DL for under $1500?

[SageFemme]

Is it possible to do DL for under $1500 including airfare (or gas if driving) from OKC, food, hotel, tickets for 2 adults and 1 child, etc.? Probably 1-2 days of tickets, and maybe 4 days of total vacation days. I don't know.

I am seriously craving some Disney magic before our WDW trip in Dec. 2010. I looked at DCL and in Feb., with the "free child" option, we can go for $1300 but that doesn't include excursions or airfare. DH wants to do something under $1500 if possible.

Help!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Check out Getawaytoday.com or if you are a Costco member, check them out too! Also check out HOJOs website for Entertainment rates. When are you looking to go?

 

[SageFemme]

Thanks! We want to go this Spring.

 

[todzwife]

I'm trying to get ours under $2000 including everything and the biggest money savers I've found is to bring your own food and find a great deal on a hotel.

Last year, we spent (family of 4) about $100 a DAY on food, not including breakfast which we ate in the room. This was lunch, snacks and dinner. Unfortunately, it was more than I had planned for. DRINKS were a big part of that expense. We don't drink a lot of soda, so we ended up buying chocolate milk. The big one DH kept getting was almost $4 each! This added up VERY quickly.

If at all possible, order from Vons (I think they still deliver), and have food sent to your hotel. Bring as much food as possible instead of buying there. Bring reusable water bottles and fill them up wherever there is a soda machine w/ a water dispenser.

If you are within walking distance, consider taking the Magic Express bus to and from the airport instead of renting a car.

Don't rent a stroller. Buy a cheapy or bring one you already have.

Check to see if Hojo's entertainment rate is available. If not, check this site:
http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap for a close hotel that is in your budget.

Don't bother with the "stuff" you can buy. If you want Disney items, order from disneyshopping.com before you go for a quarter of the price.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Definitely bring food into the park to save money. You can bring sodas, water, capri suns, etc. in a soft sided cooler. Or pack a bigger cooler and store in the lockers in the picnic area. If you stay at a hotel close by, many have fridges and microwaves, and they are close enough to go back to the hotel for lunch and a quick dip in the pool for some down time. We are planning on eating "in park" once a day for dinner. Other than that we will eat breakfast at the hotel, and go back to the hotel for lunch or bring lunchables or sandwiches into the park. Don't buy water at the park. You can refill water bottles for free at several places.

 

[Leofoenget]

Of course you can. I have done it many times. Driving, not eating in the park, getting a hotel with a free breakfast. The biggest budget buster could be hotel. Keep looking and as soon as 2010 rates open up grab one. Try Anaheim Plaza or Hojo.

 

[LuLusApple]

I say yes you can too bring your own drinks, that's where I see most of our money flying away. If you have a baby, pack it all in the stroller. One trip we didn't bring DGD1 and besides missing her we missed the stroller! Lol
I think we spent 12$ a day each person on water bottles! that really added up quick.
The other thing we do is check menus before we go in and make sure everyone knows what they are getting and the price of that meal. Helps a ton preventing DD12 from ordering a steak and breaking the budget.
We try to budget 35$-40$ a day per person for all meals including snacks. We rarely spend that much.
We eat cereal, pop tarts fruit in the hotel rooms and
We like to eat at Pizza Port, French Market, Plaza Inn @ DL
Taste Pilots and Pacific Wharf, White Water Snacks in DCA
for our budget trips and drink our own water.
So if you eat brekki in the hotel room, snack and one big meal a day your good to go
that's how we do it

 

[iKristin]

it really pays to plan WAY ahead. For my trip next month I started planning in February.

Two round trip tickets: $350
HoJo Hotel Room 6 days: $350
2 sets 6 day park hopper tix: $250

I only spent $950 before food and spending money.

So it really is possible. It just really pays to search around, check cheap tickets and JetBlue religiously; if they fly out of your area you can get an amazing deal!

