how to best spend days without tickets, 1st trip

[magicmirror]

We are going to disney beginning on Thanksgiving day. This will be our first trip, staying 9 nights, I didn't get tickets for the first 3 nights, I am splitting our stay btw. 2 reservations to take advantage of value season rates. I figured the parks would be too busy over Thanksgiving Holiday to have as much fun anyway. Any ideas on the best way to spend the first 2 and 1/2 days outside of the parks? I want to do the monorail ride, check out the resorts and DTD, and the campfire at Wilderness Lodge, is there anything else we should try to do to pass the time? I have read and learned alot since we started planning this trip, just wondering if there is anything I have missed that we should try to include. (Daughters, 15 and 4, son turned 12 today!!!!!! ) Thanks!!

 

[Evil Queen]

Sounds like you are off toa good start.

How about mini golf on Disney property?

Happy Birthday to your son, btw.

 

[magicmirror]

in addition to last post, We could always get tickets for a day or 2 of those first few days, just worried the parks will be super crowded. What do you think, should we get additional tickets, or spend the time doing stuff outside the parks? What would you do?

 

[theflowerladee]

Take a monorail tour of all the deluxe resorts to see the gingerbread displays in the lobby of each hotel. Go to downtown disney and maybe do disney quest(my kids love it). Go to the boardwalk and walk around there. Hopefully it will be warm enough to swim. I could do 2 days in downtwo disney shopping and trying different restaurants. There is a movie theatre in
downtown if you decide to take a break from walking around. Have a magical trip.

 

[theflowerladee]

also, if you are willing to buy more passes to parks(which will be crowded we were there last thanksgiving and the crowds died down on monday) how about just 1 day in the water parks if the weather permits. but i would say in addition to my previous post for kids your age i would highly recommend
disney quest that could take up a good 1/2 day or more. I always drag my kids out of there.

 

[robinb]

Happy birthday to your son!!!

I'm just curious about why you don't purchase all 9 days of park passes with your first reservation. It's less than $10 more per ticket to upgrade from a 6 day to a 9 day. Are you planning to get the dining plan on your second reservation?

in addition to last post, We could always get tickets for a day or 2 of those first few days, just worried the parks will be super crowded. What do you think, should we get additional tickets, or spend the time doing stuff outside the parks? What would you do?

I would go into the parks anyway. Then again, I go between Christmas and New Years . Get to the park early, do what you want, get out and go back for a swim, go back to the park for the fireworks/Fantasmic!/Specromagic, etc.

 

[pepe of ohio]

When we go for that length of time, we throw our break days in the middle of the stay. First day or check in we usually go to DTD, get our groceries and resort relax. We try to do the HDDR that evening and spend some time in FW. Then we begin the park days and after a couple of those, an off day at a water park, then more park days and then another water park day. Putting off days or water park days inbetween regular park days, rests for body and legs and gives ya a break. I wouldn't like to put all 2 or 3 break days in the beginning, that being said, there is tons of stuff to do in Disney: Disney Quest, AMC theatres, Cirque Soliel, mini golf, Boardwalk, CR game room, EWP from MK resorts, Ohauna dining, the list is endless but some things don't appeal to all, pick some and intertwine them in different days of your stay and enjoy.

 

[goofy4tink]

A quick question....are you staying at your first resort over Thanksgiving weekend and then switching to the new resort, and then getting passes tied into the second resort, but not the first? I think it would be hard to not go to any parks for the first three days. I would also try to do a park day or two and then take a day off, then a few more park days, and then a day off.
If you really are tied into doing nothing parkwise for the first three days then I would do this type of stuff...
Minigolf...two courses.. one by Swan/Dolphin, the other by Blizzard Beach
DTD..shops, Disney Quest
tour the resorts and check out the holiday decor
eat at some of the out-of-the-way resorts..AKL, BW, YC/BC
check out Boardwalk at night
relax by the pool
take monorail around the resort loop
take monorail from TTC to Epcot and back again...don't need a park pass

