I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[disneymagicgirl]

I know people say this a lot but I just wanted to say thank you again for everyone on here and all the positive energy. We have our share of real life bad news lately but notwithstanding the people on here are so overwhelming supportive. I was on the rest of the Board today and I have to say I am done. Just a couple posts trying to find out information on the upcoming AP events and then reading the DVC forums about put me over the edge. I will be on this thread and other than that it is just not worth the time/effort. If I have any questions I am off topic and posting them here!

As to my new plan of asking you smart people instead of reading elsewhere individual thoughts....the only DAH that works for us on our trip in May (just myself and D8) is the AK DAH. We would not do Flights of Passage (it makes me sick) and D8 can deal. Worth it? We would have the $95 ticket price instead of $125 and it is just two of us if that changes the calculation. I think some of you have done it but can’t remember precisely who. @Haley R?

There are definitely some folks on the boards that are like annoying gnats that seem to pop up everywhere. They can really detract from the experience.

I'm not doing DAH DAK b/c after looking at the list of rides, most of them are easy to do with FP during the day, esp if you arent doing FOP, like I'm not, due to DD3's height. I don't have any experiences to share though...just what i decided after pondering it. I did love DAH MK though.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

So, update on us and the grAAvy train for our August trip...we had planned on staying at Pop for 5 nights followed by YC for 4 nights. Based on the sun & fun rates, when I first boarded the train, and the fact that values were available, this made sense and I thought I'd have the miles. But the AA situation has changed a lot in just a couple mos (why!?!?) and the current Disney promos are no longer reflected in AA rates and values are no longer an option. I'm guessing in that renegotiation of the contract with Disney, they are no longer able to offer promo rates or the values (since those are probably filling nicely for Disney direct). I'm super sad but have been working on a new plan.

Here is where I'm currently at:

first 5 nights at Pop paid OOP. One room booked with the Aug FD'ing promo (2 adults) and one room booked under the summer RO discount (3 'adults' and 1 child). I upgraded the dining to the DDP so we'd get 10 TS, 10 QS & 20 snacks. This would allow us to cover 2 character meals & pay OOP for the child at those meals.

last 4 nights at Swan. We've never stayed there but it's so cheap for our dates using AA miles. I can use 140k AA miles for BOTH rooms and those are upgraded rooms with a balcony. $135 per room due at the resort for the fees. That is something I can deal with. We wanted YC so badly for the location and the pool. We cannot get the pool by staying at Swan but we can get the location.

We will still have tons of AA miles left for our next trip. I never thought I'd stay offsite, and while swolphin is more onsite than other resorts, it's still offsite to me. However, Disney pricing is just getting so ridiculous and it seems they cannot play nice with any of the points programs so this is where they are pushing us. Having said that, dh & I walked over to Swolphin when we stayed at BC last month and we were overall impressed. I think we will be ok

Swolphin is my plan for AA miles as well. I think in the Fall sometime is my plan. It seems like a much better plan that booking it with marriott points. You'll have to let me know how it is. I was just looking at that new tower at CSR for a late summer trip at AP rate too. Club level is under $300 and standard room under $200. Only sleeps 4 though, so I have to do it at a strategic time when not everyone is joining me.

 

[wendow]

Haven’t done it but can’t justify the cost. Not enough there to pay oop for it. Better off spending the money on an extra day.


I would do two nights at pop. Upgrade to deluxe dining plan. Do 1 adult 3 kids. Your dining credits only show ts credits it’s not divided into adults and kids. Unless it’s changed. As of October this was the case. It would give you three days to use all your credits. Then stay at the swan since you have the points. I’m not a fan of the value hotels for a couple of reasons. Bus wait is always longer than moderate and deluxe resorts. Rooms are small and we like bigger beds than full size. Plus I like having a fridge.
FYI Erin McKenna’s no longer participates with the dp. I miss using my snack credits there.

Don’t you have to stay more than two nights for free dining? Or are you just saying add the dining plan and pay oop for it? Our fam is 5 adults (according to Disney) and 1 child. I was hoping to get two character meals covered this way and just pay OOP for ds8.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I think of the Swolphin as on-site and I think you got a great deal. I haven't stayed there (yet) but I have friends who split between one of them and another Disney resort if no good deals are available. WDW hotel prices are out of control.

They really are! I am staying at Poly on a CM F&F rate and looking at that I was thinking I'd not be willing to pay more than that. The rate is 40% off, so Disney has it overpriced by that amount, IMHO...as far as value I expect for my dollar. Same with the AP rates I am looking at. It is crazy! I think others must feel the same, since they are having to do such deep discounts here lately.

 

[Happy814]

We’ve never stayed at Pop. Only value we’ve ever stayed at is ASMo. And we weren’t too impressed. Hoping Pop is a better experience.

We've never stayed at any of the All Stars, but we love Pop. Especially since they did the refurbished rooms, there's plenty of space. It also has a nice bif food court, something I missed during our POFQ stay in November. Plus, tie dye cheesecake!!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

If we were ok with staying at Swan for the entire stay, I could cover it 100% with miles. I cannot say I'm not entertaining that as well!!

First, could you call the Marriott folks and try to do the "conversion" of your travel cert to a cat 6 and use that for a whole stay? I am going to attempt it. If i'm not successful after a couple calls I will likely cancel it and use the points plus some extra points, and some free nights from my CCs to stay at a higher cat hotel somewhere. But it would be great to get a successful conversion!

