Small World Vacations & Dreams Unlimited - how does it work?

Most of my holidays are either solo
Me too. Though this year I have arranged with a friend to go to WDW 'separately together'. We're in the same resort and at more or less the same dates but not sharing rooms. We have shared on club trips in the past but agreed that as we have slightly different ways of doing Disney we'd keep it loose. So we would share a few ADRs and some FP bookings but otherwise just meet up on an ad hoc basis. Obviously now somewhat compromised by Covid19 if it happens at all.

The downside is of course that it costs more - but what price can you put on a bathroom when you're trying to make rope-drop? :teacher:
 
Me too. Though this year I have arranged with a friend to go to WDW 'separately together'. We're in the same resort and at more or less the same dates but not sharing rooms. We have shared on club trips in the past but agreed that as we have slightly different ways of doing Disney we'd keep it loose. So we would share a few ADRs and some FP bookings but otherwise just meet up on an ad hoc basis. Obviously now somewhat compromised by Covid19 if it happens at all.

The downside is of course that it costs more - but what price can you put on a bathroom when you're trying to make rope-drop? :teacher:

Couldn't you still stay together but follow different schedules? I've always made it clear, when I am travelling with someone, that they're welcome to go off and do their own thing since I'm comfortable alone. Often I find I'm with people that are scared to be solo though, so they usually just stumble along after me grumbling about sore feet or whatever. 🤣
 
Couldn't you still stay together but follow different schedules?

We talked about this...it was me really that was more uncomfortable with it. We go on club trips (as coaster enthusiasts....) and there are 50-100 people all following the same schedule, so all going out at the same time, coming in at the same time and largely getting up and going to bed at the same time. Personal holidays are different. But even on club trips, if someone decides to stay out later, or another wants to go to bed early, it gets awkward. Some people want to watch TV before going to sleep. You don't want to disturb the other, and you don't want to be disturbed. There may be contention for showers late at night after spending 12 hours in a park with a exclusive ride session at midnight. IMO it's not worth spoiling someone's personal holiday, and it's a lot less stressful when you can be completely independent and not have to consider what someone else is doing.

I also thought it was going to be an organisational headache, booking a shared room but coming on different dates and on separate flights. And of course we didn't know at that time that covid was going to happen...whether or not we cancel or keep the reservation or move to another hotel, or risk going even if restrictions are lifted, these are all personal decisions and it would have been even more awkward if we'd got a joint reservation.
 


We talked about this...it was me really that was more uncomfortable with it. We go on club trips (as coaster enthusiasts....) and there are 50-100 people all following the same schedule, so all going out at the same time, coming in at the same time and largely getting up and going to bed at the same time. Personal holidays are different. But even on club trips, if someone decides to stay out later, or another wants to go to bed early, it gets awkward. Some people want to watch TV before going to sleep. You don't want to disturb the other, and you don't want to be disturbed. There may be contention for showers late at night after spending 12 hours in a park with a exclusive ride session at midnight. IMO it's not worth spoiling someone's personal holiday, and it's a lot less stressful when you can be completely independent and not have to consider what someone else is doing.

I totally get that. If you can afford your own space, I can imagine how that just makes life easier. I've mostly been fine with both with and without people, though there are sometimes surprises like people who snore a lot or are late night partiers.
 
Couldn't you still stay together but follow different schedules?
Yes ... but.
As that other fella :worship: explained, being on an organised trip where the hotel is just a bed and shower between theme parks and doing WDW (or any other Disney really) for a holiday are very different. (After the former you really need a holiday.)

I think age comes into it a bit too - younger people are better at working round, or just colliding with, other people's schedules. But as you get older you get a bit more set in ways, so those conflicts can get annoying.
A nice holiday and annoying don't really go together. (I know ... airports and flying try very hard to be annoying :confused3 )
 


But as you get older you get a bit more set in ways, so those conflicts can get annoying.

I think I'm the opposite - I started out pretty rigid but I'm learning to work around other people, wherever necessary. I do still live on my own though (with a cat who's schedule I have to work around)... 🤣
 
Update: just heard back from my SWV quote request and it looks like they’re not working with international visitors at this time.

Do you mind if I ask when you are traveling and what you were asking for? Seems strange, I have family who live in different parts of Europe, some in UK, some in Spain and have not had any issues booking through Small World Vacations now or in the past. A few have cruises booked through them for summer 2021 as do we but we live in the U.S. Maybe it has to do with UK offers for WDW being better than booking through U.S.? I know when my cousin asked about booking a UK offer he saw on the WDW UK website travel agents here in the U.S. couldn't offer it and couldn't come close to their price.
 
