Family of 6

[TeamH5]

Any tips for doing Disney World on a Budget for a family of 6? Last time we went we were 5, and the kids were little enough that we all shared one Family Suite and they shared a bed. Now we can't do that (unless I lie about the # of occupants and they sleep on the floor) so I need some ideas for keeping costs as low as possible! We are a military family so I know we can get discounts that way as far as tickets and some hotels.
Also, at what age do kids have to pay for a ticket? The baby will be 2.5 when we travel.
Thanks!

 

[Tigerlulu]

I think at 3 they have to pay? I have 4 kids, older kids and we do AoA when we go. Girls on the Murphy bed and boys on the couch bed. If they couldn't get along, one slept on the couch cushions on the floor--silly kids. We were comfortable enough!

 

[tzolkin]

I'm a bit confused what you're referring to as a "Family Suite". The family suites sleep 6 so you would be fine there.

That said, if your youngest is 2.5 they still count as an "infant" and do not add to the occupancy limit. You would still count as a family of 5 and would be allowed to stay in any room that allows 5 (although you might be cramped).

The cheapest onsite option for 5 would be one room at POR or CBR (both have two queens and a small murphy bed).
The Dolphin offers some discounts if you want to stay in the Epcot resort area on a budget. We got a nurse discount last trip and paid the same price as POR.

If you want more space, you can stay at one of the AoA family suites or two rooms at a value (more expensive than the above options).

 

[andiraye]

I would consider staying off property and renting a villa or a house. Six of us, ages 4-70, stayed at Wyndham bonnet creek in a two bedroom villa for a week this September. We had to rent a van, but even with the rental, it was less expensive than staying in two budget rooms. We had plenty of space, the rooms were nicer than budget rooms and the resort property was fantastic - six pools, including two river pools and two slide pools, and lots of activities for the kids. It was great to have a kitchen and washer/dryer in the room, too. Bonnet Creek is not a WDW hotel but it is on land owned by Disney and is closer to some of the parks than WDW resorts. If you are interested, check out the We Looooooooove Bonnet Creek thread in the Orlando forum.

If you are willing to stay further off property you can find even better deals.

Good luck!

 

[pooh4evr]

family suite would sleep you fine. All Star Music would be the cheapest, or get 2 regular connecting value rooms.

 

[ASMwishes]

Any tips for doing Disney World on a Budget for a family of 6? Last time we went we were 5, and the kids were little enough that we all shared one Family Suite and they shared a bed. Now we can't do that (unless I lie about the # of occupants and they sleep on the floor) so I need some ideas for keeping costs as low as possible! We are a military family so I know we can get discounts that way as far as tickets and some hotels.
Also, at what age do kids have to pay for a ticket? The baby will be 2.5 when we travel.
Thanks!

We are a family of 7 and rent DVC points. It saves us ALOT of money. I don't think I can post a link to the website but if you goggle DVC point rentals it will come up and I know there use to be a link on Disboards. We stay at AKV Kidani. we had a two bedroom, 3 full bathrooms, kitchen and the family room area for just under $3,000 in early October for a week. Point prices have gone up a little but not too much. I think its now $14.50 per point. So depending on the time of year you are going, size room and resort the price will vary. There are calculators on the website to check prices.

 

[Mousemommy1]

If we had 6, I would definitely do a family suite at AoA.

We are only a family of five, but are looking forward to our AoA stay.

 

[quagmire0]

Newly made family of 6 here. Here's what we do:

1. Southwest Credit Card: if you're flying (and have good credit), you can apply for both their plus card and premier card at about the same time when they are having their 50,000 point promotion. That'll give you 100k points for the cost of the two annual fees (~$180) and the security taxes and that should be very close to enough for 6 tickets if you book when the window opens up.

2. Purchase tickets from undercover tourist: if you can do it ahead of time, even better. Not sure what your military discount is, but that might be a better option.

