Advice wanted - WDW on $1500 budget **Update on last page**

[Charitycase20]

Hi! I've been planning our 1st family trip to WDW for a little while now but DH and I have been called to get our financial house in order so we will be using our tax refund and DH's bonus money to do that this coming spring.
However, we have agreed that IF we can keep the entire trip at $1500 or under we will still take the kids to WDW in April. So it will be DH, myself, DD (4y) and DS (2y), checking in on 4/17/10 and checking out on 4/22/10 with one day in each park. Eating out of pocket/motel has fridge and microwave. I have priced a package onsite with QSDP for the same dates at value and its still almost $1800!!
Can you wonderful, DISboards budget gurus take a look at this so far and come up with any advice on how to go cheaper or make the most out of what we have? TIA!!

Tickets - Undercover Tourist/3+3 free MYW (2 adults, 1 kid) = $641.85 (didn't have just 4 day tix)
Lodgings - Orbitz.com/Super 8 Kissimmee-Irlo Bronson Hwy= $223.70(inc tax)
Parking - $14 x 4 days = $56
Gas - driving 907 miles each way = $210 (round trip @ $3.00/gallon)
Tolls - have to go across the Chesapeake Bay = $10
Total for getting there = $1141.55
So the balance of $350 or so needs to go to food and a little spending money. Granted I hope to have a couple hundred dollars put away from my second job after the holidays so that can be spending money too. But does this look feasible to you? We are not adverse to packing lunch to the parks and eating budget or fast food in the evenings and we had already planned on doing breakfast in the motel. We don't do alot of restaurants as is, because DS doesn't like to sit still yet.
Gosh this got longer than I thought it would, so If you have read to the end thank you. And thank you for any advice you can provide.

 

[Darcy03231]

I think its doable. We rented a vacation home one year and ate most all of our meals in (DSiS was on a very limited budget). We had a big breakfast every day and packed water and snacks for the park. We'd return to the house mid-day for a late lunch/early dinner and a swim/rest and go back to the parks at night, again packing our own water and snacks. I didn't count the groceries we bought as part of the vacation budget as I would have had to buy groceries at home. We did get pizza one night and had a chinese buffet one night, both of which were really reasonable.

 

[HeatherC]

You may want to price an onsite package as well for a value resort. It may wind up costing you about the same amount of money.

We are an offsite family ourselves, but that week is spring break for a great part of the Northeast so it will be very busy. If you stay onsite you would get the extra magic hour privileges.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[hercamore]

Certainly it's doable,

Bring a cooler of fruit/munchies with you and enough water and other drinks with you to bring to the parks.

Cost of gas is rising tho, so keep that in mind.

Perhaps relatives could gift the kids with disney dollars for Christmas for spending money for souvenirs.


herc.

 

[wdwfan16]

I t is certainly doable. I would check on reviews for the Super 8 and where it is located. Super 8s can be very hit or miss. Also the farther east you are on 192 the seedier it gets.

 

[EcbLovesMickey]

Disney may be running a free dining promo around then. If you stay off property make sure to enroll in the give a day, get a day program. It will get you 1 free day in the park!

 

[Darcy03231]

I just checked WDW site:

4/17-22/2010
All Star Music Standard Room
6 day base ticket
Quick Service Dining (2 CS meals, 2 snacks pp/day plus refillable resort mug)

$1686. + $220 to get there (using your figures) = $1,906.

 

[Charitycase20]

I just checked WDW site:

4/17-22/2010
All Star Music Standard Room
6 day base ticket
Quick Service Dining (2 CS meals, 2 snacks pp/day plus refillable resort mug)

$1686. + $220 to get there (using your figures) = $1,906.

Thank you Darcy - It would be great to stay onsite but DH says not over $1500. (he really doesn't want to do to begin with, hates crowds so this is a compromise for both of us)

 

[Charitycase20]

I t is certainly doable. I would check on reviews for the Super 8 and where it is located. Super 8s can be very hit or miss. Also the farther east you are on 192 the seedier it gets.

I thought about that too. I checked all the reviews on TripAdvisor and Expedia and Orbitz and Priceline and Hotwire...you get the picture, right?

