Very overwhelmed ???:( kinda long

[thesmittys7]

When I came to this board I thought I knew exactly what I wanted. I was going to go camping and buy annual passes. I read through all the forums (which are awesome)and collected all the info. Many of you may have even seen me post a lot in the last week. Now in my disboard travels i learned about DDP and how to stay at a value resort with my size family. I have gotten a great rate rate on a room too.

I have been to Disney world atleast 25 times in the past 5 years. I thought I knew a lot and now I think I know less then I thought I did My dh spent 2 hours on the phone last night with an AWESOME Cast member who tried to make our vacation work. She really went out of her way to help us any way she could And I was very impressed.

MYW plus dining for 7 days 6 nights at a value resort. I am such a dork because In never knew it had to be paid in full 45 days in advance So Now I am back to square 1 with a reservation to a room and that is it!
They say MYW plus dining packages have to be paid 72 hours in advance. Now I am usuing my tax money to book this so I have to wait until last minute (72 hours or so before) and pray I can get the rate for my dream vacation. (know I am pushing my luck)

I wish I knew in advance and am glad I know this all now. I could have pushed my dates back or paid last year in advance . I am just very overwhelmed with all the new things I am learning. Anyone else start here and feel lost in what to do and how to doit??


Oh and don't get me wrong LOL!! I love the Disboard and am addicted I am just a little confused

Thanks for reading

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

oh sister, I feel your pain! I too had my trip all put together before I found the disboards. After information overload, I felt like I had reworked everything and then some. This is what I found that helped. I sort of posted a bare bones outline of my plan in a single thread, asked for help, and stuck to just that thread for a while. For example, I posted our dates, our rough budget, the ages of my kids, and the fact that we will be staying in our motorhome. I let the info come to me for a little while rather than trying to jump from forum to forum and thread to thread. I think if you posted your basic plan,etc. And, asked for money saving input for that plan, you might get the help you need.

Good luck, and keep in mind, your going to have a great trip no matter what!

 

[pta-mom]

MYW plus dining for 7 days 6 nights at a value resort. I am such a dork because In never knew it had to be paid in full 45 days in advance So Now I am back to square 1 with a reservation to a room and that is it!
They say MYW plus dining packages have to be paid 72 hours in advance. Now I am usuing my tax money to book this so I have to wait until last minute (72 hours or so before) and pray I can get the rate for my dream vacation. (know I am pushing my luck)

I wish I knew in advance and am glad I know this all now. I could have pushed my dates back or paid last year in advance .

Actually, now I'm confused!! Which is it....MYW needs to be paid 45 days in advance or 72 hours in advance? And what do you mean you are waiting for the "rate for your dream vacation"? Didn't they already give you a price? I'm just not sure what it is you wish you knew in advance that you now know....do I know???? LOL!!!

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

oh, and one more thing... if you book a package of any sort, all you HAVE to buy as part of the package is 1 day base tickets for each member of your family. Once you arrive, you can upgrade your tickets to anything you want as long as the ticket has not been used yet. Just a way to save money until the last minute.

 

[thesmittys7]

Sorry maybe I did not write that as well as I should of.

If you book a magic your way plus dining it has to be paid in full 45 days in advance. You can book the backage up to 72 hours before you arrive and still pay in full. So you can opt to pay for it 45 days in advance or you can do it last minute but have to pay at the time you book it.

We got a good rate for the MYW plus dining package and I was simply saying I have a good rate for my dream vacation but do not have the money on hand.

I was just stating that I wish I knew all about the package detail way inadvance . I was origanally just going to book a room and get annual passes. When I read about the MYW and dining plan I got all excited and did not read the small print.

I was just saying how overwhelming it can be to try and book a vacation. Of course it is my fault for not having the cash on hand and waiting last minute. I just got very confused over the package rules and stuff.

 

[thesmittys7]

oh, and one more thing... if you book a package of any sort, all you HAVE to buy as part of the package is 1 day base tickets for each member of your family. Once you arrive, you can upgrade your tickets to anything you want as long as the ticket has not been used yet. Just a way to save money until the last minute.

I just found out about this too, last night the lady told us about this ! I had no clue. this is my first time ever trying to book a package and it is just so overwhelming to me. I guess I thought it would be easy but For me it is very confusing

 

[themudd4]

I understand...and yes I knew you had to have everything paid for 45 days before arrival.

