Sky high rates for February weekends??

[rcraw45425]

Came home this morning to find DD's 7&9 and DH have been conspiring. We have a trip scheduled for April 1-5 for Spring Break. They have decided that we need a "get away from the cold" break in February Of course that's fine with me until I start checking rates. Seems that there are blackout dates for both weekends we're concidering, not even AP discounts. If we arrive on Su-We, I can get WL CV for $140 a night, AP rate. If we checkin on Th the rate for each night is >$250 for the same room What gives? They're telling me that the room that I had booked at the WL for April for $199/night during Peak with a code would be cheaper than that same room during value! If I want to save big $$ I have to keep my kids out of school an extra day. Hmmmm, have to think about that. Other option is to downgrade to a moderate. Thing is I really like queen sized or better beds. Any suggestions?

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

Go for POP!! Save some money. From what I have read around here, your girls will LOVE POP!! So you sleep in a double, there are worse things . . . like not going at all!!!

 

[nhpooh]

I would keep the girls out of school, and go for the better beds. Location is better also. Also easyer to keep the girls out of school at the ages that they are now. Go for it, have fun

 

[rcraw45425]

I'm actually leaning toward the Swan. We stayed there several years ago and DH refuses to sleep on a full sized bed. Can't blame him, he's 6'3". We agree that we love the look of the POP, in fact I talked to a girlfriend who just got back from a 1night POP 6 night CBR stay. She said that her teen aged sons loved the POP, of course they had to book two rooms for comfort. Thanks for the advice. Iagree about at least you're at WDW! We wound up offsite in April, it's the pits! That was before I found this board and discovered codes, we could have stayed at the POP for what we paid at the HI!

 

[rcraw45425]

I agree NHPooh, except that the state of GA has changed our allowed absences from 20 down to 15 per year. We kept them out back in Oct. when we went for the MNSSHP and I plan to keep them out the Friday that we leave for our CR trip at Spring Break. As it is we're keeping them out for two days for this Feb. trip, I can't really justify three, especially for my 4th grader, their workload is really pretty high and I am afraid to try to talk to the teachers to arrange work ahead of time. They could "report" me, making these unexcused absenses, meaning that they would not be allowed to make up the work Really stinks!

 

[pooh6890]

You should look at the whole picture. Keeping kids out of school at that age for 1 or 2 days is fine. When they get to high school it gets a little more difficult. My girls are both in college now and we unfortunately can only get to DW once a year and even then they have to miss a couple of days. There is more to life than always "doing the smart thing" and just throwing it all to the wind and do "what you want". Maybe not the best advice but my daughters missed a few days here and there for vacations and still maintain a 3.5 or higher in college....AND, they are both going into elementary education so Go Figure!

 

[fun & fancy free]

I have read on these boards of someone who took the earlier check-in to save $ and still on ly shoed up on the following day. You would have to do the math to see if it is worth the loss of the day. I believe they just called and stated that their anticipated arrival was questionable but they didn't mind being charged for the extra day.

 

[rcraw45425]

I saw that thread also. Hate to say that I didn't follow up and see if they actually did that, remember that there was some controvery about if you don't arrive on your arrival date the room goes back into available status. Right now the Swan is a viable option for us. We stayed at WL in October and I'm sure will be back there for one of our trips this year. I moved the April reservation to the CR for monorail convenience during the Spring Break hours. I just looked at the Park hours for our trip in February they will be closing early (8PM) during that time and the extra magic evenings won't occur then so I guess it's a matter of Swan at <$150 a night for those days or WL at $250 a night. Probably go with the Swan for a change of scenery. Our girls are older now and may enjoy the Boardwalk area at night. Thanks for all of your advice

 

[SuzyQue]

A few years back I tried to book our arrival day as the last day of a code being offered, even though we wouldn't really arrive until the next day. But I was told that the rate that your room is the day you "check-in", is the rate you will pay the rest of your stay.