~Snowbird Chat~

[Disney Mommy 3]

Almost forgot...
Jason's dad is doing fantastic!!!! We visited him yesterday. It's his birthday today and he should be coming home tomorrow! What a bday present! They took out his feeding tube and IV yesterday and he was up walking around so happy not to have any wires connected to him for the first time in 2 weeks. I couldn't believe how great he looked!

Oh Kim!! I am so glad for your family about your FIL!!! That is an answer to prayer...y'all are actually on the magnetic board on my fridge for people we are praying for!!! Glad to hear a good report! And happy birthday to him, from us!!!
Well, we are having a good weekend...we are actually doing NOTHING right now, so that's great!! Kids are watching Thoroughly Modern Millie!!!! It's a Julie Andrews movie and it's so funny!!!! Set in the 'flapper girl' era!!!

 

[Dancegrl624]

Good Morning Snowbirds!!!! The new deals were released this morning!!!!

October 2010 - September 2011 FREE Dining Package
You can get FREE dining when you book a full price 4-night/5-day or longer 2010 or 2011 Magic Your Way vacation package for stays most nights 10/1/10 - 10/7/10, 10/22/10 - 10/28/10, 11/12/10 - 11/18/10, 11/27/10 -12/2/10, 12/10/10 - 12/21/10, 1/1/11 - 1/5/11, 1/9/11 - 1/13/11, 1/21/11 - 2/3/11, 2/11/11 - 2/17/11, 2/25/11 - 3/3/11, 5/27/11 - 6/2/11 and 8/19/11 - 9/29/11.

To qualify, you must purchase a vacation package that includes at least 4 consecutive hotel nights at an official Walt Disney World resort, plus at least a 5-day theme park ticket.

FREE Disney Gift Card Package
You can get a FREE Disney Gift Card for up to $500 when you take advantage of an exclusive offer for stays most nights 10/3/10 - 11/23/10, 11/27/10 - 12/25/10 and 1/1/11 - 2/16/11. Purchase a full price 5-night/5-day or longer 2010 or 2011 Magic Your Way vacation package, including hotel room and theme park tickets and receive a gift card as indicated below. Disney Gift Cards are good at many locations throughout Walt Disney World, including most restaurants and shops.

Value resorts $200 Disney Gift Card

Moderate resorts $300 Disney Gift Card

Deluxe/Deluxe Villa resorts $500 Disney Gift Card

Fall/Winter Savings of up to 40% Off

Stay dates: 10/3/10-11/23/10, 11/27/10-12/25/10 and 1/1/11-2/16/11. Get a 25%-40% discount off regular "Rack" rates for 2010 or 2011. Percent off varies by resort type. Some dates will be blocked out. Rates not available for all dates and resorts.

Save 25% at Disney Value Resorts and Animal Kingdom Lodge
Save 30% at Disney Moderate Resorts and Grand Floridian Resort
Save 40% at the remaining Disney Deluxe Resorts
Save 40% at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

HEY HEY HEY!!!

We're BA-ACK!!!!! Had a WONDERFUL trip out west to visit with family (and a few friends). We logged ove 70 hours driving in our van and spent almost $1000 in gas but it was soooooo worth it!!! The girls were such great travellers!!! Made me think that driving to Disney some day might not be that difficult!

Kim - I am so glad to hear that your FIL is doing so great!! What an awesome birthday gift!!! God is good!

Shawma - PLANNING ANOTHER WDW TRIP????? Just kidding!! THAT IS SO AWESOME!!! Hopefully you guys can use one of the deals for Jan/Feb!!! Free dining @ the Family suites would be PERFECT for you!!!

We are still hoping to go to WDW in August 2011 for NAtalie's 8th birthday. I am reluctant to book Free Dining now only because it looks like such a HUGE number still and I am not sure if Disney will release a RO code at all for that time period later next year!

We weren't planning on doing the DDP for this trip because Em will be an adult and although kids meals are too small for her she still can't eat THAT much food! Natalie is lactose intolerant and can't eat ice cream so half the kids meals (TS & CS) don't work for her because she can't eat the desserts! Ken and I don't want to eat dessert 2x a day and we certainly don't need to be drinking pop at every meal either!

