finally....the planning begins...time to pick your collective brains :)

[wayneg]

The value resorts are a personal choice, we wouldn't want to stay in them again, stayed at All Star Movies 10 years ago and visited Pop Century for lunch this year, they are not for us. Much prefer offsite.
OKW works out great for us being 3 in a studio(even better for anyone that gets 4 in) £35-40pp for room/nt incl DDP. Your figures work out at approx £60pp that would be too high for me.
Its your choice, only you know what you prefer, my choice would be offsite at those amounts.

Ticket, £399 seems high, would you want everything on the ticket?
2 week Disney £230.00
2 week Uni £78
2 weeks SW/Busch/Aquatica £70
Total £378, looks to cover same as Freedom ticket, maybe cut down more if there is something you don't want to do.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2601142

If Aquatica is not something you want look at a passport for Busch/SW, not sure what they cost for 1 year, we buy 2 year passports, works out about £40/park/year with free parking, discounts & freebies(skytower, desserts)

 

[2Tiggies]

Every CS included a large drink each(or bottle) plus dessert, paying OOP we wouldn't have dessert and we would share a large drink.
The average was increased with 4 meals at WPE just looked at reciepts $68.32, $69.38, $68.32 & $69.38. Somewhere we would never pay to eat OOP.

We also upped our average for CS by visiting WPE 3 times last trip. Our bill on each visit for one adult and one child, who ordered of the kids menu, was $38 - 40, so that is an average of $20 each which would have been more if DD had been on the adult plan.

Food in Disney is not cheap, but you can get by eating adequately onsite without coming close to the costs of the dining plan if you don't each order dessert per day per person - TWICE!

As far as the large drink is concerned, you should be fine sharing on large one. Honestly, a few times we were given large drinks without asking (I always go for regular) and between two of us, not once did we ever get near to finished. It becomes a hassle to carry a paper cup around too. I used to keep one of DD's empty sports bottles in my bag to decant so I didn't have to hold it but I forgot this time.

 

[Rohais]

Personally, the main reasons I stay onsite and will probably never stay offsite are the

a) transport
b) to be 'immersed' entirely in the whole disney-ness
c) the dining plan (especially if free dining)

I think we would still do the dining plan even if it wasn't offered in a promotion, as I love the fact that its prepaid and its one thing less you have to worry about when you're actually one holiday

The first two trips we were constantly having to watch the spending money as it included food, making sure we didn't go over the allowance, keeping it seperate from the rest of the money etc. With the dining plan, its paid for when you pay off your holiday balance and thats that. I wouldn't have half the snacks I had last year, because of the cost, but I have no qualms about it on the DDP.

The OKW sounds like a great deal. We've booked POFQ and upgraded the free QSDP to the normal DDP which cost DF and I £325 for 18 nights...bargain, especially after the sums I did took me well over £1000 for 18 nights worth of food at the same restaurants etc.

Do you want to eat at restaurants. If not, you could look at staying at a moderate and getting the free QSDP included.

Good luck and enjoy your planning!

 

[disneyholic family]

Personally, the main reasons I stay onsite and will probably never stay offsite are the

a) transport
b) to be 'immersed' entirely in the whole disney-ness
c) the dining plan (especially if free dining)

I think we would still do the dining plan even if it wasn't offered in a promotion, as I love the fact that its prepaid and its one thing less you have to worry about when you're actually one holiday

The first two trips we were constantly having to watch the spending money as it included food, making sure we didn't go over the allowance, keeping it seperate from the rest of the money etc. With the dining plan, its paid for when you pay off your holiday balance and thats that. I wouldn't have half the snacks I had last year, because of the cost, but I have no qualms about it on the DDP.

The OKW sounds like a great deal. We've booked POFQ and upgraded the free QSDP to the normal DDP which cost DF and I £325 for 18 nights...bargain, especially after the sums I did took me well over £1000 for 18 nights worth of food at the same restaurants etc.

Do you want to eat at restaurants. If not, you could look at staying at a moderate and getting the free QSDP included.

Good luck and enjoy your planning!

i agree with the concept of the prepay - somehow it doesn't "hurt" as much when you buy all that really expensive food....

as i said, when i bought that frozen coke when i was there in june, i felt really bad about it....and it's not as if i can't afford $4....but it's just such a high price to pay for something like that...
had it been a credit on the DDP plan, i wouldn't have thought about it..
it would have been my daily treat

 

[2Tiggies]

had it been a credit on the DDP plan, i wouldn't have thought about it..
it would have been my daily treat

Agreed! But when you pay for the Dining Plan, you actually do still think about it.

