Last Friday I made my daily 6 am call to MS to see if I could book our July anniversary weekend (didn't have VGC points until recently), no rooms and on a whim asked if there was any 1 or 2 bdrm available for Sat or Sun. SURPRISE...a 1 bdrm for just Sunday night. MS put me on hold to double check whether it was really available and it was. Now my brother and family were already on the road from NorCal to spend my niece's birthday at Disneyland. They only decided 6 weeks ago to come Memorial Day weekend.
I had called once at that time but nothing.
Sunday afternoon we checked in around 1:30 so the kids could swim. The front desk told me that the villa wouldn't be ready between 4 - 5. SIGHHH, really wanted to start cooking by 4:30. At 4, I wandered back to the front desk and asked about the villa. Told the villa wasn't ready, finally at 4:20 I got the text. We had the one bdrm 1415 HA. Was a little disappointed but since my dsil smokes, it was easier for her to walk to the smoking area. The family didn't know the difference, they LOVED the villa. Got our stuff and started cooking, my brother loved grilling on the BBQs and the kitchen was big enough for 2 people to work. Loved the stainless steel appliances. We didn't use the plates, used paper goods for the one night.
We had 7 adults and 2 kids around the large table...it was GREAT. We sat around the living room, spilled onto the patio and then watched the fireworks with the music cranked up
Yes, you can see some of the fireworks over the hotel roof. The family thought the villa idea for a gathering was wonderful and even thought about maybe buying Hawaii points.
Monday morning as we were checking out, I teared up because it was as I had imagined for our family gathering. It was how my parents gathered us together in different places as a family. So do we have enough points?
Table set for the family
Grilled meat
pack and play in bedroom, there was also another in the living room closet
My DGD sitting among family, her first DVC meal!!
PS - ended up only my DH and I stayed in the villa, my brother had prepaid his hotel, my daughter went home with her family and as did my older brother

Sunday afternoon we checked in around 1:30 so the kids could swim. The front desk told me that the villa wouldn't be ready between 4 - 5. SIGHHH, really wanted to start cooking by 4:30. At 4, I wandered back to the front desk and asked about the villa. Told the villa wasn't ready, finally at 4:20 I got the text. We had the one bdrm 1415 HA. Was a little disappointed but since my dsil smokes, it was easier for her to walk to the smoking area. The family didn't know the difference, they LOVED the villa. Got our stuff and started cooking, my brother loved grilling on the BBQs and the kitchen was big enough for 2 people to work. Loved the stainless steel appliances. We didn't use the plates, used paper goods for the one night.
We had 7 adults and 2 kids around the large table...it was GREAT. We sat around the living room, spilled onto the patio and then watched the fireworks with the music cranked up

Monday morning as we were checking out, I teared up because it was as I had imagined for our family gathering. It was how my parents gathered us together in different places as a family. So do we have enough points?
Table set for the family

Grilled meat

pack and play in bedroom, there was also another in the living room closet

My DGD sitting among family, her first DVC meal!!

PS - ended up only my DH and I stayed in the villa, my brother had prepaid his hotel, my daughter went home with her family and as did my older brother