How can I split stay between 2 disney hotels and get tickets for both plus dining plan?

[Shani]

Renting DVC points (from someone like Dave's DVC) for a deluxe will probably cost you not much more than a value Disney resort.

[duchy]

Originally Posted by Shani

Renting DVC points (from someone like Dave's DVC) for a deluxe will probably cost you not much more than a value Disney resort.

See more...

Depends what you mean by "not much more". We are doing the same thing ... a night at All Star Sports booked with a third party (hotels.com so also got Quidco) was £80 (versus £150 direct with Disney) and a studio at AKL via David's renting points was over £200. We can still use DME and Disney will transfer our bags to BWI the next day.

Knowing we will be awake stupid early the next day and can hop over to Boardwalk and activate our Magic Bands , there didn't seem to be any real benefit in paying more for a room we will literally just sleep in. I'd rather spend the £150 we save on fun stuff and hop on Disney transportation the next morning bright and early.

Bear in mind if you stay at a DSprings hotel you'll need to add on $40 for an Uber from MCO to your hotel and another to transfer your bags from DS to Port Orleans next day (luggage isn't permitted on Disney transportation ) so a value or even another moderate may actually work out cheaper than a Springs hotel.

[craigstacey]

If you've not yet booked anything why not try calling Disney holidays UK to see if they can help? 0800 169 0730

[Shani]

Originally Posted by duchy

Depends what you mean by "not much more". We are doing the same thing ... a night at All Star Sports booked with a third party (hotels.com so also got Quidco) was £80 (versus £150 direct with Disney) and a studio at AKL via David's renting points was over £200. We can still use DME and Disney will transfer our bags to BWI the next day.

Knowing we will be awake stupid early the next day and can hop over to Boardwalk and activate our Magic Bands , there didn't seem to be any real benefit in paying more for a room we will literally just sleep in. I'd rather spend the £150 we save on fun stuff and hop on Disney transportation the next morning bright and early.

See more...

I guess I had it in my head that a value room was around £120 a night. On checking my dates on Dave's, value AKL rooms are $144, and OKW and BWV $160, so I suppose it'd all depend on dates and availability. Just thought I'd suggest it as an option to look at, considering that you can also use the Magical Express by renting DVC too

[duchy]

Indeed you can but not to the neighbor hotels at DS the OP was considering.

[tonymc]

Originally Posted by craigstacey

If you've not yet booked anything why not try calling Disney holidays UK to see if they can help? 0800 169 0730

See more...

Definitely worth a try. I have, on several occasions, had to amend our hotel stay with Disney, and they have always managed to accommodate us.

If you haven’t already booked, would suggest booking with WDW direct for your planned stay, then keep calling them to see if they have had any rooms made available for your first night. The CMs should be able to link an amendment to your original booking, and from past experience, you should also get free DDP for the additional night even if you change beyond the end of the free dining booking window.

At worst case, if you can’t get that extra night, as mentioned above just book a value resort and check in the following morning to activate your tickets.

[Tynxuk]

We originally booked 10 nights CBR as going 6 months sooner than agreed after our 'once in a life time trip' but a few months after booking Disney announced a delay in opening of CBR food court and Norwegian Air announced a change of flight times making us leave Disney many hours earlier .
First thing we did was change our Disney bound flight to make up for our lost time, at no cost we fly out 4 days earlier then checked with Disney about extending our stay but no availability at CBR (thankfully) which made paying for a change of resort easier to swallow. POR was available for all but our first night so I had us changed and went through options, as we are a family of 5 they offered us 2 rooms at sports for around £180 (no ticket or food) or just keep phoning to check POR availability! I graciously declined the two rooms and decided to look off site, first around the airport so we could still use DME then close to Disney. Cheap room came in around £60 however for £88 we could get a 2 bed apartment at Grande Villas resort near DS but would need a hire car to get us from airport then onto POR the following morning.
My thoughts were if its not Disney I want space as we're squeezing in a hotel room the night before we fly. Unsure of how hubby would vote I very much undersold the single room and getting back to the airport to use DME the following morning when we'll be up early. I don't think he needed much persuading and his face lit up to the idea of getting a hire car from the airport. The price of the hire car was around £35 for the 1 day but found we had enough Avios points (from last years BA fly drive) to pay for it although you have no option to return car to a different depot online, a quick call to Avis and they confirmed there is no charge for returning to another desk in Florida we just need to advise the rental desk at pick up (will return it to Hilton Avis desk near DS).
I'm very much looking forward to our first night off site as have a washer and dryer in the apartment and a balcony, we'll have a light breakfast there then move on to POR early, drop our bags with Bell services, go onto BOG for our second breakfast at 9.45, do our FP rides which allows us enough time to return to POR to return the hire car around 3pm, stroll over to DS and get the boat back to POR then decide what were are doing from there.

[loves2plan]

We did something similar a couple of years ago. Booked POR with tickets and free dining from the 2nd night of our holiday. Then I just booked a single night at POR for our 1st night through the cheapest agent we could find - think it was Expedia. I linked both bookings to MDE without any problem, then a week or so before we flew I called Disney reservations to ask if would be possible to link the bookings so that we didn't have to move rooms. Worked a treat! Was able to get the Magical Express to POR when we landed at MCO, checked in for night 1, unpacked, settled in etc, then early the following morning I just popped back to reception to check out and in again and get our second set of magic bands. Our tickets and dining plan were then active from that morning, so it was no different really to a standard booking apart from having to pay oop for food on our first night.

Room availability for free dining is really limited, but there's a lot more availability for room only bookings without any free dining or offers, so you might want to have a look at that

[Gbnomore]

Thanks everyone. We've gone ahead and booked POR as planned and will keep an eye out for a room for the 1st night. I can't see any availability for POR anywhere for one night or even at the French quarter.

I think we do want to stay in a Disney hotel for the first night so we can use the transport from the airport and for a hassle free change to another hotel the next morning. I just need to get my head round where would be a good location - first time for us so I don't know it that well!

[loves2plan]

Originally Posted by Gbnomore

Thanks everyone. We've gone ahead and booked POR as planned and will keep an eye out for a room for the 1st night. I can't see any availability for POR anywhere for one night or even at the French quarter.

I think we do want to stay in a Disney hotel for the first night so we can use the transport from the airport and for a hassle free change to another hotel the next morning. I just need to get my head round where would be a good location - first time for us so I don't know it that well!

See more...

Great to hear that you've booked You need to add a countdown now - just click on mine (or anyone else's) and it will take you to the page to add your own.

What's the date of the first night that you're looking for?