Another WWYD... Getting Too Close and Pretty Stressed! Opinions Please?

[Anc96]

I've made a few posts in some threads about my dilema.

I will be at Disney from 7/06 - 7/22

7/06 - 7/10 Radisson Resort Celebration

7/10 - 7/16 AKL ROOM ONLY AAA discount

7/16 - 7/22 WL AAA Package w/dining

I REALLY want to do the dining for AKL since we will spend about $50 a day on food anyway (me and DD9) and have to be mindful of where/what we order.

My problem... we get APs, because of the length of stay, and we go a couple of weeks earlier the next year so we can use them again.
This year is a buy the APs year...
For the dining plan/package we must purchase at least 1 day basic for each of us.. and because we have a split stay it must be 2 separate packages, so 4 1-day base tickets total that I can't use.

I know one set can be upgraded to our APs IF we could wait until check in to purchase our annual passes... so here's my dilema.

Would you get the APs first day as planned so you can go right to the parks and just not get the dining package on the first stay (at AKL), and then have one set of the MYW passes that needs to be held on to? (Since I don't want to end the trip having to skimp on meals, I don't want to switch that around). I guess in 2 years when we buy new APs I could upgrade them.

Or would you spend the money on 2 sets of passes that you can't use right now to get the dining plan for AKL (that would be $244 now OOP that would be used a LONG time into the future! 2 & 4 years from now! lol).

Or.. would you NOT go to the parks the first 4 days so you can purchase both packages and then use one set of the MYWs to upgrade to APs therefore having the same other set of passes to hold on to for 2 years.

I'm considering renewing our Sea World passes. If we do we'll have that park to do the first couple of days, and I plan on driving to the shore since we'll have a rental car the whole time.

Money is a concern.. and I've been going back and forth trying to figure this out. Being mindful of what we order, we can eat on about $50 a day.. though of course it wouldn't be half as much fun as the dining plan. My DD loves the Character meals. So the dining plan cost itself isn't the concern. It's the temporarily wasted money for extra tickets that has me stressed.

All total w/dining for both BOTH it comes to $3628
and I will have 2 sets of MYW tickets I can't use for a while
so a $244 OOP wasted for the moment and I can go to the parks 1st day

Total for dining for one package is $3213
I will have one set of MYWs I can't use
$122 OOP cost wasted and I can go to the parks 1st day but watch what we eat!!

Total for both packages & upgrading to APs with one set of MYWs is $3788
This includes renewal of our Sea World passes...
AND I will only have an OOP immediate loss of $38 dollars, the difference between the one 'wasted' ticket and the cost of the Sea World passes (is that right?). BUT we can't go to the parks for 4 days.

My dd says it's ok if we can't go to the parks right away.. we'll have 13 full days there since we have a late flight out on the 22nd.

Sigh.. I'm stressed.. it's soooo close. Not even sure my TA can get the package again (she had it 2 days ago).

Opinions PLEASE???

 

[kcashner]

I'm sure that there's a very good reason that you have split your stay between ALK and WL, but I'm not sure what it is. DO you just want to try 2 resorts? Was there a cost or availability issue? Don't get me wrong--we have stayed and and enjoyed both of these resorts, but packing up and switching resorts every few days can be a pain.

My first suggestion would be to choose one resort and do the package with dining there--that way, you'd have only one set of park tickets. You can use those tickets to upgrade to the AP when you check in.

I'd probably do any "non-Disney" things that you want to do during the days you are staying off property--Sea World, shopping, whatever else. Also, this is a good time to do water parks and Downtown Disney (unless you have the premium annual pass). Don't over stress on your vacation--remember that this is supposed to be FUN!

 

[Anc96]

I'm sure that there's a very good reason that you have split your stay between ALK and WL, but I'm not sure what it is. DO you just want to try 2 resorts? Was there a cost or availability issue? Don't get me wrong--we have stayed and and enjoyed both of these resorts, but packing up and switching resorts every few days can be a pain.

My first suggestion would be to choose one resort and do the package with dining there--that way, you'd have only one set of park tickets. You can use those tickets to upgrade to the AP when you check in.

I'd probably do any "non-Disney" things that you want to do during the days you are staying off property--Sea World, shopping, whatever else. Also, this is a good time to do water parks and Downtown Disney (unless you have the premium annual pass). Don't over stress on your vacation--remember that this is supposed to be FUN!

