Staying Onsite

[TraceyL]

Playing around with different options for next December. Would love to stay on-site agin but really not sure budget will run to it - cost is a major factor on whether we actually go or not.

Would you recommend splitting the holiday 7/7 nights off/on site ?

If so how do the cost of UMP for a week compare to Hopper passes/ World passes ?

Would it be better doing a 10/4 night split and staying at a more plush hotel ?

How do you find it packing up and moving mid-holiday? Was it a waste of a day ?

 

[BevS97]

we did 7 nights off site and 7 onsite at CBR last year - it worked really well. We had a 4 park flex for the first week and a 7 day UMP while onsite - if I was to do it again I would get a 10 day Disney pass and visit disney during both weeks, as we were really itching to get into the Disney parks while we were off-site.

Other than that it worked great - on the day we moved, we were in the Magic Kingdom by noon and it would have been earlier if I hadn't insisted on visiting a scrapbook store on the way, and also we waited a long time for a bus at the Caribbean Beach.

We checked in around 11, and didn't get our room number then, we were given our keys/Passes and told to ring reception from anywhere in the world after 3 o'clock to get the room number - we had a CM in the MK ring for us, and then we went straight to the room, no need to return to reception.

All advice seems to be, stay off-site first and then move on-site as moving off-site would be a let-down after staying on-site. I think I would agree, UNLESS you are going to go to the beach etc to relax after a hectic theme-park whirlwind.

I would lean towards a 7/7 split at a cheaper hotel I think, but we are doing 3 nights at the AKL this year, at the end of our stay, so I'll let you know if I've changed my mind when we get back.

Bev

 

[TraceyL]

Did you leave your luggage at CBR in the morning and if so, did they deliver it to your room for you ?

I don't fancy leaving all our belongings in the car for the day !!

 

[MickeyMcMouse]

Tracy,

What about the best of both worlds, have you checked out some of the great deals at the downtown resort hotels.

We had a great stay at the Wyndam during winter of 2000 and paid about £70 a room per night. The hotel is great ( 5 star ) and the location right across the road from downtown disney.

The wyndam is the best but there are loads of others.

www.downtowndisneyhotels.com

David

 

[Hilary]

We really <b>prefer</b> to move hotels if possible (one reason why we like the DIY approach to booking our trips). It seems to make the whole trip last longer On our next trip in October we'll be in four different resorts (going to the Gulf Coast as well) and I'm looking forward to trying them all!

The packing up doesn't seem to take us too long if moving from a hotel room to another hotel - but it seems never ending if moving from a villa (so much more room to spread your belongings around, only to have to collect them all again!).

Most hotels will have somewhere to store your luggage during your departure day, but if you're going to a Disney resort, you could take your luggage with you to check-in straight from leaving the off-site hotel and they will store it for you if your room isn't ready.

UMP can be expensive - once you have seven days / eight nights on an UMP, it's more cost effective to get an AP (which might entitle you to a discount for the room), although that wouldn't include the water parks.

I agree with Bev - do the on-site resort last

 

[Goofyish]

We did a 7/7 split last October. We did the first 7 nights at POR and then moved to the QIP on IDrive for the second 7 nights. As Bev said, I wish we had done the IDrive hotel first and then moved to POR - moving from POR to QIP was a bit of a let down really. We also did it without a car too. The move between hotels was done with a taxi and after checking in at the QIP we spent the afternoon at SeaWorld - so not a wasted day really

 

[BevS97]

we left our cases locked in the boot of the car, but I'm sure you could have stored your bags at reception. I don't know if they would deliver the bags - I would have thought so, but you might have to wait awhile to get them?

Bev

 

[Hilary]

I think you have to either physically collect your own bags from the storage area, or at least identify which are yours and be in the room when they are delivered by Bell Services.

I don't believe Disney will deliver the bags to an empty room (i.e whilst you're out in the parks), as they suspended the package delivery service to resort rooms post September 11th, and imagine the same would apply to baggage.

 

[Goofyish]

When we arrived at POR we dropped our cases off at the Bell Services baggage storage (I think they gave us a little reference ticket) and then went to check in. Once we had our room number we let the man at the Bell Services window know the room number and we walked to our room. The cases arrived about 10 minutes later .

I do think you have to be in the room though to receive your cases (I think this is so the Bell Man get his tip!).

When we left POR we asked Bell Services to collect our cases from the room for us - which they did. They also gave us an little envelope to put a tip in for the Bell Man - because we would not actually meet him in person.

I think Bell Services are available at Moderate Resorts and above.