First time! torn! HELP!!!

[Ima Disnewby]

my "dilemma" is as follows and i'd very much appreciate the infinite wisdom of the dis'ers

i've booked & put a deposit down for POFQ for May 2- May 6. it has come to my attention that with the spring room rate, unlike all of the other moderates right now, it is only discounted by 5%!!!

it is definitely my favourite resort of the mod/values (which is what is in my budget) but the fact that it isn't discounted like the others makes me feel like i'm not getting the full value of the discount. i guess i'm being petty/cheap/whatever you want to call it, but frugality is in my blood. i can't buy anything without a coupon or pricematch

should i switch resorts to save money (cbr OR asmo...technically we won't even be spending much time in the resort anyways, right??) or should i just stop being so cheap and stay with POFQ?!

 

[sue_gowin]

I'm pretty sure POR is part of the discount...that way you can go over and visit POFQ anytime you want while getting the discounted accommodation!

 

[Ima Disnewby]

I'm pretty sure POR is part of the discount...that way you can go over and visit POFQ anytime you want while getting the discounted accommodation!

omg! i can't believe i didn't even think of that option!! thank you so much! going to go check on the price difference.....

 

[alc571]

I'd opt for POR too. We had the same thing happen to us last year. We booked at POFQ, but with two PIN deals for POR we couldn't pass it up. I'm actually glad we stayed at POR instead of POFQ. It seemed way more updated and clean to us.

 

[Ima Disnewby]

thank you both so much for your replies!! here's another one for you that i'm also not sure about...

i was originally thinking of 4 day park hoppers but 5 day base tickets are about $150 cheaper for an extra day if i go that route!! are the park hoppers really worth it?!

 

[heidijanesmith]

thank you both so much for your replies!! here's another one for you that i'm also not sure about...

i was originally thinking of 4 day park hoppers but 5 day base tickets are about $150 cheaper for an extra day if i go that route!! are the park hoppers really worth it?!

For us park hoppers are a must. We go to a park at rope drop or morning extra magic hours, tour until afternoon. Take a break/nap/swim, and then to a different park for the evening.

Parks with the morning extra magic hours will be more crowded than non-EMH parks. We love to tour in the AM with EMH, so staying or coming back to the same EMH park does not work for us, too crowded!.

AK also closes early, so we go to AK in the AM and then to a different park at night.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

As far as park hoppers go - if this is your first visit you may just get the base ticket without hoppers. I only say this because I took my mom on her first trip to WDW - we got the hoppers and stayed at POR - lovely resort by the way. Anyway - I think we used the hoppers once. There is SO MUCH to see and do at WDW - especially for a first trip - we just wanted to spend the day at one park - and if we went back in the evening - went to the same park. Now that I have spent a lot of time at WDW I would definitely get hoppers - but on a first trip I thought just the base ticket was enough. We really didn't know what there was to "hop to" if that makes any sense. One park a day was plenty to chew on.

Have a great trip!

 

[Ima Disnewby]

As far as park hoppers go - if this is your first visit you may just get the base ticket without hoppers. I only say this because I took my mom on her first trip to WDW - we got the hoppers and stayed at POR - lovely resort by the way. Anyway - I think we used the hoppers once. There is SO MUCH to see and do at WDW - especially for a first trip - we just wanted to spend the day at one park - and if we went back in the evening - went to the same park. Now that I have spent a lot of time at WDW I would definitely get hoppers - but on a first trip I thought just the base ticket was enough. We really didn't know what there was to "hop to" if that makes any sense. One park a day was plenty to chew on.

Have a great trip!

thanks so much

that is pretty much where i'm at...i'm not sure where/what we'd be hopping TO it is our first trip as a family and my dh's first trip. i've been previously once about 15 years ago but obviously a lot has changed!

we have an early flight into Orlando that would see us at our resort before lunch time and a late flight out that means we wouldn't have to leave until 4pm or so on the day we depart, so i'm starting to wonder if having that extra day of disney and saving $150 (but not hopping) might be a good idea??

OY!!! such a frivolous, silly "problem" to have, right?!

 

[Diegosmom]

you can add hopper once you are there if you decide you want it and you can also add days...so I would just get 4 day base right now and go from there.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

We'vestayed at POR several times & it is a beautiful resort. I love the mansion area, the bayou rooms I don't like the decor of. The boat to DTD there is so nice!

We have switched to staying at CSR & totally love it. Love the rooms, the resort & everything about it.

