Split stay from the UK

[julzinthebox]

Hey everyone, looking for some reassurance, alternative thinking, or a wake up call!

We are from the UK and have been pretty regular WDW visitors since our childhoods. 2019 was our first trip with our young kids and our plan was to return as often as we could. We were booked up for 2020 which obviously did not happen, and this year is off the table too. So we are beginning to plan for July 2022 and really hoping for some normalcy by then!

We are thinking of a split stay - 1 week at AOA in a LM room, then 1 week in a theme park view room at the Poly. We fell in love with the Poly on our last trip (didn’t stay there but visited) and since we’ll have missed out on a couple of trips by the time we return to WDW we thought we might splurge a little! We’re keen on AOA as we think the kids will love the theming (9 and 6) and easy Skyliner access appeals as HS will be a big park for us next year (along with MK). We’re planning to only do Disney, so don’t need to factor in other theme parks.

What are folks’ thoughts on that potential trip? Good resort choices? Should we be considering a family suite at AOA (our thinking is our first week will be very park heavy with little resort time so why bother?)? Is a theme park view room at the Poly worth the expense? Are we crazy to stay on property when there potentially still won’t be the benefits like EMH, dining plan, early fast pass access, character meals? In that case would we be better staying in a vacation home off site and having a slower paced vacation, and saving the splurge for another time?

Would love to hear what people think.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Solid choices. If things aren't back to at least a semblance of normalcy by the time your trip comes around - Then there are bigger issues to worry about other than a Disney trip. So I wouldn't at this point stress out too much about that. With the Skyliner you have access to Boardwalk and 2 parks and with the Poly you have access to the whole Monorail resort area. You'll enjoy it.

 

[Tinkerfan4ever]

Don't rule out Animal Kingdom Lodge - Savanna View. My kids absolutely love it there. Yes it is further from most of the parks and you have to use buses, but there is something about waking up and going on the balcony and seeing a giraffe eating right outside your window. We have stayed at the Poly as well and that ranks pretty high on our list as well, but I think we would rather stay there if just my husband and I go.
Also - no matter which deluxe you decide on, consider renting DVC points. There are +/- to doing so, but a big plus is you can often save money staying deluxe.

I have gone twice without fireworks, fastpass+, etc.... and I wouldn't hesitate to go again. Yes the magic is different, but I found that because I was getting there early, I didn't really miss fastpass. We don't do the dining plan and found we loved mobile ordering for our quick service meals. I did miss the extra magic hours, especially the night ones, but that forced me to enjoy my hotel more and I am really glad because sometimes there is so much that is overlooked at the hotels.

Hopefully by the time you go, life is back to normal. Happy planning!

 

[Penny’s Dad]

I would request the second or third floor if doing a theme park view at the Poly. The first floor can be partially blocked by the islands and the bungalows. We love staying at the Polly for the multiple transportation options, and close proximity to Magic Kingdom. The landscaping is immaculate as well as two really nice pools and various food options.

 

[nickys]

You need to do the maths on this.

You could book a package for the first stay but with the 14 day tickets attached. And then book room-only for the second week. However that would need to be done over the phone or through a TA, because I don’t think you can book a package online with tickets longer than your package stay anymore, looks like that option disappeared.

That will almost certainly be cheaper than booking two separate packages.

You might be able to get the second week cheaper on a room-only rate via the US site, but again I find I can’t access the US site at all with a U.K. IP address. Not sure if I could with a VPN.

 

[julzinthebox]

Thanks for the advice re renting DVC points. We considered this when we stayed at the Contemporary in 2019 but found it all a little confusing and chickened out! I’m worried there’s a lack of cover if anything happens and the holiday doesn’t go ahead or is cut short. Am I being too cautious? Any tips for renting?