Suggestions and or assistance please

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Joined: 07/10/2013
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Suggestions and or assistance please

Hi All!!! yay

I would like to plan a land/sea vacation next year or 2016 with at least my hubby and new grandson. Not sure if I want to take all the others in my house (total of 7 of us including the baby. DH, Me, DD23, DS21, DS18, DDinlaw21, & DGS1)

I was thinking fly down on Friday night, stay at WDW maybe AOA, have park hoppers, not sure about dining plan, Monday morning take Disney Dream for 4 night spin in the Atlantic, then back to WDW on Friday with park hoppers and maybe DDP till Sunday night then sadly fly back to Maryland and go back to work to pay it all off.

I am trying to minimize time off from work (already got threatened with being fired for taking a vacation this year and taking time off to tend to my daughter's birthplan and complications.)

I know that the two week end stays would count as two reservations. I guess here is the question...Do I order mutiple day(5 day) tix with package for first weekend and get DDP and then room only package for 2nd weekend and suffer with no DDP? or do I pay extra for 2 day tix for first weekend and 3 day tix for second weekend just so we can get DDP.

This is all planning phase right now so any suggestions on how we should go about this would be appreciated.

THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE!!! awesome mickey

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Kristen K.'s picture
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MommaJG wrote:
and suffer with no DDP? or do I pay extra for 2 day tix for first weekend and 3 day tix for second weekend just so we can get DDP.

That's a great question! I guess my response is that it depends on why you believe that not having the DDP is suffering? What is it about the DDP that makes it important to you?

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Kristen K. wrote:
MommaJG wrote:
and suffer with no DDP? or do I pay extra for 2 day tix for first weekend and 3 day tix for second weekend just so we can get DDP.

That's a great question! I guess my response is that it depends on why you believe that not having the DDP is suffering? What is it about the DDP that makes it important to you?

It is the convience of it. We like knowing that everything is already paid for so we don't have to worry how much is actually coming out of pocket. If I actually have to look at the prices then I probably won't get the Filet Mignon at Teppan Edo and just stick with chicken. sad laugh

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Gotta pay that MOUSE!!
2003: Old Key West Princess Trip 2006: Off Property Family Affair
2009: All Star Music Showing Newbies Around 2010: All Star Music Finally a Honeymoon
2011: Animal Kingdom Lodge D23 Scavenger Hunt 2012: All Star Music High School Music trip
2012: Old Key West Another Princess Trip 2014: Disney Cruise Line Dream/Pop Century 15 year Anniversary

Kristen K.'s picture
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Posts: 23803

I understand completely, that's why I use it. It keeps me from adding every last penny in my head as my whole family orders, eating differently than I want to, and having panic attacks at the table.

That being said, on my last two trips I haven't had the DDP (once I stayed off property and once we had a very small food budget) and I have been just fine. I had gotten so tied to the DDP in my head (usually the deluxe) that I had worked myself up into a tizzy that it's difficult to eat on cash at Disney. It's not, not at all. mickey

If my budget was a concern, I would probably buy the 5 day tickets and just eat on cash during those last few days.

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Another way to work around DDP without totally stressing yourself out is to start buying Disney gift cards (if possible at your local Target with a red card so you save 5%). Go online and look at the menus. Pick out the most expensive thing that you think each person in your party would possibly order and calculate your total cash meal cost. (Changes are that it will be slightly less than you would end up paying per person on DDP). Remember to add tax and tip and then total up how much cash you need for your non-DDP days. Make sure that you buy at least that much in gift cards (any leftover can be applied toward snacks, souvenirs, etc.) and you'll have the same pre-paid as using DDP, but you'll have more flexibility in what you order.

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PJsLife's picture
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"(already got threatened with being fired for taking a vacation this year and taking time off to tend to my daughter's birthplan and complications.)"

OMG for real? Holy Smokes. Totes UNCOOL. gaah

Personally we love the dining plan. Partly because we pay upfront and partly because eating at nice TS places is a big part of our trip. Plus we are two meal a day kind of people. So it works for us.

sputnik's picture
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MommaJG wrote:

(already got threatened with being fired for taking a vacation this year and taking time off to tend to my daughter's birthplan and complications.)

talk to the HR department where you work. Lots of variables to this situation, but i'm reasonably confident looking after a daughter with post delivery complication is covered under the Family Medical Leave act. Plus, if you have a vacation benefit, your employer must honor it. They can't fire you for a benefit that is part of your compensation.

I've worked for abusive jerks before. It pays to know that your compensation is a legal contract that they can't violate because it's inconvenient for them to honor.