UPDATE 7/16 TR Link Posted! The "I-Must-Be-Crazy" PTR - July 2012

[KatMark]

Ali, I will be keeping my toes, fingers, arms, legs, eyes and anything else I can cross, crossed for Lumar and the job! It sounds pretty promising. And I know you'd like to finish out and get that severence package.

Glad to see you have a little money coming in for the rooms that you charged and hopefully the others will follow suit quickly.

 

[Simba22]

Thanks, Kathy! We need all the help we can get! He was on the phone with the unemployment office for 3 hours this morning....apparently, his claim from the first week of October never went through and he didn't realize it, so when he called the 2nd week the automated system told him he had to speak to a representative, but they were experiencing high call volume and he should try again later and it hung up on him. He's called almost every day since (today makes 3 weeks in a row he has NO paycheck) and finally got someone today. After 90 minutes of waiting on hold, he finally got someone who was exceptionally rude...he started to explain the issue, she cut him off and said "you're all set" then just hung up on him. So he called back to make sure, waited ANOTHER 90 minutes, got the SAME girl who said "You're already all set with this" and hung up on him again. Hopefully his money will be deposited tomorrow or Monday!

 

[Simba22]

Well....Karla and Kathy are officially out! Since their friend Michelle bailed and the cost for the room increased (since now it's aplit between just two people instead of 3), Kathy couldn't afford it and also bailed.

We offered to cancel the room and have Karla just stay with Lumar and I, but she's so stressed out right now, she can't even think about paying for a trip.

So now...I have to hope that DVC Guy will refund me for that extra room....I emailed him Saturday morning but haven't received a response yet. He's not under any obligation to refund us, but I'm hoping he will anyway.

So now it's down to:
Me and Lumar
My brother Mike and my cousin Tommy
My sister Steph and her BF Rob
My cousin Toni and her BF Josh

I realized that I never finished writing out our tentative plans, so I'll try to get to that ASAP. Since we got hit with a major snow storm on Saturday, things have been crazy. We ended up losing power, heat, and hot water at our apartment and some people were telling us that it might be a week before we get it back. (Apparently, this is the first time that NYC has rcvd an inch of snow in October since the Civil War) My brother lives about 30 minutes away and his place is OK so we moved in with him for a few days.

And in other news.....Lumar got a job!!!!!

He starts next Monday and we are both REALLY excited!!

That's all for now... I just wanted to update everyone on the news!

 

[KatMark]

Most important....

for Lumar getting the job. That is awesome news, Ali!

Second, please keep the snow there...I am NOT in any way ready for snow.

I hope your power is back on soon.

 

[Merida]

Yay for a job!

Do you think you could find other friends to go? I would think after that storm everyone would be on board for a nice warm vacation! I hope your cousin's college experience gets better, I don't remember my first year being that rough. What is she studying?

 

[Simba22]

Most important....

for Lumar getting the job. That is awesome news, Ali!

Second, please keep the snow there...I am NOT in any way ready for snow.

I hope your power is back on soon.

Thanks Kathy! He's really excited to get started... He starts training on Monday!

I don't want the snow either..... At least not yet. It was snowing on Saturday then 20 degrees on Sunday...and it will probably be 80 on Christmas.

Thank you! So do we! We stayed with my brother last night and I already want to go home!

Yay for a job!

Do you think you could find other friends to go? I would think after that storm everyone would be on board for a nice warm vacation! I hope your cousin's college experience gets better, I don't remember my first year being that rough. What is she studying?

Thanks Merida! We are so happy and excited about it!

I thought about it but I'm going to see if I can get a refund first...if not, then I'll start asking around. I know I have a few friends on the DIS that would be more than willing to fill the void

And Karla is in Nursing School. She said it's not that the work is hard, she is just overwhelmed by the AMOUNT. If it turns out later on that she CAN come, then we can add her into our room...but I think she truthfully can't afford it since she's only working P/T.

 

[Simba22]

248 days to go!!

I emailed DVC Guy on Saturday and canceled the room that Karla and Kathy were supposed to occupy. He emailed me back today and said he would get it done ASAP, but didn't mention anything about a refund, and I didn't ask.

While I'm on this topic though, I have to say something about renting points... It's a GREAT option financially, you get to stay in a Deluxe resort for cheaper than a moderate in some cases....but NOT being able to take care of booking/cancelations myself is driving me crazy! I email him, then he emails me back two or three days later...and he never fully answers my questions!

For example (and I wasn't going to say anything about this so as not to jinx it but at this point, it is what it is).....

