Disney Property 4 days or off site for 8

[erikthewise]

If your daughters are not in school yet, consider going in May instead of June. That may save as much money as any of the suggestions here, plus crowds will be smaller.

 

[jenseib]

AAA saved us more than what it cost to buy the membership, so we bought it. Codes won't be out for awhile yet. I think people are still waiting to see what will come out for Jan. yet, so it will be awhile. But you can book now and change it if a code comes out. I would consider May too. I went twice in May and the weather was great ,and crowds weren't nearly as bad as the time I went in June. I think rates are lower then as well.
I think any decent hotel in the Disney area is going to be 70-100 bucks. I stayed at a Fairfield on International drive back in 99 and it was like $65 a night then. And it was getting a rundown look at that point. I can't say how nice it is now, or even if it is still there. But be careful. I noticed you didn't include food in your budget. Food can get pretty pricey down there too. When we stayed off site we would d othe hotel's free breakfast, eat lunch at the parks, then do a resturant on the way back to the hotel. Like a buffet or something. That kept food cost down. I think Disney food is really expensive, but yo udo get alot usually too. Last time we did the dining plan and that worked the best for us that trip.
We went peak time in March and spent $2000 for the trip. We had airfare from OH for 3, 4 nights at Pop, dining plan for two adults, (Our DD was free for dining and parks) and two adult 4 day base passes. I thought that was a pretty decent price for peak time and wit hthe air too.

 

[kencrane]

we are planning on having between 1400 for room and tickets. 1500 - 2000 to cover all the extras food, gas, hotels for the trip there and back, souvies. I hope that is enough to cover all that.

 

[mom22boys]

we are planning on having between 1400 for room and tickets. 1500 - 2000 to cover all the extras food, gas, hotels for the trip there and back, souvies. I hope that is enough to cover all that.

So basically, your budget for the whole trip is 2900-3400. I just put in dates for Pop Century for June 10-June 16, with 5 day base tickets, and the dining plan. The total for the cost of that trip is $2181.16. That would leave you roughly with $700-1200 for travel expenses and souvenirs. In my very humble opinion this would be the most magical way to do Disney. You could enjoy all kinds of character meals without worrying about the cost. Are you familiar with the dining plan? Since you are trying to budget the cost of food, it might help to have it paid for in advance.

Anyway, in my very humble opinion I think being able to enjoy Disney transportation, the fun theme at Pop, character meals without out of pocket expense, the complete immersion into Disney (there is something magical about not seeing the outside world for a couple of days) would definitely be worth the $2,181!

Good luck. If you have any questions just ask! Remember you can always book this package now and try to apply any discount code that would come out later. You would just have to keep checking. I would think a discount code for June wouldn't be available until spring 2008.

 

[2tink4u]

Mom22 is correct. Check it out w/the dining and staying on site. The esperiance will be greatly enhanced. With 5 day tickets you'll have a down day or so to enjoy down town disney, the pool, cape canaveral or whatever you are up to. Go the AK resort and check out the animals tons of stuff to do without entering a park.... free and still disney magical. try a book called Passporter at www.passporter.com
happy hopping

 

[AtlAmanda]

We tend to stay on-site for shorter trips (like a long weekend during free dining in September or our upcoming December trip) and off-site if we are staying for a week. We have 2 small kids and don't handle having all of us stuck in one room for a long period of time. Naps never go well.

The travel time for getting back to a close off-site location (like Windsor Hills) is only about 5 extra minutes when you go the back way from when we are staying on-site, so I wouldn't let that sway you too much. It really depends on what you want to do.

 

[suevee]

So basically, your budget for the whole trip is 2900-3400. I just put in dates for Pop Century for June 10-June 16, with 5 day base tickets, and the dining plan. The total for the cost of that trip is $2181.16. That would leave you roughly with $700-1200 for travel expenses and souvenirs. In my very humble opinion this would be the most magical way to do Disney. You could enjoy all kinds of character meals without worrying about the cost. Are you familiar with the dining plan? Since you are trying to budget the cost of food, it might help to have it paid for in advance.

