Two little Princesses on their first trip to WDW *8/30 - update*

[wigdoutdismom]

Our granddaughter is 10 months, so we have a couple more years before we need to worry about sitting on the floor!

 

[stace208]

Yeah, I'm curious to see what your family accomplished, too!

Only one Dole Whip? I found that we never once ate anything in the parks besides either lunch or supper. We never got a dole whip float or mickey head ice cream, or an ice cream sandwich from Main Street Bakery. I feel like we missed out on so many yummy opportunities, but I'm not sure I would have had room in my tummy for more than we did manage to snarf down!

We did get a few treats in the parks. This is the first time though really-in our first two trips we got all our snacks at the hotel.

Funny that we're on the same track with DVC. We even spoke with our reps the same night. You'll have to let me know when you get your materials. I can hardly stand the wait - I have so many questions I'm hoping will be answered in the materials. Did you get an email that has a link for a presentation? I cannot get ours to open. I just want to know everything, NOW!

I am the exact same way! I want to know everything right now. I seriously doubt we will buy yet but I want to have every bit of info possible. Is the link for the video? I can't get the thing to work either.
You make some great points about the room needed as the kiddos grow. Mine are both girls, so the separate beds isn't such a big deal, but I like how much more room the DVC have available.

Keep me up to date on your DVC decisions!

Yea, if mine were the same sex I wouldn't worry about it as much either. But, Ben will sleep just about anywhere and I figure if we do buy, we'll make something work...it's Disney after all!

 

[Disneyvirg]

Our granddaughter is 10 months, so we have a couple more years before we need to worry about sitting on the floor!

Aw...10 months is such a fun age. I'm sure you're enjoying every minute with her. Does she live close by?


Stacy-

I got the emailed DVC presentation to work today. I'm kind of bummed. I was really hoping there would be big cities around here in the World passport collection that would allow us long weekends somewhere fun and still allow us enough points for a big WDW or ABD trip every three years. I thought there would be locations in Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Chicago - all places that aren't too far away. There's a concierge location in Chicago, but I'm not sure that's our style. Now we'll have to really investigate once we get our book. Unfortunately, DVC is sounding less appealing...but we'll have to see.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Aw...10 months is such a fun age. I'm sure you're enjoying every minute with her. Does she live close by?
They live about 15 minutes away, so I get to see her often...
Stacy-

I got the emailed DVC presentation to work today. I'm kind of bummed. I was really hoping there would be big cities around here in the World passport collection that would allow us long weekends somewhere fun and still allow us enough points for a big WDW or ABD trip every three years. I thought there would be locations in Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Chicago - all places that aren't too far away. There's a concierge location in Chicago, but I'm not sure that's our style. Now we'll have to really investigate once we get our book. Unfortunately, DVC is sounding less appealing...but we'll have to see.

What about the RCI trades? Do they have anything that works for you?

 

[stace208]

Man, that bites that it is not working out how you wanted. I just want my Disney fix every year so I didn't even really look at the others. I am pretty sure I read that they trade with RCI...did you check on that? They are everywhere so maybe something there would work for you?

 

[Disneyvirg]

What about the RCI trades? Do they have anything that works for you?

I nosed around there. There's not much around here. There's some stuff in the Ozarks of Missouri, a place in northern Minnesota, and some places in north eastern Wisconsin - none is too appealing to me and they're all pretty far away.

Man, that bites that it is not working out how you wanted. I just want my Disney fix every year so I didn't even really look at the others. I am pretty sure I read that they trade with RCI...did you check on that? They are everywhere so maybe something there would work for you?

Do you know of anyone who has a timeshare through RCI instead of DVC? It looks like you can stay at BLT and lots of other choices. The website doesn't give too much info and I haven't found the spot yet of where to go to get more info.

 

[dismagiclover]

I just found your trip report and I'm just amazed that you were so organized and well informed on your first trip It took me a little longer to discover the wisdom of the disboards Regarding DVC have you thought about renting points? We were considering purchasing as well and rented points at SSR this past trip to see what is all about before we put down thousands of dollars. Well we were converted to DVC, but we also became converts to renting points We get the benefits of the larger accomadations without the huge money commitment. (Remember it's not just the initial costs, but yearly maintainence fees forever (or until 2060 which is basically forever for an almost 40 something) Anyway, looking forward to more of your TR. Check mine out if you get a chance

 

[Disneyvirg]

I just found your trip report and I'm just amazed that you were so organized and well informed on your first trip It took me a little longer to discover the wisdom of the disboards

Welcome! Glad my obsession with the DIS and TGM has impressed someone! Actually, we were very happy with all we were able to accomplish on our first trip. Andy razzed me so much for how much time I spent on the internet researching for our trip. He didn't razz me once he saw how much we were able to do and all the people doing the opposite and waiting in long lines!