Do you mind if I ask when you are traveling and what you were asking for? Seems strange, I have family who live in different parts of Europe, some in UK, some in Spain and have not had any issues booking through Small World Vacations now or in the past. A few have cruises booked through them for summer 2021 as do we but we live in the U.S. Maybe it has to do with UK offers for WDW being better than booking through U.S.? I know when my cousin asked about booking a UK offer he saw on the WDW UK website travel agents here in the U.S. couldn't offer it and couldn't come close to their price.
We're planning to travel for the Halloween 2021 (at some point in Sept or Oct, whatever the best deal was, but I understand the later dates haven't been released yet). I just said we were looking for at least a week in WDW resort and 2-3 days visiting Universal. If the Halloween party was happening, we wanted to do that also. It looked like it was mostly a copy & paste response:

We are a team of Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planners dedicated to your dreams and your dollars.

We are sorry but we are unable to assist you with your travel plans.

Our minimum age policy required to book a Disney vacation is 18 years old. We cannot provide price quotes to guests under 18 years of age even if you will be 18 at the time of travel.

Disney is not accepting reservations beyond September 26, 2021.

For your information, there are currently some UK and EU Resident offers for 2021 travel dates that may include room discounts, free dining, free memory maker, 14-Day Ultimate Pass for the price of 7, Disney gift cards depending on your dates of travel. These discounts can only be booked through Disney directly or a local UK travel agent. Additionally, the 14-Day Ultimate Pass cannot be booked through our agency.

Current UK and EU Resident offers cannot be booked through Small World Vacations. We cannot match or beat these discounts. You would have to contact Disney directly or your local travel agency to book these offers.
 
We're planning to travel for the Halloween 2021 (at some point in Sept or Oct, whatever the best deal was, but I understand the later dates haven't been released yet). I just said we were looking for at least a week in WDW resort and 2-3 days visiting Universal. If the Halloween party was happening, we wanted to do that also. It looked like it was mostly a copy & paste response:

We are a team of Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planners dedicated to your dreams and your dollars.

We are sorry but we are unable to assist you with your travel plans.

Our minimum age policy required to book a Disney vacation is 18 years old. We cannot provide price quotes to guests under 18 years of age even if you will be 18 at the time of travel.

Disney is not accepting reservations beyond September 26, 2021.

For your information, there are currently some UK and EU Resident offers for 2021 travel dates that may include room discounts, free dining, free memory maker, 14-Day Ultimate Pass for the price of 7, Disney gift cards depending on your dates of travel. These discounts can only be booked through Disney directly or a local UK travel agent. Additionally, the 14-Day Ultimate Pass cannot be booked through our agency.

Current UK and EU Resident offers cannot be booked through Small World Vacations. We cannot match or beat these discounts. You would have to contact Disney directly or your local travel agency to book these offers.
Okay, I understand now. SMV are not saying that they cannot/will not help you. They are saying that the ‘normal’ U.K. package offers, free dining/nights/cheap tickets etc are often cheaper than the US rack rates plus US tickets. This may be true, but US TAs have a much more flexible cancellation/amendment policy and they can apply the US discounts as they are released. (I have never paid rack rate). So it is a bit of a gamble, because the original US rack rate may be higher than the U.K. deal, and if you book with a US TA you may have to wait until a couple of months before your trip for the rack rate to be reduced. You can book a WDW resort room with a US TA, flights direct with whichever airline is cheapest and buy U.K. tickets direct from Disney, book UOR hotel directly online, buy tickets direct from UOR etc, so mix and match as you please.
I will pm you the name of the SMV TA I use.
Also, if you are thinking of buying APs, you should definitely consider booking through a US TA, because WDW in their ultimate wisdom, make in almost impossible to access the AP US website from the U.K. Good luck.
 
Also, if you are thinking of buying APs, you should definitely consider booking through a US TA, because WDW in their ultimate wisdom, make in almost impossible to access the AP US website from the U.K. Good luck.

What's an AP?
 
What's an AP?

AP = Annual P.a.s..s

There are various levels with various prices. Some people buy them if they feel that the price is around what they would spend on multiple park days. You need to research them very carefully as many of them have black out days or other restrictions. Some can only be bought by Florida residents. AP holders get discounts on food, drinks and merchandise, as well as access to special AP only events.
 
Thanks both! I actually hadn't realised there with Brits that went back often enough in a year to make an AP something worth getting.
 
Thanks both! I actually hadn't realised there with Brits that went back often enough in a year to make an AP something worth getting.

well some people might but for many they would get the AP for say an August 2020 trip, and then go back in July 2021, 2 trips in the 12 month AP but actually 2 summer holidays.
 
We've used Jo Raccuia @ SWV since 2004. About 40 trips, most of them booked on AP rates. Fantastic service every time and I highly recommend her.
 

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