Help with day at MGM- Please

[mamahauldren]

Hi all! I'm needing help again

I'm just going to tell you my situation: We planed this great trip to Florida this year. I however lost my job of 15 years due to downsizing

My kids were so disappointed we were going to have to cancel. Big time crying here, because I actually had them so pumped!

A relative gave us a Timeshare week at Palm Coast Florida so we could still go...However this is about 90 minutes away from WDW.
We are very appreciative!! Dont get me wrong, but our plans have to change, obviously.

We will be at MGM on 08/16/04- plan to be there at park opening. We would like to have a break during the day and be back at park for Hollywood & Vine fantasmic dinner pkg. Only PS time they have is 4pm! Which I am going to try to change to a later time if it comes available.

Do you know of anything we could do during the day that would take us out of the park for some R & R without staying on dis property? I thought we could go eat somewhere but then that would not work out since we have 4pm seating for Hollywood & Vine.

Once thought abt getting a cheap room close to the world for one night ? Not sure how this would work out ?? Do you know of any that we could check out? This may allow us to take a break during the day plus keep us from driving 90 minutes after leaving the fantasmic show or whenever we leave.
My husband is not so keen on this idea, however due to tight budget and lucky we even get to go now, but he will if I insist and show him the positives of doing this..

What is the cheapest place to say on site? Maybe for one night that would be an option too?

Or maybe we should just find something to do like I mentioned at first.

Thanks so much !

 

[tarheel]

I have read lots of posts from people asking the same type of questions. I have been impressed with their answers and will pass on some of their suggestions for things to do to rest. people suggested taking a monorail ride to relax and take in some sights. You could take the boat from MGM to the Boardwalk area and relax there. The Boardwalk Inn has lots of rockers on a porch to relax in. From MGM you could take a bus to the Poly. People reported relaxing on their beach area. I'm sure others will step up and give you lots of free ideas besides renting another room. I'll now leave it to the others. I hope some of these ideas got you thinking anyway.

 

[Tinkbell]

The cheapest accomodations onsite would be found at either Pop Century or any of the All Star resorts. Without a discount, they would run about $99 plus tax per night. If that is out of your budget, you could always take a tour of the Boardwalk area. It is walking distance from MGM. There are mostly restaurants and shops there, but it wouldn't be bad to explore or get a small snack at.

I'm glad you are able to go on a vacation, even if it is not what you planned out. Have fun!

 

[disneyholic family]

you'd be better off staying off-site very nearby in one of the very inexpensive days inn type places....i don't know what's available, but this is what i would look into if i were you...(they're probably half the price of the cheapest disney onsite)...

as for things to do...i love the idea of taking the boat to the boardwalk area....also riding around on the monorail....but how would you get to the monorail?...i guess at the traffic and ticket center near the magic kingdom....

i'm sorry to hear you were laid off after so many years...
the company i work for does that too.....and not to downsize....just to short-term prop up their profits for the sake of the stock price....don't get me started, but working for this company is turning me into a communist ("workers of the world unite")....

anyway, i'm very happy for you that you will be able to still have a vacation....

 

[sherrie]

do you have aaa or disney visa, I believe there are room only disounts on mousesavers.com for room only if you have either of these to get a value resort for 69.00 over the summer

 

[jcemom]

How old are your kids? We didn't find MGM to be nearly as tiring as the other parks. You may be able to go the whole day without a break. Some of the inside attractions, like Millionaire and Muppets, where it would be cool could provide the "battery recharging" that you would need--give you a chance to sit down and cool off for a bit.

 

[tjmw2727]

Depending on the ages of your children you may not need a "break" from MGM. There are lots of shows to sit down and rest and an early dinner may actually work to your benefit. When we do a long park day we often do a late lunch or early dinner just to have a rest.

Take time for the shows and the parade and take a few breaks at the playgrounds and you could be ok. The time seems to pass quicky for us at mgm - it dosen't seem as crowded or hot as the MK for example.

If the kids are young and you really need to rest, nap or swim, try looking at mousesavers for a discount during your stay. The value resort can have rooms from $59-99 per night.

TJ

 

[jgates]

I find MGM a very relaxing park. Make sure you use Fast Passes wisely. Try to do RnR or ToT as soon as you enter. Get a FP for one of them and go on the other right away if FP's are out.

