Sticker Shock

[Tashinwdw]

I agree, it is really worth renting dvc points if you want to go deluxe.

Last holiday we did room parks and free dining plan which was great but did have meals left over and on the last morning used most oyr snack credits to buy cookies and lollipops for gifts when we got back.

Looked into it this time and actually paying for dining plan was not worth it fir us.

If you really want a certain resort research and see if in the past they have had room parks and free dining as I think moderate and budget have them as well as delux. You can always book your room and then when the deal comes through you call disney and they will chsnge it for you for the cheaper price.

I remember last holiday dh said near the end " I just want a hamburger and chips, where can we get one" I finally found one for him he was very happy

 

[BecBennett]

Who does everyone rent through?

 

[LivingforDisney]

Lisa, if you are staying for 10 days , you probably don't need to buy a 10 day pass. I would buy less and then when you are there you can always add days on, that's what we did.
You will find that you need a rest day or sleep in day, or a day away from the parks..

We were exhausted by the end of our trip

 

[dollarmite]

When we want last Nov we had free dining in our package. It was our first trip to WDW so didn't really know what to expect how to manage etc. I started out by trying to keep the receipts to see how much it was costing so I could see if the "free dining" was worth it.

I didn't do that for long. In the end, my gut feeling, unless you are a very big eater and want snacks/desserts/ drinks with every meal, then I think you can do better without it. It probably then just goes to convenience , which for us is worth something so I would think again about getting it

When we went to WDW in 2009 we were lucky enough to score free dining too. I wanted to do as many character meals as possible so it was a huge bonus for us in that regard. But, like a lot of people we had a lot of snack credits left over that we were trying to use up on the last day.

If (when!) we go again, I don't think I'd pay for the dining plan. Some days it felt as though we spent way too much time looking for places to dine in order to get our 'money's worth' (even though it was free ), and we really didn't need a counter service meal consisting of a main course and dessert every day as well as the sit down meal (and snack). I'm extremely grateful we had it all for free, saving us thousands of dollars over the 2 weeks, and certainly wouldn't say no to it again under those circumstances, but realistically we only ate as much food as we did because it was free.

If it comes to a choice between paying for the dining plan and paying OOP, I think OOP would suit our family best (and probably our waistlines! )

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Who does everyone rent through?

I've been through Davids and DVC Rental Store. Both were very good, yet different. Let me know if you want more info.

 

[Sugarglider]

I've been through David's and DVC Rental (without the "Store") - all of these places have been really good to deal with. the question is can they access the points for the room you are wanting? David's, as the biggest, has been the most successful for me. DVC Rental whilst a cheaper per point rate has had difficulties securing some of my desired bookings.

Also - rumour on the Discount Board is that tonight Disney will release the Summer General public discounts from mid June - late August. approx. 10pm our time - apparently.

If they do I will extend my June stay by a couple of days!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Sugarglider, I hope for your sake that they release it soon.
The Visa Cardholder discount came out about 5 days ago. So, the General public discounts can't be too far away.
If not tonight, then within the next 5 days or so.

 

[LisaAJ]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I don't really want to go Deluxe (as silly as it sounds!) as I really want the gaudy, over the top Disney resort. I want to feel like we are at Disney (albeit motel-style) rather than just at a regular resort which we have done already. I haven't really found a Deluxe that I like the look of. There is a couple of moderates I don't mind the look of but I don't really want to go down the route if renting points. Trying to keep it simple. We are campers so a step up from a tent is a fantastic step up!

The only reason I thought we might get 10 day passes was so we could use them at two different parks on one if the days (as an alternative to a park hopper) although I didn't realise you could upgrade when you got there. Hmmm, rethink!

