Share a WDW moment: It’s a Star Wars Weekend! It's today - BUH-BYE!!!!

[SimmerBaggins]

We are going to WDW this summer, 4-12 June!!! So excited!!

Here are the players: me (Vickie): 41, works for the government and loves Disney (the main reason we’re going twice in 2 years is because my BFF lives in Florida and has season passes); DH (Robert): 60, and owns his own business, so he can drop everything in a moment and go; DD (Jordan): 13 (or will be in Feb), who is excited that she’s taking along a friend for the first time; and DD’s friend (Natalie):13, who’s never been to WDW and is ready to go!

We went as a family last July (minus the friend and with our 1st grader DGD, Emily), and our thread was tied with my BFF’s (Melissa) thread – it was a dual posting thread that we really enjoyed, because while we might have talked about the same day, we saw different things and took different pictures. It was great…although, because her camera was REALLY good, it also showed me up a little. But that’s okay. I’ll get better at taking pictures for this trip, now that I know how to blog with them.

We’ve been to WDW several times – I believe this will be our 5th time. The first time was when our DD was in kindergarten. But on our 3rd trip, we bought into DVC, at Animal Kingdom Villas, and last year was the first time we’ve stayed there. It was magnificent – but you’d find all that out if you read our other TR -- how wonderfully we were treated! (maybe I should have a link? eh...)

I’m the kind of person who likes to share her blessings, too. When we had money (before the economy crashed), we bought family members a lawn mower, cars (4, actually!), lawyers, bills paid, you name it…but our fortune changed, and God thought we might need to curb our own appetites. I lost my job. My husband’s business never took off, and his money from another source dried up. We moved and tried to sell our house, but it didn’t sell (we’re renting it out). Things began to look very serious, indeed, the last couple of years. Our savings and IRAs are gone. Our “new” house began to fall apart, starting with the roof, continuing with the air conditioners and the structure. The IRS began closing in on us, from the year of feast before the famine. Well, we didn’t act like Joseph prior to the famine (not having had that prophetic dream).

So, why are we going to WDW after having all those woes?



Stay tuned for more...and thanks for reading.

 

[jmskinner]

Hi here! I'm the friend that lives in Florida, but only for one more year so Vickie needs to make as many trips out here as possible.

I'm so excited she has started her PTR!

And if you would like to read that other TR we made together, there is a link in my sig. It is the DSD Came to Visit and didn't stay for WDW. There is a lot on Busch Gardens and Universal, but there are links to get you to the WDW which is where our families met up.

Ok, can't wait for your next update Vickie. Need to her your plan, been trying not to discuss it until this was started.

 

[SimmerBaggins]

You know, Melissa, I look at your little counter and it makes me sad -- "our one night" at Kadani -- too bad it couldn't be more! But it is going to be great, now that we are coming in on Friday to spend the whole SATURDAY with you guys...!

Jordan has already asked me, "Do we have to do the Jedi training?"

The teenager is coming out!

Will write on this tomorrow...thanks for the encouragement! ((hugs))

Vickie

 

[ScotsMinnie]

I'm in! Loved the last joint report so definitely in for this one!!!! Cant wait for more!

 

[SimmerBaggins]

I'm in! Loved the last joint report so definitely in for this one!!!! Cant wait for more!

Yay!! Thank you! This thread will be informative for Melissa as well as a blog for what we are doing...I may also ask for for advice!

Our trip deciding mostly began when we took stock of our DVC points and tried to figure out how we would use them -- would we bank them (and then they are unrecoverable for the current year), or use them? Since Melissa and I were blogging on our TR that we just completed (see jmskinner's above post for reference), we were still stoked to go again.

Our finances had leveled, and we KNEW we'd do SOMETHING vacation-wise, but what? Since we were already pretty much paying every month for a WDW vacation, it made sense to go with what we had to pay for, anyway. With that in mind -- should we try to do a Land and Sea?

I was engaged...! I pulled out all the DVC points and began researching -- to discover that, as many of you DVC'ers already know, a cruise on DVC points is nearly crazy!! You can do a cruise, ostensibly, if you have so many banked and current points that you could use them all and it wouldn't really matter what the true cost of what you've just done is...but if you're on a budget, it is not a good deal.

And let me just say, we are hard-core cruisers. We love it. And got started on the Disney Wonder on a Land & Sea. If you can fork over the cash and have never done one, do it soon. Before the world ends. You know...2012?

Seriously, Disney will spoil you for cruising. It's not Disney, but here's DD and I:

But, I digress.

We decided we would go back to AKV...our home resort. This TIME, we pledged, we will get MORE concierge time!! And THIS time, my DD stated, I will get to take a friend!

