What "Extra" would you budget for?

[schultzywi]

My family is checking into the Fort over spring break next year, arriving Easter Sunday, 4/20 and checking out Friday 4/25. My DH has not been to the world in over 15 years. My DD (9) has been on 2 short trips but this will be the first trip for my DS (6). I am trying to stay within a budget on this trip which is one of the reasons we will be camping in our pop-up (plus I really love FW). There are three "extras" I am trying to work into my budget, but likely can only choose one. Which would you pick:
1. A golf cart for the week
2. Adding hopper onto our 5-day park tickets
3. Dinner at Hoop Dee Doo

 

[bama_ed]

5 day tickets for 5 days at WDW?

I'd back that down to 4 day tickets and leave a free day to visit Downtown Disney and do HDDR that night. If you are in the parks most days you won't really get the benefit of the cart except maybe driving to/from park transportation (blah). And IMO (and everyone is entitled to my opinion ) park hopping sounds good but it's over-rated.

Do Hoop Dee Doo on your down day, enjoy lounging around the Fort, maybe get the kids in the afternoon activities in the Pool area, and you'll have a day to recharge your batteries and top it off with good food and laughter.

Bama Ed

 

[North of Mouse]

My family is checking into the Fort over spring break next year, arriving Easter Sunday, 4/20 and checking out Friday 4/25. My DH has not been to the world in over 15 years. My DD (9) has been on 2 short trips but this will be the first trip for my DS (6). I am trying to stay within a budget on this trip which is one of the reasons we will be camping in our pop-up (plus I really love FW). There are three "extras" I am trying to work into my budget, but likely can only choose one. Which would you pick:
1. A golf cart for the week
2. Adding hopper onto our 5-day park tickets
3. Dinner at Hoop Dee Doo

Well, being as we 'always' get hoppers or AP's would definitely be the hoppers for us. We use them all the time as we don't like to be 'limited' to one park. There are those like bama ed that don't use them and are happy with that, but we have always gotten good use from them.

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful trip!

 

[Disneyaddictz]

5 day tickets for 5 days at WDW?

I'd back that down to 4 day tickets and leave a free day to visit Downtown Disney and do HDDR that night. If you are in the parks most days you won't really get the benefit of the cart except maybe driving to/from park transportation (blah). And IMO (and everyone is entitled to my opinion ) park hopping sounds good but it's over-rated.

Do Hoop Dee Doo on your down day, enjoy lounging around the Fort, maybe get the kids in the afternoon activities in the Pool area, and you'll have a day to recharge your batteries and top it off with good food and laughter.

Bama Ed

I have to agree, the fort is one of those resorts you MUST have down time to truly enjoy the amenities dinner show and a down day, no hoppers, no cart! Use extra for something different or another dining experience

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[schultzywi]

5 day tickets for 5 days at WDW?

I'd back that down to 4 day tickets and leave a free day to visit Downtown Disney and do HDDR that night.

There is only a $1 difference between the 4 and 5 day passes on UT which is why we opted for the 5 day.

 

[CiCiBee]

I second BamaEd, Hoop Dee Doo!! Park Hopping is nice, but not necessary, and if you are in the parks all day then a cart isnt worth it. We absolutely love love love Hoop Dee Doo!

 

[Cousin Ed C]

If you are Park Hopping you're wasting a lot of time! A cart is fun but not at $60+ a day. DO THE HOOP!!!!!! It has to be one of the best shows anywhere.

 

[2goofycampers]

I'd go for the golf cart. A week on the GC for me is better than a 2 hour dining experience.

 

[iheartpeterpan]

I think you will definitely want to have the Hoppers given when you are going. Last year over this same week MK closed for capacity almost every day, having Hoppers lets you adjust on the fly if the park is just too crowded, or if you leave and then can't get back in.

I usually get my tix to extend across all the days I am there. Even though I usually do have a down day, I like to be able to pop over to a park for a meal or fireworks, and once you get out past 4 days, one more day is usually not much more.

 

[jbrostek]

Drop down to 4 days and get hoppers, a golf cart is not that critical to have but nice. Given a tight budget, Hoop Dee Doo Review if you have never seen it before is a blast for everyone.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

Lots of good and different opinions. In regards to the Park Hoppers, I would seriously think about if you will really use them or not. They yield great value if you will use them, otherwise they could be just a waste of money. Our DD is 9 as well, and in prior years, it has been more efficient for us to just go to 1park a day.

