Splitting stay - would this plan work?

[mommynurse]

Being 1st timers we wanna "do it all". We would like to do some of the dinner shows that cost 2 TS credits. But we also want to stay at AKL to get the whole animal experience.

So here is my idea..tell me if there are any pitfalls:

Stay 5 nights in a value with the deluxe dining for the 5 nights..purchase 10 day tickets. Do the high credit dining options/dinner shows during these days.

Spend the last 5 nights in a DVC renting points and just purchasing the regular dining plan for these 5 nights and use our remaining 5 days on our tickets.

Any loopholes? Can we split our stay and therefore our dining plan this way?

 

[DeeCee735]

If you have two separate resort reservations, you can do two separate dining plans.

My advice for 1st timers....and this is only my advice, and MHO...
Commando style touring isn't a great idea....it's EXHAUSTING....it's impossible to see and do everything, and it can lead to disappointment when the kids get cranky and tired, or when you don't make something you wanted to, or you don't get to ride everything you thought you'd be able to. I also think you may miss out on something special, some "magic" by not slowing down and relaxing to take in what's right there around you.

For example....your resort. The lobbies, the views, the quiet areas, the resort tours/facts/decor etc. Sometimes just sitting on the balcony with a cup of coffee early in the morning before everything wakes up is awesome! Giving you the chance to really appreciate where you are and how relaxing it can be. Or, a place other than the parks.....resort hopping, the Boardwalk area, Downtown Disney area, etc.

There is so much to do and see it really is impossible to do it all in one 10 day trip. It may be best to choose those things that are most important to you......certain rides/attractions/shows in each park, certain resorts, certain fireworks/water pageants, certain stores, certain pools, certain restaurants, and focus on fitting alittle of those in each day. This way the main highlights of your itinerary will be filled without knocking yourselves out and you will be able to enjoy each one better.

Again, just MHO, and coming from experience...as we were those "commandos" running around trying to get it all in once too.

HAVE A GREATTTTTT TIME!

 

[mommynurse]

DeeCee - thank you for the advice. If we do two different resorts and have two different reservations and two different dining plans - wouldn't we have to buy tickets for each reservation?

My thinking in using a DVC rental for my 2nd half is that there would be no ticket purchase requirement.

 

[DeeCee735]

Is it a base ticket? Or does it have a no expire on it? I would say call CRO, I don't want to give you the wrong information, but it seems if it's a 10 day and each ressie is 5 days, it wouldn't expire til the 10 days are used??? Not sure on that one, and you bring a good point, I'll have to ask the same questions when I purchase ours.

 

[PutnamDS]

If you have two separate resort reservations, you can do two separate dining plans.

My advice for 1st timers....and this is only my advice, and MHO...
Commando style touring isn't a great idea....it's EXHAUSTING....it's impossible to see and do everything, and it can lead to disappointment when the kids get cranky and tired, or when you don't make something you wanted to, or you don't get to ride everything you thought you'd be able to. I also think you may miss out on something special, some "magic" by not slowing down and relaxing to take in what's right there around you.

For example....your resort. The lobbies, the views, the quiet areas, the resort tours/facts/decor etc. Sometimes just sitting on the balcony with a cup of coffee early in the morning before everything wakes up is awesome! Giving you the chance to really appreciate where you are and how relaxing it can be. Or, a place other than the parks.....resort hopping, the Boardwalk area, Downtown Disney area, etc.

There is so much to do and see it really is impossible to do it all in one 10 day trip. It may be best to choose those things that are most important to you......certain rides/attractions/shows in each park, certain resorts, certain fireworks/water pageants, certain stores, certain pools, certain restaurants, and focus on fitting alittle of those in each day. This way the main highlights of your itinerary will be filled without knocking yourselves out and you will be able to enjoy each one better.

Again, just MHO, and coming from experience...as we were those "commandos" running around trying to get it all in once too.

HAVE A GREATTTTTT TIME!

This is simply WONDERFUL advice! I am such a planner and I spend so much time planning every trip. I love the idea of slowing down and enjoying all aspects of the trip, rather than running here and there like maniacs. Thank you for this grand advice! I plan to take your advice for our upcoming trip to SSR. Thanks!

Deb

 

[DeeCee735]

Hi Deb! I'm glad you like my advice, I hope it works well for you. I enjoy so much more of Disney now than ever before, just by relaxing. Even in the parks, sometimes just sitting under a shady tree and noticing little details opens up a broader view of WDW! I'm also ALWAYS on a hidden mickey quest!

Have a WONDERFULl vacation.

 

[edk35]

If you have two separate resort reservations, you can do two separate dining plans.

My advice for 1st timers....and this is only my advice, and MHO...
Commando style touring isn't a great idea....it's EXHAUSTING....it's impossible to see and do everything, and it can lead to disappointment when the kids get cranky and tired, or when you don't make something you wanted to, or you don't get to ride everything you thought you'd be able to. I also think you may miss out on something special, some "magic" by not slowing down and relaxing to take in what's right there around you.

For example....your resort. The lobbies, the views, the quiet areas, the resort tours/facts/decor etc. Sometimes just sitting on the balcony with a cup of coffee early in the morning before everything wakes up is awesome! Giving you the chance to really appreciate where you are and how relaxing it can be. Or, a place other than the parks.....resort hopping, the Boardwalk area, Downtown Disney area, etc.

There is so much to do and see it really is impossible to do it all in one 10 day trip. It may be best to choose those things that are most important to you......certain rides/attractions/shows in each park, certain resorts, certain fireworks/water pageants, certain stores, certain pools, certain restaurants, and focus on fitting alittle of those in each day. This way the main highlights of your itinerary will be filled without knocking yourselves out and you will be able to enjoy each one better.

Again, just MHO, and coming from experience...as we were those "commandos" running around trying to get it all in once too.

HAVE A GREATTTTTT TIME!

Need I say more.

 

[CarolMN]

DVC members staying on points (and their renters) do NOT have to buy a ticket of any kind to purchase one of the Dining Plans.

mommy nurse - the plan you detailed in the original post will work if that is how you want to do it. Just remember that the dining credits for the stay at the value will expire at midnight of the day you check out of the value.

 

[mommynurse]

Thanks CarolMN for the reply. The reason I came up with this plan is because I don't really see why we'd "need" 10 days in AKL... sure I'd like part of the stay to get the "magic" of having animals outside your room...but I think it'd kind of lose the appeal after awhile. Also, the deluxe dining would be nice to have the TS to see various shows..but 10 days of it would get pricey. With the split stay we could get a better variety of options.
If we go this route we'll do the deluxe with the first half of the stay and do our 2 TS credit meals so we have them used up by the time we'd move to the DVC.
I'll have to think on it some more but so far this is my favorite option for our stay.

 

[thepops]

and remember if you just want some downtime and take a day or two off from the parks, you can add on the no expire option before you leave so you don't feel you HAVE to use those days or you'll lose them.