mello
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 26, 2005
- Messages
- 1,497
Cast of Characters:
Me: 41 year old mom of 3, teacher, cook, taxi, logistical coordinator, and compulsive planner.
DH: I call him Bear, 43 years old but doesnt look a day over 30, a drop dead gorgeous guy (maybe Ill post a picture later to prove it), grouchy-when-hes working but super-fun-on-vacation, great dad, loving hubby, and all around good guy.
Stat Man: DS 12, quiet, intelligent, observant guy, who can tell you such useful things as what, exactly, Obiwan said to Anakin in scene 7 of episode two, or which team won the Stanley Cup in 1956, or which Disney movie has the most songs in it.
Wild Thing: DS 10, athletic, inquisitive, loving guy who just wants to have fun. Kinda like his dad.
The Princess: What else can you call a 3yo, long-awaited by the whole family, girl, who has daddy and her two big brothers completely at her command?
The Peanut Gallery: The folks who caused this trip and then scoffed at us for taking it
Part 1, Pre-Trip:
Youre doing WHAT?!?
Were going to Florida.
Youre flying to Florida, for only 4 days. (We live in Washington State, and with fuel costs being what they are, its a cardinal sin to fly somewhere as far away as Florida for ONLY 4 DAYS. We know this. And up until now, weve never committed this particular sin. But we know that our fellow Dis-ers and DVC-ers will surely understand our reasoning, even if nobody else in the world does.)
And youre going to Disney World?
Yup
Without your kids?!?! (Two sins in one trip)
Yup
Youre nuts! And then the head shaking and eye rolling would commence. This was the gist of every conversation we had with every friend, family member, co-worker, and acquaintance who chanced to learn of our crazy little scheme.
It all started when the extended family decided to postpone The Big Trip - a 14 day WDW extravaganza for 15, requiring three years worth of points -moving it from 2007 to 2008. My brother & his wife have a Vacation Intl. Timeshare, and when we bought DVC, we all decided to take our parents and our sisters family to our respective homes away from home for a little family bonding at the World. But with four families schedules to work around, we wound up settling on a later date, and we ended up with our already-banked 2005 points just sitting there needing to be used. Not the worst problem weve ever had.
Since our 20th anniversary was coming up in June, and since weve been under more than the usual amount of stress in the last few months, Bear and I decided we needed a little romantic getaway from it all. You know, sleeping in late, laying on the beach, taking moonlit strolls hand in hand, getting to have a whole dinner with nobody hollering, He looked at me! and Mom, mom, guess what Spongebob said to Squidward when he dropped the crabby patty?! and Mommy, I have to go potty!, no phone calls from the peanut gallery interrupting our peaceful evening meal to tell us they bought a timeshare at a condo in Idaho and hope well join them there every May (nothing against Idaho, its very nice and all, but it just isnt Disney or Hawaii or Mexico).
The trouble was, it was April when we decided this, and we were recovering from a 14 day WDW vacation in September, our DVC purchase, a flooded basement, the need to purchase some new appliances, Statmans many camping trips, and Wildthings long, expensive hockey season. So, though we would have liked to go to Hawaii for a week, or Mexico, or anywhere with a beach at all, after checking airfare to Hawaii and Mexico, we were forced to rule that fine idea out. This really needed to be a shoestring trip, and $800 airline tickets just dont fit in the shoestring category.
We thought of trading into the concierge collection for a couple days at the Del Coronado in San Diego (we can usually get good airfare rates to California, and we could use our $50 companion fare in the continental US. I was on the verge of booking that, when my dear dh started looking through the Disney Collection
We could stay at the Grand Californian for less than the Del.
Yes, but we cant go to Disneyland without the kids
Yeah thats true. Hmmmm . How about Vero Beach?
Vero Beach? Thats in Florida.
Yup
We cant fly clear to Florida for just a couple days.
We can stay longer if we stay in a DVC resort. In fact, we can stay longer, AND have points left over to rent out, which will pay for our airfare!
Hmmmm Free room, free airfare... Now were talkin shoestrings!
So the next morning I put half our points up for rent and called Member Services; they had 2 of our nights available at Vero Beach and we were waitlisted for the other 2. Not bad for less than two months notice. But the whole waitlist thing was making Bear very nervous. He didnt want to book airline tickets until we knew for sure we had somewhere to stay, so to make him feel better I booked those first two nights at Saratoga Springs. That way we could check out our home resort before The Big Trip. He liked that idea. Now this was looking suspiciously like going to WDW without the kids. So we agreed: no theme parks; were just going to check out SSR and maybe some of the other DVC resorts.
