Saturday, February 28, 2009

Winter visit to Tokyo Disneyland

Brian and I decided the other night to go visit Disneyland and or Disney Sea in Tokyo. I decided to go to Disneyland instead so the kids can meet up Mickey Mouse again.

We got up early in the morning. Ben and Mary were even excited to see Mickey. I changed their clothes and bundle them up with warm clothings. Both of them woke up and does not want to go back to sleep while we are carrying them to the car. When I told them that we go see Mickey today. Their eyes are wide awake. They were watching pingu to keep them occupied while Brian is driving. They both made me crazy in the car if they aren't busy. Lots of requests and whining.

We left around 6:45AM and we ended up of gassing up inside the base. Gas is 1/2 tank. I asked Brian to buy me triangles rice thing at the 7-11 convenience store while he is withdrawing yen from the ATM. We were finally on our way at around 7:30 to Disneyland.



One of the stunning bridge in Tokyo

On our way there, we ended up of taking a long route because we followed the ITT directions.


Just follow the sign... hehehe


This is the entrance for guests that are bringing their car.


Park open until today... nan-ji?


A part of Disneyland hotel shown and the train



Parking lot and you can see the space mountain.




Welcome to Tokyo Disneyland

Main Street, it is covered by roofs.It is different in CA and Orlando

It is pretty obvious, we are inside the park.






more ltr- clean up the kitchen...

Disneyland Tokyo on the weekends


Heading to toontown.. my goodness the line was really bad. It was really crowded. We got there and we did not manage to do any rides at all.


Even in the small world. Supposed to be this ride should not be bad but we were waiting for so long

This is just nothing, there was one ride. I think space mountain, it had 320 minutes wait. I won't wait that long with the kids. Fastpass is not also issued....

I advised everyone not to visit in Tokyo Disneyland during weekends, line is too long to wait.

Getting a turkey leg in Disneyland


We brought Benjamin a luncheables or else he got hungry. He is done eating while we were waiting for Brian in line waiting to get to the stand selling turkey leg. It has a long line. Look the line below, Brian was way behind it, you cant see him in the picture




Mary was climbing on the side trying to find some worms


Finally, we got our turkey leg. It was yummy though.

Some Arts of Mickey


Exploring the park more


Walking towards the Cinderella castle, but we called this as Mickey castle.


I love how I took the photos of this arch


Ariel's grotto






The Mad hatter store


Wow, twas a long line.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Do you like to rent Disney Properties for your next vacation?

I have few information about renting points to any Disney properties for your next vacation. This is a very nice information that I have in here so you have an idea of what to expect.

First: look in here for more information where is the best place to rent.

This is the rental agreement which you usually get from the DVC owner and there is also RISK in renting points. Mind you, not everything are perfect.

When you checking in to the Disney Vacation Club properties, go check out some PERKS. I like you to consider the importance of Home Resort. Go check in here when you are selecting the resorts that you wanted to stay. Try to look also the points you needed in here. It will vary in different resorts and also if it is on premier or magic times. You need to look those kind of stuff. For us, we try to be avoided the rush times like spring break Oh I hate summer time.

Mind you, do not expect that everyday you have mousekeeping. Get some information here.

I hope this will suffice your needs or shall I say information about renting points. I can also assist in renting points. I am a DVC owner for 2 resorts in DisneyWorld Florida. The Saratoga Spring Resorts and Animal Kingdom Villa. These two resorts are very nice, highly recommended. Well Disney properties are very nice.

No school for Benjamin today

My son's school is preparing for the graduation for the kindergarten and so they declared of no school today. Benjamin was so happy that he is going to stay at home. As usual, I feed him breakfast properly with all the forcing to eat. He is very picky boy.

He and I were spending time- we watch Eureka right now as I am writing this post. Mary cried and I asked him to get Mary on her bedroom. He brought the mickey mouse stuff toy here at the living room and Mary is following him bringing her 3 blankets. My kids are so funny, they have their own blankets to mess it up. If you are visiting in my house then you can see 4 or 5 blankets lying around the living room or wherever they go in the house.

Both of them are playing and it is really cute watching them sitting next to each and I saw the smile of Mary talking to her brother.

So, I will end up here right now. Photo will be posted if I have time. :)

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Where to rent points

Individuals interested in point rental – whether they are looking for points or have points to rent – will find a valuable resource at the MouseOwners.com Rent / Trade / Transfer board.

Posts are welcome from both Renters and potential Rentees looking to find points.

Rental Agreements

For the protection of both the Renter and Rentee, it is wise to create a formal rental agreement. The purpose of such an agreement is to help protect both parties involved in the transaction. The agreement should stipulate the amount and due date of each payment, what actions may be taken if payments are late, and cancellation policies (if any.)

While renting DVC points enables non-DVC members to experience upscale accommodations at reasonable prices, DVC resorts, unlike their hotel counterparts, have stringent cancellation policies. Although most DVC members will try to help renters book a new vacation subsequent to cancellation, oftentimes, their hands are tied by DVC’s policies. Expect to see these policies reflected in the rental agreement. Consider obtaining travel insurance if a strong possibility of cancellation exists.

