I'm depressed

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

I commend you on your decision. I know how difficult it was to make that choice. We have made that choice as well. In 2 months will be our last trip to the World for a couple of years. We are on track to be debt free in 5 years and right now all that money is better spent elsewhere! So I will have to live through my fellow dis'ers as well! Congrats!

P.S we are a family of 5 and it cost us with EVERYTHING, travel, bills paid while gone, and trip about 7,000! much like you we are all or nothing people. We understand...

 

[laura001]

I can understand you feeling a little depressed, unfortunately other things happen to be more important sometimes ( only sometimes ). We weren't supposed to go back to WDW until 2009 and we were there in 2005....I like you was depressed that it was going to take so long to get there.

Then the free dining came up and I begged (among other things) DH to take me....well, he, like you doesn't want to skimp when we go although I would have, so he asked if I would mind waiting until the spring to go when we could have some time to save for it. So...........that is what we are doing! I don't mind because I have longer to plan...........

Perhaps you will be able to sneek another trip in somewhere like we have. Good Luck!!!

 

[darrylpan]

I too cancelled my trip for Dec 2006 and will be going instead Sept 2007. Now I have to figure out a way to get Disney to take all the extra money I will have saved over the extra 9 months. One benefit to waiting is that now instead of just my wife and I we will have my Daughter,Son in Law, 5 year old grandaughter and 16 month old grandson. (Wait...That is a benefit isn't it?)

 

[UtahMama]

Good for you! We were in a similar boat a few years back and so we scrimped and saved till 1999 (ok like 8 is more than a few years) and stayed off site and brought our own snacks and ate as cheap as we could...and had the time of our lives! That hooked us and we did alot of homework and ended up at All Star Movies and free dining last year (we LOVED it and the children loved the big Dalmation) stayed a little longer than our firtst trip ('99) and it ended up being very little different cost-wise! Now as we slowly move up, this next trip in Sept. to Port Orleans Riverside for 9 days and DDP...it's such a bargain! We'll just slowly acclimatate ourself on up to the Grande Floridian! We want to go each year and stay somewhere different each time! We NEVER go into credit card debt and even our souveniers are carefully budgeted.

 

[debbi801]

We're not going until 2009 for the same reason. But I've already started saving for that trip,and as soon as all the cash is there, we're going.

As far as the $4000 price tag, our trips cost at least that when we go...

There are 5 of us, DH, myself, DS 13, DD 11, and DS 4. So, 4 of us count as adults when it comes to dining plan and tickets. DS counts as a child. Because of there being 5 of us, we weren't able to stay value the last time we went and the FW cabins are not appealing to DH who wants a hotel when we go on vacation, not a camp ground. Plus, you need to factor in air fare for 5 people, since it would be a 2 day drive each way. Sure, we could take a taxi to the grocery store, eat counter service or in the room each day, but when we're on vacation we like to spoil ourselves some. Then there are souveniers. It gets expensive.

Next trip, we could do suites now that they're open. But honesstly, having stayed at the contemporary, I can't see us staying anyplace else.

 

[littleelvis]

Good for you! I also am an all or nothing kind of girl. I would wait and save up too!

 

[deekaypee]

I also wanted to congratulate you on your decision--it's depressing in the beginning, but just think how excited you'll be each time you add a little to your vacation fund. I have one through Emigrant Direct--the American Dream Account, and since Disney is my dream.... Anyway, I like to think of vacation savings accounts as adult piggy banks.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

We can sympathize. Because of our financial situation at the time, we ended up having to postpone our "annual" trip to the World in 2004. However we were able to return in 2005 and are very much looking forward to our trip "home" in October this year.

 

[MagicMe]

Sorry to hear you had to postpone but as someone else said - WDW will still be there

Having stayed numerous times at CR (my first three trips were there) and at Poly (the next three trips were there), we started staying at POR (Dixie Landings forever!!!). We loved this moderate and would still be going there but I now have two family members that are DVC and I have purchased points from them for my last trip and my next trip in late Oct.

We always enjoyed the Deluxes but had just as terrific a time at POC. Of course I'd still book a deluxe if I could but with every one older now we'd need three rooms (everyone wants their privacy)!!!

I will say that I hope to book WL for Dec07 (it's been a live long dream of my Mom's to stay there and since we both love it at Christmas time - I'm going to try to get here there next year - just me and her)!!

 

[WantToGoNow]

We are trying to make this same decision right now.

Our trip is scheduled for this November, staying at the POP with dining. Our trip includes myself, dh, dd22, dd22's friend who has paid over $1K on her share of the trip, ds5 and dd2. My dd's friend is more excited about the trip than the little kids -- it will be her first trip staying on-site -- her first trip was with us 2 years ago staying at an off-site villa.