We've resort hopped often.. it's not a big problem for us. Especially since Disney does the transfer for you.

And yes.. it was a cost issue for us. My DD loves AKL.. and the Savanah
view was important for us.. So we booked that for the first 10 days originally. I couldn't afford it for the whole trip. If I'd gotten a standard room for the remainder it would have still been considered a separate reservation (hence a separate pacakge) because of the room change (because I asked about this), even if it turned out they didn't make us change rooms. So since we might have had to change rooms anyway (and for a 6 night difference they most likely would have made us change to the downgraded room), we decided to try WL since we've never been there. That's why the resort switch there.
As for the Radissson... when AP rates didn't come out for my time period for those resorts, I decided to save quite a lot of money by booking the Radisson for 4 nights ($1079 for 4 nights at AKL vs $369 for the Radisson).

Yes.. there are a lot of things we could do even Disney-ish without entering the parks. I am leaning towards not doing the parks until check-in and upgrading one set of the MYWs then having to hold on to only one set.

I'd never done the DDP before and wish I'd known more about it sooner. I'll know better for next time.

 

[eeyore45]

Well, I understand some of the delimma...

Have you considered renting points to save money? When you rent points you can use your AP and buy the Dining Plan! So you wouldnt have to buy the one day base ticket!!

However, if you have your heart set on trying both WL and AKL - only WL has dvc, and that may be impossible to rent - but that would be where I would start!!

 

[Anc96]

Well, I understand some of the delimma...

Have you considered renting points to save money? When you rent points you can use your AP and buy the Dining Plan! So you wouldnt have to buy the one day base ticket!!

However, if you have your heart set on trying both WL and AKL - only WL has dvc, and that may be impossible to rent - but that would be where I would start!!

Thank you.. but yes.. AKL is the main resort we want. And, it's kinda late to try to research the DVC rental options..lol. I'm looking at my widget and I have 20 days and 20 hours to go! :


By the way... we both love Sea World.. But though I though Universal was only ok (easily done in 2 days), my dd really wasn't impressed (except for the Mummy which she (we) rode until I couldn't stand it anymore). Not worth it for us.. and JUST OUR LITTLE OPINIONS as I'm sure it's great for lots of people.

 

[Anc96]

Well I've made my decision to go with option #3 and get both packages, upgrade one set of tickets to APs, renew our Sea World passes.. and spend the first 4 days enjoying Sea World and the other non-park Disney-esque things.

I just called my AAA TA to see if she can get the package for me again.. and now that I finally made my decision, I'm really hoping she can!

I had gotten conflicting info from different cms when calling about being able to change my MYW to an annual pass (surprise!). One absolutely insisted that I could NOT change to an annual pass, only to another MYW ticket option. That almost swayed me the other way, thinking I'd have to worry about wasting the 4 tickets. But the person in Ticket Fullfillment said I absolutely could change it to an annual pass. She even said if I had customer relations call (someone?), they may even allow the other set tickets to upgrade into that same annual pass if it's within 14 days of the annual pass purchase.. which it will be, so I may not be wasting any money at all!! I won't count on the second ones.. but I am counting on the first ones to turn over..... whew out of breath


So.. I'm done (as soon as my AAA TA calls back and I run a couple of thousand dollars down to her)

So PLEASE can eveyone just post here and say"That's great! Thats EXACTLY what I would have done!" It would make me feel so much better

I need a hug..

 

[jjohnson]

That's great. That's exactly what I would have done.

 

[Anc96]

Oh wow.. only one "that's exactly what I would have done".....

Maybe I shouldn't have... but then again, I'm glad I did! It's over with, and I'll have the dining plan our whole time on property!

Also.. I spoke with someone at "ticket fullfillment".. which I guess is different than '"ticket services" and she said there's a good chance I might be able to apply the second set of MYW passes by explaining to customer relations about my second pacakge. Customer relations arranges with my next resort to not have the MYWs on the card.. and then they apply the credit right there. She did say that might depend on who I get... but it can be done. I just won't count on it.

I am happy just about everything is done now. I can finally relax a bit and enjoy the anticipation of our trip! (of course I can't enjoy anything else since I'm BROKE after all this.. )