OMG I LOVE MY DVC!!!! Last minute June trip!!

[crazybones27]

Seriously I LOVE my DVC!!!!! We just returned last Tuesday and for some reason the pull to go back for us this time around was just soooooo great! I'm not sure why, but it was almost unbearable! There's always a little bit of end of vacation depression, but this time is was just so overwhelming!

My husband almost couldn't get over it! Well... the new annual pass discounts came out or at least I got an email about them lol. I checked to see what we could get for a Value for a week in June. Not being serious at all in my looking I mentioned it to my husband who said OMG we can do that! Book it!! Now me being the person I am now was like, but it's not our DVC. We'd have to pay for a fridge for the week since we'd bring our own juice for the kids and milk, need that for them at night!! And come on it's not a DVC lol.

You're probably asking why I just wasn't looking at points. Well... I initially didn't want to borrow from next year since I had to do that with our vacation coming in Nov/Dec. Well... my wheels have been turning for a few days now.
Again the hubby just couldn't let going in June go for some reason. He REALLY REALLY wanted to go back!!

So today I looked again at the numbers. I was like if we go no matter what we're going to have to drive both ways! We've been taking the Auto train home so we get some rest. SOOOO just because I like looking around I found out that in June kids ride the Auto Train for $19 with a paying adult. Hmmmmm wheels turning... We have enough rail points racked up to get our car and my ticket free!! Our son is an infant which makes him FREE!! So that means to come home with 2 seperate rooms(family bedroom all booked), DH's ticket, DD ticket, car is free, I'm free, comes out too $365. This is can't be right... NO WAY.... in our last two trips we paid more then that. Then again we weren't getting the car and a ticket for free lol.

Now on to where to stay! So again back to looking at Pop Century for prices. Maybe we can do half the week there and borrow points for the rest of the week. AKV our home resort is big so they should have room. Yes I'm laughing at myself as you are laughing at me. Please know that I didn't expect them to have any room anywhere! So I called just looking at availabity. Well.. AKV nothing, BLT nothing(not a shocker), BWV nothing, etc. They only had SSR studio for 5 of the nights, SSR 1bdrm all 6 nights, and OKW all 6 nights. Hmmmm what do I do. Well... I called the DH and told him the point values, how much Pop would be for 3 days and how much points would be. And he in his infinite wisdom said.... "why don't we buy 20 points" and borrow the rest so we can stay the whole week in DVC instead of Pop. I had called back MS while on the phone with him and found out there was a 1bdrm Standard room at AKV at the end of the trip. So... with buying the 20 one time points we got a Studio at SSR for the first 4 nights of our trip and the AKV 1bdrm for the last 2 nights. By purchasing the points we did we wound up only borrowing the amount of points we would have needed for the 1bdrm SSR for the last 3 nights of our trip AND WE PAID LESS for the points then we would have staying at POP!!!

Sooooooooo we now only have 38 days left to our next trip home and I'm in utter shock!!!! My DH who is driving home right now is sooooooooo happy it's so funny! I mean I've heard him happy before but this is amazing how happy he is!!

I love my DVC!! I truely truely do! I know buying one time points isn't for everyone, but honestly this time around for us it was such a big help and I couldn't be any more thankful for this option.

TO ANYONE WHO READ THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THANK YOU!! Sorry it was so long I'm a long winded person LOL. I hope it all made sense too lol.

 

[com_op_2000]

Congrats
Have a great trip!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Good for you!

 

[adminjedi]

Enjoy!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Sounds like we'll be there about the same time, June 6 through Jun 10th! Early June is the best time to go to Disney, the heat is setting in but it's much more tolerable than Jul-Spe, and northern schools let out later so it's less crowded!

Enjoy!

P.S. I borrow from next year all the time, I'm enjoying DVC while my kids are young!

 

[crazybones27]

Sounds like we'll be there about the same time, June 6 through Jun 10th! Early June is the best time to go to Disney, the heat is setting in but it's much more tolerable than Jul-Spe, and northern schools let out later so it's less crowded!

Enjoy!

P.S. I borrow from next year all the time, I'm enjoying DVC while my kids are young!

We'll definitely be there at the sametime! We're going from June 5-11. I know what you mean enjoying it while they're young! My kids are only 3 and 19 months lol. They've both been to Disney now 4 and 3 times lol. I looooove doing Disney through their eyes and direction! It's wonderful!!

 

[HayGan]

I know that post-Disney trip depression all too well (and have several quick trips under my belt to show for it!)

Glad everything worked out so well for you! Funny how DVC has such an impact on travel plans!

See you at Kidani as we will be there at the same time as well

 

[pklein09]

I'm impressed you only added on 20 points....my smallest add on contract was 40!!! Enjoy!

 

[crazybones27]

I'm impressed you only added on 20 points....my smallest add on contract was 40!!! Enjoy!