I had been promising Jordan she could bring someone on a vacation with us; last time, we took our DGD, Emily, who was (unfortunately) more of an annoyance like a little sister than anything to her. Jordan has in the past gotten along pretty well with Jacob, Melissa's son -- but since Emily came along, she tended to be alongside Jacob instead. So Jordan just accepted it. It was time.

I granted her permission to choose someone to bring. This, I soon realized, was not the greatest plan. The greatest plan I've ever heard is clearly outlined in the Unofficial Guide to WDW with Kids, 2010.

And, I'll share it with you, next post!!

Vickie

 

[SimmerBaggins]

Well, naturally, my DD wanted to take her best friend. They have been friends since 3rd grade! My DD is mostly reserved, in mixed company, but when the two of them get together -- look out!! A little bit of craziness, laughter, clothes, phone texting to others w/giggles, and now -- boys.

Jordan is pretty level-headed but influenced, and her friend is very out-going and very "cutting edge" for a young teenager, so I knew if this friend went with us, I would have my hands full keeping them in check. They would want to "R-U-N-N-O-F-T"! This is a new concern for me, of course. In dealing with an only child, we've never really had her go away from us at any time when we are on vacation, unless we're on a cruise ship and she goes to the kid's activities.

So, I wanted to get with her parents and come up with an agreed-to plan for Rules Of Engagement -- or, basically: they go nowhere on their own unless it's on resort property. Her parents said they would think about her going; they are great Christian folks, and we knew they were giving it serious thought...so we waited.

In the meantime, I'm anxious to book...I'm anxious to book...I'm anxious to book. Remember? We want concierge time...we loved our one day, before! I knew the sooner we booked, the better our chances for getting AKV concierge.

I had considered booking for Bay Lake Towers, I have to admit. But, as I began reading what people wrote about the quality of the furniture and some other things, my interest waned...we had seen the place RIGHT BEFORE they opened the doors for the CMs to spend the first nights there, so it was brand-spanking new (see pics of the place in our former TR). I had been excited...but now I capitulated to my DH, who wanted to experience more concierge time at AKV. And, truly, I had loved what I saw at Kadani Villas -- we had just stayed in Jambo House, before.

So now, back to the guest we are waiting on word for.
...back in a bit with more...!

 

[SimmerBaggins]

Here's a bit of wisdom from the book I mentioned earlier, concerning taking someone else's child with you to WDW.

1) Do not take a child you are unfamiliar with. Know the child and the parents.
Make sure the child knows what your family is like and what to expect -- that generally comes from spending the day/night at your home at least a couple of times.

2) Does the child relate well to your family, and seem to be a good fit with regard to politeness that you expect, and matureness that fits age and according to where your own child is?

3) If you're unsure, take a trial trip somewhere with the child. You really don't want to let on that this is a "trial trip" for WDW!! Could skew the results.

4) Guide the outcome of this invitation. Suggest the names of the children you believe would fit the above criteria, and ask, "Would you like 'so-and-so' (and the other name) to go with us to WDW?" You might have already approached the particular parents about this in some manner prior to suggesting this to your own child -- this helps to prevent disappointment.

WELL! I didn't have the book, yet. #1 was okay -- but when it came to #2, I was nervous. We had a tentative "okay, we are leaning toward letting her go" from her parents, but hadn't received the final "yes."

Hearing the tentative...and poised for action...I went ahead and booked our first reservation! The first thing I asked for was the week after our DD got out of school -- Concierge stay in Jambo House, for a 1-Bedroom, Savanna View. Well...they had, out of that week: FOUR DAYS!


Okay, I was happy about that. But, what else did we do??

 

[jmskinner]

Hey, I think that wisdom can be related to taking extended family.

 

[SimmerBaggins]

Hey, I think that wisdom can be related to taking extended family.

Umm...yes!!! I have had a tendency to take family members on vacation, as well -- oftentimes, you end up wishing for some "alone time" with your immediate family! Isn't that weird?

It's like you get your own groove with your own family, and everyone is comfortable with that.

 

[jenniferkeala808]

hey vickie! Thanks for checking out my PTR...now, i'm here to join your adventures!! Can't wait to hear more!!

*Keala*

 

[SimmerBaggins]

hey vickie! Thanks for checking out my PTR...now, i'm here to join your adventures!! Can't wait to hear more!!

*Keala*

Yay! Thanks, Keala!

Now...on to more details!

