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Post by christine58 on Oct 16, 2016 2:27:16 GMT
A friend and I are thinking of going and relaxing by the pools etc. Here's my question---if we stay onsite someplace, does the price include daily admission to the parks?? We are thinking of only doing Epcot and Animal Kingdom and spending time just relaxing, swimming, sunning etc. I have not been in over 10 years. A bunch of us stayed at the All Star Sports.
I checked the Disboards and was really overwhelmed..LOL
thanks
Oh and any ideas of where to stay??
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Post by supersoda on Oct 16, 2016 2:29:51 GMT
No, not unless you book a package. Park admission will be in addition to your hotel cost.
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Post by melanell on Oct 16, 2016 2:30:05 GMT
The park tickets are a separate expense from the hotel, even if you stay on property.
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Post by littlemama on Oct 16, 2016 2:32:10 GMT
No, your hotel does not include park admission. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort (in 2007) because it was centrally located. It is a moderate resort. For adults only, I wouldn't stay at a value resort, I would go moderate or higher, whatever you can comfortably afford.
Epcot is our favorite Disney Park, and you can easily spend two days there. Animal Kingdom, at the time we went, was at best, a half day park. I like to get the park hopper tickets, so if we want to just catch the fireworks at one park or just have dinner at one, we don't have to limit ourselves to that one park the the day.
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Post by houston249 on Oct 16, 2016 2:35:32 GMT
Your park tickets are NOT included with the on site rooms. Just a heads up and I maybe wrong, i recall the animal park closes at 3 in the afternoon.
If either of you are a Dod employee, a dependant or military (active or retired) I would recommend Shades of Green which is on property.
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Post by christine58 on Oct 16, 2016 2:36:21 GMT
No, your hotel does not include park admission. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort (in 2007) because it was centrally located. It is a moderate resort. For adults only, I wouldn't stay at a value resort, I would go moderate or higher, whatever you can comfortably afford. Epcot is our favorite Disney Park, and you can easily spend two days there. Animal Kingdom, at the time we went, was at best, a half day park. I like to get the park hopper tickets, so if we want to just catch the fireworks at one park or just have dinner at one, we don't have to limit ourselves to that one park the the day. Thanks!!! I have a good friend who is a Disney travel person through AAA. Any hotel suggestions??? Park hopper sounds like a great idea! |
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Post by cannmom on Oct 16, 2016 3:05:29 GMT
Park admission becomes cheaper with more days. For example, a 2 day ticket is is $202, 3 day $290, 4 day $325, 5 day $340 with out park hoppers. In my opinion it's worth it to spend the extra $138 for 3 more days. Your park tickets are NOT included with the on site rooms. Just a heads up and I maybe wrong, i recall the animal park closes at 3 in the afternoon. If either of you are a Dod employee, a dependant or military (active or retired) I would recommend Shades of Green which is on property. Shades of Green is an excellent choice for military. Animal Kingdom does not close at 3:00 PM. Today it's open until 8:30 PM. We like Port Orleans French Quarter or Riverside. They are both excellent moderate resorts. If you are really looking more for pool time and not really interested in the parks I would probably not stay at a Disney resort. You can probably find cheaper options off-site. Go on the official Disney website and you can price out options and look at all the different resorts. Planning a Disney trip is one of my favorite parts of the trip. |
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Post by dnkmmw on Oct 16, 2016 3:28:49 GMT
Your park tickets are NOT included with the on site rooms. Just a heads up and I maybe wrong, i recall the animal park closes at 3 in the afternoon. If either of you are a Dod employee, a dependant or military (active or retired) I would recommend Shades of Green which is on property. Animal Kingdom doesn't normally close at 3. In times I've been there, it's always been open until at least 5. Now, they are starting some night activities and it's usually open until 8. The Boardwalk or Beach Club would be a good choice for walking to and from Epcot. I've never stayed at either but have visited the resorts. Animal Kingdom Lodge is nice and quiet, but you'll spend more time on a bus to the parks. It's very close to Animal Kingdom, but there isn't a walking path. |
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PaperAngel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,348
Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 16, 2016 4:38:12 GMT
Admission is not included in onsite hotel prices. Check out the WDW Swan & Dolphin Hotels, which are family-friendly but seem to attract more adult & business travelers than the other onsite hotels.
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 2:06:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2016 13:01:12 GMT
Seriously? Not included?
I almost had a thought of going. Almost, but this thread has convinced me that Disney never needs to see any of my money.
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,134 
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Post by iowgirl on Oct 16, 2016 13:41:06 GMT
Double check your resort for construction. If you are wanting to relax poolside, make sure the pool attached to your resort is actually open. There is constant maintenance and renovation going on, so it doesn't hurt to double check that your resort/pool is not affected.
We stayed at Port Orleans recently and loved it. You have a little bit longer bus ride to some of the parks, but it's not bad.
We also get the Disney Dining Plan. I am not sure it is a huge money saver, but it is fantastic to have it paid for before you go and you can just enjoy yourself. We get the middle package that includes a snack, a quick service meal, and a table service meal.
