Oh! My Peanut butter! (a 2013 PHM report)

[annmarieda]

We woke at 7am on Saturday, 2/23. We had to get ready for Zoe's 400m dash!

Once we were ready and had a quick bite to eat in the room we were on our way. However we made the mistake of going all the way to the expo center. I am not sure why I assumed that the rundisney busses would all leave from there. After quickly figuring out our (my) mistake we were off to the regular bus stop. As we arrived we could tell there was a mix of people headed to the race and others to various parks.

Soon enough, a rundisney bus arrived and we were on our way.


As we exited the bus, we were all herded into the one miler corral. There were cm all over with ear pieces trying to figure out where people were suppose to be going. Most all were blindly following the next and heading in the wrong direction.



Just as we passed the "grand stand" I realized this couldn't be the right way. since we appeared to be ON THE COURSE and the one miler was about to start.

We quickly wrapped our way back and followed along the backside of the grand stand to where Zoe's corral actually was.



Once in the corral she began some warm ups.



Her corral had the fewest kids. It was so empty. The 200 meter was completely full! Wave after wave for the 200 meter was started as we waited.


and waited


More posing


Then began the people watching. Lets play the... "how many people do you see on their phones" game.


Then I saw the most perfect couple (even if she too could have been added to the game)



Finally as things started to warm a bit, Zoe began to get tired and decided to sit.


Then it was time to move into position!!




Which then was followed by more waiting. During which time we got to see all sorts of drama. New friends became sworn enemies...as a couple moms tried to get their girls to "play nice" with one another. Another girl got very sick. (which then caused us to move from our position since... )

Finally it was time for the 400m to start!





I never quite understand why parent run alone side their kids. It isn't like you can't see your kid. And these kids are all the oldest ones. Must older and they couldn't be in the kids race. I think the cut off for the 400m is 9. After that they have to be in the one miler or 5k

Zoe finished strong and got her medal and goodies.




Next Up: 2/23 - Day 4 Part 2

 

[dizneeat]

Great photos of Zoe's race! And good that you caught that everyone was heading in the wrong direction!

When I saw your photos I thought about what all the parents are doing IN the race until I read your comment!
Zoe is such a proud young runner with her medal!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Your meal at Ohana looks really good - if a bit chaotic waiting for the actual meal!!

Good for Zoe doing her race!! That looks like it was really fun for her!

 

[momabaarjo]

Love the dinner at Ohanas...glad that Steve ate his money's worth! I am still dreaming of that bread pudding and can't wait til we go!

 

[momabaarjo]

Zoe really looks like she had a great time in her race! I love her smile...

 

[annmarieda]

Great photos of Zoe's race! And good that you caught that everyone was heading in the wrong direction!

When I saw your photos I thought about what all the parents are doing IN the race until I read your comment!
Zoe is such a proud young runner with her medal!

It was interesting to have parents running along side their kids... but everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with.

Zoe loves to get her own medals that is for sure!

Your meal at Ohana looks really good - if a bit chaotic waiting for the actual meal!!

Good for Zoe doing her race!! That looks like it was really fun for her!

That night at Ohana was a tad crazy. All the delayed flights... transportation issues... people showing for late ADRs... but we got in!

And yes... Zoe loves to run the races. She loves to be involved in things.

Love the dinner at Ohanas...glad that Steve ate his money's worth! I am still dreaming of that bread pudding and can't wait til we go!

Yummm bread pudding! I too can't wait. Steve LOVES that place.

Zoe really looks like she had a great time in her race! I love her smile...

Thank you. She had a good time... it was a perfect day for it. Not too hot.. not too cold.

 

[eandesmom]

Cute pictures but UGH the waiting!!!!

Looks like Zoe had fun once it finally started.

At that age, for 400m all I can think of is they are afraid of losing their child when it's over. Maybe the kid is a wanderer? Heck, we could lose Eric, still, and he's 12!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I really hope they move the Expo back in 2014!

Zoe looks so cute doing her run!!

 

[TXAng]

Love the race photos! Looks like she had fun!

We thought it was a lot of waiting for the kids races, too, and ours were in the 100 meter and 200 meter races. Still fun, though, and they enjoyed having medals like DH (he ran the 5K).

Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[annmarieda]

Cute pictures but UGH the waiting!!!!

Looks like Zoe had fun once it finally started.

At that age, for 400m all I can think of is they are afraid of losing their child when it's over. Maybe the kid is a wanderer? Heck, we could lose Eric, still, and he's 12!