I am not sure how much you have already paid on your room...but I know you mentioned having to use your tax return to pay for the rest. You could pay a little extra on your return and get a RIL, I know H&R Block and other big names offer them, and some you may even be able to walk out of the office with a check. You should not have to wait for W2's...you can use your last pay stub from 2006. This may help you get your refund even quicker. Then you will still have enough time to call and add the MYW package with dinning. You should be easily within the 72 advance notice to add on the extra's.
Hope it all works out for you!!!

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

Actually, now I'm confused!! Which is it....MYW needs to be paid 45 days in advance or 72 hours in advance? And what do you mean you are waiting for the "rate for your dream vacation"? Didn't they already give you a price? I'm just not sure what it is you wish you knew in advance that you now know....do I know???? LOL!!!

I think what she's saying is that if she books the MYW package now, Disney wants payment made in full, 45 days before arrival. If she has a room only ressie and waits until the last minute Disney will allow (72 hours in advance) to convert it to a MYW package, she isn't guarenteed the discount rate she is able to get now. Or, at least that what I think she means she now knows but wished she knew before but she didn't know? Know what I mean?

 

[thesmittys7]

I understand...and yes I knew you had to have everything paid for 45 days before arrival.

I am not sure how much you have already paid on your room...but I know you mentioned having to use your tax return to pay for the rest. You could pay a little extra on your return and get a RIL, I know H&R Block and other big names offer them, and some you may even be able to walk out of the office with a check. You should not have to wait for W2's...you can use your last pay stub from 2006. This may help you get your refund even quicker. Then you will still have enough time to call and add the MYW package with dinning. You should be easily within the 72 advance notice to add on the extra's.
Hope it all works out for you!!!

Thank you for the info. Maybe I will tell dh to look into that

 

[thesmittys7]

I think what she's saying is that if she books the MYW package now, Disney wants payment made in full, 45 days before arrival. If she has a room only ressie and waits until the last minute Disney will allow (72 hours in advance) to convert it to a MYW package, she isn't guarenteed the discount rate she is able to get now. Or, at least that what I think she means she now knows but wished she knew before but she didn't know? Know what I mean?

Why couldn't I just say that ??? I guess I have to work on posting my thoughts . But You said it exactly as I should have Thank you !!!

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

when do you plan on going?

 

[mollyseven]

How can you have been 25 times and not know any of this information....is this your first time staying ON property? Also how is it possible to afford 25 trips in such a short period of time and yet not be able to afford it this time. Maybe that is a sign.....maybe you need to put this trip on hold until it's easier financially. I couldn't go on holiday knowing I hadn't paid it upfront and not used tax refund money to do it. That's just me but ....
We just went in May for our first trip and are blessed to be able to return in 2weeks time but we only have 2 children and that's hard enough.
Seriously though I didn't think the rules/rates where that mysterious. It's the same when you travel anywhere in the world really...you pay in advance for most things you want to book in advance.
Good Luck

 

[dsnymomof4]

Last year, when we were approaching our 45-day mark and realized I needed a bit more time to get all the money together, I called and "downgraded" our tickets to 1-day. That cut the payment down tremendously (for 6 people). I waited to a week before our trip to upgrade back to 7-day passes. Maybe if you just booked the package without dining and with 1-day tickets, you would still get the great rate, but then before the 72-hour mark, you could add the dining plan. You can even wait until you get there to upgrade the tickets. Hope everything works out for you! Have a wonderful trip!

 

[thesmittys7]

How can you have been 25 times and not know any of this information....is this your first time staying ON property? Also how is it possible to afford 25 trips in such a short period of time and yet not be able to afford it this time. Maybe that is a sign.....maybe you need to put this trip on hold until it's easier financially. I couldn't go on holiday knowing I hadn't paid it upfront and not used tax refund money to do it. That's just me but ....
We just went in May for our first trip and are blessed to be able to return in 2weeks time but we only have 2 children and that's hard enough.
Seriously though I didn't think the rules/rates where that mysterious. It's the same when you travel anywhere in the world really...you pay in advance for most things you want to book in advance.
Good Luck

Actually it is possible. I live in the "greater orlando area" and we take the kids camping at the fort wilderness campground on school holidays. We pay fl resident rate and usually no more the $ 50 a night to camp. 3 nights at a time for a grand total of $150.00 we bring our own food. We do not always go to theme parks but the campground is a very good value for the money. We get the free movies and the fireworks for free as well and my kids love to swim. I also went for my honey moon. We do short trips with the kids and this year after paying bills we have some extra money. Since we hardly take them to the theme parks we decided to go for a whole week and go all out. I have always wanted to be able to eat at the disney resturants and be able to go to all the parks. That is why this is going to be my " dream vacation".