Now the trouble was that we had to tell the kids we were going to Florida without them. Not just to Florida, but to Disney World. But were not going on any rides. Were not going in any of the parks. Were just going to lay around the pool. Itll be boring. Really. Wildman jumped on his dad and they had a little mock wrestling match for awhile, and Statman carefully mulled things over. Well . It is an important anniversary, he mused. I suppose, if you promise not to go to Epcot Wildman then got on board, And if you promise not to go on any rides!, he proclaimed, I guess well let you. Ha Ha! As if they could have stopped us!
The following day Bear came home from work and said, You know, I dont really want to do a lot of driving on our vacation. Why dont we see if we can do the whole thing at SSR, and just stay put? I was a bit hesitant to give up my relaxing beach vacation, but I could see his point, and besides, SSR has a real, honest to goodness spa! So the bargain was, we give up VB and get a Swedish massage. So, were just checking out SSR, some other DVC resorts, and getting a massage. MS was able to accommodate our request for two more nights at SSR. Renting half our points out took a little time and work, so we still waited on booking the airfare.
A couple days later, he came home from work again, and said, You know, I could take an extra day off so we wouldnt be flying on our actual anniversary. Sounded good to me, so I called MS again the next morning, and they were fresh out of studios at SSR. Yes, they were. Really! I know its impossible to believe, but they had no studios at SSR for that date. But I was in luck, they had one at BWV. Well, this would further our goal of checking out the other DVC resorts, and without the kids it wouldnt be any problem at all to resort switch, so I took it.
Now everything was coming together. We got our point rental all squared away, and our air all booked, and we promised the kids we would definitely not go in any of the parks without them. However, with that extra night, we could probably fit in dinner at Ohana to see Wishes, and then go check out the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island. Okay, so were checking out SSR, BWV, the other DVC resorts, Ohana, Wishes, PI, and getting a massage. Maybe we should get the dining plan? Well be so close to Epcot, we could just go in there for some nice dinners, no rides Hmm Lets think on that.
So a few days later Bear was doing a little research at the DVC website, and they had that survey about which nighttime show is your favorite. The Princess was sitting on his lap, and she says, in her little sing-a-song voice, Daddy, I like Wishes. Awwwwwwwww. Melt my heart that literally brought tears to my eyes. DH and I looked at each other; his eyes looked suspiciously sparkly too, and we had one of those silent conversations, you know how you can talk just with facial expressions and your eyebrows, How can we do this without the kids?
I dont know But its our Anniversary, for goodness sake! No, we are not going that far.
Ah, but we can promise them special little presents, designed especially to assuage our guilt.
Honey, would you like Daddy to bring you something special back from our trip? Maybe a Pal Mickey? Or a Princess Dress? Daddy cooed. She solemnly nodded. A Pal Mickey and a Princess Dress. What the heck is he thinking? This is a trip on a shoestring! The boys heard this exchange, and were not about to miss the opportunity to get their own very special gifts.
Oh Dad, we are SO going to miss you! Will you bring us one of every Lego from the Lego store, and two Indiana Jones pistols, and a Star Wars rifle, and maybe some Mr. Potato Head pieces for good measure?
How about a trading pin? I suggested.
Oh yeah, that too!
No, I meant thats it. A trading pin. This is a cheap trip.
Well surprise you with one thing each. Why dont you each make me a list of ideas, said DH.
Now my eyebrows were quietly, hopefully discreetly yet fiercely warning him, Youd better stick to that. And it better not be one really expensive thing each. But I know better. My dear dh is an unusual man; he actually likes to shop. One could even say he loves to shop, and Im now very afraid.
It didnt take long before he came home from work one evening and asked me, Did you call and book the dining plan yet?
Oh, had we decided to do that? I was only mildly surprised.
Might as well. That way we can just relax and enjoy ordering whatever. Oh, and maybe youd better get an ADR for Tea at the GF while youre at it.
Thats not on the dining plan (I told you hes an unusual man. He not only likes to shop, he likes to have high tea).
Thats okay, lets do it anyway. (Have I mentioned how very happy I am to be sharing my 20th anniversary celebration with this particular guy? He is, hands down, the best vacation guy Ive ever known.
Okay, time for a little reality check: now were checking out SSR, BWV, the other DVC resorts, Ohana, Wishes, PI, getting a massage, shopping for gifts for the kids, doing the dining plan, and having tea at the Grand Floridian. Well still have time to sleep in late and take moonlit strolls, wont we?
Of course we will.
