Originally Posted By LuLu >>It was 63 days out. My DH called back today, 58 days out<< It sounds like they're not taking any dining info before 60 days out, when you can make ressies yourself, so I'm not sure what the advantage would be in using VP... (and for this kind of service they charge $300/nt at DLH?!?! hmmm...)
Originally Posted By rtjl72 ^^^yeah it's crazy. i am so anal when my 60 days out comes up i doubt i will allow or depend on anybody else but myself to make the reservations. wonder if they did it wrong! i have been know to cry over just such miststeps. after all it's my vacation! vacations are a very important part of my life. and our disney vacation is more than important. i wonder what word i should use to describe it?
Originally Posted By debtee Well maybe if you are within the USA then I can see your point in making your own bookings but to us International guests, Vacation planning are life-savers! They help make our trip special without having to get up at 3am in the morning to ring up and get placed on hold forever at international phone rates!
Originally Posted By rtjl72 sorry, i didn't even stop to think about that. good point. and again sorry for not looking at the whole big picture. hope your vacation details work out to be the best ever!
Originally Posted By DyGDisney We used Dana several years ago also and had a great experience with her. When she left I spoke with Brad. He was the one I apparently didn't "hit it off with" because he was very snotty when I asked him to send my kids postcards and told me that's not a part of their job and they only do that for people they "hit it off with" on the phone. I haven't used VP since, and am actually afraid to.
Originally Posted By BoyStory Oh my gosh DyG that's just aweful- you didn't tell me about that! Knowing you as well as I do, I know you wouldn't have been rude on the phone to him (even after that- which is where you and I differ, LOL). Being a CA resident, I personally would save VP for WDW planning. JMPO
Originally Posted By Dalia3001 I just had my first experience with Brad from VP. I'm sorry he was not helpful to some of you, but he seemed great to me. I asked for reservations for Napa Rose, but unfortunately they were fully booked the evening we wanted to go there. He checked with the restaurant and called me back about an hour later, to let me know that if we wanted to sit at the chef's counter, which was my original request, he could get us a seat there on the date of my original request. I thought that was very nice, and that he was helpful. I wonder if maybe you caught him on a bad day, what a shame you had a negative experience with him, DyG.
Originally Posted By debtee <sorry, i didn't even stop to think about that. good point. and again sorry for not looking at the whole big picture. hope your vacation details work out to be the best ever!> Ohh I wasn't aiming my post at you rtj172. My post #23 was for Lulu's comment about what the advantage would be of using VP. It's just our posts crossed. Thanks you for wishing us a nice vacation. Brad is wonderful. He has looked after us for 4 years running and always gone the extra mile for us. We have never had a bad experience with VP so we are lucky.
Originally Posted By Dalia3001 So, speaking of Brad and vacation planning, he mentioned to me on the phone that for Christmas one can order a tree, decorated with a plush Mickey and Minnie, cookies, and some other stuff, including a "special" tree topper. This costs $198, which seems like a lot. I was wondering if anyone had done it. Is it a fake tree that one could take with them and set up again at home? Does it have lights? Is it nice quality, or not so great? Another option was "Adult" stockings, and you don't want to know what I thought might be in those when he first said it, hee hee. But he went on to say they contained, sourveniers, a chocolate sleigh, etc. Has anyone gotten those? I think they were around $60 each. If the stockings are nice, they might be a possiblity for us, as my husband and I just bought a new home, and have our first fireplace, so we do need some stockings. : ) I know these are sort of silly indulgences, but I would like to make the trip special and Christmasy, as I spent last December in the hospital having a bone marrow transplant, and I would like to thank my wonderful husband for helping me through all that, and erase all bad associations with that time of year. I have already tried to book the Holiday Tour through VP (they will call us if we get it), and we're staying at the GCH, concierge, and have dinner reservations at Napa Rose. Any other great ideas out there?
Originally Posted By LuLu I hope you and DH have a very magical Christmas trip, Dahlia! Adult stockings sound fun ;-) Re VP making dining ressies, perhaps they have extra "clout" in getting ressies when the normal caller would be told none are available? It's just strange that they won't take dining info more than 60 days out. A change that is not customer-friendly.
Originally Posted By debtee The delievered Christmas trees are expensive no doubt about that but they are good quality and it's a little indulgence that adds to our stay. It's nice to have it set up in your room it makes it feel more Christmassy. I place our presents under the tree and it's just special. They change the theme each year and they always look different, so far I have three of them. a Mickey & friends one a 50th anniversary one a Gingerbread one They do not have lights, as you are not allowed to have lights in your room due to a fire hazzard. I bring the trees home and add lights when I set them up at Christmas time. It always reminds me of our trips when I set them up each year. Brad has told me the adult stockings are $88 plus tax this year. I got a Tinkerbell one a few years ago and it was very nice and I still use it year after year. I'm thinking of getting this year's one. I hope you have a wonderful trip Dalia, we went to the Napa Rose for Christmas dinner and it was fantastic so I know you will have a great time!
Originally Posted By Dalia3001 Oh thanks so much for the information! I'm glad to hear that the trees are good quality and can be reused. Thanks for clarifying the price of the stockings for me, Brad told me the price while I was running into work, and I remember thinking that two of them would be only slightly less than the tree, but I couldn't remember exactly how much less. Now I want to get the tree and stockings. But I think that maybe I'll start with the tree...or the stockings... I love planning. : )
Originally Posted By debtee ^ I forgot to add that VP deliever the tree and set it up in the room for you, so it's a lovely surprise when you return to your room. They also put a packing box in the wardrobe with wrapping so that you can wrap all the decorations and get them home safely. If you are flying VP can arrange shipping for you.
Originally Posted By Dalia3001 oooh, nice. Thanks debtee! I think I'm going to spring for the tree, I want to make the trip really special.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice Had to share... I just called the VP # for assistance with some surprises for December and was on hold for 20+ minutes, listening to classical music (and wondering why it wasn't Disney music ;-) and a voice that kept telling me someone would be on the line right away. Finally after those 20+ minutes, the phone rings and a different voice comes on and tells me they're sorry they missed my call, but to leave a message... and then they gave the hours - 8 a.m. - (whatever the p.m. was)... I'm like... okay... Why didn't ya'll tell me in the beginning of the call that no one is there before 8 a.m.! *LMAO* I'll try back in about 1/2 an hour. ;-)
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 ^^no Disney music??? Have you ever been on hold and are singing away or maybe humming and are kind of startled when a CM's voice takes you out of your Disney moment?
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^Nope, no Disney music... I was really bummed by it, too! And yep! It always puts me in a happy place and I just drag the CM right along with me! *LOL* I've gotten some VERY perky CM responses to my Disney Giddiness on the phone!
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 ^^DH knows how to spell our last name in "Disney", D as in Dumbo, etc...... The CM's on the phone get a huge kick out of it and they always end up with a huge chat On the other hand when he did his little D as in Dumbo routine while checking into the Grand (no one in line behind us) I thought the CM was going to crawl across the counter and slap him. We figured she lost the magic years ago and it actually cracked us up I hope you got everything set wonderingalice
Originally Posted By wonderingalice Ohhhhh! *LOL* Sounds like that GC CM really NEEDED to be open to that fun... What a party pooper! And yep! A couple of nice surprises in place and the CM was super helpful!
Originally Posted By Dalia3001 When you guys said no Disney music, I was dissapointed and at least hoped that they would be playing some classical holiday music, but Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"?!?!?! What's going on here? Brad was a big help anyway, and we're hoping to get reservations for the holiday tour on the 13th, and ordered a tree for our stay. Thanks for all your help and advice.
