want to plan my first disney vacation as a family... need help plz lol

[number1tiggerfan]

okay so i just went to disney world for the very first time this last march on my high school's senior trip, and i LOVED it despite not being able to do much of anything as the group of friends i hung out with were huge thrill seekers and i'm not. (didnt mind sitting out of rides, but i wish i could have been braver. darn Tower of Terror!! hahaha) anyway, long story short, i want to plan a vacation and take my entire family this time because my mom and stepfather have bills and things to pay that are way less exciting than WDW. so i figured the only way we'd be able to go anytime soon is if I pay for the trip, and they just have to get their own money for souvies/meals. it's a fair enough deal imo, and since i just got a job at McDs last month, it's gonna take a while to save. but if i keep telling myself that someday all 5 of us will be able to enjoy the parks together, it'll all be worth it, no matter how long it takes.

anyway, i have a few questions (naturally lol). one, how much would a quality, yet cheap hotel be that can fit all of us? i really liked staying in the All-Star Sports resort but that can only hold up to four people. fail

also, i read an unofficial WDW book before leaving in march, but all i really remember from the book (and experience now) is how much of a blessing fastpasses really are. so what would be the best time of year to go? i found that late march was nice, but being unaccustomed to how large disney crowds can possibly get, i dont really want to go and end up spending more time in line than actually seeing the attractions.

finally, any tips for saving for this hugely expensive trip on such a teensy paycheck? i know putting all of it in the bank every week would be the best way to go but if you knew me you'd know i have to have at least some spending money each week, so it'd probably be more like anywhere from 50-85% of my weekly check being saved. terrible, i know, and it's only delaying my fantasy even more, but i need to work on it.

any other awesome tips you guys can think of as well would be great! thanks

 

[sharonabe]

allearsnet.com will be a good place for you to do some research.

Click on WDW and then accomodations. All-Star Music has a family suite that sleeps 6 and allears will tell you when the value season is. Mark those dates and the cost of the rooms and shoot for a vacation during one of the value times. An added bonus is Disney regularly gives some kind of discount during these times in order to draw more people in. So you'll get a cheaper vacation and less crowds.

I know you want to do this for your family, but if you shared with them what you want to do, then they can be saving a little bit at a time too and you'd all get there a little sooner.

 

[number1tiggerfan]

excellent ideas, thanks i dont think i've heard of allears.net, i'll go look at it now XDDD

 

[Mrs D]

Ok, here's my thoughts on the room portion. It is cheaper to book 2 rooms at a value and request connecting rooms (meaning a door between the rooms). Even if you didn't get connecting with your family configuration it wouldn;t be a big deal. Just have Mom stay in one room with a few kids and Dad stay in the other with the rest.

I like Pop Century for the value resorts (well, it's the only value I've stayed at but prefer it over the others I've researched) but Art of Animation will be open in late 2012, for a slightly higher price.

Here's a great chart that will you show you room rates for 2012 at Pop (tax not included) and when the cheapest time of year to go is.
http://www.mousesavers.com/popcentury2012.html

Typically August & September is the cheapest because: A. It's Hot B. It's hurricane season and C. School is in session.
That being said, I have gone in September, bought trip insurance (do some research on mousesavers before you buy it), brought misters/case of water/ took mid day breaks to combat heat, and because my kids are little school isn't a problem. There are other great low crowd times of year as well.

Please come back for anymore questions. I think you certainly can save a good amount towards this trip and really admire you for setting a goal. Stick to it, you can do it!

 

[GrammyJudy]

One way to save is to save all your change in a jar. Empty your purse each day into. It adds up fast. Also open a seperate saings account. If you put $50 a week that is $2500 in a year. I don't know if you plan to fly or drive but start thinking of what the cost will be. I am sure your family will want to help with this but if you are trying to make it a gift...give them Disney Gift Cards for Xmas nad Bdays etc...it will help with the final cost for you. Good luck with your plans. BTW POR can fit 5 and would be cheaper than 2 value rooms.

 

[KMPOLLARD]

The best time to go is in the beginning of Feb. I have gone about 15 times and 11 out of 15 was then. The weather is great, it is also one of the lowest times to go. I have a family of 6 and plan one every year. I would wait alittle longer to book since the special discounts for that time will be out in August. If they offer the free dining, book that. Two rooms even @ a moderate resort is cheaper than getting a famiy suite. The free dining is usually offered for moderate and deluxe rooms. If your famiy are big eaters, then you can update to the deluxe dining plan for 20 per person, per day. If you choice a moderate room, I personally loved the Coronado Springs resort. Been there 5 times.

 

[mickeyME2]

Yes, totally do everything everyone has suggested. The value resorts now do have a few rooms that sleep up to 6. Totally go during value season! Avoid the weekend nights (Friday and Saturday night) as those are more expensive than week nights.

If you are going to fly, watch the sales. Tuesdays at 3pm are typically the best deals to book a flight. That's because at that point all of the airlines that are trying to "beat" the competitor sales have already found the prices and made theirs lower.

Watch for free money...change on the floor (even a penny). If you go to a mall where you have to "rent" strollers, watch for the ones carelessly left in the parking lot. The ones over here give 50 cents refund for putting them back in the spot where they belong.

Can you pick up a few hours helping out an elderly person...yard work, cleaning, assisting with grocery shopping?? I have found that some people who need the help will give money generously. (not all cases, but it's nice to get a tip for helping)

When we go, we often pack food in the suit case too. We pack boxes of cereal, oat meal, snacks, poptarts, and other quick/easy/cheap eats. It's nice to have something between meals but not pay way too much for it.

One last place...undercovertourist has deals on park tickets. The only draw back to those is that you can't get them attached to your room key, but it's not a big deal to have an extra thing in your pocket.

