More Fairy Godmother Questions

[Eponine]

Sorry, all...hope you Fairy Godmother veterans aren't tired of answering these!

My husband would (understandably) like us to have an evening or two out while we're at WDW, and I'm REALLY working hard on getting comfortable with the idea of leaving our 2-year old with a sitter other than our usual girl here at home. We'd probably put him to bed before she even arrived (we'll be staying in a 1-bedroom villa), but I'd still probably like to try and book Vera of Fairy Godmothers, since I've heard so many good things about her on this board. Anyway, questions:

How far in advance can/should I book to get the Fairy Godmother that I want, since she seems so popular?

Is the travel fee different depending on where you're staying? Anyone know the rate for BWV?

Is there a particular reason (more extensive background checks, etc.) why Fairy Godmothers stands out as the babysitting service that everyone uses?

TIA!

 

[Laurabearz]

We used Vera for our two kids (3 and 2) and our BILs kids (11 yo with downs and 3 year old) No complaints.... she brought a couple of bags of toys which the kids loved.....

I did find the person we talked to on the phone to be..... hmmm..... odd..... and not together, but everything worked out fine..... we called 2 months in advance, 2 weeks in advance and once we got to the resort....... LOL Mostly becasue I didnt have faith in the lady on the phone...... but she had us down...... no problems. LOL

Not sure what else to say..... we did feel comfortable leaving our kids... mostly becasue it was 4 of them...... Vera is an older lady (50 ish) and does this full time..... she seems to know her stuff.

 

[elemusing]

We have used FGM twice on two different trips. Like you, the first time my DS was 2 and I was REALLY nervous that it was going to be a foreigner who didn't speak English well, etc. When Helen, our FGM walked in, my DS ran to her and said "Grandma!" Not sure why, she doesn't look like his grandmas. Anway, he loved her and she was great with him.

We called twice while we were out and she reassured us and wwe talked to him on the phone.

She told me that they only have older female nonsmokers and that we could always request her. We did request her and got her the next trip - a year later- and she remembered him and called him by name when she arrived.

We called about 3-4 months in advance just so we could be sure to get Helen and Laurabearz is right, the lady on the phone doesn't sound so "with-it" but she was thorough. We called about a month out just to confirm and then called when we arrived with the room number for her.

There is no extra travel fee no matter where you stay on property as far as I know. It is $12 an hour for one child plus a $12 travel fee. We always tip her as well and it ends up costing us about $100 - $120 total for one night with the tip included, but it is well worth it!!!!

I can't say enough great things about our FGM experiences. And we will use them again!

Angie

 

[Fox&Hound]

I, too, was apprehensive at first -- I've never left my children with strangers and it seemed very uncharacteristic of me to even THINK of doing so while on vacation. But, like you, my DH really wanted to spend an evening or two out, without the kids, while on vacation. I did some research and talked to a few friends who had used Fairy Godmothers themselves. Everyone I spoke to reassured me that Fairy Godmothers had an excellent reputation, they were a bonded and licensed company, and that the sitters were all experienced with child care and have undergone background checks. I must admit that even up until our sitter (Marguerite) arrived, I was anxious about leaving the kids.

As soon as we met our sitter, all of my anxieties disappeared. Our sitter was in her early fifties (by my guess) and was a grandmother herself. She was very attentive to the boys and arrived with a small suitcase of toys which the kids immediately began playing with before we even left the room. I felt like I was leaving them with a great-aunt. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them (especially Marguerite.)

I made my "reservation" 2 weeks before my trip, though I was told they really only needed 4 hours notice. I called to confirm my booking the day before we arrived, and when I did, everything was exactly as requested and the woman had all of my information. (I was also asked to call FGM when we checked in at our hotel to give them our room number.)

I agree with several other posters -- the woman who runs FGM (answers the phone) did seem just a tad bit scattered, though my impression was that she was elderly. Regardless, we had NO PROBLEMS whatsoever, scattered or not.