***Official November 2013***

[RejoyceoverDisney]

xipotec your wife is one lucky lady to have someone do such a surprise.
Wishing you a very magical vacation.

 

[Traceylee]

What an awesome surprise!!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Nechville]

xipotec your wife is one lucky lady to have someone do such a surprise.
Wishing you a very magical vacation.

I agree! I hope my husband surprises me someday with a trip! I normally hate surprises, but with enough notice a Disney surprise would be awesome! Although my DH wouldn't know to make ADRs at 180 days or have any of my DIS-acquired knowledge.

 

[MamaJessie]

I have been hoping for an update on your surprise, TFS!

 

[xipotec]

Thanks everyone! Waiting on magic bands and FP+


Now I have to plan on how to surprise the kids....the night before we leave!!!!

So glad to not have to hide it from her anymore! Its hard for me to keep a secret , especially from DW.

 

[Pills]

Paid off my trip last week, using the Target method.

This is $2900 - trip was a little more, but had to put $150 on my CC to start, less than $50 to end, and then booked Behind the Seeds (price on that going up for tours after 9/29).

Saved $145. Figure that's some nice souvenirs!

 

[MamaJessie]

Saved $145. Figure that's some nice souvenirs!

I have been doing the same thing. Last time I called to pay another 500 I warned the CM that it may be awhile lol. I tried online the first time but I swear it is so much faster doing it over the phone.

I need to go pick up some more gift cards this weekend...

 

[Hunclemarco]

I'll be doing the same thing this weekend. If i pay for my trip with each card online, is every card a single transaction? I'll have $1000.00 worth.

 

[Pills]

Yes. The most I've done at once is 10. The first batch I couldn't even do online - the functionality wasn't there. Even now, it's not 100% reliable that it'll work, but if you can get into the screen, it'll go. For me, it was rare that it would work for one (or some) and then wouldn't work again.

To cut off anyone that may be embarrassed by asking, go to My Disney Experience -> My Reservations, and it'll show your balance and say "Make a Payment".

When you scratch the gift cards, there's a 4 digit code (like the last 4 digits of a CC number) and then a PIN. Interestingly, I found that when I called, I needed the PIN, but did not need it when I entered them online.

I had one problem with a card that I didn't think was filled; turns out that the site crashed after it went through so it didn't show immediately as paid. A reload fixed it.

 

[Nechville]

Paid off my trip last week, using the Target method.

Just to clarify, Target method is buying gift cards there with the Target card and that saves 5%?

 

[Pills]

Just to clarify, Target method is buying gift cards there with the Target card and that saves 5%?

Yes. They also occasionally run deals where if you fill 5 prescriptions, they give you an additional 5%. We didn't do this, but it's possible to stock up at 9.75% off (it's 5% off 100% and then 5% off 95%). We didn't care to do this, as we were paying off our card every month and didn't want a $2k bill.

To clarify, the prescription thing is a one use discount, so you can't do as we did and get $X per visit.

 

[wdwnut61]

How wonderful xipotec love all the details and the picture says it all.

 

[Coconuts]

Xipotec, what an awesome surprise! Your wife is very lucky; my DH(and I) are nowhere near that creative and would have never come up with such an intricate plan! Hope the trip is just as magical and your kids' surprise goes as well.

 

[Tltorrez]

How incredibly awesome! Now I wish i surprised my boys.

I really wanted to but DS11 doesn't transition well. When we moved from BWV to AKV for a surprise split stay he was not happy at first. Of course, when he we were made FOD, upgraded to a 2-bedroom suite and he saw giraffes outside our room, his attitude changed. ;-)

Anyway, this trip is the weekend after his birthday and we leave on Halloween night. So in order to effect a surprise I'd have to pretend to plan for both of those, and that would be too much heartbreak. Knowing the choices up front, of course, he chose Disney. But surprising him would not have gone well.

 

[WDW Fan since 1975]

It's my birthday and I've got 58 days until my next WDW vacation!

AND.... in 42 days I'll be closing on my house!

Oh my goodness, I can't take all this excitement!!

Mike!!!

 

[mrsap]

Originally Posted by Sheilby How incredibly awesome! Now I wish i surprised my boys.

It's never too late. Not sure how old your sons are, but last year I completely surprised my DD the morning we were leaving. I woke her up and showed her our countdown clock (which I had hidden the last couple weeks). I asked her how many days are left till we go to Disney and she said zero. It took her a minute (she was 4), but once she realized it she was so excited!!!!!

Going to do it to her again this year. She knows we are going but at 5 years old, she still has no concept of time. So she just started Kindergarten this month, and we are going to let her on to believe that she is going to school. When we go outside to meet the bus, she will see the rental car and realize that's not where she's going!! lol I think it will be exciting for her.

Can't wait, 74 days to go!!

 

[Sheilby]

I really wanted to but DS11 doesn't transition well. When we moved from BWV to AKV for a surprise split stay he was not happy at first. Of course, when he we were made FOD, upgraded to a 2-bedroom suite and he saw giraffes outside our room, his attitude changed. ;-)

Anyway, this trip is the weekend after his birthday and we leave on Halloween night. So in order to effect a surprise I'd have to pretend to plan for both of those, and that would be too much heartbreak. Knowing the choices up front, of course, he chose Disney. But surprising him would not have gone well.

Very cool about the 2 bedroom upgrade.

Yeah, it would not be a good idea to surprise a kid regarding Halloween and his birthday. If his mind was set on something else he might start crying from the change. We were watching Disney surprises gone wrong on YouTube the other day. One kid started crying because he thought he was going to Chuck e Cheese and he didn't think Disney was a good substitute. My kids couldn't believe how some of the kids reacted. I don't think I would surprise a kid the day of a trip, but a few weeks in advance would be a lot of fun.

 

[Sheilby]

It's my birthday and I've got 58 days until my next WDW vacation!

AND.... in 42 days I'll be closing on my house!

Oh my goodness, I can't take all this excitement!!

Mike!!!

Happy birthday and congratulations on the house, that is wonderful. We should alltake a vacation after closing on a house. Although I don't think I would have the guts to schedule one, none of my house closings happened on the date they were supposed to.

 

[Sheilby]

It's never too late. Not sure how old your sons are, but last year I completely surprised my DD the morning we were leaving. I woke her up and showed her our countdown clock (which I had hidden the last couple weeks). I asked her how many days are left till we go to Disney and she said zero. It took her a minute (she was 4), but once she realized it she was so excited!!!!!

Going to do it to her again this year. She knows we are going but at 5 years old, she still has no concept of time. So she just started Kindergarten this month, and we are going to let her on to believe that she is going to school. When we go outside to meet the bus, she will see the rental car and realize that's not where she's going!! lol I think it will be exciting for her.

Can't wait, 74 days to go!!

My boys are 13, 10 and 6. The 6 year old wakes me up each morning to take a balloon off the countdown clock and then every evening he starts singing how many days we have left once midnight comes. I don't think I'll be able to pull the wool over their eyes.

61 days here!

 

[smplicty29]

xipotec your wife is one lucky lady to have someone do such a surprise.
Wishing you a very magical vacation.

Agree!