Hillbilly said:
I'm interested in hearing of some of the can't miss or fringe benefits that I shouldn't pass up on. Thanks in advance.
As tjkraz and crisi have pointed out, a lot of this stuff is not something you should worry about 11 months out, because it changes. But, especially if you are looking for a larger unit, you would proobably do well to make your reservations as soon as you can...provided your dates are well-set.
I'd spend much of the remainder of my micro-planning time over on the Theme Parks & Attractions Strategies board (you did know there were
strategies, right?). There is a wealth of information over there on more topics and in more depth than any normal person would ever want to know.
One benefit which may be useful to you is the DVC discount at various restaurants, retailers, etc. It is generally 10%, sometimes more. The restaurant discount excludes alcoholic beverages.
There are two other dining discount packages, neither of which are currently available to DVC owners. However, they may be by the time you visit, or you may qualify some other way.
The Disney Dining Experience is available to annual pass holders and Florida residents (to make it up to us for our lousy winter weather here!). That costs $75 per year ($50 for AP holders), and entitles you to 20% discount on ALL food and beverage at participating restaurants (and there are a lot of them). It is good for up to ten people at a time, provided they are all on the same check, the DDE cardholder is paying the check, and the card is presented at the time of ordering. It also works if you want to hang out at Epcot knocking back a few beers. If you are getting annual passes, you should check this. Or, if you are even close to getting annual passes, you may want to check what the extra cost of
one AP + DDE would be - you may find that it saves you a bunch of money. (There's no reason to get more than one DDE unless you're taking a whole tribe of people with you.)
The other is the MYW Meal Plan, currently only offered to guests at the regular Disney resorts - not DVC. I don't know all the particulars of this plan, but it is a big discount. There have been posts here from members who have been told this plan may be made available to DVC if and when Disney can get two computer systems to talk to each other. That remains to be seen, but it is something to check as you get closer to your trip.
