Package extras - worth it?

[quest4dl]

I can get room-only at an AAA rate with advance tickets purchased separately cheaper than I can with a package. However, there are a few extras you get with packages. I don't really care about the souvenir items but wondering if the priority viewing for Turtle Talk with Crush and the preferred seatings for Aladdin, It's Tough to be a Bug, Muppets, and Golden Dreams are worth the extra $ (about $200 extra for 1 adult, 2 kids). My trip is scheduled for 4 days in early June Sat-Tue.

 

[jemilah]

Price it on getawaytoday, we never used any of those from AAA, always gave them away. The only show that fills up is Alladin and that is to much of a time waster for us.

 

[Hound 109]

I can get room-only at an AAA rate with advance tickets purchased separately cheaper than I can with a package. However, there are a few extras you get with packages. I don't really care about the souvenir items but wondering if the priority viewing for Turtle Talk with Crush and the preferred seatings for Aladdin, It's Tough to be a Bug, Muppets, and Golden Dreams are worth the extra $ (about $200 extra for 1 adult, 2 kids). My trip is scheduled for 4 days in early June Sat-Tue.

I prefer the lower mezzanine seats to the "preferred seats" on Aladdin.

Muppets & Bug never get much of a crowd.

Crush is great, but we do it before noon & have never waited.

(& is the Golden Dreams the show in DCA that no one goes to?)

fwiw.....I wouldn't pay $10 for the "preferred seatings" on these items, much less $200.


(& $200 will buy alot of dole whips, pretzels, corny dogs, (& tigger tails & monster cookies at Pooh Corner. )

 

[quest4dl]

Just took a look at GetAwayToday and it's only $10 more than my separate pricing but there's just a bunch of souvenirs thrown in - no preferred seatings.

 

[pixiewings71]

I wouldn't do it that way just for those extras. We've had and used them but in our experiences you don't really need them. We prefer watching Aladdin from the Mezz anyway, you can see more, just get there earlier and enjoy! Muppets we've never needed the special seats, Bug we watched once and didn't need the specials seats (I won't do it again but that's another story lol), Golden Dreams is neat but not that great for most people so you won't need special seating there either. TTwC you shouldn't need the vouchers either, in fact it really didn't help us at all when we did have them.

 

[DangerMouse]

I honestly don't know what the big deal is with preferred seating. I have never had a hard time getting a perfect spot for any of those shows. And like most others, prefer the Mezzanine section of the Hyperion for watching Aladdin.

 

[bumbershoot]

Just took a look at GetAwayToday and it's only $10 more than my separate pricing but there's just a bunch of souvenirs thrown in - no preferred seatings.

I believe the code "podcast" will drop the price by $10 over there.... And I believe that their tickets of 3 days or more have two days of MM instead of just the one that other 3+ tickets have.

Having done a package now I don't think the extras are worth much, and definitely not $200, but if a package were only $10 more, or the same, and I didn't have an AP like I do now, I'd probably do a package again.

 

[mott]

Keep in mind that with a package from AAA (and I assume also the same for gateway) there are cancellation fees if something happens and you have to cancel. With room only & tickets, you are able to cancel up to 72 hours prior to arrival (I think) w/o any penalties. Just more food for thought.

 

[avalon451]

We got a package through Costco travel. I agree that the preferred seating thing wasn't huge ... except that I realized that with Aladdin, you could show up just before the show and still get a great seat on the floor level, with your preferred seating. The mezz. would have been better for some of the special effects, but the people lined up in the hot sun for an HOUR before the show.

That said, Costco had a great deal where in addition to the souvenirs, etc. you also got a $150. gift card, which we used for food and souvenirs. Plus they also offer a dinner for two off the regular menu at some of the restaurants at the hotels, PCH Grill, Hooks Point, and a couple of others... OR a character breakfast for your whole group. We took the dinner at Hook's Point. It included appetizer, entree and dessert. We didn't want the dessert, so she took off the special pirate's punch drink and child's meal for my youngest daughter. It doesn't include alcohol.

Anyway, the gift card and the free meal made us go with Costco. We thought it was a great deal.

 

[Hound 109]

Just took a look at GetAwayToday and it's only $10 more than my separate pricing but there's just a bunch of souvenirs thrown in - no preferred seatings.

Ten Bucks is cool.

I just hated the idea of someone paying an extra $200 & thinking they were getting $200 worth of "stuff" & preferred seatings.

 

[nunzia]

I priced this all out about a million different ways and found the cheapest way to do onsite at DGC was to book the room like any other hotel using my AAA discount. They offered the Disney website price for the park hoppers as an add on, which I have also checked out and really haven't beat, so I kind of have a 'package' now. IMO the freebies in the package don't amount to much.
Now..they had been offering gift cards as parts of packages, but that goodie expired before we were going, so I didn't have that to consider. Since we are staying on site we get MM whenever it's offered. I think the only thing I used in the coupon book on out last visit which was on a package was the 10% off one purchase at at a store thing and the popcorn free scoop with bucket purchase. I'd have to have an awful big purchase at the Disney store to make up the savings. So..my long winded response is, for me, not worth it.

 

[nunzia]

We got a package through Costco travel. I agree that the preferred seating thing wasn't huge ... except that I realized that with Aladdin, you could show up just before the show and still get a great seat on the floor level, with your preferred seating. The mezz. would have been better for some of the special effects, but the people lined up in the hot sun for an HOUR before the show.

That said, Costco had a great deal where in addition to the souvenirs, etc. you also got a $150. gift card, which we used for food and souvenirs. Plus they also offer a dinner for two off the regular menu at some of the restaurants at the hotels, PCH Grill, Hooks Point, and a couple of others... OR a character breakfast for your whole group. We took the dinner at Hook's Point. It included appetizer, entree and dessert. We didn't want the dessert, so she took off the special pirate's punch drink and child's meal for my youngest daughter. It doesn't include alcohol.

Anyway, the gift card and the free meal made us go with Costco. We thought it was a great deal.

... I wish we had a Costco here in the boonies....

 

[quest4dl]

Thank you to all for your input. I have asked my TA to book DGC at the AAA rate room-only. This way I have a lot more flexibility if prices drop. I don't like the penalties with the packages and since I haven't been to DL in years (1980 was last visit) I didn't have a good idea about what attractions has lots of wait times.