Split stay over Christmas 2017/18 - UPDATE

[DisneyWorldMimi]

We had originally planned on going for Christmas this year and we were going to stay to include our anniversary (Jan 2nd). We reduced the length of the trip and decided to not stay as long.

Now we have had some vet bills and other things have come up and we have had to pull from our vacation fund.

We discussed it with our DD, who will be joining us with our GDD. We have decided to postpone it until Christmas of 2017 and stay until after our anniversary, which for that year will be our 25th.

We have already decided to stay at the Wilderness Lodge for Christmas - that is a definite. We are looking at 12/22/17 to 12/27/17 at the WL. Then we would change to a different resort for 12/27/17 to 1/3/18.

We really enjoy the Pop Century, but were thinking of staying at a moderate resort. We like the look of the Port Orleans Resorts. Since this part of the vacation will be about our anniversary, my DH says that I can make the decision as far as which of the two areas we will stay.

I like the intimacy of the POFQ and the pool is something that my GDD would absolutely love (she will be 7). Also being close to the Main building and the bus stop is an added plus.

I like the uniqueness of the Royal Rooms at POR and again it would be something my GDD would love. My one thing is the distance from the Main Building and the number of bus stops in the area.

I would appreciate any recommendations about either of the two resorts. Also how difficult is it to book a split stay? Can it be done online or does it have to be done by calling in? I know I could book the WL section and include the tickets and memory maker and then do a room only for the other resort by doing it online, but I would be making two deposits.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DisMommyTX]

My daughter and I stayed in a Royal Guest room at POR for our girls getaway in March. It was absolutely wonderful. I will caution you not to step too far down on a split stay. Spending the first half at a deluxe wold make a value resort room feel especially small for the second half!

We found the POR rooms very comfortable, even compared to the Poly and AKL. Each resort has different perks, but we would happily stay there again! One tip I have for you, if you choose the POR royal room, is to upgrade to a River view room if possible. These are all closest to the river, thus a relatively quick walk across the bridge to the main bus stop. Some of the Royal rooms are a lot further from everything!

 

[DisneyWorldMimi]

We have pretty much ruled out the Pop, but are undecided between POFQ and POR. I like the closeness of the POFQ. I know my GDD would love the Royal Rooms, but this part of the trip is for my DH & I for our anniversary. I will talk to him more about this as it gets closer to us being able to book the room.

Is it better to call and book the split stay, or to do it on line? I would like to go the easiest way possible. Especially since it is just one trip. Any recommendations on which is the best way to book?

 

[Oswin]

I would call to book a split stay. I second not stepping down too far for your second half of your stay, after staying at WL it may be a trip buzzkill to end up in a section of a mod that feels like a serious downgrade. POFQ is nice because the resort is compact and feels a little more intimate than POR. It is also much more quiet. The size of the resort is great, so it doesn't matter where your room is and you won't need to pay extra for a pool or river view to have a great room location. It is a downgrade from WL but it's not so much that it might be a disappointment. If you don't book the royal rooms at POR, where you know the general location of the rooms and can plan accordingly, you could end up with a standard room in a location that is awful for bus transportation and getting to the main area.

 

[aladdinsgirl]

We (DH, DS6, and myself) always book split stays, I can't remember the last vacation we took where we stayed at one resort the entire time. The most resorts we stayed at were 5 resorts over 12 days. We usually book split stays online and haven't had any issues. The reservations aren't linked in any way so there's no reason to book by phone unless you prefer to book vacations actually talking to someone. If there's any issue with magic bands or whatever, any CM you talk to will be able to pull your account up and see all the upcoming (as well as past stays), so they can fix whatever issue you might have. You will get magic bands for each resort, I decorate ours differently and they can be used interchangeably.

I hope you have a fantastic vacation! We were there this past Christmas (12/24-1/2, of course did a split stay at Coronado Springs and the Polynesian) and had one of the best trips ever and we've been close to 40 times. It is crowded, but if you make plans and have a positive attitude, the crowds don't seem that bad.

 

[Aurora0427]

POFQ is going to feel like a pretty big step down from WL, IMO. I've stayed at both. We just did not like POFQ, but I know from reading these boards, we are in the minority. I would personally choose Riverside. I think it's nicer aesthetically.

 

[DisneyWorldMimi]

Well we had booked Wilderness Lodge for 3 days to cover Christmas and then were going to move to Port Orleans, French Quarter. Unfortunately my husband was laid off at the beginning of November. There is a chance that they might have another project that they can hire him and others back for. But we are not sure when that will be. So instead of our dream trip, we have changed to Pop Century.

We are a little disappointed but we have to get our finances sorted out and manageable in case he doesn't get hired back. Their company lost a military contract to another company. His company had this contract for years, but they have let go of so many people, including their contract writers, that they got under bid.

While we won't have our dream trip this year, we know that we will eventually stay at Wilderness Lodge for Christmas.

 

[DisneyWorldMimi]

Our plans have changed once again. We now are booked in POFQ for 12/23 to 12/28. We opted to shorten our stay and save money and then found a discounted Holiday Room Only rate. I was also able to change our BOG reservations to the 27th instead of the 29th. While we wanted to stay longer, we faced reality and opted to upgrade and shorten our trip instead of struggling to pay for the longer trip.

We have had some unexpected vet expenses and it has really put a strain on our budget. Also when they stopped the Disney Vacation Account, it stopped our way of putting money aside in a manner that makes it difficult to get to instantly. To take money out of it took a few days instead of same day transfer. My husband has set up money to go into a savings account that my mum set up for me in CA, which is also harder to get to.

 

[DisneyWorldMimi]

And yet another change to our trip. Due to unforeseen expenses and now 2 hospital stays for myself, our trip is now postponed until March. BUT the money we had on the previous trip fully paid for the resort with a little left over. We are going to stay at POP with a preferred pool view and will enjoy the Flower & Garden Festival.

We will definitely plan a Christmas trip for the future so that is not completely out of written off.

 

[bumbershoot]

I really feel for you guys!!

And when vet my family starts clamoring for a cat or dog, I’m going to remind them that vet bills can be awful. (Our only pet as a family cost us quite a bit of money, so I’ve experienced it, that’s for sure)

My husband has set up money to go into a savings account that my mum set up for me in CA, which is also harder to get to.

Can I recommend moving things to a bank that’s in both places? Like Chase or another national bank? It’s good to put money aside, but if it’s difficult, then that’s silly. There are plenty of national banks.

 

[DisneyWorldMimi]

When I say difficult, we can't just walk into the bank and pull money out. I can transfer if from the CA account to our Capital One account, but it take 2-3 days to transfer. So if we need money like RIGHT NOW, we can't just pull that money out. But for our Disney trip we will have the money moved over prior to leaving. This just makes it easier for us not to dip into it. Now if we have a need like a house repair that can't wait, then we would use it. But otherwise that is allocated for Disney.

 

[coolbrook]

Greetings! I wish you a wonderful vacation at our happy place! Pop is a great choice for a happy spring vacation! The rooms are freshly redone and the pools are a lot of fun. You are going at a great time of year too. Flower and Garden at Epcot it one of my favorites for the pretty displays and the tasty snacks.

 

[DisneyWorldMimi]

We have stayed at Pop a number of times and it is our "go to" Value Resort now. Plus we love the Flower & Garden Festival. When we had FL Resident Seasonal Passes, we always made a point of going during this time. Up until 2 years ago, I had a plumeria that I purchased at the Flower & Garden Festival a number of years ago.