I Won The Year Of A Million Dreams

[toocherie]

Hey all!!! Brand new to this board!!! I just wanted to say hi, and let all the DVC folks know I WON!!!! I am the 2007 Grand Prize winner in Disney's year of a million dreams giveaway!! I won an all inclusive Saratoga Springs Vacation Club membership!!!! This is great, and I cannot wait to read about the clubs on this board!!!

Congrats!!! That is totally awesome dude!

So if you won the 2007 prize that must mean there is still a 2008 prize out there . . . . . ?

 

[groverdog]

Unbelievable!!!! Good for you, you must be on shock. That is fantastic, its nice to hear from people who actually win these sweepstakes. I am currently entering the contest they are running, send in an entry every single day with a Disney stamp affixed for good luck.

Welcome Home and a big CONGRATS to you!

 

[mamatojon]

CONGRATULATIONS!
Enjoy! I'm so excited for you!

 

[hrsmom]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Welcome Home!

 

[Kewz1]

Let me add my congrats to the list!!!

Have fun planning your first stay!

Kristen

 

[chalee94]

congratulations!

We want to go to Disney next halloween. We want to book the AKL for us. Probably go a Sunday to a Saturday the 1st week of October. Would that be difficult for us to book?

definitely a great plan to stay at the AKL/AKV...i love that place. boma and jiko are both in my top 5 places to eat at wdw.

a lot depends on when they complete construction of the new development at AKV - by 2010, i would expect reservations at AKV to be easier to get at 7 months. october is also fairly popular among DVCers due to the food & wine festival at epcot, but moreso at the BWV/BCV resorts.

IMO, you should go ahead and book SSR at 11 months out and then cancel that reservation at 7 months if AKV has availability.

 

[DMKEDM]

Welcome home, congratulations and hurray for you!

Some answers to your questions:

1. Availability is always an issue when you're booking DVC vacations...you can book starting 11 months from the date of your check-out at SSR (your home resort), and 7 months from the date of your check-out at any other DVC resort. I don't know about the non-DVC booking options, as I've never used them. WE've had little trouble getting our desired reservations, altho sometimes we have to use the wait list. But I do know the sooner you book, the better your chances of getting the resort and villa of your choice.

2. No, DVC does not provide rollaway cots, sleeper chairs or any other kind of extra sleeping space. At SSR, a studio has a queen sized bed, and a pull-out sleeper sofa (I think a double, but possibly a queen). No cots or sleeper chairs possible. The one bedroom also has the pull-out sleeper sofa in the living room, and a king sized bed in the master bedroom. The two beds in the bedroom option referred to by a poster above is a two-bedroom villa set-up, not a one-bedroom. You CAN bring an air mattress (or sleeping bag)...there is enough floor space to accommodate that...but Disney won't provide it. As I recall, the bed (in both the studio & the one-bedroom) has multiple pillows on it, and there is bedding for the sleeper sofa...but you're on your own for the bedding as well as the "mattress" (sleeping bag or air mattress) if your kids don't want to share the sleeper sofa bed (or the regular bed)...

3. Annual passes are good for 365 days from the date of their first use. Date you purchase doesn't matter. For example, ours our good from 11/22-11/21 each year--and I purchased our renewals in June. Didn't change the "effective date" at all.

Hope this helps, and congrats again...

 

[cpdwiz]

I did use disney stamps on my envelopes and still am...

As for booking...So, if I want to stay at the AKL, I can book that in March? Thats 7 months before, BUT, if I want to stay at SSR, I can do that in Feb?

Also anyone have an idea on cost of the annual passes? is it the resident rate? AND, if there are 2 of us, do we both get vacation ID cards?

Thanks again all

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!

and...

WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JenSop]

Congratulations! I am SO jealous! What an exciting prize!

Let us all know how your first DVC trip goes! And happy planning!
(I'm still relatively new to DVC, and I have learned SO many things on these boards. This is the place to get all your info!)

Now i'm starting to think I should start mailing in some entries - I'll have to look into that!

