Need input...might have to cancel !

[mikesmom]

I'm hoping to get some bright ideas from the folks on this board on how to deal with what should have been a great vacation!

Scenario: We're booked at BWV for the 3rd week of October, 2 bdrm, Boardwalk view. Booked this right at 11 months for the Food & Wine fest. DH and I are going and invited along our friends, another couple who went with us last year. DH and I have annual passes bought last year in November and free airline tickets. Last year was a marvelous time, we all enjoyed it enormously. They are the types who wouldn't go if we paid for it all (and we can't quite swing it, anyway), but we did charge them just the difference between the 1 bedroom and the 2 bedroom, which as you all know is shaving a bit off the cost of a studio. They don't take many (make that ANY vacations, they work a LOT) and those are usually low budget. He and my DH are both the types that the magic of WDW really makes them relax and forget work. We have ALL been looking forward to this.

Anyway, my DH is going to have hip surgery and the date is set for Sept 2nd. It has become obvious that it can't be put off - first he is in a lot of pain, and 2nd, he has a teaching seminar contract that starts 10/27 that cannot be broken without severe financial penalties. So the time is now. The surgery will be followed by 6-12 weeks of physical therapy 3 times a week. And therein lies the problem. The vacation is set for the 7 week mark. We have no idea if he will be able to take the vacation. If we cancel the ressie our friends will be without a vacation, I'm fairly sure they can't swing paying us for a 2 bedroom, we KNOW the waitlist is 10 miles long for a studio to send them by themselves, and they have already gotten the time off work. I'm inclined to let them take our ressie as a gift, but DH isn't comfortable with that. He's an accountant and figures we could at least salvage something by renting it out. To complicate matters because of nonsense and broken ressies by DH's family, we already have points in holding plus the BWV ressie is made up of good points, borrowed points, held points, etc.

I just hate to let friends down - I feel like a jerk, but there seems no way around this. If DH is doing well, he can go, and even use a wheelchair if needed. I won't go without him, he'll need all the help he can get at home. To complicate life, the insurance may not cover all of this and we are looking at an outlay of several thousand dollars. So between worrying about DH, worrying about our friends, worrying about the messed up point situation, I am stressed out and not thinking too clearly (and BOY, could I use a vacation.)

Can anyone come up with a brilliant plan?

 

[DIZNYFAN]

Go on vacation and let your hubby use the treadmill in the workout room as a substitute for his physio most of his physio will be of that type of excercise anyhow. Then you can take the vacation and he can excercise and all will be well in your world again. Just make sure to get him a wheelchair or electric scooter to use and the most important thing. RELAX and enjoy a wonderfull vacation.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

If I was your friend i would totally understand cancelling the vacation and renting the ressie to help pay for operation and copays for PT.
They can stay at a Disney hotel or go anywhere else with their time off. I 'd go to Las Vegas with no kids.
They'll miss your company the most.
Good Luck!

 

[offtheice]

Like the other poster responded, go and relax. I spent 4 days last yr when i slighty fractured my ankle at MGM and used the elect scooter they provided .ITs Great . Allows you and your family to sit up front for the fireworks and so on.. He can use the gym to do his rehab too.

 

[lat]

What about getting them a studio at OKW or SSR (the 2 most possible place) for their dates via a waitlist. I would think the chance is fairly good for these 2 resorts, waitlist day by day. Once you get everything, hopefully you are still outside of your 30 day window to decide either keep or cancel your BWV reservation.

Good luck to your DH's surgery and I am sure things will work out one way or the other.

Or I am sure you can rent out your BWV 2-br and use the $$ to cover part of the expenses. Best of luck!!!

 

[kathleena]

I'm not sure from your post what the most important part is to you. You have several things - not letting down your friends, thinking that you can't get a studio, not knowing if he will be well enough, not knowing if you should spend the money to go?

So break your whole up into parts. Look at each one separately.

1) Call and find out if there are studios available and get on a waitlist now - even if you are not decided what to do. You can always pass on any that come up. And tell your friends now what is going on. They may have suggestions too! WHo knows - they may encourage to cancel and try to rent it out.

2) Find out what exercises he will need to do now. Chances are by the 7th week - he can either do them himself or you can find somewhere around there he can do them. Your docs office or ins co may be able to help you find a place. And ask your doc what shape he thinks he will be in by the 7th week. And airlines will help with wheelchairs too and in the airports too.

