Wooing a Disney Hatin' DH -- in August...SINGLE DIGITS!!!

[HeatherBelle614]

RAPstar forgot to mention that 106 is BEFORE the head index. (Hiiii, DFW neighbor!)

You're getting so close!! Are you unable to sleep yet?

 

[RAPstar]

^What's a head index? :

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I think we are going to invest in one of the mister fans while in WDW. I am beginning to fear the heat too, its so HUMID and MUGGY and NASTY here in NJ, I could only wonder what its going to be like there in 16 more days in Florida.

Then I think MK and DHS shouldn't be too bad, there's lots of indoor type things. Its Epcot and AK that I am worried about.

We are currently watching those Disney Sing Alongs here...we're watching the Camping @ Fort Wilderness one right now, we've already watched today so far....Best Pals: Mickey and Pluto, Lilo and Stitch, Lilo and Stitch: Stitch has a Glitch, Stitch!, Disney Sing Alongs: Fort Wilderness, The One @ Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. I think she wants to watch the other 2 sing alongs after this haha.

 

[Glite]

Okay, so I'm a sucker for a bargain. I love yard sales, using coupons and getting a great discount code. This is no exception for trip planning. I'm one of THOSE people. You know, the one who books a trip and then stalks the prices to make sure they didn't go down. And if they do go down, well I'll try to get some sort of credit for the difference (ala Southwest). If I can't get a credit, I'll just sit and pout about it for a little bit. Yeah, I know, sad. Anyway, to make a short point longer, here are my deals I've scored for the trip so far:

Airfare - "Visit Florida" Southwest Promo

I originally paid $205.40 per ticket on Southwest. I was pretty bummed b/c it was the first time I'd ever paid more over $200 to fly down to MCO. Le sigh. Of course, I kept stalking the site in case the fares went down. I also stumbled across the "Visit Florida" Southwest discount promotion over on the "Transportation" board. The promo gives you $25 off each ticket purchased. SCORE!!! I rebooked our tickets (which had dropped down in price by $1) and wound up saving $26 off each ticket. Hey, now I have $52 more to spend on pins!

Renting DVC Points

I've rented DVC points three times so far, and enjoyed each time. We first rented DVC points last August. I'd read about it and thought, why not? I'd always wanted to stay at WL, and it seemed like the most affordable option available. There's a great "DVC - Rent/Trade" board here on DIS. For this trip, I was able to find a person to rent from for $9/point. We needed 70 points, so the total wound up being $630. That's $126/night (including tax) for a studio at VWL! I priced it on the Disney site, and regular price it would've been $330/night plus tax and even with the 40% pin it would've been $198/night plus tax. Uh, yeah...we got a pretty sweet deal!

Hitting the Orbitz Jackpot

We were planning on staying at POR for our last night. We knew we didn't want to rent points over Friday or Saturday, and figured doing one night someplace else wouldn't be terrible. We received a pin and I booked POR for $125.21/night including tax. Good for a moderate, not great compared to my VWL DVC rate, but okay. Well, one of my friends on Facebook made a comment about finding a super cheap deal on Orbitz a few weeks ago. Well, of course I had to go check it out. Once there, I literally squealed with joy. They were listing a garden view room at the Poly for $149.15/night after tax! The rack rate is $411/night including tax. The 40% rate is $249/night including tax. So, we basically got 40% off the already discounted 40% rate. Squeeee!!!! Either Orbitz was running a pretty dang good sale that day, or someone got fired for a pretty big whoops. Either way, we're staying at the Poly for one night!! Yeah, a part of me wishes I hadn't rented points (no refund policy w/ my agreement) and stayed the entire week at the Poly. Le pooh. Oh well, one night is better than nothing at the Poly!!!!!!!!!!!!

