Computing While Vacationing

JMarsden92 December 15, 2010
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We used to get picked on for vacationing with electronics.  Being the line of work I am in I am almost required to have one with me when I go away.  Being a computer technician has its downfalls sometimes, but it is a great field to be in.  Over the last few trips we have found how invaluable having our laptop computers while on vacation has proven to be.  During the last 2 trips we have been able to get our blogging done, do research, check emails, and a lot more that we couldn’t do while away.  Being a Disney Vacation Club Member has its perks.  One of the most convenient to us is the FREE internet while at the DVC resorts.  They even supply the Cat5 cable.  All you have to do is bring your portables and connect.  Keep in mind that wired access is FREE, and WiFi access is a chargeable item.

We have also found them convenient for a second reason.  We take on average 400-500 photos during a relaxed trip.  On heavier planned trips we take sometimes 2-3 times that many photos.  Being able to download them straight into the computer is much better a solution than purchasing additional SD cards, or even using a bigger card.  I am against these solutions because you can lose the memory cards, or the memory cards could accidentally be wiped out by magnets, etc.

When you vacation do you take a laptop?  What do you use it for?

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Is The Disney Dream Worth The Cost

JMarsden92 November 30, 2010
[1] comment

I have been on the Disney Magic, and the Disney Wonder in the past.  In April we are sailing on a “B2B” sailing of the Disney Dream.  I am curious if anyone has ever questioned if a Disney Cruise is / was worth the money spent.  When the wife and I decided to book this cruise we looked at all of our alternatives for paying for the cruise.  We looked at all of our credit cards interest rates, and even the cash advances

that they offer.  We ended up using our Disney Chase credit card because we got a few perks by doing this.  We got 6 months no interest, and we got $50 back per stateroom – per cruise. All in all we like the Disney Cruises because there are no casinos, and no funny business going on.  (At least none that anyone knows about.)  We enjoy that our little one likes Disney, and thus the cruise is ok for her.  On our last cruising we hardly ever saw her.  This cruising she is anxious to go back into the clubs again.  She met quite a few kids last time that she still talks to currently.

What we did realize after our 1st cruising is that if you are a DVC member that it isn’t the smartest thing to use points to book your cruise.  We pay cash / credit now, but will book the little one on points.  The points for the 3rd person and so on are very low in comparison to booking the 1st and 2nd passengers.

What are your thoughts on the Disney Cruise, and how do you pay when you go on cruises?

Here is a video that Disney has put into the movie theaters currently.



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Checking Out Disney DVC Hilton Head

JMarsden92 October 28, 2010
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Every now and then Disney runs promotions to help in selling their Vacation Club memberships.  I bought in quite a few years ago and didn’t pay as much as they cost now.  I own in Vero Beach, and Wilderness Lodge.  I have stayed in Vero Beach, but not the Wilderness Lodge.

This coming year when we go on the cruise my wife wants to take a day, or two on our way home to stop off in the Carolinas to visit the DVC resort Hilton Head.  We are going to try and book something for my family as well as my brother staying with us.  We have never stayed there, but I am willing to try something that doesn’t have the mouse.  When we stayed in Vero Beach we weren’t very thrilled because it just didn’t feel like the Disney resorts do.

While we are in the Carolinas my wife wants to look at some of the outer banks foreclosures.  She feels that maybe it is time to get out of New Jersey.  I understand her concern, but she needs to understand that moving isn’t a big option for us.

Have you stayed in the DVC resort in Hilton Head?  What was it like?  Would you stay there again?

Have you stayed in Vero Beach?  What did you think?

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2012 Disney Cruise Points Now Published

JMarsden92 October 27, 2010
[1] comment

If you are a DVC member, then you know what the DVCMember.Com site is all about.  Well, the points charts for the 2012 cruise sailing calendar are now available on the DVCMember site.

For those that have taken my advice, and bought into DVC I applaud you.

For those still sitting on the fence I have put copies of the points charts below.

  • Disney Dream 3 night Bahama {filelink=8}
  • Disney Dream 4 night Bahama {filelink=9}
  • Disney Dream 5 night Bahama {filelink=10}
  • Disney Wonder 6 & 7 night Mexican Riviera {filelink=11}
  • Disney Fantasy 7 night Eastern Caribbean {filelink=12}
  • Disney Magic 7 night Eastern Caribbean {filelink=13}
  • Disney Fantasy 7 night Western Caribbean {filelink=14}
  • Disney Magic 7 night Western Caribbean {filelink=15}
Posted in Disney DVC | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Fun Things To Know About DVC

JMarsden92 July 9, 2010
[1] comment

Since it was founded in 1991, Disney Vacation Club (DVC) has become one of the highest-rated vacation-ownership programs in the industry – and a prime example of how Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is growing its family vacation business by addressing a broad range of vacation experiences.

DVC was created as a unique experience for guests who like to return to Walt Disney World Resort on an annual basis and stay for longer periods of time.  It has quickly grown to include a wide range of vacation offerings, currently boasting 10 properties both inside and outside Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Members access their vacation club ownership through a highly flexible vacation point system that allows them to tailor vacations to their personal needs.  Members receive an annual allotment of vacation points that can be used in a variety of ways for different types of accommodations.
In 2009, DVC reached a company milestone, with more than 420,000 individual members from approximately 100 countries and every U.S. state having made a long-term commitment to unforgettable vacations.
 
Fun Facts
·        DVC has doubled its membership since 2003 to include more than 420,000 member families from each U.S. state and approximately 100 different countries.
·        Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas feature intricate African-inspired details and home-like amenities, and many vacation villas offer sweeping views of an expanded savanna inhabited by a variety of African animals.
·        At Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, a horse-racing fanfare can be heard across the resort every hour on the hour signaling the top of the hour to amused members and guests.
·        A special room at The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge houses a collection of train memorabilia and artwork, including an exhibit featuring two of Walt Disney’s personal scale-model railroad cars.
·        There are 167 miles of post-tensioning cable running through Bay Lake Tower’s concrete slabs.  These cables could stretch from Bay Lake Tower to Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and back.
·        Environmental sensitivity was extremely important to Disney Imagineers while constructing the new Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.  As a result, 5,178 tons, or 65.22 percent, of materials from demolition were recycled, including concrete and metals.
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