Cheapest Way to go/stay at DisneyWorld?

[LilMamiBella]

This will be our first ever trip and we'd like to go Disney World from 7/3- 7/7. We'd most likely drive there. We'd probably stay in All Star Movies. Its me, my husband, and our two kids ages 5 and 2.
So for four days at ASM, gas, food, souvenirs, parking, etc etc. what do you think we'll be looking at?

I think All star movies is $99 a day so x4 is= $455 with tax

Parking is $8 a day x4= say $35

Tickets for 4 days ??

Gas= not sure

Souvenirs = $400 maybe?

Food= have no idea

Please let me know what you think. Dh wants to know how much everything will cost upfront before agreeing with me to go.

 

[punkin]

Check mousesavers for codes. I think there are some applicable to your dates. you don't have to pay parking if you stay onsite. Food depends on if you eat counter or sit down/on site or off. You can bring a lot of breakfast and smack stuff with you since you're driving and that will save some. Do you really need $400 of souveniers?

 

[LilMamiBella]

Originally posted by punkin
Check mousesavers for codes. I think there are some applicable to your dates. you don't have to pay parking if you stay onsite. Food depends on if you eat counter or sit down/on site or off. You can bring a lot of breakfast and smack stuff with you since you're driving and that will save some. Do you really need $400 of souveniers?

I'll check mousesavers.
And no we probably won't spend $400 on souvenirs lol but I wasn't sure.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Ditto everything punkin said plus be sure to check MouseSavers for the cheapest ticket prices.

And the whole souvenir thing is fine if you have the $$. You can buy souvenirs at the Disney outlets in Orlando or just forgo them for the most part except perhaps one each for the kids if the budget it tight. Take lots of pictures, they're the most lasting momento, I think. Make photo album/scrapbook when you return home.

I have $125 a day budgeted for food for six of us (4 are children) and I doubt if we'll spent that much most days, other days we'll go over for special meals but it'll even out. But we don't do many sitdown meals, a couple of character breakfasts and one special event (this time Cinderella's Royal Feast). We share meals at the counter services places, eat at the resort after we return from the parks, eat breakfast on the fly or in the room (we bring cereal, breakfast bars) and carry our own snacks (kids get to choose their own each day). We also carry at least one drink apiece into the park - usually ice cold water to save $$ too.

 

[phamton]

You won't have to pay for parking either at the parks or the resort as long as you are staying onsite. I believe that resort guests have free parking at all the parks. Also you can ride the resort buses to the park and just leave your car back at your resort.

 

[westjones]

Do you have a AAA card? If so, call and see if they have a AAA discount on your room at the All Stars. We are going in September (which I realize is value season) and our room at Pop Century is $69 (includes tax) with AAA.

If you want a character meal with our kids, but don't want to spend a lot, try the the ice cream social at Epcot. From the Mousesavers.com website:

Least Expensive Character "Meal" at Walt Disney World

Well, okay, it's not really a meal. It's even better, as far as I'm concerned -- ice cream! Every afternoon at 3:00 (and in high season, also at 3:15) there is an "Ice Cream Social" at the revolving Garden Grill restaurant in The Land at Epcot. The price is $6.99 plus tax and tip per person (same price for kids). You get to enjoy a massive and delicious ice cream sundae while Mickey and friends visit the tables and interact with the guests. A great way to get out of the heat and relax in the mid-afternoon. Priority Seating through (407) WDW-DINE is highly recommended. (By the way, if you inquire in advance, a diabetic/sugar-free version is available.)

After that, try sticking to counter service and splitting meals with the kids. Order ice water for drinks instead of pop.

Bring light breakfast stuff to start the day in the room (pop tarts and juice boxes). Bring snacks for the kids in the parks.

Those are just some thoughts!
Have a great trip,
DJ

 

[fam4jc]

Hi! We are driving to WDW in June with two DD's 5 & 7. Money is tight so we've budgetted and saved and saved and saved!

Everyone is so smart on these boards! They are also very kind with sharing thier knowledge. You've come to the right spot for help!

There is the current promotion, pay for 5 nights get 2 nights free. That includes ultimate park hopper tickets. I personally don't think uph's are the way to go with small children.

The Swan and Dolphin have specials for teachers, nurses, and gov't workers. Do either you or DH fit into one of those categories?

It might be worth it to join AAA to get that discount. I think AAA is 39 a year. You could get a discount on your room and park tickets. I've found that ticketmania.com had really good prices for park hoppers and park hopper plus tickets. They do have them for 4 or 5 days. Your park tickets will run you about 700 or so for the ph plus.
We are freezing a case of bottled water and putting it and some frozen juicy juice box drinks into our cooler to take with us. Just bringing drinks can save you a bundle. My suggestion would be like everyone else's; bring easy breakfast items, drinks, and snacks. Plan one or two fun meals with characters if you have the money to spend about $70 - 80 (breakfasts) for the four of you. Or do the ice cream social at Epcot.

It's an expensive trip but totally worth it! There are some great threads about saving for disney trips. You may want to check out those ideas... tell your DH you have two and a half months to save a little extra

Have a great trip I'm sure you will all love the world

 

[disneyjunkie]

Check out the menus on Deb's site so that you'll have an idea of how much food will cost.

http://allearsnet.com/din/dining.htm

 

[mlcwrites]

To save even more on hotel, try choice hotels...econolodge, comfort inn, etc.... my family and I have accommodations for $32/night. Eat lunch as the big meal....may be discounts, breakfast in room, or with a continental included in off-site hotel price, dinner: split entrees....souveniers off-site=huge discounts....I've heard you can ask anywhere for ice water, too.
Have fun!

