WWYD?? Art of Animation worth it??

[mieuxmew]

We are going to Disney and got an awesome deal for a week offsite at the Marriott Grande Vista in a 2 bedroom/2 bath/full kitchen/washer/dryer. I need to add an extra night - 1st/arrival night. Our plane lands at 9am. Traveling with 4 people (myself, husband and 8 year old twins)

To add another night at the same place is $208 (taxes included). Advantage - won't have to change resorts/rooms, which has definite advantages plus kitchen. (BTW this rate is discounted $100!)

OR

Stay at new Art of Animation in value room (Little Mermaid) for $121 (tax included- 10% AAA discount). Advantage - Kids get to stay at new Disney resort (much, much smaller room!). We would not have to pay for parking for 2 days ($28). Possible rental car savings - will have an extra day charge on minivan for 3 extra hours. Depending on how things shake out, could take Magic Express, check in and then pick up minivan at Care Care Center. Also would be able to do 1 night of extra magic hours at Hollywood Studios.

Please help me decide! $115 savings (room & parking). Worth it?? Too much hassle for 1 night? WWYD?? THANK YOU!

 

[Marionnette]

We are going to Disney and got an awesome deal for a week offsite at the Marriott Grande Vista in a 2 bedroom/2 bath/full kitchen/washer/dryer. I need to add an extra night - 1st/arrival night. Our plane lands at 9am. Traveling with 4 people (myself, husband and 8 year old twins)

To add another night at the same place is $208 (taxes included). Advantage - won't have to change resorts/rooms, which has definite advantages plus kitchen. (BTW this rate is discounted $100!)

OR

Stay at new Art of Animation in value room (Little Mermaid) for $121 (tax included- 10% AAA discount). Advantage - Kids get to stay at new Disney resort (much, much smaller room!). We would not have to pay for parking for 2 days ($28). Possible rental car savings - will have an extra day charge on minivan for 3 extra hours. Depending on how things shake out, could take Magic Express, check in and then pick up minivan at Care Care Center. Also would be able to do 1 night of extra magic hours at Hollywood Studios.

Please help me decide! $115 savings (room & parking). Worth it?? Too much hassle for 1 night? WWYD?? THANK YOU!

Totally depends on what kind of value you place on your time. as well as the perks you get from staying onsite. My personal preference would be to take advantage of the onsite perks for less money. The hassle of moving to a new resort after only one night in Orlando is much less than the hassle of moving to a new resort at the end of you stay. If you pack everyone's stuff for that one night in a single bag, you never need to unpack the other bags. I would choose to do the AoA night for sure!

 

[Darcy03231]

We are going to Disney and got an awesome deal for a week offsite at the Marriott Grande Vista in a 2 bedroom/2 bath/full kitchen/washer/dryer. I need to add an extra night - 1st/arrival night. Our plane lands at 9am. Traveling with 4 people (myself, husband and 8 year old twins)

To add another night at the same place is $208 (taxes included). Advantage - won't have to change resorts/rooms, which has definite advantages plus kitchen. (BTW this rate is discounted $100!)

OR

Stay at new Art of Animation in value room (Little Mermaid) for $121 (tax included- 10% AAA discount). Advantage - Kids get to stay at new Disney resort (much, much smaller room!). We would not have to pay for parking for 2 days ($28). Possible rental car savings - will have an extra day charge on minivan for 3 extra hours. Depending on how things shake out, could take Magic Express, check in and then pick up minivan at Care Care Center. Also would be able to do 1 night of extra magic hours at Hollywood Studios.

Please help me decide! $115 savings (room & parking). Worth it?? Too much hassle for 1 night? WWYD?? THANK YOU!

I'd get the extra night at the same resort. Once I'm there I'd hate to pack up and move again. Even if you pack in a single bag for the one night you still have to get packed up, check out, drive to the new resort, check in, and get settled in. All of this could take a couple of hours. I'd rather be spending that time enjoying the parks.

 

[surfgirl]

hassle factor... no way would I switch resorts. especially with little ones. No matter how hard you would try to have one nights stuff in one bag... it never works. All bags end up destroyed.

Just check in at MGV, and enjoy your stay there.

 

[LeslieLou]

Our family would totally stay at AoA! Money savings is a plus and you'll get the perks.

We're the type of family that doesn't mind a triple split stay, but I would def pack a one night bag for that stay.

