Attn: PLANNING EXPERTS!

[Cwilson]

Hello all!
I am trying to plan our 2nd family trip to Disney. This will be our last one for a while, so I don't want to give up on things I really want (i.e.: park hoppers), but need to find the most bang for our buck. We are a family of 4.. DS will be 2 at the time of the trip and DD 9. We are looking to go for 6 nights/7 days, preferably the first week in June. DH wants me to keep it close to $2,000 for hotel, park tickets, and dining plan. EEK?! Doable? Not? Need advice and guidance to make this trip happen!!!

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

Use an experienced travel agent. Dreams Unlimited agents can work wonders. Give them a call, you will be impressed.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Your looking at around 1000.00 for tickets alone

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Hello all!
I am trying to plan our 2nd family trip to Disney. This will be our last one for a while, so I don't want to give up on things I really want (i.e.: park hoppers), but need to find the most bang for our buck. We are a family of 4.. DS will be 2 at the time of the trip and DD 9. We are looking to go for 6 nights/7 days, preferably the first week in June. DH wants me to keep it close to $2,000 for hotel, park tickets, and dining plan. EEK?! Doable? Not? Need advice and guidance to make this trip happen!!!

$2000 for flight, hotel, tickets, food? Do you have to stay on-site? Do you want to have 3 meals a day? Do you prefer table service?

While I think it's doable, I think you will have to make choices on what is really important. 6 nights at the All-star music with 5 day park hoppers is just under $2k. So none of your travel or food expenses are in that figure.

 

[ShariVT]

2558 at pop with 5 day hoppers and quick service dinning plan
2831 at pop with 5 day hoppers and reg dinning plan
If you are willing to stay off site and will have a car there are many other options that will reduce the cost.

 

[Cwilson]

A few things of note.. We live about 8 hours from Orlando, so we will be driving.. I am looking at staying onsite and park tickets. It's looking like we might have to fore-go the dining plan and pack a cooler daily. I'm okay with doing that if it means we get to go! So far it's looking like ASM might be our best option. I'd love to stay at a moderate, but I guess I can't be too picky with our budget.

 

[Pesky]

Ditto pp -- start with a travel agent, an experienced one, and see what kind of packages you can get. That's your best bet. I'd probably also look to do at least one meal in your room (think cereal). Driving you can also augment with snacks and stuff so even though that means hauling around a lot, it's better than shelling out a ton of money for snacks.

 

[tzolkin]

A few things of note.. We live about 8 hours from Orlando, so we will be driving.. I am looking at staying onsite and park tickets. It's looking like we might have to fore-go the dining plan and pack a cooler daily. I'm okay with doing that if it means we get to go! So far it's looking like ASM might be our best option. I'd love to stay at a moderate, but I guess I can't be too picky with our budget.

I think skipping the dining is the best option for a low-budget trip.

Since you are driving you can stock up on groceries for the room. You can either rent a fridge or bring a cooler (or both). We have never packed a cooler for the parks, but we also always return to the room for a few hours in the afternoon. So we eat breakfast in the room (or rather, on the way to the bus stop), and then have food in the room during our midday break and at night. We have also brought snacks into the parks (whole or dried fruit, carrots, nuts, pretzels, and pbjs shaped with special cutters).

Another major money saver is if you will just drink water in the parks. We use a hydration backpack and refill with free ice water. We save the other drinks-- juice, soda, beer-- for when we're back at the resort.

When the kids were younger we usually got about one CS per person per day. We only bought adult meals and would share two or three among the 5 of us maybe twice a day. (Ex. sharing two orders of corn dog nuggets at MK around 11am and then three meals at Epcot later that evening) With snacking around all day this was plenty of food for us.

Also, the resorts have whole pizzas for a reasonable price (maybe $13?) that could work for a late night meal.

 

[damiel]

IMHO I would consider staying off site and eating meals in the park over staying on site and packing a cooler. If you stay off site you could eat breakfast at your hotel/condo. If you are reallly stuck on staying onsite I would consider staying 5 or 6 days to free up some money.

 

[zurgswife]

When my kids were young we found we could share counter service meals real easy to save money. Purchase two adult meals and then have your kids share. Even today at Pizza planet we purchase less individual pizza's then we have people and we always are just fine.

