Hi all-

I have booked a 4 night land/3 night sea vacation for December 7-14. I decided to fly in on the 6th. I am looking for a cheap hotel stay and was waiting for the fall deals to come out so I didn’t book a room at a value resort and now everything is sold out for the 6th. I wonder if something is going on that week because there aren't even any special offers that week.

If I book a non Disney hotel (like the Buena Vista Palace $119 a night) for the 6th, can I still take the Magical Express or will I need to pay for a taxi from the airport (any idea how much that is?)

Or should I shell out $184 for a moderate resort in order to use the express.

On a separate note, I came in on the 6th thinking I could use my hopper pass that day but can not use it till the 7th which is complete crap! I feel that if I am staying in a Disney Resort I should be able to use my tickets. Now I have to try and squeeze a morning park visit in on the day we shuttle over to the cruise ship instead of using in on the 6th when I could have more time.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

I believe that weekend starts the Pop Warner super bowl... so its not a surprise that the Values are booked up. (Dont worry - shouldn't impact the crowds all that much.)

Magical Express is only for on-site guests. A taxi might run you $50 - $60 or so from MCO to the WDW area. A car service of sorts is a good choice as well, although more expensive. You will also have to figure out how you will get to your Disney resort on the 7th. (Taxi? - More costs.) If you stay at a Disney resort, not only will you be able to use Magical Express but the resort will also help move your luggage to your resort on the 7th. So, that first night may be a little more than what you would normally spend, but consider all your costs before thinking that it is too expensive.

In regards to the park tickets, you purchased a package that starts on a certain day, so you will not be able to access them till you get your Key to the World card. Your only other option is to see if you can take the tickets out of your package and then just buy your tickets separately. Then you would have more flexibility. However, being that you are doing the L&S package, you might not be able to do that but it never hurts to ask.