Cheap Disney brags

[sahm2two]

Alright Disboarders... I'm on a mission. I want to take my family of 5 to Disney world for 5 nights/4 days (4 day ticket) for $2,000. The $2,000 will need to include anything I can't scrounge up on gift cards or my personal "extra" money (ie- birthday money, selling my clothes, etc.)

So I want to hear some of your brags... what are some great deals you've gotten? Awesome scores on tickets? Amazing hotel deals? A lunch you packed that you're proud of?

We want to go this summer, and just with (cheap) hotel and Undercover Tourist tickets I'm looking at hitting $2,000 already. So I'm also looking for more hints like swagbucks and Target gift cards. If I could pay for a couple of in-park meals with gift cards that would be amazing! Otherwise we plan on packing lunches and eating dinner at the hotel/house (looking at several options). Our grocery budget won't be included in the $2000 since we always have to eat. But any eating out will be included. Parking and gas will probably also be included, but we live in Ga. and *knock on wood* unless we have a huge hike in gas prices, that shouldn't be too hard and I might be able to cover it with CC reward points (we don't use CCs often so we don't have a ton, but maybe enough for most of gas)

So, let me hear you brag! We've only taken the family once before and both our kids were under 3, so it was a lot cheaper! And there was free dining! This time we've added another child AND they're all over 3! We were also planning on using our tax refund to pay for a trip this fall, but then our car broke down and we had to buy a new one, adding another loan to our plate... so now we're using the refund to pay that down. Anyway, I just have my heart SET on taking my girls (5, 6 and 7) to Disney, especially since none of them remember and the youngest has never been!

 

[bearzabout]

If the kids don't have to go back to school until early Sept, check out availability of 2 and 3 bedroom condos through resortcerts.com. There are many options available for around August 26-Sept 2. Certificates can be purchased from Skyauction for $249 for the entire week. That leaves a lot left over for tickets. Go to the parks a few days and do free activities the other days. Spend the day at the beach, window shopping, visiting Disney Springs or the other resorts, etc.

You'll have a full kitchen to help save on food.

Next fall, look into buying B1G1 annual passes for Seaworld and Aquatica during their black Friday sale. This year, it was about $189 for 2 annual passes. For less than one day at Disney, you could have had a year in these parks. Condos at Westgate Leisure Resort nearby are frequently lists on Resortcerts/com and sleep 6. They tend to only be available during slow times. Also check out availability in April if spring break falls in that month.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Let's face it, the park tickets are going to eat up the majority of your budget...no way around that. However, this is certainly doable. You won't need to rent a car so you're saving that $$$ by using your own. Which (cheap) hotels have you found? You can always check out the blind booking sites like Priceline & Hotwire. Honestly, as long as you're not going during a holiday period - you can probably find a really cheap motel in the area on those sites. That being said, it won't be luxury lol! My thinking is even the super budget motels have pools & you'll be spending the majority of your time in the parks anyway. Plan on bringing a cooler of food & drinks from home. Eat breakfast at your motel, pack nice lunches like wraps, cold fried chicken, cold pasta salads, etc. If you have or receive (as gifts) gift cards for chain restaurants - you could always use those to go out for dinner! I can't wait to see how your budget trip plays out, please keep us informed!

 

[cheerky]

You may be able to score a condo on skyauction for late May or early June after school is out. I've also scored a cheap condo on bookit.com and hotwire. Cook meals at home, freeze, thaw upon arrival, warm up and eat . Maybe the kids could ask for gift cards for birthdays, etc. this year. When my dd was little, I would buy disney souvenir items on clearance at the disney store and bring them in my backpack.. Crowns, flashlights, etc). Good luck! Have fun!

 

[Tigerlulu]

We scored a cheap hotel by doing the name your own price on Priceline. It was in the dtd area. Can't remember the name of it at the moment. And we've also stayed in a townhouse at Windsor hills with our own small pool for 85 a night. Good luck!