Anyway, in my very humble opinion I think being able to enjoy Disney transportation, the fun theme at Pop, character meals without out of pocket expense, the complete immersion into Disney (there is something magical about not seeing the outside world for a couple of days) would definitely be worth the $2,181!

Good luck. If you have any questions just ask! Remember you can always book this package now and try to apply any discount code that would come out later. You would just have to keep checking. I would think a discount code for June wouldn't be available until spring 2008.

I agree with Mom22, and I would also check out AAA to see about discounts on packages. You will need a down day to rest with 5 days of parks. Also as I understand it the Dining Plan is good for your entire length of your stay at the resort, it is not based on the length of park tickets. The character meals with your girls would be worth it!!!

You could pay a bit every month then just have to worry about getting there and getting back. I would put in a Walmart stop to stock up on water and snacks. Stuff you may want that the dining plan wouldn't cover.

 

[jenseib]

I agree. Doing it with dining plan is the best. We did alot of character meals, and it was so much fun. My DD loved them. And we got more than enough food. We packed breakfast snack cakes and breakfast bars, and ate lunch and dinner at the parks. We only had to buy extra drinks throughout the day. Being that you are driving you can bring along some water or soft drinks too. Definately look into the dining plan. You get one day of the plan per night you stay onsite. Again, look at AAA for a discount package. It may save you enough to be worth signing up with them. (you don't have to put your whole family on it, just one will do) Sometimes when you book with them they also have an extra perk. We got a gift card to Disney as well. I think in 5 days you will be able to cover alot and your kids will never forget the character meals. My DD is 2 and still talks about the trip from March. I am trying to persuade DH to go agian this year, or to Disneyland.

 

[The6ofUs]

Ken, are your dates definite? Or can you change them to a less crowded value period? Are either of your children in school yet? If yes, when is the last day?

 

[DISNEYNY]

Ken, are your dates definite? Or can you change them to a less crowded value period? Are either of your children in school yet? If yes, when is the last day?

I stayed offsite on my first two trips. Once I stayed on sight I can't go back. As someone else said figure in the parking expense as well as gas driving back and forth to the resort. The traffic in Orlando can be bad also so you will be wasting alot of time. If your dates are flexible you might consider August. The last few years they have offered a free dining plan package at the end of August. We went this August 26 - Sept 3 and paid 82 per night at AS Music and ate for free the entire week. If your job allows you to change your vacation I would try for a deal. The free dining announcement usually comes out in April. I don't know if your dates are set in stone, but the rates are higher in June.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I agree with mom22boys. As PP's have said, many DISers love to crunch numbers, I remember about a year or so ago, there was a woman (forgot her name, something to do w/ Tink) she was doing WDW one and off -site for 2 weeks for something like $3300. Granted, it was a budget trip, but boy did the DISers pull together to get her every piece of info she needed.

My recommendation is ON SITE. We did off site our first year, because I was certain the on site was too expensive. The next year, I found the DIS and will never stay off site ever again.

It if it fits your budget, the packages allow you to make payments, with your final payment due 45 days prior to travel. This way if you include your park tickets and the dining. Your spending money while one your trip is MINIMAL. Whatever you decide, have a great trip.

 

[asmit4]

The extra $$ to stay onsite is worth it. As I see it, to stay on site for 8 days instead of 4 will cost about $400. You said that you could do 4 nights or 8 nights....what about 6 nights? You could stay onsite for 6 nights, get 4 or 5day park hoppers and do a day or 2 at the pool.

6 nights would run you an extra 200 bucks over the 8 days off site.

Also, the quote at POP with dining is a great idea! 2100 for all that is fantastic All you will need are some filler snacks and you'll be covered for the entire trip.

