My biggest WWYD ever...

[supersuperwendy]

I've asked many What Would You Do questions over the past few months...but this one I'm having the hardest time deciding about.

Ok..so we now have next June's Birthday (Ashley's 12th) trip totally booked. We got our 2 bedroom value at Jambo for 4 nights and 2 nights in the treehouse we always wanted!!!

On paper I have planned out the week before Easter 2013 for our daughter's 15th birthday. I'm assuming the points for premier season won't change *fingers crossed* (please no more reallocations dvc!)

Here's where the WWYD comes in...

For 2013 I penciled in arriving the Sunday before Easter for 5 nights. The kids would miss no school and Lauren's birthday would fall towards the beginning of the trip. It would mean our 2012 reservations must stay exactly as is because I have every last point allocated for the two trips(staying at home resorts).

BUT... If we change the 2013 arrival to the previous Thursday those points for Thurs, Fri and Sat are still in Magic Season. The point total for 5 nights goes down quite a bit....which.....we could use in 2012 at the 7 month window! But....that means the kids have to miss 2 school days and Lauren's birthday would fall on our last full day in WDW rather then near the beginning.

So WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

The extra points means we could switch out the treehouse for a different resort. It would be enough points for 2 nights anywhere! I'd love a lake view at BLT, or a first time at BCV etc.

Would you keep the treehouse and keep 2013 as planned?

Or change up 2013 and live it up in 2012???

I have 4 months before needing to make a decision...so help me!! Please!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think you are asking about switching from a treehouse to BCV for June, well, that would be a "do it" for me, but I have to think about the scenerio a bit more. I never took our DSs out of school for a vacation, but our DGC who are young, have been on many vacations where they have missed school. How do your kids feel about doing that?

I agree that the week before Easter is such an expensive week, I would try to avoid it or part of it as you are considering. It's probably more crowded then too.

As you said, you have 4 months to think about it, and others here have kids in school and can come up with ideas.

Bobbi

 

[alanapapa]

I've asked many What Would You Do questions over the past few months...but this one I'm having the hardest time deciding about.

Ok..so we now have next June's Birthday (Ashley's 12th) trip totally booked. We got our 2 bedroom value at Jambo for 4 nights and 2 nights in the treehouse we always wanted!!!

On paper I have planned out the week before Easter 2013 for our daughter's 15th birthday. I'm assuming the points for premier season won't change *fingers crossed* (please no more reallocations dvc!)

Here's where the WWYD comes in...

For 2013 I penciled in arriving the Sunday before Easter for 5 nights. The kids would miss no school and Lauren's birthday would fall towards the beginning of the trip. It would mean our 2012 reservations must stay exactly as is because I have every last point allocated for the two trips(staying at home resorts).

BUT... If we change the 2013 arrival to the previous Thursday those points for Thurs, Fri and Sat are still in Magic Season. The point total for 5 nights goes down quite a bit....which.....we could us in 2012 at the 7 month window! But....that means the kids have to miss 2 school days and Lauren's birthday would fall on our last full day in WDW rather then near the beginning.

So WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

The extra points means we could switch out the treehouse for a different resort. It would be enough points for 2 nights anywhere! I'd love a lake view at BLT, or a first time at BCV etc.

Would you keep the treehouse and keep 2013 as planned?

Or change up 2013 and live it up in 2012???

I have 4 months before needing to make a decision...so help me!! Please!

I am dizzy just reading this. Personally I would keep the ressies as they are. I loved the 4 days we had at the THV last Xmas. I am also not one to 2nd guess myself with what if's. My DW sometimes drives me bonkers with them. Make a decision and stay with it.

