The Eighteen Years in the Planning Pre-Trip Report About This Page:

[BlueCinderellaEyes]

Wow a great price for your flights!

[chezp]

Congratulations on getting into the Beach Club Villas - and snagging a great deal on the flights!

[greentie]

What a great price for your flights! And congratulations on your resort switch. We're hoping to try BCV next summer.

[j4crew]

Oh I just got caught up and I can't wait to read more!!! Very exciting!!

[Hugmonster]

Loving your updates. The Back story is great. I wish I had done DVC the first go round instead of ten years later .

[tammyd_rn]

Loving the updates. Wonderful price on the airlines tickets as well.

[tinker_me_happy]

Sometimes I do have to work. Big Sigh... well how else am I going to pay for this obsession! Here is the next installment.

Room Reservation - all set. Airfare – all set. Now about those admission tickets… Back to purusing various Disney sites looking for the best admission price possible. Mousesavers newsletter has by far the best deal – at least for the research I had accomplished. This trip hasn’t even started and I already have plans for trip #2. Alicia and I will be going in May of 2009 for a “girls” trip. We were going to try the week of her spring break (first year away at college), but as it turns out it is the same as Easter week, so forget it! But that is another TR! No brainer as to getting DD and Mom AP’s since we will be going back. I went to undercover tourist and ordered the boys tickets online. Originally I was only going to buy 7 day park hopper passes even though we will be there eight days. But the price difference for the three tickets was a total of $18, so I bought the boys 8 day park hoppers. For an extra$18, I liked having the option of going into the park if we change our minds about our DTD day. The service was great from Undercover Tourist.

Next, my call to member services for AP vouchers. The wait time wasn’t too bad. I had a couple of experiences waiting on hold for what seemed like forever, but this wasn’t too bad. The CM (are they still called a CM if they work for DVC member services?) who answered the phone was polite at best. He wasn’t actually rude, but he was not really very helpful either. I told him I wanted to purchase Annual Passes for Alicia and I. He asked several times (well okay, only three…) if Alicia actually lived in the same house. I understand the policy through DVC is you can only purchase AP’s for members of your immediate household, but after telling him YES she does live in the same house as me and that she was my daughter, you’d think he’d figure it out! He then asked why I was purchasing them so soon, since my trip wasn’t until August. Personally I don’t think it is any of his business! But evil tongued Karen stayed quiet and I told him, “In case the price goes up before then”. He answered very emphatically that “The prices are not going to go up!” Well what does he care when I buy it then! He then proceeded to tell me I would only be getting a voucher and not the actual passes. Yes, I understand that. Yes I understand I still need to go to guest relations. {Yes I think you are an idiot for talking to me like I am a two year old.} Okay, evil Karen didn’t really say that, but I did think it! After a MOST exasperating time, I was finally able to purchase my “voucher” for two Annual Passes! YAY!

My tickets from Undercover Tourist and Vouchers came within a couple of weeks. I was a bit befuddled when the first package arrived. It was a plain wrap (yes they did tell me it would be) and I was very confused as to what it was. It never dawned on me that it could be my tickets until after I opened it. I was jumping up and down, so excited!! THEN the nerves hit! YIKES what if I lose them? I am notorious for putting things “some place safe” in my house so they won’t get lost. Of course then I forget where that someplace safe is! Not to worry, I actually have a safe, so I put them in there. The voucher came a couple days later. This time I was on the ball and knew right away what it was!

to be continued...

[B.M.]

Great update! I agree with you ; as for that cm, what does he care why you are purchasing the tickets so far in advance? I like to get stuff like that out of the way early on also. As far as loosing them (Putting them in your safe is a great idea, I am embarassed to say that mine are in my purse, how stupid is that?) its suggested that you photo copy the backs of them so that if there lost they can easily be replaced free of charge. Congrats on getting the tickets and AP's! Can't wait to hear more!

[MickeyMAC]

Great trip report. Congratulations on BCV and on your airline price. You've done a lot of planning that is really paying off.

[emtpej]

Is it possible that they have had problems with people re-selling these somehow so they are 'on the lookout' for re-sellers or something?

[disneydani]

Congrats on snagging great airfare and getting your your park tix!

danielle

[mcc0313]

Great updates...can't wait to hear more.

[TheThomasFam]

I'm lovin your Pre-TR. I can so relate to scraping to get stuff for your children.

I'm doing that right now for our June 2009 WDW trip.

I can't wait to hear what you thought of Beach Club Villas - I'm thinking of renting points for us to stay there (Take lots of pics!)

[Grammy Grumpy]

Wow, I'm lovin' this Pre-TR! You certainly have earned this trip and your DVC membership! Can't wait to hear more.

[chezp]

Sorry that DVC Cast Member was so unhelpful - why on earth should it matter to him if you're buying your tickets so early?