Now youll never believe what came next. Or maybe you will. Within a few days, he came home from work one evening and announced, You know, we could go to Vero Beach for a few days after The Big Trip in 2008, and take the kids to Disneyland in 2007, if we do that little add-on weve talked about. (Does the man get any actual work done at work, or does he just think about Disney all day?!? But bless his heart, he knows I wanted to go to the beach, and he feels so bad about not taking the kids on this trip. How can I refuse?)
Hmm . And stay at the Grand Californian? My wheels are turning
That or the Disneyland Hotel. The kids would love that.
Yeah, youre right. I think we need to take the kids to Disneyland, since we get to go to Disney World.
Its only fair. Why dont you call MS tomorrow and see if theyve got any BCV points available. (We had already decided that when/if we added on it would be at BCV because we love Epcot so much). So the next morning I made my daily call to MS, and got us on the BCV add-on waiting list.
A couple weeks later at dinner I casually mentioned, Our guide called, and weve made it to the top of the waiting list, but theres a problem. We cant buy BCV points here in our state. I told her were coming down in a few weeks, so she said we can close then. But Im wondering if maybe we shouldnt get more points, since we can only get them when were down there?
Oh yeah, good idea. Lets add 30 more points then.
Okay, sounds good.
So we called and secured a few more points, and added an appointment with our guide to close, and timed it so we could also go to the member update.
So now our 2 days of sleeping in and laying on the beach had turned into a weeklong Walt Disney World Extravaganza, complete with 4 nights at SSR, 1 night at BWV, checking out the other DVC resorts, Ohana, Wishes, Pleasure Island, getting a massage, shopping for gifts for the kids, having tea at the Grand Floridian, doing the dining plan with a few more ADRs just in case, buying more points, closing on said points, and catching the member update. Not to mention a trip to Disneyland next year, and a couple extra days at Vero after The Big Trip. At this point, there are no plans to actually go into a park. You know, I think I actually agree with all those incredulous folks in the peanut gallery; we are crazy.
Were leaving in five days. Wonder if well actually have time to sleep in and take that moonlit stroll? Ill let you know when we return, if anyone is actually curious about that.
Perhaps Id better call and arrange something special for our anniversary - maybe have a nice little cake or some balloons delivered Better put that on the to-do list.
Perhaps I should have entitled this: A Compulsive Planners Relaxing Getaway. Or maybe: So Much for the Romance and the Shoestring.
Me: 41 year old mom of 3, teacher, cook, taxi, logistical coordinator, and compulsive planner.
DH: I call him Bear, 43 years old but doesnt look a day over 30, a drop dead gorgeous guy (maybe Ill post a picture later to prove it), grouchy-when-hes working but super-fun-on-vacation, great dad, loving hubby, and all around good guy.
Stat Man: DS 12, quiet, intelligent, observant guy, who can tell you such useful things as what, exactly, Obiwan said to Anakin in scene 7 of episode two, or which team won the Stanley Cup in 1956, or which Disney movie has the most songs in it.
Wild Thing: DS 10, athletic, inquisitive, loving guy who just wants to have fun. Kinda like his dad.
The Princess: What else can you call a 3yo, long-awaited by the whole family, girl, who has daddy and her two big brothers completely at her command?
The Peanut Gallery: The folks who caused this trip and then scoffed at us for taking it
Part 1, Pre-Trip:
Youre doing WHAT?!?
Were going to Florida.
Youre flying to Florida, for only 4 days. (We live in Washington State, and with fuel costs being what they are, its a cardinal sin to fly somewhere as far away as Florida for ONLY 4 DAYS. We know this. And up until now, weve never committed this particular sin. But we know that our fellow Dis-ers and DVC-ers will surely understand our reasoning, even if nobody else in the world does.)
And youre going to Disney World?
Yup
Without your kids?!?! (Two sins in one trip)
Yup
Youre nuts! And then the head shaking and eye rolling would commence. This was the gist of every conversation we had with every friend, family member, co-worker, and acquaintance who chanced to learn of our crazy little scheme.
It all started when the extended family decided to postpone The Big Trip - a 14 day WDW extravaganza for 15, requiring three years worth of points -moving it from 2007 to 2008. My brother & his wife have a Vacation Intl. Timeshare, and when we bought DVC, we all decided to take our parents and our sisters family to our respective homes away from home for a little family bonding at the World. But with four families schedules to work around, we wound up settling on a later date, and we ended up with our already-banked 2005 points just sitting there needing to be used. Not the worst problem weve ever had.