 

[supersuperwendy]

My parents are coming along with us next summer so I need to take that into consideration too. The whole reason I wanted the treehouse was because they would have their own bedroom. My dad SNORES like crazy!!! But..my mom is pushing to try to get BLT because she loves the location or BCV because it's her dream to stay there. AND..now that I know CR will deliver a birthday cake to TOTWL it makes BLT seem like a great idea. The thought of celebrating our birthdays during Wishes sounds great!!! I mentioned to her about it meaning the kids would miss school in 2013 and she basically laughed and said...well that's ok, right?! The kids have been missing school for WDW since 2007, but after this December I was planning on doing away with that trend. They are getting older and the school workload is getting bigger. I just pulled out the point chart again and my brain could burst. You should see the three pages of scrap paper that I have with every reasonable scenario of points usage on it!! It's craziness!

As it stands the total amount of points for our June trip is only 230! That's for 6 nights for 8 + a baby!! Including a weekend! It seems like we'd be nuts to give that up! But the dream of BLT or BCV looms in the back of my mind.

 

[bobbiwoz]

...
But the dream of BLT or BCV looms in the back of my mind.

Quick, pencil that in for 2014!

Wendy...I did the pencil and paper scenerios, so I know where you're coming from!

Best wishes!

 

[supersuperwendy]

Haha thanks Bobbi!

2014 is Thanksgiving Week!! We are doing birthdays....Phils was this past January when he and I escaped without the kids! Next June is mine and our daughter Ashleys, 2013 is Laurens, and thanksgiving week 2014 is Darrens and the baby's!! Well...she won't be a baby then! She'll be turning 5!!!

That actually would be a better time to try BLT or BCV because many of the dates are in Choice Season!!!

 

[VirataMama4]

I'd probably leave it as is and look forward to 2014 and see about staying BLT or BCV. I've always wanted to stay in a treehouse.

 

[supersuperwendy]

So true...

I think I'll give my brain a rest and decide right now to leave it as is. This way the kids miss no school in 2013 and maybe we could even try for BLT or BCV for that trip! Afterall...one of the reasons we added on SSR was for the treehouses!

Plus...snoring Grandpop gets his own space!!!!

 

[disney212]

I agree it can drive you nuts. If the school thing worries you my "kids" missed a day a two about every other year for our family vacations. DS graduated university last year with a 4.0 and is currently attending grad school. DD is college senior with a 3.8. We scheduled something "educational" each trip, behind scenes tour, lunch with an imagineer, etc. School was always fine with it as long as there was an educational component. And yes, they still love Disney! Hope that helps!

 

[supersuperwendy]

Thanks Disney212! At the elementary level is was so easy to miss school. Now...they don't get the missed assignments until we get back. Plus they only get 3 days to make the work up on top of the new assignments. It's getting rough!!

Here's a follow up question regarding birthdays...

If you were going to WDW for your birthday where in the trip would you want your Bday to fall? Beginning, middle or end?

 

[TwinsFan]

I would stick with the treehouse. I haven't figured out how to work a treehouse into my future plans, but definately would like to stay in one sometime.

BLT or BCV for Thanksgiving would be great.

I don't use the scraps of paper, I keep a planning excel file, it currently has tabs for plans up to 2016

 

[supersuperwendy]

I wish I knew how to use excel! This is my initial brain bursting plans from about 3 weeks ago!! It's the mixing of my use years that gets confusing!

 

[DenLo]

I have one question, who sleeps in the same room with Granddad at BLT or BCV since the grandparents will have to share a room with some of the family?

I think you might want to remember why you wanted a separate bedroom for your parents so you booked THVs. Will SAB make it up to your kids for grandpa's snoring or will your DD be absolutely thrilled with a birthday party at TOTWL despite the lack of sleep?

If it really doesn't matter where grandpa sleeps, then go for the villa of your dreams!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I wish I knew how to use excel! This is my initial brain bursting plans from about 3 weeks ago!! It's the mixing of my use years that gets confusing!

LOL! I'm glad I'm not the only one that makes those multiple scenario scribbles! Sometimes I make them...throw them in the planning guide, and then when I get back to it, I can't remember it all, so I have to figure it out all over again!

 

[bobbiwoz]

LOL! I'm glad I'm not the only one that makes those multiple scenario scribbles! Sometimes I make them...throw them in the planning guide, and then when I get back to it, I can't remember it all, so I have to figure it out all over again!

