Cheap Disney: Does it exist?

[Ariel Mae]

My friends and I (all college students, aged 19 to 21) were wanting/hoping to take a trip to Disney, May/June 2009, but, as we are college students, we're rather broke. I was wondering if there was such a thing as a 'cheap DisneyWorld Vacation'. I don't expect to be able to, say, stay at Disney's Old Key West Resort, for example. We're figuring a hotel, in Orlando.

Your help would be much appreciated!!

[MOREMICKEYFORME]

You may want to jump over to the resorts board, then click on codes and rates. People are always posting deals such as discount codes and free dining deals. They can usually help you with specials run by Orbitz, Jet Blue, Travelocity etc.
It is possible to do Disney CHEAPER, but be realistic...
Just jump to the other board for more tips!!
Have fun planning.

[VAN]

Right now they have an offer ... buy 4 nights and get 3 free. If you going to focus on Disney, I would stay at one of the Values rather than off-site.

Check out waltdisneyworld.com and price out one of these packages. If you have your own transportation, you can always get supplies/food from a grocery store for your breakfast and snacks.

Anyway, this is a good package.

[acm563]

My friends and I (all college students, aged 19 to 21) were wanting/hoping to take a trip to Disney, May/June 2009, but, as we are college students, we're rather broke. I was wondering if there was such a thing as a 'cheap DisneyWorld Vacation'. I don't expect to be able to, say, stay at Disney's Old Key West Resort, for example. We're figuring a hotel, in Orlando.

Your help would be much appreciated!!

Unless you are planning on driving to WDW anyway I would definitly stay on site at one of the values and that way you dont have to worry about transportation (as in car rental/fuel, parking etc)
Another way to really cut costs is to bring your own breakfast and lunch foods... (pop tarts, cereal etc for BF, the microwaveable pastas you can just throw in micro at the resort dining area , your own soda, water etc. The tuna and cracker packets you can buy are also great for a quick lunch.Peanut Butter and Jelly if you like it, anything that doesnt need refrigerated and there are a lot of options out there) and then eat counter services for dinner which you can find for less than $10. )
Anytime anyone tells me how expensive it is to go to Disney I have to disagree, it is all in what your "tastes" can settle for. If you are the type that has to eat out for all 3 meals, or has to have a snack at every snack booth, or a 3 course meal for dinner, and a lot of souvenirs then yes, Disney can be expensive, but there are many ways to be frugal at Disney without giving up the magic :)

[kgle]

Unless you are planning on driving to WDW anyway I would definitly stay on site at one of the values and that way you dont have to worry about transportation (as in car rental/fuel, parking etc)
Another way to really cut costs is to bring your own breakfast and lunch foods... (pop tarts, cereal etc for BF, the microwaveable pastas you can just throw in micro at the resort dining area , your own soda, water etc. The tuna and cracker packets you can buy are also great for a quick lunch.Peanut Butter and Jelly if you like it, anything that doesnt need refrigerated and there are a lot of options out there) and then eat counter services for dinner which you can find for less than $10. )
Anytime anyone tells me how expensive it is to go to Disney I have to disagree, it is all in what your "tastes" can settle for. If you are the type that has to eat out for all 3 meals, or has to have a snack at every snack booth, or a 3 course meal for dinner, and a lot of souvenirs then yes, Disney can be expensive, but there are many ways to be frugal at Disney without giving up the magic :)

I completely agree. There are definitely ways to do it "cheap" and not come out broke. Doing the buy 4 get 3 deal could really work if you are able to spend that much time there. It could really work out in your favor if you divide the cost evenly.

[LoLaRae]

I, as well, am a "budgeted" college student with a profound love for Disney. My Df and I went in September for $1400 with flights. We stayed at CBR, had free dining, and waited for Ding! fares through Southwest. In addition to that we brought enough spending money for tips and one small souvenir each, which totaled out to around $200. We could have done it for about $300 cheaper if we would have stayed at a value resort.
There are also some hotels around the area that you can get for around $50/night, but I find it so much easier (and fun) to stay on Disney grounds. Good Luck!

[Rora]

It's very do-able to do cheap Disney. Now you might not get to do every little thing you like but hey- gotta compromise somewhere!

