Disney Resort Vortex- is there an escape?

[lmhall2000]

You’d think booking your resort would be the ‘end’ of the decisions. Nope, not if you’re seized by frugality and anxieties of ‘perfect planning’. I really think it’s rooted in my Depression era grandparents who sopped up every bit of gravy with the last biscuit crumb and rarely put more than 1/4 cup sugar in our Kool-Aid...you squeeze every turnip- twice!

So, I booked BC on Chase’s free dining for August deal. Never stayed at an Epcot resort and really want to try Stormalong Bay. Then, I read. I learn. Aack- people say the small balcony rooms stunk..YC has all big balconies- better insure that disappointment doesn’t hit our 4 night stay! Check for weeks and YC opens up, I also see they have walk in showers..I need that to prevent tweaking my knees climbing out of bathtub- I think Im the only one who can twist a foot stepping out of a bathtub. Win! No, because they only have Water View...and that change costs $500 more.
I spend 3 weeks convincing myself it’s worth the splurge. Then, I read a post about dogs barking incessantly being locked up in a strange room with strange noises at YC- the barking doesn’t annoy me, but we just put down our pup after 15 years of love- she traveled on lots of vacations with us- the barking would put us through the emotional ringer...now, I need to switch back to BC - but only BWI is showing availability- I hate clowns. Who else drives themselves crazy trying to find the perfect set up??? It’s only 4 silly nights!!!! But, then I remember the 4 nights we had at CR being upgraded from garden to Tower and we will never forget the aww of seeing fireworks each night from our room! It’s the magic of Disney- attacking my normally fine sensibilities! I need to get a grip- but I can’t stop trying to change back to BC to save $400-500 so we can eat at Shula’s- I’ve lost 60 pounds and 15 from final goal- I’d pay that much for a great steak! guaranteed big balcony or meal at Shula’s and some $$ for a nice souvenir...it’s maddening!!!!

 

[Christine]

Yes, you can go crazy. But just from reading your post, I get a sense that you want to go back to BC. I say DO IT!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Yes, you can go crazy. But just from reading your post, I get a sense that you want to go back to BC. I say DO IT!!

I think you are right!! I check too many times daily, only water view available which is $150 more than our water view at YC...geez- this should be so easy! I envy those who go to Disney with zero plans or researching best views of sunsets!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We enjoy so many things about so many resorts, that I don't really stress about it anymore. Utmost for us is quiet, so I tend to book 1- and 2-bedroom (dedicated) villas to have at least one room that does not have a connecting or exterior door. I'm happy if I can find that at any resort that offers it and can adjust plans accordingly. The thing is, even with the "perfect" set-up, life happens and things can go wrong. We've dealt with water main breaks, drills in the middle of the night, etc. You just have to roll with the punches, IMHO. We've stayed at YC a few times since the dog policy began and have never heard a barking dog. I hate clowns, but love the clown slide (you don't see the clown when you are sliding down!). I, too, would want to save that $500 (though water view at YC is really lovely!). I would just keep checking for availability and maybe give BWI a shot if the savings means you can do more things at WDW.

 

[Elle23]

I am constantly in that vortex to the point I think I need to just stop posting where we are staying because it changes so much!

I have also been in and out of different month threads because I keep going back and forth on dates.

 

[Disney Ron]

I had us booked at just about every Disney resort for our 10 day stay in August. We've been booked for our upcoming trip at BWI, BC, YC, Contemporary, WL, AKL, POP, CBR and POFQ twice. Every year I drive my wife crazy. And guess where we finally will end up? The Swan and it's not even a Disney World resort.

 

[Christine]

Last year I went to the Contemporary and loved it. So wanted to get it this year but it was booked up. All we could get was the Grand Floridian. Now if that isn't "first world" complaining I don't know what is!! But I am just sort of unsettled because I *really* wanted the Contemporary and I keep checking for it and hoping. I just wish I could be happy with things and leave it as it and stop overanalyzing!

 

[jbehr12]

You’d think booking your resort would be the ‘end’ of the decisions. Nope, not if you’re seized by frugality and anxieties of ‘perfect planning’. I really think it’s rooted in my Depression era grandparents who sopped up every bit of gravy with the last biscuit crumb and rarely put more than 1/4 cup sugar in our Kool-Aid...you squeeze every turnip- twice!