3) A scooter costs about $200 for the week. You take a chance relying on the disney scooters - they may rent them all early in the day. And who wants to push a wheelchair. Eat dinner in a few nights and get the scooter.

4) How much of your vacation is already paid for. Airline? Park? Resort? Just food and rental car left? You don't seem to be biting into your budget for it - so relax about that one and let go of that worry. Eat in the room. Your friends will appreciate the low budget. Yes, you still need to think about the insurance cost - but the vacation cost doesn't seem to add to that.

And you said yourself - the men like to relax at Disney. Even if DH can't do the parks - sounds like they will love just lounging around.

Sorry I don't have a magic answer for you. I was just trying to help you not worry about some of this. Good luck with the surgery and keep us posted!

 

[DrTomorrow]

Well, since you asked:

1. If at all possible, go on the trip. You already said that your DH finds Disney relaxing - what better place to recuperate and rebuild!

2. If I were in your friends' position, I'd totally understand that major surgery trumps a vacation.

3. However, if I was in your shoes, I'd let them go with the 2BR at no extra charge (of course, I'm not an accountant, so perhaps I value things a bit differently). You're cancelling on them; I'd do what I could not to let good friends down.

Best of luck; don't forget to share your decision!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

If it was a week after the surgery, I would say cancel without a doubt. But since it's week seven, talk to your doctor about doing some of the re-hab at WDW. He/she may (and probably will) encourage you to go. If he/she says no, then I'm sure your friends would understand. If the doctor says yes, then have a good time but make sure to work on the re-hab while away.

Good luck with everyting.

HBC

 

[manning]

Ask the doctor for his advise. He may be able to guide you. I don't know his age, but isn't the guide line for healing about six weeks. Could be different for hip surgery.

 

[PamOKW]

I agree that you should think this through a little more before cancelling.

Renting out the reservation is an option but you might want to weigh the work involved in finding a renter, etc. and how much you'll get for the reservation vs. the good will you'll build up with your friends. It might be about equal to the actual cash (your call). Also consider whether cancelling this after they've been planning for the trip might cause a problem between you.

I'd talk to your friends and let them know they could be on their own. If they still want to go to WDW, keeping the reservation gives you and your husband to go through with the trip right up until the date. (Airfare considerations and whether your husband could fly are something else to find out about.)

I'd talk to the doctor. I'm sure they won't give you any guarantees but they might be able to let you know if the idea of flying to WDW is totally unrealistic.

Here's hoping your hubby feels great again soon!

 

[LIFERBABE]

If I was in traction, I'd want to be at WDW! Just push me out on the balcony so I can enjoy the view.

If not, then I would let the friends have it. That is a HUGE gift, but with your combo of points that make up this ressie, renting could be very risky and if your renter backs out it could leave you in a quandry.

Good DVC friends are hard to come by. Your friends sound like they would be understanding if you had to cancel, but how many family or friends do we have that you really enjoy travelling with, who make arrangements to take time off from work months ahead of time, and offer to pay their own way? A DVC member's dream is to have friends like that. My friends, waited until the last minute to tell me they couldnt get off work and we were "stuck" in a 2 bdr @ BCV for 8 days! OUCH! We made the best of it, but I will miss those points for years to come LOL.

Pixie Dust for the surgery and good luck with your decision.

 

[jekjones1558]

IF your doctor seems to think you should NOT go, I wonder if MS would ever make an exception and let you keep the studio half of your 2 bedroom ressie for your friends and release the 1 bedroom half (since all BWV 2 bedrooms are lock-offs)? Is there anyone out there who has ever heard of MS doing something like that?

 

[kathleena]

Originally posted by jekjones1558
IF your doctor seems to think you should NOT go, I wonder if MS would ever make an exception and let you keep the studio half of your 2 bedroom ressie for your friends and release the 1 bedroom half (since all BWV 2 bedrooms are lock-offs)? Is there anyone out there who has ever heard of MS doing something like that?

I don't think they can do this because in the system it is booked as a 2br - not separately as a 1br and a studio so they can't release just the 1br. And once they release the ressie - the units go to the next person on the WL.

I have read this before here - I remember the question being asked of MS.