 

[VillainFavs]

If you have the self-discipline, USE that credit card! Rack up those points! If you charge everything but absolutely pay it off each month, you can add up a lot of points to pay for gas and other expenses. Think of how much you spend each month on groceries, gas, etc. It will add up quick. And it's free money. Just put aside the cash to pay the bill off each month. If you don't already have a Disney Visa and sign up for that, you can probably get a bonus of at least $50, if not more depending on what specials they're running now.

 

[Marionnette]

Alright Disboarders... I'm on a mission. I want to take my family of 5 to Disney world for 5 nights/4 days (4 day ticket) for $2,000. The $2,000 will need to include anything I can't scrounge up on gift cards or my personal "extra" money (ie- birthday money, selling my clothes, etc.)

So I want to hear some of your brags... what are some great deals you've gotten? Awesome scores on tickets? Amazing hotel deals? A lunch you packed that you're proud of?

We want to go this summer, and just with (cheap) hotel and Undercover Tourist tickets I'm looking at hitting $2,000 already. So I'm also looking for more hints like swagbucks and Target gift cards. If I could pay for a couple of in-park meals with gift cards that would be amazing! Otherwise we plan on packing lunches and eating dinner at the hotel/house (looking at several options). Our grocery budget won't be included in the $2000 since we always have to eat. But any eating out will be included. Parking and gas will probably also be included, but we live in Ga. and *knock on wood* unless we have a huge hike in gas prices, that shouldn't be too hard and I might be able to cover it with CC reward points (we don't use CCs often so we don't have a ton, but maybe enough for most of gas)

So, let me hear you brag! We've only taken the family once before and both our kids were under 3, so it was a lot cheaper! And there was free dining! This time we've added another child AND they're all over 3! We were also planning on using our tax refund to pay for a trip this fall, but then our car broke down and we had to buy a new one, adding another loan to our plate... so now we're using the refund to pay that down. Anyway, I just have my heart SET on taking my girls (5, 6 and 7) to Disney, especially since none of them remember and the youngest has never been!

You've pretty much asked for people to post the entire Budget Board in a single thread!

Your questions can be boiled down to two approaches:

• How can I stretch the money I have in order to make this trip happen?
• How can I add to my limited funds to cover the essentials and some splurges?

A lot of people are going to tell you how to get a cheap place to stay and what they pack to take into the parks.

• There's a recent thread about packing food for in the parks and you might want to check it out.
• http://www.disboards.com/threads/bringing-food-to-the-parks.3474856/
• And here's a recent thread about cheap, but safe, places to stay outside of the Disney bubble:
• http://www.disboards.com/threads/pl...-to-stay-off-site-and-where-to-avoid.3473618/

Then there will be suggestions on how to increase your Disney fund so that you can enjoy some extras on your trip.

• One of those suggestions will be to get a rewards credit card (you already have one, so you know how those work) and go for one with a good sign up bonus. Here's a recent discussion about those:
• http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-great-credit-card-debate.3473488/
• Another suggestion will be to sell your no-longer-used items, which can be done via yard sale, Craigslist, ebay or thru a Facebook group in your area. And since you alluded to "selling your clothes", I'll assume that you're already on top of that.
• Rewards programs, like Swagbucks are already on your radar. Check some others like Perk, ebates, mypoints, checkpoints, shopkicks, ibotta, checkout51 and savingstar. Depending on how diligent you are with them, you could get a few more dollars in time for your visit.
• It sounds like you plan to use birthday money for your trip already.
• Read the Disney Gift Card Deals thread. You can learn how to churn your Target GCs into Disney GCs by going through rewards programs and ebay. You have time to churn your cards one or two times.
• Lastly, there's always the possibility of trimming your grocery budget by a couple of dollars each week and then setting aside the money for your Disney trip. Nothing wrong with doing that, as long as you don't deprive your family of nutritious food while doing it.

