said to him, look we already paid for the hotel and its nice and fun, can't we please just go down there and swim in the pool? With all we have going on it would be better than whats going on here. I heard Elsa might not be at the Halloween party- So we paid for one park day because we just wanted to get to see our little girl be happy, with so much sadness hurt around here. So we bought the tickets and its a stretch for us, then I wasn't able to get the ticket with Elsa and I felt crushed again. It maybe stupid to some of you on here. I read your writings and I see how much people vacation and love Disney. I looked for help and I got some and to those I am very thankful.

So sorry to hear about your troubles. I've already commented on the lump sum issue but for your grandmother's bills, are there some that can wait? For example, rent and utilities might be priorities, but outstanding medical bills, credit cards, etc. can be late and caught up eventually. You are not legally responsible for these and should only make sure your grandmother's immediate needs are not jeopardized. For your home, your insurance should pay for most of the damage and stolen property. If not and they haven't clearly explained why, you should contact your state's Insurance Department and file a complaint.

 

[Disneyliscious]

I would NEVER cancel a vacation that was paid for. That is insane. There are so many good suggestions that have already been given to make the vacation worthwhile.

For me, if the entire point of the trip was A&E, bite the bullet and stand in line for it. Just because you don't have a FP+ doesn't mean you can't see them. I realize that means you'll miss out on other things but those other things don't seem to be what the trip was about anyway.

 

[dfb]

I have taken my grandkids on 3 trips to WDW. Current ages are 4 to 8 years. We usually go down for 4 to 5 days but only spend 1 to 2 days in the park. To think a trip would not be worth it because you only have 1 of 7 days in the park while staying at AKL is silly. There is just too much to do even outside the park. AKL and all the DVC and Disney resorts have multitudes of activities to do, many have already been mentioned in these post. If you need more suggestions ask the CMs at checkin or call guest services before your trip. They have a list of activities at each resort and thru DVC you can resort and pool hop with only a couple exceptions. The grandkids without a doubt have as much fun at the resort as they do in the park. Even my kids, a few years ago, went on a trip by themselves, ages 8 -19. They didn't even want park tickets. They hung out at the pool, played games, trivia contest at pool with prizes, watched free movies, spent time with each other etc. Had a great time.

Work with what you have, make the best of it and have a great time!

 

[crostorfer]

And some of us teach our kids that they can't have every shiny penny they see, and that sometimes in life you simply can't afford to do everything you want to do. If my kid couldn't be happy spending a week at an awesome resort like AKL, then I'd think I was doing something wrong as a parent.

And that's fine, but going on vacation and pinching pennies is not fun to ME. It's stressful. I just think at this point eating a $1500 loss, probably less if renting points, is better than ballooning that loss to $3000 or $4500.

And the suggestion another poster made about not paying their bills in order to cover the trip costs is ludicrous to me.

 

[ArwenMarie]

My kids would love a trip at a resort like AKL. They would be totally fine with only one park day.

I think the idea about trimming a day or two off to keep costs down is a good idea. Good luck OP with whatever you decide.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

OP that is a terrible situation to find yourself in, but you are right, there is no point in wasting the money already spent. There is loads to do without needing to be in the park for enjoyment. Some free things to do would be watch Wishes from the Poly Beach and The chip and dale campfire at fort wilderness. Enjoy swimming in the pool and look at your resort activities for the pool parties and other events.

I also think the OP can have an enjoyable time with just one day park tickets and the party tickets. My family goes for 7 days and sometimes only has 3 day tickets. We have a blast. There is soooo much fun and free stuff to do outside of the parks!!!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I think if I took my kid to the park one day out of seven, and she loved it and wanted to go back the next day, but we couldn't afford it, I'd feel terrible. Or if we only went to one park, but in the room she watched one of the 5 channels full of things to do at Disney and she saw something she wanted to do at a park we couldn't afford to buy another ticket for, I would feel really terrible. Like, so terrible I'd have a pity party and cry.

This is how most of us live life. Seeing other people spend on stuff we can't afford. When we're at WDW & my kid wants to go to MVMCP, not happening. Not in the budget, but doesn't mean we're not having fun. We have great vacations & the budget is never unlimited where I can say yes to every wish & whim.
For the OP, I would try to plan the two park days towards the end of the week so there is something to look forward to. If your daughter knows you are going home the next day, another visit to the park is not an option. However if the desired FP was available on day 2, i'd go for it & do the MNSSHP later.