I rented DVC points many of time and stayed in the resorts a few days after or a few days before our Disney packaged itinerary b\c it has the tickets and dining plan included. So, my question is, did you purchase your park tickets and food seperate? Or, was it included in the DVC points purchase? If you did buy it seperate, was it at the main park entrances? Or, through an agent or through Disney. Just asking, so I can get more information, so next time we go, I know how to better package this with my DVC resort stay. Thanks for the advice and DW and I are excited about you and your family's trip. It will be hear as soon as you know it.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Don't mean to thread jack, but how do you go about renting DVC points? Whats the pros/cons?

 

[Glite]

Go to the main Disboards home page and scroll down to see DVC-Rent Points from DVC members. On that forum you can post a thread stating that you are looking to purchase points. You need to list what DVC resort you are looking for and the dates and someone will eventually will email you if those dates are available. If it is not available you may need to adjust your dates and a different resort if that is not available. You may need an account with Pay Pal to send payment to the DVC member, then once they receive payment, they will make the reservations in your name and mail you the original copy. Call the resort about a week or 2 before your stay to confirm your reservations. Show up to the resort and check in just like you check in any other hotel or resort. Some members want the renter to sign a form and it back. It is like a basic rental form, just so that the member is not responsible for any additional fees(broken furniture,additional charges,etc.)

Before sending a thread, you must know how many points you need to purchase. You can go to the www.wdwinfo.com to see the points calendar for the dates that you are going. Example, if my trip dates are Sept. 29 through October 7 and I want to stay at OKW, then I look at how many points that I need for that week. So, let's suppose I need 200 points to stay in a studio for the days that I am going. Then, I post a thread, "Looking to rent points for a studio at OKW for Sept. 29 - Oct. 7". The points are more if you want to stay in a 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, etc. The points are more on weekends than in the week. Send me an PM if you have anymore questions.

 

[Glite]

Don't mean to thread jack, but how do you go about renting DVC points? Whats the pros/cons?

I also send you a PM. Those pros are that you do not need to be a DVC member to stay at these resorts and you can get a good discounted deal. I don't know of any cons, except that the per point price might be high. Some members are just trying to sell their points, so there per point price might be good and reasonable, but some might have a high per point price, but keep trying to get a good per point price from a member that is in your price range.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

first, let me say...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Rosanne Rosannadanna...!!!

OK, now that I got that out, my suggeston, as long as DH wouldnt be too self conscience to use it, like a million others will be using while you're there , is one of those mister fans. That worked for someone I once knew who had real issues with heat and sweating. Those chilly pads look very interesting tho! Couldn't hurt to try!

I've thought about a mister, but then we'd have to lug it around. My nephews have used them at the parks before, though, and they loved them! I might breakdown and get one before we leave.

Because I use a bazillion zip lock bags when packing, I have some extra to load with ice. We wrap a washcloth or hand towel from the bathroom with ice and drap over our necks if the heat is that bad. Really helps. We are not alone and I see lots of guests doing this.

Ha, I think I need to start bringing some bags w/ me. Last August, we'd freeze bottles of water in the room fridge and wrap them up in a washcloth. It worked so well! I might try freezing the washcloth this time, too.

RAPstar forgot to mention that 106 is BEFORE the head index. (Hiiii, DFW neighbor!)

You're getting so close!! Are you unable to sleep yet?

Um...EW!!!! That's just obscene. I don't know about you guys, but we were totally spoiled last summer. The hottest it got was 85! It was awesome. I'm over this %&*$#)$ heat!!!

^What's a head index? :

Welllll....according to the Weather Bug app, it was 173. Honestly, I don't think it was too far off. The more accurate one said 115.

I think we are going to invest in one of the mister fans while in WDW. I am beginning to fear the heat too, its so HUMID and MUGGY and NASTY here in NJ, I could only wonder what its going to be like there in 16 more days in Florida.

Then I think MK and DHS shouldn't be too bad, there's lots of indoor type things. Its Epcot and AK that I am worried about.

