Someone talk me in or out of going, please

[pooh136]

Assuming 7nights = 7 park days for you...

7n No Hopping = 4 MK days with wishes + 3 Other Park Days
5n With Hopping = 5 Park Days with wishes.

So by cutting 2 days off you would get a max of 5 nights of wishes but 2 whole days less at the World.

By cutting park hopping, you can still get 4 nights of Wishes, thus 4 MK days and still have 3 other days for AK, DHS, Epcot. Plus with 4 MK days, you could have some down time on those days.

Personally i would rather have more days at the world, but that's just me.

Along the same lines as this post, if you are going in October there will be 3 or 4 nights that MK will close early for MNSSHP, so you won't be able to watch Wishes those nights. I would skip the park hopper option this time if I were you. We're going the last week of September into October and 4 nights are MNSSHP nights. We decided not to get park hoppers this time, in order to save the $300.

 

[tallvine]

if the only reason you want the PH is to see wishes each night - drop the PH and see wishes from the beach at the Poly - they pipe in the music and you'll have a great view of the show - it's almost as if you are there!

 

[WheelCEO]

I'm all for making kids happy.. but to spend all of that extra money just to see a fireworks show seems like a waste

 

[klc318]

I shouldn't say it's just for wishes, MK is our favorite park and we like to go back later in the day after AK and DHS and do some rides and M&G's and dinner and then, of course, we're there, so we watch wishes. EPCOT and MK are our only full day parks. We don't really do DTD or the water parks.

BUT!!!! I'm not opposed to getting rid of PH this trip but DH is determined. I just got back from AAA and we can get FD if we check in on 10/7 and we'd still be at $1750, but now DH doesn't want to leave before DD's BD 10/15. So now I'm running into scheduling conflicts and he won't consider going only 6 nights so I can be back in time for my classes. I'm really in a no win situation with how he views the trip. He doesn't want to go if it's "not worth his while". Which I don't understand at all, I'm one that I can make any amount of time work for me at Disney.

Anyway, thanks for all your help and suggestions. I'm trying to come up with the perfect argument for 6 nights. (I even offered to drive through so we could stay later in the day but I could still be back for classes on 10/14. )

~Kristie

 

[JenSop]

If it were me in this situation, I'd drive straight through and save the money that way. It's tough but doable. We drove straight through last year and it was really rough, but if it's between going or not going, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I'm going to disagree with most of the others, though. We ALWAYS do park hoppers. I wouldn't go without them.

 

[torinsmom]

Are you set on staying onsite? If not you could rent a 3 bedroom townhome for $500 with taxes within 5-12 minutes of the parks(Emerald Island). You would have to pay for parking ($98 for 7 days). Then you could get tickets from undercover tourist for around $670 for the three of you. So, total for lodging, parking and tickets would be $1268. It would save you about $500, which you could use for part of your food bill.

If you are set on staying onsite and not flexible with the dates, $1750 might be the best you can do. Why are there dates in October in the blackout dates?

Marsha

 

[d1gitman]

...So, total for lodging, parking and tickets would be $1268. It would save you about $500, which you could use for part of your food bill.

I'm just gonna come out and say that i will be a wisenheimer on this...

what the heck kind of advice is that? i am supposing that scenario somehow 'saved or created' money for this person?

...save $500, only to use it towards the food bill. So if they spend all $500, which in a weeks time i would bet will happen, then they didn't gain anything. Implying that it is for part of the food bill seems to indicate they would be spending more thus going over the WDW package cost.

Sorry in advance to come off like a jerk as we are all just offering ideas. I just wanted to post my honest reaction to this.

 

[d1gitman]

Along the same lines as this post, if you are going in October there will be 3 or 4 nights that MK will close early for MNSSHP, so you won't be able to watch Wishes those nights. I would skip the park hopper option this time if I were you. We're going the last week of September into October and 4 nights are MNSSHP nights. We decided not to get park hoppers this time, in order to save the $300.

excellent point! totally forgot about MNSSHP during this timeframe, duh me

 

[d1gitman]

...but now DH doesn't want to leave before DD's BD 10/15....he won't consider going only 6 nights so I can be back in time for my classes. I'm really in a no win situation with how he views the trip. He doesn't want to go if it's "not worth his while"...

wow, good luck. seems to me that 7n+ and leaving for 10/15 are the priorities for the trip except that the budget doesn't accomodate both. i'd be willing to bet that the birthday girl wouldn't mind less nights or less Wishes in lieu of not going at all.

hope you can find some middle ground to make the trip a go

 

[Beauty & the Best]

As others have said, MK will be closed early for MNSSHP some of the nights you are there, so if you're not doing the party you won't have access to MK those evenings anyway.

Maybe you could buy regular tickets and just upgrade to PH for those nights you end up really needing to hop?

Also, sounds like DH is making it kinda tough for you to find a plan that works. Are you sure he's onboard for taking this trip?

