Thank you Termites...The NEXT Trip is on!

**TRIP UPDATE A LITTLE FARTHER DOWN - OFFICIALLY BOOKED SEP 17-21, 2009**

Having gone the first week of June, I figured my next trip to Disney would be in the Sep/Oct region. ; I'm going on a cruise in November, and of course Pixelmania in December...so usually I like to schedule a Sep/Oct Disney trip just for a quick 3-4 dayer to have a brief end-of-summer getaway. ; It only costs me 1 work day as I run it over the weekend.

So I was getting my head prepared for all that time without Disney from the June trip to the Sep/Oct trip...when I got some interesting bad (good? ; bad with silver lining?) news.

The building in which I work has been struggling with intermittent termite invasions...no surprise when you stick a building made of wood in a swamp. ; Spot treatments and basic pesticides have been keeping them from damaging any of the frame, but wood shingles, exterior boarding, and even trim bits have been getting chewed, and we occasionally find little termite wings on our inside windowsills - a sure sign of breeding. ; So they've announced to all of the offices in the building that we have to get together and agree on a time to do a full building tenting. ; This will mean two work days we will be shut down - not even remote connections, as all the electronics have to be shut down and covered. ; It can't be on the weekend either.

So suddenly I'm confronted with an interesting opportunity...if everyone in the building can agree that the best two days to do the tenting during the week would be either a Monday/Tuesday, or a Thursday/Friday...then sometime in August, I'll likely have a nice, long 4-day weekend with nothing whatsoever to do. ; Hmmm...DVC doesn't cost anything extra to book. ; Already have an annual pass. ; Can bring some food supplies for the villa or studio, and soft drinks. ; It'll likely be solo, so no fancy meals needed. ; Wait...I have about $100 in Disney Rewards on my Visa - that should cover meals. ; Only takes 1 1/4 tanks of gas round-trip to Orlando (around $70). ; $20 in tolls on the Turnpike & Osceola, round trip. ; A 4-day vacation at Disney for about $100 total? ; Can't ask for a much better bargain than that. ; And it's a much better way to spend a few days off than sitting in the living room watching daytime soaps!

I gotta see how this develops. ; It certainly sounds tempting. ; Sure, it's hot up there...but it's hot here too. ; It may rain a lot...but it's raining a lot here too. ; If the building ends up picking 2 days in the middle of a week, that would blow a hole in the plans - but I can't see why anyone would want that.

Stay tuned!

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

I don't think you'll get two days in the middle of the week, since tenting actually needs about three full days to perform/air out before clearing the building for reentry. ; I guess it would depend on the building design/construction. ; But when I've either had to have it done on my building or have it done on others (prop. mgmt), it's been something like Friday setup and move back in late Monday, so move out Friday morning, come back dinner time Monday. ; So the weekends are usually used so even the pest management company doesn't have to work, since fumigating only takes an hour or so, then it sits for a while. ; If someone is estúpido enough to ignore the PELIGRO! signs, well, ; the more power to them.

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

We definitely need the Peligro! signs down here, at least as much as the Danger! signs. ; And a 'danger le mort' too...since that language is pretty common down here too.

That's good to know on the tenting - I much prefer that it be around a weekend - a Friday-Mon would be even better, actually...less days off in a given week would be easier to plan around work-wise - hard in the financial business to be shut down two consecutive days in one week.

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

Sounds interesting. ; If it so happens during the 1st through the 8th, I'll be down in the parks. ; Otherwise, the 8th to the 16th, I'll be somewhere between Tampa, Pompano and Naples.

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

I'm still waiting for word from building management - my office put in some suggestions on days that would work for us, so now it's up to finding out what the other tennants think and scheduling the tenting on the days that work best for a majority. ; We've got 15 tennants in the building, so it shouldn't be long before we know the dates, and then I'll have to fish with DVC on short notice to see what I can get.

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

Still don't have the dates yet, but I'm also wondering if I should use DVC points, or just look for some cheapie fall discounts at WDW resorts. ; Looks like the values are running FL resident at $60 and moderates at $94...I've got 62 extra points to blow this year on DVC that roll over in December if I don't use them. ; The only thing that has me thinking is that August is not really a good value season for DVC points - it ranges near the higher end actually.

Benefits either way: ; DVC I get a kitchenette, a couch, and free valet parking at any DVC resort. ; Hotel I get maid service, and a wider selection of places to stay at various budgets - el cheapo at Pop or Allstar, or a little more for a lovely place like French Quarter. ; What to do?! ;

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

Justin,

You get the free valet service at any DVC resort whether you are staying on points or not. ; We use it even when we are staying rack rate at a regular resort.

