chelynnah
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2015
- Messages
- 1,017
Hi, we're going in November, renting offsite a similar propert, similar distance, similar price. What with flights from the UK etc, while we're not doing this on the cheap, I'd rather have the extra money to spend in the parks or on meals, or visiting our favourite US restaurants outside of Disney.
Offsite you can book ADRs at 90 days instead of at 180, and FP+ at 30 instead of 60.
I did not get BOG at 90 days, though I did end up getting a lunch booking a couple of months back by calling and one had opened up. Basically keep checking back, you never know. Then a lovely member here mentioned she was giving up her dinner reservation on our first night (the night we wanted), so we timed it so I was online to get it right as she cancelled. We will probably keep both now. The advice I was given is keep checking back even on the days you're there. ADRs can be cancelled up to 11pm or midnight the night before and often are, so you might luck out. Our other option was we were going to keep checking at the park as well, heading over first thing and seeing if they had anything.
Plenty of others did have openings available still at 90 days. I didn't book any, but checked out to see what was available, so a lot depends where you're hoping to book. Be online at opening at the 90 day window (I don't remember if it's midnight Eastern -5am here- like with the FP, but be online right when it opens and you may have a shot at a few.
I have just got our window for our 30 day out FP. I've set my alarm for just before 5am the last two nights, and while 7DMT and all the parades/fireworks FP (and a fair number of M&G) were gone, we still got a few good ones. Again keep checking in the time between booking and using. Sometimes things change. This is my first time using this system, but I've read a lot and everything seems to be bearing out. Anyway, last night I got Soarin for 9:15. A few minutes later there was only afternoon availability, but even now there are some late afternoon slots. I've been keeping an eye out in the week prior to see what's still available. TSMM hasn't been sold out on a couple of days last week on the day or two before, and some other popular ones haven't.
My best advice is build your MDE (my Disney experience) account now with you as the main, and then out everyone else in your family as someone you add in to control. If you're a couple of families, then there's plenty of advice you to connect accounts for that experience. I've connected with a local FL friend for a few days so I can book our FPs together. Buy the 14 Day Ultimate Tickets for Florida Tix (I hope that's OK to say here) and if you plan Universal, buy the 14 day ticket from the same site (you can buy it as a combo with the Disney one though it's a separate ticket). Their prices are good (the two week unlimited Universal pass costs less than a 2 day park hopper I'd you were to buy it from universal, so even if you on,y gone two days you're saving money). I've bought twice from them and they're great. Real tickets, you link your Disney tickets to MDE (all instructions come with) and then you're good to go with ADR and FP.
Feel free to PM and I'm happy to share more about my experience before and after, but aside from a couple of FP and ADR it's not worth the extr £2-3k for onsite in a much smaller room/s. We really want to but haven't been able to bring ourselves to do it, not when a 3br townhouse is so much cheaper than even the offsite hotels with more space etc.
Edit to add:
We've stayed off site twice before in my parents' non-Disney vacation club property and not found the traffic of commute an issue. Both of those trips were mid-late January.
Offsite you can book ADRs at 90 days instead of at 180, and FP+ at 30 instead of 60.
I did not get BOG at 90 days, though I did end up getting a lunch booking a couple of months back by calling and one had opened up. Basically keep checking back, you never know. Then a lovely member here mentioned she was giving up her dinner reservation on our first night (the night we wanted), so we timed it so I was online to get it right as she cancelled. We will probably keep both now. The advice I was given is keep checking back even on the days you're there. ADRs can be cancelled up to 11pm or midnight the night before and often are, so you might luck out. Our other option was we were going to keep checking at the park as well, heading over first thing and seeing if they had anything.
Plenty of others did have openings available still at 90 days. I didn't book any, but checked out to see what was available, so a lot depends where you're hoping to book. Be online at opening at the 90 day window (I don't remember if it's midnight Eastern -5am here- like with the FP, but be online right when it opens and you may have a shot at a few.
I have just got our window for our 30 day out FP. I've set my alarm for just before 5am the last two nights, and while 7DMT and all the parades/fireworks FP (and a fair number of M&G) were gone, we still got a few good ones. Again keep checking in the time between booking and using. Sometimes things change. This is my first time using this system, but I've read a lot and everything seems to be bearing out. Anyway, last night I got Soarin for 9:15. A few minutes later there was only afternoon availability, but even now there are some late afternoon slots. I've been keeping an eye out in the week prior to see what's still available. TSMM hasn't been sold out on a couple of days last week on the day or two before, and some other popular ones haven't.
My best advice is build your MDE (my Disney experience) account now with you as the main, and then out everyone else in your family as someone you add in to control. If you're a couple of families, then there's plenty of advice you to connect accounts for that experience. I've connected with a local FL friend for a few days so I can book our FPs together. Buy the 14 Day Ultimate Tickets for Florida Tix (I hope that's OK to say here) and if you plan Universal, buy the 14 day ticket from the same site (you can buy it as a combo with the Disney one though it's a separate ticket). Their prices are good (the two week unlimited Universal pass costs less than a 2 day park hopper I'd you were to buy it from universal, so even if you on,y gone two days you're saving money). I've bought twice from them and they're great. Real tickets, you link your Disney tickets to MDE (all instructions come with) and then you're good to go with ADR and FP.
Feel free to PM and I'm happy to share more about my experience before and after, but aside from a couple of FP and ADR it's not worth the extr £2-3k for onsite in a much smaller room/s. We really want to but haven't been able to bring ourselves to do it, not when a 3br townhouse is so much cheaper than even the offsite hotels with more space etc.
Edit to add:
We've stayed off site twice before in my parents' non-Disney vacation club property and not found the traffic of commute an issue. Both of those trips were mid-late January.
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