It's Back-January Trip-A-Day Contest!

[RejoyceoverDisney]

And a very empty bank account!

I guess I'm looking at 4 nights as a long weekend and not a very big "vacation" perse.
I'd be inclined to leave 2015 alone and go in January after the New Year when I have more vacation and hope to use it over a long weekend kind of deal. Unless it needs to be scheduled during the week.
Well you know all the factors better than I do and yes the Europe trip definitely is a no brainer awesome opportunity without question.
As far as "going to Disney twice" um I'm confused. I know Disneyland is your home place, but have you been to WDW? You will not come anywhere near close to seeing everything and doing all you want in 5 days. I don't know how many days you have planned in May. I'd really struggle to cancel May.

Again you know what is best for your parents and you.
Happy planning all of it.

 

[WeDreamDisney]

And a very empty bank account!

LOL. But I'm sure you'd be happier with the memories of your trip than the money... You worked hard for your money and now it's time to indulge!

 

[Disney Mama of 2]

Seriously, I wouldn't complain about winning a WDW vacation. There a lot of other people that would love to have the chance to win and most importantly have the once in a lifetime chance of staying in the castle. just because it interferes with previously made vacation plans is not a reason to make winning this contest sound like a hardship.

I am sure there are other people with kids that would love to have this opportunity.

Sorry if it sounds so blunt, but don't complain when other Disney loving people are dreaming of winning this sweepstakes.

 

[abl5710]

I didn't pick up a sense of complaint in any of her posts. I think she's just contemplating how best to manage her available vacation time with the trips planned + the winning trip. She has a blessed year to be sure, and I'm sure she realizes that.

It's hard not to be envious of those who have won when they already have trips planned but there's nobody to blame but fate for that.

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

I didn't pick up a sense of complaint in any of her posts. I think she's just contemplating how best to manage her available vacation time with the trips planned + the winning trip. She has a blessed year to be sure, and I'm sure she realizes that.

It's hard not to be envious of those who have won when they already have trips planned but there's nobody to blame but fate for that.

I agree. I call this thinking while I type and can often be guilty of that kind of processing.
It's not complaining in my eyes. It's how do I juggle my job, time off, and budget to make it all work.
She has an amazing year that fate has set up for her. And to some that have a control on their life, little things like this that are some what out of their control, it takes a lot of processing.

I'll stop because I erased a whole other paragraph about fate. My thinking and fingers work together. But honestly seeing what I'm thinking does help me be a better me. Sometimes.

 

[Disney Mama of 2]

I'm not being envious. I have DVC and AP's, so I could go whenever I want. It just sounded a little ungrateful towards the last of the posts.

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

Warning.....without glasses on, a new email coming in from Best Buy looks like Betty for a second.

 

[SarahEleanor]

Warning.....without glasses on, a new email coming in from Best Buy looks like Betty for a second.

This makes me laugh!!
Sorry to laugh at your expense and all, but I, too am still holding onto hope!!
Lol

 

[AquaDame]

I guess I'm looking at 4 nights as a long weekend and not a very big "vacation" perse.
I'd be inclined to leave 2015 alone and go in January after the New Year when I have more vacation and hope to use it over a long weekend kind of deal. Unless it needs to be scheduled during the week.
Well you know all the factors better than I do and yes the Europe trip definitely is a no brainer awesome opportunity without question.
As far as "going to Disney twice" um I'm confused. I know Disneyland is your home place, but have you been to WDW? You will not come anywhere near close to seeing everything and doing all you want in 5 days. I don't know how many days you have planned in May. I'd really struggle to cancel May.

Again you know what is best for your parents and you.
Happy planning all of it.

Yes, we have been to WDW! I was lucky enough to go for the first time in 2008 and have been over a few times since! The trip in May is the first through the 9th which would be the longest trip for us to date. You're absolutely right that we need more than 5 days, so we'll add on to make the full time.

LOL. But I'm sure you'd be happier with the memories of your trip than the money... You worked hard for your money and now it's time to indulge!

But indulging is so hard! It almost feels like I will waste the good fortune and giddiness of having a free trip if I am going to go and pay a bunch of money anyway, you know? I want to REALLY appreciate it and having to take unpaid time to do so feels wrong.

Seriously, I wouldn't complain about winning a WDW vacation. There a lot of other people that would love to have the chance to win and most importantly have the once in a lifetime chance of staying in the castle. just because it interferes with previously made vacation plans is not a reason to make winning this contest sound like a hardship.

