Can't take that FL trip? Think again.

[ruadisneyfan2]

I think a lot of difficulty with saving more money depends on your standards. Sure we could eat counter service: hot dogs & burgers for a week & we won't starve to death but it would gross me out after a couple days.
If that were my only way to stay under budget, I'd rather save $ by staying off site & having real food at "home" a couple nights.

Also one could get a 2* hotel on Hotwire for really cheap but it might look like skid row. How low are you willing to go to save money? That will be different with everyone.

 

[crisi]

I think a lot of difficulty with saving more money depends on your standards. Sure we could eat counter service: hot dogs & burgers for a week & we won't starve to death but it would gross me out after a couple days.
If that were my only way to stay under budget, I'd rather save $ by staying off site & having real food at "home" a couple nights.

Also one could get a 2* hotel on Hotwire for really cheap but it might look like skid row. How low are you willing to go to save money? That will be different with everyone.

And at that point, we wouldn't go. There is nothing so appealing about Disney that I need to eat crap or sleep in a bad bed for a week.

 

[Manders77]

I think a lot of difficulty with saving more money depends on your standards. Sure we could eat counter service: hot dogs & burgers for a week & we won't starve to death but it would gross me out after a couple days.
If that were my only way to stay under budget, I'd rather save $ by staying off site & having real food at "home" a couple nights.

Also one could get a 2* hotel on Hotwire for really cheap but it might look like skid row. How low are you willing to go to save money? That will be different with everyone.

I agree completely. My budget is tight when I go, but I do not want to cook/clean after myself on vacation. Also, don't want counter service all the time. Have to do table service almost once a day. And I have small kids so a character meal is a must at least 2x for a week. Yes, the OP budget could be doable but some people don't want those standards. And yes I would rather save $$$ and wait an extra year.

 

[jenseib]

I have to say if I have to cook in any way, then it's really not a vacation to me. Now if it was the only way to go, I might consider it, but for the most part I will wait and go at a cheaper time and get the dining plan. I have stayed off site and on site. Many years ago staying off site we did it pretty cheap by eating off site most of the time. 2 years ago I wanted to take an extra trip and price onsite with free dining verses staying at my parents timeshare, paying for parking and all meals, most being onsite and a car. It was cheaper to stay at a Value than to stay at a free off site resort. (Thats back when Values got the full free dining regular plan). Next year we are staying offsite at my parents timeshare in March. Our plans are to do legoland, Universal and maybe some other off site attractions. We will have to have a car anyways. I am also toying with getting AP's, as we may make a trip this fall/winter before hand, so that would make parking free.
You really have to look over your options because offsite isn't always cheaper.

 

[chimilady]

I'm going for 10 days over Labor Day and spending about $3500 for 4 of us, including food, souvineers, onsite, etc.

 

[Marionnette]

Thanks for everyone's responses. I can't "answer" everyone but I'll say this: over the past 23 years since I was 8 I've been to WDW over 500 vacation days (over 100 at the other Parks). I've helped families plan numerous trips to DW (I planned our first trip when I was 8). It can be done very affordably (I stick to the budget posted above); and our vacations cost less and less each year and we end up doing more.

The point of it is simply I know way too many people that want to go to DW but (a) think they can't afford it (b) can only go every few years, if that, because it's way to expensive (c) or do go and will never go back because they broke the bank.

Heck, last year I was talking to a family who was hoping for DW vacation for 7 and ended up saving them nearly $6,000 off their original budget (now, that's a huge savings bc this family was looking at villa on-site, hoppers, etc.) But still -- they could not afford it originally, but after 10mins with them they cut their budget nearly in half. AND still could get a villa, airfare, etc.

THE POINT: If you want to go.... go. It can be done no matter how you save. And you can still stay in nice places and eat at great restaurants. If you save more -- great. Awesome. One person mentioned $6000 for 10 people for two weeks (I think that's what he wrote). I don't disagree. You can do that. Even less, I'm sure. You can get a villa that sleeps 16 for less than $150 if you wanted. If $3,100 (a general figure) is too much for four adults than do it for less (I mentioned $2500 all inclusive for 4 adults). If you can't do 5 days, do 3. Do a 3-day Universal/IOA for even less. It can be done.