Regarding DVC have you thought about renting points? We were considering purchasing as well and rented points at SSR this past trip to see what is all about before we put down thousands of dollars. Well we were converted to DVC, but we also became converts to renting points We get the benefits of the larger accomadations without the huge money commitment. (Remember it's not just the initial costs, but yearly maintainence fees forever (or until 2060 which is basically forever for an almost 40 something)

Uh, actually I thought about renting points for about five minutes and then decided it would be no good if we worked it out and the person we rented from ran off with our money or didn't make our ressie, or, or, or... I was too scared to ruin our first trip.

You do make some very good points. I'm really having a hard time justifying the cost of DVC for how often we're actually likely to get down there. I think people that love Disney that live within 4 hours of Orlando that don't have DVC must be fools, though! I think it would be AWESOME if we lived closer. And there's just nothing around here with RCI that appeals to me. Do you have any tips so we don't get scammed if we decide to try renting? Am I right to assume you don't own DVC, yet?

Anyway, looking forward to more of your TR. Check mine out if you get a chance

Thank you. I'll try to post the Photopass Pics up to the point of my TR tonight.

Thank you for directing me to your trippie - it's great! Your family accomplishes so much!

 

[stace208]

I nosed around there. There's not much around here. There's some stuff in the Ozarks of Missouri, a place in northern Minnesota, and some places in north eastern Wisconsin - none is too appealing to me and they're all pretty far away.



Do you know of anyone who has a timeshare through RCI instead of DVC? It looks like you can stay at BLT and lots of other choices. The website doesn't give too much info and I haven't found the spot yet of where to go to get more info.

I sure don't, sorry. I bet you could call RCI and see what the deal is with Disney.

 

[Disneyvirg]

As you all know, I left our spare battery and camera charger at home. Photopass really saved us. There's so much that we wouldn't have had for pics if it weren't for photopass.

Andy had a special ability for spotting the photographers. He was like an animal on the hunt looking for them!

FYI - we had his brother overnight our charger and spare. It was waiting in bell services when we got back to the Poly after DHS. Phew! I could finally take pics!!!

Here are the pics from our photopass CD for the first part of our trip...

Our first evening at MK – the girls weren’t feeling the magic at this point:

First real day at MK – the girls are in a better mood. In most of the Photopass shots you’ll notice them squinting.

Pardon the PDA, but I just love this shot!

The girl’s first time holding tinkerbell. When I was reviewing the pics online, Lily and Kate kept running over to see if we could see any Magic Shots! It’s now part of their vocabulary!

Our first Epcot day:

Our DHS pics didn’t turn out too well. This one is about the best:

On Monday night when I went down to Captain Cook’s to grab a Dole Whip for dessert, I found out that there is a Photopass Photographer in the GCH as a courtesy to guests. Of course we had to take advantage of this. Here is our first time:

 

[stace208]

Fantastic pictures!
Every time we were all together, there was no photog in the GCH. If I was by myself, there they were.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Lovely Photopass pictures!!!

 

[shannon47142]

great pictures!!

 

[Villainess]

joining in!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Your photo pass pictures were great! I think the one of you and Andy kissing is very sweet!

 

[SunnieRN]

What great photo pass pictures! I loved the blue shirts too! You did a great job!

Before we bought DVC we talked about how often we wanted to vacation at disney. We knew that for the first few years we would want to go as often as possible, then after my grandsons are in school we hope to go at least 1 time a year.

I may get flamed for this, but I really feel that the BEST use of points is for disney DVC resorts. The hotels are way too high cost per night, in my honest opinion. ABD seems like a better buy on a cash basis than using multiple years of points (but I love disney, so I am predjudiced). And my understanding is that it is easier to trade into disney with RCI than it is to trade out to the most popular/desireable locations. I honestly do not believe it will still be easy to trade into disney when AKV, BLT, GCV and treehouse villas are sold out, as there will not be as many unsold rooms available and more members will be booking the rooms available on points.
As for value? If you can determine how large a unit you would like to vacation in, long term, not just the next few years, than you will have a good idea of how many points you would need. I have a friend that has enough points for 5 weekday nights in a one bedroom once a year during mid season. (she purchased a cushion of 12 points when she bought her original contract for point re-allocationing). There are others who have over 1000 points.
We are a family of 5, so we bought into AKV and BLT because they have sleeping for 5, with bedding at both of these resorts. This will allow us to vacation 1 or 2 times a year in a comfortable sized unit for a comfortable amount of time. (Although it's never long enough!)
Another option is to look for a re-sale contract that would allow you to travel once every three years, with banking and borrowing. The flexability of DVC is one of its most desireable points!

Good luck with your decision and you can find a LOT of information on the DVC boards!!

Looking forward to more of your adventures and I hope you didn't mind me posting my DVC thoughts and feelings.

 

[dismagiclover]

Uh, actually I thought about renting points for about five minutes and then decided it would be no good if we worked it out and the person we rented from ran off with our money or didn't make our ressie, or, or, or... I was too scared to ruin our first trip.

You do make some very good points. I'm really having a hard time justifying the cost of DVC for how often we're actually likely to get down there. I think people that love Disney that live within 4 hours of Orlando that don't have DVC must be fools, though! I think it would be AWESOME if we lived closer. And there's just nothing around here with RCI that appeals to me. Do you have any tips so we don't get scammed if we decide to try renting? Am I right to assume you don't own DVC, yet?

