Best money saving tips?????

[fomocowife]

Any good thoughts on saving money??? cheap park tickets??? cheaper resort prices?? renting vacation club points???? Thanks

 

[Styx Fan]

you may want to just start scrolling and reading threads. This being the budget board the majority of the them are somehow related to saving money in general. And that money can be used for Disney. Many other threads are full of tips for saving money while on your trip.

I am pretty sure if you check the index there is a separate board just for Disney Vacation Club where you might get the best suggestion on points use.

Have fun reading!

 

[IamJBo]

As the PP mentioned there really isn't a good way to answer your question without being vague. Many factors come into question and the biggest is when would you plan on going? Prices fluctuate throughout the year.

I've always found it cheaper to buy my park tickets separately but if the dining plan is important to you then you'd have to purchase tickets through Disney.

In regards to resort prices - timing matters. Check Disney to see if there is a special rate going on. If you're just doing the resort then chances are sites like Orbitz and UT have matching if not cheaper rates then the "on sale" rates Disney offers.

DVC? There are only two times I would bother renting points for a DVC room is if it is cheaper than the resort you are looking at - so long as it is also a similar hotel. (example - pricing on a rack rate for a deluxe might be more than just renting the points for that same deluxe - in that case I would recommend renting the points.)

Or if you need a large room. Lets say you have 8+ going with you and you must stay on site. Compare your options - would it be cheaper to have multiple rooms at rack rate or would it be cheaper to have the 1 large villa with DVC pts?

Sorry it wasn't earth shattering advice but its a starting point.

 

[sarahwill]

search al over the internet for the best possible rates, there are many couponing websites that provide the coupons when you book your accommodation online

 

[worm761]

Sign up for the monthly newsletter at mousesavers.com. There is a link to discounted tickets at Undercover Tourist. This website also has a running list of the current discounts for resorts and packages.

Go to themouseforless.com and look at the menus to get an idea of what the prices will be like and where and what you might eat. Then compare that cost to that of the dining plan. The DP doesn't work for my family but it does for some.

Make a list of every place you might look for discounts. Your employer, AAA, travel clubs, club stores like Costco and Sam's.

Really research the parks and the resorts. Will you be spending all your time at the parks? Or do you want a lot of down time at the resort? Will you really take advantage of the amenities or your could you go to a lower category resort? Check out Dave's DVC for renting points. At least do the research to see if it is an option or not for you.

 

[Marionnette]

Any good thoughts on saving money??? cheap park tickets??? cheaper resort prices?? renting vacation club points???? Thanks

There's no such thing as "cheap" tickets. You can get discounted multi-day passes from a number of sources but cheap isn't in Disney's vocabulary. I suggest watching for threads that discuss tickets at Undercover Tourist, or big discounts through stacking sales on Orbitz with a good rebate on ebates.

Cheap Disney resort prices are anything but cheap. There is a Disney Discount Codes and Rates Forum where all that they post about is the discounts that are available at the various resorts at different periods throughout the year. You may want to check it out and follow it. However, even the cheapest Disney resort with a discount is going to cost more than the cheapest offsite resort.

Your question about renting points has been addressed in your separate thread.

 

[limpy]

There's no such thing as "cheap" tickets. You can get discounted multi-day passes from a number of sources but cheap isn't in Disney's vocabulary. I suggest watching for threads that discuss tickets at Undercover Tourist, or big discounts through stacking sales on Orbitz with a good rebate on ebates.

Cheap Disney resort prices are anything but cheap ... even the cheapest Disney resort with a discount is going to cost more than the cheapest offsite resort.

Yeah, the first tip for doing Disney on the cheap is not staying at a Disney resort. We could have saved hundreds by renting DVC at Animal Kingdom but we saved thousands by renting from a timeshare owner at Bonnet Creek, which is actually closer to Disney in some respects. We figure we could just, ya know, visit Animal Kingdom.

We got 3-day (which most people aren't willing to do) non-hopper park tickets from UT and erased the cost using my credit card miles. So they ultimately cost me nothing.

We also opened a Southwest airlines card card and used points to get plane tickets.

See, it is possible to do Disney cheaply. However, if you want the 10-day quintessential Disney dream with all the trappings, you will pay a premium.

 

[Flamingeaux]

we love to stay onsite so the cheapest route for us is FD at a value resort. We don't mind QS meals and will eat at a TS once.

We were able to sock away about 1K from a nutrition study we did for the CDC. DW is a diabetic so she got some extra money.