Advice for Split- AoA/Pop Century

[taylorstimac]

I have a bit of a dilemma that I am hoping you wonderful folks can help me out with.

We are planning DD5's first trip to WDW for April 15, 16, and 17th. I have made necessary reservations for BBB and Cindy's Breakfast, but we have been putting off booking room and tickets (mainly due to financial obligations). I went to book today, and just as I feared, the AoA LM rooms are not available for all three nights in April. DD is a HUGE Little Mermaid fan, so staying in these rooms at least some of the trip is a MUST.


Here's the dilemma:

The LM room is available for April 15 and the 17th, just not the 16th.

Our plans are to check into a room on Monday, the 15th, explore the resort. Tuesday, the 16th, catch the opening ceremonies at MK, and Wednesday, the 17th we have an 8:05 BBB ressie followed by breakfast at the castle. We will check out early Thursday morning to head back home.

Do we stay at AoA on the first night (the 15th) and then stay the following two nights at Pop Century?

Or, stay at Pop Century the first two nights and AoA on the last day?

I've never done a split before and am curious as to how it will work out. We plan to book tickets with our room- will our park tickets for the 16th and 17th be on the room key for the first night's stay? Will a new room key be issued when we do the split? Can we check out early from the first night, head to MK bright and early on Tuesday, and check into our new room late that night (We will have to stay for fireworks, you know).

It's all so overwhelming!

Also- ideally we want to stay at AoA all three nights. Is there still hope that a room might come open for the 16th? If I book the split, will I be penalized for switching to AoA?

Thank you all so much for your help in advance! It's so overwhelming! I just want this trip to be perfect for DD. When I told her the rooms were unavailable this morning tears just filled her eyes. She didn't throw a bratty tantrum, she was just heartbroken. Of course, I promised to do everything in my power to at least get one night's stay in the LM rooms.

 

[nancyjo1998]

I have a bit of a dilemma that I am hoping you wonderful folks can help me out with.

We are planning DD5's first trip to WDW for April 15, 16, and 17th. I have made necessary reservations for BBB and Cindy's Breakfast, but we have been putting off booking room and tickets (mainly due to financial obligations). I went to book today, and just as I feared, the AoA LM rooms are not available for all three nights in April. DD is a HUGE Little Mermaid fan, so staying in these rooms at least some of the trip is a MUST.

Here's the dilemma:

The LM room is available for April 15 and the 17th, just not the 16th.

Our plans are to check into a room on Monday, the 15th, explore the resort. Tuesday, the 16th, catch the opening ceremonies at MK, and Wednesday, the 17th we have an 8:05 BBB ressie followed by breakfast at the castle. We will check out early Thursday morning to head back home.

Do we stay at AoA on the first night (the 15th) and then stay the following two nights at Pop Century?

Or, stay at Pop Century the first two nights and AoA on the last day?

I've never done a split before and am curious as to how it will work out. We plan to book tickets with our room- will our park tickets for the 16th and 17th be on the room key for the first night's stay? Will a new room key be issued when we do the split? Can we check out early from the first night, head to MK bright and early on Tuesday, and check into our new room late that night (We will have to stay for fireworks, you know).

It's all so overwhelming!

Also- ideally we want to stay at AoA all three nights. Is there still hope that a room might come open for the 16th? If I book the split, will I be penalized for switching to AoA?

Thank you all so much for your help in advance! It's so overwhelming! I just want this trip to be perfect for DD. When I told her the rooms were unavailable this morning tears just filled her eyes. She didn't throw a bratty tantrum, she was just heartbroken. Of course, I promised to do everything in my power to at least get one night's stay in the LM rooms.

Maybe try staying the first two nights at pop and the last night at AOA. You can even surprise your DD and tell her you were unable to get the LM room and sneak and check out of the room and when you return from the park tell her about e surprise!!!!!
If you do a split stay do the tickets with the first stay and the second stay just do room only, you will still be able to use your tickets from the KTTW card until all tickets are used, you will just have a seperate room key. When you check out you can have bell services take your bags over to AOA for you. Maybe you can sneak out the room super early to check into AOA so that way your room will be ready when you are done at the parks. Hope this helps some!

