Vacation Package Question

[MaleDisneyBeliever]

Hi everyone,

First trip to Japan is booked minus the Disney element (waiting until slots will open up). I'm unsure on how to play this though and hoping for some advice from those with more experience than us.

We want to spend 3 nights in DL Hotel but only 2 park days.

Day A - Travel Kyoto to DL in the afternoon. Stay on site at DL hotel.
Day B - Park day. Stay on site.
Day C - Park day. Stay on site.
Day D - Check out and travel into Tokyo to start that leg of the trip.

In an ideal world, we would book the vacation package. But it looks like 2 nights is the maximum and even then you're forced to have 3 park days?

Am I misreading/overthinking it? What would you do?

Thanks

 

[soniam]

Nope. 2 nights max/package. You could book room only in addition or another package. We are doing 5 nights/4 days with a combo of 2 packages and 2 room only. Not the easiest thing to book.

 

[Nala83]

I think what you'd need to do is book a one-night vacation package for your 2nd night. That would give you the park tickets for days B and C (plus the vacation package extras). Then you'd need room only reservations for your first and last nights.

It's a royal pain. Alternately you could just book a 3-night hotel only stay and then buy your park tickets. Do you need/want the vacation package extras? I know Fantasy Springs access is now a new wrinkle in the equation...

 

[MaleDisneyBeliever]

Im thinking that because we only 1 day for each park, the vacation package extras are going to come in handy. The extra express passes. Plus we will eat on site, so getting those reservations will help too.

Its frustrating that they don't open up bookings for packages and hotel only at the same time. It gives me anxiety knowing that I could book a room and package for say the second night and not be guaranteed that room on the nights either side of it.

 

[MaleDisneyBeliever]

Thinking about it... I don't actually fully understand the restaurant reservation aspect of the vacation package either. Does it just secure your reservation? Or does it include the food too like say a dining plan at western Disney parks?

 

[djmeredith]

Thinking about it... I don't actually fully understand the restaurant reservation aspect of the vacation package either. Does it just secure your reservation? Or does it include the food too like say a dining plan at western Disney parks?

I did a VP two weeks ago and I never did figure out how to book the restaurants in advance. Hopefully, someone here can explain that for you.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I did a VP two weeks ago and I never did figure out how to book the restaurants in advance. Hopefully, someone here can explain that for you.

Restaurants on the packages can be booked in advance by folks who are booked on packages. If you look on the web site, you'll see when they open the opportunity for you to go back 'into your package' and update the package by booking some of the restaurants, if you are eligible for them on your package. For example, folks who have packages booked in October can go back into their reservations next week (6/11, I believe) and book a restaurant each day of the package - if you selected 'no restaurant' initially when you booked the package. It's a very different approach, but manageable if you pay attention to when the window opens for the packages, for the dining, and for the hotel-only reservations.

If you did your VP a couple weeks ago, that might have been for a November stay? If so, you're probably a month away from booking restaurants with your package, if you have the package that includes dining.

 

[djmeredith]

Restaurants on the packages can be booked in advance by folks who are booked on packages. If you look on the web site, you'll see when they open the opportunity for you to go back 'into your package' and update the package by booking some of the restaurants, if you are eligible for them on your package. For example, folks who have packages booked in October can go back into their reservations next week (6/11, I believe) and book a restaurant each day of the package - if you selected 'no restaurant' initially when you booked the package. It's a very different approach, but manageable if you pay attention to when the window opens for the packages, for the dining, and for the hotel-only reservations.

If you did your VP a couple weeks ago, that might have been for a November stay? If so, you're probably a month away from booking restaurants with your package, if you have the package that includes dining.

I didn't explain what I meant very well. We just returned from our trip and I knew I could book in advance. However, when I tried to book anything it said no availability. I never figured out if it was 60 or 30 days in advance, so I may have missed my chance by waiting too long. I also didn't realize how important those reservations would be. I probably would have worked a lot harder to figure it out if I had. We were able to get Oceano bkfst easily when we checked into MC but couldn't get anything in the parks after we got there.

 

[morninglemon]

I think the OP's question was whether the inclusion of the restaurant at the time of the VP reservation is just to secure the reservation or if it includes a paid meal at that restaurant. I have the same question as well.