I am sure there are other people with kids that would love to have this opportunity.

Sorry if it sounds so blunt, but don't complain when other Disney loving people are dreaming of winning this sweepstakes.

I'm really sorry that sharing my situation is making you unhappy and giving you the vibe that I am ungrateful. I know very well how lucky I am to have won, how amazing the fortune that it was on my birthday no less, and to have the chance to stay in the Cinderella castle for a night makes me shake all over. I'm still so happy about that I almost have tears in my eyes. I am literally over the moon, but there are adult considerations at play here as well as childish happiness. I would give anything to really be that kid that wins a candy factory and eats with wild abandon without a thought of the stomach ache later but.. I'm not anymore. Us four adults have limited funds as well as vacation time and it sounds like the majority of people are enjoying the openness of the winners when it comes to planning and logistics. I could come in, scream I WON!!! and dance around and leave, but I've decided not to for now.

If you are going to be blunt than I can too: Two trips in addition to my won trip would be a hardship financially. Sorry but those are the facts of my yearly income. I honestly thought my chances to win this thing were essentially nill, same as everyone else here, so I planned out a vacation I could afford before I got word that I won this thing fair and square. I apologize that my husband and I have no children, and no plans to have children, but last I checked that does not disqualify me as an entrant. You are not better than I nor anyone else in this entire world that does not have children just the same as I am no better for not having them. My parents had their hearts set on the trip I planned for us in May, and are of an age that getting them to understand I can pull off the same trip BUT BETTER in October is hard to get across, exactly the same as trying to explain to a younger kid that waiting 5 months if not the end of the world. I'm not complaining about doing that, I'm just sharing the steps of making this all work out.

TL;DR: I'm sorry you feel that way, I AM very grateful. Please realize that I have not said anything about winning this trip not being the best thing ever for my year and possibly life, and its always just been the question of what to do with the May trip.

I didn't pick up a sense of complaint in any of her posts. I think she's just contemplating how best to manage her available vacation time with the trips planned + the winning trip. She has a blessed year to be sure, and I'm sure she realizes that.

It's hard not to be envious of those who have won when they already have trips planned but there's nobody to blame but fate for that.

Thank you, I certainly hope no one else thinks I'm complaining! I'm so freaking lucky I can't stand it and have expressed to everyone in real life that I hope nothing super awful is in store for me to make up for this good luck! Honestly I would think it would be of some comfort that I am NOT the sort of winner who can just add on to my good fortune with a second trip... I am certain there are families far better off financially than us who have won this... the type who drive all brand new cars, live in McMansions and always stay deluxe (we have none of these things).

I agree. I call this thinking while I type and can often be guilty of that kind of processing.
It's not complaining in my eyes. It's how do I juggle my job, time off, and budget to make it all work.
She has an amazing year that fate has set up for her. And to some that have a control on their life, little things like this that are some what out of their control, it takes a lot of processing.

I'll stop because I erased a whole other paragraph about fate. My thinking and fingers work together. But honestly seeing what I'm thinking does help me be a better me. Sometimes.

Its definitely out of my control, lol! I have to wait weeks now for Disney to contact me about it and was shocked when I was told yesterday that May won't work since it is too soon (the rules say take the trip from Feb of this year! HOW is May too early then?!). The main problem here is that my parents are looking to me for answers and I don't have any. You can imagine what calling your parents and only being able to say, look, I won this thing, which is going to be awesome but it means we have to cancel everything but not yet until its in stone, and yeah I don't know when or what or how much but TRUST ME IT'S GONNA BE AWWWWWESOME!!" doesn't go over very well when your Mom has been really looking forward to something. They don't *get* it. That hadn't heard of this contest, didn't quite believe me when I told them, and if you are the sort of person who DOESN'T have to juggle your work, budget and vacation time when plans change then I am jealous of you too.

I'm not being envious. I have DVC and AP's, so I could go whenever I want. It just sounded a little ungrateful towards the last of the posts.

I am certain ungrateful winners are out there, but I am not one of them. I'm just a fretful planner and too excitable right now from bubbling joy combating with logistics and difficult elderly parents trying to make all my stars align to successfully curb my information overload. Once Disney calls me, and I have verification that this is booked and really really happening I am going to seriously break down and cry. Truce?

 

[fanoftigger]

Warning.....without glasses on, a new email coming in from Best Buy looks like Betty for a second.

Ha ha ha! Guess I better remember to keep my glasses on.