It does take some trust to rent points. I was a bit nervous too. That is why this past trip we just rented for one night to try it out. If I got scammed with that it wouldn't ruin the whole trip, just the last night. It worked out great though I'm going back solo for 2 nights in January to do the half marathon and rented points at BLT for that. It's much cheaper than getting a room at the Contemporary and I really wanted to be on the monorail for the race. That renter has been great as well and I feel really confident. Next time we go as a family we plan to rent a large amount of points and I'm going to rent them from the individuals I've already rented from. I agree that I don't think I'd rent large amount of points from someone I hadn't worked with before. That is a lot of money to lose. We don't own DVC yet. We may someday, but we don't want to go in debt to do it. So we're going to stick with renting points for now. Good luck with your decision. There is no right or wrong just what works for your family

Love the photopass pictures. Photopass is one of my favorite things at Disney

 

[Disneyvirg]

Fantastic pictures!
Every time we were all together, there was no photog in the GCH. If I was by myself, there they were.

I think they are there 4:30-9:30 each evening. It's been a month, and my memory is not too good, so don't quote me on that!

Lovely Photopass pictures!!!

Thanks!

great pictures!!

Thanks!

joining in!

Welcome!

Your photo pass pictures were great! I think the one of you and Andy kissing is very sweet!

Thanks. I'm glad at least one person wasn't offended by the shot.

What great photo pass pictures! I loved the blue shirts too! You did a great job!

Thanks. I combined a couple DISigns and made them. I wish I would have personalized them more. I also wish I had done them for every day of our trip. They were a lot of fun to make and wear!

Before we bought DVC we talked about how often we wanted to vacation at disney. We knew that for the first few years we would want to go as often as possible, then after my grandsons are in school we hope to go at least 1 time a year.

I may get flamed for this, but I really feel that the BEST use of points is for disney DVC resorts. The hotels are way too high cost per night, in my honest opinion. ABD seems like a better buy on a cash basis than using multiple years of points (but I love disney, so I am predjudiced). And my understanding is that it is easier to trade into disney with RCI than it is to trade out to the most popular/desireable locations. I honestly do not believe it will still be easy to trade into disney when AKV, BLT, GCV and treehouse villas are sold out, as there will not be as many unsold rooms available and more members will be booking the rooms available on points.
As for value? If you can determine how large a unit you would like to vacation in, long term, not just the next few years, than you will have a good idea of how many points you would need. I have a friend that has enough points for 5 weekday nights in a one bedroom once a year during mid season. (she purchased a cushion of 12 points when she bought her original contract for point re-allocationing). There are others who have over 1000 points.
We are a family of 5, so we bought into AKV and BLT because they have sleeping for 5, with bedding at both of these resorts. This will allow us to vacation 1 or 2 times a year in a comfortable sized unit for a comfortable amount of time. (Although it's never long enough!)
Another option is to look for a re-sale contract that would allow you to travel once every three years, with banking and borrowing. The flexability of DVC is one of its most desireable points!

Good luck with your decision and you can find a LOT of information on the DVC boards!!

Thank you for chiming in about DVC! I really appreciate the different view points. I need to do some research on resale. Does that mean you can purchase fewer than the 160 minimum, then I would be able to bank and borrow them if we wanted to make a trip every three years? Might be something worth considering. I'll check that out this evening!

Looking forward to more of your adventures and I hope you didn't mind me posting my DVC thoughts and feelings.

I definitely don't mind. I really appreciate your great input!

It does take some trust to rent points. I was a bit nervous too. That is why this past trip we just rented for one night to try it out. If I got scammed with that it wouldn't ruin the whole trip, just the last night. It worked out great though I'm going back solo for 2 nights in January to do the half marathon and rented points at BLT for that. It's much cheaper than getting a room at the Contemporary and I really wanted to be on the monorail for the race. That renter has been great as well and I feel really confident. Next time we go as a family we plan to rent a large amount of points and I'm going to rent them from the individuals I've already rented from. I agree that I don't think I'd rent large amount of points from someone I hadn't worked with before. That is a lot of money to lose. We don't own DVC yet. We may someday, but we don't want to go in debt to do it. So we're going to stick with renting points for now. Good luck with your decision. There is no right or wrong just what works for your family

Renting for one night is a great idea! Maybe we'll give that a try. Thanks for your input!

Love the photopass pictures. Photopass is one of my favorite things at Disney

It's just about as great as sliced bread!

 

[cjackearl]

Your photopass pictures are wonderful. I joined a share this trip and won't get my CD til the end of the month. I want them now!! I really like the picture of the kiss too. And your girls covering their eyes.Too cute!

 

[stace208]

Does that mean you can purchase fewer than the 160 minimum, then I would be able to bank and borrow them if we wanted to make a trip every three years? Might be something worth considering. I'll check that out this evening!

Yes, you can. I followed a link from the DIS homepage to The Timeshare Store and they have resales with fewer than 160 points. There's a trick to banking and borrowing that they give you on that site too that would work perfectly for going every 3 years. HTH!