All stars 6 nights/7days plus 6 day about $1,900

So, if your driving I think you might need to up your budget a couple hundred dollars for food.

 

[Marionnette]

Hello all!
I am trying to plan our 2nd family trip to Disney. This will be our last one for a while, so I don't want to give up on things I really want (i.e.: park hoppers), but need to find the most bang for our buck. We are a family of 4.. DS will be 2 at the time of the trip and DD 9. We are looking to go for 6 nights/7 days, preferably the first week in June. DH wants me to keep it close to $2,000 for hotel, park tickets, and dining plan. EEK?! Doable? Not? Need advice and guidance to make this trip happen!!!

A few things of note.. We live about 8 hours from Orlando, so we will be driving.. I am looking at staying onsite and park tickets. It's looking like we might have to fore-go the dining plan and pack a cooler daily. I'm okay with doing that if it means we get to go! So far it's looking like ASM might be our best option. I'd love to stay at a moderate, but I guess I can't be too picky with our budget.

Even with the current discount, you're looking at $1700-$1900 for a value resort standard location room and 6-day base tickets for 3 people. That doesn't leave much for gas, tolls, food and tips.

If you want to stick to the budget that your husband set, you will have to look into staying offsite. As 4Hppycampers pointed out, half of your budget is going to be consumed by tickets.

 

[Ourdisneytrip13]

I think you should check bookit.com.... I was able to find ASM for 750 including tax. Priceline is offering the special on tickets....buy 3 days get 2 free. That would come to roughly 1600! Leaving 400 for food budget. I like the idea of taking a break during the day and going back to resort and swimming and eating there. If you eat breakfast and lunch in maybe you could do just dinner out. Keeping my fingers crossed for you sis!

 

[arihillfarm]

Hello all!
I am trying to plan our 2nd family trip to Disney. This will be our last one for a while, so I don't want to give up on things I really want (i.e.: park hoppers), but need to find the most bang for our buck. We are a family of 4.. DS will be 2 at the time of the trip and DD 9. We are looking to go for 6 nights/7 days, preferably the first week in June. DH wants me to keep it close to $2,000 for hotel, park tickets, and dining plan. EEK?! Doable? Not? Need advice and guidance to make this trip happen!!!

I'm getting $2,096 for first week of June, 6 nights, 7 day base tickets and QS dining plan at ASMusic on the Disney TA website. You can drop one or two days off of your tickets (unless you think you'll really be able to make good use of your arrival and departure days) to save some more. To add hopping will be $182 more so I always suggest to start without hopper tickets and then if you decide while you are there that you really want hoppers, go ahead and pay for the upgrade at that time. Sometimes, if you go through the first 2-3 days without using the hopper option, it doesn't seem as "worth it" to add it for the remaining days. With 7 day tickets and QS dining (so no park plans tied to ADRs), I think you'd be able to see most of what you wanted without the hassle of hopping to another park with a toddler.

Edited to add that if Music is not to your liking, for $55 more for the week, you can stay at Pop!

-Astrid

 

[arihillfarm]

I think you should check bookit.com.... I was able to find ASM for 750 including tax. Priceline is offering the special on tickets....buy 3 days get 2 free. That would come to roughly 1600! Leaving 400 for food budget. I like the idea of taking a break during the day and going back to resort and swimming and eating there. If you eat breakfast and lunch in maybe you could do just dinner out. Keeping my fingers crossed for you sis!

That rate is actually higher than what you can get through Disney unless you quoted a preferred room. Disney is showing Music as $744 with tax for 6 nights and the Priceline special on tickets is still higher than what you can book directly with Disney or through a TA. Room only and 5 day base tickets together are $1501 with tax.

In most cases, you will get the better deal booking with Disney or a TA going through Disney when there is a special running. The only time I look elsewhere is if Disney is sold out for a certain resort on a certain day. I'm usually still able to get a room through a consolidator that has purchased a block at that resort and those work well for pre and post night stays but sometimes it's a few dollars more.


-Astrid

 

[arihillfarm]

Sorry, double post!!

-Astrid

 

[Diegosmom]

I am getting $2,250 for a sunday-sat stay at all star music with 6 day hoppers and quick service dining.

