I'm making myself sick over vacation.Help!

[Disneydreamer5]

Am I the only one who gets themselves sick before booking vacation?

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Hi all. I am so undecided as to what I want to do and my family is no help what so ever.Thats where you come in. We were booked and paid to leave last year for free dinning. Husband got hurt had to cancel 1 week before scheduled to leave. Everyone was totally bummed.{we have 5 kids}
We never have tons of money laying around so we always put as much away as we can, pay what we can then put the rest on Disney Visa with 6 months interest free. Ok so we are thinking about for this September for free dinning. We will be paying appr:$4,400.00. This will be for 6 nights/7 days, 2 rooms caribbean beach, 5 days park hoppers with water parks and free dinning. We are driving from NJ so I am figuring abother $200 or so for gas for the caravan, I may be off on that, not very good with figuring out miles per gallon and all that jazz.Anyway, DH has always wanted to try Cruise Land & Sea deal. Now we need passport. This would be a once in a lifetime for my crew, they are 18,16,15,13, & 10.
The total for that would be around $6,200.00, depending on hen exactly we would go. We also would need to get passports so add another $700.00.
If we cruise we could not go until next year anything after January and it would have to be during the cheapest time we could find.
No one in the house is giving me any feed back as to when they would wanna go or what they would rather do including DH he just says whatever will make me happy! Smart smart man normally I would say but right now I need imput.
Yesterday I decided that I am going to go ahead and book for September.
Pay as much as I can until the balance is due, take the kids out of school, and put the rest on credit card, then pay it off in February with Income tax return. Ok great.
However ever since I decided I was going to go ahead and book my stomach has been in knots!
I feel dizzie and light headed and I can't shake this feeling.
DH works 60 hours a week, I work 40, plus we book are running around with the kids all weekend every weekend, we, along with kids share household chores and we deserve a vacation. We need one. So why do I feel like this?
I was like this last time and the time before that and the time before that too.
Is it just me?
Ok so my other question is this. What would you do? September, free dinning, a lot cheaper, a lot sooner, and taking kids out of school in the beginging of the year? or wait a few more months, lets say February, Alot more money, the passport situation, but I think a lot mroe spectacular once in a lifetime trip! We more then likely won't be taken many more trips with the kids after this next one.
HELP ME PLEASE I AM MAKING MYSELF CRAZY!
__________________

 

[tina_la]

I don't know? Are you taking into account FD? For a group as large as yours that is another HUGE savings. I'd book but you still have time to change your mind if you need too.

 

[pigletto]

Maybe this is just so out of the norm for you to spend this kind of money that you can't get comfortable with it.
I would make a pros and cons list and really think about what exactly is worrying you so much. Maybe seeing it all laid out on paper will help you get some peace from your decision.
The money we are spending for our trip could absolutely go to alot of different things .. even just into savings.
I wrestled with it a long time. But my kids are 4 and 11 and I just needed to do this with them. The planning, excitement and memories were worth the price tag to me. It sounds to me like the ages your children are at it would be amazing to have the whole family experience something like this together.
And that doesn't mean it has to be a deluxe resort or anything like that.
We are booked at a mod for ten days.. if money becomes an issue for us my kids would be just as happy at a value for 7 days.
I can't make your decision for you obviously.. you know your family and finances best... but if you feel you deserve a break and a vacation together then you probably do.. and it sounds like it would be fabulous.
Good Luck

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I totally understand where you are coming from. Any expense above and beyond our normals and my stomach is in knots, I am forever doubting myself.

IMO - skip the cruise. Write down the vacation costs, go for the free dining, and compare different cases scenarios with ticket prices. Don't forget to add in 18% oop tips and any other foods you may need. Have the kids do odd jobs and pay for their own souveniers. If they don't get any you always have your pictures. After you have it written down and budgeted, if it is within your budget, go for it. Your tummy will settle down as you start paying a little bit at a time. And actually asking on the boards is probably not the best idea. You will get people who agree with you and other who do not. I take to heart everything people say here. This is bad for tummys. Bottom line, what counts is what you and DH think is right.

