Need advice please! Help!

[belleincanada]

Our Disneymoon is this coming September! We're planning 11 days, and doing a split stay. We've already got our reservation for VGF (renting points through a friend) for four days, from Sept. 11-15th. We are either going to do the remaining 7 days from Sept. 4-11, or from Sept. 15-22. We're flexible on dates.

First of all, we want the Deluxe DDP. It's our honeymoon and for us, we want to eat in all the nicer, Signature restaurants so it's easy to use 2TS and have another left over for breakfast and use our two snacks a day for a light lunch.

SO, here's where it gets tricky for us. Do we stay at POR and wait to book it until the end of April, which is probably when we'll hear whether or not there's Free Dining? (We'd just pay the extra charge to upgrade to the Deluxe DDP)

OR - if we can find it available, do we rent points from DVC rentals or through a DisBoards member, for the Value Studio at AKV, or a studio at BWV or OKW, and just get them to add the Deluxe DDP, and we pay for it out of pocket? ...Can we even do that if we're renting points? It seems like you can, at least on DVC rentals.

Either way, I think it equals out to the same cost (The AKV option maybe just slightly cheaper).

 

[eeyoresmom]

Yes you can add any DDP to a DVC reservation. I would definitely rent DVC over PO for you Disneymoon. I love PO, in fact we are staying there in May, but I think you will be really disappointed especially if you go from VGF to a moderate. If you start planning now you should find availability at OKW in a studio. AKL value studio and BWV is doubtful for a week long stay. You may find availability in a standard studio at AKV, there's a lot more of them. You really should book ASAP as you are only 6 months out.

 

[belleincanada]

Yes you can add any DDP to a DVC reservation. I would definitely rent DVC over PO for you Disneymoon. I love PO, in fact we are staying there in May, but I think you will be really disappointed especially if you go from VGF to a moderate. If you start planning now you should find availability at OKW in a studio. AKL value studio and BWV is doubtful for a week long stay. You may find availability in a standard studio at AKV, there's a lot more of them. You really should book ASAP as you are only 6 months out.

Thanks for the advice! The plan was to do POR so we only literally JUST thought about the option of renting DVC for the other week.

If we did do POR though, it'd be the week before our four days at VGF, not after, cause I agree that it'd be depressing to go from the Grand Floridian to a moderate. But..... I've only ever stayed in All-Star Music before, so I mean, anything is going to be exciting!

 

[JWigs]

I agree that since it's your honeymoon and you're staying at GF to kick it off; I'd rent points and try to get locked in for the other dates you're looking for.

 

[belleincanada]

We're either starting or ending with VGF We are flexible to go the week before, or the week after.

If we go the week after, we have a chance of catching the first couple days of MNSSHP (not for sure, but a possibility), and we've never been before. So that's something that would be really cool. But, like I said we're flexible!

 

[5kidsmommy]

Splurge!!! Go for a dvc rental. Moderates are lovely but you will enjoy the deluxe so much more.

 

[belleincanada]

Well, we already are splurging on VGF lake view for the four days, AND we'll have just paid for a wedding

......But, I think we're starting to lean more towards DVC renting over POR.

 

[Pumbaa_]

What are you doing for passes? If you get an AP, you can also buy a TIW card. Skip the DxDP and use the TIW.

After so many days of multicourse meals in the HEAT, you may find you are not using all the credits as you thought you might. And with having a DVC unit, you will have a microwave for leftovers! As well as a coffee maker, fridge and toaster

For what you would spend on DxDP for 11 days, you can enjoy the same meals but have the flexibility of not being on the credit system. Freedom is a lovely thing. (there WILL be days when the thought on one more 3 course meal will make you nuts)

 

[belleincanada]

That's kind of what I was thinking, the heat factor I mean! We've actually been discussing just paying OOP and renting DVC. I calculated the costs of doing Signature meals every night WITH an alcoholic beverage each and sharing an app/dessert, having a light breakfast in the morning, and doing a QS or TS for lunch, and it equalled out to less than the DxDP. And realistically, even that is still probably more food than we normally eat. This way, we also get to enjoy wine with dinner on our honeymoon

