Originally Posted By dagobert We have finally booked our hotel. We chose Disney's Port Orleans Riverside. It looks wonderful and the price was okay. The Disney Travel Company had some interesting deals, like free DDP for Counter Service Restaurants and gift cards, but at the end of the day, none of the deals would pay off for us. So we booked directly at Disney. We got the Park Hopper Ticket without the Water Parks. If the weather will be good, we can still buy a ticket. Does anyone know a reliable taxi company in Orlando that can take us from the hotel to the Universal Studios? And do you know the price for such a service? And I have another question about Universal. Is it worth to buy the Express Pass ticket? Are the crowds big in early January (Thu 8th & Fri 9th)?
Originally Posted By dagobert I haven't read much about the MagicBand yet. Do I need it to enter the parks? Do I have to buy it, or is it included in our package? Do I need it for FastPass+? I know that you can link it with your Credit Card, but I'm not a big fan of credit cards. I usually want to pay in cash or with my Maestro Card, I don't like to get big bills a month later. And if I have to get the money out of my pocket, I think twice if I really want to buy something. I think the band leads people to buy more.
Originally Posted By LuvsDsnyTrips I can help with the transportation question...Mears will take you (fairly priced) to Universal You can reach them at 407-422-2222
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I'm sure you'll love Riverside! It's a great place to stay! Mears has an exclusive transportation contract with Disney, so all the taxis on property (as well as Disney's Magical Express from the airport) are operated by them. There are usually a couple waiting at each hotel, so you should just be able to walk out the front door and get one. If not, they can call one and it will be there in a couple minutes I was at IOA the equivalent Friday this year (Jan 10) and the crowds were pretty manageable. Most of the waits were under 30 minutes, with the notable exception of Forbidden Journey, which was closer to an hour (though I've heard that the crowd is much lighter later in the day; it was our first ride). With Diagon Alley, the crowd patterns could change considerably, but we were fine without Express Pass this year Your Magic Bands are included with your hotel room, and you can select which color you want online before your arrival. If you prefer, you can ask for a traditional key card (without long-range RFID capabilities) at check-in, and use that instead. You'll need to give them a credit card for the hotel room (in case of any damage charges), but you don't have to link a card to your Magic Band if you don't want to. It is nice to not need to carry around a wallet, but I understand that it's somewhat of a trap. They require a PIN number for each MB purchase you make, so it does still sort of feel like a regular transaction, but it is a little fun too
Originally Posted By dagobert Thanks for the help, Ferret! Good to know about Mears. I think we used them in 2008 from the airport to Disney. Since the Magical Express from the airport to the hotel can take more than an hour, we will take a taxi. I think we will not take the Express Pass, since I just found out that HP isn't included. As long as we are able to do Forbidden Journey, the new HP ride, Transformers, Jurassic Park and Spider Man in two days, we are fine. My girlfriend did the reservations and didn't tell me that the MagicBands are included. I'm curious about that technology. The first dining reservations have been made as well.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>As long as we are able to do Forbidden Journey, the new HP ride, Transformers, Jurassic Park and Spider Man in two days, we are fine.<< If those are the only things you want to do, I would think you could probably get it all done in one day, but having 2 days will give you time to see the other stuff and enjoy the parks more. I don't think you'll have any issue getting all that done in that timeframe >>My girlfriend did the reservations and didn't tell me that the MagicBands are included.<< For whatever reason, they don't seem to tell you this upfront (similarly, it seems like you need to dig a little to see that Disney's Magical Express is included). I just got a packet of information the other day for my November trip, and it included several pages about Magic Bands and how to set up the whole DME account. I guess maybe they're trying to gradually introduce it to people, so they don't get too overwhelmed upfront >>The first dining reservations have been made as well.<< I also just made dining reservations for my WDW trip that weekend today! : )
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Port Orleans Riverside is my very favorite Disney resort except for the Boardwalk. I prefer it to the other deluxe's I've stayed at. I've gone on four Disney cruises... always with a veranda. Originally it was because my wife smokes and it was allowed on verandas. Smoking is no longer allowed on them, but we have come to enjoy them so much that we would never really consider a cabin without them.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Port Orleans Riverside is my very favorite Disney resort except for the Boardwalk. I prefer it to the other deluxe's I've stayed at. I've gone on four Disney cruises... always with a veranda. Originally it was because my wife smokes and it was allowed on verandas. Smoking is no longer allowed on them, but we have come to enjoy them so much that we would never really consider a cabin without them.<<< It's our first cruise and so we got a cabin with veranda. We don't smoke, but I think it must be wonderful just to sit there and to look at the sea. It sounds relaxing. At first we wanted to stay at a Deluxe Resort, since it is our honeymoon, but honestly the prices weren't reasonable and we didn't want to pay so much. So many people like the POR and so we chose that.