I assume that gas is probably gonna run 200. Tack on 2 hotel rooms, 1 there and 1 back for around 150 total. Souvies maybe 300. Extra food along the way 200-300. That's just over 3K for the entire trip Under your budget.

 

[Maraena]

Had a few moments of time so I thought I'd run some numbers based on the dates you'd indicated. Here's what I came up with:

June 7-15th - 9 day base ticket with water parks + standard room at Pop
$2108.02; Add in the dining plan and it comes to 2875.70 (Honestly with kids that young, I'm not sure it'd be the best deal for you unless they're real eaters.)

If you stay off resort, tickets (via disney's site, at least) are going to run you $818.00 alone (9 day base with water parks again). Basically, that would leave you with $75 a day for a hotel and parking.

Also, FYI, if you move the dates back exactly one month (I used May 7-15), you will save $100 on the package so it comes to $2006.32. Ticket prices don't change but the room rates do.

As far as I can tell, the codes for May or June are not yet out. Typically, these lower the rack rate substantially but you have to keep an eye out for them. If you've been to the Disney site and had a vacation planning dvd sent out in the past few years (resulting in registration), you may find that - upon calling Disney - you have some pins associated with your name. These might reduce the package a bit.

To give you an example, my DbF and I are going in December for 6 days/5 nights. We started planning late after getting a postcard in the mail (basically started planning at the beginning of October). I looked at the Disney site initially to book. I built a package for $1500+ that included park hoppers and dining. I called Disney and was quoted a package for $1286 because of some codes I'd found and pins attached to my name. (We went through them all to determine the best deal.) I've since dropped the park hoppers (with some careful park and ADR planning) and am now in under $1200. (If we assume full price for our park tickets and dining, the room comes out to a $59 a night.) Airfare for us (we're a couple states north of you), was $69 one way on Southwest and came to $335.40. All told, we've got room, airfare, and food covered for $1500. (Basically the pin I had gave me a 15% discount which actually isn't the best discount out there but we were late in planning.)

Now, you do have two small children. However, as I said before, I believe the dining plan (particularly with the changes in 2008 that don't include tips) might be a waste for them. From my experiences (as a godmother, 'aunt', '2nd mom', etc), young children aren't big eaters and the servings they'd get might be bigger than they'd need. I think if you stick to a few buffets (particularly character ones) and split some counter services and such, you'll come out ahead.

Also, I think you may want to carefully weigh your decision to drive. Texas to Florida is going to be quite the jaunt and the hotels and gas on your way (much less the time spent in the car with 2 young ones - "Are we there yet?") may be more expensive than the airfare. I know that both kids are considered adults, but I also know that Southwest offers some darned good fares. Assuming you can get their lower internet fares ($104 one way) from DFW, you're looking at around $850 to fly. Air tran has some pretty good rates too ($69 one way and $104 back). Not sure what type of car you'd be driving or how many days travel it would take you to get there, but it might be worth investigating.

That said, if you do fly, I would definitely recommend staying on site. The WDW transportation isn't instaneous, but it's darned good for the number of people they transport daily. I know some folks really like driving their own cars on site (for better control, time, etc.) but figuring out a new place is more hassle to me than the bus system.

I do wish you luck. I'll go with the others who have said to go ahead and book and hold it with the minimum deposit. You always get that deposit back if you decide to stay off site (assuming you cancel within their specifications). I would also recommend just signing up for a Disney Visa rewards card. They do get some nice codes and discounts and it could prove helpful for your budget. I believe I've also heard that you can charge a Disney vacation with a 6 months/same as cash stipulation. Plus, I believe I saw that they're currently giving out a $25 dining card if you book your vacation using the card.

 

[Maraena]

I agree with mom22boys. As PP's have said, many DISers love to crunch numbers, I remember about a year or so ago, there was a woman (forgot her name, something to do w/ Tink) she was doing WDW one and off -site for 2 weeks for something like $3300. Granted, it was a budget trip, but boy did the DISers pull together to get her every piece of info she needed.

