How bad is this?

[KidaniMom]

I am thinking of adding one day to the start of our week in August. It will save us about $400 on airfare and will guarantee I see the electric parade. We are DVC members but instead of adding the night onto our DVC reservation ( and pay big points for a Sat night) I was thinking about booking a room at a value hotel for one night - the only problem is that we are a family of 5. If my 5 yo sleeps on the floor, could we get away with this?(Our DDP will start the next day when we check into AKL, so maybe they never have to know how many we are?)
Thoughts?

 

[tutter99]

Are you renting a car or using Magic Express? Here's the reason, we did the same thing with our airfare a few years ago but we found an airport hotel with a free shuttle. In the morning just catch the shuttle back to the airport and ask the driver to drop you off close to the Disney buses. It worked really well for us, we saved about $75 on what we would have paid for a single night at a value resort, and we were back at the airport before most of the flights got in so there was no waiting for a bus or long lines at check in.

Either way, have a great trip!

 

[aceys_h0ney]

I am thinking of adding one day to the start of our week in August. It will save us about $400 on airfare and will guarantee I see the electric parade. We are DVC members but instead of adding the night onto our DVC reservation ( and pay big points for a Sat night) I was thinking about booking a room at a value hotel for one night - the only problem is that we are a family of 5. If my 5 yo sleeps on the floor, could we get away with this?(Our DDP will start the next day when we check into AKL, so maybe they never have to know how many we are?)
Thoughts?

I would use the current discount code and get a room at Port Orleans Riverside. Then you have bed for your whole family!

 

[twoplustwins]

Breaking the Disney rules is VERY frowned upon here at DIS. I do understand your dilemma though.

As a previous poster mentioned, maybe you could get a room only discount for Port Orleans Riverside. You can legally have 5 there. You could also stay in a deluxe (CR, Poly, GF) with 5, but it would cost more. The only way to have 5 (legally) in a value is to either get two rooms or use the family suite.

 

[afwdwfan]

Are you renting a car or using Magic Express? Here's the reason, we did the same thing with our airfare a few years ago but we found an airport hotel with a free shuttle. In the morning just catch the shuttle back to the airport and ask the driver to drop you off close to the Disney buses. It worked really well for us, we saved about $75 on what we would have paid for a single night at a value resort, and we were back at the airport before most of the flights got in so there was no waiting for a bus or long lines at check in.

Either way, have a great trip!

I agree with this suggestion... stay offsite for a night, save some money and then there is no issue with breaking Disney laws.

 

[Tomh]

I'm with the PP's, those rules are there for a reason. Either use a room only discount and stay at POR (we love the resort by the way) or stay at one of the many off site hotels in the greater Orlando area for the one night (also something we have done).

 

[mousefan1972]

...

 

[mrsR123]

JMHO-- you bought the points to use them, so use them. Don't cheat at a value. I added a night, too, to save on airfare. I looked at a lot of options and decided it was just stupid to run around or spend actual cash so BLT studio here we come for one night, then a 1BD for the rest of the week. (I'm waitlisted for the first night and would love to get the 1BD and not have to move!)

 

[d1gitman]

i'd avoid breaking Disney rules, not very mouselike at all. okay, done preaching.

i'd either bite the bullet and use the DVC points for the extra night OR rent DVC points from someone.

look at it this way, the $400 savings on airfare buys you the extra day of magic at WDW. rather than try to pocket some of the $400, use it to stay that extra night. You already planned on spending it, so it shouldn't be a money issue per say.

While we like resort hopping, 1 night is rough (we've done it before), it can make the first day and a half kind of tough as you will be checking in, checking out and checking in again. time consuming and you won't really feel like you've started vaca until your second day, thus negating the point of getting an extra day.

if you really want to or need to pocket as much of the $400 savings, then i would book a room that allows 5 or book offsite and do the shuttle thing. Just keep in mind, you are gonna burn a lot of time and energy on day 1.5 with all the extra running around.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

We conserve on point consumption too. We usually stay the first day or two (Fri and Sat) at ASMu in the family suite. We are also a family of five. A couple of times we used a 40%-off code and paid cash and were able to stay at in the same villa. CRO can't bridge to a DVC reservation, but DVC MS could link to the CRO reservation.

 

[wmharley]

look at it this way, the $400 savings on airfare buys you the extra day of magic at WDW. rather than try to pocket some of the $400, use it to stay that extra night. You already planned on spending it, so it shouldn't be a money issue per say.


if you really want to or need to pocket as much of the $400 savings, then i would book a room that allows 5 or book offsite and do the shuttle thing. Just keep in mind, you are gonna burn a lot of time and energy on day 1.5 with all the extra running around.

The whole point of saving $400 was to save it, not go back out and spend it.

Seriously, for one night, I personally wouldn't take offense. Its not lke 5 adults are jacking the room.

To the OP... take the room, save $400 and enjoy your trip. Don't know how big you are, but I'm sure the 5yo might fit in the bed with the other kids.

 

[Nikisha421]

The whole point of saving $400 was to save it, not go back out and spend it.

Seriously, for one night, I personally wouldn't take offense. Its not lke 5 adults are jacking the room.

To the OP... take the room, save $400 and enjoy your trip. Don't know how big you are, but I'm sure the 5yo might fit in the bed with the other kids.

I like the response...nice and honest...and since we all aren't perfect...we clearly know that some ppl break the rules sometimes...
... I really can't judge until I am one day in your position and have to make that decision...but with one child my story is WAYYYY different!!!

