Please help me decide :)

[Beezle2]

Hi Everyone!

I am taking my DD10 and her friend 10 to Disney Oct 21-28th. I have chosen ASMo and and have put my deposit down. The things I am wondering about:

Free dining. This has a good chance of being offered during our time frame and am I understanding correctly that if free dining is offered I have to purchase at least 2 day tickets for us all? Are the tickets upgradable? I ask because we are DVC owners and will be returning in Dec. I was going to buy APs for us so am wondering if we get the free dining if it makes sense to upgrade the tickets then.

YES tickets: We could get these tickets for our stay and hope for a room only code but they are not upgradeable and I would still have to buy APS later for the Dec. trip. I'm a little worried if I wait to find out about free dining the class may fill up and we wouldn't be able to do it.

If we don't have free dining I will get the TIW card because we will be using it for 3 trips during the year.

What to do, what to do what do you guys think?

 

[Beezle2]

Well, I've been thinking about it some more and I'm leaning toward getting the annual passes for DD and I because we will be using them 3 times. I think I will hope for a room only AP discount, buy the friend a 7 day base ticket for Undercover tourist for $252 and then buy the TIW card. We can use that at the food court there so that will be good.

We will probably do less "big" table serve meals than if we had the dining plan but I don't think we will care. I know we want O'hana bfast on dd's bday and maybe one other character meal. Will have to think of a fun one!

These decisions are nerve wracking! I'm not totally convinced this is the best way to do it as the friend will not have a water park option ticket. But we can do a pool tour (allowed with DVC) and since this is the friends first time, it will be all good with her. I think both plans have a bit to offer but I don't like the crap desserts with the CS dining plans and also don't like forced 18% tipping at overpriced buffets. I'm good with that amount for table serve. Anyway, the other posts here were very informative, Thanks!

 

[Dizneydaz]

Seems like you've already decided but to answer your question, yes your 2 day base tix are upgradeable. We buy the min. required ticket every year for free DDP ( was one day now is two) and then we upgrade them, when we are out of tix, for a 10 day, PH, with pluses, non-expiring. There have been a few occasions when the CM will tell us we can't upgrade them since they are old but I (nicely) tell them that while the KTTW card is a few years old, the tickets are unused. They'll usually check with someone else and then do the upgrade. This seems to be an issue with CMs earning their ears.

 

[Beezle2]

Seems like you've already decided but to answer your question, yes your 2 day base tix are upgradeable. We buy the min. required ticket every year for free DDP ( was one day now is two) and then we upgrade them, when we are out of tix, for a 10 day, PH, with pluses, non-expiring. There have been a few occasions when the CM will tell us we can't upgrade them since they are old but I (nicely) tell them that while the KTTW card is a few years old, the tickets are unused. They'll usually check with someone else and then do the upgrade. This seems to be an issue with CMs earning their ears.

>>.

So I could up grade 2 of the tickets to DVC annual passes, buy the 7 day pass for the friend, and get the free dining for our 7 day stay with the girls.

Hmm, My rate for the hotel was $785, I need to check and see what the 7 day price is from Disney, and I think it will be about $350 to upgrade to table serve for us. I wouldnt include the price of the APs in my calculations as I need to buy those anyway. I am trying to stay at around $2500 for the trip. And air fare should be around $800. I really want the girls to have a blast, DD is totally excited to take her BFF and celebrate her Bday at Disney.

Thanks for your reply