 

[loveshak22]

Yes, we have been to WDW! I was lucky enough to go for the first time in 2008 and have been over a few times since! The trip in May is the first through the 9th which would be the longest trip for us to date. You're absolutely right that we need more than 5 days, so we'll add on to make the full time.



But indulging is so hard! It almost feels like I will waste the good fortune and giddiness of having a free trip if I am going to go and pay a bunch of money anyway, you know? I want to REALLY appreciate it and having to take unpaid time to do so feels wrong.



I'm really sorry that sharing my situation is making you unhappy and giving you the vibe that I am ungrateful. I know very well how lucky I am to have won, how amazing the fortune that it was on my birthday no less, and to have the chance to stay in the Cinderella castle for a night makes me shake all over. I'm still so happy about that I almost have tears in my eyes. I am literally over the moon, but there are adult considerations at play here as well as childish happiness. I would give anything to really be that kid that wins a candy factory and eats with wild abandon without a thought of the stomach ache later but.. I'm not anymore. Us four adults have limited funds as well as vacation time and it sounds like the majority of people are enjoying the openness of the winners when it comes to planning and logistics. I could come in, scream I WON!!! and dance around and leave, but I've decided not to for now.

If you are going to be blunt than I can too: Two trips in addition to my won trip would be a hardship financially. Sorry but those are the facts of my yearly income. I honestly thought my chances to win this thing were essentially nill, same as everyone else here, so I planned out a vacation I could afford before I got word that I won this thing fair and square. I apologize that my husband and I have no children, and no plans to have children, but last I checked that does not disqualify me as an entrant. You are not better than I nor anyone else in this entire world that does not have children just the same as I am no better for not having them. My parents had their hearts set on the trip I planned for us in May, and are of an age that getting them to understand I can pull off the same trip BUT BETTER in October is hard to get across, exactly the same as trying to explain to a younger kid that waiting 5 months if not the end of the world. I'm not complaining about doing that, I'm just sharing the steps of making this all work out.

TL;DR: I'm sorry you feel that way, I AM very grateful. Please realize that I have not said anything about winning this trip not being the best thing ever for my year and possibly life, and its always just been the question of what to do with the May trip.



Thank you, I certainly hope no one else thinks I'm complaining! I'm so freaking lucky I can't stand it and have expressed to everyone in real life that I hope nothing super awful is in store for me to make up for this good luck! Honestly I would think it would be of some comfort that I am NOT the sort of winner who can just add on to my good fortune with a second trip... I am certain there are families far better off financially than us who have won this... the type who drive all brand new cars, live in McMansions and always stay deluxe (we have none of these things).



Its definitely out of my control, lol! I have to wait weeks now for Disney to contact me about it and was shocked when I was told yesterday that May won't work since it is too soon (the rules say take the trip from Feb of this year! HOW is May too early then?!). The main problem here is that my parents are looking to me for answers and I don't have any. You can imagine what calling your parents and only being able to say, look, I won this thing, which is going to be awesome but it means we have to cancel everything but not yet until its in stone, and yeah I don't know when or what or how much but TRUST ME IT'S GONNA BE AWWWWWESOME!!" doesn't go over very well when your Mom has been really looking forward to something. They don't *get* it. That hadn't heard of this contest, didn't quite believe me when I told them, and if you are the sort of person who DOESN'T have to juggle your work, budget and vacation time when plans change then I am jealous of you too.



I am certain ungrateful winners are out there, but I am not one of them. I'm just a fretful planner and too excitable right now from bubbling joy combating with logistics and difficult elderly parents trying to make all my stars align to successfully curb my information overload. Once Disney calls me, and I have verification that this is booked and really really happening I am going to seriously break down and cry. Truce?

I will admit I've been a little behind on reading all the posts on this thread so this may have already been thought about and discussed (apologies if it has!!), but can you plan the trip for next January? That way you won't have to worry about another vacation this year, you can keep what you have scheduled without changing anything, and hopefully you'll have more vacation days for you and your DH in 2016? Plus the crowds are low in late January. Plus, if only you and your DH go in January you might get 8 nights instead of 4. Last year's winners reported that if just two of them went they doubled the nights and tickets since the prize is supposed to be for 4 people. Plus, you wouldn't have to claim the taxes until 2017 when you report 2016 taxes since you'll take the trip in 2016 and that gives you time to save up some money to put towards the taxes you owe!!

 

[loveshak22]

Oh and congrats on the win AquaDame!!! I forgot to add that to my reply above!!

