August 2016 - anyone else planning for this time?

[happymommy]

My first family vacation was at Pop just 2 years ago..It truly is a nice stay! we opted for the preferred rooms just so its easier walk for the kids and it was ground level so no troubles to carry them up a few flight of stairs when they are tuckered out. The food hall has a good selection and the buses where always quick and easy access from most parks!
Enjoy your time!

They have elevators too! We were on a top floor, and my DD is in a wheelchair. Well, most of the time - and only for places like Disney with too much walking (she has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome so her joints cannot handle that). No way I'd carry up the stairs! UGH!

We always request higher floor rooms, as they often are quieter.

 

[tlcdoula]

We are looking at booking the last week in August, hoping for a release of free dining. There will just be my hubby and I, I wanted to go last year for my 40th bday but I had a trip in December with my friend and her family from Australia in Disneyland instead. Then... I have been offered to use a friends time share points, (Yikes you know that started the ball rolling in my mind on how I can make this work, but when I worked out the fees involved and then a car rental on top, I figured I could say on site at a Value hotel for the same price if they offer free dining. I am crossing everything I can hoping it all works out.

Disneyworld has changed a lot since I was there last, magic bands, pre booking fast passes. Boy I thought I had planned for our first trip hehehe.. I guess I did do daily park plans... So excited to start planning!!!!!

 

[pookybean]

So...with this possible free dining anyone thinking of changing their reservation? We have a "magical deal" 8/20-27. If free dining starts 8/23 we are debating if we should stay 8/20-22 at Beach Club and then transfer to whatever else for FD. The only thing really making me pause is that the night of the 19th we are arriving late and staying at Pop just for that evening. If we try to get the FD we will be doing a 3 resort split stay

 

[happymommy]

So...with this possible free dining anyone thinking of changing their reservation? We have a "magical deal" 8/20-27. If free dining starts 8/23 we are debating if we should stay 8/20-22 at Beach Club and then transfer to whatever else for FD. The only thing really making me pause is that the night of the 19th we are arriving late and staying at Pop just for that evening. If we try to get the FD we will be doing a 3 resort split stay

We were in the same boat as you!

I booked the Beach Club also with the magical deal ($1900 including tax for 9 nights), but just booked Pop instead for $900 less, and moved our dates from 8/16 check in to 8/23 check in.

I am hoping for free dining. We have Annual Passes that are good through 8/29 (so we'll go to Wonderworks the next day or so, and/or do some shopping and pool time).

We'll save the tickets for next spring, and still spend less on this trip. I just have a hard time justifying spending more at the BC for just the two of us (mom/daughter trip with my girl). We enjoyed Pop last August a lot. This spring we were there just for 2 nights, and it was too crowded with baseball teams. In August it was nice.

I don't like the idea of 3 resorts. If free dining comes out, I'd do one resort for the first few nights, then move one time (and activate the tickets early for the package portion).

I found our flights were the same price so moved those easily!

 

[Disneylover99]

So...with this possible free dining anyone thinking of changing their reservation? We have a "magical deal" 8/20-27. If free dining starts 8/23 we are debating if we should stay 8/20-22 at Beach Club and then transfer to whatever else for FD. The only thing really making me pause is that the night of the 19th we are arriving late and staying at Pop just for that evening. If we try to get the FD we will be doing a 3 resort split stay

If FD starts on the 23rd we will definitely be shaving off a few days from our great deal too.

 

[flav]

We were in the same boat as you!

I booked the Beach Club also with the magical deal ($1900 including tax for 9 nights), but just booked Pop instead for $900 less, and moved our dates from 8/16 check in to 8/23 check in.

I am hoping for free dining. We have Annual Passes that are good through 8/29 (so we'll go to Wonderworks the next day or so, and/or do some shopping and pool time).

We'll save the tickets for next spring, and still spend less on this trip. I just have a hard time justifying spending more at the BC for just the two of us (mom/daughter trip with my girl). We enjoyed Pop last August a lot. This spring we were there just for 2 nights, and it was too crowded with baseball teams. In August it was nice.