We are currently watching those Disney Sing Alongs here...we're watching the Camping @ Fort Wilderness one right now, we've already watched today so far....Best Pals: Mickey and Pluto, Lilo and Stitch, Lilo and Stitch: Stitch has a Glitch, Stitch!, Disney Sing Alongs: Fort Wilderness, The One @ Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. I think she wants to watch the other 2 sing alongs after this haha.

Yeah, this summer has been brutal! Our office building is only operating on 30% cooling right now (I work on a local university's campus and they're CHEAP). I feel like my office is a sauna.

Epcot wasn't too bad last year -- but AK is crazy hot! All of the foliage there makes it even more humid. Plus, there aren't a ton of places w/ AC there. DH and I rode KRR last August in attempts to cool off. OOPS! We wound up walking around w/ wet butts ALL morning b/c we wouldn't dry b/c it was so humid. We finally went back to the room to detox after that.

Aw, that sounds fun!! I want to watch. I have all of the Disney shows from the Travel Channel, Disney Modern Marvels, and all the old ABC shows when they went to WDW on my DVR. It's time to start watching to get in the mood!! Man...I love those two WDW Full House episodes!!

I rented DVC points many of time and stayed in the resorts a few days after or a few days before our Disney packaged itinerary b\c it has the tickets and dining plan included. So, my question is, did you purchase your park tickets and food seperate? Or, was it included in the DVC points purchase? If you did buy it seperate, was it at the main park entrances? Or, through an agent or through Disney. Just asking, so I can get more information, so next time we go, I know how to better package this with my DVC resort stay. Thanks for the advice and DW and I are excited about you and your family's trip. It will be hear as soon as you know it.

Hi!

We're not on the DDP and we bought our tickets through Undercover Tourist. We typically eat off site for dinner (DH hates Disney food ) and we were able to save $20ish per ticket going through Undercover Tourist.

When I went in January, we also rented points. The good thing about DVC is you don't have to buy tickets through Disney to do the DDP. Plus, everyone in your party doesn't have to have the same type of ticket. We bought our tickets through Undercover Tourist and did the DDP so we saved even more money! It was perfect. You can only do that if you're renting or own DVC points, though.

Let me know if you have any more questions. It's super easy and a great money saver!!

Don't mean to thread jack, but how do you go about renting DVC points? Whats the pros/cons?

No worries! I love helping people out -- especially when it comes to WDW!!! Basically, there are two sites that I used when looking for someone to rent DVC from:

1) DIS Boards -- They have a rent/trade board.

2) Mouse Owners -- Another great place that offers a rent/trade board.

I've found someone to rent from on both of these sites. Each time has been great! Mouse Owners has some really good general information about renting DVC points here.

Let me know if you have any more questions!!

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Call the resort about a week or 2 before your stay to confirm your reservations.

You can also check your reservation anytime using thislink.

I also send you a PM. Those pros are that you do not need to be a DVC member to stay at these resorts and you can get a good discounted deal. I don't know of any cons, except that the per point price might be high. Some members are just trying to sell their points, so there per point price might be good and reasonable, but some might have a high per point price, but keep trying to get a good per point price from a member that is in your price range.

There are some people who sell their points for $12-13/each. I think that seems high. I like to stay within the $9-10/each range. I've typically rented at $9/point and it's a GREAT deal!! Of course, those people are harder to get than others.

Also, I always suggest getting a contract and checking references. Since you don't know these people, there's always a feeling of skepticism. If they're legit, they will have no problem providing references and having a good contract.

One other suggestion -- I've always made sure the reservation is booked before sending money. Once the reservation is confirmed, I send the money and the person I'm renting from then transfers the reservation into my name.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I also send you a PM. Those pros are that you do not need to be a DVC member to stay at these resorts and you can get a good discounted deal. I don't know of any cons, except that the per point price might be high. Some members are just trying to sell their points, so there per point price might be good and reasonable, but some might have a high per point price, but keep trying to get a good per point price from a member that is in your price range.