It looks like you've logged a lot of park hours and I think that it's great that you've been able to help your friends save money. But if you really want to be helpful to a wider audience, you need to let people know HOW you find these great deals.

Such as:
Where are you finding airfare for $125 one-way?

• Does it include baggage fees?
• Or paying to choose your seats so that your family can sit together?
• Does it involve driving hundreds of miles to a less-busy airport in order to take a discount airline?

Who is selling adult tickets for $250 apiece?

• Are they base tickets or do they include hopping? Or waterparks?
• How many park days are you getting for that price?

What are you feeding 4 adults for a week?

• Does the $200 in groceries cover things like coffee? liquor? steaks for the grill?
• Or are we talking Ramen noodles and tap water for a week?
• You budget $200 for eating in the parks, which is $50/adult for the week. What kind of meals are they eating for that money? Are they sharing hot dogs at Casey's? Or a Shawarma platter at Tangierine Cafe? Or do you have some great counter service places that you would like to share?

MY POINT: It's one thing to throw out a budget and say that a vacation is doable under that budget. It's another thing to show just how to meet that budget.

 

[Gretchen]

I got one way from CT to MCO for under 125 on SW.
Looked at UT for tickets, MYW no hopping is 255 3 day adult.
No way could I feed my family for 200 bucks for the week. I budget 100+ per day..

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I have to say if I have to cook in any way, then it's really not a vacation to me. Now if it was the only way to go, I might consider it, but for the most part I will wait and go at a cheaper time and get the dining plan. I have stayed off site and on site. Many years ago staying off site we did it pretty cheap by eating off site most of the time. 2 years ago I wanted to take an extra trip and price onsite with free dining verses staying at my parents timeshare, paying for parking and all meals, most being onsite and a car. It was cheaper to stay at a Value than to stay at a free off site resort. (Thats back when Values got the full free dining regular plan). Next year we are staying offsite at my parents timeshare in March. Our plans are to do legoland, Universal and maybe some other off site attractions. We will have to have a car anyways. I am also toying with getting AP's, as we may make a trip this fall/winter before hand, so that would make parking free.
You really have to look over your options because offsite isn't always cheaper.

This is true overall but not true if you compare apples to apples. If you compare a Marriott or Hilton timeshare condo to an onsite value resort, that's not a fair comparison. I know many people only need a clean place to shower & sleep so values work for them but it would drive dh crazy so I'd then choose an offsite resort with better amenities if I needed to save $. Then again it all depends on how much the car rental costs & whether you're visiting during FD or not. So many variables.

 

[jenseib]

This is true overall but not true if you compare apples to apples. If you compare a Marriott or Hilton timeshare condo to an onsite value resort, that's not a fair comparison. I know many people only need a clean place to shower & sleep so values work for them but it would drive dh crazy so I'd then choose an offsite resort with better amenities if I needed to save $. Then again it all depends on how much the car rental costs & whether you're visiting during FD or not. So many variables.

You are right about that. But for me being onsite is much better than offsite, even at a value. I love the night EMH's for one so for me to misss out on that the savings has to be pretty darn high. The timeshare ammenities would be wasted on us as we are not at the resort enough to really appreciate the place.
I just stayed at the Marriot Manor Club in Williamsburg and it was nice, very nice, but again we were out and about a lot, so really a regular room anywhere would've made me happy. We did have 5 people, so the extra room and bathroom was a blessing for that trip. next year we are staying at the Marriott timeshare for one of our trips and I am still leery of it, but since we are doing some other things, I am more open to it now. I have a couple of other trips in the "possible" works before that, so if I get an Ap, it will make me feel better about staying off site as well.

 

[Belle0101]

It looks like you've logged a lot of park hours and I think that it's great that you've been able to help your friends save money. But if you really want to be helpful to a wider audience, you need to let people know HOW you find these great deals.

Such as:
Where are you finding airfare for $125 one-way?

• Does it include baggage fees?
• Or paying to choose your seats so that your family can sit together?
• Does it involve driving hundreds of miles to a less-busy airport in order to take a discount airline?

Who is selling adult tickets for $250 apiece?

• Are they base tickets or do they include hopping? Or waterparks?
• How many park days are you getting for that price?

What are you feeding 4 adults for a week?