 

[Lain]

DoC is writing about the Plastiq Promotion for 1.5% Fee on Mastercard Payments (1% discount) that @usakiwi and @apollodi first noticed a few days ago, except DoC notes that Plastiq has not announced any official promotion. If this is a glitch, the cat’s out of the bag.

 

[wendow]

First, could you call the Marriott folks and try to do the "conversion" of your travel cert to a cat 6 and use that for a whole stay? I am going to attempt it. If i'm not successful after a couple calls I will likely cancel it and use the points plus some extra points, and some free nights from my CCs to stay at a higher cat hotel somewhere. But it would be great to get a successful conversion!

I had thought about this too. I’ve done absolutely nothing with the cert and time is ticking. If they would convert to a cat 6, even with me paying more in points, I’d jump on that. I’d have called already but it’s in dh’s account.

 

[Oscar Madison]

8:20 am and we are heading out to Endgame. I have not had anything to drink yet in hopes that one coke during the movie won’t be enough to make me have to get up during the movie LOL.

You'll love it. Time will fly. I survived on the 1 drink method.

 

[Oscar Madison]

We’ve never stayed at Pop. Only value we’ve ever stayed at is ASMo. And we weren’t too impressed. Hoping Pop is a better experience.

We stayed at POP at the beginning of this month and loved it. Much better quality of rooms, since our first pre-refurb trip. That being said, this was a 4 day crazy, do everything trip, so we were barely in the room.

 

[Oscar Madison]

We booked a 6 night RO at POFQ bounceback offer for late July, just in case, and I'm finding I still can't beat it with the new offers, including passholder. $204 per night including taxes. My wife and I have pondered just relaxing and not going to the parks. Taking the boat to DS for food. We'll see if we keep it.

 

[wendow]

We stayed at POP at the beginning of this month and loved it. Much better quality of rooms, since our first pre-refurb trip. That being said, this was a 4 day crazy, do everything trip, so we were barely in the room.

Our original plan was 5 nights pop and do parks open to close (we normally do this anyways) and then YC last 4 nights and do more pool time and more casual park time. I’m not sure how our touring will change with this change in resorts but the swolphin pool area looked nice enough, I think we could hang out there. My boys would love the paddle boats too!

 

[Oscar Madison]

Our original plan was 5 nights pop and do parks open to close (we normally do this anyways) and then YC last 4 nights and do more pool time and more casual park time. I’m not sure how our touring will change with this change in resorts but the swolphin pool area looked nice enough, I think we could hang out there. My boys would love the paddle boats too!

I haven't been following closely enough, why did you move off the YC?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Am I late to the party!?!? Chase offers are showing up on the normal desktop webpage for both me and DH!! Whoohoo! SO.MUCH.EASIER.

 

[Oscar Madison]

Am I late to the party!?!? Chase offers are showing up on the normal desktop webpage for both me and DH!! Whoohoo! SO.MUCH.EASIER.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[Oscar Madison]

Am I late to the party!?!? Chase offers are showing up on the normal desktop webpage for both me and DH!! Whoohoo! SO.MUCH.EASIER.

Okay, I'm on and don't see. Are you on the UR page? Where are you seeing them specifically?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Maybe we will feel onsite too while there. We ate there for a meal last month and it didn’t feel like a Disney QS but the food was good and prices were better than Disney. We did walk to the pool area which looked fun. But the lobby and grounds just felt like a regular hotel and not a Disney resort. I’m definitely excited to try it and maybe staying there and going to the parks, being able to walk to the boardwalk area, etc will give me that Disney feel.

The theming isn’t exactly Disney, but I guess I’m ok with that as I haven’t liked the theming in all the Disney resorts I’ve been at. Loved POR but hated the buses there. Loved the location of Poly but hated the room, ours felt dark and the bathroom was kinda yucky. Fort Wilderness Cabin was good but the internal buses and not being able to walk or have many food options made me never want to go back.
We like the Swan and Dolphin. Hope you guys have a great time. Worst case you don’t like the resort but the location is the same as resorts you know you like.

 

[speedyfishy]

I’m thinking about getting a Tesla in Feb after my lease is up. Too bad I can’t get 3x with the CIP anymore.

 

[wendow]

I haven't been following closely enough, why did you move off the YC?

Cause AA vacations aren’t showing reflecting the new summer promos. YC is rack rates. Since I just got on the train in late Jan, and need two rooms for our fam size, I don’t have anywhere close to enough points. So we’d have a lot OOP. Also, AA doesn’t have the values either anymore so we’ll be OOP on the Pop stay. I need to decrease our OOP costs

 

[tink1970]

We’ve never stayed at Pop. Only value we’ve ever stayed at is ASMo. And we weren’t too impressed. Hoping Pop is a better experience.

I'll just chime in and say we really enjoy Pop (as well as AofA), DD has stayed in every single Deluxe and Pop is still her favorite.

They really are! I am staying at Poly on a CM F&F rate and looking at that I was thinking I'd not be willing to pay more than that. The rate is 40% off, so Disney has it overpriced by that amount, IMHO...as far as value I expect for my dollar. Same with the AP rates I am looking at. It is crazy! I think others must feel the same, since they are having to do such deep discounts here lately.

I feel the same way-we receive 40% of with the MTY (usually) on deluxes and I wouldn't pay more for them except in special or extenuating circumstances. It's painful to pay rack rate...