Split stay: deluxe BEFORE moderate?

[autismgoesdisney]

Our family is looking to book our vacation for August/September 2012. We want to book because if we go with the date we are looking, then our dining reservation window will be opening in a week.

Anyway, so this is our plan. We want to stay 7 nights at POR, park tickets, and dining. We want to stay one or two nights at AKL, no park tickets, and no dining...just enjoy the resort instead.

Now the problem is that I know last year free dining didn't come out until the Sunday before Labor Day weekend. So we are thinking if this year is the same, then we are better off doing the AKL while free dining isn't offered. Then on Sunday checking into POR and starting our package.

Since we won't have park tickets, we are hoping the kids and well us too won't have the "let down" of going from deluxe to mod. Instead, we'll look forward to seeing the parks, etc.

I know typically going from deluxe to mod is a big let down, but what do you think of our plan?

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

It really could go either way. If you love AKL you could regret having to "move down" to moderate.

I can only speak from my experience with view types. We stay in a TPV room at the Poly for 4 nights then moved to the GL in a lagoon view. We totally missed the view of the castle for the last section of our trip. I won't do that again.

 

[autismgoesdisney]

It really could go either way. If you love AKL you could regret having to "move down" to moderate.

I can only speak from my experience with view types. We stay in a TPV room at the Poly for 4 nights then moved to the GL in a lagoon view. We totally missed the view of the castle for the last section of our trip. I won't do that again.

That is what I expect may happen to us. The only thing I am hoping is that if we do the parks etc then maybe that excitement will help us forget AKL ???

I wish I would just know the free dining dates (IF they are ever announced!)

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

I hear you! I hope it all works out in your favor.

 

[minnie mum]

I totally understand the conundrum that you face, but it would appear to be the more practical solution to do AKL first (my favourite, by the way). That's IF free dining is offered at all. No guarantees on that, and that is really the crux of the whole problem. Moving from AKL to a mod could be a downer, but if you make the most of your first few days at the deluxe and then are concentrating on the parks with only a little down time at the mod resort (maybe hitting the pool during afternoon rest time) then I think you will still have a great vacation. It's not like staying at a mod is a hardship.

Why not go ahead and make your bookings this way, and keep hoping for that free dining. If FD doesn't happen, you could always switch the resorts around at a later date.

 

[mydisneyobsession]

We have the same kind of Deluxe-to-Moderate split-stay trip planned this year, and I've been worrying about it a little bit, too.

I can totally understand why people recommend doing it the other way - and I would switch it if I could - but it just can't be helped. We're traveling over a Holiday, and I've structured the trip to save money using available promotions.

I'm just bracing myself for a little bit of a let-down while I adjust to the new room, and I'll try to focus on being thrilled that I'm still at WDW instead of being on the way home!

 

[hannahdrewmom]

Ok- so to me it sounds like you want POR first but that AKL is doable first if you need to because of free dining. Right?

So since you don't know the free dining dates, why not book it the way you want it to go. Either way you are going to have to call back and modify the reservation if/when the package comes out. So book it the way you hope it will work best and then change it when you call to get the discount.

Either way I think will work ok, but i agree I'd rather mod before deluxe. Also, at this point you are only really booking for the ability to make adr's early so I don't think it's worth stressing out over... YET!

 

[elaw]

I can tell you from experience that it is a bit of a let down doing the deluxe first. However, it was still a very enjoyable experience overall .... It is afterall ... still WDW. But I must admit, I will always do the mod first from now on.

 

[Morganpics]

We have the same kind of Deluxe-to-Moderate split-stay trip planned this year, and I've been worrying about it a little bit, too.

I can totally understand why people recommend doing it the other way - and I would switch it if I could - but it just can't be helped. We're traveling over a Holiday, and I've structured the trip to save money using available promotions.

I'm just bracing myself for a little bit of a let-down while I adjust to the new room, and I'll try to focus on being thrilled that I'm still at WDW instead of being on the way home!

That's the best attitude to have.

 

[Kim1964]

We have done many split stays over the years, and except for last year we always save the highest category resort for the end of the trip. Last year I made the mistake of doing YC (my favorite) first, followed by a week offsite and then three nights at Universal. I spent the rest of the trip missing YC. I didn't obsess about it and I certainly enjoyed the trip (mostly, found out I'm not a Universal fan), but each day when we arrived back at the townhouse I felt a little let down that I wasn't at YC. I now know that for me, I will always save my favorite place for the end of the trip.

 

[Sue M]

Free dining started 8/19 last year. So 2 weeks before labour Day. This is generally the case. I don't ever remember it being released only 1 week before Labour day, and we go lots in Aug.

I would do the moderate first, and save the Deluxe for last. It will be nice to relax after the go-go-go of touring.

 

[juliemouse]

I think your reasoning should work out great! We stay at a moderate but if I were paying all that extra $ for deluxe, I'd want to spend lots of time at the resort. But when you're spending all that $ on the parks you want to spend lots of time there.
We spend all our time at the parks so the hotel doesn't really matter that much. In fact, last year we stayed at a value for the 1st time (Pop) and it didn't affect our enjoyment at all because we truly just used it to sleep. This year we're staying at CBR again.
Either way it will be an awesome trip!

 

[snorkelyn]

We are considering a split stay too. 3 days POR and 5 days Poly. We want to do parks (or have the option) every day. I just learned that you can pick up package tickets 3 days early. So- my plan is to make the Poly stay our package (with free dining in Sept). And have a "room only" reservation for the first couple days at POR. Park tickets on the POLY pkg can be picked up 3 days early at the gate.

Don't know if this is what you want- but it might be nice to be able to go to AK for a few hours while at AKL. You'd have to have AKL as the first place you stay though.

Lynn

 

[autismgoesdisney]

We are considering a split stay too. 3 days POR and 5 days Poly. We want to do parks (or have the option) every day. I just learned that you can pick up package tickets 3 days early. So- my plan is to make the Poly stay our package (with free dining in Sept). And have a "room only" reservation for the first couple days at POR. Park tickets on the POLY pkg can be picked up 3 days early at the gate.

Don't know if this is what you want- but it might be nice to be able to go to AK for a few hours while at AKL. You'd have to have AKL as the first place you stay though.

Lynn

Wait you totally lost me. So you can pick up your tickets 3 days earlier, but certainly you can't use them, right? Or wouldn't you lose that day during the end of your trip?

 

[autismgoesdisney]

The more I think about it, the more I may like my idea even better of deluxe first. I'm just so afraid POR will be a letdown for the kids after AKL. We stayed at POR in August, and the kids liked it but I know they will LOVE AKL!

Anyway, we are driving, and the thought of driving straight to AKL and hanging by the pool, hitting Boma, watching the animals....100% relaxation before we hit the parks the next day sounds devine to me!!!!!!! Especially after that long long drive.....

 

[mickeynut1]

Wait you totally lost me. So you can pick up your tickets 3 days earlier, but certainly you can't use them, right? Or wouldn't you lose that day during the end of your trip?

You can pick up your park tickets 3 days prior to the start of your package and yes, you can start using them . You would need to go to any park's Guest Relations and request early ticket pick up. You can get enough days on the package to cover your entire trip if you are planning on going to the parks every day. However, if your package includes the DDP, you will not have access to those credits until you actually check in for the package part of your trip.