At the same time that I booked our July trip with DVC Guy, I asked him about possibly booking another week in October 2012 for just me and Lumar, in a Castle View room at BLT. He told me that he doesn't own any BLT contracts, and in order to get a MK view, you HAVE to book at the 11-month mark which would be November 8, 2011. Now, keep in mind, this was back in July..... He told me that he has a friend, whom he handles DVC rentals for, who DOES own at BLT and has points available. He told me he would reserve them for me, but I'd have to be ready to book on November 8th.

So here we are today, on November 3rd, and I emailed him to ask him a couple of things:

1) To confirm the date I would need to book is 11/8

2) To verify if I can get a refund if I book the room and then can't go (because I'm getting laid off in March)

His response was that the booking date would indeed be November 8, however now he has to double check with his friend because he doesn't know if the points are still available. And he did NOT mention anything about getting a refund if I have to cancel the trip....

So...on one hand, I'm kind of upset about that, but only because I am sooo obsessive about Disney planning.... but on the other hand, I know that if the points are not available, it's a higher power telling me to not rush into it, and wait until I find another job to make a decision.

 

[KatMark]

248 days to go!!

I emailed DVC Guy on Saturday and canceled the room that Karla and Kathy were supposed to occupy. He emailed me back today and said he would get it done ASAP, but didn't mention anything about a refund, and I didn't ask.

While I'm on this topic though, I have to say something about renting points... It's a GREAT option financially, you get to stay in a Deluxe resort for cheaper than a moderate in some cases....but NOT being able to take care of booking/cancelations myself is driving me crazy! I email him, then he emails me back two or three days later...and he never fully answers my questions!

For example (and I wasn't going to say anything about this so as not to jinx it but at this point, it is what it is).....

At the same time that I booked our July trip with DVC Guy, I asked him about possibly booking another week in October 2012 for just me and Lumar, in a Castle View room at BLT. He told me that he doesn't own any BLT contracts, and in order to get a MK view, you HAVE to book at the 11-month mark which would be November 8, 2011. Now, keep in mind, this was back in July..... He told me that he has a friend, whom he handles DVC rentals for, who DOES own at BLT and has points available. He told me he would reserve them for me, but I'd have to be ready to book on November 8th.

So here we are today, on November 3rd, and I emailed him to ask him a couple of things:

1) To confirm the date I would need to book is 11/8

2) To verify if I can get a refund if I book the room and then can't go (because I'm getting laid off in March)

His response was that the booking date would indeed be November 8, however now he has to double check with his friend because he doesn't know if the points are still available. And he did NOT mention anything about getting a refund if I have to cancel the trip....

So...on one hand, I'm kind of upset about that, but only because I am sooo obsessive about Disney planning.... but on the other hand, I know that if the points are not available, it's a higher power telling me to not rush into it, and wait until I find another job to make a decision.

This is what bothers me about renting points for DVC too. I like having control and I don't like the fact that you can't get reimbursed if you can't go. We've never had to cancel a trip before, but I always worry what would happen if we did have to. I think the only reason I went with the two DVC's this past September is they were both people I knew and I knew they could find someone else to take our "ressie" if needed.

 

[Simba22]

This is what bothers me about renting points for DVC too. I like having control and I don't like the fact that you can't get reimbursed if you can't go. We've never had to cancel a trip before, but I always worry what would happen if we did have to. I think the only reason I went with the two DVC's this past September is they were both people I knew and I knew they could find someone else to take our "ressie" if needed.

I'm glad it's not just me then!

 

[Simba22]

So now that we all have power back on (except for a few towns here and there who are being told they should have power back Wednesday..... ) I feel a lot more relaxed than I did last week.

I emailed DVC Guy again this morning and apologized for 257 emails I sent him last week. I was literally so stressed out, that I was just way over thinking things and totally freaking out for nothing.

I already know that the only way I can get a refund back for Karla's room, is if DVC Guy is able to re-rent the points to someone else. And that may not happen right away. So I kept harassing him about whether or not I can get refunded, when in my head, I already knew the deal...it just got buried behind all the anxiety from having to live with my brother for a few days.

So obviously he has a while to find someone else to rent the points for that room to...and of course, in the meantime, I can search for someone to take the room as well.

So all in all, I'm feeling much better about the whole situation. I'm still PO'd with my cousin because she was adamant that she was going...I told her that the room was non-refundable...and in a way, it's not really HER fault. She and Kathy were able to afford the trip when three of them were splitting the room cost. But when Michelle dropped out, the cost per person went up about $200 or so and to a college freshman working P/T...that's a LOT of money. So of course, Kathy could no longer afford to go, which puts 100% of the responsibility on Karla...which means SHE can't afford to go.

So, it sucks...but it is what it is. We're down to 8 people, (all of drinking age! ) which I think in the long run, will be much easier to plan for.

