1 lost newbie

[Firedisney82]

Greetings all.

What a great place this whole dis forums is. I am learning a lot already.

Recently took my 2 sons who are 1 and 3 to wdw for their first time. We stayed off property at caribe royale and loved the entire expirence....except for the nightmare that is the parking lots and ttc. Wifey wants to go back early next August again and I think she's convinced that a monorail resort is the way to go.

My questions are:
When and how do I find out if the free dining will be avail?
How do I book at poly and not spend a small fortune?

We recently signed up for and have been using the credit card through chase to build points. Anyone have any expirence/advice with this?


TIA

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

I would consider renting DVC points - David's is one avenue I've heard good things about here on the dis but others can give you their personal reviews - you can save a considerable amount on deluxe resorts by renting points. If you do rent, you can pay for the dining plan but will not get free dining.

 

[vicki_c]

Free dining is typically offered in late August and September and announced in the spring.

 

[tarak]

Greetings all.

What a great place this whole dis forums is. I am learning a lot already.

Recently took my 2 sons who are 1 and 3 to wdw for their first time. We stayed off property at caribe royale and loved the entire expirence....except for the nightmare that is the parking lots and ttc. Wifey wants to go back early next August again and I think she's convinced that a monorail resort is the way to go.

My questions are:
When and how do I find out if the free dining will be avail?
How do I book at poly and not spend a small fortune?

We recently signed up for and have been using the credit card through chase to build points. Anyone have any expirence/advice with this?


TIA

Early August might be tough as far as discounts go, unless you rent points as the PP suggests. We've rented points for several trips and had great experiences. Later in August, there are a few good deals to be had. If you google august agent exclusive, you can find some information about a specific agency that has great deals around the end of August.

 

[nkereina]

Yes - free dining isn't usually offered early August, as that's still considered high season so no promotions needed. If you decide to go in late August to take advantage of potential free dining deals, keep in mind that the free dining promotion means you're paying rack rate for your resort. That means full price at the Poly You'd be better off just paying for the dining plan and taking advantage of the room discounts out that time of year instead.

I also agree with PP that renting DVC points at the Poly may be a more affordable option. You can add the dining plan, but will pay for it as you wouldn't be eligible for free dining. Keep in mind that since Poly DVC is still new, you'll want to contact David's (or any other broker) ASAP as you can book as early as 11 months out. You'll want to book as far in advance as possible. You'll also need to pay the balance owed at time of booking, and you can't cancel or change your dates. If that's no problem, it's a great option.

 

[mmmears]

If you really want a monorail hotel, consider trying to find a room only discount instead of free dining. Often with the rates they charge it's a much better idea to pay less for the room and then either pay for the DDP or pay for your dining out of pocket (that decision really depends on how your family eats). Free dining generally means you are paying rack rate, which is very high at the Poly.

 

[Firedisney82]

Ok so my next question is...

How do I get a room only discount?

 

[leebee]

Sign up for mousesavers.com newsletter. They will keep you informed of upcoming and ongoing discounts for WDW and DL. There is also a link for discounted tickets for newsletter subscribers. If you think you want to stay at a deluxe resort, consider renting points from a DVC owner. Check out the DVC board here for explanations and opportunities, and ASK QUESTIONS! With 2 kids the age of yours, with strollers, diaper bags, etc., I personally would rather rent a vehicle and drive to the parks, and if you are staying onsite at a Disney resort, you won't have to pay the parking fee. I think it's easier to NOT have to juggle strollers, sleeping kids, etc., while standing on a bus packed full of people (which is how you'll get to non-monorail resorts if you stay at Poly, GF, or CR).

 

[sndral]

At least with the Poly you have walking access to the MK monorail and the Epcot monorail - so no bus worries for 2 out of 4 parks.
A lot of families with young children really like the Contemporary resort or it's DVC companion - Bay Lake Tower (BLT) because you can walk to MK - which is very popular with young children. You can rent points for BLT and as it takes fewer points it should cost less. Unlike the Poly, BLT also has 1 bedroom (and more) villas. I have read that BLT's studio villas are fairly small, the 1 br.s are nice so that parents can stay up later w/out waking up the youngsters.

 

[disnut8]

If you really want a monorail hotel, consider trying to find a room only discount instead of free dining. Often with the rates they charge it's a much better idea to pay less for the room and then either pay for the DDP or pay for your dining out of pocket (that decision really depends on how your family eats). Free dining generally means you are paying rack rate, which is very high at the Poly.

Totally agree. The dining plan, in my opinion, might not work with kids of that age. Much easier to share things from an adult plate and add a few sides (even at counter service places). Plus, kids of that age might not be too keen on sitting down at table service places all that often.