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

Really? ; Well that's interesting news - that scratches one of the advantages on the DVC side! ; I was under the impression you could only get the free valet if you were staying on DVC. ; Though I've only gone twice in the past 8 years without using DVC points, so my experience is low.

I'd be perfectly happy staying even in the cheapos...but I'd be tempted to pitch in a wee bit more for the atmosphere and landscaping at the mods.

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

I stayed at Port Orleans last December and we put our DVC membership to use for free parking at various DVC resorts.....mainly AKL and Beach Club

 

Re: Hmm - Thank you Termites...I may not need to wait after all!

I say ave the points, and splurge and go French Quarter! ; It is a really nice place, small and intimate.

 

Well the termites delayed a little, but came through in the end. ; I may have to wait until September - which is about when I was hoping to squeeze in another trip before Pixelmania! - but I will be getting paid to go to Disney this time, as no vacation days are being spent.

The tenting is booked for Friday Sep 18 through Monday Sep 21. ; So I booked a DVC studio at Saratoga Springs for Thursday night, the 17th, through Monday morning, the 21st. ; I can head up after work Thursday, and head home Monday afternoon. ; September is the cheapest value points season for DVC, so it was a great excuse to go ahead and cash in the points. ; As it was, I had 62 points left this use year, which ends Nov 30...and with great coincidence and amazing kismet, this 4-night booking at Saratoga came to exactly 62 points!! ; Still got my 440 to go for next year (I booked Pixelmania on this year's points, so next year's total is still intact).

Looking forward to a hopefully quieter September in the parks - it's usually a slower month, kiddies back in school, no big holiday 3-day weekend, Brazilians should be in school too, hopefully not a big conference month, no cheerleader competitions...main thing will be Disney's endless over-promotions and discounts that may cause more crowding as usual, with the free dining plans zapping all the good eating establishments at prime times.

Good thing I don't really mind all that!

 

Hahaha I called the days of the week! ; Cool that your employer is eating the time tho...I wouldn't think they would have to, unless your company owns the building as the landlord....

 

Very cool Justin!
Sounds like a perfect plan!

 

No...we're not the landlord - just a great company and a good boss. ; I've worked there 15 years now, and we are a small, tight knit office of 5 in-office, and 3 outside reps. ; Of course, we're a subsidiary of the much larger Raymond James. ; I get the standard 4-weeks vacation, but they're generous when it comes to situations like this (or when we had all the hurricanes and ended up with a lot of paid days off to button down our homes, and clean up afterwards). ; That, plus the 2 or 3 conferences a year that they pick up and count as work time - including one at Disney usually every year...that makes this the SECOND time this year they've paid me to go to Disney!

 

Now it's termites and college roommates!

This little spontaneous trip just keeps getting better!

I was talking with my college roommate, who remains a best friend, to plan an upcoming cruise vacation. ; Once per year, we get together and go for a cruise...he lives in Texas, so it's our chance to get together and catch up in person once per year.

I mentioned my good luck in scoring the days off for the termites, which turned into an extra Disney trip. ; He hasn't been to WDW since we last went in 1999 a few years after he got married and decided to take an anniversary trip there. ; He mentioned that his company's takeover by Oracle, which at first had him worried the incorporation and downsizing could cost him his job, had all gone well, and he was in with his new bosses. ; Even with the 10-day cruise we are planning in November, he's got some extra vacation days to burn before the end of the year and had been looking for an excuse to do something. ; He went on a dive trip to Roatan in June, and his wife had gone on a cruise with her mother at the same time. ; After some searching, he found what he considered to be quite reasonable rates for airfare and room & tix at Disney, and asked the wife if she was interested. ; Of course she was!

So he went ahead and booked the trip - flying in Thursday the same day I arrive, getting a studio at Saratoga Springs, flying out Monday the same day I leave, and getting two Park Hopper 5-day tickets, all for $1,700.

My little solo trip to burn off some free days off has now turned into a gathering of old friends, and the fun of showing off all that's new at Disney in the past 10 years to someone who loves the place but hasn't been there since.


After seeing eachother once per year to cruise for the past 12 years, I hope I don't get sick of seeing them now that I'm spending an extra 5 days with them this year! ; ; *joke*.

 

you gotta try to get to the world while we are there in october... ; 10/4 - 10/16

 

That sounds like a good long trip...I'll definitely mark that one to see if there's any chance I can get up there during that time. ; I do occasionally head up for a weekend quick trip - I've even gone up for a single day, home by evening - though I tended to do those more when I was younger and had less money (more out of necessity since I couldn't splurge for a room!).