Planning help needed- 2 nights at rpr during ssr stay

[stephensmum]

We plan on staying at SSR for the main of our 21 night holiday. Usually, we stay for 1 night at RPR, leaving our things at the hotel, but this year we would like to go for 2 or 3 nights, so it seems a bit expensive to do this. Our ideal would be to go to US/IOA in the middle, but we can't do this as we would loose our free DDP. DS13 insists on our last day been at MK & I love staring our hol with an early CP breakfast. Here are our choices, if you could point out any pros & cons & what you would choose it would be a great help.

1. First 2 nights at RPR, 19 nights at SSR.
2 19 nights at SSR, last 2 nights at RPR.
3 17 nights at SSR, 2 nights RPR, 2 nights Disney hotel booked separately (maybe Swan & Dolphin as I get education discount).
4 2 nights S & W, 2 RPR, 17 SSR
5 21 nights SSR. using 2 nights to stay at RPR.
We would be using Magical Express or taxi as we don't hire a car.

 

[wicket2005]

I think withyour daughter wanting a MK last day and you wanting a CP breakfast which I am presuming is a Disney one, that you are left with choices 3 & 4. the drawback is having to change hotels 3 times.

Staying at Rpr is best done when you can arrive early and leave late which isn't the case if they are flight days.

 

[wayneg]

We doing it 3 nights at RPR then 20 nights at OKW. Might still go back to Universal or IofA later in holiday as we have Annual passes but we want to end in Disney so decided to start in Universal Hotel.

 

[mama4321]

We are doing pretty much your choice 3 once we get to Orlando (3 nights in NY on the way first!)

7 nights Coronado Springs with free QS dining. 4 nights RPR and then the last 3 nights at the Swan with teacher discount.

Last time we did the same kind of pattern and loved experiencing the different hotels - it was almost like having 3 different holidays. And while we really enjoyed Universal it was great knowing we were heading back to Disney afterwards.

 

[Cyrano]

We are doing 2 nights at Hard Rock Hotel after the first week.
Last year we just left the stuff in our other hotel and plan on doing the same again

 

[Becx N Gav]

We've never done US or IOA but I would choose to do all the non-Disney stuff first, I think it would be a let down after being on Disney property. You could still do CP on your first on site Disney day
I don't like changing resorts more often than needed, even when staying on property it feels like you loose time packing and checking in and un-packing.

 

[UKDEB]

We've done it every which way and we now know for sure that we like to have the biggest chunk of the stay at the end of the trip. Staying somewhere for 2 or 3 days at the end of a trip spoils those days because you just feel that you're on the wind-down to going home. It's great to arrive at your final destination knowing that you're settled there for a while. As long as you don't mind moving twice, I'd be inclined to do your Universal stay during the middle of the trip. For a 21 night stay, I'd probably choose 7-2-12 but it would depend on how that fell (I wouldn't do Universal at the weekend) and what else I wanted to do (such as special events at WDW). If you're going to do it at the beginning (and it does have merit because you'd be up and at it early), I'd recommend a 3 night stay because you won't arrive until the evening on the first day.

 

[fuse04]

We are doing 2 nights at Hard Rock Hotel after the first week.
Last year we just left the stuff in our other hotel and plan on doing the same again

we are doing same this year

 

[stephensmum]

Many thanks for all your ideas. It's such a help.
Mama4321 - Can you tell me about the S & D? Can you still use Magical express?
Still deciding.

 

[mama4321]

Sorry can't tell you about the Swan and Dolphin yet - last time our Disney hotels were Pop and POFQ. (I didn't know about teacher discounts then!)
But from what I have read I believe you cannot use Magical Express.
We have booked it one way, and will use a town car to get back to the airport.

When we were last there in 2005 we felt the pick up times for ME were quite a long way before our flight times - especially as we flew Virgin then and did DTD check in - so we used a towncar then too just to make the holiday go on as long as possible!! Of course now with all the extra security that may not be such an issue.

 

[stephensmum]

Thanks for the quick reply. We're flying with Virgin from Manchester 1.45 there & 22.15 back. Can you tell me about checking in at DD. Sorry to ask so many questions.

 

[tracipierce]

Really don't want to hijack the thread, but could someone give me some info about the teacher discounts? I had no idea there was such a thing, how do you go about booking? and what proof do you need etc?

Thankyou!

