Branching out - need help!!

[nicolemarie]

My addiction to Disney is becoming scary - LOL. We just returned in November and I have talked my husband into another trip very soon. Now that I am familiar with DIS, TGM, Allears, it makes the decisions even harder!! I know about saving money, about crowds, about great restaurants (which we have never really done). DH says we can go for the kids spring break (March 25-31) or for my DS 4th b'day which will be an early May trip. We have been to Disney 4 times since my DD (7) was born and all trips have been in Nov. I am a TGM subscriber and we are early risers so I am not REALLY scared by the crowd levels of Spring Break, but I am wondering if there is typically a big difference in late March or early May. We want to be able to swim, too, and I think we'll be fine on that either time. We will probably stay five nights.

Another issue is $$$. We are AAA members and I am willing to buy an AP to get those discounts if they are better. The AP discounts for end of March were great, but no dining plan. Is the DP so great that I should use AAA discount so I can get the dining plan, too? HEEEELLLLPPP!!!

 

[CTillberg]

Personnaly, I would go with the May dates. In March, you can hit a cold snap making a bit chilly for swimming, and you KNOW that there will be large crowds to contend with. May should be quiter crowd-wise. As for the AAA Dining Plan, we were debating on it also as the price is good for what you get ($38/ adult and $11/child), and decided not to do it so we would not constantly be trying to remember how many of which kinds of meal and snack credits we had on different cards. Knowing me, I would be obsessing on how to get the best deal for our meals and trying to keep track and plan it all out and it got to be too much to think about. We wanted more flexibility, really. Also, the AAA brochure states that ALL character meals now require 2 sit-down meal credits.

 

[TinkGirl]

I haven't been there those dates, but I had to say it sounds like you're a candidate for DVC!

 

[Eljay]

If you do get the AP and decide against the dining plan, you might want to get the Disney Dining Experience card. You'll save 20% on your table service meals. Just another option.
http://www.allearsnet.com/din/dde.htm