Just got back

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi all,
Just got back this morning after a 2 week stay at a Cumbrian Lakes villa.

Weather very hot, in the 90s every day, quite a lot of rain in the afternoons but generally plenty of sunshine.
Crowds very low, even Labour Day weekend, probably a combination of the hot weather and the tragic Katrina hurricane, which was on the news pretty much all day.

Had a great time, our 8 year old son Joshua is Autistic - he just cannot talk and has learning difficulties - he is a real little smasher though, very lively and mobile and loves Orlando.
We had our annual passes for Universal and bought Magic Your Way Disney tickets, got a disabled express pass from Universal and a GAC from Disney -highlights around the parks were basically getting Joshua on all the rides (several times!), ie ET about 10 times, Woody Woodpecker, Goofys Barnstormer, Winnie The Pooh, Peter Pan etc etc - we basically got on them all as often as we liked.
I only actually did one ride on my own, Spiderman, and it broke down half way through.
Still if our son is happy we are - we were ready for home at the end as the weather had taken it's toll and we were pretty tired.

Flew with Virgin on the newer Jumbo's from Manchester, will definitely upgrade to Premium Economy next time - actually managed to get a free upgrade on the way back , Joshua is finding the seats in Economy a bit snug which can be frustrating on a long flight for him, his portable DVD player though is a must for us would be lost without it.
Meals were very good although the breakfast on the way back was a bit poor and the childrens meals average - Joshua didn't eat them.

Had a look round Disney's Boardwalk as we are going to stay there on our next trip, was very impressed with the service and rooms (full kitchen etc)- we asked if we could have a look round and they were really nice and helpful.
We have stayed in villas the past few years as we prefer the extra freedom, privacy and a private pool, however, the one drawback is the evenings are a bit boring. I honestly cannot remember the last time I went out for a drink whilst at home but I do like to on holiday, being in a villa though means you have to drive everywhere and our son is not interested in going out after a busy enjoyable day playing so I find myself a bit stuck, there are only the 3 of us.
So quite fancy the Boardwalk next year for the ESPN Sports Bar etc.

Also had a look around a timeshare resort, Horizons at Marriot, again very helpful, rooms bigger than at Disneys but the overall resort was not as nice.
Actually got soaked in a thunderstorm walking around the Horizons on our last day , the only time it rained in the morning the whole 2 weeks - we had to go to RonJons and buy new tops!!

Petrol (gas) prices shot up to just under $3 a gallon, there were a few who actually ran out - again Katrina the cause.

 

[natalielongstaff]

welcome back, glad your little boy had a good time

 

[mandymouse]

Welcome back, it sounds like you had a fab time

 

[sharon78]

Welcome home
Sounds great,hope Joshua enjoyed himself

Disney Boardwalk for your next trip sounds great

 

[KayleeUK]

Welcome Home - glad you had a great trip

 

[Frances999]

Welcome Home! It sounds like you had a magical trip

 

[arieljasmine]

Welcome home, pleased that you had a good trip.

ArielJasmine

 

[squitty]

Welcome Home

 

[Miffy2003]

Welcome home, Johnny

We flew back 3 days before you then. The weather was definitely slightly worse in our last week (we had 3 weeks this time luckily) than the previous two!

It sounds like you had a great time.

Regarding what you say about evenings and offsite villas - this is funnily enough one of the main reasons we prefer to stay onsite. It's nice for DH to be able to completely relax and have a drink when he wants one (though I hasten to add he doesn't drink that much!)

Anyway, we spent 12 nights at the Boardwalk this time. What a fantastic place to spend time in the evenings. There is a great atmosphere, tonnes of stuff to look at and restaurants etc. My children loved the street entertainers. You are a mere stroll from Epcot or a boatride if you are feeling unenergetic and we walked home from MGM a couple of times (15 mins walk or so, very pleasant and saved the lines for the boat back to the Boardwalk).

My children loved the Luna Park pool.

I'm no expert but if you have any questions please ask! I really can't speak highly enough of it here.

Cheers

Karen

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Thanks all - yes we did have a great time.