Each rental agreement is a unique pact between the two involved parties. Before agreeing to anything, read your contract thoroughly and make sure you are comfortable with all of the terms and conditions.

Rental Risks

The biggest downside to renting DVC points is that it is a glorified handshake agreement. While a written contract is recommended (see below) to help define the obligations of both parties, legal enforcement of the contract is a bitter pill to swallow in light of a ruined Disney vacation.

Throughout the entire rental process, the Renter retains full control of the reservation. There is simply no way around this. Non-members cannot hold nor manage DVC points. DVC Member Services will not independently confirm the existence of a reservation when contacted by a non-member. However Member Services does not exist to service non-members or facilitate point rentals, and they have no obligation to answer questions posed by non-members.

A Rentee must accept the reality that s/he is placing a great deal of faith in the Renter’s promise that a reservation has been made and will remain in force until the Rentee’s arrival.

Some suggestions for overcoming the trust issue are:
Ask the Renter for references to people with whom the Renter has dealt in the past. Contact those references and ask for feedback on the transaction;
Speak to the Renter on the telephone and make sure you have a comfort level with him/her. Don’t just rely on email communications;
Ask for the DVC reservation confirmation to be provided prior to final payment to the Renter. DVC will send a one-page printed confirmation for all reservations made at DVC resorts. Rentees should consider stipulating that the confirmation be provided at some point prior to final payment on the rental transaction.
Thousands of successful rental transactions have been completed throughout the history of the DVC program, and the savings are obvious. Reported instances of fraud occurring are miniscule. However, Rentees should take whatever steps they feel are justified to become comfortable with the process prior to entering-into a rental deal.

Rental Perks

It’s important to note that when Rentees rent points from DVC members, they receive nearly all of the perks that DVC members do when they stay at DVC resorts. In fact, a Rentee’s Keys to the Kingdom card (Room Card) will say “DVC Member” on it. This will enable a Rentee to receive various discounts, pool hop to other Disney resorts (with the exception of the Beach Club and Animal Kingdom Lodge), utilize free valet parking at DVC resorts, and so on. Upon arrival at the resort, the Rentee will receive a booklet called “Pocket Perks” which summarizes the discounts currently offered.

One particularly valuable perk that rentees may choose to take advantage of is access to the popular Magic Your Way Dining Plan (For 2008, $37.99 per night for ages 10 and up, $9.99 per night for children ages 3 - 9. For more information, click here)and the new Magic Your Way Deluxe Dining Plan (For 2008, $69.99 per night for ages 10 and up, $10.99 per night for children ages 3 - 9. For more information, click here). Dining plans must be added to the reservation prior to arrival at the resort.
One noteworthy exception to the "perks" rule is the DVC member discount on Walt Disney World Annual Passes. Stringent guidelines surrounding this particular discount exclude all but the owner of the DVC contract and immediate family members.

Home Resort Priority/Resort Demand

One of the more confusing aspects of the DVC reservation system is the concept of a Home resort. Each member of the Disney Vacation Club owns part of a building (designated as points) within the program. The resort at which the member owns points is his/her Home resort.

Although all reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis, the Home Resort Priority Period grants DVC members exclusive access to book specific dates at their Home resort. Members may book a stay at their Home resort up to 11 months in advance of the check-out date. Beginning at 7 months prior to the check-out date, members may make a reservation at any DVC property.

Example: A Rentee wishes to obtain a Grand Villa at Old Key West from August 1 – 11, 2008. Renting points from an owner at Old Key West, this room could be booked as early as September 11, 2007, which is 11 months prior to the checkout day. However, if points are rented from an owner at any other DVC resort, the booking process cannot begin until January 11, 2008, which is 7 months prior to the checkout day.

If an individual knows well in advance his/her dates of travel and has a preference with regard to resort, it would be beneficial to attempt to rent points and book a reservation early to take advantage of the Home Resort Priority Period. DVC resorts are among the smallest on Disney property, and owners are well-known for planning their trips well in advance.

Among the most difficult DVC rooms to obtain are:

BoardWalk Villas Standard View: Year-round
BoardWalk Villas Preferred BoardWalk Villas: Year-round
Old Key West Grand Villa: Year-round
BoardWalk Villas Grand Villa: Year-round
Any room at the Beach Club Villas or BoardWalk Villas: October to mid-November (during Food and Wine Fest at Epcot)
Any room at any DVC resort: December 1-15 (low-point season, VERY popular with most DVC members)
In each of the examples above, potential Rentees are advised to find a Renter who owns points at the destination resort, and to make the reservation more than 7 months in advance of the check-out date.

Points Need/Accomodations

OK, you want to save a few bucks and rent points. How many do you need, and what size accommodations?