 

[taylorstimac]

That helps tremendously! Thank you so much! I like the idea of surprising her on the last day.
Thank you also for explaining the room key/KTTW so thoroughly. I was afraid that might be a difficult situation. Glad to know it won't be a big deal at all!

Thanks again!

 

[robinb]

I have a bit of a dilemma that I am hoping you wonderful folks can help me out with.

We are planning DD5's first trip to WDW for April 15, 16, and 17th. I have made necessary reservations for BBB and Cindy's Breakfast, but we have been putting off booking room and tickets (mainly due to financial obligations). I went to book today, and just as I feared, the AoA LM rooms are not available for all three nights in April. DD is a HUGE Little Mermaid fan, so staying in these rooms at least some of the trip is a MUST.


Here's the dilemma:

The LM room is available for April 15 and the 17th, just not the 16th.

Our plans are to check into a room on Monday, the 15th, explore the resort. Tuesday, the 16th, catch the opening ceremonies at MK, and Wednesday, the 17th we have an 8:05 BBB ressie followed by breakfast at the castle. We will check out early Thursday morning to head back home.

Do we stay at AoA on the first night (the 15th) and then stay the following two nights at Pop Century?

Or, stay at Pop Century the first two nights and AoA on the last day?

I've never done a split before and am curious as to how it will work out. We plan to book tickets with our room- will our park tickets for the 16th and 17th be on the room key for the first night's stay? Will a new room key be issued when we do the split? Can we check out early from the first night, head to MK bright and early on Tuesday, and check into our new room late that night (We will have to stay for fireworks, you know).

It's all so overwhelming!

Also- ideally we want to stay at AoA all three nights. Is there still hope that a room might come open for the 16th? If I book the split, will I be penalized for switching to AoA?

Thank you all so much for your help in advance! It's so overwhelming! I just want this trip to be perfect for DD. When I told her the rooms were unavailable this morning tears just filled her eyes. She didn't throw a bratty tantrum, she was just heartbroken. Of course, I promised to do everything in my power to at least get one night's stay in the LM rooms.

Bummer you promised her a LM room before you had one booked .

It's her FIRST trip and I know that you want it to be perfect. That fact is, that it will be magical enough without needing to change resorts on a 3-night trip. Don't do it! Stay at POP the whole time and use the money saved to go into the parks a third day. She will LOVE the Little Mermaid ride and the Meet and Greet. Meeting Ariel will be so much better than spending a few hours in a LM themed room.

 

[taylorstimac]

I know- we never should have promised it. Poor parenting on my part there.
I agree I think the trip will be magical to her regardless; meeting Ariel will undoubtedly overshadow any hotel room. I am curious as to your opposition to the split. Are they a huge headache? That was kind of what I was worried about to start with.

My thinking with Pop was that it was right next to AoA. Will that matter at all or will it still be more hassle than its worth?

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[robinb]

Split stays are a PITB. Instead of checking in and relaxing for the next X days you have to pack everything up part way through your trip and be ready to move the next morning. Even if you drive right over there early, if AoA is as busy as it sounds like it is you may be "homeless" until your room is available. Which could be into the late afternoon. Did you buy tickets with your room? I don't know how split stays will work with the new RFID key cards.

My suggestion is to book Pop for the whole time and call, call, call for an opening for all 3 days in a LM room. It's still a couple of weeks before the 45-day deadline for final package payments and there will be cancellations between now and March 1st.

 

[taylorstimac]

Thank you so much everyone for the advice! We lucked out and a LM room ended up opening up for the 16th too. So excited!!

 

[Pseudacris]

Thank you so much everyone for the advice! We lucked out and a LM room ended up opening up for the 16th too. So excited!!

So glad for you! I've never tried a split, so I can't say how much a hassle it would have been, but now you don't have to worry!

 

[robinb]

Thank you so much everyone for the advice! We lucked out and a LM room ended up opening up for the 16th too. So excited!!

Awesome! Have a great trip!