We won a trip to Disney!

[Warmwinds]

Ok, I've never won anything as big as a trip, but I THINK they also offer a cash value on any prize...so maybe you could just take that and use it to pay for your own trip that you already have the airfare for. Also, I THINK you usually have to pay taxes on a big prize like that, so be sure to find that out.

Or MAYBE if you tell the radio station that you already have non-refundable airfare, you MIGHT be able to get just cash for that portion of the trip?

I'm not sure about any of this, but if it were ME I'd be asking a million questions to get the best deal and work out all the details.

 

[Rustysmom]

No, no cash value. I was hoping, but I checked the rules and it says "Vacations and vacation components may not be sold, traded, transferred or rescheduled to dates other than as set forth above. Vacations are not redeemable for cash." I knew it said that when I entered, but I never really thought I was going to win! LOL I entered so many contests with this station and won little things, but I never actually expected to win a big thing. Too bad we didn't win it last week when I played every day and before I bought the plane tickets! Oh well, this will be 2 years worth of trips rolled into one year I guess. I can't complain. I'm grateful that I won anything! Maybe we'll get lucky and Disney will allow us a little more than a year to redeem the trip. The rules say the trip has to be taken by 2/10/08, but maybe Disney will give us a year from when we hear from them, and then maybe we can go the week after President's day next year, when schools are closed.

Yep, we have to pay taxes on it. They faxed a form to my DH today to get his SS# and other info. I'm not even sure how that works. I guess we claim that as income on our taxes next year? We'll have to ask the accountant when we do our taxes next year. We already did them for this year. DH figures that if we put some cash into our IRA's, which we haven't been doing for a few years, it will help offset the taxes.

 

[MEK]

Congratulations on winning a trip. Don't sweat it - just plan a second trip. That is awesome! But you really do need a cat sitter. I have three cats, too. Fortunately I have a neighbor who feeds and scoops litter boxes for me. When I go to Disney I always bring her something from Germany since she was born there.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Oh!!!! Congratulations To You! Best Of Luck With Your Airline Changes And Most Of All

**************have A Magical Time************************

 

[Rustysmom]

Congratulations on winning a trip. Don't sweat it - just plan a second trip. That is awesome! But you really do need a cat sitter. I have three cats, too. Fortunately I have a neighbor who feeds and scoops litter boxes for me. When I go to Disney I always bring her something from Germany since she was born there.

You're lucky you have someone you can trust. My FIL used to come over to check on my cat when I had just one,and make sure he had food, but I don't think he changed the litter box. Anyway, I don't speak to him because of some really mean things he said to me, so now no more catsitter. I'm not close enough with the neighbors to give one of them the key to my house and my friend is a little ditzy and I'd worry that she'd leave the door open or something.

I have 2 cats now (sisters) and they will be fine with the ton of dry food I'm going to leave them, and plenty of water, and they won't be too lonely because at least they'll have each other, but I think I'll have to buy a couple more litter boxes and line them up in the basement so they won't get too dirty. Once Dusty started using my couch as a litter pan ,she never stopped and I have to cover it with plastic when I go to bed to keep her off it.

 

[GoingtoDisney07]

Congrats on your win and getting to go to WDW two time in one year!!!

 

[codygirl5150]

Congrats! I'm so happy for you! I always wondered if the BIG give aways on the radio were real or if there was some kind of catch-guess they are real! How about Xmas 2007 or New Year's Eve in WDW?!?!

 

[Dan Murphy]

What GREAT news!!!!!! Very cool, enjoy!!

 

[jenr812]

Congratulations! That is awesome

 

[Sunny Soph]

Wow you're so lucky

 

[Warmwinds]

We had trouble finding reliable people to come in and sit with our cats, too, so we take them to a boarding place. It's very nice and then you have no worries. I don't know where you live if you have anything like it near you, but often times your vet will also board cats - ask around. Also, we once tried having one of the girls from our vet's office come and do it - she turned out to be a flake but who knew, many could be reliable.

 

[annieb727]

Yep, we have to pay taxes on it. They faxed a form to my DH today to get his SS# and other info. I'm not even sure how that works. I guess we claim that as income on our taxes next year? We'll have to ask the accountant when we do our taxes next year. We already did them for this year. DH figures that if we put some cash into our IRA's, which we haven't been doing for a few years, it will help offset the taxes.

Yep...they'll send you a 1099 next year, and it will count as income...it's interesting to see how these types of things effect your taxes...we had a 1099 from a bank who gave us $50 for opening a bank account. After I filled in that information (for a whole $50), our refund DROPPED by about $30! Yeah, that was some Free $50 for opening an account...ended up only being about $20. You may want to check on the tax rate before you agree to go - lol. You could end up paying for half the trip in taxes!

Now...I don't mean to sound negative...just watch out! And definitely talk to your accountant.
I want you to go and enjoy it...without paying more in the end!

~annie~

 

[Simba22]

Congratulations! I am sooo jealous! Have an awesome time on BOTH trips!

 

[Vickie46]

wow.. can't wait to hear all your details of your resort!

 

[Rustysmom]

Yep...they'll send you a 1099 next year, and it will count as income...it's interesting to see how these types of things effect your taxes...we had a 1099 from a bank who gave us $50 for opening a bank account. After I filled in that information (for a whole $50), our refund DROPPED by about $30! Yeah, that was some Free $50 for opening an account...ended up only being about $20. You may want to check on the tax rate before you agree to go - lol. You could end up paying for half the trip in taxes!

Now...I don't mean to sound negative...just watch out! And definitely talk to your accountant.
I want you to go and enjoy it...without paying more in the end!

~annie~

I better not tell DH any of that or he won't go. LOL

Hopefully if we put money in our IRA's, which we haven't done in a while, it should help offset it a little. My DH is the only one working right now and he doesn't make that much, so hopefully it won't push us into a higher bracket or anything. Even if it ends up costing us because we'll get less of a refund, I'm going to try not to worry about it and enjoy it, because I know we won't be able to go again for a very long time, or at least until my DD is in school and I can go back to work.

Thanks everyone. I'm kind of getting excited about going twice now. I can't wait until we hear from Disney so we can start planning...again. LOL

 

[donaldluv@14]

That sounds so kewl!!! Congradulations!!!!

 

[mattoxtr]

Congrats on the trip. Going twice would be great.

 

[Vickie46]

did you find out your details????

 

[hugabearjo]

I don't know if this helps or not, but we use a "certified Petsitter" when we go out of town. I have dogs so it is cheaper for me to have her come in to my home 3 times a day then the boarding fee would be. Mine spends an hour each visit and my pets adore her. She walks them, plays with them, feeds them, brushes them and cleans up after them. I have had as many as 2 dogs and 4 cats at one time and the fee was the same. They are usually licensed and bonded so no worries there about letting them come in. If I had only cats I would have them come in every other day or even every third day that is usually enough to keep the pickiest cat happy. (I have one who won't use the dirty litterbox either).

Hope this helps! you can do a search for pet sitters online and then type your zip and they will give you names. Please check references though, Pets are part of the family.

OH yeah and have fun, two disney trips you will have a ball. I hope you can work it out to spread them a little.

Take care. Smile and have Fun. NO WORRIES!!!

 

[GenieCat]

Congratulations! Hope you have two wonderful trips! We won a trip for two families back in 2000 (?) from York Photo Labs. They put us at the POFQ for a week. It was magical.