DH and I just got back from WDW after renting points...we are now members!!! 
Some trip highlights:
Magical Express: Ran very smoothly! We arrived in Orlando at 10:40am, and were at Epcot by 12:30! Departure ran just as smoothly! We checked in to Delta at BCV, checked our bags, and enjoyed the rest of our day. We came back to BCV to hop on Magical Express, and that was it!!
Beach Club Villas: Since we were renting points, this was our first stay, and we didn't know what to expect. We had a studio, and somehow ended up with an extended balcony overlooking the pool...it was great!! Our balcony was so big that we wished we knew some people to invite over for drinks! We ate at Beaches and Cream almost every day...mmmmm!!! We loved being able to walk to Epcot and the Boardwalk! The boat ride to MGM was great too. Getting to MK and AK required a longer bus trip, but it still wasn't too bad.
Surfing at Typhoon Lagoon: If you haven't done this, you must give it a go!!! We took a taxi from BCV as we had to be there at 6:45am. There were only 7 people in our lesson so we go twice as many waves as we would have in the usual 12-person lesson. Afterwards, since there were so few of us, the surfing staff let us all stay at Typhoon Lagoon for the day for free. DH and I actually had our DVC van coming to pick us up anyway, so we didn't stay at TL after surfing.
DVC Presentation: Since we were trying to avoid buses anyway, we had the DVC van pick us up at Typhoon Lagoon, and then drop us off at Animal Kingdom after the presentation. We also got the VIP fast passes, and our salesperson even gave us a few extra, which was nice. Since we had a referral, we qualified for the 15% discount, which is what made the difference between buying from DVC, versus buying a resale. SSR was much nicer than I had imagined, and the grand villa was beautiful. We decided to do an initial purchase of 175 points...and will likely purchase more in the next few years.
Hollywood and Vine: The only negative experience all week. Although I had read the less than stellar reviews of H&V, we wanted the fantasmic dinner package, and I thought "How bad could it be?" Well, it was BAD....really BAD! We aren't "buffet" people to being with, but the buffet was gross. We literally ended up eating mac n' cheese and lukewarm chicken nuggets for dinner. Even the desserts were unappealing. So we ended up spending $50 for a mac n' cheese! Whoops! (DH won't be letting me live this one down for a while). At least we got great seats for Fantasmic.
Stuff we did/found thanks to the DIS board: Thanks to these boards we asked and rode up front in the monorail. We also did the Disney Visa complimentary pictures, found the umbrella at MGM, got our park passes put on our room keys, and most importantly just knew that if we wanted anything to just "ask" b/c Disney can usually make it happen.
Now that we are members, we can't wait to get back!!! If anyone had any questions, feel free to ask!!
Some trip highlights:
Magical Express: Ran very smoothly! We arrived in Orlando at 10:40am, and were at Epcot by 12:30! Departure ran just as smoothly! We checked in to Delta at BCV, checked our bags, and enjoyed the rest of our day. We came back to BCV to hop on Magical Express, and that was it!!
Beach Club Villas: Since we were renting points, this was our first stay, and we didn't know what to expect. We had a studio, and somehow ended up with an extended balcony overlooking the pool...it was great!! Our balcony was so big that we wished we knew some people to invite over for drinks! We ate at Beaches and Cream almost every day...mmmmm!!! We loved being able to walk to Epcot and the Boardwalk! The boat ride to MGM was great too. Getting to MK and AK required a longer bus trip, but it still wasn't too bad.
Surfing at Typhoon Lagoon: If you haven't done this, you must give it a go!!! We took a taxi from BCV as we had to be there at 6:45am. There were only 7 people in our lesson so we go twice as many waves as we would have in the usual 12-person lesson. Afterwards, since there were so few of us, the surfing staff let us all stay at Typhoon Lagoon for the day for free. DH and I actually had our DVC van coming to pick us up anyway, so we didn't stay at TL after surfing.
DVC Presentation: Since we were trying to avoid buses anyway, we had the DVC van pick us up at Typhoon Lagoon, and then drop us off at Animal Kingdom after the presentation. We also got the VIP fast passes, and our salesperson even gave us a few extra, which was nice. Since we had a referral, we qualified for the 15% discount, which is what made the difference between buying from DVC, versus buying a resale. SSR was much nicer than I had imagined, and the grand villa was beautiful. We decided to do an initial purchase of 175 points...and will likely purchase more in the next few years.
Hollywood and Vine: The only negative experience all week. Although I had read the less than stellar reviews of H&V, we wanted the fantasmic dinner package, and I thought "How bad could it be?" Well, it was BAD....really BAD! We aren't "buffet" people to being with, but the buffet was gross. We literally ended up eating mac n' cheese and lukewarm chicken nuggets for dinner. Even the desserts were unappealing. So we ended up spending $50 for a mac n' cheese! Whoops! (DH won't be letting me live this one down for a while). At least we got great seats for Fantasmic.
Stuff we did/found thanks to the DIS board: Thanks to these boards we asked and rode up front in the monorail. We also did the Disney Visa complimentary pictures, found the umbrella at MGM, got our park passes put on our room keys, and most importantly just knew that if we wanted anything to just "ask" b/c Disney can usually make it happen.
Now that we are members, we can't wait to get back!!! If anyone had any questions, feel free to ask!!
Welcome Home
to you and yours.
