So today my principal denied my request to miss two days of school in May to go to WDW for my birthday. He said it was just too close to exams for me to miss two days in a row without a medical need. While I’m upset, I understand. Now my focus turns to moving my trip to a date over the summer. I know that the heat over the summer can be like walking on the surface of the sun but it is what it is.
So what I need from you is…
We would be switching from CBR to ASMo. The only room category available for the week we are looking at is preferred. DH really likes Sorcerer Mickey so room suggestions in that section are appreciated.
Would you recommend park hopper? We had it in Nov '16 because of the MVMCP messing with MK days but this trip there shouldn’t be interruptions like that to worry about.
DH and I (no kids) are usually RD to park close people. Can that be done in the summer or are we crazy to try this?
We have paid for most of our trip using Disney Gift Cards. Will this cause any issues when we go to move the trip dates?
Thanks for all the continued help and support. I’m bummed that my countdown is extending but at least I’ll still have one.
While I can’t help with 1 & 4 unfortunately, here’s my recs for 2 & 3:
2 - I love the flexibility of getting a park hopper, especially in the summer (when hours are sometimes later, and you can enjoy a nighttime show or fireworks in another park). If you’re working out your budget, I’d weigh getting a park hopper against any upcharge events you may be considering
3 - Yes. It’s hot and gross and can get packed (especially during the afternoon), but I like to find quiet or less well-traveled spots to rest for an hour or so that take the place of a hotel return/nap/swim. For example, Rafiki’s Planet Watch/Conservation Station is a great way to beat the heat at AK and spend some time sitting, relaxing, and exploring a smaller, climate controlled area. Same with American Adventure at Epcot, or strolling over to the Boardwalk for a sit and a drink in the afternoon. Just my two cents, but building a plan and sticking to it helps me get through open-to-close in the heat
Depending on when in July you’re going, I would reach out to MVT to see if they have any deals then. We’re going in mid-July and they had some nice offers available that may allow an upgrade from ASMo for a similar price. Basically I know there’s a discount window open around 7/14 and on - check if they still have availability and a good offer for your dates…
We always value park hoppers due to the flexibility especially in dining. We can eat at Epcot on “other park days” with no worries. Given it is the summer and you’re worried about being able to last in the parks without a break anyway, they make more sense than usual for you on this trip.
This will be our first summer trip as well so I’m going to be interested just how miserable hot and humid is for our touring and how our park behavior changes as a result…
No suggestions for room choices but I love Sorcerer Mickey and did not realize this was a thing at ASMo (have not yet stayed there). I would request same!
When traveling with family I don’t find hopper very useful. We tend to prefer to do the one park all day/evening sometimes with midday break, sometimes with late start, etc. We got them once when we had to for “free dining” and we still really didn’t use them. I did use the hopper feature a lot when I traveled solo as I was meeting up with friends all over the World throughout the weekend.
In summer we find that RD-Close is just not possible. The heat and sun zap us tremendously. So we opt for midday breaks to swim and refresh (and frankly, change clothes because PU!) Pack twice as much clothes or plan to do laundry midway through, whichever you prefer.
I’m not sure about the gift card thing but I’d love to know!
I’m 50/50 on the park hopper usage. If it was just DH and I on the trip, I would probably do Park Hopper so we could hit Epcot any night we wanted. I love WS. There just isn’t enough time in any one trip to explore all the different food and drink choices!
Look on the bright side, we’ll be at ASS from 6/17 - 6/22. The heat is not that bad in June, July and August is another story. I don’t handle heat that well so FREE ICE WATER is a plus, also sunglasses, a hat, air condition shows help. Park hoppers are a good idea they give you the option of switching parks if one is getting packed. We use them to make up what might have been missed or something we want to do again.
we had to change our trip from Nov 17 to Apr 18 and we paid in full (we changed 2 weeks beforehand) and what they did was refund our trip to us in new Giftcards (I didn’t save all the giftcards I used, they said it would have been easier, but frankly having a few $1,000 gift cards versus reading back all those cards was easier for me!) So we put the deposit down on a credit card for the “new” reservation and then when the gift cards arrived we placed it on the new reservation. It had to be done all over the phone versus online but it was pretty painless.
