More for Less: A Theme Park Planning Strategy

[wisblue]

We havent rented a car in Florida for quite a while and when we have it's just been for a couple of days. Where do you rent a car for a week for $86?

 

[Laketravis]

LT- how did you book the fp+ originally? Did you accept Disney's evening times that they suggested and then modify?

I don't know if you have tried this, but I've found that if I'm trying to book all evening fp+ (or morning), that I see the best availability for fp+ by first booking times at the opposite end of the day that I want, and then modifying them to what I really want. This way the system is showing me a ride's full availability in the time frame I'm wanting to book. I found it cuts down on the amt of shuffling/modifying I had to do.

I picked the three attractions, and then the first set of options - which all seemed to be in the PM for some reason. Then I manipulated the times for each one until I could get all of them to start at the top of an hour, and then grouped them into consecutive hours. It takes several iterations because each time would present a different set of times.

 

[Laketravis]

We havent rented a car in Florida for quite a while and when we have it's just been for a couple of days. Where do you rent a car for a week for $86?

Hotwire. I actually made two reservations - one for 6 days at $86.24 and another for 15 days for $172.73 because at the time I didn't know if I'd be there for a week or two.

 

[Laketravis]

Kind of late to this thread, but I'm partial to Bahamas Breeze on Irlo Bronson headed west if I'm looking for really good food, and for lots of food cheap there's a Cici's pizza out there as well.

 

[wisblue]

OK. I've looked at Hotwire and never saw anything that low, but it probably depends on how far in advance you book and what time of year you go.

 

[soniam]

Kind of late to this thread, but I'm partial to Bahamas Breeze on Irlo Bronson headed west if I'm looking for really good food, and for lots of food cheap there's a Cici's pizza out there as well.

Off topic. Not used to the new forums. Not liking them much yet.

I miss Bahama Breeze. Ours shut down years ago. It always felt like being on vacation.

I also don't like the new format, especially from my phone.

 

[Laketravis]

OK. I've looked at Hotwire and never saw anything that low, but it probably depends on how far in advance you book and what time of year you go.

Well, I booked it last month and I'm going during Spring Break so I hope that speaks well to the "More for Less" planning strategy theme of this thread although the rental car/Hotwire tips are probably better suited for the transportation board.

 

[Laketravis]

I miss Bahama Breeze. Ours shut down years ago. It always felt like being on vacation..

Aren't you in Austin? We had one here and I was disappointed to see it close but it might have been due to the location, kind of hidden where it was. Reminds me now of the Mezzaluna era and all the really great places that were around then.

 

[Laketravis]

I've updated DAY TWO after making FP's this morning for Epcot.

 

[wisblue]

Well, I booked it last month and I'm going during Spring Break so I hope that speaks well to the "More for Less" planning strategy theme of this thread although the rental car/Hotwire tips are probably better suited for the transportation board.

I agree. The people on the Transportation board who are looking for car rentals for March (or anytime this year) would probably like to know what tips and/or discount codes you used to get that rate.

 

[wisblue]

I've updated DAY TWO after making FP's this morning for Epcot.

How are you figuring your net cost of $20?

 

[Laketravis]

How are you figuring your net cost of $20?

Net cost "in the park" that day for two beers I indicated would be purchased before heading over to British Revolution. Unfortunately, they aren't free and I rounded up.

Before you might accurately point out that there are other costs involved that day, I fully understand that and all will be reflected in the final analysis. This is just a running total right now of out-of-pocket expense incurred while actually in the park.

Also remember this is a plan, not a recant. I intend to summarize performance to plan so if I ended up buying a Mickey pretzel with the two beers I'll account for it. This whole strategy is about having a great time at the lowest possible cost, and I think we can have a great time without the $5 pretzel. One of the distinct and welcomed advantages of WDW is they'll allow us to bring in a backpack full of snacks and drinks.


.

 

[wisblue]

In part because of wanting all the return times to start on the hour, I think you are taking something of a Rube Goldberg approach to making your FP+ reservations. If this is your goal, I think you should take Angel Ariel's suggestion and make your first choices for the morning and early afternoon to leave the late afternoon and evening completely clear. Then if you change the time of one of the attractions, there is a much better chance that it will give you a time with a return time on the hour. After you change one, when you change the next one there is also a much better chance that you will be offered a return time that butts right up against the one you already have.

