Which week would you pick?

[baileybelle]

Trying to decide which week to book. What would you do?

Sept. 26 - Oct. 3, 2020: pros: free dining may be offered or room discount. Cons: middle of hurricane season, have to add parkhoppers to get free dining, "wicked" hot.
October 24 - October 31, 2020. Pros: lower temps, possible room discount. Cons: No free dining

 

[Bjkandma]

Don't base it on temperatures. It's currently not as in 90 degrees. Cold wave supposed to come next week - mid 70s ( maybe).

Also hurricane season runs til November, although the closer to the end of the season, might be better. But just last weekend a tropical storm crept up "out of no where" causing down pours on Saturday.

So you are basically left with a possibility of a room discount or free dining. In our situation (2 adults and 1 "disney" adult (age 10+), if staying at value resort, it beats a room only discount. If staying Deluxe, most times the room discount is greater.

So, where would you like to stay? It just becomes a "math game", that you need to play.

 

[mamamelody2]

I don't know that the weather between those two weeks would be all that different. Like PP said, what the best discount for you will be depends on where you will stay and what people are in your group. 4 Disney adults in a value room? Free dining will be the best discount. Two adults in a deluxe? Probably room discount will be better.

 

[Surgie2]

Is free dining really free or is it “included” in your total package cost? We have never done free dining because it includes so much more food than our normal eating lol! But I know some people love it. Agree that temps not likely to be that different a month apart in the fall.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Trying to decide which week to book. What would you do?

Sept. 26 - Oct. 3, 2020: pros: free dining may be offered or room discount. Cons: middle of hurricane season, have to add parkhoppers to get free dining, "wicked" hot.
October 24 - October 31, 2020. Pros: lower temps, possible room discount. Cons: No free dining

I'm only saying this because you brought up the weather: We've had 2 tropical storms pop up out of no where the last 2 weeks. Weather has been absolutely awful from Louisiana to Florida. You can't really base anything off of weather until you are past October. This is why WDW is out for me from between June and October.

 

[yorkieteacher]

I would pick September because basically the weather could be the same-so if you knock out that pro for later in October, September wins.

 

[baileybelle]

Thanks everyone. I think we will probably do Sept because of discounts and a possible free dining offer. We are 6 adults and one 8 year old. We will be staying at POP in 2 rooms. A little tight, but we are only there to sleep. We've had free QS dining in the past and it was great. In recent years, I've noticed the free dining offer may make you purchase park hopper tickets. We usually get base tickets, but I still think we would save.

 

[gharter]

I would look at the numbers and see if free dining is really a bargain or not.
Often times, with free dining, you are paying full price for the room. The difference may or maynot cover the price of the dining depending where you are staying and the type of ticket you must purchase whether you use all the features or not.

 

[Bjkandma]

Adding a park hopper to a ticket is around $80 per person. We enjoy having it and do use it with the "free" dining. Epcot has a lot of restaurants we enjoy eating at in World Showcase.

 

[baileybelle]

I've been working the numbers. To add on park hoppers, it would cost a total of $596.40. The total price for 2 standard pool rooms at POP for 7 nights, 4 adults in one room and 2 adults and an 8 year old in the other, 6 day park hoppers, travel insurance, taxes would come to $7688.32. I figure we will spend at least $2500 on food for 7 of us. So the difference would come to $1903.36 we'd save on food. It would probably be even more because my "kids" would probably get alcoholic drinks and more expensive food items with free dining. Since we would have QS dining we would not be doing any TS restaurants. Hoping for free dining!! Thanks everyone

 

[sullyfam]

Definitely would not base it on weather as that can be all over the place especially during hurricane season. It can still be very hot in late October. It's supposed to be 90 there today. I would go when you think discounts/free dining would be offered. And October seems to be "busy season" the last few years where as September remains lighter crowds.

 

[rpb718]

I was in Florida from Oct 21 to 29. I was surprised at how hot and muggy it was the whole time, apart from a few downpours that ratcheted up the mugginess factor a notch or 2. I'm sure plenty of folks were wishing both water parks were open - it was that hot.

 

[dmband]

nevermind, I see it now