I wish we could have added on a new contract. We bought 20 one time use points for this trip lol.

 

[pklein09]

I wish we could have added on a new contract. We bought 20 one time use points for this trip lol.

Oh, cool! I didn't know you could do that...we've always stayed in our allotted number. That might be dangerous information for me

 

[crazybones27]

Oh, cool! I didn't know you could do that...we've always stayed in our allotted number. That might be dangerous information for me

LOL!! I'm hoping this will be the only time we have to do this cause if we do it again I'm just adding on !

 

[jstarcze]

There's only one thing to say....WOOHOO

 

[melanie18]

Congratulations! Isn't it great when things all work out? It's meant to be!

I have Auto Train questions for you. We are going to WDW in August and since airfare prices are ridiculous, we were planning on driving...until I thought about the Auto Train. I'm not sure I could last on a train for 18+ hours. Do you usually book rooms or tough it out in just the reserved seats. My luck I'd get some annoying coughing hacking person sitting next to us, lol.

Tell me all about the Auto Train from start to finish!

 

[Tinks "SS"]

congrats on the trip!!! I love the one time use points. i have used it twice so far. it is very convenient to keep from borrowing so much. I will be down there around that same time. We are checking in on june 5th and out on the 9th and head over to St. Augustine for a day or two. We will be at OKW. Have fun and congrats on the countdown starting again so soon.

 

[crazybones27]

Congratulations! Isn't it great when things all work out? It's meant to be!

I have Auto Train questions for you. We are going to WDW in August and since airfare prices are ridiculous, we were planning on driving...until I thought about the Auto Train. I'm not sure I could last on a train for 18+ hours. Do you usually book rooms or tough it out in just the reserved seats. My luck I'd get some annoying coughing hacking person sitting next to us, lol.

Tell me all about the Auto Train from start to finish!

We really enjoy it! This will be our 3rd trip using it coming home from Florida. The train runs from Lorton, VA to Sanford, Fl. Our first trip was unplanned in September 2010. My DH wound up catching a pretty nasty cold while we were in Disney at the end of our trip. There was no way I was going to be able to drive 18+hrs home with 2 kids and a sick husband so I quickly remembered the train and thankfully it picked up only 45 mins away from Orlando!

As I said it runs from Lorton, VA to Sanford, Fl. You have to be in line with your car no later then 3pm in order to get the car boarded. The train usually leaves pretty much on time around 4pm. Our first trip it left early because all the passangers were boarded. It is due to arrive at it's destination around 9:30am the next day, but the 2 trips we took we got in at about 8:15am. It all depends on the conductor I guess.

Usually they allow you to board the train around 2:30 or 3 depending on if they're ready. For people who purchase rooms to stay in they get a complimentary cheese and wine service upon boarding, as well as dinner in the dining car, and small breakfast the next morning.

We always get a room since we have small children and I know there is no way my children are going to stay still in regular seats even with toys and what not. We always get a family bedroom which works out well. This time around in June I got two regular roomettes which only sleep two people. The family bedroom was just to expensive for this trip. There are some rooms that sleep 2 people that also have a bathroom and sink which I would like to do, but space is limited especially with kids. For the rooms without bathrooms there is always 3 I believe right down the hall. Since only staying in a family bedroom we have always been on the lower level of the train. Our last trip for some reason the train seemed to be rocking more then usual and being on the lower level was actually better.

We like taking the train from Florida to Virginia because at the end of our trip we usually tired from walking around and this gives us a day to unwind on the train(as much as you can with kids), rest overnight and get up refreshed for our 4hr drive home. The kids seem to enjoy the train! One thing I did notice on our last trip though was some people in the roomettes that we booked on our upcoming trip actually left their doors cracked open a little overnight. I think this is due to the face that it's very confined in their room once the beds are down. I know our family bedroom got very warm with 4 people occupying it even with the kids being small!

All in all we enjoy the train. You meet so many nice people when you're traveling! As for price... I'm not sure how much you're saving after purchasing a room, ticket, and car ticket in comparison to flying. We do it because we love having our car with us while at the World. We like to drive to the parks and such and this way we can buy all the things we want and pack up the car and just load it on the train! No extra baggage fees!!

I hope this helped a little !! If you have more questions please feel free to ask!!

 

[Mom B]

Love it when a plan just all comes together...seems it was meant to be! Enjoy!

 

[minster22]

All DVC trips are special to me but I also share your extra excitement about having a last minute trip work out so beautifully!! Absolutely meant to be!!Have a fabulous time!

 

[Candy Orlando]

I love my DVC too! We go for a week in Dec., Jan. and May.
It's never enough! Have Fun!

 

[TheSchultzFamily]

Deleted

 

[crazybones27]

I'm just still in shock it all worked out!!!