Planning Question-Package/Separate

[DisneyBound]

I am pricing out our September trip. I have found that buying the room & tickets separately is quite a bit cheaper. If I purchase hopper plus tickets for 7 days (and not for the day we leave) with the room separate, I save about 400 bucks. My question is about the use of Disney transportation to the parks...if you dont buy the package but stay at the disney resort, is the transportation included? From what I can see...the difference between package and separate is the passes on the day we leave(which I dont want anyways) the trading pin & lanyard (I could live without) and the compliemtary choice feature(I could live without as well)

I also noticed that I could get the hopper plus passes in advance from disney (with my disney club discount) for a few bucks less than what's listed on Maple Leaf...am I wrong on this? Any help would be great.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Originally posted by DisneyBound
I am pricing out our September trip. I have found that buying the room & tickets separately is quite a bit cheaper. If I purchase hopper plus tickets for 7 days (and not for the day we leave) with the room separate, I save about 400 bucks. My question is about the use of Disney transportation to the parks...if you dont buy the package but stay at the disney resort, is the transportation included? From what I can see...the difference between package and separate is the passes on the day we leave(which I dont want anyways) the trading pin & lanyard (I could live without) and the compliemtary choice feature(I could live without as well)

I also noticed that I could get the hopper plus passes in advance from disney (with my disney club discount) for a few bucks less than what's listed on Maple Leaf...am I wrong on this? Any help would be great.

Yes, transportation is still complimentary.
I believe the cost would be for 2 extra tickets...(the day you arrive and the day you leave)
are you sure you are getting the park hopper PLUS?

 

[WDWspider]

I have and will always buy tickets and room seperate. Often you still get Putt Putt with a Room Only Reservation with a Club Card, at least I did.

 

[DisneyBound]

Maybe I am figuring the price wrong for tickets. I went to the disney website and looked up the price of the hopper plus tickets and went through the steps as if I were going to purchase them. I subtracted the 5% for dc discount after letting it add the tax. The price came out to a few bucks less than Maple Leaf is offering. Do you get the disney club discount on 7 day hopper plus passes?

 

[oochr1soo]

The thing with the transportation.. Everytime ive been to disney i dont think theyve once checked if you were a guest at a specific resort or not.. Has that changed since Sept 11? or are they still pretty laid back about the transportation?..

Also I had heard that you cant visit the Animal Kingdom Lodge unless you are a guest at it.. Is that true? Im going to be in Disney for christmas this year(my first xmas in disney) and i would love to check out the AKL..

chris

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Originally posted by oochr1soo
The thing with the transportation.. Everytime ive been to disney i dont think theyve once checked if you were a guest at a specific resort or not.. Has that changed since Sept 11? or are they still pretty laid back about the transportation?..

Also I had heard that you cant visit the Animal Kingdom Lodge unless you are a guest at it.. Is that true? Im going to be in Disney for christmas this year(my first xmas in disney) and i would love to check out the AKL..

chris

When the Lodge first opened, they would not allow anyone there who did not have a reservation. This has since changed. If you are going there to check out the resort, make yourself a dinner reservation for Boma and enjoy a fantastic meal!

 

[SamatBCV]

I'm pretty sure you can get a DC discount on just about any Park Hopper has some kind of discount.

Also, anyone can still use the transportation. I've been there 3 time since 9/11/01 and their transportation policies have not changed in terms of who is allowed on the busses.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Hi all, As far as the transportation, any guest staying on property has the use of the transport provided. All transport goes from one hotel to a park and in some cases park to park. I'm sure Tyler can comment better but I think that they limited the number of buses running from the TTC to a park due to non Disney guests using the bus system. Not too sure about that part though!!
Room rates and tickets, the answer is yes it is cheaper than buying a package. Disney Club Discounts are available on Park Hopper Plus tickets only, not just the Park Hopper ones. Depending on your preferences and how often you visit, I would even look into an Annual Pass for at least one guest. If you are going to be going twice within a one year period (365 days from date of purchase) with your first trip being seven days, it may work out cheaper to do an Annual Pass. Plus an AP allows for discounts on the hotels also. Id check www.wdwig.com for more info on the AP and discounts etc available.
OK on to Animal Kingdom Lodge, I did not stay there this time but I did make a breakfast ressie at Boma's. What a fabulous meal!!!! Definitely gotta try the Frunch!!!!! well worth the time and money. I thouroughly enjoyed it and I was good for the whole day until dinner as this was a buffet all you can eat type of meal. Any other questions, write back and Ill try to help!! Belle

 

[Disneynutcase]

Hey guys,

Are you sure about the Disney Club discount being only for Park Hopper Plus? Maybe things changed, but when I was at WDW this past April, I bought plain old ordinary 4 Day Park Hopper tickets (no "plus" needed) and got the Disney Club discount.

But again, that was nine months ago.

I also have a side question--I thought Disney Club was pretty much no longer around. In fact, I could swear it was to be discontinued right around the 1st of the year. Did I get my info wrong? Or did they decide to continue the program?

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

The DC is still around, providing you renewed or took out a memebership by 12th Dec. They even sent me a letter reminding me off this. When I renewd the CM said the card would be good for all of 2003 and a full range of discounts on offer. Only renewd as I have a resort res for next summer and that more than made up for the cost of the card. I could be wrong but I think theyve binned the discount on APs.

 

[mickeyfanatics]

If you do not have your own tickets (Annual/Seasonal Passes) then the package will benefit you more. Otherwise, separate planning is much cheaper.

 

[SamatBCV]

Ok, this is directly out of the DC Member Guide.

Park Hopper - UP TO a $10 savings (both child and adult tickets available)

Park Hopper Plus - UP TO a $16 savings (both child and adult tickets available)

Ultimate Park Hopper - UP TO a $20savings (both child and adult tickets available)

These UP TO mean that the discount will depend on the length of the pass.

Similar discounts are available on DL tix.

Also, Through the end of the year anyway, the AP discount still works. I just got one in Sep and a standard AP discount is $15, the premium AP discount is $20. That will not change this year and I doubt it would change next year which, like happy snapper said, will be the last year of the DC.

 

[wannabeBelle]

well when I went in October I didnt get a discount with the DC for the regular Hopper passes as it had been discontinued. I'd advise you to call Disney directly, but as of October the discounts were for the Hopper Plus passes only!! That was the info given to me and the prices charged. Belle

 

[jackzero]

I say buy separate. Whenever we go, we price a hotel and admission separatly. Package deals ALWAYS end up costing you more money in the end. The last time we were there..we stayed in downtown disney and both saved a bundle and had access to Ultimate Park Hoppers as well.