Karen - yes we looked around the Boardwalk earlier in our holiday , I stopped and had a look in the ESPN bar and we had a good walk around.
We have never stayed on-site before, to be honest we have always thought that the prices were inflated and that the level of service and comfort were no better than the good hotels.
However, I was wrong and we were really impressed.
We went back later and I asked at reception if we could see one of the suites and the staff were really friendly and helpful.
We looked inside a one bedroom suite with full kitchen/laundry facilities etc and were very impressed, the whole feel of the place was great.
Michelle our guide mentioned the boat to EPCOT as you say.
We just didn't feel the quality was quite as good when we walked around Horizon's - and we got soaked on a very lengthy walk to the room we were shown.

Staying in villas does give you extra freedom and privacy, something that is good for Joshua, he loves the private pool, we have cooking facilities and DVD/VCR so he can watch his favourites (which we take with us) when we are relaxing. It is just that there is something missing, you are a bit isolated (there are only 3 of us) and he does get tired in the early evening which often means we are unable to go out. Plus as regular visitors we are looking at ways of keeping our visits fresh with something different to look forward to.
I do a few times go out on my own but it's just not the same, I genuinely hardly drink at all whilst I am at home, but just like to go out when on holiday.
Plus Joshua gets very little contact with other children something that he needs really.
Are you a DVC member? Would like more information on this really..?

 

[mrsminniemouse]

Hi Johnny, glad you had a good time.

We are DVC members and we value it so much. Last May, we stayed in an off site villa with my parents and DD now 2. My Dad doesn't like to drive abroad but he likes a chat and a shandy in the evenings. Poor DH had to drive Dad to the bar at TGI Fridays or Dad was stuck in. We also felt quite remote from everything. Next year, we want to take my parents back, but using our DVC we can hopefully stay at Beach Club or Boardwalk. When we got married we stayed with a big group of family and friends at Beach Club. The location was great, just as you say, for an evening stroll. We think we would enjoy a trip with my parents a lot more like this as they would have some degree of independence. Last time we felt obliged to go out all the time so we didn't stop them seeing everything (they dont go often so wanted to get as much in as possible) DD was only 11 months and we came home knackered.

We thought the off site villa was beautiful but so are the DVC villas, and the location is important to us. Have a look at the DVC Forum for a list of FAQS.

Bye for now
Mandy

 

[wicket2005]

Glad you had a fantastic time.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi Johnny, glad you had a good time.

We are DVC members and we value it so much. Last May, we stayed in an off site villa with my parents and DD now 2. My Dad doesn't like to drive abroad but he likes a chat and a shandy in the evenings. Poor DH had to drive Dad to the bar at TGI Fridays or Dad was stuck in. We also felt quite remote from everything. Next year, we want to take my parents back, but using our DVC we can hopefully stay at Beach Club or Boardwalk. When we got married we stayed with a big group of family and friends at Beach Club. The location was great, just as you say, for an evening stroll. We think we would enjoy a trip with my parents a lot more like this as they would have some degree of independence. Last time we felt obliged to go out all the time so we didn't stop them seeing everything (they dont go often so wanted to get as much in as possible) DD was only 11 months and we came home knackered.

We thought the off site villa was beautiful but so are the DVC villas, and the location is important to us. Have a look at the DVC Forum for a list of FAQS.

Bye for now
Mandy

Hi Mandy - so the DVC, you buy points yes?

I have checked the resale list and there is for example one listed at Boardwalk for $18000 220 points in April- if say we were interested and paid the 18 grand would that be all we pay? or is there a yearly fee etc

 

[carolfoy]

I only actually did one ride on my own, Spiderman, and it broke down half way through

Well that says it all really obviously Joshua is your good luck charm, glad you had a great stay, why not consider renting points at a dvc for next time?, then you'll get all the benefits before throwing yourselves in at the deep end and you can see if it suits Joshua too without obligating yourself.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Thanks Carol, yes thats a good idea and we will consider it.
That's not the first time I have been stuck on Spiderman, seems to be a regular occurrence. If Joshua had been with me it would have been a bit more worrying.

 

[mrsminniemouse]

Hi Johnny

Yes the DVC system works on points. We loved ours so much we added on more points this year. It was worthwhile as the dollar was weak, we got a good deal!

Our home resort is the newest one, Saratoga Springs, if you buy here you get 12 extra years on your lease which is very valuable to us. You can buy this direct through Disney. The resale you mention is not enough points for 2 weeks in a 1 bedroom, maybe a studio. April refers to when the points are allocated, you can go when you like but the point cost varies with the seasons.