My recommendation is ON SITE. We did off site our first year, because I was certain the on site was too expensive. The next year, I found the DIS and will never stay off site ever again.

It if it fits your budget, the packages allow you to make payments, with your final payment due 45 days prior to travel. This way if you include your park tickets and the dining. Your spending money while one your trip is MINIMAL. Whatever you decide, have a great trip.

Heh, funny you should say that. I couldn't help but crunch some numbers. It was more entertaining for me to do that than to look at a multivariate analysis.

 

[luvpalmtrees]

We have stayed off-site more then on-site. And, of course we love staying on-site better if the finances are better! We've stayed at the Allstars, POP and CBR! You can try getting the Orlando magiccard through the internet (google it) or through the mail. We did. It saved us a ton of $. We stayed in 2004 and 2005 at Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista on Palm Parkway for $50 a night. The hotel was ok for what you need it for. It is dated but the rooms have a micro and a fridge. They also have 2 pools and continental breakfast. It was fine for us. There is also many hotels on Palm Parkway close to Disney. We are looking at the Radisson Resort/Celebration for next year or the year after if we don't stay on-site. That hotel is $99-109 (Going over the 4th of July). It has a fridge and a slide in the pool. Also, most of these hotels have shuttles to the parks. Anyway, I hope this helps. It is the best to stay on-site to get the Disney experience. Good Luck planning!!

 

[kencrane]

Thanks for all the help. We are now leaning towards a Disney Resort for 7 nights. We better get to saving our $$. I don't think the dining plan is going to be right for us. We are not sure we are going to want to take the time with the adr's and with young kids on vacation a sit down meal may not be the best use of our time. We have thought a way to save a few dollars each day would be packing a lunch to take into the park or going back to the room to have sandwiches. Has anybody done this?

 

[spiceycat]

We have thought a way to save a few dollars each day would be packing a lunch to take into the park or going back to the room to have sandwiches. Has anybody done this?

Yes.

get on one of the refrigerator sharing plans. this will work just fine. if you stay in a value resort.

the deluxe, moderate, dvc have refrigerators in their rooms.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Thanks for all the help. We are now leaning towards a Disney Resort for 7 nights. We better get to saving our $$. I don't think the dining plan is going to be right for us. We are not sure we are going to want to take the time with the adr's and with young kids on vacation a sit down meal may not be the best use of our time. We have thought a way to save a few dollars each day would be packing a lunch to take into the park or going back to the room to have sandwiches. Has anybody done this?

I think you should take a look at menu prices at allears.net and maybe re-think the dining plan. Kids your age will surely sit for character meals which are almost all buffets or very fast family style dining. I know the first time we didn't do the dining plan - it really killed me to have to fork out over $90 for a character meal, when I could have pre-paid the dining plan and not have to worry about it.

I don't quite know what you mean when you say you don't want to have to "take the time with the adrs". I don't know if you mean the actual time of eating the meal or taking the time to actually plan where you will eat.

Unless you plan on doing counter services (cs) for all your meals, you are going to have to make some ADR's for table services (ts) with or with out the dining plan. Gone are the days that you can walk into Chef Mickey's without an ADR and expect to get a table.

Now sure there are exceptions to this. You can choose to eat dinner at 9:30 at night and get a walk in, but on the whole, there really aren't any walk ins anymore.

 

[kencrane]

The whole adr thing seems a bit over whelming. This is our first visit to WDW and I am not sure how many days we are going to want to spend at each park. We were planning to just wing it most of the time.
We are planning at least one character meal but the others we were just thinking cs.

 

[The6ofUs]

Ken, I may have missed this, but are you set on your dates or can you change them? Are your children in preK or Kindergarten? If so, what's their last day? I'd like to help you lower your costs, but need this info first.