I think we were just planning to do 7day PH passes. We actually received 4day PH passes complimentary after our last trip, so the 7day PH (with water park) I think equals out to $400 or $500. I would LOVE to get an AP, but realistically we won't be back within the year. The Canadian dollar seems to really dislike us vacationing in the States right now.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm going to be the wet blanket and tell you that renting an AKV value studio will be nearly impossible at this point and getting consecutive nights at BWV will probably be almost as difficult. You're really behind the curve for renting DVC in Sept. We're already less than 7 months away, which means that DVC members who do not own a BWV have already had a shot at any std. view studios that members who own at BWV didn't snap up. OKW and SSR are larger resorts and may be a possibility but even those resorts tend to fill up in the fall due to the low number of points needed during that season. Your chances are much better in the early part of Sept. than they are from the 15th and forward due to Food & Wine starting on the 14th.

TiW went up in price since last year and is not the bargain that it used to be. It makes sense if you will visit often or have a large group or if you are staying for an extended period of time. Comparing it to *free* dining can be difficult but I suggest taking a look at where you might dine, choose the most expensive items (like you would with the DxDP) and then add things up. Taxes on food purchased with TiW are based on the post-discount price. The 18% gratuity is automatically added. But a nice feature is that the TiW card is also accepted at most of the lounges and can be applied to alcohol purchases. Just something to cloud the logic process further.

*Free* dining is never a guarantee, so I would not rely on getting it at POR for your dates. If I were planning a special trip, such as yours, I would begin looking for ANY DVC availability for my dates. And if that doesn't pan out, then I would carefully choose a resort and/or package that I can afford to pay for without any discounts. If a discount comes out for your dates, you will have plenty of time to change your reservation to the new offer.

Good luck and congratulations on your upcoming marriage

 

[belleincanada]

There actually was some Boardwalk availability and while Value studio was gone which I figured would happen, standard view at AKV was available so that's not too bad. I know free dining is never a guarantee.

Thanks for the congrats!

 

[Marionnette]

There actually was some Boardwalk availability and while Value studio was gone which I figured would happen, standard view at AKV was available so that's not too bad. I know free dining is never a guarantee.

Thanks for the congrats!

Don't wait too long to decide. DVC inventory changes constantly. My personal preference would be to go with the DVC and either pay OOP for meals or add the dining plan to your reservation. You could also do a combination of both...do the DxDP while staying at the GF and pay OOP for meals when staying a the other resort. If you add the 2nd DVC resort to the end and not the beginning of your trip, you will be able to enjoy F&W, which makes doing the DxDP kind of a waste, IMO.

 

[eeyoresmom]

There actually was some Boardwalk availability and while Value studio was gone which I figured would happen, standard view at AKV was available so that's not too bad. I know free dining is never a guarantee.

Thanks for the congrats!

DVC availability changes very quickly. Even if you checked 10 minutes ago the likely hood that exact reservation is still available is low. I would move very quickly on the AKV standard studio. DVC availability does not mimic regular CRO rooms at all. 6 months out you are lucky to get any consecutive reservation outside of SSR. Even SSR as large as it is will start to show unavailable days by May.

 

[belleincanada]

We put in the request earlier today at the end of our 4 days at VGF, and for both AKV and BWV actually! The person we're renting from looked into it for us this morning, and said there was availability, took our info, and has sent in the reservation (we checked references and contract of seller first). So four nights in VGF, then four nights in AKV, then three nights at BWV! All happening Sept. 11-22nd.

 

[eeyoresmom]

That is an awesome trip. Its going to be like 3 mini vacations, those resorts are all so different. Have a great time planning the details. ( don't miss the butternut squash soup and zebra domes at AKV)

 

[belleincanada]

All confirmed! I think I'm going to faint. Sept 11th to 22, four nights at VGF, four nights at AKV, and three nights at BWV. (And we'll pay OOP for dining.)

As a girl who's dreamed of deluxe resorts (specifically the Grand Floridian) her whole life and only ever been able to afford All-Star Music... and on top of all that I get to experience it with my new husband. I guess it's time to get one of those countdown tickers! This is going to be the greatest honeymoon on earth.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I don't mean to add to your stress but you may want to consider adding a dining plan to one(or more) of your dvc stays. Since you are doing a split stay you could do 3 different dining plans, or do one say at VGF and stretch the credits to cover 5 days. Or just add it to the AKV stay and stretch the credits. If you can schedule all of your most expensive dining for those days you can really save some money.