Need Advice from DVC'rs..

[disneyfan2kids]

SO many options... I need advice from those that have done this more often than me.

I am scheduled for a DVC stay at SSR from Sat. Dec. 29th - Sat. Jan. 5th. While searching airfare, I found I saved over $250 by flying in the PREVIOUS Friday night (late). I will be arriving with DH, and 2 DS's (6 & 2 so they're young) and we will not be arriving at MCO until 11:30 PM. I figured I'd save that money and apply it to just staying that Friday night offsite. Then I could check in VERY early Sat. morning to get a good choice of rooms (& hopefully get my first choice of DTD view in CP.)

Now I've priced out the following and need DVC'r advice.

1. Arrive 11:30 at MCO and stay at the Hyatt INSIDE the airport. Thus, I'll have 2 young kids that I can put right to bed to get up nice and early to arrive at SSR. Or, I could even leave them with DH the next morning (Pool or sleep in at airport) and check into SSR myself and have them meet me later. (Not sure just yet how ME would work when we need it the day AFTER we arrive... no big deal, I'll take a cab myself if need be.) The cost for the Hyatt overnight is $215+tax). Kinda pricey...but I did save $250 by taking that late night flight and I'll still get a better chance of getting DTD view by checking in first thing on a Sat. (I'm hoping many people for NYE trips probably won't want to use their Sat. points and will check in on Sunday... leaving me a better chance of DTD view.)

2. Stay in Value resort that Friday. It's less pricey (about $180 total) BUT then we have to deal with traveling via ME at midnight with 2 small kids. On the flip side, the next day they can sleep in and enjoy the pool/resort at the value for most of the day while I take Disney transportation (no cabs needed onsite) to/from SSR to check-in and just call them when they can head over.

3. NOW - If I choose to just do Value for Friday. Should I just bite the bullet and book it for BOTH fri/sat night..enjoy the "different' resort with the kids (they might like ASMo!) AND save myself the 39 points for SSR sat. night stay during holiday season? BUT will that KILL my chances for getting my DTD view? Not getting my view choice is not a deal breaker at all.. I know it's not guaranteed, but if I can increase my odds considerably on Sat. vs. Sunday...should I use those 39 points?

SO many options.. I want your advice. What are the pros/cons of each option when considering I have 2 young kids and while I don't MIND spending the Sat. points... It's always nice to save those points for the next vacation if doing so won't spoil THIS vacation.

Thanks for reading if you got this far...and TIA for any insight/opinions!

 

[CarolAnnC]

Iwould say do not change your existing ressies till you confirm that you can even get the Hyatt or the Value hotels for Dec 28 and/or 29. That is high season and I would not be surprised if they were at sell out point by now. Check it out first..

 

[mjy]

Iwould say do not change your existing ressies till you confirm that you can even get the Hyatt or the Value hotels for Dec 28 and/or 29. That is high season and I would not be surprised if they were at sell out point by now. Check it out first..

Most excellent advice. I was going to say the same thing, but you already beat me to it. So, I'll just say, "Ditto!"

 

[disneyfan2kids]

Hyatt is currently held with my cc...and Value still have rooms. Thus - both options are open for me right now.

Advice??

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I think you've got the right idea from the start. Stay at the airport and get out early the next morning and check in at SSR right away. The price difference between the value and the airport is not enough for me to travel that late at night to Disney with two little ones.

HBC

 

[lisareniff]

I'm wondering what you didn't like about going on saturday?

I just seems like option 1 isn't saving you any money and requiring you to fly very late with young children. Option 2 seems like a mess waiting to happen. Two young kids (and yourselves) up that late traveling. You probably won't see your bags until Sat late afternoon with ME and the transfer.

You know best how your children will do flying late. We ended up doing it once with our 4 and 9 yo (check in at 11ish) and decided that was a mistake (you experience may be very different). I think if planned to do nothing the next morning it would have been OK, but then you are wasting a morning and still everyone is off schedule. BTW we did not plan to be that late our flight times changed and the flight was late making a late flight a very late flight.

ETA: I don't mean to sound so down, just curious about the original option, shall we say option 0.

 

[salmoneous]

Figure your plane might be a few minutes late, plus the time to get off the plane, down the terminal, onto the MCO tram, into the main terminal, etc. It could be midnight. At that point, with two small crany children, what are you going to want to do (1) check into a room and sleep, or (2) travel to Disney, then check in, then hike to the far reaches of a value to get to your room.

 

[njmeisje]

I'm not sure I would have gone with the late flight. With my 2 little ones, saving money was not my priority when it came to flying....keeping my sanity was #1 priority. Plus, you are violating Travel Rule #1.....Never take the last flight of the day. (I know....too late for that advice, right?)

I would stay overnight at the airport, get yourself and those kids to bed, and start fresh the next day, with energy and excitement.

Have a great time!
Diane

 

[disneyfan2kids]

The reason I took the Fri (late flight) was because the other option was arriving Sat. @ 8pm (at 39 points for w/e night I want a full day) IN ADDITION it was $250 more.

So it was Fri arrival at 11:30pm for -$250 OR Sat arrival at 8pm for +$250.

Friday was the better choice for us. With my kids the "travel day" is basically a wash b/c they're usually exhausted after 2+ hours in airport/security plus 2 hours airtime plus travel to resort. That day is usually a bust. We end up hanging at resort and napping. So I figured waking up bright and early on Sat. for a quick ride to resort and we're there was a good option as opposed to a full travel day on a Saturday evening.

 

[CarolAnnC]

I would stay at the Hyatt for convenience of the late arrival, and then take my time getting up the next morning so the children can get some needed rest. Arriving at SSR early during a high season check in day will probably not get you any earlier into the room. They will be running at about 100% occupancy, so most likely your room will have people checking out, and then need to be cleaned. I would plan 4 pm as the earliest time to be in the room. Why not arrive there around noon or so, check the bags at Bell Services, and then head to the parks?

 

[lisareniff]

I would definately take the first option out of the three, since Sat is ruled out.

I wouldn't want to be trying to find my room at 1am with kiddos along.

I echo Carol's thoughts.... Stay at the Hyatt and sleep in (or at least try to have your little ones sleep in as much as possible).

 

[MEK]

I would stay at the Hyatt and use ME in the morning. You won't get to the value until 12:30 am and then you have to check in. Forget it.
When I arrived at 9pm my last trip that Hyatt looked pretty darn good.

 

[mom2alix]

I would do the Hyatt. We did the AS route last trip and it wasn't worth it, especially with 2 small kids. Since we had a late flight we got our own luggage to take on the ME bus. Our late flight was even later and we didn't get in until 1 AM. They didn't have any luggage carts available when we arrived so we had to haul 2 sleepy kids, bags, car seat (needed for plane), etc. to find our room in the far reaches. They also don't have bell services at values so we hauled all our stuff back the next morning. I guess we're spoiled but those double beds seemed REALLY small. I wish we'd just done the Hyatt at the airport.

I totally understand about the late flight, it's not just the money it's losing a whole day of vacation to travel. We run into the same issue with flight times from here.

 

[abeyst]

I also vote for the Hyatt. We tried Disney directly once when our flight arrived at 11:30 - it was a nightmare. Never again. It screwed up the whole next day. Once we finally arrived at 1am (thanks, ME) the kids couldn't fall asleep. Nope, never. Not even if Disney gave me a free night. (Ok, that may be stretching it. I'd ONLY do it if they gave me a free night.)