I had never thought about how you could lose a child... I guess I just know that Zoe has a good head on her shoulder....finish line is where she waited for us...even though I really never lost sight of her as I followed along the race route. Now Alex... He is our kid that we still can't keep track of and he is 17. When he was a toddler we had to put special locks on the doors cause he would wander off...and he is still that way.

I really hope they move the Expo back in 2014!

Zoe looks so cute doing her run!!

I think the expo would be a little less chaotic at WWOS... but I didn't mind it entirely. It was nice to exit the expo and just head back to our room.

Love the race photos! Looks like she had fun!

We thought it was a lot of waiting for the kids races, too, and ours were in the 100 meter and 200 meter races. Still fun, though, and they enjoyed having medals like DH (he ran the 5K).

Looking forward to hearing more!

I was amazed that there were so many kids in the 100 and 200 that they had to do so many waves. I wonder if they had more registrants? I know that the ToT 10 miler last year was not too bad for the kids races.

 

[MEK]

Your waiting face is priceless! That is exactly the frown I would have, but probably worse.

Congrats to Zoe for finishing strong and getting her loot! Great post race picture! So cute when she is doing her stretches.

Yeah - I don't get the parents running thing either. Seems weird!

 

[annmarieda]

Your waiting face is priceless! That is exactly the frown I would have, but probably worse.

It was also a bit of "really? you are gonna take my picture now?" face. I tend to not be the most photogenic...

Congrats to Zoe for finishing strong and getting her loot! Great post race picture! So cute when she is doing her stretches.

Thanks! She really loves the kids races. I think she is really going to hate note going this fall with me. And depending on how things work out for our spring trip it is possible she would miss that one too. I am such a mean mom going to WDW without her.

Yeah - I don't get the parents running thing either. Seems weird!

Cynthia had a good point... and I am surprised I didn't think of that since I have one who has always been a bit of an escape artist. I guess I am just lucky with Zoe cause I know she isn't going to jump off into the bushes and disappear... nor will she just wander off at the finish.

 

[annmarieda]

Some of you know this already. I am sure I have at least few readers that don't know... BUT

We decided to purchase a resale DVC contract.

For the last few years we have taken a look at DVC. Almost always looking at direct through disney. We have always come to the conclusion it was not for us. However looking at how many nights I will have stayed in WDW in just short of a 24 month period it made us take it a tad more "seriously".

But like in years past the question always became "really how many more times will we be going to WDW?" Unlike in those past years... the answer was now not the same. In the past we figured we would be branching out...doing other things. However now those other things tend to revolve around running. Given that I will want to do AT LEAST one disney race a year and Steve is resolved to do the same.... well, see where the answer to "will we go" is perhaps different?

So we began looking and Disney recently raised their rates so immediately the resale market was what I knew we would be looking at.

Again how confusing!! Thankfully, I had a couple wise people here on dis who were able to give me some direction. Honestly... Cynthia, you were SOOOO helpful!!!!

I started with the store that is a sponsor of dis. While the agent was very good at responses, he wasn't the greatest at suggesting listings or ways to work up an offer.

We made two offers through them and both were rejected...or brought it at the same time as a better offer. Which brings me to how fast things go. I got an email from this agency one morning with new listings (just that morning). I quickly called on a listing I thought might work and by the time our offer was put together another offer that was better came in and the listing was sold.

This agency's stock of listings was quickly being depleted and nothing was standing out that was in our price range. At least nothing that had points that could be used (without borrowing) until 2015.

I decided to make a more aggressive attempt with another agency. I had a contact in that agency already and so I emailed her. I told her I had placed to offers with another agency only to have them both rejected. I explained how she seems to have quite a few listings, but that I really needed some response from her because I have no idea what was still available...etc.

She called yesterday morning bright and early. I was just waking up when she called. She started immediately rattling off numbers and listings and I was but I tried to keep up.

Somewhere in our conversation she came across a listing she thought was perfect for us... that the seller would be a good fit...that might have an ok chance of passing ROFR (disney has the right to buy back the property instead..kinda like first dibs) I was still at the phase in waking so I still was trying to keep up.

I caught enough to know that the offer couldn't be "as is" in other words it was slightly above our budget. This agency (as far as I know..unlink others) charges an admin fee. This is what took us over so I threw out the suggestion "what if seller pays that?". She was on top of it... realizing I needed the number to shift a bit and she explained that sellers are already paying the agency a fee so won't want to pay another... BUT and here is where she was worth that fee... she (unlike the other agency where they "were just happy to present any offer we came up with" SHE suggested how we work up the offer. She was fairly certain she could convince the seller that since we "technically" won't own the contract until half the year is gone that we should split the 2013 dues. This brought us to where we needed to be.

