3 Nights BWI CL or 4 Nights BWV and DDP?

[Erica Ladd]

Which would you choose?

Either way we would have full days from early arrival to late departure and have PH tux.

If I was sure the CL FP was a sure thing I’d probably go that route but so much is up on the air!!!

FWIW The cost is pretty much identical (including adding the $300 for CL FP

So what are your opinions and why? I’d love some input.

ETA - I can put a deposit down on the CL trip and see I what happens to the CL FP. The 4 night trip is already booked

 

[Gehrig1B]

Choice #3... Five nights and no DDP. Club level has never done anything for us as we like to eat away from the resort, the DDP is overrated in my opinion and you can eat better for less without it and if you know how to use MDE there is no need for CL fast passes. Maybe not what you wanted to hear?

 

[tseitel]

I will always pick the option that would give me more days in the World.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Lol! I’d like nothing more than having MORE nights if it weren’t for those pesky kids!!! The 4 night has free dining included. But the ease of more FP that I could potentially get at 90+ seems like a dream trip to me and dh. I’m well skilled in MDE and always end up scoring extras but we love FOP and staying at an Epcot resort would just make it so we could basically enjoy it every day and still have a relaxed itinerary. We do enjoy us time in between the planning so if things are already ‘planned’ we could do more relaxing

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would do BWI, 4 nights, DDP. If I stayed 3 nights CL, I would be spending too much time trying to cram in the parks plus get to the lounge to get my "money's worth" of food and beverages. That's just me, though. I would rather extend the trip and try to take everything a little more slowly.

 

[vinotinto]

It sounds like you want to do CL. When is your trip? Assuming the CLFP program returns and that they reopen in June, would reaching a CM in June give you 90 days to do the CLFP (or change/cancel your reservation)?

I've done CL twice, at AKL and BWI, which offer some of the better CL food offerings. Are you factoring into your costs your additional meals while staying CL? Because if you are going to be at the parks, you probably will only get breakfast out of the lounge.

What is the makeup of your group? With more adults (over 10), the free dining is a good savings, but with fewer adults staying at a Deluxe hotel/villa, it's worth looking at room discounts when they are released.

 

[Erica Ladd]

It’s just DH and I. The trip is 8/29-9/2 or 9/3. So right on the edge of 90 days. Honestly our usual touring plan includes either PPOo ADR rope dropping, am FPs and then back to the resort to rest, recoup and relax before going out to a park depending on extra FP. The benefit I see with CL FP is not having to wake up early everyday and not struggling to find that ever elusive FOP, hopefully each day! But now that I think about it, if I need a BG for RotR I imagine we will be up early everyday. Plus I FP have good ADRs already (Ohana, Storybook, Enzos Sunday Supper, BoG) and I’m not sure I want to part with most of those. One other thing is we will arrive at MCO by 8:15am and leave on the ME at 7:30pm on departure day so CL would hive is somewhere to be.... tough choice!

 

[rwdavis2]

Choice #3... Five nights and no DDP. Club level has never done anything for us as we like to eat away from the resort, the DDP is overrated in my opinion and you can eat better for less without it and if you know how to use MDE there is no need for CL fast passes. Maybe not what you wanted to hear?

This.

 

[Gehrig1B]

The 4 night has free dining included.

Have you checked to see how much you would save by using a room discount in lieu of the free DDP?

 

[terri33inne]

Have you checked to see how much you would save by using a room discount in lieu of the free DDP?

Agree with comparing the 2... 90% of my trips are my daugther & myself (now considered an 'adult' at Disney), and the room discount always saves us more $ than free dining. We typically do at least one table service/day to give you an idea. There are several online calculators that will give you a ballpark of what dining will be based on what meal you're eating at what restaurant.

Will your touring style be much different without the kids? If you book your ADR's for dinner vs breakfast you have better availability with FP options later in the day. Take your relaxing resort time each morning?

 

[Erica Ladd]

I priced it out for 5 nights with a room discount and it came out to about the same as the other two trips. But I had to push the dates back further into August because of Sun and Fun dates. Plus that has NO food budget included which would definitely get up there as DH and I do like to eat, snacks around the world, cheese fries and daquaris on the boardwalk, a nice dinner out... On our trips in the past we’ve had the DDP and had a $300+ GC to supplement and we still ended up paying OOP at least a couple hundred more. And being an extra night would mean needing even more food $$. Unfortunately with our couples trips at this stage in our lives (ie kids loves) shorter trips are better. Don’t get me wrong - I can’t wait to be one if those 8-12 night trip people! One day That being said still love to hear what you think!!