There's only 64 more days to go before we can book ADRs!
And only 244 before we finally get to Disney!

And on a side note....that October 2012 trip might still happen. I'll be getting a nice chunk of change as part of my severance package, plus I'll be getting my income tax check in the early spring...PLUS Lumar started his new job today!! So, I'm thinking that maybe come March or April, we may be able to book trip. Of course, it's all still tentative and nothing is concrete yet...but here's hoping! We're debating on where to stay though if we DO go back. I've always wanted to stay at AKL and it was always too expensive for us to afford...but if we rent DVC points and stay in AKV, it's really not too bad at all. But AKV is "out there" as far as distance to the parks, and we really like the idea of being within walking distance to Epcot... which would mean a stay at either the BCV or BWV. So there are ideas on the table, we just need to wait it out a few more months and see if we can swing it.

 

[Merida]

Thanks Merida! We are so happy and excited about it!

I thought about it but I'm going to see if I can get a refund first...if not, then I'll start asking around. I know I have a few friends on the DIS that would be more than willing to fill the void

And Karla is in Nursing School. She said it's not that the work is hard, she is just overwhelmed by the AMOUNT. If it turns out later on that she CAN come, then we can add her into our room...but I think she truthfully can't afford it since she's only working P/T.

That makes sense! I had friends in nursing and they all had periods like that. I don't think it was freshmen year because there were all these pre-reqs for the nursing program but it did seem very demanding!

So now that we all have power back on (except for a few towns here and there who are being told they should have power back Wednesday..... ) I feel a lot more relaxed than I did last week.

I emailed DVC Guy again this morning and apologized for 257 emails I sent him last week. I was literally so stressed out, that I was just way over thinking things and totally freaking out for nothing.

I already know that the only way I can get a refund back for Karla's room, is if DVC Guy is able to re-rent the points to someone else. And that may not happen right away. So I kept harassing him about whether or not I can get refunded, when in my head, I already knew the deal...it just got buried behind all the anxiety from having to live with my brother for a few days.

So obviously he has a while to find someone else to rent the points for that room to...and of course, in the meantime, I can search for someone to take the room as well.

So all in all, I'm feeling much better about the whole situation. I'm still PO'd with my cousin because she was adamant that she was going...I told her that the room was non-refundable...and in a way, it's not really HER fault. She and Kathy were able to afford the trip when three of them were splitting the room cost. But when Michelle dropped out, the cost per person went up about $200 or so and to a college freshman working P/T...that's a LOT of money. So of course, Kathy could no longer afford to go, which puts 100% of the responsibility on Karla...which means SHE can't afford to go.

So, it sucks...but it is what it is. We're down to 8 people, (all of drinking age! ) which I think in the long run, will be much easier to plan for.

There's only 64 more days to go before we can book ADRs!
And only 244 before we finally get to Disney!

And on a side note....that October 2012 trip might still happen. I'll be getting a nice chunk of change as part of my severance package, plus I'll be getting my income tax check in the early spring...PLUS Lumar started his new job today!! So, I'm thinking that maybe come March or April, we may be able to book trip. Of course, it's all still tentative and nothing is concrete yet...but here's hoping! We're debating on where to stay though if we DO go back. I've always wanted to stay at AKL and it was always too expensive for us to afford...but if we rent DVC points and stay in AKV, it's really not too bad at all. But AKV is "out there" as far as distance to the parks, and we really like the idea of being within walking distance to Epcot... which would mean a stay at either the BCV or BWV. So there are ideas on the table, we just need to wait it out a few more months and see if we can swing it.

Renting DVC points sounds kind of stressful. As much as I want to stay in some of the DVC properties, I'm not sure I like the cash price from Disney or the terms of renting points.

And then I look at pictures of the Saratoga Springs treehouses and rethink my decision!

I would totally pick BCV/BWV. I love the Boardwalk area so much and would definitely stay there with points.

 

[Chelley00]

I've always wanted to stay at AKL and it was always too expensive for us to afford...but if we rent DVC points and stay in AKV, it's really not too bad at all. But AKV is "out there" as far as distance to the parks

Thanks for hanging out in our pretrip report!


AKL busses trips really aren't that bad, and if you stay at Kidani you are the first stop. It took us maybe 15-20 minutes to get to MK and that was the longest trip. It's so quiet and peaceful, especially on the balcony in the evenings.

What week are you planning Oct?

 

[Simba22]

Renting DVC points sounds kind of stressful. As much as I want to stay in some of the DVC properties, I'm not sure I like the cash price from Disney or the terms of renting points.

And then I look at pictures of the Saratoga Springs treehouses and rethink my decision!

