11 Days in the Parks?

[discodad]

We are heading to DW in May for a 10-night stay. Due to a change in flights, we will have time to spend 11 full days in the parks. We have been told we can only purchase a 10-day park hopper and we will have to pay full price for an additional day. Is there any way to get an extra day without paying the $300+ it will cost for our family of four? An annual pass won't be cost effective because we won't be back again this year. We know we could skip a day during the stay, but we would rather be in the theme parks.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[GBBT]

You could go Resort hopping and and check out the different themes.:thumbsup:

[lettripp]

I know it is tough to imagine a trip without the opportunity to visit a park every single day, but the reality is there are so many things you can do outside of the parks!

You could:

--Buy a single day water-park pass for the extra day

--DisneyQuest is always an option... or a general Downtown Disney day

--Tour the resorts... the boat ride from DTD to POR is lovely and with the right guide, educational! Monorail rides are also always nice...

--Go play mini golf

--Hang out on the Boardwalk

-- Hike around the lakes or at FW



Or any combination of the above! Honestly, I relish the thought of a miscellaneous day at Disney to sleep in, casually visit the pool and enjoy as we go.

I hope this helps!

[Goofy4TheWorld]

There is no way to get that 11th day any cheaper than $300+. I assume that you are planning to spend all 10/11 days at the 4 main parks and not so any water parks, right?

If you are not doing water parks, you are out of luck for 11 days in MK/AK/HS/EPCOT.

[wdwnomad]

I'd take a day for the water parks. They are alot of fun. Other than that you could on your last day go to Downtown Disney.

[Julie_Mouse]

Another vote for the water parks. Maybe split a day between the water parks and DTD? They really are fantastic :mickey:

Not sure when in May you're going, but I was in WDW the first week of May in 2008, and it was plenty warm enough to enjoy the water parks! I'm sure if you're going any later in May, it will only be nicer :)

[discodad]

Thanks for the ideas. We have thought of a lot of those, but we don't want to miss a dining opportunity. It seems like there should be a way to add a day without starting over. It is hard to imagine being that close and not going into the theme parks.

[queenmom9497]

Would about Universal? Just for a change. Blasphemy on Intercot.

We always try to plan for a "day" at just the resort for relaxtion.

Otherwise ... I like the "resort hopping" idea or a day at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon.

DTD can be an all day excursion.

I am sure whatever you choose will be a magical day. Good Luck!

[DizneyRox]

This is one of those times I would pull out the extra single day tickets I accumulated over the years.

Yeah, US residents aren't given an option for more than a 10 day ticket. Now, if you were coming from England!

An AP might not be all that much out of range. Remember park hopping is included, and if you went with a TiW card you could save 20% off TS meals (if you aren't on the DDP). That 20% is also off beverages and apps as well.

May not be in the cards, but a quick run of the numbers may proe it to be a little more reasonable than you think.

[JoF]

As disneyrox states - in the UK we can get 14 or 21 day ultimate tickets - which includes water parks and disney quest and has the park hopper option :thumbsup:
Having said that we always schedule in a couple of non-disney days.
I personally love Typhoon Lagoon, so I would go there and head over to DTD afterwards - still disney so you don't get withdrawal symptoms!

[RobinRocksDisney]

I hear what you are saying about being so close to the parks and not going to them, but honestly, you will NEED a day off and a day to just CHILL.

We have been home for 3 days now and my legs are still killing me (walk walk walk and walk some more)!!

I went to City Walk to visit the Hard Rock Cafe Orlando, very cool FREE outdoor shopping experience and I think by the time you visit, the Harry Potter ride will be open there (sorry Intercot, hope I'm not breaking any rules).

[wdwjoe]

We usually enter the parks every day too, but if it cost that much extra, we would do a day like this:

-Sleep in!!!
-Go for a run or walk around our resort
-Head to DTD for a CS lunch and shopping
-Play mini golf
-head to a monoral resort for a TS meal
-watch wishes from the beach at Poly
-watch electric water pageant from beach

[Tygger7]

We're basically in the same situation for our trip in May...staying 11 nights/11 days. I'll echo what others have said...you cannot get the extra day any cheaper...your only option is an annual pass if you want to go the "cheapest" route.

As for us, yes, I hate not having a day at the parks..but we're going to use that day to do the Wilderness Segway Tour and rest at our resort. There are TONS of dining options without going to the park...you can easily spend a day at Downtown Disney and the Boardwalk and not feel like you're missing anything. There are so many wonderful places to eat outside of the parks, so don't feel like you have to be at a park to have a good meal.