• Does the $200 in groceries cover things like coffee? liquor? steaks for the grill?
• Or are we talking Ramen noodles and tap water for a week?
• You budget $200 for eating in the parks, which is $50/adult for the week. What kind of meals are they eating for that money? Are they sharing hot dogs at Casey's? Or a Shawarma platter at Tangierine Cafe? Or do you have some great counter service places that you would like to share?

MY POINT: It's one thing to throw out a budget and say that a vacation is doable under that budget. It's another thing to show just how to meet that budget.

That would be great information to have!

For us, it's been year since we've found airfare that cheap. Even then we had to drive 3 hours, one-way, to the airport. That adds in gas and parking fees at the airport.

Because I really don't want to have to do laundry on any vacation we have lots of luggage. Lots of luggage means baggage fees when flying.

We do pay for all of us to sit together. This will sound awful, but if the plane has trouble I don't trust a stranger to help my children.

Kudos to those who can do it though! I would love to be able to go yearly but it's just not doable for us.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Southwest has Philly to MCO for $114 incl. taxes each way mid-week in Sept (non-stop). It was higher to return on a Sunday but I had to suck it up since our kids only have a 4 day weekend off school. If we could return on Monday it would $114 for the return flight too.

Only $108 each way from Baltimore.

hth someone.

 

[kandb]

We are staying at POR for 8 nights, 2 adults, 2 disney adults, and 1 child. We have hotel, MYW tickets for 8 days and free dining and it cost $3100. We also got direct flights from Jetblue for $95 each way from Newark to MCO, using ME.

PS The $190/RT gets each of us 1 piece of checked in luggage at NO charge. Jetblue also gives free coffee, soda and all the snacks you want during their
flights. We LOVE Jetblue.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

We are staying at POR for 8 nights, 2 adults, 2 disney adults, and 1 child. We have hotel, MYW tickets for 8 days and free dining and it cost $3100. We also got direct flights from Jetblue for $95 each way from Newark to MCO, using ME.

PS The $190/RT gets each of us 1 piece of checked in luggage at NO charge. Jetblue also gives free coffee, soda and all the snacks you want during their
flights. We LOVE Jetblue.

I do too, but not from my airport to MCO, holy flip the prices are high.

Yay for your awesome deal.

 

[crisi]

I do too, but not from my airport to MCO, holy flip the prices are high.

Yay for your awesome deal.

For those of us from expensive airports, we can only dream. I haven't flown to Disney in a decade for under $400 a ticket.

 

[pigletto]

Our airport isn't too bad. But Jetblue is much higher than it is from the airport 4 hours away. Makes no sense to me. Well I suppose it does. They've determined people will pay it from Buffalo, so they charge it.
Southwest is better here.

 

[Liberty Belle]

If you really wanted to go to WDW for "cheap" you can do it. Below is a 5-day trip budget for four adults going during slower season (though busier season isn't much higher).

Airfare: $250 x 4 (buy on a Wednesday)
Car: $25 x 5 (carrentals.com + coupon. We just did mid-size for $10 a day)
4/3 Villa: $60 day total x 5 (Flipkey/Homeaway. We got a 3/3 for $55)
Tickets: $250 x 4
Groceries: $200
Food: $200 (it all depends on what you want to save)
Gas: $40
Souvenirs: $100 (Is it necessary?)
Parking: $15 x 5
Misc: $200 (or much less)

So four ADULTS could go to Disney for 5 full days for about $3100. And I guarantee even less -- $2500 or so -- if you have a strict budget and stick to it, or go for four full days. And if you wanted to do SW/BG or Universal for a 3-4 day trip it would be about half this.

My family and I just did a full week in a 4/3 villa; airfare; rented a car; saw SW/BG/AQ/MK/Disc Cove/Uni/IOA/Treasure Tavern; got groceries; ate out every night; played several mini-golf games; had food in the Parks; and more for less than $100 per person per day.

Start saving today to go tomorrow.

We drive down and save more. Haven't been in a couple of years, though, and it won't be happening anytime soon. I'm currently unemployed and we're struggling. Even $300 would be out of the question right now.

 

[drinkme]

I paid $231 round trip from Chicago for our June 2013 trip. I bought the tickets in March. However, from what I noticed on these boards, I think it's a lot cheaper to fly out of Chicago than some other airports.

Anyway, I thought $231 was high! lol. I guess I shouldn't complain.