What are your favorite crazy or dishonest moneysaving tips for WDW?

[Mouse House Mama]

I made it through most of this thread. Despite the fact that it is supposed to be all in fun, people are taking notes on what to do next time. The thing I find ironic is the people who are willing to break the rules to save money or save food or for whatever "good" reason they give are the same people who later on don't understand why their children break rules. No matter how small the issue is, you are setting an example for your children.

Yeah but those people are part of the "not my child" club.

I'm in for the scuba/illuminations cruise! I'm a little chubby so I hope my scuba steve can swim well!

 

[nataliela]

What's the harm, especially if you are in a sense, making fun of yourself? I'm going to bring a pack of buns, my old POP mug and I'm doing the fridge swap and I still think this thread is hilarious.

I get it now......you put the buns IN the 10 year old mug bought of off ebay for $15 to prevent them from getting smooshed...and then for dinner, you use the mug to put food from the buffet in it!!!!

I'm shocked that we haven't seen people trying to sell EMH wrist bands!

 

[bluefairy13]

I made it through most of this thread. Despite the fact that it is supposed to be all in fun, people are taking notes on what to do next time. .

Believe me, we didn't make this stuff up. The only reason that it is so hilarious is that most of it is true, and talked about over and over again on the planning boards.

We're only discussing what is already out there (and way out there, as a matter of fact! )

 

[bicker]

I made it through most of this thread. Despite the fact that it is supposed to be all in fun, people are taking notes on what to do next time.

Please don't think you're alone in that concern. However, couched as a thread ostensibly for ridiculing such behavior, I doubt this violates the board's policy against advocating cheating. "Legal on a technicality." Your perspective is welcome here, too, so the best you can do, in the interest of honesty, is to ensure your contributions to the thread underscore how unacceptable the "tips" in the thread are.

No matter how small the issue is, you are setting an example for your children.

And prompting the company to change things, which could end up hurting all of us.

 

[FergieTCat]

I can completely understand visiting WDW and trying to cut corners, such as bringing your own bottled water into the park, having breakfast in your room (and by that I mean cold products that can be packed in your bag, not elaborate meals involving appliances), packing snacks, etc. What I can't condone is being dishonest or just plain lying to save money. For example, I think the SIL who invented two people to get more meal credits is way over the line.

However, I think WDW takes advantage of it's audience. $2.50 for a bottle of water? $13.00 for a "refillable mug", when they are paying pennies for the beverage? Not to mention the price of admission for 4 or more days. Perhaps if WDW would lower it's prices, people wouldn't feel like they had to sell the farm to take a family of 3 or 4 there for a week. However, as someone said, it's not your or your child's constitutional right to visit WDW. If you truly can't afford it, perhaps you should be looking for a more economical vacation.

BTW, I go crazy when I read tips about cooking in rooms. A hot pot maybe. But "appliances" (crock pots, toaster ovens) are annoying to me. Not to mention a violation of fire codes. I've brought bagels and peanut butter with me, and maybe some snacks, but that's as far as I've gone.

 

[bicker]

However, I think WDW takes advantage of it's audience.

Creating a market and then capitalizing on the market you create for making profit is what being a business is all about.

Perhaps if WDW would lower it's prices, people wouldn't feel like they had to sell the farm to take a family of 3 or 4 there for a week.

That's nothing more than a rationalization: "Maybe if they charged less for diamonds, people wouldn't steal them." You could say the same about any valuable commodity. However, the point is that the value is created specifically for the purpose of making profit for the owners, so charging less than the value is irresponsible.

However, as someone said, it's not your or your child's constitutional right to visit WDW. If you truly can't afford it, perhaps you should be looking for a more economical vacation.

Yes, absolutely on-target.

 

[ajk912]

I have fake birth certificates for my 7 and 8 year olds, that say they are just tall 2 year olds. I also have a fake letter from my fake doctor, that I can show the CM if I need to. It says that they should NOT ask my kids their ages, because they are very self conscious about them and are being treated for this horrible condition. If anyone needs it, I can give them the number for the fake birth certificate/doctor service- it's a combo service in Nigeria, they market (under the table, of course) to everyone.

 

[james'mommy]

I recently heard it was against the law to take the towel animals that mousekeeping leave in the room. I can't be certain but I hear that some people actually have the gall to steal those decorations instead of buying the souvenirs available at all the parks and resorts in the gift shops. The nerve of some people.

Not Disney related but we were actually on a cruise that had mini towel animals for sale. DS loved them. We came home with 2.

 

[FergieTCat]

Creating a market and then capitalizing on the market you create for making profit is what being a business is all about.

I think it's more of taking advantage of a captive market.

My neighborhood has a large elderly population. The most central grocery store charges 50 cents to $1.00 more per item than the next nearest grocery store. Why? Because most senior citizens can't get to the next nearest store (I live in a city where most seniors do not own cars). In WDW, they can get away with charging $2.50 for a bottle of water. Why? Because (1) most people don't like the taste of the water from the parks' water fountains and (2) most people aren't likely to leave the park to get a beverage.

That's nothing more than a rationalization: "Maybe if they charged less for diamonds, people wouldn't steal them." You could say the same about any valuable commodity. However, the point is that the value is created specifically for the purpose of making profit for the owners, so charging less than the value is irresponsible.

But if WDW was profitable last year, why raise their prices again this year? Where do they cross the line between "making a profit" and greed?

(I admit, I make a bad debater, because I can never see only one side of the argument. Your points are very valid.)

 

[bicker]

I think it's more of taking advantage of a captive market.