And just maybe to make you smile, this also happens to me everytime I have to talk to my mom about vacation and EVEN when I told her I was pregnant. Suppose to be the best time of your life and somehow she always makes me feel guilty!! So your not alone!

 

[Disneydreamer5]

Well thank you for your advice. Thats really all I needed was to know I was not the only one who feels like this.

 

[justplaingoofy]

I agree with Disney probably being the least expensive option.

You might want to consider putting this on hold without the deposit for a few days so that you know it is not going anywhere. Or you can put down the deposit which is fully refundable up until 45 days prior to travel.


You might need to recheck your budget for gas.. You can probably post a question how many miles it may be from where you live to Disney. Then of course you have to multiply it by 2 for your trip home. I don't have a van, but I am guessing you might get about 20miles per gallon for highway??? anyone know??

So say the total mileage is 2,000 miles total
2,000 miles divided by 20 gallons per gallon= 100 gallons
100 gallons x $4 per gallon= $400.

 

[Octoberbride03]

You're not the only 1. My Dh gets like that too. About stuff in general sometimes not just the cruise we're going on. You should come over to the cruiseboards and look around. Ppl are always asking and giving advice. And there are cheaper ways to do the Land/Sea than booking it through DCL. Did you realize you could save money by just booking the cruise and then booking resort separately? Plus you won't have to stay at the DCL hotels, you can stay at a value resort on your own, then book the cruise in the category stateroom you want.

Clearly, you need a vacation. Good luck with the planning. and come visit the cruise boards.

 

[CarolA]

One thought.. I think your kids have passed the DCL "target" age. My friend took her 14 year old with her two younger kids last year. She says he's not going again LOL! Disney is not the cruise line of choice with older teens. The kids program isn't geared towards them and there aren't the 'high adventure" things that some of the others have. (RCCL has rock walls for example) As my friend says "He can play basketball with the neighborhood kids for free" LOL!

 

[a1tinkfans]

Am I the only one who gets themselves sick before booking vacation?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi all. I am so undecided as to what I want to do and my family is no help what so ever.Thats where you come in. We were booked and paid to leave last year for free dinning. Husband got hurt had to cancel 1 week before scheduled to leave. Everyone was totally bummed.{we have 5 kids}
We never have tons of money laying around so we always put as much away as we can, pay what we can then put the rest on Disney Visa with 6 months interest free. Ok so we are thinking about for this September for free dinning. We will be paying appr:$4,400.00. This will be for 6 nights/7 days, 2 rooms caribbean beach, 5 days park hoppers with water parks and free dinning. We are driving from NJ so I am figuring abother $200 or so for gas for the caravan, I may be off on that, not very good with figuring out miles per gallon and all that jazz.Anyway, DH has always wanted to try Cruise Land & Sea deal. Now we need passport. This would be a once in a lifetime for my crew, they are 18,16,15,13, & 10.
The total for that would be around $6,200.00, depending on hen exactly we would go. We also would need to get passports so add another $700.00.
If we cruise we could not go until next year anything after January and it would have to be during the cheapest time we could find.
No one in the house is giving me any feed back as to when they would wanna go or what they would rather do including DH he just says whatever will make me happy! Smart smart man normally I would say but right now I need imput.
Yesterday I decided that I am going to go ahead and book for September.
Pay as much as I can until the balance is due, take the kids out of school, and put the rest on credit card, then pay it off in February with Income tax return. Ok great.
However ever since I decided I was going to go ahead and book my stomach has been in knots!
I feel dizzie and light headed and I can't shake this feeling.
DH works 60 hours a week, I work 40, plus we book are running around with the kids all weekend every weekend, we, along with kids share household chores and we deserve a vacation. We need one. So why do I feel like this?
I was like this last time and the time before that and the time before that too.
Is it just me?
Ok so my other question is this. What would you do? September, free dinning, a lot cheaper, a lot sooner, and taking kids out of school in the beginging of the year? or wait a few more months, lets say February, Alot more money, the passport situation, but I think a lot mroe spectacular once in a lifetime trip! We more then likely won't be taken many more trips with the kids after this next one.
HELP ME PLEASE I AM MAKING MYSELF CRAZY!
__________________