 

[LilMamiBella]

Thanks to all of you that replied with the great tips! It is our first time going and I'd love to stay in one of the deluxe hotels but we really can't afford to spend that much. So we want to stay in one of the Disney resorts and get that "disney feel" lol
I figure the kids will love ASM becuase of 101 Dalmations and Toy Story. We don't qualify for any of the discouunts but joining AAA sounds like a good idea.

Have any of you bought the entertainment book and do you find that its worth it?

 

[crazelion]

I think All star movies is $99 a day so x4 is= $455 with tax

That sound about right for the hotel.

Parking is $8 a day x4= say $35

Parking is free for onsite guests. Use Disney transporation to the parks and don't worry about driving.

Tickets for 4 days ??

Simple check at the Disney Store for 4 day hoppers tickets I think get a small discount at the store. I would not join a club just get a discount on tickets. I have AAA for road service for 40.00 dollars because just the piece mind if care breaks down I know I get help. The hotel, tickets and rental car discounts is extra perks to me.

Gas= not sure

I would fill up in Georigia for cheap gas. I can't really help god knows we don't how much gas is go up.

Souvenirs = $400 maybe?

I think 400.00 dollars is overboard souvenirs.

Food= have no idea

 

[SonicLogic]

Originally posted by crazelion
I have AAA for road service for 40.00 dollars because just the piece mind if care breaks down I know I get help.

My experience with AAA road service has been very bad. AAA is the pits and potholes of road help! However, their Disney discounts can be worthwhile.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Originally posted by LilMamiBella
We don't qualify for any of the discouunts but joining AAA sounds like a good idea.

I beg to differ with you on this one. There ARE codes that you qualify for. Have you checked HERE
on Mousesavers and looked at the VACATION PACKAGE DISCOUNT? It's the only one I see available right now, but it's better than nothing, because you don't have your tickets yet and this does include those. Remember though, the tickets are Ultimate Park Hoppers and if you don't go to the park on any one day, you're losing money. I see that you're visiting Disney for 5 days and this package will give you two more days for just the cost of 5. You're leaving on the 4th of July and the package isn't available til the 5th of July, but you could push your trip up one day if it works for your family.
I'm sorry I don't see any room only codes, but I don't think many are available for the time of year you are travelling. I do hope I've helped. Check out the link and see how that works for you.

Blessings,

Denise

 

[mad4themouse]

Hi LilMamiBella and welcome to the DISboards! You'll find a lot of great cost-saving ideas here and the people are so helpful.

I'm going to be a lttle radical and suggest that you or your DH purchase an AP (annual pass). You only need to purchase one. But before you do, call CRO to check the availability of rooms for your dates with the AP code BCG.

AP rates for your dates can still be booked and the rate for the AllStar resorts is $59/night before tax. That's $189 less than the rack rate you'd be paying when you factor in taxes. The difference between the 4-day PH that you'd be buying for yourself and the AP is $189. So you would actually break even.

If you should decide that a moderate resort is more to your liking, the AP rate for moderates with a standard view is $89 per night (vs the rack rate of $144/night).

And, if you want to return to WDW for another visit in less than a year that AP will still be good for admission AND any other available room discounts.

Plus, there are other benefits to having an AP, like discounts on waterpark admissions and mini-golf. It also entitles you to some dining discounts as well. You can check the benefits list at AllEars,net - AP Benefits .

Just a little more for you to think about and confuse you more.

 

[HaleyB]

I was going to say the same thing about the AP... but do check for room avaliability first and go ahead and book the AP rate then buy the pass. Also you can buy a child AP instead of an Adult.

You are only going for a short while and it is a very busy and hot time of year. If there is any way you could go in the fall I would highly recomend that over the summer. Or if you can go a little longer... I would also say that the $21 for acess to www.tourguidemike.com is some of the best money a first time visiter could spend.

There is a gas estimater on the AAA website somewhere... you put in the start and destination places, and your car info, and it will calculate how much gas you will need.

Food in the parks. We could get by on $50 a day when our kids were little. We don't spend a lot of time eating in th parks... we survive on ice cream and water for the most part Now that my kids are a little bigger they eat a little more, so I plan on $100+ a day, with the + being for days we do sit down meals.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

We returned today. It seemed like everything in the parks was maked up $5.00 at least.

Sport camera from Stop& Shop - $12.00
Sport camera at Blizzard Beach $19.00!!!!!!! Exact same one.

Water gun at CSR 8.99
Same water gun at Publix 2.99

20 oz water or soda 2.50!

Foil Postcard in CSR 2.00!

I bought Disney beach towels and T-shirts ahead of time to be the souvenirs for DS(11) and DD(3).
They also got a spray fan each (6.99 at CVS, cooling and fun) and 3 pins each once I saw how cute pins are.

We loved peppermarket with Q&C vouchers and romanos MACARONI GRILL on 192 without vouchers. We ate at each of these two places 3 times in a week they were so good.
We ate cereal in our room for breakfast and splurged on one character meal, the Princess breakfast. Lovely Princesses but the food was about as good as Dennys at twice the cost. Do the icecream social instead.

We bought 3 day PH with 1 plus . We also did 2 Universal days and that was too much in a week. 2 days off staying at the hotel pool would have been better for our children. But my last vacation was 4 years ago and didn't know when we would go again.

 

[Tiggerlover91]