 

[ChelleinNC]

I did use disney stamps on my envelopes and still am...

As for booking...So, if I want to stay at the AKL, I can book that in March? Thats 7 months before, BUT, if I want to stay at SSR, I can do that in Feb?

Also anyone have an idea on cost of the annual passes? is it the resident rate? AND, if there are 2 of us, do we both get vacation ID cards?

Thanks again all

You can book your home resort 11 months before check-in and any other DVC resort 7 months before check-in (and that is to the day, not month)

AP discount is $100 off or $348 for an adult AP. AP discount is only for DVC members and immediate family living in the same house.

You will get 2 vacation member ID cards only if you're both listed as members/associate members

 

[ead79]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! What a wonderful prize--it's a prize that keeps on giving since you get to make so many happy memories. Welcome Home!

 

[cpdwiz]

So, my chances of getting into SSR for 11/30-12/7 are pretty good? Thats what I was told...I do have reservations for All star movies, we already booked, but, the dream squad told me once I am finalized, getting an SSR room for that week should be no problem, and cancel my all star reservations.

We are going to buy 2 season passes for December. That will be good for that trip, and our Oct 2009 trip..perfect!

Any problems getting an air mattress on a plane in luggage?


Now, how about the 3rd week of May? We would like to go down for a Thurs-sun quick trip. Lets say I can start booking by the end of the month, do I have a shot at a studio for then? And, when you call to book, do they check all the DVC resorts for availability?

And, when I do go in Dec, when can I book for October of 2009? We want to take the kids to Mickeys not so scary party. I assume that runs all of Oct?

Again, fellow disney nuts, thanks SO MUCH for all the info!

 

[Liljam]

Congratulations! That is such cool news! I'm totally jealous too, lol!

These boards are great for information. IMO, SSR is a beautiful resort! Do you plan to fly during your travels to WDW or drive? Lol, sounds like you might end up taking a few trips each year and if you fly, now would be a good time to switch your favorite credit card to one that earns miles.
Welcome Home!!!

 

[ChelleinNC]

So, my chances of getting into SSR for 11/30-12/7 are pretty good? Thats what I was told...I do have reservations for All star movies, we already booked, but, the dream squad told me once I am finalized, getting an SSR room for that week should be no problem, and cancel my all star reservations.

I would say your chances are good, but I wouldn't cancel my other ressies until I had the new one booked

Any problems getting an air mattress on a plane in luggage?

That might be an issue, I always drive so I don't know for sure. I'm sure someone else will come along to answer that.

Now, how about the 3rd week of May? We would like to go down for a Thurs-sun quick trip. Lets say I can start booking by the end of the month, do I have a shot at a studio for then? And, when you call to book, do they check all the DVC resorts for availability?

And, when I do go in Dec, when can I book for October of 2009? We want to take the kids to Mickeys not so scary party. I assume that runs all of Oct?

The earlier you book (as allowed) the better your chances of getting exactly what you want. When you call MS to make your reservations they'll ask which resort & dates you want, if it's not available, ask them to look at all the resorts. For your Oct 09 trip, again you can book that at your home resort 11mths out and 7mths out at the rest of the DVC resorts.

 

[cpdwiz]

Is to fly in May, SW Airlines has great offers, and in Dec, we are driving. We are going from Mass, and my GPS says 1075 miles to the SSR front door......We are hoping to go 2x a year...a getaway for us for a few days, then a week with the kids....we are even talking about getting married in WDW in 2011!!! We are still shell shocked over this....I should change my tagline to 3 nights and still no sleep

 

[tomandrobin]

Can you check that label on the Fedex and make sure it didn't say Tom and Robin?

Congratulations!

 

[jade1]

WOW, congrats.

46 years at 220 points at $88,000.....$8.69 per point is the current cost I guess.

 

[sajetto]

Congrats!!!!! That is absolutely amazing

 

[wildernessDad]

Welcome to the 'club!' Mickey was very very good to you!