franandaj
I'm so happy, I could BOUNCE!
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2009
For those who know Fran and I you are probably reading the title, and scratching your heads right now thinking, “Don’t all your kids have four legs and they aren’t allowed at WDW?”
Well, yes. But it turns out that we have some other kids in our lives that we were’t so aware of. They are not OUR kids, you notice the title reads, we took “the” kids. Jim and Alberto.
Or there is the alternate choice for title, “Hold that Bus! How we barely missed almost every bus.”
So this trip has been in the works for probably four years now. Ever since we got back from the trip we took in 2010 where we brought my parents along, we've talked about bringing some friends. We knew that Jim and Alberto were the next set of friends that we would bring, and after seeing my photos from the 2011 F&G Festival, Jim had expressed an interest in going at this time of year.
Anyone who has been following for a while will remember the years of one canceled trip after another back in 2011-2012. In 2013 we had our "gamers meet" at WDW and Fran and I had a Southwestern Road trip planned for the spring of 2014. Sometime in 2013 we agreed that the trip with Jim & Alberto would be in April of 2015.
I did everything by the book. I reserved the accommodations at 11 months, ADRs at 180 days, we had plane reservations, FP+ booked, everything was set. And then one month before we were to fly out, Fran broke her leg and I had to scramble to cancel everything and get some value for our points and airfare. It worked out for the best as Jim was having some dental issues which ended up costing him a lot of the money he had saved up for the trip. We decided postponing the trip for a year was probably the best bet.
It has actually worked out for the best as Alberto was able to join us for the trip in 2016. Again I booked accommodations at 11 months, however I didn't have enough points remaining to stay at one location for the duration of the trip. Initially we were at the VWL for three nights and the Treehouse Villas for four nights. However, at 7 months (when my points were good anywhere at DVC properties) I called Member Services to see what I could do. This was also the period when the Polynesian Villas were opening. I had one friend who had already scored a stay in one of the studios. Since there are no one bedroom units at the Poly and Fran has sworn off staying in studios, I figured our only chance to stay here would be when we had friends with us and we could get a bungalow.
We added a night to our two bedroom reservation at VWL for our 4th night there, and then the Accessible Bungalow at the Poly was available for the next three nights. At 135 points per night, that pretty much drained my point coffers! I mean anyone who read my 50th Birthday TR knows I spent that same amount of points for a Grand Villa at the VGC last May, and that was accommodations for nearly a dozen people. And now I was spending as much for four of us!
But still, we had our 1 week stay and it included three nights in a Poly Bungalow! Now I'm sure staying in a Treehouse Villa might not have been so bad either, but you don't have a fireworks view from your balcony staying there.
The trip began with Fran and myself Cheating on Mickey with Harry. We had two nights at Loew's Royal Pacific before transferring to Disney where we met up with Jim and Alberto. Originally they were supposed to join us, but due to personal matters they were not able to travel on the same day as Fran and I. When they finally booked their tickets, they ended up on a red eye that arrived at 5:30AM in Orlando on Friday the 29th with a lovely three hour layover in Denver in the middle of the night.
So now that you have the history of how this trip came about, let's introduce the players. Fran and I are the DVC owners and certifiable Disney Fanatics. Here we are on some of our trips last year.
Jim and Alberto also love Disney and have had APs for most of the time we have known them. Unfortunately Alberto had a small scare the week before we left, but I have to say that these pictures they posted on FB while waiting for the doctor in the ER give you some insight into their character.
This is only the beginnings of their antics!
And here we are at Disneyland together over the past few years.
So without further adieu let's get on with the TR!
Well, yes. But it turns out that we have some other kids in our lives that we were’t so aware of. They are not OUR kids, you notice the title reads, we took “the” kids. Jim and Alberto.
Or there is the alternate choice for title, “Hold that Bus! How we barely missed almost every bus.”
So this trip has been in the works for probably four years now. Ever since we got back from the trip we took in 2010 where we brought my parents along, we've talked about bringing some friends. We knew that Jim and Alberto were the next set of friends that we would bring, and after seeing my photos from the 2011 F&G Festival, Jim had expressed an interest in going at this time of year.
Anyone who has been following for a while will remember the years of one canceled trip after another back in 2011-2012. In 2013 we had our "gamers meet" at WDW and Fran and I had a Southwestern Road trip planned for the spring of 2014. Sometime in 2013 we agreed that the trip with Jim & Alberto would be in April of 2015.
I did everything by the book. I reserved the accommodations at 11 months, ADRs at 180 days, we had plane reservations, FP+ booked, everything was set. And then one month before we were to fly out, Fran broke her leg and I had to scramble to cancel everything and get some value for our points and airfare. It worked out for the best as Jim was having some dental issues which ended up costing him a lot of the money he had saved up for the trip. We decided postponing the trip for a year was probably the best bet.
It has actually worked out for the best as Alberto was able to join us for the trip in 2016. Again I booked accommodations at 11 months, however I didn't have enough points remaining to stay at one location for the duration of the trip. Initially we were at the VWL for three nights and the Treehouse Villas for four nights. However, at 7 months (when my points were good anywhere at DVC properties) I called Member Services to see what I could do. This was also the period when the Polynesian Villas were opening. I had one friend who had already scored a stay in one of the studios. Since there are no one bedroom units at the Poly and Fran has sworn off staying in studios, I figured our only chance to stay here would be when we had friends with us and we could get a bungalow.
We added a night to our two bedroom reservation at VWL for our 4th night there, and then the Accessible Bungalow at the Poly was available for the next three nights. At 135 points per night, that pretty much drained my point coffers! I mean anyone who read my 50th Birthday TR knows I spent that same amount of points for a Grand Villa at the VGC last May, and that was accommodations for nearly a dozen people. And now I was spending as much for four of us!
But still, we had our 1 week stay and it included three nights in a Poly Bungalow! Now I'm sure staying in a Treehouse Villa might not have been so bad either, but you don't have a fireworks view from your balcony staying there.
The trip began with Fran and myself Cheating on Mickey with Harry. We had two nights at Loew's Royal Pacific before transferring to Disney where we met up with Jim and Alberto. Originally they were supposed to join us, but due to personal matters they were not able to travel on the same day as Fran and I. When they finally booked their tickets, they ended up on a red eye that arrived at 5:30AM in Orlando on Friday the 29th with a lovely three hour layover in Denver in the middle of the night.
So now that you have the history of how this trip came about, let's introduce the players. Fran and I are the DVC owners and certifiable Disney Fanatics. Here we are on some of our trips last year.
Jim and Alberto also love Disney and have had APs for most of the time we have known them. Unfortunately Alberto had a small scare the week before we left, but I have to say that these pictures they posted on FB while waiting for the doctor in the ER give you some insight into their character.
This is only the beginnings of their antics!
And here we are at Disneyland together over the past few years.
So without further adieu let's get on with the TR!