Originally Posted By LuvsDsnyTrips Love POR....love walking the grounds late at nite Always has been quiet when we have been there
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>I also just made dining reservations for my WDW trip that weekend today! : )<<< I have to say, that it is very convenient to make reservations over the WDW website. I wish DLP would offer that as well. We made the reservation so early, because we want to try "Boma". According to many Disney fansites, it is very veggie friendly and very popular. >>>I just got a packet of information the other day for my November trip, and it included several pages about Magic Bands and how to set up the whole DME account.<<< I don't think that Disney will send that packet to Austria. We will get all the informations when we arrive. We already have the DME account. We could use the D23 account, but I think we got that account for our first WDW vacation in 2008. >>>If those are the only things you want to do, I would think you could probably get it all done in one day, but having 2 days will give you time to see the other stuff and enjoy the parks more. I don't think you'll have any issue getting all that done in that timeframe<<< Of course we want to do more, but these attractions are the most important for us. We decided to go to Universal for two days. There must also be time for a drink at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Love POR....love walking the grounds late at nite Always has been quiet when we have been there<<< The setting and theming of the hotel is beautiful. Hopefully we will have some time to explore and enjoy the hotel. We also checked out the Coronado Springs Hotel, but its location isn't that good. We like the proximity to DTD. If I'm not mistaken POR and DTD are connected by a water taxi.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>I don't think that Disney will send that packet to Austria. We will get all the informations when we arrive.<< That makes sense, but it's a shame. It has some general information about the parks, Magic Bands, and FP+. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it all out without it, but it was a nice way to get the process started. I even think the booklet was customized for us, since it included photos of our hotel and all of the in-park photos were adult-only groups. It's a really slick production! >>If I'm not mistaken POR and DTD are connected by a water taxi.<< Yes, POR has boats to DTD as well as buses. I think the boats take a little longer (since they also stop at Port Orleans French Quarter and Saratoga Springs along the way), but the ride is much more enjoyable. If you're out late, you'll need to take the bus back, as the boats tend to close sometime around 10pm-midnight I also love walking around POR at night. I've stayed there for several runDisney weekends, so we've been up extremely early in the mornings (before 3am). It's fun to watch runners quietly trickle out of their rooms in the remote parts of the resort
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>That makes sense, but it's a shame. It has some general information about the parks, Magic Bands, and FP+. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it all out without it, but it was a nice way to get the process started. I even think the booklet was customized for us, since it included photos of our hotel and all of the in-park photos were adult-only groups. It's a really slick production!<<< Maybe they surprise us and send the packet. >>>Yes, POR has boats to DTD as well as buses. I think the boats take a little longer (since they also stop at Port Orleans French Quarter and Saratoga Springs along the way), but the ride is much more enjoyable. If you're out late, you'll need to take the bus back, as the boats tend to close sometime around 10pm-midnight<<< I'm really looking forward to the boatride to DTD. I don't think we will stay longer at DTD than maybe 22:00pm, since we will be exhausted from the parks.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb With all the DTD construction the water taxis might actually be faster than the busses. Worth a try anyway.
Originally Posted By dagobert I guess January is a bad month for visiting WDW when you want to ride Splash Mountain. Like in 2008 SM is closed in January 2015 again. However somehow I expected that.
Originally Posted By dagobert Tht sentence above doesn't sound right. It must be this way: I guess January is a bad month for visiting WDW, if you want to ride Splash Mountain. Like in 2008 SM is closed in January 2015 again. However somehow I expected that.
Originally Posted By dagobert By the way, is there an official refurbishment/closing list? I couldn't find one on the WDW website. I only found a list on WDWMagic. So far, there are no major refurbs, except Splash Mountain.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros They always "refurbish" (close the ride and do minimal work, saving on labor costs) Splash in January. Because I go for the marathon, I have little flexibility in my travel dates; this will be my 4th trip in a row that same weekend, and it will be the 4th time that it's been closed (though the first year we were able to catch it on our first day, since it was closer to New Year's that year). With a large contingent of returning customers who come for the races, you'd think they'd be able shift the refurb schedules a little so we wouldn't run into the same problem every single time. I have the same issue with the Haunted Mansion overlay at DL, which causes it to be closed for the Labor Day race weekend and the January race weekend (plus, I just don't like Nightmare). Rabble rabble! As for a refurbishment list, the WDW Magic one is your best bet. Disney doesn't keep an official list anywhere, but they do typically give enough warning that you'll know what will be closed a few months before your trip. DLR's schedules are much more flexible and tend to change with very little warning; because of the MM+ system, WDW's tend to be set at least 60 days in advance Of course, you should also expect that Maelstrom will be closed then : (