A few days ago I made 8 days of FP+ reservations for a trip from April 4-11 (the day before Easter until the Saturday after). I wanted almost all of the FPs to be in the late afternoon and early evening, though I wasn't fussy about them being on the hour. Except for the night when we are eating at BOG I wanted them all to be back to back to back as much as possible. It only took me 25 minutes to get the FPs I wanted at the times that I wanted for all 8 days, though some of them are not on the hour and some have a 5 minute gap between return times (e.g., 5:15-6:15 and 6:20-7:20). But, I am pretty happy about having 24 FPs lined up during times when I know waits for headliner attractions will be long, even though I know that we will probably end up changing some of them as the trip unfolds.

 

[wisblue]

I don't think anyone is interested in a blow by blow account of every snack you buy or every meal you eat.

I think what more people are interested in is whether they are getting sufficient value out of their park tickets, and that's obviously going to be a lot harder for someone who doesn't have an AP that they can allocate to multiple trips.

But, in the meantime, I can wait to see where you are going with this and see how the whole week looks.

 

[Laketravis]

In part because of wanting all the return times to start on the hour, I think you are taking something of a Rube Goldberg approach to making your FP+ reservations. If this is your goal, I think you should take Angel Ariel's suggestion and make your first choices for the morning and early afternoon to leave the late afternoon and evening completely clear. Then if you change the time of one of the attractions, there is a much better chance that it will give you a time with a return time on the hour. After you change one, when you change the next one there is also a much better chance that you will be offered a return time that butts right up against the one you already have..

I think the net result is the same, right? Just a different way of achieving it? I'll try Angel Ariel's method tomorrow and see what happens but it wasn't all that hard once you see what pattern MDE starts to return.

I don't think anyone is interested in a blow by blow account of every snack you buy or every meal you eat......

But you can bet at some point someone will be quick to ask that question and I better have the answer or else the entire strategy is called into question.




.

 

[MrInfinity]

I like having my FP's start at the top of each hour, it's easier to remember them that way

I find I do this as well. It's just cleaner, especially when I put them in my Excel sheet.

We'll try really hard not to feel like we didn't get anything done today. Net cost in the park: $20

Why would you feel you didn't get anything done? That is an amazing day. Action packed. Universal. 4 headliners with short waits, including both Soarin an Test Track at Epcot. I thought you would write one or the other off, but hitting Epcot and doing the things you have listed there would be pretty cool of a day to me.

I would shoot for providing a more comprehensive expense summary. To say you only spent $20 in the park is fine, but that is really all unnecessary expenses at that. Your significant costs in this day were not the 2 beers and a pretzel for $20, it was...

A) 3 APs to Universal (add up total cost, divide by 14 or number of days)
B) 3 AP's to Disney (add up total cost, divide by 14 or number of days)
C) Hotel Stay
D) Breakfast off prop
E) Lunch in Universal
F) Dinner off prop
G) Gas and Tolls, as you've gone from Hotel - restaurant - Uni - restaurant - Disney - Hotel

I guess I am eager to compare this to what I would spend at a day, and saying this was a $20 day is not particularly useful. Yet.

 

[Laketravis]

Why would you feel you didn't get anything done? That is an amazing day. Action packed. Universal. 4 headliners with short waits, including both Soarin an Test Track at Epcot. I thought you would write one or the other off, but hitting Epcot and doing the things you have listed there would be pretty cool of a day to me..

I was being sarcastic. But I'm glad you agree that's an amazing, action packed day. Because when it comes time to wrap all this up and summarize actual performance to plan, I think just how little it cost to do so will be a surprise for many.

Thus the theme of this park strategy: "More for Less"

I would shoot for providing a more comprehensive expense summary. To say you only spent $20 in the park is fine, but that is really all unnecessary expenses at that. Your significant costs in this day were not the 2 beers and a pretzel for $20, it was....

As I already pointed out, all costs will be accounted for. The mention of that evenings in-park out of pocket cash cost is simply a sub-item right now. It will all be tallied up and included at the end.