I don't like the idea of 3 resorts. If free dining comes out, I'd do one resort for the first few nights, then move one time (and activate the tickets early for the package portion).

I found our flights were the same price so moved those easily!

We booked the same deal Aug 17-27 at BC with tickets: $3,800

The equivalent at a moderate with tickets for those dates: $4,300

We have calculated that paying for food OOP for our family will cost 1700$ and are using that number instead of the total value of the DDP.

So we tend to be more rigid:
We will only switch to FD if a GV room at POFQ is offered for our entire stay (very unlikely).

The advantages of BC (walking to Epcot and HS, SBL, etc) seem to be worth the extra 1200$ and, as we might go to a moderate one day, I am not sure I would try BC if it were not for these prices.

 

[happymommy]

We booked the same deal Aug 17-27 at BC with tickets: $3,800

The equivalent at a moderate with tickets for those dates: $4,300

We have calculated that paying for food OOP for our family will cost 1700$ and are using that number instead of the total value of the DDP.

So we tend to be more rigid:
We will only switch to FD if a GV room at POFQ is offered for our entire stay (very unlikely).

The advantages of BC (walking to Epcot and HS, SBL, etc) seem to be worth the extra 1200$ and, as we might go to a moderate one day, I am not sure I would try BC if it were not for these prices.

I do agree the location of the BC is the best in all of Disneyworld.

My DD and I like the QS dining more than sit down meals anyway! For us even going to a mod resort wouldn't be worth the extra cost. To us it's free QSDP is if comes out, or just paying OOP. We don't eat a lot at one sitting, but like to snack and share some things a lot.

From the sounds of the rumour (yes, rumour, I don't think anything is a given), the free dining won't start until Aug 23rd. For us, it was worth it to switch to the week later; the crowds are so low the week before Labor Day. Last year, Soarin' was a walk on all day one day. It was amazing.

 

[happymommy]

I'm lucky - my daughter doesn't go back until after Labor Day. It's dead that week prior (but the weekend is busy).

You got a good deal!

I am such an "ALL or NOTHING" type. Next year when I turn 50, I may book club level. This trip is our "bonus, heck we have AP's" trip. I am also spending $2000 a month for a short while on therapy for both kids, and medical bills, which I can't change but don't want to spend more than I have to!

Either way, DD says she doesn't care WHERE we stay. We are in the room to sleep and shower and nap! But, we will swim a bit as well.

 

[flav]

The BC was such a good deal for us, $2700...2 adults, 1 disney adult and 1 child. The second adult and I are splitting the room cost down the middle, which works out well for me because the two others are my kids! All said and done BC was only a couple of hundred more than Pop. We dont often get a chance to stay deluxe, so this was a good chance for the experience. We also skipped the hoppers so we can hang out at the resort for a bit.

For my kids and I we are planning on $1000 for food, we only have 4 sit downs and plan on being frugal with quick services. I like the dining plan because it's done and "paid for". I dont have to police the kids on what they want to eat or if they dont eat everything on their plate.

We also don't have much wiggle room for date changes, my kids go back to school 8/29. Decisions, decisions!

Exept for the cost split (DH and I put it all in the same pot), I could have written the above: BC on special, no flexibility on dates because of school, 2 adults, 1 Disney adult and 1 child, less sit down meals, etc. As it goes, we might bump into each other at the BC in August!

 

[happymommy]

I feel lucky that my DD doesn't go back to school until after Labor Day!

Half the country is back in school by then.

I also do miss when she was little, though. Missing school in early grades is easier - we took her out for just a couple days in 9th grade. Never again.

 

[LorrieAnn5]

Porky Bean - I have done a 3 resort split stay. 1 night Hyatt MCO, 1 night All Star Sports then 7 nights Boardwalk Villas. It wasn't bad. The best thing to do is check out and just go to a park as long as possible while you wait for the next room to b ready & have your luggage. I've done 2 split stays and it went better when I showed up at the new resort at 10pm rather than when I showed up at 2pm.

 

[pookybean]

Yikes...just saw the post above about free dining starting on Aug 14! Thats our whole trip!!!! I guess we will have to make a decision this weekend. It's supposed to open on Monday!