Good luck! That $2000 budget is very tight for what you want to do. You're going to need to be very determined to make this happen by the 5-monthh deadline you have in your signature countdown.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

There is a deal I found for August in the resort section on here under discounts. The other disboard users call it a magical labor day deal or something. It's $200 a night at certain deluxe resorts like Poly, Beach Club and Yacht Club. Beach and Yacht Club are $214 a night with tax and can hold 5 people. Poly also holds 5 people and is $238.50 a night with tax. Its through a travel agency. (I cannot say which one though so you will have to find it yourself in the resort section on the discount code page, it's an August thread) They also sell discounted tickets when you book a room. It might be worth it just to see what their quote is. You email them and they are very quick to respond with no obligation to purchase anything. They are super nice and helpful.

I have used them twice so far thanks to finding out about them on the disboards. I got a deal during Christmas and New Years week for Coronado Springs at $165 a night including tax. That is a week when there are no discounts and you pay rack rate. And then we just booked the labor day deal. We didnt have to shell out loads of money either. You just have to pay $200 now and the rest within 45 days of your arrival. That's a good thing because we hate when we pay off another trip after just having taken a trip. We need to recoup some funds.

Also, the the travel agency accepts funds from your disney savings account. So I buy discounted disney gift cards and load them on there to pay for my room. You then earn a $20 gift card for every $1000 you spend through your disney savings account.

Hope that helps you. Good luck.

 

[loves to dive]

I've had pretty good luck booking rooms through Orbitz. I get there through Ebates so I get money back on that as well. They almost always run some sort of 15 to 30% off deal and if you can get the deal at the same time Disney is offering a discount, you get the discount on top of the discount plus the ebates cash back. I did a split stay last time with them and not only did I get the discount on top of the discount, I got orbitz bucks which I then used on the second leg of the trip.

 

[hsmamato2]

OP you have gotten some good advice, which I can't add much to, but only backup.... Get a good credit card,and start putting purchases on that,and save those reward points for purchasing disney gift cards! An easy way to save is to buy 150.00 worth of dis gift cards at sams club for 143.00- then use those to pay for tickets,onsite food,etc. it's a small savings. (You can use a good cashback rewards cc to buy them, then use the rewards points to cut costs after that) the biggest hit you will take is park tickets, no question,and no real way to avoid that,apart from finding small discounts (aka the gift card deal thread noted)
cheap lodging can be found near Disney.... onsite for cheap? the campground.
Otherwise why not check into local home/condo rentals- a couple of years ago my SIL got a great deal at Worldquest resort for 99.00 all included- she loved it and it was a 2 room suite! I've seen deals posted on the boards for Bonnet Creek Resort deals,those sound nice for large families.... 2k is a LOW budget for 5 people. Having a kitchen,bringing meals with you(picnic bag) will be a big savings too. Like I said those park tickets are going to be the biggest challenge.
you can evaluate the cost of buying straight from disney using your (discounted) gift cards,or from someplace like undercovertourist,at a discount. more park days on a basic ticket is your cheapest bet.

 

[potterfanatic]

I found discounted tickets, that were already on top of discounted tickets through one of the associations my husband belongs to. The extra savings is an additional $100 for our family of 5. Maybe you could look into some of your associations to see if they have extra travel benefits.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Oh! If you don't already know, you can go to a FREE character interaction at Ft. Wilderness...Chip N Dale's singalong! They have a campfire, free marshmallows to roast, a "cowboy" singing, Chip N Dale come around to greet the guests & stop for photos, it's followed by a Disney movie. This would be a terrific free character interaction for you guys!

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Not sure of your dates, but just for fun I checked out the Hotwire Hot Rate hotels for 6/13-6/18. I found several REALLY cheap ones in the Disney Maingate/Celebration area. Some had resort fees & some did not. Examples of the prices listed: $28, $33, $34, $34, and $37. No clue what these are like...however they would certainly fit your budget. (Actually one of them was listed as the Bonnet Creek area.)

 

[cruisingmom1977]

I've had pretty good luck booking rooms through Orbitz. I get there through Ebates so I get money back on that as well. They almost always run some sort of 15 to 30% off deal and if you can get the deal at the same time Disney is offering a discount, you get the discount on top of the discount plus the ebates cash back. I did a split stay last time with them and not only did I get the discount on top of the discount, I got orbitz bucks which I then used on the second leg of the trip.