 

[disneyholic family]

what is WPE? wolfgang puck express?

i've never eaten there, but i guess it must be good if you ate there so many times...
if it's that expensive out of pocket, then you're getting nice bang for your buck on the dining plan...

for TS, i think i would have us eat at as many buffets as possible...
especially given that several people in our group of 6 will be special ordering meals.....if we're at the buffet that gives them the option of adding on to the special order...

i need to nail down dates so that i can get the flight reservations (fortunately, i only have to pay for the plane tickets a few days before we leave) and the free dining reservations (if that's what i end up choosing..)

it turns out i now have to coordinate 3 different trips....DS and DIL want to go to Chile first (she's from there)....so i have to route them to chile (not as easy as it sounds - you have to go by way of brazil or argentina), then fly them from chile to florida to meet us....DD may have to be in florida early for work.....so she and SIL will be there first.....then we'll all go to NYC for a couple of days (and broadway woo hoo), then we all head back home...

i think i like planning as much as the trip itself!!

 

[disneyholic family]

Agreed! But when you pay for the Dining Plan, you actually do still think about it.

probably....as in "why did i waste my snack credit on THAT???? i could have bought that yummy looking danish instead!!" (forehead slap)...

 

[2Tiggies]

probably....as in "why did i waste my snack credit on THAT???? i could have bought that yummy looking danish instead!!" (forehead slap)...

Something like that. We did free dining this year for the first time and having done so, I am not sure I would pay for the Dining Plan again. We actually made a point of using up all our credits this year (with great difficulty ) and I derived a certain satisfaction from feeling that it offset any wastage by way of unused credits on paid dining plan in the past.

We prefer QSDP so snack credits are plentiful. Having learnt from last year I didn't try and maximise value on snack credits. The aim was to use them, rather than waste them.

 

[wayneg]

Personally, the main reasons I stay onsite and will probably never stay offsite are the

a) transport
b) to be 'immersed' entirely in the whole disney-ness
c) the dining plan (especially if free dining)

a) Everyones different but we don't really get on well with Disney transport, we tolerate it but kids running about on a moving bus, screaming on top of the voice with no parental intervention, stood 20-30 mins at MK for a bus while 3 come and go for other resorts, no seat savailable. Give me a car anyday
b&c) Yes we are enjoying OKW with free DDP but it is too much Disney. Can't wait for our Feb trip to stay offsite again and eat at our fave places offsite. Will be a Disney free trip.
Some people love Disney 24/7, we love Disney but there is so much more there than Disney.

what is WPE? wolfgang puck express?

i've never eaten there, but i guess it must be good if you ate there so many times...
if it's that expensive out of pocket, then you're getting nice bang for your buck on the dining plan...

for TS, i think i would have us eat at as many buffets as possible...
especially given that several people in our group of 6 will be special ordering meals.....if we're at the buffet that gives them the option of adding on to the special order...

Yes Wolfgang Puck Express. Its our fave CS on DDP. Never had a bad meal there.

We used to eat a lot of buffet meals but last couple of years we have gone off them, don't enjoy being so busy (Cape May was a nightmare) and food not as good as it should be.

A few pics of WPE food if you haven't seen them.

 

[disneyholic family]

wow! that food looks incredible for counter service food!!!
thanks for posting the pictures!!! mmmmmmmmm!!!!

i think i'll make a point of getting us there for at least a few of our counter service - actually, i'm sure that if we like it, the kids will want to just go back there every day...they're willing to make the effort to get to a decent place, rather than settle for the regular counter service slop...

DS loves the tuna sandwiches at earl of sandwich....(at least the ones that were served there 5 years ago, the last time he was at WDW)..
he had us go there for lunch almost every day...
so if WPE trumps that, we'll probably do the same..
and given how much DD loves pasta and as good as that pasta looks, i suspect we'll be making a lot of visits..

i know i'll be going offsite a few times....DS and DH have never had the pleasure of eating at sweet tomatoes (my and DD's favorite)...so we'll certainly get there a few times...and now that there's one so nearby, it's easy...

as for onsite vs off....we are disneyholics, so 24/7 disney is a good thing...
but we have stayed offsite and that can be fun too..
but in this case, i think the perks will be worthwhile for us..
i'm sure the kids will want to stay out late and make use of EMH....it's fun to be in the MK at 3 in the morning

when's the first halloween party...i wonder if they'll be one when we're there...hmmm

