Tips, Tricks, and Anything Else We NEED to know before we go

[Missing20K]

so my girlfriend and I are trying to plan a last minute trip to WDW for January but neither of us have been there in over 10 years. Obviously our first decision is where to stay and we haven't quite figure it out yet. We both would like to stay on property to get that whole vacationing in disney feel, but realize it's quite expensive. We do have AAA though and if we stay at All-Star for 4 or 5 nights we should be able to swing it. We'll probably drive there as well, so we know off-site is a possibility. Any comments, suggestions??

Also, we already have 2, 2-day park hopper tickets as a gift from her parents when they visited a few months ago, but we are wondering can add 2 or 3 days at the discounted rate, as if we bought a 4 or 5 day pass??

Finally, as we haven't visited in so long, any tips or tricks to avoiding crowds, seeing good shows, places to eat, nightlife would be super helpful. Please try to remember we are young, fun, and moderately broke, but desperately want to go have fun in the happiest place on earth.

thanks in advance!

 

[Missing20K]

wow, thanks for all the info everyone. I guess I still have a bunch more research to do. Just to update, my aunt has a timeshare that has already been booked for a ski resort but she is seeing if she can switch it to orlando. otherwise, we will be staying at POP or ALL. We kind of want to do the dining plan, if for no other reason than to not have to worry about a food budget. But I do realize it's a significant cost, and it seems as though everyone has their own opinion about whether or not it is a good deal.

thanks again for all the suggestions, and keep them coming if you don't mind.

do the value resorts have a fridge in them already or is it an extra cost?

also I keep reading about asking the CM who checks you in about free upgrades. Has anyone tried this, and if so, what kind of results were there?

thanks!!

 

[bradandsarabr]

An upgrade at a value resort just means that you will be in a room a little closer to the food court & the bus stop. Chances are that you will get what you pay for, but it never hurts to ask.

 

[GoofyMom2]

Value resorts do not come w/ a fridge....you can get one but it is about $10 a day extra. That really can add up! Moderate and Deluxe rooms come with a free fridge.

Just remember with the Dining Plan, you have to stay in a Disney resort and buy at least a 1 day park ticket......adding onto the ones you have does not count. You also have to buy it for each night you stay at the resort. With that in mind, do some research and you decide which way you want to go. You are correct, opinons of the DDP vary greatly on this board! :lol:

Forgot to mention.....best deal at DTD is Earl of Sandwich for a counter service, and very good!

My personal favorite best deal for sharing: Ice Cream Cookie sandwich from Main Street Bakery in MK......2 huge cookies and a mountain of ice cream....and it's about $4!

 

[Missing20K]

yeah the hardest decision we have to make now is the dining plan. Everyone has their opinions ( i'd be glad to hear them) both negative and positive. But we just can't figure out if it's worth it or not. It seems to be a situation where if we had it, we would use it, but if not we wouldn't miss it. :shrug:

I do like the idea of not having to worry about a food budget though. However, I am hearing some horror stories that it's next to impossible to get ADR's anywhere, especially this late in the game ( we will be there in 3 weeks). Again, any ideas are welcome and thanks again!!

 

[mousermerf]

This close? Don't bother. Also, it wont cover many random food cravings that will pop up, which are really what eats up budget. If you plan a few sit down and can get reservations, then you'll know exactly how much you'll be spending anyways, and for gigles compare it to the plan - if you save, get it. If not, don't worry.

 

[peemagg]

We used to love the dining plan. Not so sure about the new changes, but we are still doing it anyway in January. The way we would use it is to use our counter service for breakfast, a snack for lunch, and the table service for dinner. We never went hungry this way. We are going to have to alter how we use the credits this trip because we are traveling with 3 toddlers who have to eat a bit different then the rest of us. They expect 3 full meals each day. Go figure!

 

[bradandsarabr]

IMHO, the dining plan is a value in 2 situations: if you are less than 10 years of age; or if you plan to have a table service meal in excess of $22 everyday. I find that at some places (Sci Fi, R&C) that I can eat for slightly less than $22. However, the reason that I don't use DP is that after about 3 days of the same menu themed a different way, I've had enough table service.

