Disneyworld or Hawaii for family of 6, whic

[dsny1fanaz]

Hello to all,

DH and I have been talking and have decided to price going to Hawaii or Disneyworld for our family of 6. DH 46, ME 43, DS 27, DD21, DS 20, DD 18. (combined family)

Now; DH says that it will be cheaper to take the whole family to Hawaii for 8 days including food, transportation and entertainment while there then going to DW for the same time frame. We are looking at going the 1st week in Jan 11. I would like us to stay at the Port Orleans French Quarters, 3 rooms girls in one, boys in one, and DH and I in the last one.

Any ideas and assistance will be greatly appreciated.

TIA

 

[holden]

We never spend more than $3000 on our Disney vacations and we stay in Deluxes. Look for deals (free dining, discount codes, buy 4 get 3, etc.). I think Disney would be cheaper than Hawaii.

Depending on where you are flying from, airfare to HI can be high. I've gone to HI several times from PA. Keep in mind too that almost all food is imported into HI. That means higher prices (i.e. a gallon of milk might run around $7). Your meals will be expensive in HI. But, there are great hotels deals now in HI as they are trying to attract tourists.

Which island will you go to? Will you split your stay b/w two or more islands? Will you do day trips to other islands? Remember that each island offers different experiences. Honolulu (Oahu) is a mix of beach and city (which we love), where other islands are more tropical.

You could marry both vacations and stay at the Poly! That's where we always stay. It has a Hawaiian feel to it.

Enjoy your trip, whatever you decide.

 

[HeatherC]

I also think Disney would be cheaper. Or at least you would know your total upfront costs for everything ahead of time.

You could also try renting out DVC points from a Disney owner. You might be able to get a full villa for the same price as 3 rooms at POR along with all the Disney perks.

Or if you stay offsite, you can rent a villa for very cheap at places like Bonnet Creek Resort (pretty much an onsite hotel location wise, but not owned by Disney) where a 2 bedroom which sleeps 8 with full kitchen, laundry, 2 baths can be had for like $120 a night including all taxes. But you couldn't do the Disney dining plan there.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Also..forgot to mention...check out mousesavers.com and sign up for their monthly newsletter. A ton of info on the World.

 

[taitai]

When we go to Hawaii with the family, we tend to stay in condos. Much more economical than hotels although we have done those too. We like Maui the most. Lots to do there (road to Hana, hiking, whale watching, great beaches, aquarium, etc.).

There is a Costco right outside the airport in Maui. Food is expensive in Hawaii (but really not more expensive than food at Disney and both are more expensive than food in your hometown). We find that loading up at Costco and cooking breakfast and lunch in the room and then going out for dinner works best for us.

We do like Oahu as well. Need to see the huge waves on the North side of the island as well as Pearl Harbor.

They are very different experiences. It hard to compare them and make a judgement just on cost. It really depends on how much you value each experience.

 

[andrews_dad]

Hawaii, for sure. Go to www.homeaway.com and rent some condos in Hawaii on the different isles. I've done Europe, Carribean, S. America, Africa, Asia .... most tourist stops in the world and Hawaii is "IT" for me.

 

[seashellmom]

Hawaii!!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

There is probably going to be a huge difference in food and transportation costs.

Would you probably need to rent 1-2 cars in Hawaii, that could break the bank vs. staying on property at Disney and using their transporation. When we went to Hawaii (Maui) we had a rental to explore but also b/c the food was extremely expensive at our hotel and we ate at other places. Flights could also break the bank!

 

[Pakey]

We've done both several times and Hawaii is cheaper. You can rent a great house or condo that is walking distance to the beach on Maui for very little. Yes, you will need a rental car that seats 6 or 2 rental cars but that would still be less than park tickets. And PP mentioned Costco. The rentals we have gotten have a grill/pool so we tend to barbeque and eat in most meals as it provides so much more flexibility for everyone.

My adult kids/spouses much prefer Hawaii over WDW. The Kaanapali/Lahaina area on Maui is everyone's favorite location.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

I vote for Hawaii also! As much as we love Disney, Hawaii is a must see. I would love to go back this summer. As others have said, look for condos, etc. This would help on food and lodging expense. Good luck!

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Hello to all,

DH and I have been talking and have decided to price going to Hawaii or Disneyworld for our family of 6. DH 46, ME 43, DS 27, DD21, DS 20, DD 18. (combined family)

Now; DH says that it will be cheaper to take the whole family to Hawaii for 8 days including food, transportation and entertainment while there then going to DW for the same time frame. We are looking at going the 1st week in Jan 11. I would like us to stay at the Port Orleans French Quarters, 3 rooms girls in one, boys in one, and DH and I in the last one.

