I have only ......... days/months till I go again.

[Amy]

...The thing that kills me is that we are DVC. We were stupid with our points from last year, and borrowed too many and then had to sell them. So I am waiting on closing on a new contract.
So, I have no points - airfare is too high... and yet I am still determined to make it happen! LOL

Oh, that sounds bad. Hope something works out for you though!!

[cy1229]

...The thing that kills me is that we are DVC. We were stupid with our points from last year, and borrowed too many and then had to sell them. So I am waiting on closing on a new contract.
So, I have no points - airfare is too high... and yet I am still determined to make it happen! LOL

Oh, that sounds bad. Hope something works out for you though!!

Have you thought about point rental? I'm with TheBIGYowski on this one. Looks like an AMAZING deal. For example, when we (want to) go to WDW for the marathon weekend to (I'll walk) run the 5k, we're going to rent points to stay in OKW. Probably just about the same cost as staying in the Poly or Boardwalk, which are our next resorts to "try." but, since we're trying to keep this trip less expensive, we're going to do what's cost-effective rather than our heart's desire.

[La Maleficenta]

105 Days to go.

[elfy18]

4 months 1 week left to endure before getting back to WDW. Have yet to make reservations, but I'm hoping to spend one night in the theme park view at the Contemporary to see the fireworks.

[Chuckus95]

104 days until Nov. 7.

[Amy]

104 days until Nov. 7.

That sounds better in days than it does in months!

[TurkeyLeg]

91 More days till I see Mickey and the Boo to you parade.

[JenMuse]

No official dates, but I finally set up an on-going search with RCI to trade some of my Hilton Vacation Club points for a DVC reservation: check-in day sometime between Oct 3 & 19th, 2014...plan is to buy a premium passport (yep, the fancy gold one with admission to all US parks) and hit WDW at least thrice (6 days each trip) between Oct 2014 and Oct 2015, trading Hilton points for DVC so I don't have to rent a car in FL ever again!

I'll hopefully be able to work in at least 2 DL trips too since I can drive there.

[Amy]

No official dates, but I finally set up an on-going search with RCI to trade some of my Hilton Vacation Club points for a DVC reservation: check-in day sometime between Oct 3 & 19th, 2014...plan is to buy a premium passport (yep, the fancy gold one with admission to all US parks) and hit WDW at least thrice (6 days each trip) between Oct 2014 and Oct 2015, trading Hilton points for DVC so I don't have to rent a car in FL ever again!

I'll hopefully be able to work in at least 2 DL trips too since I can drive there.

Wow! That sounds like an awesome plan I really want one of those golden tickets, but I am almost certain we won't be making it to WDW within a year of hitting DL this December, so I just can't justify it

[JenMuse]

Wow! That sounds like an awesome plan I really want one of those golden tickets, but I am almost certain we won't be making it to WDW within a year of hitting DL this December, so I just can't justify it

It's a plan, shall see if it comes to fruition. Definitely want to spend my 40th birthday at WDW (January 2015), if I can swing 2 trips to WDW and at least 1 to DL resorts, the premium penciled out when I had to factor in parking costs for staying off site for both WDW trips.

$979 Premium Annual Pass

Versus

$713.50 WDW Two 7 day park hoppers (from Undercover Tourist)
$ 98.00 WDW Parking (7 days at $14)
$197.00 DL 2 day park hopper
$ 32.00 DL parking (2 days)
_______
$1,040.50

If I trade into DVC for at least 1 trip, it still works in my favor but I'll end up renting a car at least one trip...exchanging thru RCI for DVC points requires a full week stay which means only 2 trips to WDW. If I stay with Hilton, I can do 4 Sun-Fri stays in a studio (fly in Sunday night, hit the parks Mon-Sat, fly out Saturday early evening) and have 680 points left over to roll to 2016 or rent out to help pay my maintenance fees (680 points = a 1 bedroom suite for Fri-Sun)...assuming I can afford the rental car and airfare (may or may not use airline points for a 5 person trip to Hawaii in 2015, but if I don't then I can get at least 2 free round trips to Disney)....

And yes, I have a crazy spreadsheet that keeps track of all this.