I would totally pick BCV/BWV. I love the Boardwalk area so much and would definitely stay there with points.

To be fair, it's mostly me! I hate not being in control of making changes, and I didn't ask all of the appropriate questions up front. My friend that referred me to DVC Guy did give me all of the information when I spoke to her, but that was clear back in June and my brain just doesn't retain information that long! Honestly, the only "terms" you'd be agreeing to is that if you cancel, you may or may not be getting refunded, depending on whether or not a replacement for you can be found. If you are like me, and know you aren't going to cancel a Disney Trip for anything short of an Act of God, then you don't have anything to worry about. If you're 18 years old and in your first year of college...it's probably not the best option since there are so many variables.

Thanks for hanging out in our pretrip report!

AKL busses trips really aren't that bad, and if you stay at Kidani you are the first stop. It took us maybe 15-20 minutes to get to MK and that was the longest trip. It's so quiet and peaceful, especially on the balcony in the evenings.

What week are you planning Oct?

We don't really have a plan for any particular week, since we aren't sure if we can even go yet. I think once March comes around and we have both of our income tax checks and my severance check, we'll know for sure if we can afford it or not and then start making more concrete plans. My problem is that if I start making plans now and it falls through, I'll get REALLY depressed. I have REALLY wanted to stay at AKL and we could never afford it, but renting DVC points for AKV is actually the CHEAPEST option of the 3 we're looking at. We normally go to WDW for 2 weeks, so a split stay would be an option in that situation. But for 2012, we have to split our vacation into 2 individual weeks, and my BF doesn't want to change resorts since it's a short trip.

 

[Nermel9]

I hope you can get your money back for the room! I would love to rent points, but that whole thing freaks me out...and I make so many changes that I don't know if I could ever rent and commit so far ahead of time!

Hope you get to go in October next year, that would be awesome!

 

[Simba22]

I hope you can get your money back for the room! I would love to rent points, but that whole thing freaks me out...and I make so many changes that I don't know if I could ever rent and commit so far ahead of time!

Hope you get to go in October next year, that would be awesome!

I'm not a resort changer so it works OK for me!

Lumar told me yesterday that he only gets 10 days of vacation per year and our July trip is going to eat up 7 days... So I've been sitting here messing around with scheduling, trying to see how we could fit in another October trip and I think I have an idea.

It if works...the next problem will be if I get any vacation time (and how much) at my new job. I feel like we're fighting so many odds but somehow, I feel good about this! Deep down, I feel like it's going to work out for us!

 

[Merida]

I really hate how few vacation days we get in the U.S. I would LOVE a system more like a lot of European countries with plentiful vacation days.

I guess there's a similar policy for our December trip, since we'd have to pay a cancellation fee after the 45-day mark. But it shouldn't be too hard to find a replacement hopefully. July is a pretty popular time to go!

 

[Simba22]

Well, after feeling so confident yesterday, I came face to face with a pretty solid brick wall last night!

Lumar's schedule allows him one random day off per week in addition to Sunday.
Since the company is closed on Sundays, it automatically counts as a day off but it won't count as a vacation day.

So since our July trip runs from Monday to Monday, he would have to use 7 vacation days, and he's allowed 10 per year.

In order to take a trip in October, I was trying to find a way to make it so he had two days off, followed by 3 vacation days and then 2 days off...but because Sunday is a guaranteed day it won't work, PLUS he told me he can't request which days he has off.

So I guess October 2012 is out. It sucks but I guess instead of using my severance money and my income tax money to pay for a trip, I can use it to pay down some debt. Not quite as fun as a Disney trip but probably the smarter decision in the long run.

 

[KatMark]

I've not deserted you, Ali....just been super busy. I'm sorry an October trip won't work out, but it might be best in the long run paying off some of the bills and perhaps finding a new job, etc.

How is Lumar's job going? Is he enjoying it?

 

[Merida]

That is an odd way of doing time off. I'm sure there probably is some way to work in an October trip (maybe a long weekend?), but it sounds like it would be much less stressful to just wait a little.

 

[Simba22]

I've not deserted you, Ali....just been super busy. I'm sorry an October trip won't work out, but it might be best in the long run paying off some of the bills and perhaps finding a new job, etc.

How is Lumar's job going? Is he enjoying it?

He loves it! It's going great so far!

That is an odd way of doing time off. I'm sure there probably is some way to work in an October trip (maybe a long weekend?), but it sounds like it would be much less stressful to just wait a little.

Yeah it IS bizarre...I asked him about what happens if you need a day off for something and he said if you take additional time off you don't get paid...but I can't imagine that they don't offer SOMETHING besides vacation time...no sick days or personal days?? Maybe he just doesn't know how it all works yet