We then go online and book our reservations at the places we want to eat. Then there is no waiting. You can switch/cancel reservations up to 24 hours in advance (I think it's 24 hours).
We used the snack credit for a bagel or roll for breakfast. You get a refillable mug with your package (works only at the resort you are staying at for the time you have booked - they have RFID chips in them.)
Do you know about Magic Bands? They are really nice. You will get them in advance after booking your trip. They will unlock your room, have your dining plan on them (if you choose to have one). You use them to get into the parks. You can book fast passes and you use the magic band to scan in to the line for those. Super handy!
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
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Post by pridemom on Oct 16, 2016 13:45:53 GMT
Double check your resort for construction. If you are wanting to relax poolside, make sure the pool attached to your resort is actually open. There is constant maintenance and renovation going on, so it doesn't hurt to double check that your resort/pool is not affected. We stayed at Port Orleans recently and loved it. You have a little bit longer bus ride to some of the parks, but it's not bad. We also get the Disney Dining Plan. I am not sure it is a huge money saver, but it is fantastic to have it paid for before you go and you can just enjoy yourself. We get the middle package that includes a snack, a quick service meal, and a table service meal. We then go online and book our reservations at the places we want to eat. Then there is no waiting. You can switch/cancel reservations up to 24 hours in advance (I think it's 24 hours). We used the snack credit for a bagel or roll for breakfast. You get a refillable mug with your package (works only at the resort you are staying at for the time you have booked - they have RFID chips in them.) Do you know about Magic Bands? They are really nice. You will get them in advance after booking your trip. They will unlock your room, have your dining plan on them (if you choose to have one). You use them to get into the parks. You can book fast passes and you use the magic band to scan in to the line for those. Super handy! The dining plan just changed, so carefully read all information before purchasing. |
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Post by leslie132 on Oct 16, 2016 13:58:45 GMT
I love ALL things Disney. My husband and I stayed over night as a stop over between our cruise and heading home. It was an adult trip that meant we didn't travel to parks, but instead toured around different resorts to see if any interest us for our next visit. If money isn't an issue I would stay at the Boardwalk. The feel to me was very relaxed and vacation like. Plus the bakery on the boardwalk makes it a win!!
If I wanted to spend a little less it would be the French Quarter/Riverside. Followed closely by the Caribbean Beach Resort (my husband will vouch for their drinks at the pool bar)
Tickets are not included and need to be bought seperately. I'm jealous if you are doing Epcot. As a child I hated Epcot. As an adult I love it there!!!
Any questions feel free to send me a PM.
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 2:06:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2016 14:05:16 GMT
Seriously? Not included?
I almost had a thought of going. Almost, but this thread has convinced me that Disney never needs to see any of my money.
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Post by christine58 on Oct 16, 2016 14:06:24 GMT
We really just want a place to relax, do a park or two, hang out,relax, drink,relax....LOL.
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Post by dnkmmw on Oct 16, 2016 14:58:50 GMT
Seriously? Not included? I almost had a thought of going. Almost, but this thread has convinced me that Disney never needs to see any of my money. I don't think it makes sense for them to include admission. People do stay at Disney resorts without going to the parks. Additionally, others have annual passes and don't need admission tickets. Tickets can be purchased at a discount from AAA, some corporations have discounts for employees and there a few public places to buy tickets at a discount. If admission was included it would take options away from people and the parks would be even more crowded. |
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Post by supersoda on Oct 16, 2016 15:02:52 GMT
Seriously? Not included? I almost had a thought of going. Almost, but this thread has convinced me that Disney never needs to see any of my money. I don't understand. You're going to pay $200+ per night for a Disney hotel--somewhat higher but generally comparable to what you would pay for any other hotel. Park tickets start at $100 per person for a single day at a single park and go up (in total, but less per diem) from there. Disney certainly isn't screwing anyone over by not including the park admission in the room price--they would be losing money to do so. The only difference between staying in a Disney hotel and an offsite hotel is that you *may* be closer to certain Disney properties and you get more of that Disney ambiance. (I've done both. Probably would only stay onsite again if I got a great package deal because our offsite room was much larger and just as close to most of the parks.) And other parks don't include park admission, either. We've stayed on site at Universal and park admission was separate from our hotel cost. I know Schlitterbahn is the same as well. It is not the norm to include park admission with the price of a hotel. |
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Post by dnkmmw on Oct 16, 2016 15:07:53 GMT
Seriously? Not included? I almost had a thought of going. Almost, but this thread has convinced me that Disney never needs to see any of my money. I don't understand. You're going to pay $200+ per night for a Disney hotel--somewhat higher but generally comparable to what you would pay for any other hotel. Park tickets start at $100 per person for a single day at a single park and go up (in total, but less per diem) from there. Disney certainly isn't screwing anyone over by not including the park admission in the room price--they would be losing money to do so. The only difference between staying in a Disney hotel and an offsite hotel is that you *may* be closer to certain Disney properties and you get more of that Disney ambiance. (I've done both. Probably would only stay onsite again if I got a great package deal because our offsite room was much larger and just as close to most of the parks.) And other parks don't include park admission, either. We've stayed on site at Universal and park admission was separate from our hotel cost. I know Schlitterbahn is the same as well. It is not the norm to include park admission with the price of a hotel. I'm a DVC member so only stay onsite am curious about other resorts. Do other resorts have something similar to Magical Express? I know it's not a make-it or break-it benefit, but it's so nice not to have to worry about checked bags. On another note, I totally agree that it's pretty rare to have admission tickets for anything included with a hotel stay unless you buy a package. |
