Ok so I need some help,advice,support here from my other happy place!!!

[tinksgilrs251520]

So I am currently booked for 14 nights at AoA Little mermaid room and I really want to stay here... I have come to term that these rooms get no discount and I will not be getting free dinning here even if they offered... I have it budgeted its tight but doable.. So my question and advice needed do I give up staying at the AoA if a discount for the beginning of August is announced or do i just do what I have planned? Please help me, when I mentioned free dinning i meant if they offer free dinning would you switch resorts?

 

[worm761]

So I am currently booked for 14 nights at AoA Little mermaid room and I really want to stay here... I have come to term that these rooms get no discount and I will not be getting free dinning here even if they offered... I have it budgeted its tight but doable.. So my question and advice needed do I give up staying at the AoA if a discount for the beginning of August is announced or do i just do what I have planned? Please help me, when I mentioned free dinning i meant if they offer free dinning would you switch resorts?

Free dining is rarely offered at the beginning of August. And, I believe, was not offered in August at all last year.

My advice, for what it is worth, is you need to determine if saving the money is worth more to you than staying at your first choice resort. Will you be disappointed if you choose to stay somewhere else?

Also, can you save up some extra money in the next few months so that you can stay where you want and still not have such a tight budget? We are going at the end of July/beginning of August. I am hoping for a discount on the resort. I don't have one picked yet. But I have started saving for the extras. DH will pay for the trip and I will earn the extras with rewards programs. Mostly Swagbucks, Quick Rewards, and My Points. And any money I can save from the grocery budget goes in my Disney Fun Fund. Just starting in January I have managed to save a little over $300. Motivated!

 

[ADisneyQueen]

Please rethink staying 14 nts. in the LM rooms in August. We only stayed 4 nts. mid- August and I will never do it again. It was a very hot sunburning walk to and from the buses. The walk seemed long too just to get something at the food court. Even though the theming is cute, it's not worth it. We were so looking forward to staying here and it just wasn't the right choice for summer.

If you have to stay at a value, stay at POP with a lakeview room in 60s building. That is so much better and you will probably get a discount in August.

 

[rosiegmendez]

We stayed 4 days split stay AoA LM room and didnt mind the walk, but we went in April last year, not as hot as August.

It's a very cool resort but we couldnt see ourselves staying for 14 days - it's a very chaotic resort!

After AoA we stayed at POR and what a difference! You can really tell the difference between value and mod (comfort, amenities, beds are more comfortable) and it was cheaper for us than staying at AoA (family of 5 we had to two connecting LM rooms at AoA, cheaper than a suite). We thought the food options for the whole family were much better at POR than at AoA.

I say split up your stay, 7 days each. You'll still get to experience AoA but then get a discount for the 2nd resort. Plus disney makes split stays so easy with moving your luggage for you, etc.

 

[redhotariel]

Honestly I would do a split stay. If AoA is your first choice and you want to stay there the most just end there. If you are staying 14 nights you could stay at almost every resort for one day! How awesome would that be (aside from repacking), but as it was mentioned before you can stay at a moderate resort for less than AoA. Maybe start at a different value resort Pop, Music, Movies etc for 4 days. You can save a little money going with a "lesser" value resort. I'm not looking at the rates but typically AoA costs a significant amount more. Maybe you could even stay at CBR or POFQ or POR for another 4 days, depending on the weeks that you are going they may get some discounts too. And you would still have 6 days at AoA. Its totally up to you. I'm a resort hopper, I love to get a taste of a few resorts while I'm there (this will be my first resort hopping trip, but I have stayed off-site many a time and always set aside a whole day to visit multiple resorts as each of them have so many different things to do). But if you have your heart dead-set on just AoA then go with it and start cutting where you can (no more fruit roll ups kids- you're going to Disney in a few months!!!). Whatever you decide you will have fun! But if you can get a free dining plan for half or your vacation or a room discount at another resort it would be well worth it to split!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

No. But then I do not want the dining plan. Even if it is free.

It's going to be entirely up to you which is the most important. If I wanted to stay someplace that badly, I'd keep it. Or do a split stay.

If I needed to save money, I'd switch resorts.

 

[TheWire727]

I can't say I have experience staying at that resort myself, I have heard both good and bad things. However, I can give what input I can. Living in Florida all year, august is awful, so I back what the person said about any long walks or waits in lines.

I would also second the thought of spending a few nights in one resort and possibly switching to another. If you're spending 2 weeks there, switching won't be a big deal. Port Orleans riverside is the best moderate resort by far if you can stay there. That's actually the best value of any resort I would say out of them all. If you can stay at port Orleans for not much of an upgrade, that would be worth it.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I also just thought to add that our rack rate at AOA LM was almost the same price as the discounted room at CSR.

 

[krd315]

AOL LM rooms are awesome! However, we stayed in Sept 2012 with a 6 y/o and 8 y/o and it was a long hot walk to and from the bus and food court.

I think the idea of a split stay would be great. Start at another value for a week especially if you get a discount and then end at AOA LM for the 2nd week. The best of both, saving some money and staying at AOL LM for a week.

 

[BigAlsGal]

We have attempted to stay at AoA on three different occasions and all 3 times have been swayed in a different direction due to deep discounts and dining plans.

The resort wasn't ever terribly important to me though. If it would fulfill your disney dream I'd say make sure you stay a couple of nights there. I'd heed the advice of people saying the walk is long though. The charm of the room might quickly wear off if you're dragging bottom back to and from your room every day. Whatever you choose have a great time!!