Any ideas and assistance will be greatly appreciated.

TIA

I totally disagree, I think Hawaii would be much more expensive.

 

[eliza61]

I totally disagree, I think Hawaii would be much more expensive.

Depends. If you take the airfare out of the equation (it's usually more expensive to fly to Hawaii then Florida) Hawaii will price out lower than Disneyyworld.

First of all they have 6 adults that are going to need park tickets. If they go with the hopper option that's at least $300 per person per pass.

Food in Disneyworld is as expensive as any major city (hawaii and some European cities). I'm not a big fan of the dining plan so I never use it.

My vote is Hawaii.

 

[Blackrose]

I am going to agree that Disneyworld would be cheaper. Hawaii is a pretty expensive place to visit, and everything is expensive. Disneyworld, on the other hand, is just as expensive as Hawaii, in the parks, but as soon as you go into town, it is a whole different ballgame.

As others have said, you can get the dining plan, which should save you some money, and besides, Hawaii does not have Mickey!

 

[lurkernj]

I must agree that Hawaii is more expensive. We went three years ago with our two boys and the cost for 10 days in November was about $4000 (not including a helicoptor tour that was $800 for four). This was with free airfare from frequent flier miles (airfare was pricing out around $700-800 per ticket!!).

We also stayed in condos and purchased much of our food from takeout/grocery stores. We went out for meals maybe three or four times for dinner. There was car rentals and interisland airfare, and the rates for condos was much more than a mod at disney. Hawaii is incredible and I hope to go back there once I save a lot of $$, but Disney is much more tangable and can be modified to fit most budgets.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Unless you can get a great deal on airfare and are planning on a condo where you will cook all of your meals, Hawaii will be more expensive. Care Rental, Food and Gas are much more expensive. Also if your heart isn't set on staying on property, you can rent a vacation home in orlando with it's own pool for a very resonable rate.

 

[limace]

For the size of your party, I think you can do Hawaii much more cheaply than staying on-property. We pay about $1500 for a week in a condo right on the water on Maui tha sleeps 10-do almost all our meals in the room from Costco food. We do very few activities-maybe a whale watching tour or snorkel/kayak trip, and usually one fabulous meal out. Brunch at the Grand Wailea beats any brunch at WDW. They are two completely different trips-we go go go at Disney and go to Hawaii to do nothing at all.

 

[Mom2apirate&princess]

Hawaii!

We've been fortunate to travel to a ton of places and Hawaii is still everybody's favorite in this house. My kids vote for Hawaii over WDW.

 

[owensamo]

I think you need to make sure you're comparing as closely as possible. If you're looking at 3 hotel rooms at WDW, compare it to 3 hotel rooms on Hawaii. If you're looking at a condo or rental in Hawaii, compare that to the same at WDW - try renting points from a DVC member, or look at local home or condo rentals, which can be very economical and usually includes a pool and other amenities.

I haven't done it, but I would think if you compare similar housing, along with all of your entertainment (excursions on the islands, etc) vs. park tickets, etc that they'll probably come out fairly close.

Personally (as a DVC member), I'm waiting for the Hawaii DVC hotel to open - then I'll enjoy the best of both worlds!

Amanda

 

[lurkernj]

Accomodations will probably be somewhat comparable, but airfare is a deal breaker for us if we're not using miles. I can fly to Orlando for about $225 per person, Hawaii is about $750 per person. For four of us, that's a $2100 difference. Also, we needed to rent a car, while that is not necessary in Disney. Food and gas are very expensive in Hawaii. One thing I found very funny is that a pineapple at one of those "side of the road" stands was $10 and they grow them right there, I can get one at Samsclub for $3.

 

[talulabelle]

I think Hawaii would be cheaper if you want 3 rooms in a moderate. In Hawaii you could get a three bedroom condo, plus save money by cooking in some nights. With WDW in Jan, there might not be any "deal" out then, (maybe buy 4 get 3 free), but still the cost of 6 adult meal plans and park tickets, it will get sky high expensive) The only way I could see it being cheaper or comparable is if you get a 3 bedroom off-site condo in Windsor Hills and cook your own food, or most of your own food. Still park tickets will be high, and you will need a rental car (or two). Flights to Orlando are cheaper than flights to Hawaii, so you might amke up some difference there.