And 1713 if you get rid of dining so that would leave 287 for food which is doable especially if you are driving...take out pizza a night or two...also check out for coupons and such and you still probably can do some quick service meals onsite...

Of course you would save another $182 if you got rid of the hopper...do you really hop alot of could you make due with base...it will be june and hot you will probably want some daily pool time would it be so bad to go back to park you started at in the morning?

 

[DisneyEater]

5-day MYW base tickets would probably be around $1000 from undercover tourist.

If you really want to choose a better hotel over food, you could rent DVC points. A week in an Old Key West studio would run you around $1000 for the first week of June if using a point rental site.

That is $2K, but only for tickets and hotel. Wanted to throw that out there because that is an option no TA will give you because they don't get commission off of that.

 

[arihillfarm]

5-day MYW base tickets would probably be around $1000 from undercover tourist.

If you really want to choose a better hotel over food, you could rent DVC points. A week in an Old Key West studio would run you around $1000 for the first week of June if using a point rental site.

That is $2K, but only for tickets and hotel. Wanted to throw that out there because that is an option no TA will give you because they don't get commission off of that.

A TA would offer that as an option (at least this one would) if it were what the OP was looking for and saves money, but that takes her entire budget and doesn't leave anything for food. I also priced a 2 bed. condo in Windsor Hills and 7 day base tickets but that comes to $200 more than staying on property including the additional fee for parking. That leaves $300 for food and that is doable staying in a condo, but is still a very different vacation than on-site with the QS dining plan. I got the impression that the OP really wanted on-site and the dining plan so those are the numbers I provided and it also sounded like her budget was pretty much set.

-Astrid

 

[arihillfarm]

Hello all!
I am trying to plan our 2nd family trip to Disney. This will be our last one for a while, so I don't want to give up on things I really want (i.e.: park hoppers), but need to find the most bang for our buck. We are a family of 4.. DS will be 2 at the time of the trip and DD 9. We are looking to go for 6 nights/7 days, preferably the first week in June. DH wants me to keep it close to $2,000 for hotel, park tickets, and dining plan. EEK?! Doable? Not? Need advice and guidance to make this trip happen!!!

I also wanted to add that if you do get the QSDP, do not use any of your credits on breakfast. You'll quickly lose any value or even being able to break even on the dining plan. Plan to eat breakfast in the room. Cereal, instant oatmeal (bring your own 4 cup coffee maker or get hot water at the food court), danishes and cinnamon rolls (Aldi's has really good individually wrapped danishes), etc. You can also use your snack credits to get danishes and muffins and juice for breakfast and pack snacks for the park.

For a little nicer breakfast and a break from cereal, make one or two ADRs at either Kona Cafe or The Wave for breakfast. You'll only spend a little more per person than paying OOP at the food court and you'll have a nice hot sit-down meal to start your day. Both are on the monorail and would be good choices for breakfast before either a MK or Epcot day.

-Astrid

 

[Marionnette]

5-day MYW base tickets would probably be around $1000 from undercover tourist.

If you really want to choose a better hotel over food, you could rent DVC points. A week in an Old Key West studio would run you around $1000 for the first week of June if using a point rental site.

That is $2K, but only for tickets and hotel. Wanted to throw that out there because that is an option no TA will give you because they don't get commission off of that.

A TA would offer that as an option (at least this one would) if it were what the OP was looking for and saves money, but that takes her entire budget and doesn't leave anything for food. I also priced a 2 bed. condo in Windsor Hills and 7 day base tickets but that comes to $200 more than staying on property including the additional fee for parking. That leaves $300 for food and that is doable staying in a condo, but is still a very different vacation than on-site with the QS dining plan. I got the impression that the OP really wanted on-site and the dining plan so those are the numbers I provided and it also sounded like her budget was pretty much set.

-Astrid

And where would your commission come from? Or would you do it for free? Disney pays the TA a commission on their bookings but where does it come from if the TA rents out DVC points and buys the tickets from UT?

And how does a TA handle renting DVC points? What kind of assurances can she offer her client that the reservation is good and that their money is safe? Does she go through a third party such as David's (which is something the OP could do on their own)? Or does she rent her own DVC points to the client...which would be against DVC rules (commercial renting of points).

I'm just really curious as to where the profit lies for a TA in a situation like this.