 

[luke]

Really don't want to hijack the thread, but could someone give me some info about the teacher discounts? I had no idea there was such a thing, how do you go about booking? and what proof do you need etc?

Thankyou!

A wage slip will do for proof on check in
Just wish places in the UK gave teacher discount! My missus works admin for the NHS and gets discount on so much stuff, I get nothing

 

[mama4321]

From the Virgin website

* Visit the check in facility located in the valet area of the Cirque du Soleil, next to the Virgin Megastore in the Westside area of Downtown Disney, parking lot L & M.

* The check in facility is open daily from 8.15am to 1.00pm local time.



* Check in for your flight and you will receive your boarding pass.

* Payment for excess baggage, date of travel change fees and upgrade charges can also be taken provided, that the ticket does not require to be reissued. (These charges can only be taken in the form of USD cash or credit cards only).

* Your bags are then taken to the airport in secure vans.

* All you need to do is arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flights scheduled departure time.

This service is complimentary to Upper Class passengers, Flying Club Gold cardholders, Virgin Holidays passengers and infants.

All other passengers, (providing they are holding a confirmed seat), may use this service at a charge of USD10.00 per person.


It is good to be able to get rid of the bags in the morning, and arrive a little later at the airport. You do need to remember to be careful about any last minute shopping though and whether it is OK in hand luggage.

This time we're flying with continental so it's not an option. But I did read that you can usually arrange to keep your room at the Swan until 1.00pm or later for a small fee. And I think all the hotels will keep your luggage for you after checkout until you leave.


tracipierce - teacher discounts are really good but they're not always available. Just phone the swan/dolphin direct and ask if thay have any for your dates

 

[luke]

* Visit the check in facility located in the valet area of the Cirque du Soleil, next to the Virgin Megastore in the Westside area of Downtown Disney, parking lot L & M.

tracipierce - teacher discounts are really good but they're not always available. Just phone the swan/dolphin direct and ask if thay have any for your dates

On the top bit, don't forget the Virgin Megastore is no longer there, silly Virgin not updating that

For teacher discount, try Dreams Unlimited with your dates and select teacher discount to get some prices

 

[stephensmum]

Really don't want to hijack the thread, but could someone give me some info about the teacher discounts? I had no idea there was such a thing, how do you go about booking? and what proof do you need etc?

Thankyou!

Hi Traci, I found it on here. From 1st page, click on Disney Resorts, click on Swan & Dolphin then scroll down to bottom & click on rates & availability, then put dates in & add teachers disc in box given. Found it ranges from $129 to $179.

 

[WiganTony]

1. First 2 nights at RPR, 19 nights at SSR.
2 19 nights at SSR, last 2 nights at RPR.
3 17 nights at SSR, 2 nights RPR, 2 nights Disney hotel booked separately (maybe Swan & Dolphin as I get education discount).
4 2 nights S & W, 2 RPR, 17 SSR
5 21 nights SSR. using 2 nights to stay at RPR.

If you went with option 1, a suggestion may be to pack one case for your first two nights at RPR which would save you unpacking everything and repacking again when you first arrive (although Sods law will decree that something you need desparately is in "one" of the other cases!!). Similarly with options 3 or 4 - you would only need to pack one case for use and leave all the other cases packed for your stay at RPR.

Option 5 is a lot of money to be paying for a Disney Hotel and two nights on top at RPR. We did book a night at RPR last Easter and kept our room at Springhill Suites, but as it was part of the package we had booked, it wasn't worth trying to get a refund with all the hassle of packing/unpacking.

 

[wayneg]

Direct link to S&D reservations with DU, drop down box for discounts. Although I have heard its worth calling direct to confirm, sometimes better than onlie rates. Never tried so don't know.

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/dreamsres/sd.cfm#sd-info-res

 

[stephensmum]

Just to let you know we went for option 5, 21 nights at SSR, taking 2 nights in the middle for a stay at RPR.

 

[disneyholic family]

the years we have included universal, we have always started there for 2 nights, then moved over to disney for the rest of the holiday..

why not have your CP meal on the first disney day, instead of the first day of the holiday....really not a big deal and it makes it easier to only have to be in 2 places...first universal, then SSR..

coming back to edit as i just saw your post right before mine..
sounds good...we've done something similar....staying at OKW for 3 weeks, but during that we went off to other resorts for the weekends...thereby, staying in two resorts at the same time..costly, but it worked for us..