June comes before August & the APs will still be valid! I think we're done here!

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We had the same problem last time. We walked in and I kid not, there were gooey footprints on the counter, fingerprints on every cupboard, the windows , walls table.....just everything. We called mousekeeping and they sent the manager. She was really nice, had our room totally redone. We actually told a mousekeeper our concerns when we bumped into her in the hall (she was not ours). She was the most insightful and funniest lady in mousekeeping ever. SHhe told us to call. She also explained to us that the amount of cleaning is kind of based on your stay. I want to say that she told me she had 1.5 hours to fully clean a 2 bedroom. I can't even clean my own kitchen in that amount of time, I can see why they do not get it all done! Then they rotate big jobs like washing down walls, windows, cabinets every other stay or every month.

My mother travels with her lysol and sprays it all down before we come in. I have taken it one step further and i wash every dish in there.

I wipe everything down with Clorox wipes.

I told DS he was NOT to use any dishes or utensils unless he rinsed them off first, and if they were visibly dirty he was not to use them at all.

We had the villa for 13 nights. On our second "Full Cleaning" all she did was change the sheets and clean the tub and toilet. She didn't touch the kitchen, (INCLUDING leaving the trash full), she didn't give us ANY washcloths and only 2 hand towels, no laundry soap, she didn't vacuum. On trash & towel day they took the trays we had on the counter from Mara, but she left them. But she managed to pick up the tip envelope from the kitchen she didn't clean.

I wasn't going to say anything until I discovered that we had NO washcloths! How are we supposed to wash the sunscreen off with NO washcloths?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Just read another post that reminded me of one more addition to my "Behaving Badly" hall of fame.

We had come back from the parks one evening and there were a fair amount of people trying to get in the elevators at AKL, and a few folks getting out. One guy's kid was apparently in the way of other guests so the dad starts shouting at the kid and dropping the "f" bomb. We got on an elevator and everybody was just kind of raising their eyebrows at each other.

I'm sure the kid wasn't getting in the way ON PURPOSE. I would think telling him to say "Excuse me" would have been adequate! No need to cuss at him.

 

[yellowfish78]

I wipe everything down with Clorox wipes.

I know someone that does this too. When we travel with her, we don't even bother to unpack until she gets to the room and wipes down everything from the phone to the remote to door handles and antyhign else. She's the best.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I know someone that does this too. When we travel with her, we don't even bother to unpack until she gets to the room and wipes down everything from the phone to the remote to door handles and antyhign else. She's the best.

Yep. Phones, remotes, door handles, light switches, bathroom counter. I also check for bed bugs.

 

[mommykds]

I know someone that does this too. When we travel with her, we don't even bother to unpack until she gets to the room and wipes down everything from the phone to the remote to door handles and antyhign else. She's the best.

 

[PNO4TE]

I know someone that does this too. When we travel with her, we don't even bother to unpack until she gets to the room and wipes down everything from the phone to the remote to door handles and antyhign else. She's the best.

 

[Aristocath]

I'm glad you're still updating, Elizabeth. I miss the morning report!

I guess the big savings for you is that Disney would charge you the adult price for your son and he often orders kids meals. That is a big price difference. Did you find the heat made you want to eat less? That is why I didn't schedule lunch ADRs for us.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I'm glad you're still updating, Elizabeth. I miss the morning report!

I guess the big savings for you is that Disney would charge you the adult price for your son and he often orders kids meals. That is a big price difference. Did you find the heat made you want to eat less? That is why I didn't schedule lunch ADRs for us.

Thanks, Cathy!

Yes, since DS doesn't order adult portions it would be silly to pay for a plan that counts him as an "adult". But at CS meals he will order adult portions, which is why I thought MAYBE the CS plan would be ok. I'm glad we didn't add it now that I see that it would have cost DOUBLE what we actually spent!

We found that if we ate breakfast we really didn't want lunch, but we did eat lunch if we didn't eat in the morning. We almost never ate 3 meals. The vast majority of our receipts are for drinks, which are eligible for "snack credits" but if you don't use the snack credits at that maximum $4 value you lose money. So we would have paid cash for the drinks and tried to "save" the credits, then at the end we would have had a bunch of leftover credits.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I like packing MUCH better than I like UNpacking. I have managed to empty out all 3 carry-ons and one big suitcase.

I decided to make DS empty out the big suitcase with all of his clean stuff in it. He was not amused. But if he is going to high school certainly he can put T-shirts on hangers, right?