Thank you, I will def. look into this for our next trip in 2011. We leave in 13 days for our upcoming trip

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I've thought about a mister, but then we'd have to lug it around. My nephews have used them at the parks before, though, and they loved them! I might breakdown and get one before we leave.



Ha, I think I need to start bringing some bags w/ me. Last August, we'd freeze bottles of water in the room fridge and wrap them up in a washcloth. It worked so well! I might try freezing the washcloth this time, too.



Um...EW!!!! That's just obscene. I don't know about you guys, but we were totally spoiled last summer. The hottest it got was 85! It was awesome. I'm over this %&*$#)$ heat!!!



Welllll....according to the Weather Bug app, it was 173. Honestly, I don't think it was too far off. The more accurate one said 115.



Yeah, this summer has been brutal! Our office building is only operating on 30% cooling right now (I work on a local university's campus and they're CHEAP). I feel like my office is a sauna.

Epcot wasn't too bad last year -- but AK is crazy hot! All of the foliage there makes it even more humid. Plus, there aren't a ton of places w/ AC there. DH and I rode KRR last August in attempts to cool off. OOPS! We wound up walking around w/ wet butts ALL morning b/c we wouldn't dry b/c it was so humid. We finally went back to the room to detox after that.

Aw, that sounds fun!! I want to watch. I have all of the Disney shows from the Travel Channel, Disney Modern Marvels, and all the old ABC shows when they went to WDW on my DVR. It's time to start watching to get in the mood!! Man...I love those two WDW Full House episodes!!



Hi!

We're not on the DDP and we bought our tickets through Undercover Tourist. We typically eat off site for dinner (DH hates Disney food ) and we were able to save $20ish per ticket going through Undercover Tourist.

When I went in January, we also rented points. The good thing about DVC is you don't have to buy tickets through Disney to do the DDP. Plus, everyone in your party doesn't have to have the same type of ticket. We bought our tickets through Undercover Tourist and did the DDP so we saved even more money! It was perfect. You can only do that if you're renting or own DVC points, though.

Let me know if you have any more questions. It's super easy and a great money saver!!



No worries! I love helping people out -- especially when it comes to WDW!!! Basically, there are two sites that I used when looking for someone to rent DVC from:

1) DIS Boards -- They have a rent/trade board.

2) Mouse Owners -- Another great place that offers a rent/trade board.

I've found someone to rent from on both of these sites. Each time has been great! Mouse Owners has some really good general information about renting DVC points here.

Let me know if you have any more questions!!

You can also check your reservation anytime using thislink.



There are some people who sell their points for $12-13/each. I think that seems high. I like to stay within the $9-10/each range. I've typically rented at $9/point and it's a GREAT deal!! Of course, those people are harder to get than others.

Also, I always suggest getting a contract and checking references. Since you don't know these people, there's always a feeling of skepticism. If they're legit, they will have no problem providing references and having a good contract.

One other suggestion -- I've always made sure the reservation is booked before sending money. Once the reservation is confirmed, I send the money and the person I'm renting from then transfers the reservation into my name.

Yes b/c I was wondering how do you know these people are legit, so its ok to ask for references and a contract?
You got a good deal, we're paying more for CBR lol.
But now I'm confused, you can't do DDP right? And the park tickets would be separate right?

 

[Kellybelly777]

Aw, that sounds fun!! I want to watch. I have all of the Disney shows from the Travel Channel, Disney Modern Marvels, and all the old ABC shows when they went to WDW on my DVR. It's time to start watching to get in the mood!! Man...I love those two WDW Full House episodes!!

We do all the same things!!! We have the singalongs from when I was little, and every disney show imaginable (travel channel, modern marvels, food netork stuff, you name it!!!) set to record every time they're on!!!