 

[tarheel_girl]

Could you go for 7 days but only get tickets for 6? That would save some $$. That way you're there for the 7 days that your DH wants to go but you'd have a day to stay at the pool, go to DTD, take a midweek break. Plus I'm a Kindergarten teacher. I'm assuming that your child will have work to do or at least a journal that will have to be turned in when you get back. That would give her time to do her work as well. Just trying to think of a different way to save you $$.

 

[TaraBara]

Could you go for 7 days but only get tickets for 6? That would save some $$. That way you're there for the 7 days that your DH wants to go but you'd have a day to stay at the pool, go to DTD, take a midweek break. Plus I'm a Kindergarten teacher. I'm assuming that your child will have work to do or at least a journal that will have to be turned in when you get back. That would give her time to do her work as well. Just trying to think of a different way to save you $$.

Unfortunately, the difference in price between 6 and 7 days is only about $9.

 

[torinsmom]

I'm just gonna come out and say that i will be a wisenheimer on this...

what the heck kind of advice is that? i am supposing that scenario somehow 'saved or created' money for this person?

...save $500, only to use it towards the food bill. So if they spend all $500, which in a weeks time i would bet will happen, then they didn't gain anything. Implying that it is for part of the food bill seems to indicate they would be spending more thus going over the WDW package cost.

Sorry in advance to come off like a jerk as we are all just offering ideas. I just wanted to post my honest reaction to this.

The $1750 was WITHOUT the DDP. I even went to the Disney website to check that I wasn't wrong about that.

That means, they are paying $1750 PLUS food, which I would guess at about $100/day, so total would be $2450, which is about the same as if they pay for the DDP.

So yes, there would definitely be several hundred saved by staying offsite. As I said, around $1268 for tickets/lodging/parking plus the same $700 would be $1968. Actually could be less if they ate some meals at the condo or offsite(but I would assume all meals at WDW)

Sorry, I was just giving another option. I thought that's what the OP was asking for.

Marsha

 

[d1gitman]

apologies, i misunderstood that part from the OP, my bad.

The $1750 was WITHOUT the DDP. I even went to the Disney website to check that I wasn't wrong about that.

That means, they are paying $1750 PLUS food, which I would guess at about $100/day, so total would be $2450, which is about the same as if they pay for the DDP.

So yes, there would definitely be several hundred saved by staying offsite. As I said, around $1268 for tickets/lodging/parking plus the same $700 would be $1968. Actually could be less if they ate some meals at the condo or offsite(but I would assume all meals at WDW)

Sorry, I was just giving another option. I thought that's what the OP was asking for.

Marsha

.

 

[RachaelRol]

apologies, i misunderstood that part from the OP, my bad.
.

I love when we all get along!

I agree with a prior poster who said may DH is not on board... I'd drive all the way through on the way down and make it a relax, unpack, pool day. Keep a cooler in your room and bring lunch and most snacks into the park and then QS dinner. If this is not the trip where you want to skimp becUse of DD birthday, maybe it's not the right time for a trip.

Best of luck to you.

 

[rob4059]

lose the ph. its for those with either not enough time or not enough planning. 7 days is plenty and you can plan.

if you are not set on the dining plan, stay offsite. You'll save 40% or more.

Try to find a date with free dining. Best sale going at ~$120/day for a family of 4.

 

[torinsmom]

apologies, i misunderstood that part from the OP, my bad.
.

No biggie. That's why I went to the WDW site; I thought I had misunderstood and they were on the DDP when I read your post.

OP--if your DH is not willing to make any changes in the plans, you're kind of stuck in the budget dept. No way to reduce cost if you can't change dates, ticket types or where you are staying. Good luck in changing his mind.

Marsha

 

[mmtska]

Never mind....just found the answer to my posed question!

However I do agree with ditching the Park Hopper since you can go to the other parks on the MNSSHP days and you wouldn't be able to go to MK anyway!

 

[mindync]

Go Go Go!!! I'd call and speak to another person...the one you have spoken to seems a little clueless and that has happened to me! I just say "Thank You" and call right back with great results. If worse comes to worse and your heart is set on these dates...cut back a day... or drive straight there without staying at a hotel. We do! We're usually too excited to stop. It's a long drive from NY to FL but worth it! OR cut back a day... There's always a way... think think think

I agree...same thing when you are making ADR, if the first agent can't get you in, I always try calling again. Some agents are just better at being problem solvers. Some time scan the whole day while others only look at one specific time.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I'd drop the Hoppers, too, especially before cutting off a day or 2. I saw that OP wants to hop to MK to see Wishes every night, but it would not be worth the cost of the Hoppers for us. And you could always try an evening meal at the Poly and watch Wishes from the beach. It's not the same as watching it from MK, but they pipe the music and it's a nice change of pace.

ETA: Now I see there's an issue with the hubby, so...never mind. DW and I have gone on vacations before where one of us had an issue with the destination, plans, etc. and it ended up not being very fun. So now we both have to have total buy-in or we just don't go.