I'm 22. I know what it's like to be a broke college kid. DFiance and I have done Disney various times for "cheap". Here are the best hints and tips I can give you:

1. Stay on Disney Property
--You can sometimes get a really good deal. You're going to want to stay at a Value resort to cut costs even more. Of course, room with other people and split the cost of the room. It's important you stay on property because you get free parking and free transportation-- plus, it's more Disney.

2. Limit your Extras
--Yes, this means not buying the huge stuffed Mickey you just love. :lovestruc It's hard, I know. Limit your souvenier budget: typically mine is no more than $30 depending on how long I am going for.

3. Share your Food
--Bring bagels/cereal/pastries/whatever for breakfast. As far as lunch goes, try to purchase something larger than what you could normally eat and split the cost with someone. Avoid ordering soda/alcohol with your meals. You'll save lots!

Now, of course you're going to want to splurge a little.. limit yourself to one big thing. Is that all of you going to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table? Maybe a big night out at Jelly Rolls?

There are plenty of FREE things to do at Disney world. Check out this website for ideas: www.mousesavers.com (http://www.mousesavers.com)
One of my favorite things to do at Disney is free: I love riding the monorail and resort hopping! :thumbsup2

If you have anymore questions or want to know how I budget my Disney trips feel free to send me a private message!

[spiceycat]

you can do it - even staying at oKW - just rent points from a DVC member

are you driving to Orlando or flying?

if flying SW is definitely the way to go - unless jetblue

www.southwest.com
www.jetblue.com
http://www.airtran.com/Home.aspx

all have inexpensive flights.

now if you are driving - then you might even consider offsite.

depends upon how many friends and if every one can agree on which park to go every day.

if everyone can agree to go to the same park - then driving is not a big deal - if not....:scared1: somebody would end up just driving everyone else around...

so stay onsite if you can.

the play4 -3 free is on Disney website
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/special/offerDetail?id=FY09Q2ValueOfferPage&int_CMP=WDWHomeLeftPromoToQ2FY09ValueOffer

just remember to bring (if you drive) or ship (if you fly) food.

remember the extra charges on all adults over 2 in a room.

[Minnie&Nana]

Don't forget if you drive or rent a car, parking at the resorts and parks will be free for a Disney resort guest - otherwise you'll need to consider the cost of parking at your hotel and at the parks.

I agree, it can be done, but best done staying on site at a value resort, using Magical Express (free airport transportation to and from your Disney resort), share meals whenever possible (my friend and I do it all the time at Disney, even when staying at a deluxe).

Off site hotels can end up costing far more than a Disney value resort and the shuttles are not usually good - and not always free.

Be sure to check www.mousesavers.com and sign up for her monthly newsletter and check the DIS Codes and Rates board often - as soon as code is released it will for sure be posted there!

It can be a lot of fun planning and finding ways to save and yet still stay on site.
Have fun!!

Don't forget that staying at a Disney resort means free and frequent transportation to and from the parks.

[Gisele]

All very good tips. :) I still would like to have a sugar daddy though! he he No, really.......... I wish they would list themselves in the yellow pages! ha ha, again, no really!

[nurse.darcy]

Staying at a value is great, but not always the best thing for 4 college age girls. Two sinks is a MUST. I suggest staying at a moderate during value season. Find a code or a sale like what is on now. At the moderate you will have a mini fridge, perfect for extra bottled water, milk, cheese, and other perishable snacks. When in the parks, buy the kids meal for counter service, or if preferred, the adult meal and ask for a cup of water. EVERYWHERE that they have beverage service you can get a free cup of ice water. At some locations the regular adult meal is huge so split it.

For instance:

Animal Kingdom Flame Tree BBQ serves a 1/2 smoked chicken with bbq beans and a corn muffin. A half chicken includes a drumstick, thigh, wing and breast. This meal is easily split with someone else as I have been with my female friends and we don't finish the 1/2 chicken. The total cost of meal is $9.49 plus tax. With a free cup of ice water and splitting the meal, your portion is 5 bucks and no tip required as its counter service. And the best thing? The free ice water is refillable. . .lol. At the same restaurant you can also get a kids meal of a drumstick, carrots, bottled water and a cookie. This is plenty for me. Its a bit over 5 bucks. There is also a kids hot dog meal if you dont want a drumstick.