Apparently this motel is been recently refurbished, not the outside but the rooms and all the recent reviews are really good. Since we're only doing what the kids will allow in the parks, I didn't see an issue with staying offsite. I guess, I just wanted to hear from someone that can say "Yes, I've BTDT. It wasn't our dream trip but it was WDW and we had a great time!" You know? Right now, staying at a motel anywhere is an adventure for the kids! DD is still talking about staying at a Days Inn in Terra Haute IN on the way back from the in-laws in OK.

 

[HeatherC]

I just priced it out to for you...but with 4 day base tickets and quick service dining at All Star Music it comes to $1732.

This may be less than staying offsite because it includes a lot of the food budget.

Happy planning!

 

[Charitycase20]

We are an offsite family ourselves, but that week is spring break for a great part of the Northeast so it will be very busy. If you stay onsite you would get the extra magic hour privileges.
QUOTE]

Do you think so?! Oh gosh, DH will kill me!!!

 

[HeatherC]

Just don't tell him!! Only kidding!

Yes...here in New England it is our spring break. But I'm not sure how busy....just busier than usual. We go over our February break and find it busy but manageable.

Can you go the week before or after?

 

[Darcy03231]

We are an offsite family ourselves, but that week is spring break for a great part of the Northeast so it will be very busy. If you stay onsite you would get the extra magic hour privileges.
QUOTE]

Do you think so?! Oh gosh, DH will kill me!!!

I know so. That's one of the reasons I priced out staying on-site for you, thinking you might be able to stretch the budget a bit and take advantage of extra magic hours.

I'm in southern NH and we're the 4th week of April. The 3rd week of April is MA, ME, VT, and parts of NH. Its a big travel time for lots of us in the Northeast because we're so sick of winter/cold/snow. I travel every year for spring break and know a lot of other families that do too. While the first two weeks of April are the busiest (lots of schools are off around Easter). The third week is still busy. By the 4th week it get better. I think we're one of the few areas that has spring break that late. We typically find crowds are light to moderate that week, especially during the week (Mon-Thu).

We've stayed both on-site and off. Actually some of our best trips have been off site at a rental home. My kids (older teens) actually prefer it when we rent a house with a private pool. There's so much more room to spread out. My feeling is that I'll do whatever I have to to make it work for a WDW vacation.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I would look more at other off-site lodging options. You could rent a 2BR townhouse, have a little more space, for about the same $. It would include full kitchen and laundry facilities. That would make it easier to plan meals--it gets tricky using a microwave and mini-fridge for a whole week.

At your kids' ages, I wouldn't worry too much about souvenirs. Maybe buy a few small items before you go, to dole out during the trip--I like glowsticks, the kids always love them, and they sell 12/$1 right now (Target $ Spot).

 

[bumbershoot]

checking in on 4/17/10 and checking out on 4/22/10

Forget the NE, that's primo excellent big time spring break across the country.


I always figure, from late March to mid-May it's spring break somewhere in the country....

The other thing...if your kids are school age...if THEY have a break, many many other kids will be on break as well.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Your kids are young ~ not in school, go any time other than Spring Break time. Early early March, May but not mid March-April.

 

[wdwfan16]

We love mid-May. Nice weather, not humidity and spring break crowds are over.

Also today they went back to 180 day ADRs. Your trip is now in the ADR window, if you want to do a character meal.

 

[Charitycase20]

Ok now you all have me scared!! We chose the time frame that we did because DH's birthday is on the 19th. And we won't get DH's bonus $ until Mid March. Now I don't know what to do!! I guess I need to find some more info on the best time to be there.

 

[mom2val]

Just my 2 cents... I would wait until you get dh's bonus money in March. Then look and see what deals are going on and book your trip according. If you book through Disney you have to pay a $200 deposit and balance is due 45 days before trip.

 

[tinkercat]

If your travel window is flexible, I'd add another vote for May. We went in mid-May and the weather was awesome. The parks were not very busy at all, and we had a great time. The Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot is an added bonus, everything looks so pretty!

We stayed off-site for our first trip to WDW and it was a great time. Yes, I prefer to be on-site but now that we have 4 kids we'll probably be an off-site family from now on because it will be too costly to stay on-site for us.