 

[seashoreCM]

Getting additional tickets for the same vacation is hideously expensive compared with one expiring ticket that covers it all. This presents a dilemma for those folks who have a short room only reservation first and a package with dining second. The package tickets can't be picked up a few days early and expanded to cover the whole vacation. (Maybe they can but the CM's don't like to jump through the hoops needed to make the computer accomplish that)

There are lots of holiday decorations already up by Thanksgiving. You can still use an off site hotel shuttle and then the Disney buses to go around and sightsee.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/dispass.htm

 

[magicmirror]

I'm just curious about why you don't purchase all 9 days of park passes with your first reservation. It's less than $10 more per ticket to upgrade from a 6 day to a 9 day. Are you planning to get the dining plan on your second reservation?

[/QUOTE]


I didn't purchase tickets for the entire trip because, of the expense mainly. I got tickets with the dining plan on the second reservation, because it was for the most days and I wanted to add the dining plan. I originally had the vacation dates set for Nov. 18-25, and had to change them. WHen I called to change the dates of our reservation,the CM I talked to said I could get the tickets on the 2nd reservation but begin using them on the day of the first res.(Nov. 23-26) In other words I could use them early by just adding days to the tickets.Somehow though when she qouted the price for me it was alot more $$ than I had figured, so I left things as they were originally and called back later to speak with someone else. The second CM told me the tickets couldn't be used until the date of the second res. I would have to buy at least one ticket per person for the first res., which was still really expensive,So I decided to make the reservation with tickets on the second part of the trip. (Hope this isn't too confusing) I think I may call back and a few times and see if I can get a CM that will work with me and let me begin using the tickets earlier, then I can just add days to the tickets I already purchased. Never hurts to try, right?

 

[slug]

We are going to disney beginning on Thanksgiving day. This will be our first trip, staying 9 nights, I didn't get tickets for the first 3 nights, I am splitting our stay btw. 2 reservations to take advantage of value season rates. I figured the parks would be too busy over Thanksgiving Holiday to have as much fun anyway. Any ideas on the best way to spend the first 2 and 1/2 days outside of the parks? I want to do the monorail ride, check out the resorts and DTD, and the campfire at Wilderness Lodge, is there anything else we should try to do to pass the time? I have read and learned alot since we started planning this trip, just wondering if there is anything I have missed that we should try to include. (Daughters, 15 and 4, son turned 12 today!!!!!! ) Thanks!!

If you're a fottball fan, I'd go to ESPN Zone on either Saturday (college) or Sunday (pro) and get lunch and watch your team for a couple of hours.

If you go Sunday, make sure you get there early to get a good seat. They have a pregame show there and everything. And if there are members of your party that don't want to watch football, they can wander around the Boardwalk shops while you watch the game.

 

[magicmirror]

Sorry I tried the "quote" thing, and obviously didn't know what I was doing. (should probably read "how to" before I try to do stuff)
Let me just try it this way.

In reply to goofy4tink's question.
magicmirror answers: Two reservations, but both at the same resort. (POR)

I probably should have left it as one continuous reservation, and not tried to take advantage of the value season rate. It would have cost more, but would have been less hassle. Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[mjh8955]

We like to spend a day or at least an evening at DTD to kind of get the Disney feel before we go to the parks. Our family (DH, DD12 and DS15 and me) had a BLAST at Disneyqeust, we spent the entire day there. It was at a non-peak time of year though. We also enjoy going to Universal City Walk since that's a free experience as well. Our kids had fun playing miniature golf.

 

[Northstar]

Go to Animal Kingdom Lodge and check out the animals on the savannas!

Character meal at a resort (so you don't have to burn a park pass to get in) like Chef Mickey's. You could combine that with your monorail tour.