We really want to stay at the POLY - it is our BIG DREAM!!! (Natalie has already started talking about her "next year birthday at the Poly" )- I would feel like the worst mother in the world if I had to break her little heart! I can only hope that there is a Room only code released or that Disney sends me a fabulous RO PIN!!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Hey Kimmie!! Glad you had so much fun!!! That is a crazy long time to be traveling!!! LOL!!! Glad your kids did so well!! I don't know if we really can go back,but I would looooove toooooo!!!! Wasn't one of the codes for 30 or 40% off at the Poly? Maybe I missed the dates.....I too wonder about the dining thing....there are lots of meals dd and I could split....but with both boys being on there, it's kinda weird...some meals ds11 would need a kid meal, and somedays, he could off the adult menu.....not sure...I need to go back over the menus this week and figure up what some meals would cost and see....If I cancelled the ddp now, my trip would almost be paid already!!! I would love that!! That's really the best way to figure all this.....dh likes the convenience of having taken care of....more Disney math this week!!!
Hey....I could maybe make it extra 'research' for the boys!!!! MMMWWWAAAHHHHAAAAHAAA (evil laugh)....school experience for them...not time tied up on the computer and extra work for me...I think I like this plan!!!!!!!

 

[crzyred]

Good Morning everyone! Glad to hear everyone is doing well today.

Meghan - Those deals sound really good! I asked my mom if that can be my birthday present today...she laughed and said no . I'm trying to pull off the whole - "Pitty me, youngest child never gets anything fun" and "It's my birthday you can't say no to me..." Still not working though.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Dancegrl624]

I've been on the computer all morning trying to figure out another time for us to go! I would feel so guilty taking a solo trip, but hey, it's research!! I was thinking about going for a long weekend (like 4 or 5 days) and maybe staying at one of my dream resorts (BC or Poly). It stinks that they extended Free Dining through Sept 2011, but not the other deals. Makes me think that they'll release some kind of room discount for other dates at some other time.

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHELLY!!!!!

 

[sarbah77]

Almost forgot...
Jason's dad is doing fantastic!!!! We visited him yesterday. It's his birthday today and he should be coming home tomorrow! What a bday present! They took out his feeding tube and IV yesterday and he was up walking around so happy not to have any wires connected to him for the first time in 2 weeks. I couldn't believe how great he looked!

This almost calls for Disco Dale, too! But, for now:

Good Morning everyone! Glad to hear everyone is doing well today.

Meghan - Those deals sound really good! I asked my mom if that can be my birthday present today...she laughed and said no . I'm trying to pull off the whole - "Pitty me, youngest child never gets anything fun" and "It's my birthday you can't say no to me..." Still not working though.

Have a great day everyone!

Happy birthday, Shelly!


Those deals are awesome but do not fall during EITHER of my trips next year, curses. My parents and my brother & his wife are school teachers, so we're bound by their schedule... not so coincidentally, that's when there's no discounts!

But a girl can dream. I'm holding out hope for the lottery. Maybe I need to play to win, though?

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

FYI - I just updated my TR!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Welcome home Kim!
Happy Birthday Shelly!
Meghan - those deals might make me pull the kids out of school for a couple days! No, we might buy DVC and we're supposed to be saving for Europe. But it's SOOO tempting!!! I can't believe they extended anything for a year out! So much for "no more discounts" Mr. Iger said!

Busy wacky week, but I am still hoping to get my TR started soon. I'm thinking the title will have something to do with hot and sweaty (and not in the adult way!)

 

[Dancegrl624]

Meghan - those deals might make me pull the kids out of school for a couple days! No, we might buy DVC and we're supposed to be saving for Europe. But it's SOOO tempting!!! I can't believe they extended anything for a year out! So much for "no more discounts" Mr. Iger said!

They are very tempting! We'd like to buy DVC someday too and we might do the resale route. I heard that BLT is about 75% bought up already!! I subscribe to a DVC resale website. I'll give you the info over on FB if you're interested. It's very strange that they extended FD for a whole year! I was thinking about booking a bounceback while we're down there, but now I don't know if they'll even offer one.