 

[AquaDame]

I will admit I've been a little behind on reading all the posts on this thread so this may have already been thought about and discussed (apologies if it has!!), but can you plan the trip for next January? That way you won't have to worry about another vacation this year, you can keep what you have scheduled without changing anything, and hopefully you'll have more vacation days for you and your DH in 2016? Plus the crowds are low in late January. Plus, if only you and your DH go in January you might get 8 nights instead of 4. Last year's winners reported that if just two of them went they doubled the nights and tickets since the prize is supposed to be for 4 people. Plus, you wouldn't have to claim the taxes until 2017 when you report 2016 taxes since you'll take the trip in 2016 and that gives you time to save up some money to put towards the taxes you owe!!

I have thought about that, but I think I am going to nix the idea. We've gone in January over my birthday before and I just have no luck when it comes to weather that time of year..! We went in mid Dec 2010 when it got down to freezing (there was ice in on Kilimanjaro and according to the CMs the black hats and gloves they were allowed to wear with their costumes were sold out everywhere) and Jan 2014 was so, so cold too! I'M NOT COMPLAINING but Autumn would be more fun IMO - my husband loves food & wine plus we could go over our anniversary in October, my parents have certainly shared enough of their celebrations with us and I'm sure we could sneak away for a nice steak at the Yachtsman with the giftcard!

Oh and congrats on the win AquaDame!!! I forgot to add that to my reply above!!

Thank you! I hope more people get the word! <3

 

[WeDreamDisney]

AquaDame being a grown up and having responsibilities can really damper the pure luck people have some times! However, adapt and conquer! I'll vacation vicariously through you!

 

[Serial]

AquaDame, well said!

Although I’ve been a long time Disboards reader, I had some trepidation coming here to share the good news that we’re one of the winners of the Flipside sweepstakes. I know our winning was one in a million+ and that because we won, a million other people that day missed out. We’re immensely aware how fortunate we are to have won this prize, especially because it includes the priceless experience of a night in Cinderella’s suite. At the same time, we totally didn’t expect to win even though we entered every day. This is just not something you can plan for, and it’s required us to do some juggling of our schedules and finances. This isn’t us being ungrateful -- just realistic.

In the end, I figured that the Dis community would like to know that regular people do actually win these things, all that happens afterwards, and to celebrate with us. But regular people come from all sorts of backgrounds and circumstances. There’s a part of us that wishes so much that we won a trip like this years ago, when like AquaDame we didn’t have a child yet and my wife’s parents (who taught her to love all things Disney) were still young and healthy enough to join us. Unfortunately, my in-laws have serious health issues now that will keep them from coming. There’s another part of us that wishes we could put off this trip for a few years so that my two-year old will be old enough to remember this special experience. I can’t judge that either scenario is more worthy of a trip. But fate, as abl5710 put it, didn’t work out either way and we have this amazing prize now that we’ll take later this year, fill it with memories to share with our parents and our little girl, and make it the best Disney trip we’ve ever taken. For that -- the extra pixie dust over what we have -- we’re eternally grateful.

I ask that people try to keep this positive, or winners current and future won’t have any reason to come here to share.

Congratulations again to AquaDame, and to our newest winner amyb1120! I’m still hoping for a few more Flipside winners from the Dis, and winners for all the new sweepstakes!

 

[Serial]

Serial, have you narrowed down a time frame that you are considering?

We're looking at Holidaytime in November or December. We usually do a five-day trip to Disneyland for Thanksgiving every year and love all the decorations and festivities. We're thinking we'll celebrate the holidays this year at WDW.

 

[Iris1974]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know the Wendy Williams word of the day for Tuesday Feb. 10th (Today)? I went on her site and I only saw yesterdays word. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks so much and a heap of pixie dust for you.

 

[loveshak22]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know the Wendy Williams word of the day for Tuesday Feb. 10th (Today)? I went on her site and I only saw yesterdays word. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks so much and a heap of pixie dust for you.

This site lists the word every day: http://sweetiessweeps.com/2015/02/wendy-williams-grand-fantasy-giveaway-codes.html

 

[Iris1974]

This site lists the word every day: http://sweetiessweeps.com/2015/02/wendy-williams-grand-fantasy-giveaway-codes.html

Thanks so much loveshak22. It was very nice of you to put the link up. I bestow the Pixie Dust on you.

 

[smj2610]

I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed tomorrow that I get an email from Betty. Maybe my birthday will be my lucky day