Since our 20th anniversary was coming up in June, and since weve been under more than the usual amount of stress in the last few months, Bear and I decided we needed a little romantic getaway from it all. You know, sleeping in late, laying on the beach, taking moonlit strolls hand in hand, getting to have a whole dinner with nobody hollering, He looked at me! and Mom, mom, guess what Spongebob said to Squidward when he dropped the crabby patty?! and Mommy, I have to go potty!, no phone calls from the peanut gallery interrupting our peaceful evening meal to tell us they bought a timeshare at a condo in Idaho and hope well join them there every May (nothing against Idaho, its very nice and all, but it just isnt Disney or Hawaii or Mexico).
The trouble was, it was April when we decided this, and we were recovering from a 14 day WDW vacation in September, our DVC purchase, a flooded basement, the need to purchase some new appliances, Statmans many camping trips, and Wildthings long, expensive hockey season. So, though we would have liked to go to Hawaii for a week, or Mexico, or anywhere with a beach at all, after checking airfare to Hawaii and Mexico, we were forced to rule that fine idea out. This really needed to be a shoestring trip, and $800 airline tickets just dont fit in the shoestring category.
We thought of trading into the concierge collection for a couple days at the Del Coronado in San Diego (we can usually get good airfare rates to California, and we could use our $50 companion fare in the continental US. I was on the verge of booking that, when my dear dh started looking through the Disney Collection
We could stay at the Grand Californian for less than the Del.
Yes, but we cant go to Disneyland without the kids
Yeah thats true. Hmmmm . How about Vero Beach?
Vero Beach? Thats in Florida.
Yup
We cant fly clear to Florida for just a couple days.
We can stay longer if we stay in a DVC resort. In fact, we can stay longer, AND have points left over to rent out, which will pay for our airfare!
Hmmmm Free room, free airfare... Now were talkin shoestrings!
So the next morning I put half our points up for rent and called Member Services; they had 2 of our nights available at Vero Beach and we were waitlisted for the other 2. Not bad for less than two months notice. But the whole waitlist thing was making Bear very nervous. He didnt want to book airline tickets until we knew for sure we had somewhere to stay, so to make him feel better I booked those first two nights at Saratoga Springs. That way we could check out our home resort before The Big Trip. He liked that idea. Now this was looking suspiciously like going to WDW without the kids. So we agreed: no theme parks; were just going to check out SSR and maybe some of the other DVC resorts.
Now the trouble was that we had to tell the kids we were going to Florida without them. Not just to Florida, but to Disney World. But were not going on any rides. Were not going in any of the parks. Were just going to lay around the pool. Itll be boring. Really. Wildman jumped on his dad and they had a little mock wrestling match for awhile, and Statman carefully mulled things over. Well . It is an important anniversary, he mused. I suppose, if you promise not to go to Epcot Wildman then got on board, And if you promise not to go on any rides!, he proclaimed, I guess well let you. Ha Ha! As if they could have stopped us!
The following day Bear came home from work and said, You know, I dont really want to do a lot of driving on our vacation. Why dont we see if we can do the whole thing at SSR, and just stay put? I was a bit hesitant to give up my relaxing beach vacation, but I could see his point, and besides, SSR has a real, honest to goodness spa! So the bargain was, we give up VB and get a Swedish massage. So, were just checking out SSR, some other DVC resorts, and getting a massage. MS was able to accommodate our request for two more nights at SSR. Renting half our points out took a little time and work, so we still waited on booking the airfare.
A couple days later, he came home from work again, and said, You know, I could take an extra day off so we wouldnt be flying on our actual anniversary. Sounded good to me, so I called MS again the next morning, and they were fresh out of studios at SSR. Yes, they were. Really! I know its impossible to believe, but they had no studios at SSR for that date. But I was in luck, they had one at BWV. Well, this would further our goal of checking out the other DVC resorts, and without the kids it wouldnt be any problem at all to resort switch, so I took it.
Now everything was coming together. We got our point rental all squared away, and our air all booked, and we promised the kids we would definitely not go in any of the parks without them. However, with that extra night, we could probably fit in dinner at Ohana to see Wishes, and then go check out the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island. Okay, so were checking out SSR, BWV, the other DVC resorts, Ohana, Wishes, PI, and getting a massage. Maybe we should get the dining plan? Well be so close to Epcot, we could just go in there for some nice dinners, no rides Hmm Lets think on that.
So a few days later Bear was doing a little research at the DVC website, and they had that survey about which nighttime show is your favorite. The Princess was sitting on his lap, and she says, in her little sing-a-song voice, Daddy, I like Wishes. Awwwwwwwww. Melt my heart that literally brought tears to my eyes. DH and I looked at each other; his eyes looked suspiciously sparkly too, and we had one of those silent conversations, you know how you can talk just with facial expressions and your eyebrows, How can we do this without the kids?