FIRST, I'd say you ALL DESERVE a BREAK, obviously the dh wants you to just "take care of it"
That being said, I will tell you that I booked a SURPRISE cruise (last year for fathers day for DH, 1st cruise, for our family and then DH siblings ALL of them came, an absolute AWESOME TIME )RCCL went just this past April out of Port Canaveral, the BEST experience, amazing EVEN though I am Disney addicted...hence we're going this August for my "fix".
As far as Disney goes, driving will in NO WAY be.... 200???. I went on AAA and did it from Western Suffolk NY to MCO and the cost was 475 for us in an Explorer without the most recent increases. Figure that out on any of the travel sites so atleast you'll make an informed decision. I think that whatever you do together is SO IMPORTANT to get in the family time, especially with your older ones. If you can afford the once in a lifetime you describe I'd say, plan ahead for that, that too is paid over time. What I learned is no matter what be prepared to spend a LOT more for the excursions, trinkets, DRINKS, Stuff on a cruise especially the first time.
I just want to also say that if Feb is a Disney break, would your family LIKE not being in the heat of Fla, the warm pool will not be like it is at other times of the year/April/summer. I myself really LOVED Dec as a "quick trip" a while back BUT I would not choose to go again in the cool weather, I am a SUN SUN HEAT type person.
So many decisions, sorry not to have helped but I hope I brought out some things to think about.
Good Luck with your decision whatever you choose!!

 

[Disneydreamer5]

You all are so awsome, really. I can't thank you enough for all the fed back.
My decision has been made for me though.
My DD18, went to orientation for college yesterday and with her schedule there is no way she can take a week off, at the end of September none the less.
I have to say though, while I am disappointed I am a little relived. I know I am crazy. I think its the whole money thing that is scaring me so much.
So many things are so high right now, like gas for example, not to mention all the people losing jobs. It just causes me to rethink our situation. Ya know?
I've looked into alternitive vacations to Disneyand they come out to almost the same amount of money and not really what I want to be doing.
If I spend 3,000 on say the outer banks, I would rather spend the extra 1500 and go to Disney! Does that make sence?
Ok so the DD gets winter brake from December 17th until January 5, how could I swing Disney at this time of year?
I'm sorry if I am making you all crazy!

 

[mom2my3kids]

I understand wanting to go on the cruise, its my dream but we just cant afford it right now. I don't want to go on a cruise and be so strapped I could not enjoy myself. So if I were you, I would go to Disney this year. Maybe plan for a cruise in a year or two, that way you have plenty of time to save up.

 

[Kellydelly]

We never have tons of money laying around so we always put as much away as we can, pay what we can then put the rest on Disney Visa with 6 months interest free.

I think you answered your own question. Spending thousands of dollars on a vacation that you can't really afford is stressing you out and making you sick. Go to the beach or Universal and spend WAY less! You could rent a pool home for less than $800 a week. You could get passes to Universal for $85 each for a whole week to both parks. You are spending money you don't have. I wouldn't. Plan a more affordable vacation. I would pull the kids out of school during an off-peak time so you will really enjoy your vacation and not waste time standing in lines.

 

[gasperdam]

Just one thing to add to your decision process: I don't believe you'll need
passports, even in January '09. At least if your only doing the Bahamas for the "sea" portion of your cruise.

I say this because we are taking our first family cruise this August on Carnival cruise line. We looked over the expsenses a long time because we knew it would be expensive for us with our four kids. Anyway, after debating with others over the passport issue, my dh and I checked out the goverment website, and passports will NOT be required for SEA TRAVEL to the Bahamas until June of 2009.

I hope this may help you out a little bit.

 

[HeatherC]

My suggestion my be way off base, but for the money you are talking, I would suggest getting a condo via skyauction for January...roughly around $300 for a week. Get passes for 2 days at the parks and then drive to Cape Canaveral...45 minutes and hop on the Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas ship for a week long cruise.

January is one of the cheapest months to cruise...everyone would have a ball, dh and you would get to relax and kids would have so much to do they wouldn't know where to begin. You could get your Disney fix first and then hop on Caribbean Cruise. Best of both worlds to me.

Have fun planning whatever you do!