Seaworld is likely to be a bit less crowded, and their single-day passes can be exchanged for a come-back-free-for-the-next-7-days pass after you get in ( I think it's now seven days. It was a second day free when we went)

Cirque de Soleil (pricey!) or Arabian Nights dinner show (not Disney. You'd need to get there by car or taxi)

Check out www.allearsnet.com for other ideas... click on "beyond the theme parks"

 

[Kitka]

We're arriving at 11 a.m. on a day we aren't using tickets. We have reservations for DD to get done up at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and are going mini golfing at Fantasia Gardens. Then we're having dinner at Ohana.

 

[robinb]

I probably should have left it as one continuous reservation, and not tried to take advantage of the value season rate. It would have cost more, but would have been less hassle. Thanks for the replies everyone.

I thought it was the dining plan that was messing you up. It looks like it would cost you about $615 more for you have one reservation (during regular season), expand your passes to 9 days and add dining for the extra 3 days. I can see why you wanted to split the reservations.

Since you will be at POR, you will have some buit-in entertainment. Bob Jackson plays the sing-along piano at POR's bar and he is great! He's at POR from Wednesday - Saturday http://www.yehaabob.com/

If you have a car, you can go to Sea World. My DD loves the animals and there are a few fun rides there too. It's as expensibe as WDW, though.

You can go to a waterpark and pay OOP for it.

I might have some more ideas. Are you renting a car?

 

[Kitka]

Happy birthday to your son!!!

I'm just curious about why you don't purchase all 9 days of park passes with your first reservation. It's less than $10 more per ticket to upgrade from a 6 day to a 9 day. Are you planning to get the dining plan on your second reservation?

For us, we are going to be there almost 7 full days but although it would have only been $10 more for a 7 day PH pass we got a 5 day. For us, we knew if we had the passes, we'd go every day, and we really wanted to force ourselves to take some time to relax and enjoy other parts of our resort and Disney World. Hope that makes sense.

 

[magicmirror]

yep, we are taking our car. I think its about a 9 hr drive. DD and I were talking last night and we are considering leaving at about 3:00 Thanksgiving Day morning, to get there early without wasting the first day. We may not be able to check in when we arrive, but thats ok, at least we will be there. of course considering we have 3 kiddos, that may be wishful thinking.
I have gotten lots of good ideas, keep 'em coming.
I really may try to keep calling to see if I can get a CM that will let me use the passes early. I know that I accidentallygot 8day hoppers, which is one day too much. I wish you could use the tickets before your res. day, adding days is so inexpensive. It sounds kinda silly not to let you add days and use them that way, or any other way you want to use them without having to buy another set.

 

[robinb]

Hope that makes sense.

Nope. Then again, I have an Annual Pass so I can go into a park for an hour or two and leave without feeling like I was "buring" a pass. I remember the last time we stayed at AKL was over Christmas. We stayed at the resort all day and then went into the MK for the evening fireworks. Having the AP allowed us that flexibility.

I really may try to keep calling to see if I can get a CM that will let me use the passes early. I know that I accidentallygot 8day hoppers, which is one day too much.

You won't find a CM to tell you that since the tickets won't exist until you check-in the second time. The CM who told you that was mistaken. BTW, You can change anything on your reservation until 45 days in advance, so you can change from the 8-day to a 7-day today.

 

[seashoreCM]

considering leaving at about 3:00 Thanksgiving Day morning, to get there early without wasting the first day.
I
I really may try to keep calling to see if I can get a CM that will let me use the passes early. I I wish you could use the tickets before your res. day, adding days is so inexpensive. It sounds kinda silly not to let you add days and use them that way, or any other way you want to use them without having to buy another set.

Splitting your stay to take advantage of the lower value season for most of your days was a good idea.

Another idea, don't push yourself to get up so early Thanksgiving morning only to get there and find wall to wall crowds inside the parks if you do manage or decide to get more tickets.

Another idea, change your package tickets to one day basic or ten day non-expiring, expecting to save them for further in the future, then buy non-package expiring tickets to cover the whole vacation with.

You can add days to your package tickets as they stand, only this does you no good. Although you can use extra days any way you want subject to expiration after your stay you cannot obtain the tickets before your stay.