 

[mikesmom]

Thanks for all the great ideas! Answers to some of your questions:

- already checked on studios anywhere - no availability and the waitlist is Looong

- Have already tried to get info on the therapy. They are giving us lots of "if this doesn't happen" and "if that doesn't happen" we are good with 6 weeks. Otherwise it could run 12. They can't even tell us what exercises until the surgery is over. This is just a mere step from total hip replacement so it's pretty big surgery, although it's arthroscopic, so not such a big risk.

- DH has to keep his contract starting the 8th week, so we don't want to screw that up. It's a tossup in my mind whether the WDW trip would relax him or wear him out. That work trip will be the tough one - 10 cities in 8 days and all driving. I'm already organizing to work from the road so I can drive him and be the luggage handler, etc.

- yeah, I have some issues on how this would affect our relationship. Probably silly as they have been very good friends. (but half of this couple started out as one of my clients, and still is, so you see why I am a little extra careful)

- I really like the idea that we keep our personal options open by letting them use the ressie, which I'm going to bring up to DH. He feels that a Boardwalk view in the middle of the F&W when the waitlist is long is a cinch to sell. (Of course, he is never the one selling this!)

- almost everything is paid for .. room, air, park tickets. Food isn't a huge issue during F&W. Those of you who have gone know what I mean! We are all cooks also, so we do enjoy cooking in the room.

- I'm feeling pretty selfish wanting this vacation for myself. This surgery is absolutely necessary, but really requiring major organizing. Besides me handling my business from the road for his seminars from the 8th week (which will be a hassle), I'm trying to get the upstairs bedroom moved downstairs, the 3 trips a week for physio planned in (60 miles each way), I'm doing the battle with the insurance company, scheduling tests, etc. I'm really wanting the break and we've still got 3 weeks before the surgery!

I really appreciate all your thoughts. It's giving me some rational perspective and some good ideas. (I still need a vacation!!)

 

[chainkid]

I recently had major knee surgery but still went on a business trip to Las Vegas that I couldn't get out of 5 days later. then I came home and left 4 days later for vacation. I was in pain some of the time and had to use a scooter but it was doable and I did my therapy at the hotel. I would go and enjoy yourself.

 

[ahutton]

Although I haven't had hip surgery, and there are many "if this happens" type things, I would be very tempted to keep my ressie and go. As others have said the airline is very helpful in getting you there. I would also go ahead and reserve a scooter to be delivered so your DH will always have one ready and can use it to get to and from EPCOT and MGM. The pool and hot tub facilities will likely be a welcome way to get some mobility exercise if he is not yet able to do treadmill or other impact PT, and certainly at the 4-6 week mark you will have a good feel for what DH will and will not be able to do and what his needed exercises will be. From the sound of the work trip the week to rest, stroll and roll the parks and time with friends will be very valuable to his recovery.

Plus - if something does come up and he can't go, I'm sure you will find lots of folks who would LOVE a last minute room in that area. Maybe one who is open to allowing your friends to keep their studio (and just lock the linking doors) and use the 1 bedroom for themselves. I know if I thought I could convince DH to take that week of I would be begging for it, and you have a great forum to announce that you are taking bids!

 

[panfan]

I guess I am a die-hard but I say keep the reservation! My 80 year old grandmother broke her hip in June and she was DRIVING in six weeks! It happened on June 21 and now she is done with the walker...using a cane successfully and almost walking on her own!
I would agree with the scooter rental ideas etc. You could also do a little "touring" while he stayed and enjoyed the resort etc...You are staying at the Boardwalk after all....there is plenty to do and enjoy! Also it will give him time to relax and by the 7th week I would think he could do some of the therepy on his own! Good Luck in your decision!

 

[kathleena]

Based on your last post - sounds like you really want to go!

I do hope you keep your plans intact - You and DH will both need the R&R!

 

[kaw1106]

Half of healing is in the heart. I know my heart would feel better being at WDW with my friends and family, therefore the healing would be faster.

Go!!!

 

[manning]

yeah, I have some issues on how this would affect our relationship. Probably silly as they have been very good friends. (but half of this couple started out as one of my clients, and still is, so you see why I am a little extra careful)

If they can't understand the situation then are they good friends?

If they are, you don't have anything to worry about.