sky auction resorts are not always available. It seems that every time I try to check availability for my dates (basically when school is out) there is none.I'm going to second skyauction for a room. You can probably get a 2-3 bedroom condo for under 500 for the week. I and other family members have used them several times. With a kitchen you can breakfast and snacks easily and much cheaper. Mary
As a parent of a larger family myself, I get very weary of this suggestion for two reasons.
1. Disney will not guarantee conjoined rooms in writing. They will do their best to accommodate the need for them and the phone reservationists say that their system will makes sure reservation with only 2 adults and more than 2 kids will have conjoined rooms, but will not guarantee in writing. As most people with larger families can attest, a hotel reservation that doesn't guarantee conjoined rooms in writing means that there is a chance that mom and dad get to sleep in separate rooms for the trip. I'm not willing to take that chance.
2. Cost.
- The cost for a value room in the least expensive value season (January - mid February) is $85 plus 12% tax, total of $95.20, at All Star Movies. That gives a total of $190.40 for two rooms. That's $1332.80 for a week. If OP is willing to drive 2-5 miles, prices could be far less. Without even trying to find a bargain, I can use Sky Auction to get a 3 bedroom condo for $830 for two weeks from now.
- In July, the same two rooms would be $2448.28. I can book a 3 bedroom condo at Wyndham Bonnet Creek via Sky Auction right now for seven nights in July for $969 ($1071 including six days parking at the parks. I add this because so many people act like the $17 a day for parking somehow negates the off site savings). This is a savings of $1377 plus OP would have a kitchen and be able to save a bundle on dining. We've stayed at WBC. We spent no more than 15 minutes driving to any park. OP already stated they are driving, so they will have a car and DME is not needed.
- We personally have paid $333 for a 3 bedroom for Silver Lake in Sept. The cheapest Disney value resort for the exact same week would cost $1630.72 with tax for two rooms for seven nights. I can find a lot of Disney magic for the extra $1195 that I'm not spending on lodging and parking. Even if I could get free dining for that week, I'm saving money off site because our food budget is a LOT less than $1195.
- VRBO. I could check into one on Tuesday for $462 for the week. A little research can yield some great accommodation for significant savings over Disney value resorts.
We are a family of 7. According to Disney's logic, 4 adults and 3 children. Tix to the park would cost over $2000. The cheapest hotel I can find (we would travel in July/Aug timeframe) which would uncomfortably fit 7 would be in the $1000 range (this is taking nothing into consideration, maybe proximity to the parks, just trying to fit 7 in 1 room). We would drive down from Boston as the airfare would be in the $2000 range as well. We haven't had a Disney vacation in over 10 years (when there were less mouths to feed). The kids ask DAILY when we are going and the last 2 kids have never been. My oldest will be heading to college this fall and we would really like to go to Disney before family vacations no longer appeal to him. BUT obviously the expense of a Disney vacation for a family of this size is HUGE. I am pretty frugal and always research my options well regarding pricing. That being said, I would still like to know if anyone has any suggestions on some serious penny pinching in regard to hotel/park tix which is the bulk of our expense here. Reading suggestions, websites, personal experience...whatever you can share, I will appreciate. I love having a large family but Disney vacations are affordable for a family of 4, not 7.
I have never used Skye Auction. I just looked at it. Is that similar to ebay? How do you know if other people are bidding on an item? I see one right now for a 2 br suite @ the Sheraton Vistana for 7 nights for $450. I have never used this site before so I am a little leary.
We are a family of 7. According to Disney's logic, 4 adults and 3 children. Tix to the park would cost over $2000. The cheapest hotel I can find (we would travel in July/Aug timeframe) which would uncomfortably fit 7 would be in the $1000 range (this is taking nothing into consideration, maybe proximity to the parks, just trying to fit 7 in 1 room). We would drive down from Boston as the airfare would be in the $2000 range as well. We haven't had a Disney vacation in over 10 years (when there were less mouths to feed). The kids ask DAILY when we are going and the last 2 kids have never been. My oldest will be heading to college this fall and we would really like to go to Disney before family vacations no longer appeal to him. BUT obviously the expense of a Disney vacation for a family of this size is HUGE. I am pretty frugal and always research my options well regarding pricing. That being said, I would still like to know if anyone has any suggestions on some serious penny pinching in regard to hotel/park tix which is the bulk of our expense here. Reading suggestions, websites, personal experience...whatever you can share, I will appreciate. I love having a large family but Disney vacations are affordable for a family of 4, not 7.
sky auction resorts are not always available. It seems that every time I try to check availability for my dates (basically when school is out) there is none.
I've had my best luck when I waited until 4-8 weeks before my trip and booking through VRBO but I had backup plans in place in case I didn't get anything.
Can someone explain how Sky Auction saves money? Every time I look, buy the time you pay the 1 time fee and the nightly fee, it doesn't seem like a big savings? I'd like to make it work!
We rented points, cost us 1087.00 for 8 nights at OKW..Now we use a awesome lady and she only charged us 9 per point and most people are charging 12-15 per point..She is just awesome and we are very lucky..But anyway we rent a van and its around 600.00 for the time we need, our tickets will run around 2000 and we plan on bringing 2000 with us plus we set aside 300 for gas and 100 for our room on the trip to Disney..So our budget is 6000 for everything..we probably will come home with some money and this includes all food..
Agreed! The DVC numbers offered by the PP amount to 121 points, which is enough to get a studio at OKW for 8 nights during Magic Season but not nearly enough for even an OKW 1-bedroom (which only has sleeping room for 5 people) at ANY time during the year.How would this help the OP? She has a family of 7. They won't fit in a small hotel room.
We are a family of 7. According to Disney's logic, 4 adults and 3 children. Tix to the park would cost over $2000. The cheapest hotel I can find (we would travel in July/Aug timeframe) which would uncomfortably fit 7 would be in the $1000 range (this is taking nothing into consideration, maybe proximity to the parks, just trying to fit 7 in 1 room). We would drive down from Boston as the airfare would be in the $2000 range as well. We haven't had a Disney vacation in over 10 years (when there were less mouths to feed). The kids ask DAILY when we are going and the last 2 kids have never been. My oldest will be heading to college this fall and we would really like to go to Disney before family vacations no longer appeal to him. BUT obviously the expense of a Disney vacation for a family of this size is HUGE. I am pretty frugal and always research my options well regarding pricing. That being said, I would still like to know if anyone has any suggestions on some serious penny pinching in regard to hotel/park tix which is the bulk of our expense here. Reading suggestions, websites, personal experience...whatever you can share, I will appreciate. I love having a large family but Disney vacations are affordable for a family of 4, not 7.