Got my first PIN. Help a dad out here...

[gpshemi]

OK. We were just there last year. We decided not to go this year due to the economy, but it seems like Disney keeps tempting us with free dining on TV, and now...my first PIN. Didn't even know what it was till I started looking into it. It's for 3-9 stay, play, and dine for free.

SO...we're a family of 5.
DH,DW,DS (6), and twins (3).
We could go anytime this summer although I'd like to avoid melting down there. Wondering what's the cheapest way to go here? Will a value resort hold the 5 of us. Looks like they only do 4. I'm not booking 2 rooms.

Any thoughts? Flights to Orlando from Detroit on 6/6 was $139 round trip. That's cheap....

HELLLLLPPPP!!!

gpshemi

 

[megnsamsgracie]

We are 5 doing free dining and we booked POR because of the trundle bed. I am paying $149 a night for the room. I would love to upgrade to a deluxe but with my current situation, I can't afford it.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Our family got the same PIN offer. You would have to do the math for your family.

Already, there's no charge for kids in the room, so you are getting their park ticket for free and their dining. You have to compare which is a bigger discount : free dining for you and your wife or free tickets for the kids, also factoring season rates. (see below) Dining for two adults ($39.99 x 2 = $79.98 per day) Tickets for kids depends on length of stay but for a week: $202.55 total or $29.36 per day. With three kids, that's a savings of $88 per day. I think with the PIN offer you'll still have to buy the dining plan for you and your wife.

Also, the offer doesn't specify - so it probably includes the chance to get more than base tickets. So if you get hopper passes for the two adults, you might get the hopper plus for free for the kids.

The other thing to keep in mind is that late summer is hurricane season - so if you go with free dining, you run the risk of being in Orlando during a storm. Likely you will at least encounter some rain while there. Earlier in the summer when this dela is offered, you are less likely to get a storm, but you WILL encounter heat plus large crowds.

One more thing to check is the season. During the PIN offer dates in summer (5/22 - 8/8), rooms will run $115/125 per night. After August 8, the room rate drops to $82 per night - so over a week that's $283 with tax over a week more that you'll pay for the room.

So free dining for a weeks trip is a savings of $79.88 x 7 = $559 savings off full rack. The PIN offer is $88 x 7 = $616 (with base tickets) - $282 (extra room cost) = $333 off full rack costs. Again, it will change things if you get different tickets, stay a different amount of time, and get different airfare.

Obviously if you get different rooms it will also change thigns. Typically free dining DOES NOT apply to the All Star suite rooms, but the PIN code might. It might also apply to some of the other resorts: like POR or the DVC resorts. You'll have to call to find out on that.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Well, truthfully anytime is a good time.
However if you are concerned about beating the heat, you can still come in the summer. You just have to plan your days different.
An Alligator Bayou room at POR would work for your family of 5.
Go to the parks in the morning, leave noon-ish and enjoy the resort/pool or even a water park. Then return in the late afternoon/evening.
Those make enjoyable days as you get to have the fun and still maintain some sort of R&R. (For the parents too. )
There's lots to do here besides the parks.
Showers that time of year generally come late afternoon about 3:30 - 4:30, and last 20 minutes to an hour. Although there can be some real gully washers.
Also wear cotton (no synthetic blends) and loose clothing. Just like you have always been told all your life. And wearing a hat helps a lot too.

 

[Hootch]

trips have been in June and July. It really wasn't that bad. We tokk three hours or so off in the hottest part of the day. We spent some time at the pool and, especially toward the end of the trip, had a short nap. We started out the second half of the day refreshed. Because the park hours are so long in summer there was plenty of time to tour.

We're going again this June.

 

[carol-lamb]

OK. We were just there last year. We decided not to go this year due to the economy, but it seems like Disney keeps tempting us with free dining on TV, and now...my first PIN. Didn't even know what it was till I started looking into it. It's for 3-9 stay, play, and dine for free.

SO...we're a family of 5.
DH,DW,DS (6), and twins (3).
We could go anytime this summer although I'd like to avoid melting down there. Wondering what's the cheapest way to go here? Will a value resort hold the 5 of us. Looks like they only do 4. I'm not booking 2 rooms.

Any thoughts? Flights to Orlando from Detroit on 6/6 was $139 round trip. That's cheap....

HELLLLLPPPP!!!

gpshemi

We have been visiting WDW every summer for several years. While it is very hot, it would never stop me from going. It is so easy to get out of the sun and into an air conditioned building to cool off. If you really think about it, you are not really in the sun that much. Disney does a fantastic job of keeping you out of the sun if you do have to wait in a line. With the proper use of fast passes, you really don't have to spend much time in lines anyways. My son knows how much I hate the hot sun so he always finds walkways and paths that are shaded (and they are usually less crowded).

$139 is a great price for air fare, but I have you beat!! I am flying on Northwest out of Detroit in mid June and I got a price of $122 total (tax and fees included)!! That's the lowest price I have gotten in a few years. I checked air fare first one day on a whim and within a half hour, I had the whole trip booked!! I didn't have a PIN, but got a good price with the 4/3 deal they were offering at the time. I couldn't get my beloved CBR, but I am actually looking forward to staying at POFQ for the first time.

Let us know if you end up booking a trip!

 

[gpshemi]

mickeyluv'r your numbers make my head swirl, but it sounds like the $658 doesn't include everything and there might not be a ton of savings on this PIN.

The twins don't turn 3 untill mid June. If we went just before that, we could stay in a regular value resort room. 4 people and a crib I read were the rules. We did that last year when they were both little. That would lower the costs.

 

[disneyfan55]

mickeyluv'r your numbers make my head swirl, but it sounds like the $658 doesn't include everything and there might not be a ton of savings on this PIN.

The twins don't turn 3 untill mid June. If we went just before that, we could stay in a regular value resort room. 4 people and a crib I read were the rules. We did that last year when they were both little. That would lower the costs.

That's what I would do if you don't want to get the moderate, but I guess if it's a dining thing you would lose the free food for the twins as well. You have to figure that as well. I don't know exactly what that pin entails, but you won't get the free food for them if under 3 it sounds like. That might be something else to consider since there are 2 of them and they will need their own food most likely and not have enough to share with parents.

 

[Hootch]

Hope you enjoy POFQ. We hopped around resorts on a few trips. Last one we stayed at POFQ and we decided to go back there this summer. I can see switching resorts again when the kids get older. For now the size and the pool work really well for us.

 

[gpshemi]

After pricing things out...it doesn't seem to be a great savings for us right now with the other meal deal going. So we're going to stick to the original plan and skip the trip this year. Think we'll go to Gatlinburg instead.

Wanted to thank everyone for the advice and help though.

 

[Dancegrl624]

Even though it sounds like you've made up your mind, just though I would chime in.

We received this same pin last week. I called and got quotes for values and mods. The $658 is per adult and includes hotel, dining and tickets. It's just like booking a regular package plus dining. The only thing not included in the price is tax. So, for two adults the total is double that for a value resort. Like I said, that's not including tax. We decided it was a good deal for us (and we only have one child) so we booked a room at Pop. There were only preferred rooms left, so our total was a bit more and we decided to add on park hoppers. Last week, there was availability at POR (for the end of June) which has the trundle bed (just ask for Alligator Bayou). The mod price was around $500-600 more than the value. I really think its a good deal, especially if you have 3 kids! Just thought I'd chime in!