This has happened so many time to me!

 

[supersuperwendy]

LOL! I'm glad I'm not the only one that makes those multiple scenario scribbles! Sometimes I make them...throw them in the planning guide, and then when I get back to it, I can't remember it all, so I have to figure it out all over again!

EXACTLY!!! That's why this is from three weeks ago! I tucked it in the point chart and then had to do it all over again because I forgot what the heck what I meant!!!

 

[supersuperwendy]

I have one question, who sleeps in the same room with Granddad at BLT or BCV since the grandparents will have to share a room with some of the family?

I think you might want to remember why you wanted a separate bedroom for your parents so you booked THVs. Will SAB make it up to your kids for grandpa's snoring or will your DD be absolutely thrilled with a birthday party at TOTWL despite the lack of sleep?

If it really doesn't matter where grandpa sleeps, then go for the villa of your dreams!

I have a feeling none of us will be immune to the snoring! It's soooo loud! I don't know how my mom has dealt with it for 40 years!

Of course I suggested to my husband that we should give my parents the master bedroom. Well guess how that went over! He's NOT about to give up his master bedroom....noway!

The first 4 nights we are at Jambo and this is the plan. The baby in the master bedroom with us, our two older girls and their mutual best friend on the living room sofa bed (squished I suppose, but that's what they want LOL), and my poor son in the studio with his grandparents. I have earplugs for him...4 pairs! Plus I thought he could put on his headphones and watch his little DVD player at bedtime until he falls asleep. So I figured switching over to the treehouse would give him a break!!! He can have the bunk bed room all to himself!! So the real question is....give the boy a break or not!!!

Darren's sanity vs. my dream...hhmmm?

 

[BeesKnees]

I wouldn't worry about 2013. 400 WWYD threads from now you may be in HHI that week for all you know.


I don't like to plan that far ahead because I might change my mind or life may get in the way and I would be worried about something that I might not ever do. If my plans next year mean I have to borrow a few points to plan some vacations in 2013 then that is a problem for future me not current me. Besides we don't even know what the point charts are going to be for 2013.


What I would really do in your situation is relax and trust myself to make decisions. How much difference is there going to be between making a "right" choice and a "wrong" one? Even if your son struggles to get enough sleep chances are a nap here and there will keep him good to go.

Also, If I was constantly struggling to make vacations work the way I wanted I would add a contract.

 

[crazybones27]

I wish I knew how to use excel! This is my initial brain bursting plans from about 3 weeks ago!! It's the mixing of my use years that gets confusing!

I have papers like this ALL over my house! I'm ALWAYS looking at points and what we could do and planning as far ahead as possible. My DH keeps asking if he can throw out a certain paper because he has no idea if it's new or old or important .

I wish I could offer advice on this. We just stayed for 1 lonely night in a lake view room at BLT at the end of our last minute June trip. We were LUCKY and got a partial lake and MK view. This ONE lonely night made us book an 8 night trip in May 2012 just to stay there for the whole week. I'm almost considering cancelling our Nov/Dec trip this year in an AKV CL studio just to add more days on to that trip lol. I'm not going to cancel, but man I keep thinking about how convenient it was for us!!

 

[supersuperwendy]

I wish I had enough points to not worry about the future! We have two contracts..160 akv and 60 SSR. I STRETCH those points as far as possible!!! We always have to book a 2 bedroom since we are a big family so I need to think about every last point!!!

I think from here on out...unless we skip a year at WDW I will always borrow points. My use year is December so my points come at the end of the year. I borrow them back earlier in the same calendar year. Plus, any still left in the previous use year. So for next June 2012 I used my remaining 2011 points, plus borrowed some Dec. 2012 points for use in 2012. Then for the following March 2013 trip...I'll still be in my 2012 use year. So...the less of those remaining 2012 points I use for March 2013...the more I can do with them in June 2012!! It's enough to give me another migraine!!