Our air conditioner is out and it has been hot. I mentioned to my dh last night that if we cancelled our trip, we could replace the AC with the refund. His reasoning (and he's NOT a Disney person - goes just because me and dd loves it and because of the little ones) is that by the time we got the refund from Disney, contacted the company to replace the AC and got it replaced that it would be cooler out. He said we can get it fixed using his Dec. gainsharing and our income tax return and have AC for next summer. I'm really struggling with doing what we should do rather than what we want to do.

 

[slk537]

I completely understand!!! We had to cancel a trip last year for my favorite time of the year at WDW - right after Thanksgiving - and postpone until May. May was wonderful and I was so excited to have another trip booked for Halloween and the first part of November for Food and Wine at VWL and BWV. Now, because of some financial reasons, we have cancelled that and are looking at not returning until 2007. It's hard...I always have a trip in the planning stages and I hate cancelling.

As far as the $4000/Contemporary only goes...well...I get that too. It sounds like you are afraid you'll be nostalgic for the perfection/experiences of your honeymoon and if you stay elsewhere, it won't measure up. Sure, you could stay at POFQ or Pop and still be able to have a terrific time, but you want the ambiance and excitement of your honeymoon and the "we're home" feeling. I get it completely. Our first onsite stay was OKW and we loved it, but I knew VWL was the place for me. When we stayed there after Thanskgiving it was perfection. The next time we went, we stayed at the BCV and although I liked it very much, it wasn't "home" like VWL. The trip was fantastic, but when we went to WCC for dinner, I felt a lot of pangs that we weren't staying there. I understand.

Oddly enough...we now are split between wanting BCV and VWL. I suspect when you return with your future child(ren) and make completely different memories, you'll find another resort you'll be just as attached to. For some people, the resort really makes the whole stay. We're definitely like that.

<<<side note: if you want to start brainstorming now and are really going "all out" and want to do something amazingly romantic for your DW as a honeymoon reminder, maybe try private dining at the GF...DH booked this for us last trip and it was magnificent! We had a private butler and were seated down at our own table by the marina...had our wedding dinner menu for dinner and watched Wishes together. Same cost of a Wishes FW cruise. Okay...side note over >>>

 

[babynurse1]

Sorry about your trip. We are a family of 6, and do not do Disney every year due to the expense. It costs us at least 6000 and thats staying at a value resort and not eating TS meals everyday. We did do one 3 day weekend trip when AK first opened, but by the time we payed for airfare, food, and we stayed at the WL that time, it was still really expensive. We decided we would just save and stay for 10 days at a time rather than be rushed and not enjoy it as much.
I think you are really smart to know when your budget is just not going to handle a WDW trip. Our friends went last year and put the WHOLE trip on credit cards . They really wished they hadn't now. Stay strong your next vacation will be here before you know it.

 

[mommy*RN]

I hear you! I had our 2005 trip planned in my head...then I found out I was pg. Don't get me wrong, I was HAPPY to be pg, but sad I had to put my WDW vacation on hold (DD would have only been 2 mo when we went!). You will go again...not once, not twice but many many times! Keep repeating that to yourself!

 

[DznyLvr2005]

What about going in value season or getting codes from mousesavers.com?
The WL is my favorite delux and it's the cheapest. $205/night. We stayed there in 2003 and had a perfect view of the castle!
I know what you feel about topping a honeymoon. We stayed at the WL concierge for our honeymoon and I know we'll never do that again, but it was awesome. Too expensive though, but I wouldn't have changed anything about it.
Plus if you stay at the WL, you'll still be close to the MK and even the electric water show goes by.

 

[nurseypoo5]

I'm going to start to put aside about $170/month, or just $85/pay check. So by the time December 2008 rolls around, I'll have enough saved to pay for the trip with out having to dip into our actual savings account. So while I'm pretty sad about having to postpone for a year, I'm eagerly anticipating this time next year when I can start booking our 2008 trip. And until then, I'll keep coming back here to live vicariously through all of you.

Thanks for listening!

Hey I'm just like you! My ex hubby left my DD when she was 12 and skipped out on childsupport. 2 yrs ago (she is now 22) they found him and got him for 40k. So every week i get my 125.00 check i sock drawer it. This is what is paying for our trip to disney for 9 days and renting a condo on the gulf for a week and our meals/airfare everything. I figured, i already raised the girl without his help, now its MY TURN lol

If i didnt sock drawer my extra money i would somehow find myself spending it.

Plus think of all the extra time you have to plan the perfect trip! (i love that part too )