. I never tried to book a vacation before all we usually do is call fort wilderness and ask if they have any fl resident rates . then we pack our family up and go set up a tent . sometimes we will get theme p-ark tickets for less money when the Band kids sell them for a cheap price. Tlaking about $25 a ticket.
We also do not stay at fancy hotels or travel a lot. we usually do holiday inns. Which you do not even have to make a cash deposit, just a credit card hold, and then we pay cash when we get there.

I guess I am just stupid for not understanding.

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

Last year, when we were approaching our 45-day mark and realized I needed a bit more time to get all the money together, I called and "downgraded" our tickets to 1-day. That cut the payment down tremendously (for 6 people). I waited to a week before our trip to upgrade back to 7-day passes. Maybe if you just booked the package without dining and with 1-day tickets, you would still get the great rate, but then before the 72-hour mark, you could add the dining plan. You can even wait until you get there to upgrade the tickets. Hope everything works out for you! Have a wonderful trip!

This sounds like it might really work for you!

And NO, it's not being stupid. You are looking at Disney as a vacation destination in a whole new way this time.

I live about 45 mins from Washington DC, I have lived in the general area my entire life. I've been to DC more times than I can count, The Mall, the Capitol, The memorials, the Museums etc. I can honestly admit that going to DC seems like a chore most of time considering traffic and parking. But, when my cousin and her best friend came to DC for a week several years ago to do the tourist thing, I went down to DC and stayed with them for three days. COMPLETELY different experience and perspective. Touring from a tourist perspective, using the public transportation, filling our days with "what next", taking the time to enjoy the more popular restaruants and finding the hidden gems.

I know just what you mean when you are looking at Disney differently and realizing all you didn't know.

 

[themudd4]

How can you have been 25 times and not know any of this information....is this your first time staying ON property? Also how is it possible to afford 25 trips in such a short period of time and yet not be able to afford it this time. Maybe that is a sign.....maybe you need to put this trip on hold until it's easier financially. I couldn't go on holiday knowing I hadn't paid it upfront and not used tax refund money to do it. That's just me but ....
We just went in May for our first trip and are blessed to be able to return in 2weeks time but we only have 2 children and that's hard enough.
Seriously though I didn't think the rules/rates where that mysterious. It's the same when you travel anywhere in the world really...you pay in advance for most things you want to book in advance.
Good Luck

Actucally I travel quite a bit and Disney is one of the only places I have to Pre-pay. Most places will let you make a reservation and hold it with your creidt card and then pay the balance upon arrival...matter of fact the first year I went to WDW as an adult (1996), I held it with a credit card and paid in cash when we arrived. Other places may require a deposit but usually not more than 1 nights stay and taxes.

Also...many people plan their tax refund each year to cover their vacations, regardless if they can afford it or not. Alot of people consider it almost like a savings account...I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[byoung]

You go so much have you checked out DVC?

 

[loveshak22]

I don't know if this helps but I was recently trying to find the "best" price I could find for a WDW vacation I am taking at the end of January. I wanted to go through a reputable service and at first was really only using the WDW website. But then I looked at AAA and even though I had to enroll in a AAA membership ($54 I think) I ended up saving almost $400! Plus you get bonuses. If you book through AAA in January you get a $25 vouher of some sort to use on food in the park, free parking (I think...we won't be driving but I think that's one of the perks), a gold card that gets you 10% off in certain restaurants and stores in the park, and a free character reading for your kids. That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but I was happy to save the money. AAA apperantly has a set number of rooms that they can reserve at the AAA discount.

I am not sure how much you have to pay in advance because I booked it within a month of our actual travel date so I had to pay the full amount.

I think your question was great and the thread will probably help other people in your situation.