There are many similar deals. In Japan at Epcot they have there Udon noodle bowls (shrimp or vegetable) $6.49 for veggie and $7.99 for Shrimp. Huge and VERY satisfying. They also have a teriyaki childrens meal that consists of teriyaki chicken, veggies and rice with a beverage for $3.99. Similar to a teriyaki chicken bowl. What a bargain.

[scotas]

I agree about the moderates, a little more room for everyone to spread out. I would actually suggest Coronado Springs since they are upgrading to Queen beds, so you have a little more room.

[Minnie&Nana]

Also, Caribbean Beach Resort rooms are about the same size as AKL and WL at 340 sq ft, so a bit larger than other mods where the rooms are 315 sq ft.

Nevertheless, if budget is the main concern, as nice as a moderate would be space wise/sinks etc, a value may be the best cost wise - unless a great code is released!

Oh! As for sinks, CSR rooms have one sink, but good counter space, CBR rooms have double sinks and good counter space, but POR and FQ both have standing sinks with no counter space.

Values have one sink with some counter space. :)

[Tarabelle83]

Well, if you find an off-site hotel that has free parking and isn't too far away you won't be too bad off. I had looked into staying on-site but even the "values" aren't within my budget. So my fiance & I have gone that route & found a (hopefully!) nice little place on International Drive. I still don't understand the push to stay on-site. It has it's perks, sure, and if I could afford it, I'd do it but for those of us on an extremely tight budget it ain't happening (& believe me, I tried to make it work). I guess it depends on how fastidious you are when it comes to hotels. My typical vacation consists of a tent so average motels seem like resorts to me (seriously, I'm easily impressed).

And I like the suggestion of sharing CS meals. I've printed up the menus for all the CS restaurants (as listed on allears.net) so I can start budgeting. Amusement parks generally make me lose my appetite & my fiance doesn't eat much to start with so sharing won't be a problem. I'm also hoping I'll be allowed to bring in some Goldfishes or something to munch on while in line.

[twinklebug]

Takes time, planning and approval from multiple sources, but the cheapest way to do Disney since you're a college student...

Look into the CP... you get 6 mos of Disney, discounts and free entry. Many schools also allow the Disney CP as a work/study credit also.

[nurse.darcy]

Well, if you find an off-site hotel that has free parking and isn't too far away you won't be too bad off. I had looked into staying on-site but even the "values" aren't within my budget. So my fiance & I have gone that route & found a (hopefully!) nice little place on International Drive. I still don't understand the push to stay on-site. It has it's perks, sure, and if I could afford it, I'd do it but for those of us on an extremely tight budget it ain't happening (& believe me, I tried to make it work). I guess it depends on how fastidious you are when it comes to hotels. My typical vacation consists of a tent so average motels seem like resorts to me (seriously, I'm easily impressed).

And I like the suggestion of sharing CS meals. I've printed up the menus for all the CS restaurants (as listed on allears.net) so I can start budgeting. Amusement parks generally make me lose my appetite & my fiance doesn't eat much to start with so sharing won't be a problem. I'm also hoping I'll be allowed to bring in some Goldfishes or something to munch on while in line.

Okay, I can't believe you found an offsite that includes transportation (and I mean every 20 minutes) for less that $64 a night. During this time of year that is exactly what it costs. . .64 a night or less for a value.

[Mick West]

:goodvibes OK - here's the deal - my "cheapest" trip to Disney included staying in a value resort! Granted, it was a Disney Vacation Club resort - but it was staying at Boardwalk Villas - and it was great! I found the deal on E-Bay! Lots of folks that are DVC owners list "rentals" on there, and some are fairly cheap, considering the actual cost. A big expense is park passes. Some tips here: 1) Do one park a day passes - much cheaper than park hoppers! 2) You can usually find passes on E-Bay too 3) If you have any military connections passes can be bought on military bases at a cheaper rate. And the other big cost - food. Hey, you're in college and used to living on cold pizza, so what the heck!

[Ariel Mae]

We'd be driving, a 16 hour trip. Three of us (hopefully) will be able drive...we're going to have a make stop, halfway/Tallahassee (as my family and I usually do), because of that distance/time aspect.

