Help!!! Fellow Diser's Friends

[melanieh1]

I am trying to convince my husband to attend the P&PP with no success. We have 10 day park hopper/water park option tickets. We will be at disney 12 days and plan to use the water park options on 2 days. My husband does not see the reason to pay for a ticket to the world and then pay an extra $200 for us to go to the party on the same day. We have already maxed out our trip with the number of days and dining. This will be the only time that we will ever get to go to disney for this long as we cannot afford to go more than once a year and for more than a week. I am wanting to squeeze everything I can into this trip. Would it be worth it to work in the P&PP? We would have to stay an extra day to get full benefits of our tickets, extra hotel night (maybe 2), and extra day of food. I know my husband would like the nonexisting lines but he does not like the character greetings which me and my girls do. Should I just give it up since I will have to come back home with him?

 

[Ktharee]

Why would you have to stay an extra day or two? The P&PP begins at 7pm after the MK has closed to regular guests. Just look at it as an extension of one day. I've never been, but am going March 6th. I've heard nothing but wonderful things. I can see where your husband is coming from because a 10 day trip is already quite costly. But on the other hand this is yours and your girls trip too. If it means that much to you, why don't the three girls just go and your husband can go do his favorite thing in another park? Less cost and he won't have to deal with the character greetings. From what I understand it's a great way to meet MANY MANY characters with little wait. If your kids love getting autographs and meeting them, it would be something special. Ask him or read to him some of the reviews on All Ears rate and review page. People love it! Good luck. Whether you go or not, you'll have an amazing time. You've got 10 days!

 

[pickles]

you take your girls and leave hubby back at the resort or somewhere like the ESPN club. The fireworks and parade are great. the rest of the stuff was fun for the kids, but hubby will be bored

 

[WDSearcher]

I can see your DH's point -- you've been at WDW for 12 days and now you want to spend even MORE to see the P&PP? Still, some things to consider:

• You don't need extra hotel nights or extra days. You said you're using two water park days, so make one of those water park days the P&PP night. You spend the day at the water park, and then you and the kids go to P&PP, giving dad a night off. You're at WDW for the same amount of time, you're just going back into the parks for one additional evening.
• If your girls are REALLY into princesses (or pirates), this is a great event to be able to do some very princessy and piraty things, and meet lots of characters (princesses in particular). This may save you from standing in lots of princess lines earlier in the trip, which your husband might appreciate.
• However, if your girls enjoy the princesses but don't LIVE for the princesses, you may find yourself pretty much over it all by half-way through the party. (You might also want to determine whether it's the girls who want to attend or if it's you. If it's you more than them, that's a whole other decision.)

I know it's hard to believe from these boards , but going to the Pirate and Princess Party is not a "I have to have it or I've missed something amazing and I'll regret it forever" kind of a thing. It's a great party, don't get me wrong, but if it's the only thing that your DH has objected to in all the planning (and paying) for this vacation, you may want to concede to him just this once. And you never know ... if you say, "You know honey -- we can skip the party" before you get here, he may be so caught up in Disney magic once you're here that he says, "You know, hon, you should take the girls to the princess thing."

But really -- 12 days at WDW is a wonderful magical trip. I don't know if I'd push for more, honestly. (But that's just me.)

 

[melanieh1]

Why would you have to stay an extra day or two? The P&PP begins at 7pm after the MK has closed to regular guests. Just look at it as an extension of one day. I've never been, but am going March 6th. I've heard nothing but wonderful things. I can see where your husband is coming from because a 10 day trip is already quite costly. But on the other hand this is yours and your girls trip too. If it means that much to you, why don't the three girls just go and your husband can go do his favorite thing in another park? Less cost and he won't have to deal with the character greetings. From what I understand it's a great way to meet MANY MANY characters with little wait. If your kids love getting autographs and meeting them, it would be something special. Ask him or read to him some of the reviews on All Ears rate and review page. People love it! Good luck. Whether you go or not, you'll have an amazing time. You've got 10 days![/QUOTE
Because if we work it into our initial plans, we will be using our 10 days but also paying double for the day we go to the P&P party because we will be going to the park already that day because it is included in our package so in order to get our money's worth we would need to stay an extra day to get to use our 10th day ticket. We can use the P&PP ticket for one day (hang out at the pool that day before the party) since we can get in at 4 and not burn one of our 10 day tickets. Does this make sense? By the way dd's are 12 and 8.

 

[WDSearcher]

Because if we work it into our initial plans, we will be using our 10 days but also paying double for the day we go to the P&P party because we will be going to the park already that day because it is included in our package so in order to get our money's worth we would need to stay an extra day to get to use our 10th day ticket. We can use the P&PP ticket for one day (hang out at the pool that day before the party) since we can get in at 4 and not burn one of our 10 day tickets. Does this make sense? By the way dd's are 12 and 8.

But if you simply change your plans just a bit so that your P&PP day is a day you're in the water park and not a day you're in the parks, then you're not staying an extra day. And really, if you want to go THAT badly -- and you want to help make it affordable -- would it be that big a deal to rearrange one day of your schedule?

 

[melanieh1]

I can see your DH's point -- you've been at WDW for 12 days and now you want to spend even MORE to see the P&PP? Still, some things to consider:

• You don't need extra hotel nights or extra days. You said you're using two water park days, so make one of those water park days the P&PP night. You spend the day at the water park, and then you and the kids go to P&PP, giving dad a night off. You're at WDW for the same amount of time, you're just going back into the parks for one additional evening.
• If your girls are REALLY into princesses (or pirates), this is a great event to be able to do some very princessy and piraty things, and meet lots of characters (princesses in particular). This may save you from standing in lots of princess lines earlier in the trip, which your husband might appreciate.
• However, if your girls enjoy the princesses but don't LIVE for the princesses, you may find yourself pretty much over it all by half-way through the party. (You might also want to determine whether it's the girls who want to attend or if it's you. If it's you more than them, that's a whole other decision.)