Have a great trip

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I always stay a week at Grande Vista or Harbour Lake and tack on a day or two before and stay some place else. I find it is easy as long as you prepare for moving when you pack and the smaller room is fine for a day or two! After a few days is when the small room would get to me

 

[ceecee]

With 8 year olds I would do AOA for sure, they will love it and it would be worth switching for. My DD still talks about ASMo and wants to go see it again this year. Her tastes have moved to Moderates with Queen beds but when she was younger we loved the themes at the Values. We're doing the beach, Seaworld and Disney this year and will be in 3 different hotels.

 

[debdreamsofdis]

I would lean toward staying one night at AoA for the perks. But, you said this was the first night of your trip? What happens once you check in and stay a night onsite, then don't want to leave??

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I would not stay at AOA the first night. Besides being a hassle to switch, your kids will be disappointed to leave a WDW resort. Mom and dad will be glad for the extra space and w/d, but the kids will want the excitement and characters. Is there a way you could switch it around to stay the last night?

 

[TJA]

I agree with the others that staying onsite will most likely spoil your family. If you really want to stay at the Marriott too, can you reduce the nights there and maybe split 4/4 nights at each place? Staying just 1 night anywhere is not easy and it will probably be too rushed to really enjoy.

 

[mieuxmew]

Thanks everyone! We used to stay on Disney property (POP, Coronado, Port Orleans - Riverside and French Quarter, and Poly). We became Marriott vacation club owners (platinum deal too good to pass up!) and mostly stay in 2 bedroom villas. Last year we stayed in a hotel room at the airport (early am flight) and my kids asked why there was only one room and only one TV. Talk about spoiled!!! I will bet that although they will enjoy the Disney hotel they will be ok leaving if they know they are going to get their own room with a TV.

We are booked on a Getaways, so we can't change our reservation dates.

I am still very torn...stay at cool brand new Disney resort (rooms open 1 month before we arrive), let Disney take your luggage, do Sun pm extra magic hours at Hollywood Studios, get free parking for two days (plus save $115 dollars.)

OR

Take the easy road...check into the 2 bedroom at Grande Vista as planned, unpack, spread out, stock the fridge and enjoy the resort!

Decisions, decisions...either one will be more than fine.

I guess since I am not familiar w/ resort changing, how difficult and time consuming is it? I could leave hubbie and kids at AoA in am and take luggage over myself and check into Grande Vista. MGV will store luggage and call when villa is ready later in afternoon.

Last year when we arrive it POURED for 2 days straight. We were unable to go to parks, so we shopped DTD, did our grocery shopping for the week, unpacked, ordered a pizza, watched a movie and went to bed early. Marriott vamped up indoor kids activities and saved the day!

 

[deejohn]

We looked at it for 2012, but there was not room discount, so I got 2 rooms at POP for about $500 less. Who wants to cook on vacation anyway

 

[pigletto]

If you do decide to go the route of changing resorts I will give you a tip. Pack one carry on with a day of outfits, bathing suits and a few small toiletries. That way you don't need to go into your suitcases at all or repack the next morning. In fact, if you already have the rental car you can just leave them in the trunk until the next day when you move.
We often do this because we book a value on our first or last night since we're just using it to sleep. It makes it way less of a hassle to move resorts the next morning.

 

[HM]

We just stayed a week at the Grand Vista in April. Nice place. Pool chairs fill up early, so be prepared for that. Easy drive to WDW (and other parks). We had a studio, so can't help on the room factor. I'd just stay there the whole time.

 

[andrews_dad]

No way I switch.

 

[HM]

PS...if it rains during your trip....still go to the parks. Sometimes those are the best days, because people do like you did your prior trip and skip them, so you have no lines to deal with.

 

[HayGan]

We do split stays almost every trip so we have no problems with it. (Our upcoming 8 night stay has 2 nights offsite @ Sheraton on points, 5 nights @ BLT and then 1 night @ Four Points by Sheraton by Universal Studios again on reward points.)

If I was in your shoes, here is what I would do. I would stay at AoA that first night. It would be a great way to try out the resort to see if you like it and save some $$$. When it comes to the rental car, I wouldn't waste the time riding ME and then going to the car care center. I would simply pick up your rental car at MCO and then you have it for the whole time. The extra day of rental can't really add up to that much $. (Plus I'm niot sure if Alamo charges an extra fee for dropping the vehicle off at a different location - they usually do but it might be waived in Orlando. I have no idea but you definitely want to look into it.) Keep in mind that you will likely have food costs for those first two days that you wouldn't have at the Marriott since you won't have your groceries yet.

To make transporting easier, just pack one bag for that first night and then the rest of your stuff in another bag(s).

 

[Bell30012]

I'd cancel the offsite stay and stay onsite at Art of Animation resort. But that's just me.