 

[rock_doctor]

In honesty, if you are there 5 days i would plan 2 or 3 park days at most. Maybe consider no expire tickets then you can use the remainder on the next trip. There is so much you can do outside the parks. FW has horse back riding, archery lessons and so on. I would also plan a day in DTD to just chill out and look around. The golf cart is a lot of fun but maybe only get it on non-park days so you can take a rip-snot around FW, i mean drive leisurely around FW... Also take a day and visit the other resorts. So maybe consider all of your options but limit access time to each to fit them in chronologically as well as financially... The hoop is a lot of fun and if you have never gone do it but if you plan to go back in the future for a longer time maybe consider pushing that off to a future trip. That should be your "thing" that day since it is so expensive. Also consider the Luau, which i think is more enjoyable but that is a "too each is own" kind of thing... Also make sure to make time to swing by the Poly to watch the fireworks from the MK. It is getting hard to do this as so many do it now that it is causing issues for Poly guests but if you can work it out it is a lot of fun. The hopper option is your choice, we always add hopper so we usually do a park in the morning and then go to Epcot at night. The world showcase is, imho more fun at night...

 

[articfox676]

My vote is

4. An extra day at the Fort. That would be your down day.
You need a day for each park.
Day 5 is almost free so take it an do your favorite park again.
Can't go wrong with one more day at the Fort. Also a chance to
unwind and plan your next trip.

Enjoy your trip and safe travels.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

I'd go for the Golf Cart
Don't get me wrong, HDDR is okay for a first time, but to me it's over rated. The food IS the EXACT SAME food that is served at the Trails End and (I think the Whispering Canyon) On the plus side, it is all the Beer & Wine you can suck down,,provided you can spot your "wait person" long enough to pour another one.

Like 2Goofycampers said, Hoop Dee Doo is only 2 hours, Golf Cart is for a week, if you rent the buggy for one day, you'll wisht ya had it for a week.

Ya'll haven't been to Disney (really in years), once ya'll get to a park, you'll wanna stay and do the whole park till it's over been done, finish'd , why would you wanna park hop from one park to another when ya don't know what each park has to offer ??? Disney parks change some in 15 years.

 

[jbrostek]

We enjoy HDDR and recommend it to anyone who has not seen it yet. And while a golf cart is great, really its a luxury item for getting to and from the marina or bus station, something that if my budget was tight I would leave behind and use the 60+ per day expense to enjoying something at disney I have never seen before.

As for hopping, we do it all the time. Morning/afternoon spent in one park, return for dinner at the RV, then off to another park for the evening show and magic hours. Works great for us and given the time of the year he plans to go it might be worth having.

 

[KristinU]

I vote for the HDDR It will be a special, fun and memorable experience.

A GC isn't necessary, especially if you bring bikes, but even if not the internal busses work well.

Hoppers are not necessary, especially if you plan your park choices well (I might suggest popping the $10 or so for a membership at touringplans.com so you can choose the best days crowd-wise.)

Have fun!

 

[iheartpeterpan]

It's gonna be all 10s everywhere that week, it is Easter week.

Keep in mind that you can hold off on buying the hoppers now, and just add them if you decide to use them. You can do that at any time throughout your trip, so if you decide you don't need it, just don't add it.

 

[sbnewhampshire1]

We also enjoy the Hoop but remember it is very expensive and if you are on a tight budget that amounts to a lot of $$. We have gone and do enjoy it as well.
We don't get the hopper but do get the no expire as you can use it on your next visit .
Every year we take a family of grandkids(we have 15)So we are on a budget also. Go to the parks in the morning stay as long as we can last, have lunch (we packed a lunch) then come back and hit the pool! After relaxing at the pool we change and go back to the park of that day. Bring drinks and snacks. Either dinner there or back at camp. Everyone is happy. Then the fireworks.
Whatever you do please enjoy the fort, it is so relaxing and so much to do there! We have our own golf cart so that is not an issue for us, Have a wonderful time!

 

[KodiakKort]

I vote for no park hopping. With a 9 and 6 (if they are like mine), they're gonna wanna stay in one park. Save your money and use it elsewhere. Nothin' like buying a drink, or four, and sitting on the porch at Crockett's while the kids run around the playground.

 

[TinCup]

I think what extra you choose for yourself and your family will depend on what your plans are for the rest of your WDW vacation. Pick the extra that fits best into these plans. You want to get the most value for your vacation dollar while creating many wonderful memories. The following are my thoughts on three choices that you listed.

HDDR – We have done this once. The show was cute, and the food was good, but it was an expensive two hours. We enjoyed it very much and felt it was worth it. We also feel that it is not worth it to see a second time. If this fits best into your trip plans then it may be a good choice for you and your family.

PH – Park hoppers can be a good value if you plan your trip to take advantage of them. The way we use park hoppers is we will stay the day in one park, and use the park hopper to eat dinner in another park and see their nighttime entertainment. We may also do some of the attractions at the nighttime park as well. For example, spend the day at Animal Kingdom and then go to Epcot to eat and watch illuminations.

GC – Renting a golf cart can be a lot of fun, but you really have to spend time in the Fort to make it worthwhile. If you are planning to spend most of your time in the theme parks then renting a golf cart for the week may not be worth it. You may want to consider renting a golf cart for a day rather than for the whole week. This is what we do. We will plan a day where we will spend most of it at the Fort riding around in the golf cart.

One final thought, you may want to consider doing the wagon ride one evening. It’s enjoyable and very reasonably priced.