Building an offering where customers gleefully make themselves into a captive market is a hallmark of the destination resort sector.

My neighborhood has a large elderly population. The most central grocery store charges 50 cents to $1.00 more per item than the next nearest grocery store.

Food is an essential of life. Vacations are not. The analogy doesn't apply.

charging less than the value is irresponsible.

But if WDW was profitable last year, why raise their prices again this year?

Charging less than the value is irresponsible. We set the value, based on what we're willing to pay.

Where do they cross the line between "making a profit" and greed?

I could say that your desire not to pay more is greed, since it benefits you financially. Silly? Well, just as silly as the assertion that charging what the market will bear for vacations is "greed": "Greed" is a very common rationalization for anti-capitalists to attack business.

Again, vacations are not essentials of life.

(I admit, I make a bad debater, because I can never see only one side of the argument. Your points are very valid.)

The best debaters always see both sides of the arguments. That helps them avoid poorly wording their points in such a way that it can readily be countered to support the other side of the argument.

 

[legalsea]

Just an aside: last year we went on a 14 night cruise. Our room attendant surprised us the first night by leaving an 'animal towel' on my wife's bed. We enjoyed. Second night: another animal. Third night: another.

The problem was, we didn't know what the Etiquette was. Some of these animals were so ornate, requiring three separate towels (or more!) that we looked upon them as Art, and so hesitated to disband the fluffy animals. Yet, we needed towels. However, we did not wish to offend the room attendant.

By the tenth night it was becoming oppressive. The animal towels were reaching heights of artistic lunancy, obviously requiring hours of tedious twisting, pulling, stuffing, etc. We began to dread entering our room at night, wondering what hideous white-towel creature was awaiting us. On the 12th night it was a life-sized orangatang (I am not kidding; well, somewhat). I believe it used up every towel on our deck. We tried to dismantle it, but to no avail. The dozens of towels were too cunningly intertwined. We shared a bed that night, due to the orangatang having my wife's.

We left the orangatang intact, and our room attendant gave us respite for the last two nights of what should have been the cruise of a lifetime.

Since we were repeatedly told that 'tipping was not required', we knew that we had to pay this person for making it impossible for us to bathe for a fortnight.

I hope the foregoing explains, in some small way, my opposition to towel animals.

This thread has become so serious, I have quoted myself, in case the humor got lost.

 

[FergieTCat]

Food is an essential of life. Vacations are not. The analogy doesn't apply.

Sorry to lift this one sentence out of context, but if my argument is taking advantage of a "captive market", then this analogy completely makes sense.

I can debate you, but I don't agree with you, so I'll have to end here.

Carry on, LegalSea!

 

[bicker]

Sorry to lift this one sentence out of context, but if my argument is taking advantage of a "captive market", then this analogy completely makes sense.

The point was that a "captive market" for life essentials is "wrong", while a "captive market" for luxuries, like WDW vacations, is not "wrong"; it's just business.

 

[MakeLifeGood]

I think it's more of taking advantage of a captive market.

My neighborhood has a large elderly population. The most central grocery store charges 50 cents to $1.00 more per item than the next nearest grocery store. Why? Because most senior citizens can't get to the next nearest store (I live in a city where most seniors do not own cars). In WDW, they can get away with charging $2.50 for a bottle of water. Why? Because (1) most people don't like the taste of the water from the parks' water fountains and (2) most people aren't likely to leave the park to get a beverage.



But if WDW was profitable last year, why raise their prices again this year? Where do they cross the line between "making a profit" and greed?

(I admit, I make a bad debater, because I can never see only one side of the argument. Your points are very valid.)

I know WDW seems expensive. My daughter is a cast member. She tries to make underprivileged children her guests throughout the year. Many Disney employees do this.

But what I really wanted to say is that Disney provides GREAT value to their guests. Look at everything you get for one price! My daughter works at one of the shows in the Animal Kingdom. It is a Broadway quality show. The price of admission to the park gets you into the show. You will spend just as much money to go to New York to see a show, and you won't have the other attractions when you do.

Barry D.

 

[bicker]

But what I really wanted to say is that Disney provides GREAT value to their guests. Look at everything you get for one price!

And...

 

[marineswfe99]

i mean if your child is 3 years old and one month they know u would say they are two that is just being smart. But to me it would not be worth the 1.00 for the buns to bring them and have them stay unsmashed. Even at disney how much is a bun

 

[wardfamily1]

i mean if your child is 3 years old and one month they know u would say they are two that is just being smart. But to me it would not be worth the 1.00 for the buns to bring them and have them stay unsmashed. Even at disney how much is a bun

But they charge 1.79 for a bun - that's 1/2 a mickey bar.

 

[lilybrooke14]

This isn't a tip. It's more of an anti-tip. A total waste of money, as far as I can tell. However, there have been some strange things mentioned on this thread, so I figured I'd throw it out there. I remember reading about someone who wanted their 2 year old on the dining plan. (I don't know why they didn't just say the kid was 3, but anyway).... They went ahead and added the dining plan for the 2 year old, but then they had to pay park admission for the kid too. Brilliant!

I don't get it. I've got a two year old. I've also got a cocker spaniel. The cocker spaniel eats more.


"If it wasn't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college." -Lewis Black

 

[3jsmommy]

This thread has become so serious, I have quoted myself, in case the humor got lost.

Thanks for quoting yourself, I missed that!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Search the grabage cans for discarded mugs?
I have seen people on here talking about that and how it's no big deal because after all they would wash the mug.

Blech! blech! blech! blech!!!!!!