 

[CarolA]

I would pull the kids out of school during an off-peak time so you will really enjoy your vacation and not waste time standing in lines.

At least ONE kid is in college. I would NOT recommend pulling a college kid out... I somehow doubt your professors are going to "work with the kid to make up the work" They are going to say "so" and that's it!

It appears others are in high school. That's a lot riskier then pulling a kid out of elementary school. The older they get the less likely it is that they can "catch" up on thier own (or that mom and dad can "teach" them the stuff they missed LOL!)

 

[Disneydreamer5]

I wasn't kidding when I said I make myself crazy and I would do the same to all of you!
Ready for this? I just spoke with DH and told him we are not going for free dinning at end of September and he said Bull**** we aren't going! We are going!
He said DD has school on Mondays and Wednesday and will only miss each of her 4 classes once. The semister ends on December 17, the school is 3 traffic lights from our house and there will be no other reasons for her to miss other then being sick which she can get a doctors note for.
We work hard all year, we had to cancel last year, and we are going back to Disney and that is that!
He just made my life so much easier cause now its all on him.
So here is the plan. I will book tonight for Sept 19th - 26th, 2 rooms @ caribbean beach, 6 day hoppers with water parks{kids love them can't not add} and free dinning. I have 48 hours for have them hold Ressie without deposit in which time I will be calling to see if I can get the meals we want in the resterants we want, if we can then its a go, if not I will take that as a sign from above to hold off and tell DH so. He's a big fan of the man upstairs so if I say the word "sign" he will get it.
We will drive down, cost around $400 each way without stopping roughly 18 hours, hubby is a truck driver works somedays for 15 hours a day on 5 hours sleep so this is very doable and with 7 of us we will take turns keeping on eye that he don't need a rest and if he does DD18 & I will help a little with driving.
We will tell all but 10 year old they have to earn their own spending money, 13 year old has birthday in August, 16 will be working in a few weeks and 15DS can mow some lawns this summer.
As for the cruise deal. I am following some of your advice and I am going to wait until everyone is a little older. That way I won't be so nervous about letting them move about the ship with each other without me. The thought of them not being at my side the entire time make me stomach flip.
So what are your thoughts? Will any of you be there at this time?
Thank you all so much for your help. I am sure I will be seeking it again once I book.

 

[CarolA]

While it's great that you and DH are going. FOUR classes is a LOT at most colleges. This is not like high school... so she gets a doctors note for missing if she is sick. They still are NOT going to help her catch up. At that level it's up to the student not "mom and dads" vacation plans. I would suggest that you consider not taking the child in college or being prepared for a late change when she says NO I can't miss "just four classes"

 

[faindrops27]

You all are so awsome, really. I can't thank you enough for all the fed back.
My decision has been made for me though.
My DD18, went to orientation for college yesterday and with her schedule there is no way she can take a week off, at the end of September none the less.
I have to say though, while I am disappointed I am a little relived. I know I am crazy. I think its the whole money thing that is scaring me so much.
So many things are so high right now, like gas for example, not to mention all the people losing jobs. It just causes me to rethink our situation. Ya know?
I've looked into alternitive vacations to Disneyand they come out to almost the same amount of money and not really what I want to be doing.
If I spend 3,000 on say the outer banks, I would rather spend the extra 1500 and go to Disney! Does that make sence?
Ok so the DD gets winter brake from December 17th until January 5, how could I swing Disney at this time of year?
I'm sorry if I am making you all crazy!

Op, i have only read some of the first page. But, can you maybe stay in a value, or a mod? I am thinking with free dine, you can save loads, and then maybe, do a trip with the daughter when she is on break. I would just tell her. She has to stay home for college. Yes, she will be disappointed. But, I would not let her miss her first days of college. Especially since she is just starting.

 

[tink2dw]

Why no go before you Dd starts college and before the others are in school? Free Dining starts August 8/24/08.

 

[Disneydreamer5]

I would go the last week in August which was my orginal intentions but DH can't get that week off. My other option would be to go the first week of September as college does not start until the 8th of Septmeber but then the rest of the kids would miss the first week of school they start back the day after labor day.
Ugh!!!!!!!!
I' strating to think maybe we just aren't meant to go.