So, I booked BC on Chase’s free dining for August deal. Never stayed at an Epcot resort and really want to try Stormalong Bay. Then, I read. I learn. Aack- people say the small balcony rooms stunk..YC has all big balconies- better insure that disappointment doesn’t hit our 4 night stay! Check for weeks and YC opens up, I also see they have walk in showers..I need that to prevent tweaking my knees climbing out of bathtub- I think Im the only one who can twist a foot stepping out of a bathtub. Win! No, because they only have Water View...and that change costs $500 more.
I spend 3 weeks convincing myself it’s worth the splurge. Then, I read a post about dogs barking incessantly being locked up in a strange room with strange noises at YC- the barking doesn’t annoy me, but we just put down our pup after 15 years of love- she traveled on lots of vacations with us- the barking would put us through the emotional ringer...now, I need to switch back to BC - but only BWI is showing availability- I hate clowns. Who else drives themselves crazy trying to find the perfect set up??? It’s only 4 silly nights!!!! But, then I remember the 4 nights we had at CR being upgraded from garden to Tower and we will never forget the aww of seeing fireworks each night from our room! It’s the magic of Disney- attacking my normally fine sensibilities! I need to get a grip- but I can’t stop trying to change back to BC to save $400-500 so we can eat at Shula’s- I’ve lost 60 pounds and 15 from final goal- I’d pay that much for a great steak! guaranteed big balcony or meal at Shula’s and some $$ for a nice souvenir...it’s maddening!!!!

Sounds like me with fastpasses... after my 60 day window I still check dibbs FP finder regularly and probably change my plans twice a week. On a positive note, I now have either FOP or SDD on every single day of my 8 day trip save for one MK day with SDMT and one Epcot day with FEA, all FPs before noon. Now I just need to not screw anything up!

Edit: I’m like this with hotels also but I managed to find GF CL for $500 a night so I had to grab it and I’m not looking back!

 

[Minnie_Momma]

I am so glad that I am not the only one doing this! I am planning our first WDW trip and initially we were booked at Boardwalk (we wanted Beach Club but it wasn't available for our dates when I first booked - it is now though!) ...then SWGE was announced and we decided to move our reservation over to Poly... now I am considering moving to Beach Club...or maybe to Wilderness Lodge. I spend a lot of time checking availability and prices! Every resort has so many unique features! It's impossible to choose just one.

 

[jbehr12]

I am so glad that I am not the only one doing this! I am planning our first WDW trip and initially we were booked at Boardwalk (we wanted Beach Club but it wasn't available for our dates when I first booked - it is now though!) ...then SWGE was announced and we decided to move our reservation over to Poly... now I am considering moving to Beach Club...or maybe to Wilderness Lodge. I spend a lot of time checking availability and prices! Every resort has so many unique features! It's impossible to choose just one.

I think Disney makes it so easy to modify on purpose... I always end up modifying to something more expensive.

 

[lmhall2000]

I’m so glad y’all understand!!! We don’t get to Disney often since our last move- logistics are harder- schedules are tighter...I loved the poster who said she has grown to be content- and then she exactly nails why I have trouble- that view is nice! if it were just me and my husband- I’d book once..but we rarely get family time having 3 in college last year in different states...our last vacation (cruise) ended on day one with medical emergency- this is our make-up version- I know I can’t ‘make’ everything perfect- but just to see them smile after a tough year might be worth all this crazy planning. I have a trip planned for just me and husband- nailed it all in 2 weeks and haven’t looked back- I blame Disney- too many fun options to envision!!!!

 

[jbehr12]

I’m so glad y’all understand!!! We don’t get to Disney often since our last move- logistics are harder- schedules are tighter...I loved the poster who said she has grown to be content- and then she exactly nails why I have trouble- that view is nice! if it were just me and my husband- I’d book once..but we rarely get family time having 3 in college last year in different states...our last vacation (cruise) ended on day one with medical emergency- this is our make-up version- I know I can’t ‘make’ everything perfect- but just to see them smile after a tough year might be worth all this crazy planning. I have a trip planned for just me and husband- nailed it all in 2 weeks and haven’t looked back- I blame Disney- too many fun options to envision!!!!

I think the problem is there are too many variations of “perfect” in DW... choosing the right combination of perfect for you is the hard part!

 

[lmhall2000]

I think Disney makes it so easy to modify on purpose... I always end up modifying to something more expensive.

Bingo...no one separates me from our vacation savings more quickly than Disney!

 

[lmhall2000]

I am so glad that I am not the only one doing this! I am planning our first WDW trip and initially we were booked at Boardwalk (we wanted Beach Club but it wasn't available for our dates when I first booked - it is now though!) ...then SWGE was announced and we decided to move our reservation over to Poly... now I am considering moving to Beach Club...or maybe to Wilderness Lodge. I spend a lot of time checking availability and prices! Every resort has so many unique features! It's impossible to choose just one.

Why move to Poly for SWGE? Is there an advantage? We have five in our family, so I am thankful that automatically excludes some choices...never been to WL and only hit AKL when our youngest was in a playpen and they let us put 5 in a standard...we paid $119 a night for Savannah view!! Now, it’s so crazy $$$. We loved Poly when kids were little- monorail is awesome! We loved Contemporary bc we loved walking to the park. Good luck with your decision! Curious to see where you end up!

 

[jbehr12]

Why move to Poly for SWGE? Is there an advantage? We have five in our family, so I am thankful that automatically excludes some choices...never been to WL and only hit AKL when our youngest was in a playpen and they let us put 5 in a standard...we paid $119 a night for Savannah view!! Now, it’s so crazy $$$. We loved Poly when kids were little- monorail is awesome! We loved Contemporary bc we loved walking to the park. Good luck with your decision! Curious to see where you end up!