Once he is finished we'll just have 2 big suitcases to go. Blah.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Ouch.

Souvenir tally = $350. I did NOT plan to spend that much! And DS had his own money, so that's just what I spent on random stuff. I did buy one shirt for him. 8 pins, a jacket, a hat, a new park bag, a photo album, my traditional "end of trip temp tattoo", gifts for my little charges. Adds up fast!

Note to self: Show a little restraint on the souvenirs next year.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

All 7 suitcases are empty. Now I just have to do the laundry that has piled up since we've been home.

And next Saturday it will be time to call and book our villa for next year!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

OK, Friends, I think we're finished here!

Our PhotoPass pics are largely UNremarkable.

I can't think of anything else I wanted to comment on.

Time to get going on planning that 2011 trip!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

OK, despite the fact that none of our PhotoPass pics are great, I did go ahead and add borders and place my order for the CD.

Apparently last year I ordered "Express Shipping" which is why it cost $7. Not sure how that would have happened, but whatever. This year I chose plain shipping so it is only $3.

For the most part, the pics DH took are just as good as the PhotoPass ones. And the ones the PhotoPass people took with DH's camera are just as good as the PhotoPass ones because it's the SAME CAMERA.

Remind me not to order the CD next year. (Of course I will order the stupid CD next year. I always do. )

 

[starann]

Sorry it has come to a close....what ever will I do to waste time while I should be working!! LOL!

When do you book for next year...what dates are you going to try and book?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Sorry it has come to a close....what ever will I do to waste time while I should be working!! LOL!

When do you book for next year...what dates are you going to try and book?

Saturday morning. So my road trip to my mom's house will not begin until AFTER I call Member Services. We're hoping for June 3-18 but with DVC you can only book 7 nights up front, then you have to add one night at a time from there. So I'll be calling like 8 days in a row to try to book all of the dates.

I'm hoping for a concierge studio for the first week. Of course it would be DELIGHTFUL to have concierge for the whole time, but that probably won't happen. So we'll probably book something at Kidani for the second week.

 

[PghLybrt]

Thanks, Cathy!

The vast majority of our receipts are for drinks, which are eligible for "snack credits" but if you don't use the snack credits at that maximum $4 value you lose money. So we would have paid cash for the drinks and tried to "save" the credits, then at the end we would have had a bunch of leftover credits.

We do that too! Then I end up with a bagful of mickey mouse rice krispie heads to take home. ( The worst part is taht they usually get thrown away becasue we do not eat them and we do not have that many kids that visit)

Note to self: Show a little restraint on the souvenirs next year.

I think as time goes on I actually spend less, sort of. I do not buy much of anything (if anything at all) at the parks anymore. However when I do buy something it is way off budget! That is how we ended up with the Ariel Wyland painting hanging above my stairs!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We do that too! Then I end up with a bagful of mickey mouse rice krispie heads to take home. ( The worst part is taht they usually get thrown away becasue we do not eat them and we do not have that many kids that visit)


I think as time goes on I actually spend less, sort of. I do not buy much of anything (if anything at all) at the parks anymore. However when I do buy something it is way off budget! That is how we ended up with the Ariel Wyland painting hanging above my stairs!

It was MUCH better for us not to have a dining plan. Which I knew before we even left home.

I looked at a Lenox Jiminy Cricket figurine but I didn't buy it. This time. I can't even put my finger on what we bought that added up to $350! I guess just this and that will add up if you buy enough of it!

 

[princessallegra]

Hi again!!! I haven't been on the boards because I've been really busy at work. But I just wanted to say I read your whole report and am fully caught up now. WOW what a trip!!! I am soooo jealous of how long it was!!! My goal in life is to stay for 10 days at least, at some point. Your DS is so cute, and so mature!! He's really getting big!!!

So glad you had a *mostly* amazing trip!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Thanks, Allegra! It was a prety good trip! Are you guys going back around the same time next year? We loved June!

Last night DH was talking about maybe June and December next year, but we'll have to see how his vacation bid goes. I swore we were NEVER going back in December, but if we go next year it would be for a week, not just a weekend (Dec. 17-23). That third week of vacation is already burning a hole in his pocket. Of course I only have 2 weeks of vacation, so I would have to see if I could negotiate for a third week.

 

[PghLybrt]

How about Feb?!!!!!