Remember that even if you have DP, you still must pay gratuity on the entire bill in 2008.

Also remember that even if you don't use DP, you need to make your ADRs ASAP.

 

[Eyekimore]

Well- someone already beat me to the "bring your cooler and buy water/soda elsewhere" idea. Bring boxes of cereal for breakfast (don't forget disposable bowls)- you can buy milk in the store. Bring your own snacks for in the parks. Here's another- if the weather looks like it'll be rainy for your trip- buy your ponchos at the dollar store before you leave. (These ones are also more compact.)

If you have AAA- I think there is a discount if you spend a certain amount at World of Disney at Downtown Disney. I know there is for Annual Passholders....

 

[RussJT]

We love the dining plan because we like to eat at a sit down restaurant each day. We have two young kids, so we go to the character meals which tend to cost a bit more... so it is definitely a value for us. In my opinion it is also easier to have as you have paid in advance and don't have to worry about the budget after that.

As someone mentioned, a counter service meal for breakfast, a snack around lunch, and a nice sit down dinner should keep you full. We usually take a backpack into the park with snacks (crackers, raisins, fruit snacks) in case we feel the need to munch during the day.

During January, I think you can get a room at a value resort for about $80 per night. You won't find much cheaper than that unless you stay at The Roach Motel.

As for the upgrade, as someone mentioned, the only possible upgrade at a Value is location. Since you will be going ayt a time that isn't very busy, you might be able to request a room near the bus stop... but other than that you won't be able to get much.

Enjoy.

(P.S. Glad to see that you are from the 'Burgh. I am too (originally). I made it back there for work the other day and had a Primanti Bros sandwich from the one in the Strip District. Good stuff.)

 

[VeRTiGo91]

If you are military or your girlfriend is military, or if you work for the Department of Defense, you can secure reservations on the cheap at the Shades of Green, right across the street from the Polynesian.

Reservations are based on your rank / government-grade and there is no tax. As well, you can get discounted 'stars and stripes' discounted tickets to all the parks, the water parks, Pleasure Island, and Disneyquest.

Check out Shades of Green website for more. There are many "green" / open dates throughout the month of January.

On top of that, if you love to golf, there are two golf courses stradling the military resort. And if you are military, and they have space, you can golf for $50 for 18 holes and a cart. Non-military pricing for the Palm and Magnolia are around $135-$145, pending if you are a resort guest or not.

I second this as well. We hope to going back in a few months, and Shades is a very nice resort, without jamming Disney down your throat every minute! (Not that there is anything wrong with that!!)

Have fun, no matter where you stay!!

 

[Eyekimore]

Swan and Dolphin also have military discounts. Not sure how it compares to Shades of Green's discount. (We use the teacher discount at Swan and Dolphin.)

 

[Ilovewishes]

We stayed at All Stars Music in September this year and we were really impressed by it (we have also stayed at CS & WL). The room was bright and clean and well designed, it had everything that the rooms at WL have except a fridge, which we never used anyway. The pools get a bit busy, especially the big main one but the individual ones were always okay. The dining hall was always very busy from what we saw but again, we didn't use it except just to get cookies late on in the evening. I would definately stay there again if i was on a budget but i have heard that Music is the best of the All Stars, but quite often the most overlooked. My friend stayed at Movies and was not impressed at all. She said her room was dark and dingy and not painted in the same bright colours as mine.

As for shows etc, one big tip - get there a good 45 minutes to an hour before the start! Especially Fantasmic! And there is no need to watch the parades at MK on Main Street, you get just as good a view further down, it just takes a little longer to reach you, but the crowds are nowhere near as bad!

I would definately recommend staying on site. The All Stars cost about the same as some of the off site hotels (ok, the standard may be a little higher but they're not Disney, are they?) and staying on site, you get to take full advantage of Extra Magic Hours. Bless the person who came up with that idea!!! I've been told (but never actually seen) that the morning Extra Magic Hours at AK are good as some of the CMs have some of the animals out and will tell you about them. I'm not sure if you're allowed to touch them but you can get up close and get some good pics, I'll bet!!!