Probably to avoid the HS SWGE crowds.

 

[Little E]

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who plays the "second guessing" game. We booked BC for our 2020 trip, and now I'm thinking a Poly studio might meet our needs better. I just don't know quite what to do.

I have to remind myself that wherever we stay, we'll be at WDW and it will be magical, right??

OP, I know that wherever you stay, your trip will be magical too!

 

[Minnie_Momma]

Why move to Poly for SWGE? Is there an advantage? We have five in our family, so I am thankful that automatically excludes some choices...never been to WL and only hit AKL when our youngest was in a playpen and they let us put 5 in a standard...we paid $119 a night for Savannah view!! Now, it’s so crazy $$$. We loved Poly when kids were little- monorail is awesome! We loved Contemporary bc we loved walking to the park. Good luck with your decision! Curious to see where you end up!

Probably to avoid the HS SWGE crowds.

Yes this! To avoid HS crowds. We'll be there shortly after it opens (9/12-9/16) and we are traveling with a 1 yo and a 2 yo (who will turn 3 while we are there) Initially we were going to do 1 day in each park, but now we are going to focus more heavily on MK!

 

[pixiedustedme]

You’d think booking your resort would be the ‘end’ of the decisions. Nope, not if you’re seized by frugality and anxieties of ‘perfect planning’. I really think it’s rooted in my Depression era grandparents who sopped up every bit of gravy with the last biscuit crumb and rarely put more than 1/4 cup sugar in our Kool-Aid...you squeeze every turnip- twice!

So, I booked BC on Chase’s free dining for August deal. Never stayed at an Epcot resort and really want to try Stormalong Bay. Then, I read. I learn. Aack- people say the small balcony rooms stunk..YC has all big balconies- better insure that disappointment doesn’t hit our 4 night stay! Check for weeks and YC opens up, I also see they have walk in showers..I need that to prevent tweaking my knees climbing out of bathtub- I think Im the only one who can twist a foot stepping out of a bathtub. Win! No, because they only have Water View...and that change costs $500 more.
I spend 3 weeks convincing myself it’s worth the splurge. Then, I read a post about dogs barking incessantly being locked up in a strange room with strange noises at YC- the barking doesn’t annoy me, but we just put down our pup after 15 years of love- she traveled on lots of vacations with us- the barking would put us through the emotional ringer...now, I need to switch back to BC - but only BWI is showing availability- I hate clowns. Who else drives themselves crazy trying to find the perfect set up??? It’s only 4 silly nights!!!! But, then I remember the 4 nights we had at CR being upgraded from garden to Tower and we will never forget the aww of seeing fireworks each night from our room! It’s the magic of Disney- attacking my normally fine sensibilities! I need to get a grip- but I can’t stop trying to change back to BC to save $400-500 so we can eat at Shula’s- I’ve lost 60 pounds and 15 from final goal- I’d pay that much for a great steak! guaranteed big balcony or meal at Shula’s and some $$ for a nice souvenir...it’s maddening!!!!

Stay at Beach Club. It's a beautiful resort, nice rooms, awesome pool complex, walking distance to Epcot & HS. Stop reading people's reviews/posts about the resorts, because people (especially on Dis) will complain about anything & everything. If I paid heed to all of the raking over the coals that I have read online about EVERY deluxe Disney resort, I never would have stayed at any of them (and we have stayed at all of them, btw). The same goes for the restaurants, too. Don't let yourself be so influenced by others' opinions, and stick with the resort YOU originally picked out.

 

[DadofChristaSonofRay]

Last year I went to the Contemporary and loved it. So wanted to get it this year but it was booked up. All we could get was the Grand Floridian. Now if that isn't "first world" complaining I don't know what is!! But I am just sort of unsettled because I *really* wanted the Contemporary and I keep checking for it and hoping. I just wish I could be happy with things and leave it as it and stop overanalyzing!

The Contemporary seems to be the place to be. We enjoyed our stay there in 2010. Booked GF for this trip and hanging on for a discount but even then the urge to change resorts is strong in this one.

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

I’m so glad y’all understand!!! We don’t get to Disney often since our last move- logistics are harder- schedules are tighter...I loved the poster who said she has grown to be content- and then she exactly nails why I have trouble- that view is nice! if it were just me and my husband- I’d book once..but we rarely get family time having 3 in college last year in different states...our last vacation (cruise) ended on day one with medical emergency- this is our make-up version- I know I can’t ‘make’ everything perfect- but just to see them smile after a tough year might be worth all this crazy planning. I have a trip planned for just me and husband- nailed it all in 2 weeks and haven’t looked back- I blame Disney- too many fun options to envision!!!!

You are totally going to stress yourself out! You know what, in the end, it won’t matter to your family if the view is perfect, if it has the right balcony, or is close to this or that. What’s going to matter, after a tough year, is that you are all together, having fun, enjoying each other, in a magical place. Relax! Have fun! Stop second guessing. It will be wonderful.