 

[wayneg]

This year they started 14th Sept http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/halloween.htm#mnsshp

 

[Rohais]

a) Everyones different but we don't really get on well with Disney transport, we tolerate it but kids running about on a moving bus, screaming on top of the voice with no parental intervention, stood 20-30 mins at MK for a bus while 3 come and go for other resorts, no seat savailable. Give me a car anyday
b&c) Yes we are enjoying OKW with free DDP but it is too much Disney. Can't wait for our Feb trip to stay offsite again and eat at our fave places offsite. Will be a Disney free trip.
Some people love Disney 24/7, we love Disney but there is so much more there than Disney.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a car but, honestly, I wouldn't drive in the USA. I have enough problems over here, mostly related to my OCD, so I don't think I'd dare. I'd need an automatic too. I appreciate that it does seem to solve a lot of waiting - though I like being taken to the front of the park so I don't have to walk too far/wait too long etc because of my neuropathic pain disorder. I've been lucky so far with the buses and, to be honest, they're better than the buses I get everyday to and from university - they take longer than the train journeys do and they take over half an hour

I understand where you're coming from about the view of there being too much Disney. Thats something I love about Florida - there is ALWAYS something for everyone, and it caters for different peoples likes, needs etc. Personally, I love staying in Disney because it calms my anxiety and seems to more or less completely relax my OCD...which, for 2 or so weeks of the year, is complete bliss. I wouldn't get that staying outside of Disney, as theres too much for me to worry about..including driving.

That, and I love the dining plan and the convienience and atmosphere of dining onsite. When I go away on holiday, I don't want to be having to drive around, do the cooking and washing up etc. I do enough of that at home

when's the first halloween party...i wonder if they'll be one when we're there...hmmm

We're going from 15th September to 3rd October and, as far as I know, they start early to middle September. In 2009, we went to the first one on 4th September but this year, as Wayne says, they didn't start until the 14th. If you're going end of September through to the end of October, there should be plenty of opportunities for you to go. As far as I'm aware, theres a couple (at least) each week. I'm trying to convince DF to dress up when we go...

i'm sure the kids will want to stay out late and make use of EMH....it's fun to be in the MK at 3 in the morning

Thats one of my favourite perks of staying onsite. And because we stay onsite, my Mum would let me take my brother (he was 9 and 11 at the time - i'm 8 yrs older) go to the EMH's whilst she and my nan relaxed back at the resort. They didn't worry because everything - transport mainly - was included and deemed safe. We liked that staying onsite gave us freedom to do that.

Whatever you decide, it'll be magical!

 

[wayneg]

When I go away on holiday, I don't want to be having to drive around, do the cooking and washing up etc. I do enough of that at home

Although I love driving over there(hate it at home) cooking, washing up etc is the last thing we want to do on holiday and reason we prefer hotels to Villas/townhouses, best thing is not making the bed every morning, such a little task but something I love not having to do on holiday.

 

[disneyholic family]

i was actually thinking about the cooking thing if we were to stay in an offsite house.......i'm just not up for that anymore...

when the kids were little and our finances were more constrained, we stayed in the rock bottom cheap as can be days inn suites (doesn't exist anymore...torn down and something built in its place)...
we had a one bedroom with a full kitchen....the kids slept in the bedroom and we slept in the living room on the pull out sofa....

we ate breakfast and dinner in the suite, and we packed our lunch...i made sandwiches for us to have in the parks....we bought drinks and sat down and had our sandwiches....
it was great actually.....wasn't a bother at all....
but i'm' old and lazy now......and since this is probably our last trip as a big family, i'd really like to make it wonderful...and for us that means staying on property.....though i still rent a car....i guess a mini-van....
i should go reserve it now, but first i have to get the dates pinned down..

i have until the end of december to get the discounted deal through disney UK...

which reminds me - i have to go check the deposit and cancellation details...to me that's the biggest bother of buying through disneyUk...having to pay so much up front..

 

[2Tiggies]

best thing is not making the bed every morning, such a little task but something I love not having to do on holiday.

Amen to that! I slip into the slothful mode quite readily - to the point that it takes about a week after return to remember I physically need to turn around and flush the loo afterwards

Also nice not to have to decide what to cook.

 

[disneyholic family]

Although I love driving over there(hate it at home) cooking, washing up etc is the last thing we want to do on holiday and reason we prefer hotels to Villas/townhouses, best thing is not making the bed every morning, such a little task but something I love not having to do on holiday.

well that assumes i make the bed at home....