I LOVE the abc ones too!!! The only ones I've seen are the Full house one, step by step, family matters and there was another but I can't remember what it was It's too bad though, because it seems like the full house one is the only one thats ever on (but I still love it )

 

[Glite]

You can also check your reservation anytime using thislink.



There are some people who sell their points for $12-13/each. I think that seems high. I like to stay within the $9-10/each range. I've typically rented at $9/point and it's a GREAT deal!! Of course, those people are harder to get than others.

Also, I always suggest getting a contract and checking references. Since you don't know these people, there's always a feeling of skepticism. If they're legit, they will have no problem providing references and having a good contract.

One other suggestion -- I've always made sure the reservation is booked before sending money. Once the reservation is confirmed, I send the money and the person I'm renting from then transfers the reservation into my name.

Thanks for information. One more question; did you buy the DDP through under cover tourist or through a DVC member?
Thanks!

 

[Glite]

You can also check your reservation anytime using thislink.



There are some people who sell their points for $12-13/each. I think that seems high. I like to stay within the $9-10/each range. I've typically rented at $9/point and it's a GREAT deal!! Of course, those people are harder to get than others.

Also, I always suggest getting a contract and checking references. Since you don't know these people, there's always a feeling of skepticism. If they're legit, they will have no problem providing references and having a good contract.


One other suggestion -- I've always made sure the reservation is booked before sending money. Once the reservation is confirmed, I send the money and the person I'm renting from then transfers the reservation into my name.

Yes, I like to stick within the $8-$10 range; anything higher than that is too high for me.

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Go to the main Disboards home page and scroll down to see DVC-Rent Points from DVC members. On that forum you can post a thread stating that you are looking to purchase points. You need to list what DVC resort you are looking for and the dates and someone will eventually will email you if those dates are available. If it is not available you may need to adjust your dates and a different resort if that is not available. You may need an account with Pay Pal to send payment to the DVC member, then once they receive payment, they will make the reservations in your name and mail you the original copy. Call the resort about a week or 2 before your stay to confirm your reservations. Show up to the resort and check in just like you check in any other hotel or resort. Some members want the renter to sign a form and it back. It is like a basic rental form, just so that the member is not responsible for any additional fees(broken furniture,additional charges,etc.)

Before sending a thread, you must know how many points you need to purchase. You can go to the www.wdwinfo.com to see the points calendar for the dates that you are going. Example, if my trip dates are Sept. 29 through October 7 and I want to stay at OKW, then I look at how many points that I need for that week. So, let's suppose I need 200 points to stay in a studio for the days that I am going. Then, I post a thread, "Looking to rent points for a studio at OKW for Sept. 29 - Oct. 7". The points are more if you want to stay in a 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, etc. The points are more on weekends than in the week. Send me an PM if you have anymore questions.

You can't post a "Wanted" thread anymore; they did away with that a while ago. Now, you just go to the RENT/TRADE thread and see what DVC members are offering (how many points they have, price per point, etc.)

Also, the resort will not speak to you (the renter); I'm not sure if this is new or not, but I'm currently renting and they will definitely not talk to you without your DVC information - which you don't have since you are a renter. All communication has to go through the DVC member. There is a website where you can continuously check your reservation, though. It's the main DVC reservation website (not a WDW direct site). I can link it if anyone would like it.

 

[Glite]

You can't post a "Wanted" thread anymore; they did away with that a while ago. Now, you just go to the RENT/TRADE thread and see what DVC members are offering (how many points they have, price per point, etc.)

Also, the resort will not speak to you (the renter); I'm not sure if this is new or not, but I'm currently renting and they will definitely not talk to you without your DVC information - which you don't have since you are a renter. All communication has to go through the DVC member. There is a website where you can continuously check your reservation, though. It's the main DVC reservation website (not a WDW direct site). I can link it if anyone would like it.

I always check my DVC reservation online, which I did not mention in my post above. I do have the website, but thanks for asking.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Yes b/c I was wondering how do you know these people are legit, so its ok to ask for references and a contract?
You got a good deal, we're paying more for CBR lol.
But now I'm confused, you can't do DDP right? And the park tickets would be separate right?

