How do YOU think we should spend our money?

[Lovetherodent]

#2. I budget all year while I"m at home. I want a vacation from that

 

[Davey Jones II]

I would choose # 3 because there are a lot of new goodies at Universal since your last visit, especially the two Harry Potter lands. I would try to visit on weekdays, when most wait times are short. On weekends, they suddenly grow much longer. If you go on non-holiday Monday-Thursday, you won't even need the Express Pass, so you can stay at low cost hotels in the area instead of Universal hotels. Then maybe you could afford to make your Disney trip a longer one.

Halloween Horror Nights are very good, but be warned about two things:

a) they're scary, unlike the Disney halloween parties.

b) the wait times for the mazes/houses are even scarier, unless you shell out a lot more for the front of the line passes.

 

[kwdw]

#1

But in case you haven’t been an AP holder before, just a warning....

APs are addicting.

I'm currently without an AP and I can attest that this is TRUE. Totally suffering from Disney withdrawal - and its only been 3 months!

 

[coast2coastmickey]

I'd go with option 3. Universal (especially if you like Harry Potter), is pretty awesome. Not sure you need 4 days. A 2 day hopper will be more than enough time to get through everything there. Maybe do a couple days Universal and a couple days Disney to get your feet weet.

And, if you can time the second trip for after Star Wars land opens, it'll be that much more awesome.

This is coming from a family that chooses Disney more times than any other vacation option.

 

[slpeters]

If we're talking one vacation of two or three for the year I would go #2. If we're talking your entire major vacation budget for the year I would definitely do #3.

 

[Planogirl]

I'd pick #3. I adore Universal and would hate to skip it to do only Disney.

 

[tex1989]

I would say #1 all the way, but that's my opinion based on my family situation. Wife and I are late 50's and still can walk the parks and enjoy all the rides. Kids are grown and married and my wife who did work in a school has retired specifically so we can do WDW and other vacations when the kids are in school. (we avoid summers and school breaks). We shop the cheapest airline tickets and have a rewards credit card to help with the tickets. We have and annual pass and stay in budget (PoP or AoA Little Mermaid) or Moderate (POFQ) and enjoy ourselves. Made a trip in early November and all it cost was PoP room only under $1,000 and airline tickets on point (22.30 in taxes) and we already had our AP's. So that plus food and we got a week in WDW. We plan on keeping the Ap's for a while cause as others have said it can get addictive. In a few years when we retire and have more time we are considering an RV or driving more often.

 

[Spencer Wright]

...

2. Get a 9 day ticket, rent DVC points for Boardwalk, and have one big upscale trip.

...

All three options fall within about the same for cost, give or take a few hundred dollars. Which do you think makes the most sense?

#2!!! We personally are basically doing number two for the third year in a row. I would consider it upscale, however we do stay in a pool view AKL room (no DVC) and do not do signature dining. It feels luxurious and wonderful to get away for a longer stretch of time.


If I may be blunt, #1 seems tedious and like it could get annoying (constantly having to make plans, check airfares, work schedules ect). However #3 does appear to be appealing option as well!

 

[bryanb]

There's no wrong answer here. I haven't been to Universal for a long time either, so I like the idea of #3.
Many people on this board are Disney loyal, so it also depends on how much you like Universal and whether Halloween Horror Nights is your cup of tea.

#1

But in case you haven’t been an AP holder before, just a warning....

APs are addicting.

And I'm going to add myself to the chorus agreeing with this. A few years ago, I would've thought it was ridiculous having a WDW AP, not living in Orlando. But it has completely changed how I perceive the parks. I've been in the camp of #1, and it not only locks me into going to just WDW, it also makes me feel more relaxed when I'm there knowing that I can be back again within the year. No pressure to maximize every second. It also gets me to spend more than I otherwise would.

 

[mindeola]

#1 if that works for you. That is sort of what I chose to do this year.

Bought an AP in November- rented DVC points on a girlfriend trip. That did not cost me much since we split it five ways.
January trip with nieces and sister. Stayed at Pop.
March trip with entire family. Rented a six bedroom house. Never stayed off property before but it was worth it to save all that cash!
June - trip with girlfriends - staying in Sports since my niece is working there.
Planning a September or October trip with either my husband or best friend. Hoping to stay at the Poly.

 

[Firebird060]

#1 Because I am a disnut and prefer to do that. Me and the Wife like 3 Disney Trips in any given Calendar year

 

[skittles67]

If it were me - #1

 

[bootlord9000]

We’ve done #1 and added a Universal day to one of the shorter trips. I mostly say #1 because of the special events. We went to Halloween and Christmas in the same year, and it was a ton of fun.

 

[Sparkly]

Would it be possible to do #2 and add on a day or two at Universal as it'll be a longer trip? I prefer longer trips because you can really relax and not feel under pressure to see it all!

 

[ariel5884]

#3

 

[The Parkhoppers]

Thanks for all your input! We’re gonna go with option 1: the AP, Value resort + extra trips, and big deluxe trip at the end of the pass. So excited!