Worth it to add 1/2 day?

[frannn]

Just renewed APs and have a girl's trip sched in May. We'd save about 100 by flying in the night before, but have to spend about 129 for an AS resort with an AP discount. Rest of trip is at POP. My husband thinks I'm nuts and it would be a huge hassle changing resorts, etc. I think it would be an adventure because.....
1. Could add 1 day dining plan and have a crazy expensive meal next day like Toledo, plus mugs we'd buy anyway. Maybe watch fireworks from CS after dinner.
2. Have option of going to water park next morning for a short while for free.
3. Could leave bags overnight at baggage services and just take 1 carryon to room, then have everything moved to POP.

The trip is long enough without the extra night, but we've got some really stressful personal stuff going on. Would it be worth it to you? Total cost for night with DP is 335, but saving about 240 on airfare and food.

 

[kuhltiffany]

Nope. Too much added chaos! Just leave it the relaxing and organized trip it is, starting off like that will not help.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I don't know, sounds like something we'd do! You're right, a bit of an adventure. Only you can say if the extra time is worth it to you, but changing resorts is pretty simple at WDW if you understand you'll be without a room for several hours on the transition day. We do it almost every trip. On the transition day, you'd have the option of the water park (as you mention), either pool at POP or AS, or something else.

So why not a little bonus time?! An extra $100 for the extra time, including dinner? Yea, that sounds fun. It's only as stressful as you allow it to be......!

 

[gmi3804]

I'd rather slam my hand in a car door than switch resorts.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I always fly in the night before and stay at a different less expensive hotel. Usually the swan using points.

I like it because you get a full first day. When I fly in that first day I’m either exhausted from an early morning flight or I feel like it’s a wasted day because I fly out later to not be exhausted and lose most of the day.

I fly southwest so luggage isn’t an issue. I pack what I need for day one in carry on and the rest of my stuff in my regular luggage so I’m only using the small luggage on day one which makes packing to move easy. Coming home that gives me the carry on for anything I buy so I never have to worry about luggage space.

I usually stay at boardwalk so I just walk over with my luggage, easy peasy.

If you can afford it I highly recommend it. It makes for an easy start to vacation.

 

[Disneylover99]

You’re flying in a day earlier and staying one night at a different resort. Easy.
It doesn’t sound like a hassle to me.
I’d do it.

 

[Karalee402]

This sounds like just exactly an adventure we'd get ourselves into. For such a small price difference, I'd add extra time at Disney in a heartbeat! It's honestly very easy to have bell services move your stuff and having just a carry one for night one seems like a perfect plan. I would definitely do it!

 

[DisneyMom93]

I would do it. My only issue personally if I was doing it is I wipe down all the touch surfaces with Clorox wipes when I check in. Having to do that twice would not be fun. Lol

Although I am doing our first split stay (at Universal Studios) this year so I’m doing it anyway.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

We've done something similar a few times when we've rented DVC points. It just made sense to us to arrive the night before so we could get in a full park day.

We'd get an afternoon flight after school let out for the kids. Check into a value or moderate. Get a decent night's rest. Check out early in the morning and take a Lyft to the DVC. Check in regardless of room readiness. Drop off bags with concierge and then head into the parks.

 

[DWillowBay]

Chaos galore and...in essence...you would not be 'saving' any money at all and, in fact, spending more. Nope. Go with your original plan without all the hassle. But...have a great trip!

 

[Little E]

I am with you OP...embrace the adventure! I would totally do anything that would give me a little longer at WDW, especially for such a small price difference. Go for it!

 

[We’reAllMadHere]

I don’t find changing hotels to be a hassle at all except for not having a room for 4 hours when I’d be at the park anyway.