The dining plan would work for us as we would count our pennies otherwise and likely miss out in certain things as we were price watching. I'm actually not concerned so much about saving a few hundred dollars as I am about making it a relaxing and fun trip. That's the plan anyway! In saying all of that, I guess I have just justified the cost to myself!! Thanks everyone, lol!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I don't really want to go Deluxe (as silly as it sounds!) as I really want the gaudy, over the top Disney resort. I want to feel like we are at Disney (albeit motel-style) rather than just at a regular resort which we have done already. I haven't really found a Deluxe that I like the look of. There is a couple of moderates I don't Ming the look if but I don't really want to go down the route if renting points. Trying to keep it simple. We are campers so a step up from a tent is a fantastic step up! The only reason I thought we might get 10 day passes was so we could use them at two different parks on one if the days (as an alternative to a park hopper) although I didn't realise you could upgrade when you got there. Hmmm, rethink! The dining plan would work for us as we would count our pennies otherwise and likely miss out in certain things as we were price watching. I'm actually not concerned so much about saving a few hundred dollars as I am about making it a relaxing and fun trip. That's the plan anyway! In saying all of that, I guess I have just justified the cost to myself!! Thanks everyone, lol!

All good. Only you know the best options for your family

In saying this, do research your plan of using 2 park days on one day instead of a hopper. I'm pretty sure the Disney system won't allow this.

 

[LisaAJ]

All good. Only you know the best options for your family In saying this, do research your plan of using 2 park days on one day instead of a hopper. I'm pretty sure the Disney system won't allow this.

I may change my mind Wanderlust! I tend to do that, lol.

I'll have to check out the ticketing, I just assumed I could do that! We may not even need/want to though.

 

[LisaAJ]

Just looked it up and you are right about the tickets. Can you add Park Hopper when you are there? I need to think more about this!

 

[ssour]

Just looked it up and you are right about the tickets. Can you add Park Hopper when you are there? I need to think more about this!

You can definitely add the park hopper when you're there. I don't tend to bother with the park hopper if I'm not staying at a deluxe within walking distance of a park, especially if I'm there for a decent length stay. It works out expensive if you only use it to hop once.

 

[Dasha Hermosilla]

Dropping in...

It is correct that you can not use two day entries in one day to avoid park hopper. I have been told it's admission for a day and it will not work. (The info came from a reputable diser).

(Was stalking to see if Australians got anything special for passes since my sister may come over from Australia next year and do Disney with us... Appears though we all have the same passes/rates.)

 

[Andona]

Dropping in...

It is correct that you can not use two day entries in one day to avoid park hopper. I have been told it's admission for a day and it will not work.

Yes, that's correct. The only thing that will get you into another park on the same day is a Park Hopper or a separate ticket to a special event like the Halloween Party etc.

Andona

 

[LivingforDisney]

January is supposed to be pretty quiet, so I wouldn't bother with a hopper pass. If you buy the passes without the hopper, that's the ones you can add days to, like if you buy a 5 day hopper pass before you go , then you can add days to the hopper. So if you buy without the hopper you cant add extra days that are hoppers, hope I am making sense lol.
We bought 5 day passes before we went, and then added one more day, cost $11 roughly per person, but had to do it before we used the last day.
Also on our last day, we went to MK and around 2pm decided to go to DD, well, it took over one and half hours to get there.
We caught the monorail to the Contemp and then waited there for the DD bus, then the bus went to another resort, on the way.
The bus driver was driving really slow, the air con wasn't working and I was about ready to scream!!! So was really glad we hadn't decided to hop between parks on our days there.
From the parks you have to get a bus to a resort or the transport and ticketing place, never new where that was, and then go to the park that way, so you would spend so much time , travelling from a to b.
When you get over there you will realise just how big this place is, it is quite mind boggling. I remember reading so much information before we left, and thought yeh, its not going to take us long to get here and here, but it does!!!
We did a park a day , 2 at MK and then decided to do another, well till 2pm at MK, and we went on every ride at every park and saw everything.

 

[ssour]

January is supposed to be pretty quiet, so I wouldn't bother with a hopper pass. If you buy the passes without the hopper, that's the ones you can add days to, like if you buy a 5 day hopper pass before you go , then you can add days to the hopper. So if you buy without the hopper you cant add extra days that are hoppers, hope I am making sense lol. We bought 5 day passes before we went, and then added one more day, cost $11 roughly per person, but had to do it before we used the last day. Also on our last day, we went to MK and around 2pm decided to go to DD, well, it took over one and half hours to get there. We caught the monorail to the Contemp and then waited there for the DD bus, then the bus went to another resort, on the way. The bus driver was driving really slow, the air con wasn't working and I was about ready to scream!!! So was really glad we hadn't decided to hop between parks on our days there. From the parks you have to get a bus to a resort or the transport and ticketing place, never new where that was, and then go to the park that way, so you would spend so much time , travelling from a to b. When you get over there you will realise just how big this place is, it is quite mind boggling. I remember reading so much information before we left, and thought yeh, its not going to take us long to get here and here, but it does!!! We did a park a day , 2 at MK and then decided to do another, well till 2pm at MK, and we went on every ride at every park and saw everything.

