What would you do?

[hawaiilife]

We are booked in a preferred room at All-Star Movies under the Enchanted Escape offer with Disney Dining Plan (standard plan). We never park hop so my plan was just to buy one park per day tickets separately.

Free Dining is going on during our dates and All Star Music just came up with availability. It would be about $350 cheaper for our family to switch over to All Star Music plus we would have park hoppers (although I doubt we would use them).

What would you do? Since we are in preferred at All star movies we would likely get a refurbished room, plus my kids would definitely like the theme more. But $350 for a 5 night stay is a lot of money for us. Airfare isn't cheap to the mainland and I still haven't booked that. HELP! Thank you in advance.

 

[hawaiilife]

i should also mention that we would be in a standard room at all star music.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think you should look at a map of both resorts. The Music is laid out in a different manner, and the walk from some of the standard rooms is pretty long. If that isn't a big deal to you, I would make the switch.

 

[Shanti]

We are booked in a preferred room at All-Star Movies under the Enchanted Escape offer with Disney Dining Plan (standard plan). We never park hop so my plan was just to buy one park per day tickets separately.

Free Dining is going on during our dates and All Star Music just came up with availability. It would be about $350 cheaper for our family to switch over to All Star Music plus we would have park hoppers (although I doubt we would use them).

What would you do? Since we are in preferred at All star movies we would likely get a refurbished room, plus my kids would definitely like the theme more. But $350 for a 5 night stay is a lot of money for us. Airfare isn't cheap to the mainland and I still haven't booked that. HELP! Thank you in advance.

Am I missing something here? The other All Star resort is hundreds cheaper and you would also get Free Dining and Park Hoppers, and you can't make up your mind? I keep thinking I must be reading your post wrong.

If I'm not misinterpreting, then definitely take the cheaper resort with free dining and hoppers! An All Star is an All Star is an All Star.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I would switch, but is the $350 savings with the standard dining plan or the quick-service plan?

 

[ErinTwinmom]

If you are not planning on park hopping i would stay where you are at. 350 for the standard dining plan for a family of 5 is a good deal, especially if you eat with characters. One character meal oop would set you back over 200$.

 

[Shanti]

I would switch, but is the $350 savings with the standard dining plan or the quick-service plan?

Good point. If OP would have to go from standard to quick service dining, the value wouldn't be there.

 

[hawaiilife]

Sorry my post was not very clear I guess.

Essentially everything would be the same except it would be Park hoppers instead of base tickets. Either way we would be on the standard dining plan.

It’s $350 more for a preferred room at all star movies vs a standard room at music. My kids would like the theming at All star movies better, plus in preferred we are likely to get a refurbished room.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Sorry my post was not very clear I guess.

Essentially everything would be the same except it would be Park hoppers instead of base tickets. Either way we would be on the standard dining plan.

It’s $350 more for a preferred room at all star movies vs a standard room at music. My kids would like the theming at All star movies better, plus in preferred we are likely to get a refurbished room.

Personally, I think it's a tough decision. If you're reserved in a preferred room & requested one which is updated, you have a good shot of getting one. However, $350 IS a good chunk of $$$ to save especially when it could be used towards airfare. So are you saying that if you moved from Movies to Music, you would be paying an upgraded charge in order to get the regular DDP? Just wanted to make sure you knew that the All Stars free dining promo comes with the Quick Service plan.

 

[hawaiilife]

Personally, I think it's a tough decision. If you're reserved in a preferred room & requested one which is updated, you have a good shot of getting one. However, $350 IS a good chunk of $$$ to save especially when it could be used towards airfare. So are you saying that if you moved from Movies to Music, you would be paying an upgraded charge in order to get the regular DDP? Just wanted to make sure you knew that the All Stars free dining promo comes with the Quick Service plan.

We would pay to upgrade from quick service to regular dining plan. It literally would be $350 more for a preferred room at movies vs a standard at music. ugh now I feel dumb for even contemplating this.... it sounds like music is going to win.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

We would pay to upgrade from quick service to regular dining plan. It literally would be $350 more for a preferred room at movies vs a standard at music. ugh now I feel dumb for even contemplating this.... it sounds like music is going to win.

Ohmygoodness, no question is dumb when it comes to WDW as planning comes with sooo many variables! Whatever you decide, here's to having a magical trip!

 

[Huff]

Depends on how much time you spend at the resort. If it's just for sleeping and you spend most of the day at the parks without a midday break to the resort then it makes sense to switch. If you spend a lot of time at the resort, eat at the resort food court, use the pool etc, then Movies may make more sense.

Park Hoppers come in handy when on DDP. We spend most of the day at one park. If we're at DS for the day, we may hop to EP for dinner and possibly watch Illuminations after. Or, spend the day at EP, dine at a boardwalk restaurant and then to DS for Fantasmic before return to resort. We also often spend the day at EP or DS, then monorail or bus to Polynesian or Contemporary to eat at Ohana, Kona or Wave. Then end the night at MK for fireworks. Hoppers open up more choices and flexibility in dining.

 

[hawaiilife]

I just went to make the switch and it said the offer in my cart was no longer available and it disappeared. I guess I am sticking with what I have and I need to be happy in that decision. Now I feel a little ripped off and kind of sad too that I missed out. Ah well! My kids will love staying at Movies.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[kaytieeldr]

1. Keep checking, right up through the day the Free Dining offer expires.

2. If you find a comparable deal, BOOK IT! Don't risk the deal being taken by someone else while you pool others.

 

[hawaiilife]

1. Keep checking, right up through the day the Free Dining offer expires.

2. If you find a comparable deal, BOOK IT! Don't risk the deal being taken by someone else while you pool others.

Thanks! Lesson learned.

 

[DavidL]

1. Keep checking, right up through the day the Free Dining offer expires.

2. If you find a comparable deal, BOOK IT! Don't risk the deal being taken by someone else while you pool others.

We booked our upcoming visit to Disney online directly with Disney. We had originally booked with All Star Music, because the price of Movies was higher - and Pop was much higher. Our first choice was Movies, but we couldn't justify the difference in price. We kept checking back and found that All Star Movies had dropped in price for the same week we're going - same price as Music. We modified our stay online with absolutely no issues at all. ... and we kept checking the prices. The price of Pop dropped for the week we're going. We modified our reservation again - We're very happy that we're going to be staying at POP for just a few dollars more than All Star Movies.

I still keep checking online weekly for a better deal, knowing that reservations done directly with Disney can easily be modified.

We keep looking to see if we can lock in a lower rate

 

[hawaiilife]

We booked our upcoming visit to Disney online directly with Disney. We had originally booked with All Star Music, because the price of Movies was higher - and Pop was much higher. Our first choice was Movies, but we couldn't justify the difference in price. We kept checking back and found that All Star Movies had dropped in price for the same week we're going - same price as Music. We modified our stay online with absolutely no issues at all. ... and we kept checking the prices. The price of Pop dropped for the week we're going. We modified our reservation again - We're very happy that we're going to be staying at POP for just a few dollars more than All Star Movies.

I still keep checking online weekly for a better deal, knowing that reservations done directly with Disney can easily be modified.

We keep looking to see if we can lock in a lower rate

I am booked directly through Disney too. Thanks for the info. I'll keep checking daily to see if it comes up again, but I am really not holding my breath. We stayed at Pop last year and loved it.

 

[buzznina]

Sorry you lost the deal. Personally, I would have switched in a heartbeat, for me, there would have been nothing to contemplate