I know it's hard to believe from these boards , but going to the Pirate and Princess Party is not a "I have to have it or I've missed something amazing and I'll regret it forever" kind of a thing. It's a great party, don't get me wrong, but if it's the only thing that your DH has objected to in all the planning (and paying) for this vacation, you may want to concede to him just this once. And you never know ... if you say, "You know honey -- we can skip the party" before you get here, he may be so caught up in Disney magic once you're here that he says, "You know, hon, you should take the girls to the princess thing."

But really -- 12 days at WDW is a wonderful magical trip. I don't know if I'd push for more, honestly. (But that's just me.)

Thanks so much for your help! Sometimes these boards are not mentally good for me. I am obsessed with reading them and finding out everything I can about Disney World that my family gets sick of it. I am very much an overplanner and work on my iten. every night until I get the one I like. I just read all of this stuff on these boards and then I want to do them also which is not in our budget. Hubby will not do anything on his own. He is a family man on vacation. The girls are 12 and 8 and the 12 year old really doesn't care too much about princesses and I think the 8 year old is outgrowing them also (not as interested as in the past). We are attending several character dinners (2 with princesses, my way of telling hubby that we don't have to stand in all the lines if we see them at meals). You're probably right. The girls don't know anything about the party. I'm the one that wants to go. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone who is objective. Thanks for your help, friend!

 

[melanieh1]

But if you simply change your plans just a bit so that your P&PP day is a day you're in the water park and not a day you're in the parks, then you're not staying an extra day. And really, if you want to go THAT badly -- and you want to help make it affordable -- would it be that big a deal to rearrange one day of your schedule?

True, I haven't thought of it that way. My water park days are on the days that Blizzard Beach opens early and Typhoon Lagoon stays open late (which of course is only 1 day that we will be there) and we have the water park option so I am not sure if hubby will go for that because we are trying the water park for the extra magic hours because last time we went to the water park, we didn't stay long because it was very crowded but, it's something to think about. Thanks!

 

[typhoonlagooner]

We're going to P&P Party on our arrival day...

At first we were going to go to AK until 7pm, but I read that they now allow P&PP guests access to the park at 4pm. Basically we'll be in the park from 4 to midnight, thats 8 hrs... basically a typical day in the park for us anyways, just a different time frame!

We're planning on checking into the hotel and just kicking back and enjoying everything before heading over. If we weren't checking it, we most likely spend the morning in a park, had back to the resort to swim/nap/and change and then head off to the party!

P&PP are completely seperate ticket so they don't use up a "day" on your 10-day ticket. Many guests manage to do both, go to a park for the day and then to a special event. You don't have to go to MK on that day either, you can go to any park.

To us it was worth it, just to atleast try it once! I hear great things about the parade and fireworks and like the idea of some extra hours of ride time.

Would we stay an extra day for this? No way... but I would definately make an effort to change a few things around and try it.

 

[wahoostampingirl]

Because if we work it into our initial plans, we will be using our 10 days but also paying double for the day we go to the P&P party because we will be going to the park already that day because it is included in our package so in order to get our money's worth we would need to stay an extra day to get to use our 10th day ticket. We can use the P&PP ticket for one day (hang out at the pool that day before the party) since we can get in at 4 and not burn one of our 10 day tickets. Does this make sense? By the way dd's are 12 and 8.[/QUOTE]

The way Disney works prices on tickets, that 10th day is something like $10 for all 4 of you. You'll still be getting your money's worth even if you didn't use the 10th day and went to the PPP instead.

You could also add the non-expiration option and keep that 10th day for another trip, although that would really up the price of that one day. I really like the non-expiring tickets because you just never know what's going to happen on a Disney trip. We bought 10 day non-expiring tickets last June to cover two trips (a 3 day and a 10 day trip). Due to illness, we still have 2 days on two tickets and 1 day on two tickets. I love that I can still use those on another trip.

 

[WDSearcher]

I just read all of this stuff on these boards and then I want to do them also which is not in our budget.

Yeah ... that is a big drawback. You read about how much people enjoyed something and you instantly want to go. These boards should really have a filter of some sort!!

 

[tipsytrtle]

we had a similar crisis when the new dates were announced.
we orginally were going to go in January and the P&PP party fit into our plans
we then got a 40% off code and booked for 3/30-4/8 with a savings over our orginal dates and were able to add extra days
then the other day, new P&PP dates were announced and i had a conversation with the husband, who actaully loves all things pirate and has for years (we rode POTC 10times on our last trip in 99)
and he still didnt want to go, he is the voice of reason in our home.
if you have everything already mapped out and your budget is full, you dont need to do a extra party event. you and your family will have a awesome time.
and i wil not pretend to know your family's finacial situation, but i know we are working middle class and with the economy slowing down like it is, we dont want to over-extend ourselves for fear it will bite us in the behninds later...

skip the party this year, i am sure they will have other ones in the future, stick to you budget, have fun and save yourself the aggrevation of trying to come of with the money

 

[melanieh1]

Thanks to all of you for all of the great advice! I think I will just be thankful that I can even go to Disney World this year. The economy is getting terrible and who knows when we will get to go again. I guess I just get caught up in all of the excitement not realizing that some of the people on these boards are from Florida and can afford to go several times a year. Being from Tennessee and having a 12 hour drive, we too are just middle class and can't afford more than 1 a year.