BFF announced wedding at WDW this June and I JUST paid off our Disney cruise...HELP!!

[PrincessSophiasMom]

Ok, me and my little family were all set to go on our Disney cruise in October, I had just paid it off when one of my BFF's announced she is FINALLY getting married!!! However she is getting married in June at WDW.....well I had just cleaned out all of our vacation fund for the cruise in October.....so we are doing this WDW wedding on a budget!!!! We live in Texas (Houston/Galevston area) so we are planning on driving . It will me me, DH, and DD (age 2). I dont think the drive will be too bad I have heard from others who drove this to expect above a 13 to 14 hour drive. The wedding party is staying at Coronado Springs, the wedding is at the Boardwalk and reception is at Epcot. Not sure where we should stay....I am looking for convinience so I was thinking Carribean Beach or Swan and Dolphin. I am thinking the Value resorts like Pop century or the all stars will not work due to the long wait for bus to arrive (we stayed at Pop for our Honeymoon and the bus wait was awful!!!) I am also thinking if we do not do the dining plan we can budget our food expence and bring food, since we are driving, for breakfast and snacks. Any other money saving suggestions or tips would be great!!!!

 

[riley2008]

Stay at a value or even offsite. You'll have your car and you won't have to wait on any buses. Likely much cheaper too. Maybe there is also someone else in the wedding party that could share a condo?

 

[Marionnette]

Ok, me and my little family were all set to go on our Disney cruise in October, I had just paid it off when one of my BFF's announced she is FINALLY getting married!!! However she is getting married in June at WDW.....well I had just cleaned out all of our vacation fund for the cruise in October.....so we are doing this WDW wedding on a budget!!!! We live in Texas (Houston/Galevston area) so we are planning on driving . It will me me, DH, and DD (age 2). I dont think the drive will be too bad I have heard from others who drove this to expect above a 13 to 14 hour drive. The wedding party is staying at Coronado Springs, the wedding is at the Boardwalk and reception is at Epcot. Not sure where we should stay....I am looking for convinience so I was thinking Carribean Beach or Swan and Dolphin. I am thinking the Value resorts like Pop century or the all stars will not work due to the long wait for bus to arrive (we stayed at Pop for our Honeymoon and the bus wait was awful!!!) I am also thinking if we do not do the dining plan we can budget our food expence and bring food, since we are driving, for breakfast and snacks. Any other money saving suggestions or tips would be great!!!!

You'll have a car so there is no need to be concerned about the buses at Pop. If that's the only thing that is holding you back from staying at the value resorts, then just grab your keys and drive. Getting from any resort to the Boardwalk using Disney transportation would be a hassle, that includes CBR and CSR.

Of course, you won't need to use Disney transportation if you're staying in one of the Epcot resorts. But if that's the case, then you're not exactly staying with a budget in mind.

 

[pat fan]

What fun!!!

I wouldn't completely rule out the ALLStars, we have never had a problem with the busses in all our stays there. Of course, we don't do POP, we stay at Music and Movies, but we have found the busses to be great!

Do any of you have b-days or anniversaries or anything coming up? I know you're adults, but if parents/siblings give you a gift you could ask for Disney GC's instead of a gift.

Do you have AAA? That gives you at least a room only discount.

I know in some ways it's more $$, but the one or two day tickets are SO expensive, is there any way you could do a longer non-exp. ticket so the remainder could be used later?

Are you IN the wedding, or just going? Normally I would NEVER suggest off-site, but if you are only there for the wedding itself, is it worth it to stay on-site if you can't get a good deal?

Good luck!

 

[E-P-C-O-T]

We have stayed everywhere from the Poly to the All Stars and I can honestly say I have waited longer for a bus at the Boardwalk, BC and the Poly, than I have waited for any bus at POP, ever...You should also know that moderates have several bus stops and it will make for a longer commute to any park. Anyway, I would pick Swan and Dolphin over a moderate for convenience, as you can walk to the wedding and the reception.

 

[disneychic2]

Ok, me and my little family were all set to go on our Disney cruise in October, I had just paid it off when one of my BFF's announced she is FINALLY getting married!!! However she is getting married in June at WDW.....well I had just cleaned out all of our vacation fund for the cruise in October.....so we are doing this WDW wedding on a budget!!!! We live in Texas (Houston/Galevston area) so we are planning on driving . It will me me, DH, and DD (age 2). I dont think the drive will be too bad I have heard from others who drove this to expect above a 13 to 14 hour drive. The wedding party is staying at Coronado Springs, the wedding is at the Boardwalk and reception is at Epcot. Not sure where we should stay....I am looking for convinience so I was thinking Carribean Beach or Swan and Dolphin. I am thinking the Value resorts like Pop century or the all stars will not work due to the long wait for bus to arrive (we stayed at Pop for our Honeymoon and the bus wait was awful!!!) I am also thinking if we do not do the dining plan we can budget our food expence and bring food, since we are driving, for breakfast and snacks. Any other money saving suggestions or tips would be great!!!!

