Hi everyone, just found this site. Great forum. I posted this in the DCL forum but in retrospect many of the questions relate to the "Land" part of the package, so I'm asking here as well. Hope that's OK.
I am planning a vacation to WDW in October 2008 during the American Society of Anesthesiologists conference in Orlando (10/18/08 to 10/22/08) and figured I could take my family on a cruise while we are there. Our group would total 5 people - me, my wife, my 2 children (ages 4 and 2 by October), and my mother-in-law.
I called several travel agencies and finally settled on a quote from Costco Travel for the following:
- 4 days land/3 nights sea for 5 people (2 adults, 1 senior, 2 children)
- 2 standard rooms at Beach Club, Dolphin/Swan, or Saratoga Springs
- 2 Category 5 (deluxe family w/ verandah) staterooms on Deck 7
Obviously the package includes everything specified in the standard land/sea vacation, including 5-day park hopper passes for everyone. I book my own air transportation (I have a ton of frequent flyer miles to spend), rent my own car for the week, and obtain my own travel insurance.
Now here's what impressed me: the total cost for all 5 people, with 2 rooms on land and 2 staterooms on the ship, only comes to a little over $5600. Not only that, but when I book this vacation with Costco they will also give me a Costco giftcard for $475.
So I have a bunch of questions I'm hoping people here can answer before I jump on this:
1. How does this deal sound? Good? Bad? Are there better deals to be found?
2. How easy is it to book an extra day on land? I am hoping to arrive on Saturday 10/18 instead of Sunday 10/19.
3. Is the dining plan on land worth the money? Also, is it possible to get the dining plan for just one adult with the expectation that the food can be shared?
4. Which resort (Beach Club, Dolphin/Swan, Saratoga Springs) is best for a family with young children? Right now we are leaning towards Saratoga Springs because the rooms have kitchens/kitchenettes in them, which would come in handy.
5. Would it be possible to substitute a 2-bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs for the 2 smaller rooms (studios, I presum) that I book?
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give. I apologize if any of these questions are redundant.
I am planning a vacation to WDW in October 2008 during the American Society of Anesthesiologists conference in Orlando (10/18/08 to 10/22/08) and figured I could take my family on a cruise while we are there. Our group would total 5 people - me, my wife, my 2 children (ages 4 and 2 by October), and my mother-in-law.
I called several travel agencies and finally settled on a quote from Costco Travel for the following:
- 4 days land/3 nights sea for 5 people (2 adults, 1 senior, 2 children)
- 2 standard rooms at Beach Club, Dolphin/Swan, or Saratoga Springs
- 2 Category 5 (deluxe family w/ verandah) staterooms on Deck 7
Obviously the package includes everything specified in the standard land/sea vacation, including 5-day park hopper passes for everyone. I book my own air transportation (I have a ton of frequent flyer miles to spend), rent my own car for the week, and obtain my own travel insurance.
Now here's what impressed me: the total cost for all 5 people, with 2 rooms on land and 2 staterooms on the ship, only comes to a little over $5600. Not only that, but when I book this vacation with Costco they will also give me a Costco giftcard for $475.
So I have a bunch of questions I'm hoping people here can answer before I jump on this:
1. How does this deal sound? Good? Bad? Are there better deals to be found?
2. How easy is it to book an extra day on land? I am hoping to arrive on Saturday 10/18 instead of Sunday 10/19.
3. Is the dining plan on land worth the money? Also, is it possible to get the dining plan for just one adult with the expectation that the food can be shared?
4. Which resort (Beach Club, Dolphin/Swan, Saratoga Springs) is best for a family with young children? Right now we are leaning towards Saratoga Springs because the rooms have kitchens/kitchenettes in them, which would come in handy.
5. Would it be possible to substitute a 2-bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs for the 2 smaller rooms (studios, I presum) that I book?
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give. I apologize if any of these questions are redundant.