Oh, definitely! In fact, the reputable ones always have them. If they act funky about it, I'd suggest going with someone else.

You can do the DDP, but you have to have the person you're renting from make the arrangements through Disney directly. You just don't have to buy the tickets from Disney, like you would if you were booking a room any other way.

We do all the same things!!! We have the singalongs from when I was little, and every disney show imaginable (travel channel, modern marvels, food netork stuff, you name it!!!) set to record every time they're on!!!

I LOVE the abc ones too!!! The only ones I've seen are the Full house one, step by step, family matters and there was another but I can't remember what it was It's too bad though, because it seems like the full house one is the only one thats ever on (but I still love it )

Ha, that's awesome!!

There's also a Boy Meets World and Rosanne (not my favorite) one. I had to YouTube the Boy Meets World one. Here are the links to the episode:

Part One

Part Two

I still think the Full House one is my favorite. I could watch that all the time! Oh, btw, there is a website that shows all Disney theme park related programming that will be on. Here's the link.

Thanks for information. One more question; did you buy the DDP through under cover tourist or through a DVC member?
Thanks!

We had to book the DDP through the DVC member.

Yes, I like to stick within the $8-$10 range; anything higher than that is too high for me.

Yeah, it stops being a good deal after a certain point. I don't like that guy that has his own website and sells for $12-13/pt. He pm'ed me and claimed I would never find anything below $12/pt. Psh, whatever pushy.

You can't post a "Wanted" thread anymore; they did away with that a while ago. Now, you just go to the RENT/TRADE thread and see what DVC members are offering (how many points they have, price per point, etc.)

Also, the resort will not speak to you (the renter); I'm not sure if this is new or not, but I'm currently renting and they will definitely not talk to you without your DVC information - which you don't have since you are a renter. All communication has to go through the DVC member. There is a website where you can continuously check your reservation, though. It's the main DVC reservation website (not a WDW direct site). I can link it if anyone would like it.

You can still post "Reservation Wanted" threads on Mouse Owners.

No, it's been that way for at least two years. It's a pain, but it's still worth it when you think of all the $$ you're saving!!

Here's that link Heather mentioned. I check mine religiously, just to make sure it's still there.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

It is 16 days, 0 hours, 4 minutes and 33 seconds until we leave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so freaking excited.

I'm sitting here listening to Mouse House Radio (LOVE!!) on Live 365. If anyone hasn't checked it out, I highly suggest it. Right now, they're playing the SSE ride audio. It's making me SO excited for our trip!!! I'm obsessed w/ Live 365. It's great.

I'm also really excited b/c I'm going to see Keith Urban, live, next week. He's my absolute FAVORITE singer and I can't wait!!!

I also stopped at Hallmark this week and picked up these:

Thanks to HeatherBelle614 for the heads up about these awesome little things. I almost left the store with more than just two. I had to limit myself.

I think we're going to pull out the suitcases soon, too! For some reason, I get REALLY excited when that happens. Now, I need to work on a packing list.

 

[HeatherBelle614]

I will definitely have to check out Mouse Owners; I still don't understand why they did away with the Wanted thread here, but I'm sure there was some reason behind it.

Thanks for posting the DVC link; I check through that all the time, too. I just wish they'd add VGC on there for our trip next June.

I love the stuff you bought at Hallmark! I've spent wayyyy too much there lately.

BTW, are you on FB? PM me your page link, if so!

ETA - For anyone that has been asking rental questions, I can also tell you how to check that the member does have a deed through the comptroller office. That's always one of the first things I verify. Let me know if anyone is interested!

 

[Nicole786]

Those Hallmark plaques are too cute!! I'll have to check them out and maybe pick up one for myself!! Can you believe how close we are?? I'm freaking out, I hope the next 2 weeks fly by!