There is so much to do that you honestly won't feel like you're missing the parks...so in addition to the water park suggestions, look into some of the other activities, such as the tours, water sports, and shows (Cirque du Soleil, Hoop Dee Doo Review, etc.)

[Giggy]

I would use the 11th day as a water park day, Bliazzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are both brilliant with awesome rides and breath-taking scenery. We normally do both but mix it so that we spend half a day at a water park and half a day elsewhere. If you were feeling adventurous though you could do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They could also be combined with Downtown Disney, Disney Quest or one of the other activities.

In Britain we get (as someone already said) a 14 or 21 day pass which give sunlimited access to all of WDW over that time. We are using the 14 day pass this year when we go for a couple of weeks in September and October. So my final piece of advice: be British! :D

[DisneyPrincess21]

I would personally spend the extra day sightseeing Orlando area. There is a ton to do in the area and a vacation to Florida, wouldn't be complete for me without getting at least one sightseeing day.

Why not take a day off midway between your stay? Sleep in, Go shopping, swim at your pool, go to DTD, catch a movie at DTD amc theater, go to the water parks, go to Disney Quest, See La Nouba, resort hop, Also there are tons of places to visit outside of WDW, like the local shops and restaurants.

I could think of hundreds of things to do with that extra day.There is a ton to do in the area without having to spend the extra money on the extra day ticket.

[Gator]

Here's a couple of things:

If you're a Florida Gator fan (and you should be :D), rent a car and head up to Gainesville and visit the stadium. It's pretty cool. Then on the way back, go to St Augustine (oldest city in the US) and get some fantastic seafood at the Santa Maria.

The other option would be to head to the Kennedy Space Center at the Cape. It has a lot of cool stuff worth seeing and it closes about 5pm. That way, you can get back to WDW for a late dinner.

Also, if you're a religious person, you can find a local church to hit on Sunday. That way you can repent for cursing under your breath at all those people who crowded you and cut in line during the previous week :blush:

[11290]

I'd take one day and go to the West Coast and enjoy the white sand beaches. You could go East but the sand is brown. (white sand goes between the toes and brown sand goes into concrete). Go to the old fort south of St. Petersburg or take in a baseball game in St. Pete.

Go to Windermere and try to find Tiger's house in IsleWorth.

[CaptSmee]

we go for 9+ days every time that we visit. however, we also rent a car for a couple days to visit non-Disney attractions, the outlets, spend time with local friends, enjoy the waterparks and downtown disney. we also visit our favorite parks multiple times, splitting the park into sections for each time we visit. IE: world showcase 1 day, future world another day.

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Here's a couple of things:

If you're a Florida Gator fan (and you should be :D), Put on your jorts, rent a car and head up to Gainesville and visit the stadium. It's pretty cool. Then on the way back, go to St Augustine (oldest city in the US) and get some fantastic seafood at the Santa Maria.

The other option would be to head to the Kennedy Space Center at the Cape. It has a lot of cool stuff worth seeing and it closes about 5pm. That way, you can get back to WDW for a late dinner.

Also, if you're a religious person, you can find a local church to hit on Sunday. That way you can repent for cursing under your breath at all those people who crowded you and cut in line during the previous week :blush:

Fixed it for you.

Seriously, a "do nothing" day mid trip may be a good idea.

[TheVBs]

Thanks for the ideas. We have thought of a lot of those, but we don't want to miss a dining opportunity. It seems like there should be a way to add a day without starting over. It is hard to imagine being that close and not going into the theme parks.

Downtown Disney has some great dining options, Ragland Road, Wolfgang Puck's, T-Rex. So you could spend a day shopping and not miss out on a great meal. :mickey:

[Ms. Mode]

We spent our extra day (it was winter so no water parks) at DTD and then went to The Contemporary for a character meal with Chef Mickey.

Our next trip, we are going to do a tour. Some of them do not required a park ticket. :mickey:

[Imagineer1981]

Downtown Disney has some great dining options, Ragland Road, Wolfgang Puck's, T-Rex. So you could spend a day shopping and not miss out on a great meal. :mickey:

The resorts have amazing dining options as well!!!

[TinyDancer]

What time to you arrive? We have discovered that NOT going to a park the second we get to WDW makes for a much more relaxing trip. We're usually up that first day around 3am to get the flight and not much sleeping goes on becuase we're so excited. We've started using that first day to do things we wouldn't normally "waste" park time doing like resort hopping and going to DTD, and we've found ourselves to be much happier campers by the end of the trip having transitioned into it!