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Welcome home Kim!
Happy Birthday Shelly!
Meghan - those deals might make me pull the kids out of school for a couple days! No, we might buy DVC and we're supposed to be saving for Europe. But it's SOOO tempting!!! I can't believe they extended anything for a year out! So much for "no more discounts" Mr. Iger said!

Busy wacky week, but I am still hoping to get my TR started soon. I'm thinking the title will have something to do with hot and sweaty (and not in the adult way!)

I notice that 2 out of the 3 "discounts" have guests paying FULL PRICE for their rooms and tickets!!! I think Disney IS actually reducing discounts - just in a way that is sneaky!!! They are getting us used to the idea of paying full price for our rooms again and then they will slowly keep decreasing the amount and frequency of "discounts" that are offered!

Just my 2 cents!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

So true Kim. I saw a report on their earnings the other day and what they were saying is that they are not getting as many people into the parks, but the people who come are spending more money. Go figure.

We just got on the email list from the Timeshare store and are busy looking for the perfect resale contract. Right now we are considering something for 100 or less points at Saratoga Springs to get us in the door. We shall see, that's subject to change!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I agree Kim. I know lots of people think free dining is a great thing, but to me paying rack rate is not so great!! I'd rather have the room discount, like we are using this year. But, I guess we'll take what we can get next year because it's not like we are going to stop going to WDW anytime soon.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I agree Kim. I know lots of people think free dining is a great thing, but to me paying rack rate is not so great!! I'd rather have the room discount, like we are using this year. But, I guess we'll take what we can get next year because it's not like we are going to stop going to WDW anytime soon.

On our last two trips, I priced out both free dining or room discount and came out better off with the room discount. I think it really works out better if you are staying value, but for mod and deluxe the room deal is better.
I wish I could go about every 6 - 8 months Like February and November!! If only the school break was not in March!

 

[danceintherain]

They must make a TON of money on Free Dining if they're extending it for a full year.

 

[MindyLuvsMickey]

Hope they extend it into next November!!

 

[Dancegrl624]

Free dining is definately the way to go if staying at a Value (we're saving a TON with FD at Pop!). 40% off a Deluxe is a fantastic savings! It's strange that they are only offering 25% off at AKL and 30% off at the GF.

 

[sarbah77]

I notice that 2 out of the 3 "discounts" have guests paying FULL PRICE for their rooms and tickets!!! I think Disney IS actually reducing discounts - just in a way that is sneaky!!! They are getting us used to the idea of paying full price for our rooms again and then they will slowly keep decreasing the amount and frequency of "discounts" that are offered!

Just my 2 cents!!

For me, I find that my dates tend to be SO inflexible that I'm booking a trip regardless of the discount.

Like, next July. My mom, brother, and his wife are all school teachers. They don't finish up until late June, so we can't go before July 4. Because of my work deadlines, I can't go after late July and until after mid-August, which is when my family is getting ready for back to school. So, we're booking a trip... despite lack of room OR free dining discounts. I'd kill for either!

I'd LOVE to have the option of one or another! But my family is going to Disney, regardless, so if we pay rack rate... I guess we pay rack rate.

So how do you do it, with a room discount? Does that mean you don't end up with a meal plan?

(We usually go with the meal plan, simply because it means most of our food is already paid for and we're not worried about our spending on vacation)

 

[Dancegrl624]

For me, I find that my dates tend to be SO inflexible that I'm booking a trip regardless of the discount.

Like, next July. My mom, brother, and his wife are all school teachers. They don't finish up until late June, so we can't go before July 4. Because of my work deadlines, I can't go after late July and until after mid-August, which is when my family is getting ready for back to school. So, we're booking a trip... despite lack of room OR free dining discounts. I'd kill for either!

I'd LOVE to have the option of one or another! But my family is going to Disney, regardless, so if we pay rack rate... I guess we pay rack rate.

So how do you do it, with a room discount? Does that mean you don't end up with a meal plan?

(We usually go with the meal plan, simply because it means most of our food is already paid for and we're not worried about our spending on vacation)

You can book with a room discount and then add-on tickets and dining which turns it into a package. You just get the discount on the room portion of the pkg. It's quite easy!