Maybe try Indiana Jones in the afternoon if you can get in. You didn't list the ages of the kids, but I bet they would love the show.

The exhibit on One Man's Dream about Walt (is it still open? - hope so), had beautiful exhibits in a/c comfort. The kids might not get all that thrilled about exhibits, but during the movie afterwards, they could rest their eyes in a comfy a/c setting. Any of those indoor shows are great for that.

Maybe take the boat to the Boardwalk for lunch at ESPN Zone. If you eat in a booth at the bar area, you can trade your DL for a set of game controllers and they could play video games in the booth while you eat.

Or eat on-site at Pizza Planet. There is an arcade area in there which will cost $ but a half-hour there was a revitalizer for my kids.

The only danger you could have is the potential for bad weather - Fantasmic will not show if it is storming.

Another thought to save $, might be to try to find out if there will be 2 showings of Fantasmic that night. Skip the dinner package, eat cheaper (or more fun- Prime Time or SciFi) and then go to the 2nd show - it will be considerably less crowded. You may also be able to 'walk-on' to ToT & RnR while the first show is on as that will be packed to the rafters.

Or.....take the boat (or walk) to Swan/Dolphin dock. Walk in-between the 2 resorts to the edge of property by the road - cross it and you will be at one of the Disney mini-golf facilities. It's not as cheap as Pirate's Cove but still probably within budget.

If on-site rooms are not avail, I would suggest trying Fairfield Inn or Springhill Suites in the Marriott Village @ Little Lake Bryan. Or Hampton Inn Maingate West. Very close & easy to get to. Have your room for the end of that day, guarantee with a CC. That way, if kids tire out, you can go over and check-in and rest (probably not till early afternoon). Otherwise, if it's guaranteed you should be able to get there as late as you want. And with those 2 places, you would have breakfast included the next morning so that should help $$$.

 

[valdan2]

Originally posted by jgates

Another thought to save $, might be to try to find out if there will be 2 showings of Fantasmic that night. Skip the dinner package, eat cheaper (or more fun- Prime Time or SciFi) and then go to the 2nd show - it will be considerably less crowded. You may also be able to 'walk-on' to ToT & RnR while the first show is on as that will be packed to the rafters.



If on-site rooms are not avail, I would suggest trying Fairfield Inn or Springhill Suites in the Marriott Village @ Little Lake Bryan. Or Hampton Inn Maingate West. Very close & easy to get to. Have your room for the end of that day, guarantee with a CC. That way, if kids tire out, you can go over and check-in and rest (probably not till early afternoon). Otherwise, if it's guaranteed you should be able to get there as late as you want. And with those 2 places, you would have breakfast included the next morning so that should help $$$.

Love this idea! The dinner is a bit expensive and with that money you get a hotel for one night at the all stars or very close offsite somewhere.

We saw the second show last year and it worked out fine.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[mamahauldren]

Thanks so much, I was feeling a little bummed over this problem but I feel much better reading the tips and feel I can handle it with a plan A or a Plan B.

Thanks Again. You guys are soooooooo smart.

 

[Straitlover]

I just checked the hours. 8/16 MGM closes at 8:30, so only one showing. The next day, 8/17, they are open until 10 and have 2 showings. Can you change your date?

I would try to get a cheap room on Priceline or Hotel Kingdom personally. The 8/16 show is at 8 PM, so the absolute earliest you will get back to your car is 9 PM, and it will probably be later than that. That's a long drive after a tiring day.

I looked on Hotel Kingdom, and there are lots of places between $40 and $49.99 (plus tax) for the 16th. There is a Comfort Suites at the airport for 43.99 that is supposed to be nice.

 

[Disney Fool]

I also agree with other posters that you may not need a break from MGM with so many things for the kids to do. Depending on their ages, have you considered leaving the park during the hottest time of the day, and taking a boat ride to EPCOT? At the Land Pavilion, you could schedule the Ice Cream Social with Mickey Mouse and friends for a good hour or so. It would get you out of the heat and provide a nice rest. The Ice Cream Social costs about $6 (cheapest character meal around!) Of course, you would need a park hopper pass to do this, though. Just a thought.