1st night off-site?

[lpursell]

We are going to take the Western Caribbean cruise on Saturday 1/18/03. We want to spend 3 days in WDW before the cruise. We live in Calif. and will fly all day to get to MCO (including time diff.) the Tuesday before the cruise. I'm thinking that we should check into a hotel near the airport for the first night then get a shuttle service to CBR Wednesday morning. The reason I think this is because, I've been told, with an add-on WDW pkg. we will be buying Ultimate Park Hopper tickets for every "day" we are there. For example, if we stay 3 nights at CBR we will have UPH tickets for 4 days. This is expensive for 7 people plus the difference in hotel costs (about $500.) Does anyone know of a way around this?

I would rather avoid the inconvenience of moving the first morning of our trip plus the added time it will take in travel and check-in and breakfast (our bodies will be on Pacific time.) Also, being January, the parks will probably close at 6pm and the move could possibly take until noon. If it were just the difference in hotel rooms I would go straight to CBR.

 

[queenofhearts]

Hi Linda! I think your logic is on the mark!

My boyfriend and I are staying our first night of site, because we want to wake up the next morning and get a full day out of the price that we're paying for our tickets. If you can afford the extra night, then I say go for it!

Have a great trip!!

 

[Disneydenise]

If you wait until you check in to purchase your park ticets you will only have to purchase a 2 day UPH. They never tell you that at CRO. If you can get a good discount (try the codes I am not sure about the dates) you may be able to save yourself the double checkin time. Have a great trip.

 

[lpursell]

I tried to book room only, without the UPH tickets, at CBR but I couldn't. My TA said that when adding-on to a cruise the resort comes with the UPH tickets.

 

[nwdisgal]

It is a pain to have to switch resorts. I am from the West Coast too. I have done it both ways. During our April trip, I stayed the first night close to the airport, then arrived bright and early next morning at CBR, picked up our UPH tickets, and our room was ready (about 9:00 AM). I had requested Jamaica, Non- Smoking, and had a great room with a nice courtyard view.

On our last trip, I decided I didn't want to switch resorts. I took my chances, showed up after the all day plane trip to AKL at 9:00 pm. The only room request I received was non-smoking. That was guaranteed because DH has severe asthma, allergies. I did not receive my other requests.

 

[jennymouse]

I went through orlandodiscountrooms.com and found a room at Hampton Inn with free shuttle from airport, contenintal breakfast for $49.00 including tax for our first night. You should give it a try.




edited to remove a link to a commercial site

 

[Samsma]

This year the Dolphin has a $99 rate for Cruise a cruise add on. You might try this instead if you are interested in Dolphin at all. Then you could purchase your UH pass when you get there if maybe the CBR won't let you. Don't know yet if it carries on to 2003, but that's what I plan to do in June 2003 also.

 

[lpursell]

Those are great ideas! There's so much to learn to make the trip a good one. I live near DL but have never been to WDW and probably won't go again so I'd like to do it right. I can't wait to purchase the UPH tickets until I check in because they come with the pkg, I tried to book the room only and they won't let me. I'll look into the Dolphin and see if we might like that rather than CBR. Wouldn't that be an independent booking and I could purchase only the tickets that I want?

 

[MJames41]

Another option is to tell your travel agent to make it 2 seperate reservations then - or you can always do it yourself. Check with Mousesavers for the dates you are going to see if there is a code. Then book room only, and get the UPH when you get there. If you get it at the resort, you can cancel the 1st and/or last day, so you only pay for what you use.

If your travel agent says it can't be done, you can always tell him/her that it has been done many, many times. For my next trip to Disney, I have 2 reservations with CRO, 2 reservations with WDTC (through the Disney Club) and 2 reservations with DVC. By the way, I was also told coulnd't use WDTC to book 1 night. I have one night at the Contempory and one night at the French Quarter.

 

[lpursell]

I did it! Why didn't I think of that? I just booked one night, room only at the CBR the night of our arrival. I talked to the Cruise Line cust. service and she suggested it also. When I check in I will tell them that I also have a pre-cruise pkg. starting the next day and would appreciate being able to stay in the same room(s). Thanks everyone, I really didn't want to check in and out of a hotel the second day.