BC sounds great, but I dont think we can pass up free dining for it!

 

[flav]

We booked the same deal Aug 17-27 at BC with tickets: $3,800

The equivalent at a moderate with tickets for those dates: $4,300

We have calculated that paying for food OOP for our family will cost 1700$ and are using that number instead of the total value of the DDP.

So we tend to be more rigid:
We will only switch to FD if a GV room at POFQ is offered for our entire stay (very unlikely).

The advantages of BC (walking to Epcot and HS, SBL, etc) seem to be worth the extra 1200$ and, as we might go to a moderate one day, I am not sure I would try BC if it were not for these prices.

Free Dining was available for our dates (Canadian offer) but not for POFQ, as expected. So Beach Club, here we come!

 

[happymommy]

I was booked at Pop Century, but our room type wasn't available for free dining. So, booked at All Star Sports with free QSDP now!

Great that it fell during our dates of 8/23 - 9/1! Flights and rental car already booked (normally I don't get a car, but I want some freedom this trip).

 

[pookybean]

Ditched BC and got POP for the whole trip. Upgraded to the full dining. Cost was only $400 more than BC but $1000 less than getting one of the fancy Mod rooms for the full free dining. Just can't pass up that free dining! BC will be there for another time. Now to hurry and decide on 4 more TS meals!

 

[LorrieAnn5]

Ditched BC and got POP for the whole trip. Upgraded to the full dining. Cost was only $400 more than BC but $1000 less than getting one of the fancy Mod rooms for the full free dining. Just can't pass up that free dining! BC will be there for another time. Now to hurry and decide on 4 more TS meals!

I'm likely cancelling Boardwalk to stay at POP for free dining. Hard decision, but it will save us $1200.

 

[pookybean]

I would rather save, both up front and ongoing. While the dining plan may not always be the the most financially sound (well this time it is!) I think it helps me to enjoy the vacation a little bit more. I don't have to watch every little thing we buy and budget to death. For this trip we also got the hoppers, which we didn't get for BC. So we get dining AND hoppers! For us, that made the most sense. We will be Disney and be thrilled regardless, feast or famine! lol

 

[LorrieAnn5]

I would rather save, both up front and ongoing. While the dining plan may not always be the the most financially sound (well this time it is!) I think it helps me to enjoy the vacation a little bit more. I don't have to watch every little thing we buy and budget to death. For this trip we also got the hoppers, which we didn't get for BC. So we get dining AND hoppers! For us, that made the most sense. We will be Disney and be thrilled regardless, feast or famine! lol

I've never done the dining plan before and I've always wanted to try it. I had booked it for August 2015 but cancelled it for a room only discount that was better bang for my buck, so now that free dining is truly the best price for my family I'm kind of excited to actually do it.

 

[anniemae]

I'm likely cancelling Boardwalk to stay at POP for free dining. Hard decision, but it will save us $1200.

Wow, that is a huge savings! I have heard wonderful things about POP, always wanted to try it. We are still deciding what hotel, was going to to BC, then BWI, now seriously considering CBR or Coronado. Never did free dining, but want to do it.

Are you making the switch for sure?

 

[LorrieAnn5]

Wow, that is a huge savings! I have heard wonderful things about POP, always wanted to try it. We are still deciding what hotel, was going to to BC, then BWI, now seriously considering CBR or Coronado. Never did free dining, but want to do it.

Are you making the switch for sure?

I officially changed this afternoon. I had a little freak out last night about loosing the ability to walk to DHS & EP, but (knock on wood) we are not strangers to WDW, so there will be other opportunities.
I enjoy the Moderates, but my husband thinks they aren't worth the extra cost over Values. He doesn't value the extra space in the room or the extra vanity sink like I do. And since Value & Moderates all require bus transportation he thinks they are "equal" so only considers Value or Deluxe.
Plus this time, I didn't want the regular Dining Plan b/c it would be hard for my toddler to eat at a Table Service every day so Quick Service Dining Plan is better for us.
POP has a huge following of people that really like it so hopefully I will agree with them!