If I can get to WDW third week of Oct 2014, third week of Jan 2015, then second week of Oct 2015, I'd get 3 trips out of 1 premium pass making any and all DL trips gravy.

Of course if my company ever implements the twice threatened forced vacation at Christmas (closing the office the week of Christmas), I won't have enough vacation time to go on 2 trips a year.

[cy1229]

Wow! That sounds like an awesome plan I really want one of those golden tickets, but I am almost certain we won't be making it to WDW within a year of hitting DL this December, so I just can't justify it

It's a plan, shall see if it comes to fruition. Definitely want to spend my 40th birthday at WDW (January 2015), if I can swing 2 trips to WDW and at least 1 to DL resorts, the premium penciled out when I had to factor in parking costs for staying off site for both WDW trips.

$979 Premium Annual Pass

Versus

$713.50 WDW Two 7 day park hoppers (from Undercover Tourist)
$ 98.00 WDW Parking (7 days at $14)
$197.00 DL 2 day park hopper
$ 32.00 DL parking (2 days)
_______
$1,040.50

If I trade into DVC for at least 1 trip, it still works in my favor but I'll end up renting a car at least one trip...exchanging thru RCI for DVC points requires a full week stay which means only 2 trips to WDW. If I stay with Hilton, I can do 4 Sun-Fri stays in a studio (fly in Sunday night, hit the parks Mon-Sat, fly out Saturday early evening) and have 680 points left over to roll to 2016 or rent out to help pay my maintenance fees (680 points = a 1 bedroom suite for Fri-Sun)...assuming I can afford the rental car and airfare (may or may not use airline points for a 5 person trip to Hawaii in 2015, but if I don't then I can get at least 2 free round trips to Disney)....

And yes, I have a crazy spreadsheet that keeps track of all this.

If I can get to WDW third week of Oct 2014, third week of Jan 2015, then second week of Oct 2015, I'd get 3 trips out of 1 premium pass making any and all DL trips gravy.

Of course if my company ever implements the twice threatened forced vacation at Christmas (closing the office the week of Christmas), I won't have enough vacation time to go on 2 trips a year.

My mind thinks it's Dory.

Just keep swimming... just keep swimming...

I'm glad you're the "numbers" type and can crunch all of this. If I ever get to the point where I'm doing something along these lines I know whom to ask for help. JenMuse the Lifeguard, who keeps us from drowning in numbers.

[Amy]

Wow JenMuse ~ you have it all figured out! I didn't even look at the numbers, I just knew it wasn't financially feasible for the tickets and trips sigh....
JenMuse the Lifeguard ~ clever cy1229!
Will your company let you take an unpaid week over Christmas? Then you could keep your vacation time. I used to do that at the fire department. We could take an unpaid day off if we found someone willing to work for trade time. Or if it was something important, we could just take the day off without pay anyhow. I did that a few times. It really didn't change the amount of vacation, but they couldn't turn vacation time down

[JenMuse]

I live and die by spreadsheets....

[boilerbabe]

It's official...just hung up with Disney...we're going to celebrate my mom winning her fight against cancer! Christmas with the Mouse, my family and my mom is beating her cancer!

I have to say...this is the kindest reservation agent I have ever spoken to! Lourdes was fantastic! We booked the Boardwalk Club Level, there was only 1 room left! She called guest relations and told them we were celebrating a personal triumph, my mom beating cancer, she said the CM she spoke to was in remission herself and made it happen!!! Yahoo!!!!!

[Amy]

It's official...just hung up with Disney...we're going to celebrate my mom winning her fight against cancer! Christmas with the Mouse, my family and my mom is beating her cancer!

I have to say...this is the kindest reservation agent I have ever spoken to! Lourdes was fantastic! We booked the Boardwalk Club Level, there was only 1 room left! She called guest relations and told them we were celebrating a personal triumph, my mom beating cancer, she said the CM she spoke to was in remission herself and made it happen!!! Yahoo!!!!!

That is great news ~ so glad you are going to be able to make this trip happen. Club level at the Boardwalk should be fantastic plus you should definitely be in on the Magic Band+ testing!