 

[nkereina]

Ok so my next question is...

How do I get a room only discount?

Room only discounts are announced and publicized in the same way free dining is. If you're signed up with Disney, you'll get emails. You'll see commercials on TV. You can check the Dis. It's public info and anyone will be able to book it once it's released.

 

[LisaCM614]

Greetings all.

What a great place this whole dis forums is. I am learning a lot already.

Recently took my 2 sons who are 1 and 3 to wdw for their first time. We stayed off property at caribe royale and loved the entire expirence....except for the nightmare that is the parking lots and ttc. Wifey wants to go back early next August again and I think she's convinced that a monorail resort is the way to go.

My questions are:
When and how do I find out if the free dining will be avail?
How do I book at poly and not spend a small fortune?

We recently signed up for and have been using the credit card through chase to build points. Anyone have any expirence/advice with this?


TIA

I agree the DIS is a great resource! I learn something on the dis everyday and I've been on the forums for years.
The monorail resorts are lovely and have a great location, no wonder your wife would like to stay there next time!
Do you have any flexibility in the time of year for your trip? If so you might find it a bit less expensive if you planned your trip for September instead of August.
If not, here are a couple of ways we've cut costs of staying at a deluxe when no discounts are available:
Use our credit card points to book a room for a couple of nights - this gives you an automatic discount (5 days on site and you're only paying for 3!).
Book a split stay - a few days at a less expensive resort and a few days at the deluxe resort. For example you could stay at Art of Animation and then switch over to the Polynesian.
Book Club Level. This seems counter intuitive and maybe it will be with your small children but if for our family of 3 teens/tweens Club Level is great. Even when they were younger this worked well for us. It meant eating breakfast in the lounge instead of eating in a restaurant. When we come back for a mid day break, there is snack in the lounge. After swimming and before heading out to dinner we all can have appetizers. When they were little the kids loved a PB&J and some apples in the lounge. We saved money on dinner because we then had a quick serve dinner, and the kids would just share an adult meal or just dessert!

Others have already mentioned renting points and suggested BLT instead of Poly for a bit of a savings there.

 

[jesster]

I just wanted to pipe in and suggest looking for a travel agent! A good travel agent can help you with so many things, from helping you book a room discount to helping you plan and make ADRs for your meals. I'd start researching around sites like mousesavers.com as a PP suggested, the dis boards (which you already are - go you! ) and allears.net. You'll learn a lot and it will really help you plan out a great vacation! Enjoy!! - the planning is so much fun!

One last little tidbit - take a look at the CR, too. The Poly is wonderful (I just came back from a week there), but if you think you will be spending a lot of time at the MK and you have two really young kids in a stroller the walkability to MK just cannot be beat.

 

[Kimberle]

The monorails resorts are nice. But don't rule out Wilderness Lodge. It's just across the lake from CR. It's a beautiful resort and one of the least expensive deluxe resorts. Check out the FAQ in the resort community brd.

 

[buzznina]

More information When renting points the savings are really only with staying in the studios, once you go up to 1 bdrm the cost doubles I would not rule out other level of resorts. Our 1st trip with our DD we stayed at POLY for the rail, but then we wanted to go again but did not want to spend as much so we stayed at a MOD and "for us" doing the buses with a stroller and later 2 strollers was not a big deal. I would at least look at WL, like a PP mentioned.

 

[Firedisney82]

When looking at point rental it says studios. What exactly does that include? What's a studio?

 

[GirlWriter]

A studio is what you would consider to be a standard hotel room -- generally with 1 double bed and 1 pull-out sofa bed, a bathroom, and a "kitchenette." Basically, it just means that there isn't a separate room for the beds.

 

[sndral]

The monorails resorts are nice. But don't rule out Wilderness Lodge. It's just across the lake from CR. It's a beautiful resort and one of the least expensive deluxe resorts. Check out the FAQ in the resort community brd.

More information When renting points the savings are really only with staying in the studios, once you go up to 1 bdrm the cost doubles I would not rule out other level of resorts. Our 1st trip with our DD we stayed at POLY for the rail, but then we wanted to go again but did not want to spend as much so we stayed at a MOD and "for us" doing the buses with a stroller and later 2 strollers was not a big deal. I would at least look at WL, like a PP mentioned.

While the Wilderness Lodge is a lovely less expensive deluxe option with boat access to MK - it is undergoing massive construction and they are offering to move people with existing reservations starting late Oct. 2015. The end date for the construction is sometime in 2017, thus I wouldn't recommend the WL as an option until the construction is over.