As for hoppers. We usually never hop. We bought them on our first 2 trips...was just a tiny bit more those days. We hopped once to more less say we used them. We'd end up a park & stay all day long & had no reason to hop.

This trip, about our 9th trip I think we got hoppers.

Our reasons were:
To eat more meals at Epcot.
To be able to go to HS & ride TSM but then leave & go elsewhere & not waste a whole day ticket on that park.
Parks close way earlier in December so that way we could go to a later opening park if we wished too.

First time visit to me it wouldn't be worth it.

 

[dminnie]

you can add hopper once you are there if you decide you want it and you can also add days...so I would just get 4 day base right now and go from there.

The tickets are discounted with the promotion they have right now. Not sure they would still give you the discount if you wait til you're there to upgrade. I'd go with tickets for arrival and departure day and skip the hoppers.

CBR is the only moderate that hasn't updated to queen size beds yet. POR just finished a big renovation, so everything is pretty nice there. And, they allow pool hopping between POR and POFQ, so you could still use the pool at FQ if you like that one.

 

[disnut8]

you can add hopper once you are there if you decide you want it and you can also add days...so I would just get 4 day base right now and go from there.

But remember - if you decide to upgrade to park hoppers, it doesn't matter when you add on that feature - it will be the same price on Day One as it will be on Day Four. So you can't go to one park each of the first three days and then on Day Four decide "I want to Park Hop so it will only be one day". It will be for the entire time of your base ticket. For adding a park hopper, either do it on Day One or just suck it up and do the one park per day.

 

[Ima Disnewby]

thanks SO much for all the input everyone! you are all so great & so helpful, dis is the best

i'm going to take a real serious look at PORS with dh and if he agrees, i think i prefer to switch to the 5 day base.

 

[bigbabyblues]

i was originally thinking of 4 day park hoppers but 5 day base tickets are about $150 cheaper for an extra day if i go that route!! are the park hoppers really worth it?!

I could be reading this wrong, but you know you can't use that 5th day to go to a second park in one day, right? A hopper is the only way to get more than one park in a day.

 

[siskaren]

I could be reading this wrong, but you know you can't use that 5th day to go to a second park in one day, right? A hopper is the only way to get more than one park in a day.

I was going to say this too, because it sounds like the OP is thinking that she can do two days in one park this way instead of by buying hoppers.

 

[jude&jonah]

I've never been huge on POR- would you ever consider CSR? It's my favorite moderate- gorgeous, updated, easy bus system, etc. Love love love it!

 

[Ima Disnewby]

I was going to say this too, because it sounds like the OP is thinking that she can do two days in one park this way instead of by buying hoppers.

no, i understand how the hoppers vs the base tix work, i was just torn on buying a 4 day w/hopper OR a 5 day base...i'm strongly leaning towards a 5 day base and so is dh. it will give us a chance to make to absolute most out of our vacation by being able to go into a park on the day we get there & the day we leave

 

[Ima Disnewby]

I've never been huge on POR- would you ever consider CSR? It's my favorite moderate- gorgeous, updated, easy bus system, etc. Love love love it!

i actually LOVED the theme of CSR but dh and the kids weren't as thrilled with it, so that one went to choice #3

CBR went to choice #2 because we all liked it (the kids especially loved the pirate pool) but the double beds & everything i hear about how massive the place is always make me worry about ever booking it...

when we all saw POFQ it was everyones #1 favourite, no one had to compromise.


gee...now that i see it in writing like that, i should stop being so darn cheap

 

[jude&jonah]

I honestly don't blame you- I would want the discount too knowing all the other resorts were getting it I didn't think I would love CSR as much as I did. It felt a lot more tropical than it did southwestern to me- which was a big plus because it was the southwestern part that almost held me back when I was first booking it.

But I totally get you on where the kids are coming from- hey I think theming is super important to where you choose!

I'm doing CBR this time for a change of pace despite knowing it's large. I've heard that even in the farthest building out it's only a 7 minute walk from the main building and there are bus stops everywhere. I just love the caribbean feel and so that for me trumped POFQ and POR. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the bus system- but I've also heard people say the buses were no problem for them. We'll see how it goes!

Good luck with where you end up staying!!! It'll be a great trip no matter what!

 

[charliesmom86]

I would definitely choose POR. I would pass on the Park Hoppers though because we went for our first trip last May and we didn't get them and still had a ton to do! As for the Animal Kingdom day since it is more of a half day park(or was for us) we left at about 3 and took a break until about 7 and went to Downtown Disney for the night. We had so much to do!