Does this make sense...

[tunnie12345]

Or am I really over complicating this. Looking to go for 3 weeks in July 2021 so will be looking to book in April in the hope of free dining. Now we want to spend the first week doing mainly universal, sea world etc but would want the freedom to still do disney as we have 2 young kids with us.

Does it make sense for me to book say an all stars resort for the first week so we can get a free meal a day and easy access to Disney parks if that's what the kids want and then after the first week move to a moderate resort again in the hope of free dining.

The main reason we don't want the whole free dining in the first week is that we want to eat out at other places that are not in the parks so seems silly to have free dining for a week and not use it?

I just think I have really over complicated things?

[chapea]

To do this you would need to buy 2 lots of tickets as you cannot do a split stay on the free dining plan even at the same level of hotel so would have to work out the cost of this. If there is four of you that would be roughly £1500 in extra tickets and if you are staying at universal that is a lot extra for mainly meals

[Disney_time]

Is there a particular reason you want to do Universal first? Otherwise why not do a 14 night moderate stay at WDW with free dining (hopefully) but with a 21day park ticket. Then have a 7 night stay in the Universal area doing all that but with the freedom to go back to Disney on your 21 day ticket.

[tunnie12345]

Ah yea definitely not worth the extra £1500 for meals, I can blame the wife for wanting to do it that way round, she will be depressed leaving a disney hotel to go to a universal one haha, may just get a cheap place on international drive for a week and not do disney in the first week (disney springs in the evenings should keep the little ones happy)

Can I rent a car from the airport for just a week and then return it somewhere close to international drive.? I guess I could have the car the whole 3 weeks but was not sure if UK visitors were paying for resort parking yet?

[chapea]

There are a few hotels across from universal that are decent and either short drive, 10 minute walk or hotel shuttles.

Have stayed at the Hilton Doubletree at Universal which has an Avis desk so should be able to drop car there. The rooms there start at around £85 depending on time of year and view.

There are a few restaurants (Millers, a steak house, Golden Corral and Burger King just to the side of this). At the other side of doubletree across a road is a Holiday Inn bit older rooms but we had a room with 2 double beds and a living room with sofa bed and small kitchen for £120 per night in August. There is also a Walgreens for snacks, drinks etc next to the restaurants.

[Gryff]

If you hire a car with Alamo you can return it to Disney Car care on site

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by tunnie12345

Ah yea definitely not worth the extra £1500 for meals, I can blame the wife for wanting to do it that way round, she will be depressed leaving a disney hotel to go to a universal one haha,

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To be honest, I find the Universal hotels or the hotels on International Drive to be better than the Disney hotels - especially if you book somewhere that costs a similar amount as the nightly cost of a Disney hotel.

The moderate Disney hotels have the benefit of free dining, closeness (and thus convenience) to the Disney parks, EMH and the like. But the rooms themselves aren't much better than a budget hotel on Intl Drive.

[tunnie12345]

Thanks all for the replies, I like the idea of that suite you mentioned at the holiday Inn.. I have tried to explain to the wife not to expect the same as last time... ( we were booked for 2 weeks in all star music but Disney had overbooked so moved us free of charge to a suite in AOA so that was insane value for money) so I think what ever I do she won't be as impressed as last time haha... That's good about the car tho so think it will be off site for a week then onto a moderate for the following fortnite

Cheers guys