You do pay annual dues, cannot remember the cost, I think it is about 3 or 4 dollars per point you own.

It will not work out cheaper than staying in an off site villa. We used to stay at Disneys Beach Club for 2 weeks a year, which is quite expensive. So for us DVC is good value. As an overseas buyer it isn't a cheap investment really as you need to buy a fair few points to be able to get there for a 2 week stay. Some people buy fewer points and save their points to go alternate years.

We don't regret it at all. We loved staying at Saratoga Springs, we stayed at Villas at Wilderness Lodge in May and soon we will be trying Old Key West. It is only a sensible investment if you are going to keep returning to WDW regularly and you spend a fair bit on hotels. Otherwise it is cheaper to stay in WDW hotels and pay each time, maybe getting an AP discount sometimes. Of course, then you dont get the laundry and kitchen facilities.

I think you should stay in one next trip, either rent or book direct through Disney (Very pricey to do that- check their website)

Here is some DVC info, it will help!
http://www.wdwinfo.com/dvc/faq.shtml

You could also phone Disney Vacation Club and get a pack sent to you. There is no pressure.


Mandy

 

[carolfoy]

Good advice from Mrsminniemouse, The reason I didn't buy into DVC was that the annual dues for the points I could afford would have been about £500 or upwards if the dollar rate drops! We would probably have banked a year and borrowed a year to have a 2-3 week break every 3 years, that would have meant approx £1500 spent out for every vacation we took, not too much perhaps but would easily pay for at least 1 other trip during that 3 years, We like to holiday 3 or 4 times a year and my job as a travel agent means I occassionally get special offers with an airline so I din't want to commit that far in advance for each individual florida hol.
Take a look on the DVC board, they are a very helpful bunch and most have owned dvc for years so they know all the analysis for costings etc.
by the way I will still be visiting dvc when i go in November so I may stilll buy!!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Thanks for the advice - we were actually thinking of just 1 week at Boardwalk and 1 week at a villa.
We can afford to buy, but just feel that if we were going to we should have done it a few years ago maybe.
It is approx. $450 a night for a 1 bedroomed studio next April for example - so yes not cheap!

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi again Johnny

Mrsminniemouse has answered you already but yes I am a DVC member. If you are looking for somewhere to enjoy so social time in the evenings then I would personally say BWV might be better for you than SSR. I own at SSR and you can walk to DTD but it is not quite so easy as reaching the BW from BWV.

For one week at the end of August it would "cost" the following points to stay at BWV in a 1 bedroomfor a week:

210 points in a standard view room
252 points in a preferred view (ie BWV or pool / garden view)

The thing to remember is that weekend points are very expensive so if you had 5 nighs instead, checking in on Sunday and out on Friday, the 1 bedroom I refer to above in the same time period would only "cost" 110 (standard) and 140 (preferred). It may not suit you in your situation, but we had 3 weeks recently and checked out for a weekend in the middle to "save" points. This meant we could have extra nights in the week instead, if that makes sense.

DVC won't be right for everyone, but I think that if you want to stay on site, go to WDW on a regular basis (2 years out of 3 at least I would say) like to plan ahead and can afford it then it cannot be beaten. There are people who it doesn't suit and it's about seeing if it is right for you and your family

I hope that helps, but please ask if you need any more information and I will try to help - everyone is very friendly on the UK DVC board too

 

[Miffy2003]

D'oh I forgot to add, if you want to "save" weekend points you can do a ressie with your DVC points for Sunday - Fri (check out Fri) and pay cash for the weekend nights at a DVC member discount if there is availability.

So to take the example above you could use points for a standard view 1 bedroom for 10 nights (Sun - Fri checkout times two) and then pay cash for the weekends. So this would give you a fortnight at BWV for a year's points (if you had 220 as it is 110 points to stay those 5 nights times two) plus cash payments for 4 nights - based on your $450 above with a DVC Discount which I THINK is 20% (not sure) would mean you would pay $1440 for that 2 week stay (plus your annual dues of course).

Alternatively your idea of 1 week villa offsite & 1 week DVC sounds good. The best of both worlds maybe?