Good luck! I hope the savings grows super quick and you are in Disney before you know it.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

The best time to go is in the beginning of Feb. I have gone about 15 times and 11 out of 15 was then. The weather is great, it is also one of the lowest times to go. I have a family of 6 and plan one every year. I would wait alittle longer to book since the special discounts for that time will be out in August. If they offer the free dining, book that. Two rooms even @ a moderate resort is cheaper than getting a famiy suite. The free dining is usually offered for moderate and deluxe rooms. If your famiy are big eaters, then you can update to the deluxe dining plan for 20 per person, per day. If you choice a moderate room, I personally loved the Coronado Springs resort. Been there 5 times.

Actually, you don't have to wait to book when the discounts are released. You can book far in advance and only have to put $200.00 down. When a discount is released, whether it be a room discount or free dining, you can just call and have it added to your existing reservation. Your balance doesn't have to be paid in full until 45 days out, so if someone is wanting to save up and pay as you go, this is a good economical choice. The cheapest resort for a family of 5 to stay at is Port Orleans Riverside, as it's the only moderate that sleeps 5 people. Of course that can be a tight squeeze if there aren't any small children in the family. The second cheapest option, and probably the best option for the OP would be to get 2 connecting rooms at a value resort - it give you much more space and a second bathroom and it's not much more than the 1 room at POR.

Also I wanted to clear up few incorrect things in your post, two rooms at a moderate is NOT cheaper than getting a family suite at All-Star Music Resort. The ASMu family suites start off at about $189.00 per night. The moderate resorts start out around $159.00 per night, so that would be much more expensive than the family suites - at least $130.00 per NIGHT.

The Free Dining Promotion has been around since the fall of 2005, up until 3 years ago it was basically only offered during mid to late August through the first of October. Last year they did put out an offer for FD discounts during a number of slow weeks during this year. I think those weeks will fluxuate year to year, but the August - early October dates are almost a guarantee at this point - after 7 years of it being offered during that timeframe. Also, all level of resorts at WDW are included in Free Dining offeres - including value resorts. They do now include the quick service plan for free with the values and the basic dining plan with the moderate and deluxe resorts. You can upgrade to the basic plan if you are staying at a value (which is the best economical choice) and you can upgrade to the deluxe plan if you are staying at a moderate or value - this is not usually a good econmical choice. It's about $33.00 per person per night to upgrade to the deluxe plan, so that could be up to $165.00 per night more, depending on the kid's ages. It's about $17.00 per night, per person to upgrade to the Basic DDP from the Quick Service DDP.

 

[devilmafia11]

which place you choose to go with family?????????

 

[bunkkinsmom]

okay so i just went to disney world for the very first time this last march on my high school's senior trip, and i LOVED it despite not being able to do much of anything as the group of friends i hung out with were huge thrill seekers and i'm not. (didnt mind sitting out of rides, but i wish i could have been braver. darn Tower of Terror!! hahaha) anyway, long story short, i want to plan a vacation and take my entire family this time because my mom and stepfather have bills and things to pay that are way less exciting than WDW. so i figured the only way we'd be able to go anytime soon is if I pay for the trip, and they just have to get their own money for souvies/meals. it's a fair enough deal imo, and since i just got a job at McDs last month, it's gonna take a while to save. but if i keep telling myself that someday all 5 of us will be able to enjoy the parks together, it'll all be worth it, no matter how long it takes.

anyway, i have a few questions (naturally lol). one, how much would a quality, yet cheap hotel be that can fit all of us? i really liked staying in the All-Star Sports resort but that can only hold up to four people. fail

also, i read an unofficial WDW book before leaving in march, but all i really remember from the book (and experience now) is how much of a blessing fastpasses really are. so what would be the best time of year to go? i found that late march was nice, but being unaccustomed to how large disney crowds can possibly get, i dont really want to go and end up spending more time in line than actually seeing the attractions.

finally, any tips for saving for this hugely expensive trip on such a teensy paycheck? i know putting all of it in the bank every week would be the best way to go but if you knew me you'd know i have to have at least some spending money each week, so it'd probably be more like anywhere from 50-85% of my weekly check being saved. terrible, i know, and it's only delaying my fantasy even more, but i need to work on it.

any other awesome tips you guys can think of as well would be great! thanks

First of all, let me just say that you are very sweet for wanting to give this special gift to your family! I think that's awesome and I can't wait for my kids to start paying for our trips!

Now, for 5 of you there are a couple of options. 2 value rooms, the All-Star Suites, Fort Wilderness cabins, or you could rent points from a DVC Owner. There is a Rent/Trade board here you can check out.

If you got a package during Free Dining then that would be great. If you can't, some of the DVC 1 bedrooms sleep 5 and have full kitchens. You could save some money on meals by having a few in your villa. We always eat breakfast in our villa when we rent points.

I would check the Restaurant boards and look at CS places where you could possibly split meals. I don't know the ages of the folks in your family, but the portions at Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD are HUGE and they are a Counter Service. We can use 1 credit and my kids can split the pizza and be full. Then we have extra credits to use for the day we leave! allears.net has all the menus for the restaurants for you to browse through.

I agree with time of year as well. We normally go end of January/beginning of February. The crowds are lower and if you choose to rent points you don't need as many for the same accommodations.

Also, I'm not sure where you live, but we take the train. From NC it's an overnight, so by the time everyone gets settled with a movie they go to sleep, wake up, have breakfast, and we're there! Much cheaper than flying and sometimes you can find companion passes on ebay to make it even cheaper! There are always AAA discounts and there is also the Orlando Magic Card that gives discounts on Amtrak. All you have to do is print the card from the internet.

Have a great time, keep us updated!