Who waits until the last minute to plan a destination wedding? An especially expensive destination wedding no less! Also, if you are not in the wedding party, you could consider just getting them a really nice gift and skip the expense of the trip.

That said, since you're driving, a Value resort would be fine since you can drive where you need to be. No need to be at the mercy of the buses. You're on the right track with the food in the room. Don't know where you live, but around here right now there is a grocery store (giant eagle) that is offering 20 cents off per galling of gas when you buy Disney gift cards. I just bought enough to pay for our April trip to WDW and we'll be getting free gas for a little while. You may want to check into that. Sometimes Sam's club offers Disney GC at a small discount. Good luck to you!

 

[PrincessSophiasMom]

What about parking? Would we be able to park at the Boardwalk even if we are not staying there? And also what is the fee for parking at the theme parks? I agree trying to go for convenience and trying to stay on a budget does not always jive.....I guess my thought was to make it easier for us to do this trip with our 2 year old lol......I am bringing my Grandmother with me on our Disney cruise but she will not be able to come on this trip with us She is not a bad kid...she is just a toddler....a very active toddler who does not like to wait...I guess that would descirbe most toddlers lol I know we get a discount on hotel (15%-20%) if we stay on property.....I am wondering if that would be a better deal then staying off property....

 

[leadfootlevi]

What about parking? Would we be able to park at the Boardwalk even if we are not staying there? And also what is the fee for parking at the theme parks? I agree trying to go for convenience and trying to stay on a budget does not always jive.....I guess my thought was to make it easier for us to do this trip with our 2 year old lol......I am bringing my Grandmother with me on our Disney cruise but she will not be able to come on this trip with us She is not a bad kid...she is just a toddler....a very active toddler who does not like to wait...I guess that would descirbe most toddlers lol I know we get a discount on hotel (15%-20%) if we stay on property.....I am wondering if that would be a better deal then staying off property....

Parking at the theme parks, if you stay onsite, is free. Otherwise it's $14. You will be able to park at the Boardwalk - just tell them why you're there.

 

[PrincessSophiasMom]

I am not IN the wedding but she flew in for my wedding so I really want to be there for her wedding!!! My hubby wants to stay at POP because he loved it last time we went (and I didnt love it go figure lol) I have stayed at the Swan and Dolphin before and LOVED the location, but, I would not get the wedding discount since it is not a Disney owned resort.....I am really leaning towards CSR or CBR if I can find a good deal.....we will see....if not I am thinking All Star Music....my hubby is a drummer so I think that would be right up his ally lol. I know for sure we have to do Breakfast the Chef Mickeys on Sunday morning before we leave with the rest of the wedding guest but other then that we can eat cheap.....I will save the fancy resturants for our next trip Also does anyone know how much BBB cost? i am thinking if I can pinch pennies in other areas of this trip I can afford to bring DD to BBB the day of the wedding so she can be the little princess at the wedding!!!

 

[leadfootlevi]

I am not IN the wedding but she flew in for my wedding so I really want to be there for her wedding!!! My hubby wants to stay at POP because he loved it last time we went (and I didnt love it go figure lol) I have stayed at the Swan and Dolphin before and LOVED the location, but, I would not get the wedding discount since it is not a Disney owned resort.....I am really leaning towards CSR or CBR if I can find a good deal.....we will see....if not I am thinking All Star Music....my hubby is a drummer so I think that would be right up his ally lol. I know for sure we have to do Breakfast the Chef Mickeys on Sunday morning before we leave with the rest of the wedding guest but other then that we can eat cheap.....I will save the fancy resturants for our next trip Also does anyone know how much BBB cost? i am thinking if I can pinch pennies in other areas of this trip I can afford to bring DD to BBB the day of the wedding so she can be the little princess at the wedding!!!

Have you seen some of the girls after BBB? Not what I would want in my wedding pictures!

 

[PrincessSophiasMom]

This is my first kiddo and I have only ever heard about BBB, it sounded neat....

 

[leadfootlevi]

This is my first kiddo and I have only ever heard about BBB, it sounded neat....

I was trying to be funny, not offensive. You should google BBB pictures or something. The girls are cute, but IMHO, not wedding appropriate. Think glitter in the hair, heavy-ish makeup, big hair...

 

[Colleen27]

Since you'll have a car you might want to look at Bonnet Creek. It isn't Disney owned but is practically on property, right next door to Caribbean Beach and Pop Century. There's a great FAQ thread on the off-site resorts board that focuses on the timeshare side of things and how to rent points from an owner. It works out to be about the same price as a Disney value but you get more space, deluxe-level amenities, and a kitchen to help you save money on meals. The only catch is that since it isn't a Disney resort you'll have to budget for parking on your park days.