Unlike with the other agency, where we offered in the morning and didnt hear back until the evening... She had a response within a few hours.

Seller accepted our offer!!!

Now we wait for the contract... send in our deposit and then wait for it to go through that ROFR process. Disney can take up to 30 days to decide if they want it..... so this is not going to happen over night. If Disney exercises their right of first refusal... then we are back at square one and looking.

I am prepared for that... but truly hope it doesn't happen. The price per point has only been going up... just in the time I have been looking. I swear when I was tentatively looking a contract at SSR had contracts for in the low $50pp. Now I am seeing $100pp.

So there you have it... my announcement

 

[MomToPrincePhillip]

Well congrats on making a decision and having a plan. My DH and I are like your guys, constantly going back and forth over weather or not to take the DVC plunge! So I know what a big move it is just to decide that it is right for you. We always say the same thing after each trip, "well that was great, but we won't be going back to WDW for a while" and sure enough we are right back there the very next year! We should have bought waaaaayyy back on our 1st trip there So I know you've still got a ways to go in this DVC journey but I'll be following along to see how it goes and to look for tips, who knows, your experience maybe what tips us over the DVC edge

 

[dizneeat]

Ann, I have had a lot of work on my hands, and just wasn't able to get back to you earlier (not that I would have been any help with a resale ) but all I wanted to tell you is ...........

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!​

on taking the plunge! You are going to love your DVC!

 

[annmarieda]

Well congrats on making a decision and having a plan. My DH and I are like your guys, constantly going back and forth over weather or not to take the DVC plunge! So I know what a big move it is just to decide that it is right for you. We always say the same thing after each trip, "well that was great, but we won't be going back to WDW for a while" and sure enough we are right back there the very next year! We should have bought waaaaayyy back on our 1st trip there So I know you've still got a ways to go in this DVC journey but I'll be following along to see how it goes and to look for tips, who knows, your experience maybe what tips us over the DVC edge

and with discounts being readily available... I just didn't see the value. Now though... with multiple trips in a year... with discounts being harder to come by... financially it made a bit of sense. Running the numbers... it wasn't so much that we will save money... but we will be able to stay in better accommodations (if that makes sense) I didn't compare what we would spend on a deluxe (cause we don't do that very often) and I didn't compare what we would spend on a value (cause that too is not as often) What I looked at was more of an average... in a moderate and with that even...it was maybe on the low end with what we may pay with a discount. Then it seemed a bit closer. Add in we can go to aulani or VB (both are non wdw places I really want to go) and it was a go for us... I just wish I knew this was going to be the case maybe even a couple months ago. I could have maybe saved a bit of money....

Ann, I have had a lot of work on my hands, and just wasn't able to get back to you earlier (not that I would have been any help with a resale ) but all I wanted to tell you is ...........

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!​

on taking the plunge! You are going to love your DVC!

Thanks, Karin!! I think meeting you and Tom..and seeing how "normal" you were and how happy you were with your DVC was on Steve's mind from the time we got back from our trip. I think you said something that stuck with him... and so it was easier to "sell him" on the idea. So you really did help!

 

[dizneeat]

Thanks, Karin!! I think meeting you and Tom..and seeing how "normal" you were and how happy you were with your DVC was on Steve's mind from the time we got back from our trip. I think you said something that stuck with him... and so it was easier to "sell him" on the idea. So you really did help!

Ann, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do and that you might consider staying at BLT next February!

 

[annmarieda]

Ann, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do and that you might consider staying at BLT next February!

I am not sure where we will stay. I have to laugh because I am already planning out point usage... so for February a lot depends on if Zach and Kimberly will be going. Will we bring Alex and Zoe? So is there a total of 2 of us or as many as 6 6 means more points for sure...

It is definitely fun to "dream" about where and how I may use the points... but the fact is we are so far from actually being DVC owners at this point it is very premature to be dreaming.

I just saw a post on the ROFR board with a similar contract..purchase..etc at OKW. Disney took it... I think there is a good chance Disney will take this one too. I hope not... cause it would be frustrating to have to start looking again. But I am going into this knowing full well that this may be a long...very long process. In fact... it is possible (assuming this one is snagged...and the next...etc)come february we may still not have a contract of our own. This definitely has me understanding why people go direct.