Well, the size accommodation you choose should depend upon the number of people you have in your party. Officially,

Studios and Inn Rooms can accommodate up to four Guests plus one child under age three in a portable crib (provided).
One-Bedroom Vacation Villas can accommodate up to four Guests plus one child under age three in a portable crib (provided).
Two-Bedroom Vacation Villas can accommodate up to eight Guests plus one child under age three in a portable crib (provided).
Three-Bedroom Vacation Homes can accommodate up to twelve Guests plus one child under age three in a portable crib (provided).

Note that some of the one- and two-bedroom villas at AKV can accomomdate up to one additional adult per villa. In addition, unofficially, some Guests have brought along an air mattress (and their own bed linens) for Guests who are a tad bit older than three and thus do not fit in the portable crib. Be aware, however, that you will only be provided with enough towels for the officially allotted number of guests.

So, now that you've decided what size accommodations you desire, how many points do you need?

Click here for a link to the point charts of the eight DVC properties.

Points can be rented for any number of nights. The point values listed in the charts are for a single night at the given resort / room class / date.

While weekday points are universally considered a bargain, note that point requirements for weekend stays (Friday and Saturday) typically are double that of weekdays. For example, Monday night in a studio at Saratoga Springs during Dream season costs 12 points while Friday night in the same studio costs 26 points.

Several options are available to the Rentee in this instance:

Pay cash for the room on weekend nights. Using Annual Pass or other discount programs, you may be able to book the room at a cash rate lower than the point rental rate for the weekend nights. Note that this process will almost certainly require that you check-in at the front desk more than once during your stay, and there is the possibility that you will be asked to switch rooms even if your cash and point rooms are in the same class;
Switch to a cheaper resort (like All Stars, Port Orleans, etc.) for the weekend. Disney will transport your luggage from one of their resorts to another at no cost;
Average the point cost of the room over the entire week and be satisfied with the expense.

Mousekeeping

Because DVC resorts are designed to be a "home away from home," you should be aware that daily housekeeping service is not provided. (However, each One-, Two-, and Three-Bedroom Villa is equipped with a washer and dryer so that you can keep not just your clothes, but also your linens and towels as clean as you like. Guests staying in Studios or Inn Rooms may use the complimentary washers and dryers conveniently located throughout the resorts. Laundry detergent is available for purchase.)

For stays of seven or fewer nights, Trash and Towel Service is provided on day four. With this service, Housekeeping will

Empty the trash and put new liners in the wastebaskets
Provide fresh bathroom towels
Replace shampoo, facial soap and bath soap
Replenish facial tissues, paper towels, and toilet paper
Replenish coffee, sugar, and cream
Replenish diswashing liquid, dishwasher detergent, sponges, and laundry detergent as applicable

For stays of eight or more nights, Full Cleaning Service is provided on day four and Trash and Towel Service is provided on day eight. After that, the cycle begins again on day 12. With Full Cleaning Service, Housekeeping will provide everything included with the Trash and Towel Service, plus

Change the bed linens
Vacuum and dust
Clean the bathroom(s)
Clean the kitchen/ette and wash the dishes


*Daily housekeeping services are available, of course. Current rates for these services are as follows:

Studio/Inn Room - $25.00 per day requested
One-Bedroom - $30.00 per day requested
Two-Bedroom - $40.00 per day requested
Grand Villa - $60.00 per day requested
Trash & Towel - $10.00 per day requested.

My lego house

When we went to Yokohama for church, we were told that there is lego store at the Grand Berry Mall. This mall we saw when we passed it on our way to Tokyo but we did not stop over there. After church, we just roam around the mall and look some good stuff. But we end up of going to lego store. It is a small shops but big enough for little kids and a little kids at heart.

As I am browsing, I really feel in love to one of their design which is a house and I can create 3 types of house/shall I say 3 design. I asked hubby to buy me lego. But I decided not to because we spent 200$ already and I dont wanna add any expenses on that day.

When we went to Livin store here in yokosuka yesterday, I saw the house lego and I like to have it. My husband say that I could have it and it is a little bit cheaper than the lego store in Yokohama.

So last night, I built my first design and it is really cool.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Travian and online browser game

I just could not believe it that I am addicted to this game "Travian". It is a browser game which you could not see any graphics that you attack to the other villages. You only saw red swords if someone attacking in your villages and yellow swords for reinforcements or you are sending an attacks to the other villages.

At first, I find this game a very boring game but when you are on and you can make lots of friends and join to one of the alliances then you can say. This is so cool. People that I knew, they were playing for years on this game but me. I am just a noob LOL but a brilliant noob. No one can fool me anymore. I am playing to different servers like server 2, 3x, 5, and 8. Those are a lot of accounts and I am sitting someone's account. I am getting started to get tired of this game and I hope I won't leave anyone then.

In server 2, I am so glad that we are on the World of Wonder- meaning it is on the end times. then my account will be no more. In Server 5, it is a quiet awhile and I am going to spend lots of gold with this account. Speed account or 3x, this is the most interesting account that I have. Because I started it when the server starts. I will say that I become a monster on this server. Monster of sending real attacks to someone who mess up with my co-alliance.

Well enough for the travian thing... I will get going and will ended up here for now.