I'm quite wondering what a Value Resort is. I'm used to staying at Old Key West.

We're also trying to find 'cheaper' tickets, of the Park Hopper Variety. We want to go for 5 days, at least, and have found tickets at 275$, but that's still a bit tiffy, to one of the friends.

And, as for food, we do know we'd have to share. We do that, as it is. :P

The only other expense is a friend's cigarette costs...but we're working on cutting him down on that, because that would grant him a lot of saved money. ;)

As for being used to cold pizza...no. I may be in college, but I'm hardly a fan of fast food. I prefer my meals cooked, and at least twice a day, of the larger, fililng variety. I may share, but we share full foods. :P

[Ariel Mae]

Takes time, planning and approval from multiple sources, but the cheapest way to do Disney since you're a college student...

Look into the CP... you get 6 mos of Disney, discounts and free entry. Many schools also allow the Disney CP as a work/study credit also.

While it may be 'cheaper', it's hardly what I want to spend my life doing. I've heard nothing but negativity about the Disney CP program. Sure, they get in free, and get discounts, but, beyond that, the living quarters, and working times/schedules have nothing but a black cloud upon them, based upon what I've heard.

And it wouldn't count for squat at my school.

Work study?

Ha.

I don't think we have that. :P

[krolyat]

Also try VRBO (vacation rentals by owner) as a place to rent for the time that you are there. Often times you can find great discounts on renting a full house (+pool) for about the same as renting a hotel room. Since you will be driving down you will have to pay to park at the parks but if each of you rotate who pays it's not so bad.

www.vrbo.com

[Ctsplaysinrain]

It might make more sense of looking into a Rental house.. I have heard that some are available for less than 100.00 a night.. Then, you would have more bathroom space and full kitchens so you can cook and eat many meals there. That would save a bunch....

[VAN]

Regarding ticket cost .... it doesn't matter what amusement/theme park you go to, it's going to cost you big time!! Check out the prices for Universal, Sea World, etc. WOW!

Right now the lodging offered by WDW is great ... believe me, it is a big hassle to stay off-site. What if you do save a few $$ and stay off-site. It makes it much more difficult if someone wants to sleep in and the rest want to head for the parks. If you are on WDW property, it makes it much easier to come-and-go individually. I know I just HATE it when I want to leave and my "ride" wants to stay! Ugh!

Staying on-site will give each of you the freedom to come and go using Disney transportation.

Believe me, that alone will save the vacation (and maybe the friendship!) and I really think will be the most economical!

[Razor Roman]

I was looking on one of the name your price sites... not priceline... I forget which, and I was able to find a hotel room right near Vista Way (where I lived when I was a Disney CP) for $29 a night... I ended up not being able to take the trip for other reasons, so I don't recall all the specifics, but it was a "name" hotel and looked pretty decent from the website.

While I am generally "all for" staying on Property, sometimes in terms of pure dollars and cents (not factoring in "value for your time" etc, which sometimes you just can't afford to do..believe me I know) it can save you a decent chunk of money to stay off property. And if you plan on doing anything "non Disney" then it works out even better.

[ggorter]

I found out a few months ago that I had to take 2 weeks off work by years end or lose that time. I decided instead of sitting around in cold New England that I would make a trip somewhere - preferably warm.

I would be traveling alone. I decided on Disney World but didn't want to spend a fortune.

I flew down on Dec 2nd and back on Dec 11th. That gave me 8 solid days in the parks.

Air fare RT was $150 plus tax etc.

I bought an 8 day park pass (without the park hopper option it saved me $ and I opted against the water park option - I figured if I decided to go to the water parks I could upgrade the ticket while at the park). The 8 day pass is almost the same cost as a 4 day pass. After like 4 days each additional day is only around $5 more.

I stayed off site (for $30/night plus tax etc). I know staying on-site is more fun and convenient but a value resort would have cost me almost 3 times as much. I didn't have a rental car so that saved me money (as well as not having to pay parking at the parks). My hotel offered a shuttle that went only to EPCOT at Disney (which I used twice) but mostly I used the very fast and reliable (seriously) Orlando public bus system. My hotel was across from the stop for Lynx route 56 and the buses run from very early morning to 10 pm every half hour (and were never late) and took me from my hotel to the monorail station in just over 20 minutes for $1.75. My hotel was right next to the Old Town Orlando carnival and shopping area - you can't miss it - it has the 20 story high neon bungee slingshot ride.