[discodad]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I called DW today and found that by purchasing an annual pass, it actually gave us a huge discount on our room package. We got the annual passess for a total of about $200 more than our original reservation without losing anything. Now we are talking about returning within the year. I was surprised at the discount the AP gave us. Might have to do that every year from now on.

[faline]

Glad it all worked out for you. We often purchase annual passes but generally try to get more than one trip in on a set of passes. This truly makes it worthwhile for us regardless of whether or not annual pass room discounts are available.

[megustamex]

We always use our annual pass at least twice in the years we buy it. It's amazing how cheap that second trip is when you don't need to buy park passes AND you're getting a discounted room.

[DizneyRox]

... I called DW today and found that by purchasing an annual pass, it actually gave us a huge discount on our room package. We got the annual passess for a total of about $200 more than our original reservation without losing anything.
Hmmm... That's an interesting idea, wish I thought of that!?! :D

A lot of people discount the AP due to the price, but if you play your cards right, its often a really good deal. Dont forget to look into the TiW card as well, if you really are room only, that might get you a decent discount on your sit down leals (if you hae any).

[Laughin' place]

Im glad you figured it out. I, a usually super-savy obsessive Disney vet, failed to in 2008.
First off, I really think eliminating the length of stay pass is a mistake. I loved that option, and feel a little put off by the current situation. The annual pass is a pretty good option for those of us who prefer 11+ day stays, but I like the length of stay better.
Anyhow, in June of 08, it was my first trip with new wife and two stepsons. For a variety of reasons, I lost track of our "day count", and we slipped into Epcot one night for just an hour or two.
Now, I am both a hard-bitten stoic and a Big Disney Kid. Our last day (when I am usually sad and a little misty anyhow) was going to be spent at our favorite park MK. We took the "last" boat ride from Ft W to the MK, and I was already pretty emotional. It had been a great trip, one unlikely to ever be repeated. My youngest (13) and I are the biggest saps, and we approached the gate at rope drop, ready to do all the things we had missed on a hectic and unusual trip. Believe it or not, there were several MAJOR attractions and must-do's that had been missed.
Well, because of our little Epcot jaunt, we had used all our days! There we stood, at the gates of paradise, with no more admissions. I struggled with the idea of buying 6 one day passes, but was (wisely) talked out of it. My 13 year old didnt even get teary, at least not until he saw that something was in dad's eye causing some tears....
We used one of our many remaining waterpark admissions at TL (a big family fav), so the day was salvaged. But I will never let THAT happen again.
For those of you who made it this far, thanks, my Intercot friends, for letting me get this off my chest. sniffle:blush:

[discodad]

Hmmm... That's an interesting idea, wish I thought of that!?! :D

I'm happy to give you credit for the idea. I was just skeptical when I compared prices of the AP vs the 10-day Park Hopper. I'm not familiar with the TiW card you mentioned. Can you give me more info? We were able to keep our dining plan, but we will also be eating a few meals off the plan due to signature meals. Thanks again.

[magicofdisney]

For those of you who made it this far, thanks, my Intercot friends, for letting me get this off my chest. sniffle:blush:

That's what we're here for, my friend. :mickey:

[DizneyRox]

I'm happy to give you credit for the idea. I was just skeptical when I compared prices of the AP vs the 10-day Park Hopper. I'm not familiar with the TiW card you mentioned. Can you give me more info? We were able to keep our dining plan, but we will also be eating a few meals off the plan due to signature meals. Thanks again.
if you have the DDP then it's probably not a good idea, but maybe. AP holders can get a TiW card (I think it's $75) that will basically give you 20% off your table service bills, including drinks and appetizers. You need to figure out if the 20% savings over the length of your trip will exceed the cost of the card. Depending on the meals, you may need to get two or three meals under your belt. If you are doing signature locations, that where you'll see the TiW card really kick in. Use it there, save the 2 credits for other meals. It's not normally useful at counter service locations however.

We don't get the DDP, it's not a good value. We go TiW and have seen significant savings over what the DDP would have cost us.

The TiW card us good for a year as well, so you would have it for your second trip if you decide to go back within the year.

[KylesMom]

We've found the Tables in Wonderland card to be a huge benefit to us - but we do not purchase the dining plan, either. It is a discount card which allows 20% off the top for most table service dining locations. There are a few counter service places they allow the discount on as well.

I should mention that there is an automatic 18% gratuity added to your bill, but the savings adds up. We saved $243 last year alone with the card over the course of one trip - total savings over two trips on one membership has been over $500. More information, including the list of participating restaurants for 2010, can be located here: Tables in Wonderland (http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/dining/dde.asp).

Congratulations on being an Annual Passholder! :marg: