I just booked our first trip home!

[bangzoom6877]

I called MS at 9AM this morning, and I booked our July 13, 2010 trip home to BWV!! Woo-hoo!!

I just wanted to say thank you to all of the wonderful people here who have helped me out since last summer when DH and I were first thinking of becoming DVC members! We are so happy to finally be going "home" for the first time next summer! And thank you for the advice on room location. We have a standard view 1-BR villa at BWV and I requested to be across from the bus stop on the top floor. I hope we get it! I booked the first 7 nights, and I will be calling back the next 3 mornings to complete the 10-night reservation. The CM on the phone was wonderful, and she put a note on the reservation that ultimately this reservation will be 10 nights and to hold off on mailing the confirmation until then. Everything went smoothly and I couldn't be more pleased!

Thank you again to all the wonderful people on these boards!

 

[Checkers]

Congratulations and have a wonderful trip!

 

[helenk]

Don't you love the feeling of making that first reservation? Congrats

 

[bangzoom6877]

Don't you love the feeling of making that first reservation? Congrats

Oh yes I do!!! It just makes it so much more of a reality. Thank you!

 

[5DizFans]

Hello,

Congrats on your reservation! So exciting! I am a new member too and will be making our first reservation next month. A few questions:

I can all 11 months ahead for the home resort. You mentioned that you had to call again (daily) for additional days. Does that mean I can book one week with one call?

Does member services open at 9AM (EST)?

Any other helpful hints?

Thansk!

 

[2binak]

CONGRATULATIONS! Hope you have a wonderful first trip HOME!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Hello,

Congrats on your reservation! So exciting! I am a new member too and will be making our first reservation next month. A few questions:

I can all 11 months ahead for the home resort. You mentioned that you had to call again (daily) for additional days. Does that mean I can book one week with one call?

Does member services open at 9AM (EST)?

Any other helpful hints?

Thansk!

Hi there! It is very exciting, thanks!

Yes, you can call exactly 11 months prior to your check-in date to book your home resort. I called this morning to book BWV, my home resort, checking in on July 13, 2010. Member Services does open up at 9AM, and that is when I called. Yes, you are correct that you can book one week with one call if it is exactly your 11-month mark. This is what I did. I reserved the first 7 nights. The CM on the phone was kind enough to put a note on my reservation that ultimately, my check-out date will be July 23, 2010 (10-night stay total), just so that the CMs who handle my additional calls know this ahead of time and know not to mail out the confirmation until the entire 10-night reservation is complete.

Other hints...I made the reservation in just my name to expedite it and be sure we got our 1-BR standard view. I also made my room location request after I got my reservation number, and the CM was very happy to add that for me. I called back Member Services a couple of hours later and added my husband and 2 children to the reservation. You could also use this technique if you want to, make sure you have the room type you want first, then at another time add the rest of the guests to the reservation. Also, if your reservation is for more than 7 nights and you are calling at the exact 11-month mark, call back each day to make sure you get the rest of the days in the accommodation you want. I know for me this makes me feel better about it, and I certainly don't mind having to call Disney for a few days in a row!

Have fun on your first trip home as well! I know we can't wait for ours!

 

[5DizFans]

What is the advantage to putting husband and kids on the reservation at a later time!

I'm sooo excited. However, our 11 month mark will be the first day of school! And because I am on the west coast - I'll be calling early! It is always easy to get up Disney!

 

[jekjones1558]

Congratulation, Bonnie! You are so far ahead of the game in understanding the ins and outs of making reservations! Here's hoping that the 11 months go by quickly. And wouldn't it be something if one of those special corner rooms is available at check-in!

 

[bangzoom6877]

What is the advantage to putting husband and kids on the reservation at a later time!

I'm sooo excited. However, our 11 month mark will be the first day of school! And because I am on the west coast - I'll be calling early! It is always easy to get up Disney!

I have learned that the advantage to waiting to add the other guests in my party to the room ressie is that in case a lot of people are calling to reserve the same type of accommodation at the same time, the reservation will go through a lot quicker if I initially put it in just my name, as when you first call and ask the make a reservation, they ask for your member number and verify who you are. Then you can make the reservation and when they ask you for additional guests in the same room, you just tell them it is just for you. I would imagine this is especially helpful during busy times like Christmas and Easter week, and also when it requires fewer points for your reservation than other times of year. So your 11-month mark is coming up soon!! Enjoy! It sure feels great to book that first trip!

Congratulation, Bonnie! You are so far ahead of the game in understanding the ins and outs of making reservations! Here's hoping that the 11 months go by quickly. And wouldn't it be something if one of those special corner rooms is available at check-in!

Thank you so much! I love planning our vacations and no matter what type of trip it is, I always do my research. And yes, it would be wonderful if one of those corner rooms is available, however it may spoil us!! I am just happy to be going to Disney and staying in a 1-BR so that DH and I can relax when the kids go to sleep! That is the best. Also very happy to be so close to 2 of the theme parks!!

 

[Disney Princess]

Bonnie - Congrats on making your reservation! I know how excited you've been, and it is great that you were finally able to call. Good luck the next few mornings (I'm sure you'll have no problems ), and have fun planning with your family!

 

[5forDiz]

You & your family are going to have the most awesome time

So glad to hear everything worked out as you wanted !!!!!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Bonnie - Congrats on making your reservation! I know how excited you've been, and it is great that you were finally able to call. Good luck the next few mornings (I'm sure you'll have no problems ), and have fun planning with your family!

Thanks! Yes, I think everyone on these boards knows how crazy I am with the Disney planning!! I will have lots of fun planning with my family, but I really never stopped planning!

Thanks everyone! You guys are the best!

 

[Disney Princess]

Thanks! Yes, I think everyone on these boards knows how crazy I am with the Disney planning!! I will have lots of fun planning with my family, but I really never stopped planning!

Thanks everyone! You guys are the best!

There is no such thing as "crazy" when it comes to planning - at least not to me. I really hope all the details come together with your extended family and the visit with the Florida relatives. It is just nice to have the first step completed.

 

[AnnaS]

Your booking day finally arrived and before you know it, vacation time is here. It is very exciting and we are excited for you too. Enjoy all the planning.

 

[bangzoom6877]

There is no such thing as "crazy" when it comes to planning - at least not to me. I really hope all the details come together with your extended family and the visit with the Florida relatives. It is just nice to have the first step completed.

Oh, everything is coming along just fine, going very smoothly!

My sister booked a room for herself and my nieces at Pop Century, and my parents are booked there as well. I gave her some tips and she requested the same section we were in last year, the '50s section overlooking the lake, because we were able to see some of the Epcot fireworks out our window over there. They are all very excited. Yesterday they left on their cruise, and they will be back next Thursday. Then I know my sister will get heavy into the planning like me.

We are visiting the relatives and friends in southern Florida before Disney. DH, myself and the boys are driving down and my parents and sister are taking the auto train with the girls. We all booked the Embassy Suites in Boca Raton, where DH, the boys and I stayed last year, for $79 a night in a 2-room suite with a full breakfast included! We will be staying there for 3 nights before Disney. My parents and sister and the girls will be in Disney the first 4 days we are there. We will go to Epcot and MK together, and they will go to Sea World together on the day we go to DHS. We are holding off on Sea World until the little one is 5, which will be the 2012 trip. Next year we will just do the Disney parks.

We also all know that we will be making an ADR for dinner at the castle together and we are hoping to be seated at the same table. They are all going to lunch with the princesses at Epcot and then snacking around the world in the evening instead of going to a traditional dinner. We will be going someplace for dinner in WS so we will not be eating together there, unless we change our minds of course.

All of us already bought our tickets as well, before Disney increased the prices. We bought through UT, and my sister got the rest through Disney since they only needed 2-day tickets. She also got their Sea World tickets already.

So, we are well on our way! Now DH and I are just trying to figure out where exactly to stop along the way, going down and coming back up. He has cousins in Tampa so we will most likely go there before Boca, for a couple of nights. If that is not a good time for them, we could always go right after Disney for a couple of nights and then head back home from there. All the hotel rates are out for next summer already so I have been researching already. I am a teacher so I have the summer off, and that is when I prefer to do all this, since I have the time. Once the school year begins I will be busy with work, my older son is starting pre-K and my little one is starting nursery school 3 days a week. So things will be pretty busy around here in a few weeks from now. But that always makes things go even faster (until the Disney trip of course!).

Now that ADRs will be 180 days in advance I am also very excited. I get to make them in the middle of January instead of April!

 

[bangzoom6877]

I called the last couple of days, including this morning, and our complete 10-night trip for July 2010 is now booked!! They are sending us our confirmation letter in the mail and now I can't wait to get it!

I also got an invitation via email to the Doorway to Dreams even in Long Island. We responded and we are all set to go on August 31st at 4PM! It's less than an hour from where we live. We're not telling the kids though, we are going to surprise them! I'm sure many of you have read about it. I know its purpose is really to sell people add-on contracts, but they are having a dance party with Mickey and Minnie and I know my boys will enjoy that. It looked like fun so we thought we would check it out. Feels like we get to have a tiny bit of the magic right here at home, almost 11 months before we will be in the middle of it all!

We are just so excited that the full 10-night trip is booked!!

 

[Disney Princess]

Bonnie -

I'm so happy you got the full reservation without any hiccups and you'll get your letter soon! Your trip sounds very well planned already. I also teach, and I love my summers off. Unfortunately, DH isn't a teacher, so he doesn't have the free time to travel like I do. He actually works for Hilton, so we've stayed a many an Embassy - you can't beat those suites and the hot breakfast. It is a great deal!

Enjoy the end of your summer and check that mail faithfully everyday!

 

[Disney Princess]

P.S. Enjoy the DTD event. We don't have anything like it here at home - such a tragedy for us! Take some pictures and post if you can!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Bonnie -

I'm so happy you got the full reservation without any hiccups and you'll get your letter soon! Your trip sounds very well planned already. I also teach, and I love my summers off. Unfortunately, DH isn't a teacher, so he doesn't have the free time to travel like I do. He actually works for Hilton, so we've stayed a many an Embassy - you can't beat those suites and the hot breakfast. It is a great deal!

Enjoy the end of your summer and check that mail faithfully everyday!

Thanks so much! I'm also happy the reservation worked out!

I know I'm lucky that DH and I are both teachers. It's nice that we will always be off at the same time as our children. We talk about driving across the country all the way to Disneyland when the boys are older...we're thinking around ages 10 and 12 or so. I hope by then it will be easy to book Grand Californian Villas 7 months out so we don't have to pay for a hotel!

You are lucky though that your DH works for Hilton! We love the Hilton hotels. They are wonderful, all of them...the regular Hiltons, Double Tree (ahh, those cookies!), Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites! And yes, the breakfast at Embassy Suites is wonderful!!

I will see if I can post pics here from Doorway to Dreams. We really can't wait to go and the boys have no idea...they will not know until we get there and they see Mickey and Minnie!! I am so excited and can't wait to see their reactions!