CAn I please have your opinion. REALLY need help deciding!!

[Camping Griswalds]

I have booked at split stay in Jan/Feb. 6 nights in 2 rooms at POP and then 5 nights at AKL with AAA room only rates. With these new codes, because of having the split stay, I don't get much advantage. If I add on Dining to the split stay with the codes, I end up paying about 250.00 MORE. If I go to 10 nights at just AKL I save about 10.00. If I stay 10 nights at just POP I'd save about 500.00. I could only price out the 10 days because Disney dosen't do more than 10 days with package. If I stay the split stay, do 6 nights in 2 rooms at POP with 10 day premium passes with the YRE code, and then keep my 5 night AAA room only at AKL I do save 24.00 and get upgrades to the plus options. ( I was already gonna buy the hopper)

So do I keep the split stay room only and loose out on the 24.oo savings?

Do I give up the split stay and stay entirely at POP? (save 500)

Do I give up the split stay and stay entirely at AKL? (save 10)

Do I keep the split stay and only save 24.00?

 

[disnut8]

You didn't say your party size but if I had my choice between Animal Kingdom Lodge and Pop Century and you're even thinking that saving $10 would be a bargain, go with Animal Kingdom Lodge. Pop Century is great but Animal Kingdom Lodge cannot be beat. Split stays are nice but my family (not me) likes staying in one place for that long of a time.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

We are myself, DH, 13 yo DS, 9 yo DS, and 17 months DD.

I think my hold off on the AKL only is that DS age 9 is so excited to go to POP. We've visited family and he stayed one night with them at AKL so he feels he's already stayed there. Also we're only booked standard at AKL. ( All we could afford)

 

[Buckleybunch]

i would stay at a delux over a value resort anytime.. I love the AKL and in my opinion wouldn't pay more for the view because the who resort has a great view.

 

[wld]

just thinking outloud here. $500 is a bit of money, but you were already going to go a higher amount by splitting your stay, so I'd throw that out (if that makes sense)
POP is kind of fun, but not for the long haul.I mean to save money it's fine, but I'm not sure it is entertaining over the whole time to want to try it. And it may be too cold to swim or use the pop jets. Also I'm not sure you are guarenteed a connecting door.
We usually stay a moderates but love AKL and will be there again in December. Seemed like there was always something going on, but in fairness there aren't as many outside things, but then again there are the animals!!! And the fire....and the night vision goggles.........
Now our 19 year old daughter did not care for the themeing of akl
I think I would take the split stay where you add the park hoppers (which we love) for free or whatever and save 24.00. Unless I couldn't get connecting rooms at POP and then I would go with AKL the entire time.
Have a wonderful time!!!

 

[Camping Griswalds]

Thanks for your advice/thoughts. I think that many nights at POP could get boring as well, which is why I was so excited about the split stay. Although nothing in life is a guarantee, on our reservation there (POP) it does state that the adults are in one room, and kids in another so we should be getting connectiong rooms. I really am leaning towards the 24 only savings and keeping the split stay. I won't save as much money, but will just have to concentrate on the unique aspect of 2 resorts in one stay and the plus options. To be honest thoughit does make me doubt myself when I see people listing all of their savings with the new codes. Oh well, they will only be at one resort, an I will stay at two

 

[lark]

Well, two thoughts -- first, it sounds like for the same amount you were originally thinking of paying, you can stay all 10 nights in the AKL. That's pretty darned good -- a jump from value to middle deluxe for virtually no extra cost. If it were me, and if I had been expecting to pay the entire amount, that would seem like a pretty great deal. You've basically upgraded 6 nights of your stay for $10. That certainly seems like a better option than keeping the split for only $24 savings. You can pay just $34 more and get a 6 night upgrade to a deluxe? (Unless you would use the plus features, in which case it's a bigger savings to keep your split.) Now I understand it doesn't seem like only $10 more, since you COULD save $500 by staying at Pop, but still, if the measure is what you were planning to pay, these codes work out pretty nicely.

Second, you say that adding dining would cost $250 on the split. That actually sounds really really good. For your group, which has 4 dining plan participants, the cost of the meal plan for 10 days would be $1000. So you're saving $750 there, if I'm understanding you.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

Second, you say that adding dining would cost $250 on the split. That actually sounds really really good. For your group, which has 4 dining plan participants, the cost of the meal plan for 10 days would be $1000. So you're saving $750 there, if I'm understanding you.

Actually it would be 250 more than the 1000, so 1250 for the dining package upgrade. Reason being is that you have to have at least one day of tickets per each reservation. So if I keep the split, and add dining, it will cost me 250 over and above what I would pay for dining and discounts, so NO savings. This is where the split stay is a downfall if you want a package.

And we will use the plus features now that we have them. We'll definately do Disney Quest, and have done a water park in Jan/Feb before, and with staying that long, we should be able to hit some warm days hopefully! I wouldn't have bought that option though!

If I knew I would get savannah at AKL I'd just do AKL, but since there is no guarantee of any free upgrades, I think i'll stick with the split and just encourage everyone else to enjoy their savings!!

 

[lark]

Actually it would be 250 more than the 1000, so 1250 for the dining package upgrade. Reason being is that you have to have at least one day of tickets per each reservation. So if I keep the split, and add dining, it will cost me 250 over and above what I would pay for dining and discounts, so NO savings. This is where the split stay is a downfall if you want a package.

Oh, that doesn't sound very good. I think the packages just aren't that good for split stays.

Did you think about seeing whether you could keep your room only discount for POP, but then try to get a package on the AKL portion? What if you priced the AKL for 5 nights, with 10-day premium passes? I would think that would be a non-option, because I'm guessing there would be no way to get your passes before you start your stay at AKL, but who knows, maybe there would be, and maybe applying the package to the deluxe part of your stay might save a little more than the $24.

 

[Tinks]

My advice is to do all 10 days at the AKL. My 9 yo DS loved our brief night there and really wants to go back. We didn't even get to enjoy the pool! He loved it for the room and the view (animals). I think your DS will love the AKL and it will be easier on you than splitting your stay and worrying about MYW/dining option It's too bad it's so hard to do that with a split stay!

 

[disnut8]

We are myself, DH, 13 yo DS, 9 yo DS, and 17 months DD.

I think my hold off on the AKL only is that DS age 9 is so excited to go to POP. We've visited family and he stayed one night with them at AKL so he feels he's already stayed there. Also we're only booked standard at AKL. ( All we could afford)

If your son only stayed one night at Animal Kingdom Lodge, then he really hasn't "stayed" there. Here are some of the things the Lodge does for the kids----

Cookie Decorating, Pelican Feedings, Lodge Tour, Junior Researcher, Poolside Activities, Storytelling (very popular), Games with Savannah Guides, Cultural Safari, Night Vision Tracking, Track the Animals, Flamingo Feedings.

And there's nothing bad about a standard view. Just go over to one of the overlook areas right off the lobby and have a sit and watch the animals.

Animal Kingdom Lodge, in my opinion (and I've stayed at both), has a better "laid back, I'm on vacation" feel to it than Pop Century. Especially for 10 days. Placate your son with an afternoon doing nothing but Pop Century. Take him over there, let him do the walk around the lake (well, it doesn't go all the way around but enough). He can see all the icons, do the lobby area. Play in the arcade. Have lunch or dinner in the food court.

Besides, the pizza at the Mara is a heck of a lot better than the pizza at Pop Century.