Geek husband and I have decided to take advantage of some of the offers Disney are currently promoting in the UK – and are hoping that the two (maybe 3) weddings that our friends have not yet set dates for won’t coincide with our trip. So now we have to make decisions on when to go and which hotel – I thought I had it all sorted and then Disney went and brought out another offer and we’re back to the starting point.
When?
Our choices are:
- the first two weeks in September 2011 – this was the time we visited last year and it was perfect. The weather was ok – HOT, but manageable and we had some rain but not enough to dampen the fun. But the best bit was the crowds – most of the schools in the States were back in session, plus ours were starting to go back too, so the parks were definitely at a much lower capacity than I’ve ever seen them. We didn’t wait more than 20 minutes for a single ride. That’s a lie -we did once for Toy Story Mania, but it was only because I love it and wanted one more go before we left, so it was worth it! We park hopped to all 4 parks in one day and did all the big hitters, and we went on Buzz Lightyear 5 times in a row without having to wait and we got so much done that we were able to take it much easier than we have in the past. Having that kind of attendance again is definitely appealing.
- two weeks during the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot next year. We’ve never been to the Food and Wine Festival so that definitely has appeal – especially considering we’re quite big foodies. I’ve never been in October but the weather doesn’t seem too bad, according to reports. But if we go then, our flights will be more expensive, plus we’ll spend money on the festivals activities etc, and we also might not make the most of our Dining Plan. But it would be nice to do something new.
Ooh, can’t decide!
Where?
Well we pretty much always stay in a moderate resort. Disney’s current 15% off offer includes the Port Orleans resorts, so the decision came down to between Riverside or French Quarter. We love Riverside (it’s our favourite moderate of those we’ve stayed at) but we’ve never stayed at the French Quarter before so I thought this one was going to be easy – that’s the obvious choice. Plus we would upgrade from the free quick service dining plan to the regular.
Then Disney stumped us by bringing out the ‘Save 50% off deal’ which gets you a big discount on either Old Key West or Saratoga Springs. We’d be getting the regular dining plan free. So in total, the price of a studio room with dining here becomes the same (actually about £20 cheaper) than staying at French Quarter and upgrading the dining plan.
I actually don’t have a clue right now which one of these to go for. Between Old Key West and Saratoga, for some reason, Saratoga Springs appeals a little more. But between Saratoga and French Quarter? We wont do any cooking on site, so the kitchenette is a little wasted on us. The idea that it’s ‘deluxe’ does make it sound like a great deal, but in reality, I’m not sure it offers much more – although a balcony/patio would be nice – but not if its overlooking the car park. We’ve done a bit of exploring here and the site seems pretty big, so Disney transport may take some time, but then at French Quarter is also has to go around all of the Riverside stops, so that can also take a while. We don’t really use the hotel amenities that much – we’re mainly at the parks, so really it’s the room that’s the big factor, although the food court can be great for grabbing brekkie.
I just don’t know!