 

[Mouse13]

It can definitely be done. We always take advantage of HoJo's Entertainment rate.From OKC to SNA, we always fly Southwest and have gotten rates as low as $87 each way before taxes. I would say that it's easy to get rates from Southwest in the $100-110 range each way. We always fly Saturday to Saturday to take advantage of the lower rates, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays are cheap, too. Good luck in your search!

 

[disneymama83]

it really pays to plan WAY ahead. For my trip next month I started planning in February.

Two round trip tickets: $350
HoJo Hotel Room 6 days: $350
2 sets 6 day park hopper tix: $250

I only spent $950 before food and spending money.

So it really is possible. It just really pays to search around, check cheap tickets and JetBlue religiously; if they fly out of your area you can get an amazing deal!

WOW! May I ask you where you got the 2 sets of 6 day park hopper tickets? That is a great deal! Thanks

 

[avalon451]

Book your tickets, hotel, and airfare separately to save money. Packages usually don't save you money.

Stay at HoJo during a time when the entertainment rate is available: $59 a night for a standard room. They're not posting March yet, but for example, right now you could do Sunday-Thursday February 21st-24th for $240. That way you would still see the fireworks Sunday night when you arrive, and if you get 4-day hoppers you could then have 3 additional full days in the park before you leave on Thursday.

I would price out whether it would actually be cheaper for you to drive. At that distance, with the price of gas and motels, it might be worth it to just look for cheap airfare.

Order groceries and bottled water for delivery to your room from Von's-- they have a $50 minimum order, but you can add a few things to take home to fill that up. It's well worth it to have the cheap bottled water, eat breakfast, maybe lunch and snacks in the room, and then budget maybe one meal in the parks.

I bet you can totally do this for under $1500 for 3 of you! Good luck!

 

[ashpinoza]

Is it possible to do DL for under $1500 including airfare (or gas if driving) from OKC, food, hotel, tickets for 2 adults and 1 child, etc.? Probably 1-2 days of tickets, and maybe 4 days of total vacation days. I don't know.

I am seriously craving some Disney magic before our WDW trip in Dec. 2010. I looked at DCL and in Feb., with the "free child" option, we can go for $1300 but that doesn't include excursions or airfare. DH wants to do something under $1500 if possible.

Help!

well we certanly are! easily too. and we are going to vegas and san diego for only 1000 more! we are two adults and a child. we have to have a car rental too, and still are doing good with our budget! we look for lots of discounts, take advantage of the ET rate at hojo, and also we make sure to eat only one meal a day and some snack FROM the park, all other food we try and eat what we get from grocery stores, aside from some trips to restaurants and diners. however if your only going a few days then it wouldnt be bad. we fly from illinois. renting car for about 7 days. 13 day trip total. 2500.00 about. lil more for souvineers and all that!

 

[SageFemme]

Wow! Thank you everyone for the ideas! It looks like we can make this work! Keep the ideas coming!

 

[notes4theheart]

it really pays to plan WAY ahead. For my trip next month I started planning in February.

Two round trip tickets: $350
HoJo Hotel Room 6 days: $350
2 sets 6 day park hopper tix: $250

I only spent $950 before food and spending money.

So it really is possible. It just really pays to search around, check cheap tickets and JetBlue religiously; if they fly out of your area you can get an amazing deal!

May I ask how you got 2 sets of 6 day park hoppers for 250?!? That's practically buy one get one free!

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

I know by NOT skimping, NOT flying & staying in HOJO we can go for about $1550 for a family of 4. By not skimping I mean pricey meals & souvenirs.

I imagine if you brought food for a few meals, or watched your budget closely so you could fit airfare in you could do it.

 

[mamaofthree]

Oops, deleted cause I meant to start a new thread.

 

[50sjayne]

We managed for us three to keep it under 1000. The usual stuff, HOJO et rate, 5 for 3 pass, brought food, kept souvies to a minimum, drove.

 

[KCmike]

Be careful as when we visited Disneyland we haven't returned to WDW for three vacations now. It is our favorite Disney park now.