 

[eandesmom]

and with discounts being readily available... I just didn't see the value. Now though... with multiple trips in a year... with discounts being harder to come by... financially it made a bit of sense. Running the numbers... it wasn't so much that we will save money... but we will be able to stay in better accommodations (if that makes sense) I didn't compare what we would spend on a deluxe (cause we don't do that very often) and I didn't compare what we would spend on a value (cause that too is not as often) What I looked at was more of an average... in a moderate and with that even...it was maybe on the low end with what we may pay with a discount. Then it seemed a bit closer. Add in we can go to aulani or VB (both are non wdw places I really want to go) and it was a go for us... I just wish I knew this was going to be the case maybe even a couple months ago. I could have maybe saved a bit of money....

I think most folks that have bought eventually feel the same, that we wish it would have been sooner and we'd have saved more. We thought about it gosh, for 3 years and came SO close multiple times it wasn't even funny before we bit the bullet. It's a big decision and not for everyone, and not something to rush into that's for sure. Your comparison is solid I think.

I truly look at it as pre-paying for my vacations and much less about saving per-se, at least during the initial phase of owning. Once the investment is "paid off" in however many trips that takes, and you are in a dues only phase, then for us we really will save. But frankly for me, even it it is at best a "wash" with what I'd have been spending, having it prepaid, knowing I can stay how and where I want to...is priceless!

I am not sure where we will stay. I have to laugh because I am already planning out point usage... so for February a lot depends on if Zach and Kimberly will be going. Will we bring Alex and Zoe? So is there a total of 2 of us or as many as 6 6 means more points for sure...

It is definitely fun to "dream" about where and how I may use the points... but the fact is we are so far from actually being DVC owners at this point it is very premature to be dreaming.

I'm the worst, mocking up trips with my point app like a crazy person. It's fun though!

I just saw a post on the ROFR board with a similar contract..purchase..etc at OKW. Disney took it... I think there is a good chance Disney will take this one too. I hope not... cause it would be frustrating to have to start looking again. But I am going into this knowing full well that this may be a long...very long process. In fact... it is possible (assuming this one is snagged...and the next...etc)come february we may still not have a contract of our own. This definitely has me understanding why people go direct.

rats, I didn't see that but that doesn't mean it might not get through, they are consistently, inconsistent!

 

[annmarieda]

I think most folks that have bought eventually feel the same, that we wish it would have been sooner and we'd have saved more. We thought about it gosh, for 3 years and came SO close multiple times it wasn't even funny before we bit the bullet. It's a big decision and not for everyone, and not something to rush into that's for sure. Your comparison is solid I think.

I don't know... I think there were a couple vacations where we got such good discounts... that maybe it was the better thing for us at the time. I think then too...we were much more "commando style" than we even are now. We were not too unhappy staying at a value... and if you think you will never be in the resort and are happy with a value... then I suspect that DVC wouldn't be a great fit.

I truly look at it as pre-paying for my vacations and much less about saving per-se, at least during the initial phase of owning. Once the investment is "paid off" in however many trips that takes, and you are in a dues only phase, then for us we really will save. But frankly for me, even it it is at best a "wash" with what I'd have been spending, having it prepaid, knowing I can stay how and where I want to...is priceless!

I do like having prepaid items. That is one reason why I love the dp even though it may not be the value that it once was. (btw... will have to pick your brain about the dp and dvc too ) Even with paying dues each year... I can't imagine that they will go up in a crazy way. (although we did take a look at mf's at all the resorts going back to 1991 and there were a couple years it really jumped) So assuming it doesn't jump up too much in a year it is easier to plan. I almost feel like there is no rhyme or reason to the cost on disney vacations any more. Our 6 night trip in February cost almost as much as our 10 night trip (with 4 of us rather than 3) in the fall.

I'm the worst, mocking up trips with my point app like a crazy person. It's fun though!

I can see where it is! Just last night I was showing Steve a different room category at Aulani... and while we had though if/when we go...we would do a standard view studio. Yeah... no ... we will be saving some points up in order to spend on a better room. So it is fun to not only see where and when you will stay... but what kind of room you can get.

rats, I didn't see that but that doesn't mean it might not get through, they are consistently, inconsistent!

I know..right? But... we are at a higher price pp (only by a couple dollars.. but still) AND right now...without borrowing they would have had 380 points available to them. I have to wait till December to get points that are not borrowed and then... it is just the current year. (the one that didn't pass ROFR had all of 2012 and 2013) I am hoping that this fact that they would have had so many readily available points was the reason that Disney took it.