 

[SimmerBaggins]

Well, I had accomplished one of the things we set out to do: get more AKV Concierge time. Now, the Concierge part of AKV is on the 6th floor of the Jambo House -- all rooms on that floor are part of the Concierge bookings, and you can only access that floor if you have a reservation there. The problem was: we only had a part of our vacation, the last part, reserved there.

So, where to go for the first part? It really only made sense to try out Kadani Villas -- we had scoped the place out before we left last year, and really liked it. So, I requested a 1 Bdrm Savanna View room there -- from June 5th (Saturday) to June 9th (Weds), the first 3 nights of our stay --

AND GOT IT!

So, all 4 names given to the reservationist, and we were good-to-go.

Right?

I called up my BFF, Melissa, to let her know we had booked our reservation...she was excited --! ...until she realized that our "end of school" week was exactly a week before hers. Jacob (her son) wouldn't get out of school until the following weekend.

...we wouldn't have a week together, like we did last year!

Having already coordinated this with DD's friend and her parents, knowing that this weekend was likely to be much less crowded than the following weekend, I decided we would keep the reservation as it stood. What could I do to make up for the fact that we would only have the weekend to spend with our friends?

I glanced at our DVC points. I noted we had, still, ample points left. A thought began to form.

 

[Cory's Gal]

Hi Vickie! Jumping into your PTR! LOVE all the plans so far, I think concierge sounds amazing!!! That sounds like fun for your DD to have a friend with and hopefully your extended plans will work out so you can spend time with Melissa too!! I am so envious that you are "cruisers", I am trying to talk DH into taking me on a cruise but he thinks it will make him seasick...blah!

Can't wait to hear more of your plans!!
~Beth

 

[SimmerBaggins]

... I am so envious that you are "cruisers", I am trying to talk DH into taking me on a cruise but he thinks it will make him seasick...blah!

Can't wait to hear more of your plans!!
~Beth

Hi, Beth!! Well, I can say that seasickness CAN occur, but the bigger the ship, the less likely it will happen. I'm proof that it can happen but you can still have a great time all around.

Thanks for dropping in!!

Vickie

 

[jenniferkeala808]

you're keeping me in suspense!! what are you gonna do with those points ?!?!?! lol

 

[AuroraRose]

I'm in! I can't wait to hear more!

I saw that book when I went to get my WDW books today!

 

[SimmerBaggins]

you're keeping me in suspense!! what are you gonna do with those points ?!?!?! lol

I kinda gave it away earlier...

 

[SimmerBaggins]

I'm in! I can't wait to hear more!

I saw that book when I went to get my WDW books today!

Hi, Kara!!

I decided to buy that book since my latest Disney book (the official one) was from 2006 -- and SO MUCH has changed since then...and also, since I was taking two teenagers for the first time, I figured I could use some advice!!

Welcome!!

 

[SimmerBaggins]

An idea was forming...I called my BFF, Melissa, and asked her what day we would probably see each other? -- of course, Saturday! We were flying in that day.

"What if," I asked her, "I could get you guys a studio in Kadani Villas for that night?"

"You don't have to do that!" she answered.

"Well..." I said, "We would just bank these points anyway! We'll be in the same resort together, and you guys have never stayed there before!"

It was the perfect plan. I convinced her to let me do this (yeah, I had to REALLY twist her arm!! ) and called up DVC to set it up -- they got a studio room with a savanna view, for 22 points!

The other great thing about it is that they can come early Saturday, leave their luggage with the bell hop until the room is ready, and enjoy the resort from Saturday morning until Sunday evening! I love that about Disney -- even though your room is given up the following day, you can still stick around and enjoy the resort amenities until up to midnight.

A short time later, we found an opportunity to speak with the parents of my DD's best friend. The time had come when we were thinking about airline flights -- didn't want to wait too long -- and once that was booked, we were IN STONE.

The opportunity came when we went to their house to pick her up for sleep-over -- her parents were going to a holiday party, and we all met in the driveway. The girls happily piled into our car, already chatting away about something, and I carefully broached the subject.

"Have you thought some more about "A*'s" going with us to WDW?"

"We wanted to talk to you about that," her father said...

 

[jmskinner]

That's really not right to leave everyone hanging like that.

And thank you again for the room. You forgot to mention that you were calling me while I was shopping in the worst traffic area of town. Where we live has this mall and I think they let Goofy set up the traffic pattern around it...wait actually through it. Yes, the little road around the mall is also a cut through to get from one street to another and this was Vickie's timing. As you can see since I am here, I survived. Vickie kept apologizing for having to call, I had a good laugh.

Oh, and not to worried about the luggage, I can just leave it in the truck. Nice thing about driving to the parks. We can head straight to a park and meet ya!!! More on that later though.