 

[wisblue]

I think the net result is the same, right? Just a different way of achieving it? I'll try Angel Ariel's method tomorrow and see what happens but it wasn't all that hard once you see what pattern MDE starts to return.

Yes, the net result is the same. You had said that getting the results you wanted took several iterations and I think you might get there with fewer iterations if you leave the times you want completely open. For example, if you want something from 6-7 exactly and your first option has one at 5:10-6:10 and another from 6:50-7:50 you have to move both of those out of the way before the 6-7 slot will open up because you can't have overlapping times.

No matter how you get there, the process of selecting FPs for the times you want is pretty easy, and the less fussy you are about exact times, the easier it is.

 

[MrInfinity]

I was being sarcastic.

Oh... I usually pick up on your sarcasm, but didn't there.

But I'm glad you agree that's an amazing, action packed day. Because when it comes time to wrap all this up and summarize actual performance to plan, I think just how little it cost to do so will be a surprise for many.

That's what I want to get to. See what you have going against you tho, is you are presuming APs to Disney, Uni, and possibly also other area attractions. As you get past just a few days, you're going to be adding in this or that to make up something to do w the extra time. See, I've often wanted to pick up Uni on a trip... but with Disney World being our priority and LEGOLAND a close second, the price to incrementally add Universal ends up being costly for us. We need a 6-person room, which puts us in a suite, and every time I've run it, I end up finding that adding 3 days at Uni ends up costing us like $3000. There is this strategy of doing Disney and Uni on the same day, thereby maximizing the # of days you can do Fast Passes on, but I think this will end up being overall less efficient than spending a day at Uni, and a day at Disney, plus would not allow us to do what we really want, which is to enjoy everything about Uni, including its hotels, pools, etc. Splitting them half and half on two days mandates twice as much time parking driving, entering parks, leaving parks, etc.

In your example, since you are offsite to Uni too, are you buying a FOTL pass there? And if so for all 3 of your guests? Or waiting standby? This strategy is contrary to the split-days, since a FOTL pass is good for a day. If you buy it, you're almost surely going to come out ahead spending a whole day at Universal to get the most out of your pass. Do you do Power, Preferred, or Premier? With only Power, you don't get parking so that'd be costly... and without Premier, you don't get Express Pass.

 

[Laketravis]

That's what I want to get to. See what you have going against you tho, is you are presuming APs to Disney, Uni, and possibly also other area attractions. As you get past just a few days, you're going to be adding in this or that to make up something to do w the extra time. See, I've often wanted to pick up Uni on a trip... but with Disney World being our priority and LEGOLAND a close second, the price to incrementally add Universal ends up being costly for us. We need a 6-person room, which puts us in a suite, and every time I've run it, I end up finding that adding 3 days at Uni ends up costing us like $3000. There is this strategy of doing Disney and Uni on the same day, thereby maximizing the # of days you can do Fast Passes on, but I think this will end up being overall less efficient than spending a day at Uni, and a day at Disney, plus would not allow us to do what we really want, which is to enjoy everything about Uni, including its hotels, pools, etc.

We've only been to Uni once (last month) and stayed on-site. It was nice, but it doesn't fit this strategy. Great deals on superior off-site lodging and rental car does.

Splitting them half and half on two days mandates twice as much time parking driving, entering parks, leaving parks, etc....

I understand what you are saying about transit times, but I think you are overestimating them. We've never had an issue with inordinate transit times at WDW or even in that Orlando area, so spending maybe an hour to move from point A to point B isn't that much of a deal if you think of it in terms of standing in line for Soarin once. I'll pay close attention to them this time, though, and see if that still holds true.

In your example, since you are offsite to Uni too, are you buying a FOTL pass there? And if so for all 3 of your guests? Or waiting standby? This strategy is contrary to the split-days, since a FOTL pass is good for a day. If you buy it, you're almost surely going to come out ahead spending a whole day at Universal to get the most out of your pass. Do you do Power, Preferred, or Premier? With only Power, you don't get parking so that'd be costly... and without Premier, you don't get Express Pass.

We have Preferred passes so parking is free, and no - we won't be buying EP at the parks. Point is to avoid extraneous costs and I don't want to give Uni any sort of an edge over WDW in regards to what can be accomplished. Besides, the killer HP attractions don't have EP queues anyway.