Family of 5 (one child is 1 year old) looking for June trip! Help?

[FatherTime]

I have never been to Disney. We have 3 kids and my daughter has been dreaming of this day for as long as I can remember her talking. I am looking for 3-5 nights with hotel and tickets. What would be the cheapest routes to go for this? Thank you so much for your time!

 

[Marionnette]

I have never been to Disney. We have 3 kids and my daughter has been dreaming of this day for as long as I can remember her talking. I am looking for 3-5 nights with hotel and tickets. What would be the cheapest routes to go for this? Thank you so much for your time!

There are too many factors that go into planning a Disney vacation to just throw out "cheap" ideas. Have you established a budget? If so, what do you expect it to cover (transportation? Room? Tickets? Food? Souvenirs?)

Do you plan to fly or drive? Do you intend to stay onsite? Do you plan to do character meals and special things like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Pirate Leaugue?

My suggestion to new planners is to go to the Disney website and go through the steps for booking a trip without actually booking. This will give you an idea of what it can cost. You can use that for your decision-making. You may learn that onsite is a little too expensive for what you get and you would rather spend your money on souvenirs or specialty dining. Or maybe onsite is so attractive to you that you're willing to cut back in other areas to stay in a Disney resort.

 

[cuechik]

I agree... going to the Disney website and playing with all the different options for hotels (from Value resorts to Deluxe resorts), number of tickets per person per day, whether or not you'll want park hoppers, whether or not you'll want a dining package (and there are a few to choose form), if you're going to drive or fly, if you'll need a rental car or you're planning on relying on Disney transportation.... just sooo many factors that determine pricing.

 

[hsmamato2]

cheapest on site or offsite? If it's a first trip,you have little kids,and qualify for a one hotel room,since your littlest is under 3, I would try for a room at a Moderate hotel, like Port Orleans resort,or at Pop century-If you're offsite, go to the orlando hotels board,and find the best rated place offsite you can afford,that is the closest/easiest to get to wdw from. that's a start,since ticket prices remain fairly constant.

 

[Magic Band Defender]

I used the trip planning info at wdwprepschool. Shannon is awesome, IMO.

What are the ages of your kiddos?

My first WDW trip as an adult was with my DH and niece, aged 9 (before DH and I had our DS). That trip was planned at fairly late notice and on a budget.

To keep costs down we:
Took the magical express to/from the airport instead of renting a car.
Kept souvenir spending to ONE special souvenir per person (ok, maybe 2).
Stayed at All Star Movies value resort (also rec Pop).
Used free disney transportation around the resort instead of cabs or rental car.
Went in a less expensive season (May, instead of June/July).
Did the dining plan to afford all the princess-y character meals/buffets, but did not spend any money on food/drinks not included on our dining plan (except tips).
Packed a lot in a quick trip. Took the first flight in and the last one out. We only stayed 5 days/4 nights but visited all 4 parks. 9 year olds at Disney want to stay until park close and wake up every morning ready to run out the door! Exhausting, but we got a lot done!

 

[ronandannette]

There are too many factors that go into planning a Disney vacation to just throw out "cheap" ideas. Have you established a budget? If so, what do you expect it to cover (transportation? Room? Tickets? Food? Souvenirs?)

Do you plan to fly or drive? Do you intend to stay onsite? Do you plan to do character meals and special things like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Pirate Leaugue?

Absolutely need this information to make any advice meaningful.

 

[lauradis]

I have never been to Disney. We have 3 kids and my daughter has been dreaming of this day for as long as I can remember her talking. I am looking for 3-5 nights with hotel and tickets. What would be the cheapest routes to go for this? Thank you so much for your time!

Honey we need more information. like above post said to point you in the right direction and then more info to help hammer down the cost.

Our family of 3-4 disney adults normally spends 5-6k for week at Disney on site, which includes everything.

 

[TravelMommy]

Hello FT, For an example: when we do a budget trip, we stay at Pop Century (was able to get $116/night, 2/14 prior to our DVC stay), get our tickets (non-park hoppers) from UnderCover Tourist (tickets are expensive, but you will see a 5 day ticket is only a few dollars more than a 3 day) and utilize Magic Express, if you are flying. We purchased souvenirs before we left home when the kiddos were small and would leave them for them to find in the morning (stuffed animals/light up toys,etc) Buying Disney giftcards from Target can save you 5% if you use a Redcard and allows you to save and do your own "meal plan", if you will. We also order water and snacks from Gardengrocer, to save a ton on drinks (we fly, but if you are driving stock up with these supplies). Have a great trip! Make sure to get all of you Mickey Bars as your first Disney snack!

 

[powellrj]

One thing to remember is that if you are making ADRs for meals, you need to count all of your party. Even your 1 year old needs to be included in your count.