 

[Erica Ladd]

Follow up. If I move my trip back one day and stay 4 nights standard level BWI even with dining it is $400 cheaper! Now to see if flights work for those days

ETA - my bad. That was for 3 nights. Still comes out to about the same. Now to figure out the hard numbers as I know pretty much what we eat/drink

 

[Sue M]

I would always go for more days. Free DDP at a deluxe is never a good deal for 2 of us. I usually go with 1 of my daughters (adult) and have done the math. The room discount has always been better option than free dining.

 

[Gehrig1B]

On our trips in the past we’ve had the DDP and had a $300+ GC to supplement and we still ended up paying OOP at least a couple hundred more.

I would always go for more days. Free DDP at a deluxe is never a good deal for 2 of us. I usually go with 1 of my daughters (adult) and have done the math. The room discount has always been better option than free dining.

That is why out of pocket makes more sense. Spending money on the DDP plus out of pocket as well really makes no sense to me. Just pay as you go and I suspect the food budget will be much better overall. Take the room discount as it almost always saves more at a deluxe than the free dining, especially if you are adding hundreds more OOP to eat. My 2 cents...

 

[Erica Ladd]

I get it but there’s no room discount for all of our nights

 

[auntfrannie]

I would go with BWI CL. I don't care for the dining plan any more as I like to order small plates rather than entree and dessert. Plus I like having the lounge available to relax in throughout the day.

 

[vinotinto]

It’s just DH and I. The trip is 8/29-9/2 or 9/3. So right on the edge of 90 days. Honestly our usual touring plan includes either PPOo ADR rope dropping, am FPs and then back to the resort to rest, recoup and relax before going out to a park depending on extra FP. The benefit I see with CL FP is not having to wake up early everyday and not struggling to find that ever elusive FOP, hopefully each day! But now that I think about it, if I need a BG for RotR I imagine we will be up early everyday. Plus I FP have good ADRs already (Ohana, Storybook, Enzos Sunday Supper, BoG) and I’m not sure I want to part with most of those. One other thing is we will arrive at MCO by 8:15am and leave on the ME at 7:30pm on departure day so CL would hive is somewhere to be.... tough choice!

This is such a personal decision because we all have our preferences and all love different things about Disney.

Having said that, with just two adults and spending a lot of time in the parks, I would:

1. ...not find a lot of value in paying the Club Level upcharge, especially if CLFP is a major component of the "value" in that equation. For the additional $$ per night pf the CL room over a regular room or studio, you can go to one of the many lounges in the Epcot and Epcot Resort area and make your own fabulous happy hour. Especially since the BWI Club Lounge is not particularly large. We had difficulty on most days getting a table (but, of course, it depends when you g, we were there Memorial Day weekend). Also, BWI has some lovely couches, etc., in the Bellevue Lounge, where you can hang out if you needed to hang out. When we stayed CL at BWI, we got a lot of value simply out of the kids having like 5 sodas a day, LOL.

2. ...not find a lot of value in Free Dining with the regular DDP. Again, being in an Epcot resort, I would probably spend more time at Epcot and Epcot resort lounges. I'm a big fan of the Ale and Compass Lounge and we love getting chips and guac and margaritas at Cava del Tequila or the lounge in Italy. None of the lounges are expensive, accept reservations nor take the DDP. With 2 adults, you can just get a break whenever you want, etc.

What would I select?
1. If I could not get a room discount and needed to keep the FD discount, I would upgrade to DxDP and switch the dinner ADRs to Signature restaurants. This is what DH and I did in our adults trip in 2018. Flying Fish, Yachtsman and Cali Grill are fantastic, trust me, better than BOG at dinner and Ohana.

2. If I could get a good room discount, I would ditch the FD offer and plan on eating at lounges and whatever I felt like eating (maybe two apps instead of an entree).

I'm sure you are regretting asking this question, but that would be my preference.

 

[Erica Ladd]

No regrets - love the input and opinions as I have waaaay too much time right now to think about which option works out best!

 

[Erica Ladd]

After looking at Disney Food Pics threads the idea of getting apps and small plates at Epcot area lounges sounds fun! I’m gonna have to run some big numbers!!!