They've just added a new bus loop at MK which means you can catch a bus direct from there to DHS and AK. You have the monorail to get to EP. You do still have to go via a resort to get to DTD though.

You can add the hopper option as well as additional days after you've first used your tickets. It's a set cost for any length of ticket (over 1 day any way), so no matter how many days are left on your ticket it will cost the same. The no expiry option is the only one that's pricing is tiered for ticket length. It can still be added after you've first used your tickets but you're charged based on the ticket length you purchased not the days remaining.

 

[BecBennett]

We caught the monorail to the Contemp and then waited there for the DD bus, then the bus went to another resort, on the way.
The bus driver was driving really slow, the air con wasn't working and I was about ready to scream!!! So was really glad we hadn't decided to hop between parks on our days there.
From the parks you have to get a bus to a resort or the transport and ticketing place, never new where that was, and then go to the park that way, so you would spend so much time , travelling from a to b.

The WDW transport is the most frustrating thing I can think of Next time we go we're staying somewhere that's walking distance to something and renting a car. Hopefully the trams to and from the car parks won't be as frustrating.

(Was stalking to see if Australians got anything special for passes since my sister may come over from Australia next year and do Disney with us... Appears though we all have the same passes/rates.)

Unfortunately they don't market any discounts towards us. I haven't tried, but can your sister buy a deal from a UK travel agent?

 

[PrincessInOz]

Just looked it up and you are right about the tickets. Can you add Park Hopper when you are there? I need to think more about this!

You can add Park Hopper to your tix when you're there.


I noticed that there was a thread on the Theme Park Attractions and Strategy section of the Dis the other day talking about changes to the rules for upgrades for tickets bought though a 3rd party reseller. I didn't look at it for too long; but I think Disney might be changing the rules for how people upgrade and the price they pay for the upgrade as a means of stopping some of the arbitrage. If I understood the gist of it correctly (and there was a lot of mis-information on the thread), if you buy your tickets from somewhere like UT and then want to upgrade (add a day, add WFM etc), Disney would charge you not only the price of the upgrade but the price difference between what you paid through UT and the gate price. There was no clarity from the information posted via AllEars, which is where the information started from; or from UT (they posted directly on the thread). Might be worth seeking some clarity on what the situation is closer to the time that you're thinking of buying your tix.

 

[LisaAJ]

Also on our last day, we went to MK and around 2pm decided to go to DD, well, it took over one and half hours to get there. We caught the monorail to the Contemp and then waited there for the DD bus, then the bus went to another resort, on the way. The bus driver was driving really slow, the air con wasn't working and I was about ready to scream!!! So was really glad we hadn't decided to hop between parks on our days there. From the parks you have to get a bus to a resort or the transport and ticketing place, never new where that was, and then go to the park that way, so you would spend so much time , travelling from a to b.

This is exactly why we want to hire a car! When I went (13 years ago) I remember being so frustrated with all the waiting around for buses and how long it took to get there. I like the idea of the freedom the card will give us.

 

[Sugarglider]

Sugarglider, I hope for your sake that they release it soon.
The Visa Cardholder discount came out about 5 days ago. So, the General public discounts can't be too far away.
If not tonight, then within the next 5 days or so.

Gee you all got busy whilst i was gone!
anyway - so the Summer general public deal is out. The Annual Passholder deal should come out in a couple of weeks - if history is our guide

BUT - I went through Orbitz in the end - they stack they discounts - so they offer the Disney discount and then their own on top of that. There are numerous threads on the Discount Board of all the deals people are doing - the discount can be roughly the same as renting points. Get to change my dancing banana signature block!

And yes - like others - after several years of stuffing myself silly on the dining plans, last trip I dropped them all for an annual pass + Tables in Wonderland and began to eat more sensibly (instead of like a gourmand piggy - where is the "stuffed fat" emoticon?)