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Post by supersoda on Oct 16, 2016 15:44:33 GMT
I don't understand. You're going to pay $200+ per night for a Disney hotel--somewhat higher but generally comparable to what you would pay for any other hotel. Park tickets start at $100 per person for a single day at a single park and go up (in total, but less per diem) from there. Disney certainly isn't screwing anyone over by not including the park admission in the room price--they would be losing money to do so. The only difference between staying in a Disney hotel and an offsite hotel is that you *may* be closer to certain Disney properties and you get more of that Disney ambiance. (I've done both. Probably would only stay onsite again if I got a great package deal because our offsite room was much larger and just as close to most of the parks.) And other parks don't include park admission, either. We've stayed on site at Universal and park admission was separate from our hotel cost. I know Schlitterbahn is the same as well. It is not the norm to include park admission with the price of a hotel. I'm a DVC member so only stay onsite am curious about other resorts. Do other resorts have something similar to Magical Express? I know it's not a make-it or break-it benefit, but it's so nice not to have to worry about checked bags. On another note, I totally agree that it's pretty rare to have admission tickets for anything included with a hotel stay unless you buy a package. Idk about Magical Express. That's not a feature we used anyway. They definitely have shuttle services. You also get the extra magic hours staying on site. I guess my point was that the separate hotel/park ticket business model isn't really taking advantage of anybody. There are other benefits to staying in the park hotels. You can pretty much pay whatever you want for a hotel in Orlando. It's just a matter of what amenities you want. Park tickets don't vary much, though. |
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,134
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Post by iowgirl on Oct 16, 2016 17:52:14 GMT
The dining plan just changed, so carefully read all information before purchasing. Thanks for the heads up. Can you elaborate in what has changed? |
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by pridemom on Oct 16, 2016 18:15:01 GMT
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Grom Pea
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,944
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Post by Grom Pea on Oct 16, 2016 19:23:11 GMT
Seriously? Not included? I almost had a thought of going. Almost, but this thread has convinced me that Disney never needs to see any of my money. I've never seen this anywhere, even when you go to the grand canyon the entrance fee to the park is not included if you stay at the on-site hotel at the north rim. This isn't some Disney injustice, Disney hotels are much closer in Florida to the parks than off site hotels. I've only had the good fortune to stay on-site once when a friend used her dvc points but it was way nicer and closer than anything I've stayed at off site. |
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,134
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Post by iowgirl on Oct 16, 2016 19:30:46 GMT
Thanks - nothing too major. We were there last March 2016. Loved having the dining plan! |
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Post by Tamhugh on Oct 16, 2016 20:31:57 GMT
Disclaimer: We love Disney.
However, they have raised prices so much that it makes it very difficult for the average family to go. And the little niceties that they add and make it seem like a huge favor to you, like Magical Express? That is a nice convenience for the visitors but it is also a great way for Disney to keep you trapped on their grounds. It was no coincidence that they added it around the time when the Universal parks were becoming more popular and people were staying at Disney and driving to the other parks. Again, we love Disney. We go every year. But for just an adult, relax at the pool type of vacation, I would choose a different spot.
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 2:06:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2016 0:23:10 GMT
I am glad that it has been pointed out that admission is not part of staying at the Disney hotels.
I really thought that was the reason to stay at the park!
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Post by freecharlie on Oct 17, 2016 1:25:30 GMT
I am glad that it has been pointed out that admission is not part of staying at the Disney hotels. I really thought that was the reason to stay at the park! It is more convenient,you can get magic hours, book your restaurants and fast passes earlier, don't have to pay to park |
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Post by melanell on Oct 17, 2016 1:33:52 GMT
Port Orleans is our favorite resort. As for the dining plan, DH & I actually sat down and quickly added up costs for us to pay for our meals as we go, or to use the dining plan, and we'd actually spend more to use the dining plan. Since we're not big fans of the plan to begin with, we definitely don't want to pay extra to have it.  |
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Post by dnkmmw on Oct 17, 2016 1:36:19 GMT
I am glad that it has been pointed out that admission is not part of staying at the Disney hotels. I really thought that was the reason to stay at the park! It is more convenient,you can get magic hours, book your restaurants and fast passes earlier, don't have to pay to park Guests also don't have to worry about any transportation within WDW once landing at the airport. I personally think there's great themes at the resorts and some really great restaurants at many of the resorts. To each their own, of course. |
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