If you're looking to stay on site, you might want to hit the DVC rent board and check out that as an option as well. You should be able to get a studio at OKW or SSR even on shorter notice, the prices that way are more reasonable (generally somewhere between the cost of a value and a moderate), and again you'd have a fridge and kitchenette to help with meal costs. And if you go that route, parking at the parks is free so you wouldn't have to worry about buses or budget for parking charges either.

 

[ekatiel]

There is a free dining PIN good through June that is attached to some people's names. It's good for free QS dining. That might end up being a better deal than the 15% off you'd get on the hotel room, when you factor in how much you'll likely spend for food-- especially if you're staying at POP. You can call Disney and see if the PIN is attached to your name. Some people have even had luck getting the PIN if it wasn't attached to their names. It sounds like a fun trip!! --Katie

 

[girli565]

If she's having a "Wishes" category wedding they usually set up a room block at certain hotels for wedding guests and you can get a discount on your room through that set up. They'll usually give you a special number to call. Ask your BFF about it and see what she says.

 

[girli565]

Oh, and about parking at the Boardwalk for the ceremony... You can park there with no problem. You tell the guard you're there for the "whatever/whatever" wedding and they'll have it on a list and let you right in.

Since the reception is at Epcot are you being taken in by some sort of transportation that will take you behind the scenes to get you to the reception place? You most likely won't need a ticket for that event because the bride/groom pays, as part of the reception, either an Illuminations viewing fee or for the transportation to take you to the reception location.

 

[disprincessatheart]

We had a disney wedding, so maybe i can help with some things. First, as a pp mentioned, ask if she's having a room block. The smaller disney weddings dont have these, but the larger ones (over 20 ppl) have blocks of rooms discounted for their guests. This isn't always better than the public offers, but worth finding out about. When we got married some stayed on site, some off. It didn't hinder anyone getting where they needed to be. If you can get a good deal, it could be simpler to stay at the swan or dolphin, but remember it'll be a LONG walk in the summer heat to the wedding location (the gazebo on the boardwalk is right by the bridge to EPCOT.

BBB is only for kids 3 and up, so not an option for you anyway. Bring your DD a princess dress and crown and she'll be adorabel!

We were planning an epcot reception, but wound up having to change our plans. WHat i have seen and the food we tasted for our planning session was amazing. Enjoy the trip!

 

[Diegosmom]

Make DD an appointment at harmony barber shop on main street in MK. I just read recently that someone did this for there flower girl and it turned out awesome and was only like $10-$15.

 

[Traveliz]

I am not IN the wedding but she flew in for my wedding so I really want to be there for her wedding!!! My hubby wants to stay at POP because he loved it last time we went (and I didnt love it go figure lol) I have stayed at the Swan and Dolphin before and LOVED the location, but, I would not get the wedding discount since it is not a Disney owned resort.....I am really leaning towards CSR or CBR if I can find a good deal.....we will see....if not I am thinking All Star Music....my hubby is a drummer so I think that would be right up his ally lol. I know for sure we have to do Breakfast the Chef Mickeys on Sunday morning before we leave with the rest of the wedding guest but other then that we can eat cheap.....I will save the fancy resturants for our next trip Also does anyone know how much BBB cost? i am thinking if I can pinch pennies in other areas of this trip I can afford to bring DD to BBB the day of the wedding so she can be the little princess at the wedding!!!

I know you have to be at least 3 (and I thought I read they just changed it to 4) to do the BBB.

Liz

 

[heathies2]

I am not IN the wedding but she flew in for my wedding so I really want to be there for her wedding!!! My hubby wants to stay at POP because he loved it last time we went (and I didnt love it go figure lol) I have stayed at the Swan and Dolphin before and LOVED the location, but, I would not get the wedding discount since it is not a Disney owned resort.....I am really leaning towards CSR or CBR if I can find a good deal.....we will see....if not I am thinking All Star Music....my hubby is a drummer so I think that would be right up his ally lol. I know for sure we have to do Breakfast the Chef Mickeys on Sunday morning before we leave with the rest of the wedding guest but other then that we can eat cheap.....I will save the fancy resturants for our next trip Also does anyone know how much BBB cost? i am thinking if I can pinch pennies in other areas of this trip I can afford to bring DD to BBB the day of the wedding so she can be the little princess at the wedding!!!

Can I please advise you against the CBR? The resort is the largest around, there are multiple bus stops and if you are worried about bus transportation time...it is not worth it. We found the busses at the Pop to be much quicker than CBR, and the rooms are not that much bigger. If you are going for value then Pop, We did not find the CBR to be that great.