Thanks for posting this!! I was just about to book two nights at All Star for early May. I was bummed that All Star Movies standard room weren't included in Disney's Spring Promotion but after seeing your post, I checked Orbitz. Using the promo code TRAVELHAPPY I was able to reserve a room at All Star Movies (was included on Orbitz but not Disney's site) for 20% off the room rate (Disney promo) plus an extra 15% off (Orbitz promo) and Shop at Home is giving me 8% cash back today!! YIPEEE!!!

 

[Lvsdisney]

We're leaving Monday for 5 days/4 nights and ive spent $2020 out of pocket so far and have $300 in disney money to spend there.
I rented points for AK for $484
Flight for 4 people was $496
Applied for Disney CC, got $200 off my first $500 purchase. Used that and some discounted GCS to buy park rickets (2 adults, 1 kid, DD is 2 so she's free) for just shy of $800
Bought groceries through amazon and garden grocer for snacks, breakfast and some lunches
Used swagbucks to get target and amazon GCs to buy groceries (see above) and disney gcs
Used my disney CC for EVERYTHING (paid off as I went so no interest charged) so I earned disney money that way. If I had applied for it earlier, I would have even more!

 

[momto4obkids]

I used sams club to book our hotel for our trip we just took in December. I got the Maingate Resort and Spa now Red Lion Maingate Resort and Spa for $30 a night!

The rooms have been completely renovated and they have three pools on the property. It's also super close to Disney! We were at Animal Kingdom in about 5 minutes.

I also do the Target gift card stuff with earnings from Swagbucks, PerkTV, Mypoints etc. So, our trip was essentially all paid for with those rewards.

Definitely check out all the links Marrionnette

 

[halfpintpeggy]

I used sams club to book our hotel for our trip we just took in December. I got the Maingate Resort and Spa now Red Lion Maingate Resort and Spa for $30 a night!

The rooms have been completely renovated and they have three pools on the property. It's also super close to Disney! We were at Animal Kingdom in about 5 minutes.

I also do the Target gift card stuff with earnings from Swagbucks, PerkTV, Mypoints etc. So, our trip was essentially all paid for with those rewards.

Definitely check out all the links Marrionnette

How was the Maingate Resort? Did they charge a resort fee? Do they have breakfast?

 

[loves to dive]

We're leaving Monday for 5 days/4 nights and ive spent $2020 out of pocket so far and have $300 in disney money to spend there.
I rented points for AK for $484
Flight for 4 people was $496
Applied for Disney CC, got $200 off my first $500 purchase. Used that and some discounted GCS to buy park rickets (2 adults, 1 kid, DD is 2 so she's free) for just shy of $800
Bought groceries through amazon and garden grocer for snacks, breakfast and some lunches
Used swagbucks to get target and amazon GCs to buy groceries (see above) and disney gcs
Used my disney CC for EVERYTHING (paid off as I went so no interest charged) so I earned disney money that way. If I had applied for it earlier, I would have even more!

Make sure you add the annual fee for the Disney card back on to any savings you might receive and remember you have to pay that fee every year. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes not to get one.

 

[sahm2two]

Thanks everyone!! We talked about it some more and decided to take the $2,000 from this year and save it, and wait until next Spring Break to go so we can enjoy ourselves more. I'll still use some of these tips though!!

 

[sholey01]

I used sams club to book our hotel for our trip we just took in December. I got the Maingate Resort and Spa now Red Lion Maingate Resort and Spa for $30 a night!

The rooms have been completely renovated and they have three pools on the property. It's also super close to Disney! We were at Animal Kingdom in about 5 minutes.

I also do the Target gift card stuff with earnings from Swagbucks, PerkTV, Mypoints etc. So, our trip was essentially all paid for with those rewards.

Definitely check out all the links Marrionnette

We booked here for next month from Sam's club. we couldn't pass up the price. 196.00 for 5 nights. Hope we like it.