I dont know But its our Anniversary, for goodness sake! No, we are not going that far.
Ah, but we can promise them special little presents, designed especially to assuage our guilt.
Honey, would you like Daddy to bring you something special back from our trip? Maybe a Pal Mickey? Or a Princess Dress? Daddy cooed. She solemnly nodded. A Pal Mickey and a Princess Dress. What the heck is he thinking? This is a trip on a shoestring! The boys heard this exchange, and were not about to miss the opportunity to get their own very special gifts.
Oh Dad, we are SO going to miss you! Will you bring us one of every Lego from the Lego store, and two Indiana Jones pistols, and a Star Wars rifle, and maybe some Mr. Potato Head pieces for good measure?
How about a trading pin? I suggested.
Oh yeah, that too!
No, I meant thats it. A trading pin. This is a cheap trip.
Well surprise you with one thing each. Why dont you each make me a list of ideas, said DH.
Now my eyebrows were quietly, hopefully discreetly yet fiercely warning him, Youd better stick to that. And it better not be one really expensive thing each. But I know better. My dear dh is an unusual man; he actually likes to shop. One could even say he loves to shop, and Im now very afraid.
It didnt take long before he came home from work one evening and asked me, Did you call and book the dining plan yet?
Oh, had we decided to do that? I was only mildly surprised.
Might as well. That way we can just relax and enjoy ordering whatever. Oh, and maybe youd better get an ADR for Tea at the GF while youre at it.
Thats not on the dining plan (I told you hes an unusual man. He not only likes to shop, he likes to have high tea).
Thats okay, lets do it anyway. (Have I mentioned how very happy I am to be sharing my 20th anniversary celebration with this particular guy? He is, hands down, the best vacation guy Ive ever known.
Okay, time for a little reality check: now were checking out SSR, BWV, the other DVC resorts, Ohana, Wishes, PI, getting a massage, shopping for gifts for the kids, doing the dining plan, and having tea at the Grand Floridian. Well still have time to sleep in late and take moonlit strolls, wont we?
Of course we will.
Now youll never believe what came next. Or maybe you will. Within a few days, he came home from work one evening and announced, You know, we could go to Vero Beach for a few days after The Big Trip in 2008, and take the kids to Disneyland in 2007, if we do that little add-on weve talked about. (Does the man get any actual work done at work, or does he just think about Disney all day?!? But bless his heart, he knows I wanted to go to the beach, and he feels so bad about not taking the kids on this trip. How can I refuse?)
Hmm . And stay at the Grand Californian? My wheels are turning
That or the Disneyland Hotel. The kids would love that.
Yeah, youre right. I think we need to take the kids to Disneyland, since we get to go to Disney World.
Its only fair. Why dont you call MS tomorrow and see if theyve got any BCV points available. (We had already decided that when/if we added on it would be at BCV because we love Epcot so much). So the next morning I made my daily call to MS, and got us on the BCV add-on waiting list.
A couple weeks later at dinner I casually mentioned, Our guide called, and weve made it to the top of the waiting list, but theres a problem. We cant buy BCV points here in our state. I told her were coming down in a few weeks, so she said we can close then. But Im wondering if maybe we shouldnt get more points, since we can only get them when were down there?
Oh yeah, good idea. Lets add 30 more points then.
Okay, sounds good.
So we called and secured a few more points, and added an appointment with our guide to close, and timed it so we could also go to the member update.
So now our 2 days of sleeping in and laying on the beach had turned into a weeklong Walt Disney World Extravaganza, complete with 4 nights at SSR, 1 night at BWV, checking out the other DVC resorts, Ohana, Wishes, Pleasure Island, getting a massage, shopping for gifts for the kids, having tea at the Grand Floridian, doing the dining plan with a few more ADRs just in case, buying more points, closing on said points, and catching the member update. Not to mention a trip to Disneyland next year, and a couple extra days at Vero after The Big Trip. At this point, there are no plans to actually go into a park. You know, I think I actually agree with all those incredulous folks in the peanut gallery; we are crazy.
Were leaving in five days. Wonder if well actually have time to sleep in and take that moonlit stroll? Ill let you know when we return, if anyone is actually curious about that.
Perhaps Id better call and arrange something special for our anniversary - maybe have a nice little cake or some balloons delivered Better put that on the to-do list.
Perhaps I should have entitled this: A Compulsive Planners Relaxing Getaway. Or maybe: So Much for the Romance and the Shoestring.
