Torn on potential January solo trip

[Shawn d]

Haven't been to WDW since 2007. I know...it has been a long time. I am stuck between 2 choices, Looking at Jan 7-14 next year. flying out of the prairies. but nowhere near Winnipeg, Calgary or Edmonton. Hotel and tickets would be 2900 and would be on site (did not factor flights in quote). But found a sweetheart deal flying out of Pearson. flight and hotel (offsite Wyndham - official Dis hotel) across the street from Disney Springs for 1300 tax included and then buying airfare RT to TO and park tickets through own mean/Air Miles.

Could anyone offer advice on whether they have stayed at the Wyndham and/or tips for getting to/from the parks from an off site hotel

I've only stayed on site in past and like the convenience

 

[Shawn d]

Also, I have seen info on Disney Bands. As I would be staying off site, can I purchase 1 while I am there? would it be worth it/What does it do?

 

[mort1331]

So we have never stayed offsite,,,but most and easy to find out do have transport to and from each park,,,might not be as often. Also if its close to Disney Springs then you could catch busses from there at times,,,but that doesnt start till later in day.
For the |MB I dont think they are worth the extra money,,,they open up rooms and able to charge to room,,neither you can do offsite. They can get you in the park,,,but again not sure if its worth it.
Have a great time.

 

[samsteele]

Call or email your Wyndham hotel directly and confirm shuttle times to the parks for your specific travel dates, how many times a day it runs, where the shuttle picks you up at the park lot and which parks they service. Remember usually no direct bus from a park to Disney Springs. Must take a bus first to a resort then transfer to another bus to Disney Springs. Also double check if your hotel qualifies for the park early entry to knock out at least one popular headliner before rope drop.

I stayed at an offsite Best Western 20 years ago near Universal and it was ok. But very limited shuttle times. You either made it or you didn't. Suppose now there's uber rather than only an $ taxi.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Be aware (maybe you don't care) there are 2 sections at the Wyndham. One part is the tower and pretty nice place, the other part is motel style out at the back of the property and not as nice as the tower. Also, factor in the resort fee which probably is not included in the package you have found. Usually, that fee is paid directly to the hotel.

We have used the park shuttle from the Wyndham a couple of times after dropping off a rental car. The shuttle basically does a loop of all those hotels on the strip. It can be a bit of a long ride and the drop off at the parks is pretty far out.

 

[Her Dotness]

Stateside opinion--don't bother buying a MB, very not worth how outrageously much they cost now.

Just stop off at Guest Services in DS or at any park entry and ask for a good ol' KTTW (Key To the World) card. One of the few things still free and currently has 50th anniversary pics of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy & Pluto. It'll get you into parks and is easy to stash in a pocket.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Stateside opinion--don't bother buying a MB, very not worth how outrageously much they cost now.

Just stop off at Guest Services in DS or at any park entry and ask for a good ol' KTTW (Key To the World) card. One of the few things still free and currently has 50th anniversary pics of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy & Pluto. It'll get you into parks and is easy to stash in a pocket.

I think that’s a very good point about the MB. It’s fine if you know you will be back in the near future but if not, save your money.

 

[Shawn d]

Hi all. Sorry for the late update. I wound up going with staying onsite (AS Movies) for Jan 31 - Feb 7. Between all the hassles and unexpected addons, I went with the comfort of staying on site again. My booking for restaurants opened up a few days ago and while I was a couple days late. I was able to get everything I wanted. I did a pre-trip report posting, so I am eager to see what everybody thinks/suggestions

 

[Annabell]

Good choice, so much easier to stay onsite. Enjoy your trip !

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

We are just back from our trip and we used our almost-5-year-old MBs, but only for entering the park, room, etc. We didn't have Genie+ or any ILL$. We also bought Disney Gift Cards in Canada and used those versus charging stuff to our room via MBs. Point being, you don't really need one. Just use the key card as a previous poster mentioned above.

 

[Shawn d]

Hi all. Well, just under 45 days to my trip and I have had some hiccups. With my bank, one of the tellers told me that I wouldn't be able to use my debit or credit card while I was down in the states. After calling one of the other branches and Mastercard, I was able to confirm that I can indeed use them as I told them my trip plans. Planning to get some US cash a couple weeks before my trip as a buffer.

Got my COVID booster today and finalizing my insurance this week before Christmas.

Booked my transportation between MCO and hotel with Mears. Dealt with them when they were ME so I am familiar with them

Airfare was probably the biggest concern besides the bank. Got a text saying my flight to Pearson was changed. Fearing the worst, I called Air Canada and was told it was the plane that was changing, nothing to worry about.

Also, I am thinking about buying some souvenirs online and picking them up at the hotel when I arrive. Good idea or not?

 

[ABCanada]

Also, I am thinking about buying some souvenirs online and picking them up at the hotel when I arrive. Good idea or not?

I have done this successfully in the past. This is a good time of the year to do it as you can get some good deals from ShopDisney.

I include my reservation number and arrival date in the first row of the address.

Disney now charges a package fee, not certain what it is now but I am sure you can google or search disboards for it.

I find this saves both money and vacation time for a better use.