Kath, you've got it all wrong. I am not shooting down every alternative suggestion. If you re-read the OP (quoted above), the question was asked as to whether it was possible for a man and his 10 year-old son to do the best of Universal and Disney for £2K. Most people (in fact all with the exception of one poster) have said that, realistically, it is probably not possible. While I have already said that I don't disagree/disbelieve that you have done it for less, what I am saying is that it would be very difficult. The costs you gave in your example did not include Disney and were only for 10 days. As soon as you factor in Disney tickets (presuming Ultimates) you add £500 to the cost (although MYW tickets might prove a cheaper alternative). Additionally, the advantage you have is that you have been to Orlando several times and know your way around. The OP doesn't say and, maybe I am wrong in my assumption, but I am presuming the friend is a newcomer to Orlando and Disney and so trying to stay offsite, use public transport and find the best bargains as a newbie is probably difficult, to say the least.
If it can be done then great, why not do as the OP asked and offer up some suggestions of budget places to stay/cheap transport options?
Unfortunately VA takes him way over budget as it has to be school holiday.
My friend says that staying onsite is a must.If he was to stay for a week instead of two(which IMO is more realistic) I've priced it up as follows, Oct H/T
Flight Thomson's total£1237
Accom Port Orleans £1268 inc $100 gift card,tix and counter service DP.
Also if he booked through Quidco he would get some cash back i think!
I don't think this is a bad price if on site is a must.All he would add to this would be Sanford transfers.
I think it might be able to be done if that 2k doesn't include spending money, we are going in may and plan on 2k for everything including spending money but we already have annual passes for disney and universal. We are planning on late April/early may with a charter airline booking a couple of days before we fly, last year flights actually went below £200 (though we aren't planning on that again, we have £350 each planned), the hotel will depend on how cheap we can get the flights for, the cheaper the flights the more we have for a hotel, as long as its clean I don't really care where we stay.
Kath2003 said:Nah, stay anywhere along the 192 and you can buy an unlimited 7 day pass for the bus (direct to DTD and TTC) for £10 for an adult/£5 for a child, so a total of £30 for two weeks. Same thing if you stay near Sea World. The passes will also get you to/from the airport.
It can easily be done - but you can't do it without compromises. We find it very easy to eat out on $40/adult per day. We ride the bus, and it pays for itself in one day in parking alone. Souvenirs - well, that's up to each individual but most people don't factor that into their holiday budget initially.
wilma-bride said:I'm thinking that's probably not practical with a disabled child.
We did disney for 2082 staying at all stars, virgin flights and ultimates for two adults in 2005! I wish it was that cheap but like wayne has said close to that proceis doable if your flexible
Again..nobody is saying it can't be done, but the OP said that they want to stay on-site and they don't have passes.
Realistically I don't think its do-able for £2k all in.
I agree that maybe he will need to reduce the time there, which would be a shame for a first visit not doing at least 2 weeks or wait a while longer and save a bit longer and get the holiday that he wants with no regrets.
I realise that I am in the minority on this board in the way I holiday because I would never book a package
First timers - unless they're willing to put hours of research and planning in, and skip Disney, which let's admit it, aren't many people - would not have a very enjoyable holiday experience on your budget.
I realise that I am in the minority on this board in the way I holiday because I would never book a package
I don't book packages either (although I did for my first two trips because I didn't know any better ). As Torsie says, though, there are sacrifices you are willing to make and still be able to have the holiday you enjoy. We all choose to holiday differently. Personally, I don't make sacrifices on holiday but I do make sacrifices that others might not, throughout the year, in order to pay for the kind of holidays we choose to take.
I don't think anybody has dismissed anything because it doesn't fulfil the 'Disney ideal' but, more because they recognise that a first-time visitor with a child (who may have some disagree of disability) who wants to do (as the OP herself stated) the "best of Universal and Disney" and (as she later stated) stay onsite is going to struggle to do all of that for less than £2K. Especially if that £2K includes spending money. What 10-year old child isn't going to want a t-shirt and a cuddly toy or two
Nobody is questioning the validity of your statements. Personally, I think it's great that you can get a 10 day holiday to Orlando, staying in a nice hotel, eating good food and including all your transport, tickets, souvenirs and other costs for less than £1K per person. The OP asked if it could be done and most people said they didn't think so, having (correctly) made a few assumptions about what the OP's friend may want (and need) for a first trip with his child. She also asked for some ideas about where to book things and suggestions for resorts. You were the only person (as far as I could tell) who said it definitely could be done and provided examples of costs to back it up but, rather than answer the OP's enquiries about the practicalities of how it could be done cheaply, where to stay, where to eat for $40 a day etc. you just pooh-poohed all those who said it would be difficult and accused them of dismissing your suggestions out of hand.
The OP has asked two questions - can it be done? And, if so, how? The OP has already clarified that her friends does want to do Disney AND Universal and she believes he would also want/need to stay onsite.
So my original responses till stands. I don't believe it can be done for £2K.
I didn't bother to make suggestions for hotels etc. after the OP said moments later they would want onsite as we all agree that there's no way it can be done onsite for £2K. If the want ffsite, im happy to help. As for the comments about souvenirs etc. - as I said, the OP hasn't actually specified what their friend wants for that 2K (flights, hotel tickets and food or really "all in" down to the last cuddly toy). I have no idea how much shopping they want to do? But at least the OP knows what can be done offsite for £2K (and with Universal AND Disne, it would only run ~£400 over the budget I gave her). Her friend may not be willing to make the "sacrifice" of staying offsite, but that's their choice and at least the OP can show them that it can be done - and it was the only suggestion of how their friend might be able to fit a trip with his son into his budget.
I get the wanting to do Disney part. But why would they otherwise not have a good time on my budget?
What really is the difference between riding the public bus and riding the Disney bus?
?!? A lot! A lynx at best is going to take you to the TTC having stopped a load of times on the way. And that's me assuming there's a direct MCO bus. Imagine you've never taken your child before and you spend the best part of 2 hours on a bus after a 14 hour journey and you get dropped at the TTC or somehwere offsite that isn't right outside your front door.
Whats the difference between getting on the public bus and catching ME?
again - a LOT! Timetable, the fact you're dropped at the TTC. It's make it at LEAST double the journey. Especially if you are going to a water park, DHS or AK
What really is the difference between staying offsite and staying onsite?
If you've not got a car - then a lot! See above points.
Why is it not possible for a person to visit a new place and really enjoy it, without booking a package where everything is "taken care of" for them?
It is - I just said above I've *never* booked a package.