 

[focusondisney]

Just renewed APs and have a girl's trip sched in May. We'd save about 100 by flying in the night before, but have to spend about 129 for an AS resort with an AP discount. Rest of trip is at POP. My husband thinks I'm nuts and it would be a huge hassle changing resorts, etc. I think it would be an adventure because.....
1. Could add 1 day dining plan and have a crazy expensive meal next day like Toledo, plus mugs we'd buy anyway. Maybe watch fireworks from CS after dinner.
2. Have option of going to water park next morning for a short while for free.
3. Could leave bags overnight at baggage services and just take 1 carryon to room, then have everything moved to POP.

The trip is long enough without the extra night, but we've got some really stressful personal stuff going on. Would it be worth it to you? Total cost for night with DP is 335, but saving about 240 on airfare and food.

So your husband isn’t going anyway? I’d do it if he’s not gonna be there & be miserable anyway. My son & DIL have done the same thing before a DVC stay too for the same reasons…getting the mugs & a day of meals. Just getting the refillable mugs included will take away some of the difference you’ll spend.

It’s really easy to have your luggage moved & with online check in, you don’t have to wait in lines at the front desk for checkin. So not a hassle to move resorts. As for not having a room on change day…chances are good you’d have to wait for a room on arrival day anyway. So that’s a negligible issue IMO.

Good luck deciding & have a fun trip!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

For one night I would do it. It won't be a huge hassle because you could just pack an overnight bag and live out of that for the first day, and you can take advantage of the WP perk!

 

[Mle8308]

Don't forget to add in the tip for the crazy expensive dinner at Toledo, as it is no longer included. I'd do it, you probably won't save money, but you'd have time to do things you may not normally do or experience.

 

[hes122]

I don't have a trip planned for anytime soon, so I'm not here as much as usual these days, BUT.... does the free day at a water park apply to ALL resort reservations or only ones with a ticket package included? It seems like OP (reading between the lines here) is planning to use that free water park day, but with APs, I wasn't sure those were included.

 

[Mle8308]

I don't have a trip planned for anytime soon, so I'm here as much as usual these days, BUT.... does the free day at a water park apply to ALL resort reservations or only ones with a ticket package included? It seems like OP (reading between the lines here) is planning to use that free water park day, but with APs, I wasn't sure those were included.

Any Disney resort reservation. Doesn't matter if you have an AP or not, all that is required is you have a room reservation at a Disney owned resort.

 

[Headless]

Wife and I are doing just this. We normally Red eye in from the west coast but for whatever reason those flights were not an option this time around. We are also meeting family for this trip so I didn't want to lose a day for travel so instead we are flying in a day early, landing like 630PM, and I booked us a separate room instead of extending the one we will be in for this trip.

We are doing AKL with my sister and her boys so we have a 2 bedroom and to save points I went normal view. With this added day I got us a studio with a savannah view so we can have that experience and be lazy that night/next morning. We will bring our bags down and go to the waterpark while we wait for family to arrive and the room to be ready.

As for doing different resorts last two years we've done split stays by choice letting us experience more resorts and the whole process is a cake walk. One thing to ease any potential stress is to just uber between the resorts instead of doing Disney transportation. it cost me 10 dollars this last trip and saved most likely an hour which we spent eating breakfast after checking in and leaving our bags.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I always end up adding days, changing DVC resorts, ADR's etc and regret doing it every single time! DH always does an eye roll but goes along with it.

In October we spent 1 night at SSR, 3 nights at Poly and 3 nights at AKV (1 BR). Our son was there for a conference and DIL decided to fly in a night after he did and a day before we did LOL! We had them set up at SSR so it seemed logical to get an extra day since we were "right next door". It really didn't change much as we had an ADR for Topolino's for dinner anyway, were spending 1 day at EPCOT since they had to get back and another ADR for breakfast at Topolino's. I guess it was an additional $600 or so. SWA flight down sucked as we arrived at 5 pm.

Get your free water park in and call it a day IMO!

 

[frannn]

Thanks do much for all your thoughts! I booked the extra night with the DP yesterday. Then the flights went down 60 in total today so I have a credit towards our next trip