I packed a bunch of breakfast bars and such snacks in my luggage and ate them on the way to Disney. Also - my hotel offered a $4 all you can eat breakfast buffet (several local places seemed to offer the same deal). Then I would generally be at the parks for the rope drop and hit as many rides as possible until the park started to get busy and then eat lunch (to save even more money you can pack food in such as sandwiches etc).

Also - any counter service restaurant will give you a free cup of water if you ask. And for free soda nothing beats Ice Station Cool at Epcot! I even enjoyed the Beverly (try it if you get the chance).

Also - I got a Disney Visa card that not only gave me a $40 credit just for joining but I also saved money on some park tours I took ("Keys to the Kingdom" and "Behind the seeds" - both were definitely worth while). Charge your whole trip on it and you earn credits towards future Disney purchases etc.

Avoid buying too many souvenirs and instead order from the Disney Store web page sale site. I checked out the big off site gift shops and didn't really find them to be such bargains - unless you want really cheap "Orlando 2008" shot glasses and key chains.

To top it off - on my way home I volunteered to be bumped from my flight and got a credit for a free flight good for the next year (and they flew me home first class and I was home less then an hour later then I otherwise would have been). Also - if you fly AirTran they will offer you a credit card application during the flight - if you get their credit card you get a credit towards a free flight after the first time you use the card (I haven't used my card yet - was only just approved - but it seems like a sweet deal).

Most importantly - I had a really good time! I went in the off season of early December and did and saw everything I wanted to do with minimal waits and excellent weather!

Enjoy!

Gene

[jpeppers]

If there are just a couple of you with no transportation I would do as others have suggested and stay in a value resort but if you have transportation and there are quite a few of you and you really want to do it on a budget I would look at Cypress Point on Hotel kingdom.com. You usually can get a 3 BR for about $130-140 (or a 2 BR for around $100) and with that you get 2 master BR's plus a Br with 2 beds plus 2 pull out couches in the 2 living rooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 full kitchens, 2 decks, washer and dryer. You can eat meals in the rooms and save a ton of money plus you have 3 pools on site with hot tubs and your are right outside of the Disney gate about a mile from downtown Disney. The only problem with it is no transportation to the parks but you can walk to many local eateries and stores. It is a beautiful complex. I think staying on site is great but I know if I was going with a few people I could save a ton of money here.

[BradyBz12]

Unfortunately when it comes to ticket prices, you're not going to find a lot of legitimate deals out there that are going to save you a ton. Tix prices are pretty tightly controlled. Unless you go when WDW has a promo in place like the 4/3 deal. If you can plan your schedule so that you don't need park hopping, you'll save $50. :thumbsup2

When it comes to lodging it sounds like a lot of good options/suggestions have already been made there. My only other suggestion would be to camp at Fort Wilderness - but that only works if you're campers. :)

You can put up to 10 people on a site, and get a tent site for pretty darned cheap - especially splitting it 4 ways or more. You could borrow or chip in on a tent - they have some really nice, big ones these days that are very reasonable. If you end up buying one, you can always sell it after your trip and recupe some of your $.

If you camp and cook some of your meals, that's a big plus. Actually DH and found that our biggest savings this year was when it came to food. We ate breakfast, some lunches and a lot of our snacks at our campsite and had one "real" meal out each day. The days we stuck with counter service or lite meals at DTD, we managed to only spend about $25-$30 for both of us. Puck's Express at the DTD Marketplace is a great place to get a good, hot meal fairly fast, relatively inexpensively ...and without an ADR!

Epcot is another great place to do CS and get good food fairly cheaply. Also if you peruse the menus ahead of time, you'll find that many restaurants are cheaper at lunch for the same menu, and some have generous appetizers, salads that could easily make a meal for much less.

Bringing your own snacks/water into the parks can be a big savings over time. If you have your own bottled water, you can refill it at any water fountain, and many park CS locations will give you a free cup of ice/water if you ask.

Good luck with your planning and I hope you all have a great trip!

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . Cheap Disney: Does it exist? . . .

Cheap Disney is a wish your heart makes.