 

[Figmificent]

5 in a room is a fire code violation. It's not just a Disney rule. I would not run the risk of ruining my entire Disney vacation on one night. The chances it will happen are slim, but it doesn't take much and I like Disney too much to risk getting kicked out

 

[d1gitman]

The whole point of saving $400 was to save it, not go back out and spend it.

Seriously, for one night, I personally wouldn't take offense. Its not lke 5 adults are jacking the room.

To the OP... take the room, save $400 and enjoy your trip. Don't know how big you are, but I'm sure the 5yo might fit in the bed with the other kids.

i would beg to differ to some degree...

by arriving a day earlier, the OP knows that there will be some amount of added expense for the extra night, no matter what they choose for accomodations. the question becomes, how much of that $400 savings remains as savings and how much is spent on the extra night of accomodations, food, etc... for an extra day of magic. The OP was asking about whether or not to break Disney rules on the occupancy issue. Obviously, if they are asking, they know it is breaking the rules and are debating it themselves.

my point was, if the airfare savings wasn't an option, they would have spent that $400 anyway. sooo, if they are worrying about their conscience and have reservations about breaking the rules, my suggestion was to merely abide by the rules and allow themselves to utilize the $400 to do the right thing.

i believe there are always consequences in life to ones actions. also, DW and I would not set an example to our DS's that it's okay to break the rules. kind of like 'little white lies', they are still lies.

 

[skiingfast]

Are you renting a car or using Magic Express? Here's the reason, we did the same thing with our airfare a few years ago but we found an airport hotel with a free shuttle. In the morning just catch the shuttle back to the airport and ask the driver to drop you off close to the Disney buses. It worked really well for us, we saved about $75 on what we would have paid for a single night at a value resort, and we were back at the airport before most of the flights got in so there was no waiting for a bus or long lines at check in.

Either way, have a great trip!

I think this poster has it just right. It doesn't raise some ethic issues and satisfies the OP's needs.

If you tell ME you are arriving the next day on, pick a flight that arrives before you want ME to take you to WDW, you take a free shuttle from one of the dozen airport hotels back to MCO. Get on ME with your bags, check in to your DVC and go onto the parks during that morning.

 

[maxiesmom]

I like the response...nice and honest...and since we all aren't perfect...we clearly know that some ppl break the rules sometimes...
... I really can't judge until I am one day in your position and have to make that decision...but with one child my story is WAYYYY different!!!

There are some people who honestly won't do what the OP wants to do, even when faced with that decision. It is called doing the right thing and setting an example that you would want your kids to follow.

Sorry to preach, but what is with people on these boards lately? There seems to be an attitude of whatever you do is ok as long as you save a few bucks. And that is very sad.

OP--you must know at some level what you want to do is wrong, or you wouldn't have bothered asking. You will get some people to tell you it is ok, but the majority will tell you to follow the rules.

Not to mention you will not be able to book a Value and have everyone in your party use Magical Express. You have to be on the room reservation to board the bus. And they won't let your family book a Value room, as you are over occupency.

 

[seashoreCM]

The answer to the title question is, "Very."

If you added the extra day at the start of your vacation and booked the earlier flights, then how soon do you get into Orlando?

If not until late that afternoon then you would consider booking a motel near the airport and then tak Magical Express the next morning when your unmodified resort stay starts.

Every Disney day added has in inherent cost of the hotel room. Your starting and inescapable room cost taken from your $400. airfare savings is that of your initial "solution" with the 5yo sleeping on the floor. What is the cost of a legitimately booked room that sleeps five? The cost to do things right taken from your airfare savings is just this difference (delta for you geeks).

When you do book a room that sleeps 5 and when you get there they are overbooked (Luke 2.7 for you religion majors or preachers), they must accommodate you in some way, shape, or form for no more money.

 

[KidaniMom]

I thank all of you for all your posts.

Many good thoughts - the ones that make me think the most is the idea of setting an example for the kids about breaking rules - I am not really sure if they would ever know but we do NOT break rules in our house (even little ones, like sneaking into the town pool when we didn't buy our pass even though they never check) I realize now that my DH would never let us do it anyway as he hates to break the rules! It stresses him out.

I am leading towards just borrowing points from next year ( that would actually cost no money OOP) I am trying to save points for a Grand Gathering some time in the future but who knows when or if that will ever happen.

I like the idea of NOT changing rooms - we have done a lot of split stays. I think we will arrive midday on Sat on our cheap flight - check into AKL and head to MK to see MSEP and the new fireworks -see I have a double motivation - Sat 8/14 is the official end of SNF and I want to see the new stuff. We will wake up Sunday morning (our original travel day) spend the day at the pool and the night at DTD. Monday morning we start touring as planned. Sounds pretty good to me!
You guys are great!!

 

[wmharley]

5 in a room is a fire code violation.

A surge protector plugged into another is a fire code violation, yet I believe many folks have it at home and/or work..

 

[kerri0616]

Have you checking into "renting" points directly from DVC? I cannot recall the specifics, but for owners who are a little short, I believe you can now "rent" points from Disney for a semi-reasonable fee.

Enjoy! And can I tell you that I toyed with the idea of telling Disney that my 10 year old is, untruthfully, a 9 year old? I hate the idea of paying for the adult DDP for him when he just wants a plate of chicken fingers and fries! Of course, I realized I couldn't ask him to lie just to save me a few bucks. I sucked it up and did the right thing...paid for his adult DDP.

I was tempted because I try to be cheap when I can. But, my conscience (Jiminy Cricket?) was my guide and I did the right thing. I feel much better about it.

Kerri