3. Unless you're really stuck on staying on-site, I'd recommend an offsite condo or townhome at Windsor Hills or a similar resort. Everyone gets their own room (or at least the parents do) and we've stayed there for a little as $600/wk. Even when you add the cost of parking and a car rental, it's still a better deal.

4. Staying offsite has its advantages in that you can easily do breakfast and lunch at the condo, allowing you to save a ton of money on food.

Currently, not counting food, our budget stands at $3,500 and that includes airfare for 6, 7-day park hoppers, 7 nights at a 3 bedroom townhome, and a one week stroller rental. Biggest chunk of the budget are park tickets.

 

[TeamH5]

If we had 6, I would definitely do a family suite at AoA.

We are only a family of five, but are looking forward to our AoA stay.

This is where we stayed when we were a family of
5 and the kids were 6,6 &5. We were in a Lion King Suite but it was cramped then. lol with them being 9,9, 8 & 2.5 I just
Couldn't imagine that being any kind of comfortable anymore.

 

[mmounsey]

Any tips for doing Disney World on a Budget for a family of 6? Last time we went we were 5, and the kids were little enough that we all shared one Family Suite and they shared a bed. Now we can't do that (unless I lie about the # of occupants and they sleep on the floor) so I need some ideas for keeping costs as low as possible! We are a military family so I know we can get discounts that way as far as tickets and some hotels.
Also, at what age do kids have to pay for a ticket? The baby will be 2.5 when we travel.
Thanks!

Depending on the time of year, we sometimes stay offsite (Windsor Hills/Palms...whatever the condos are...). We have done Beach Club the last time we had our youngest under 3 as a splurge, but now that our youngest is 10, that won't work anymore...

2 rooms at Pop is what we book to save money...if we have a little extra, then AOA (which we all love).

Military rates may even save you more (Shades of Green, etc), but I'm not sure about the exact rates.

My boys still share beds when we travel...if they really don't want to, then they can pile pillows on the floor.

 

[tzolkin]

This is where we stayed when we were a family of
5 and the kids were 6,6 &5. We were in a Lion King Suite but it was cramped then. lol with them being 9,9, 8 & 2.5 I just
Couldn't imagine that being any kind of comfortable anymore.

If you thought the AoA family suite was cramped as a family of five, then you really need to look into offsite rentals. You can rent a 3 bedroom house or condo.

The family suites are the largest onsite budget option. Maybe you could rent DVC points, but that would still be very expensive for anything bigger than the AoA suite.

We are a family of 5 and have always stayed in one room (so half the size of the AoA suite) with no issues. It would be nice to have more space (we usually rent a home when we travel other places), but we like to stay onsite at Disney. If space is your priority, offsite would be your better option.

 

[MK2010]

Family of 6 here. We LOVE Wyndham Bonnet Creek. We got a two bedroom deluxe for about $120/night. It was an absolutely amazing experience.

 

[KT0191]

I'd suggest two rooms at a value. It's most likely cheaper than getting a suite at Art of Animation or even a suite at All Star Music. The military discount is 30% off for values, too. But like previous posters said, your 2 year old won't count in occupancy so you could get a room at Port Orleans Riverside or Caribbean Beach (which is my favorite moderate). At moderates, military discount is 35%.

 

[TeamH5]

If you thought the AoA family suite was cramped as a family of five, then you really need to look into offsite rentals. You can rent a 3 bedroom house or condo.

The family suites are the largest onsite budget option. Maybe you could rent DVC points, but that would still be very expensive for anything bigger than the AoA suite.

We are a family of 5 and have always stayed in one room (so half the size of the AoA suite) with no issues. It would be nice to have more space (we usually rent a home when we travel other places), but we like to stay onsite at Disney. If space is your priority, offsite would be your better option.

How do you manage to not be cramped? Space isn't even do much of a priority, but not tripping over suitcases is. Even with emptying out the suitcases and using the provided dressers, we were STILL tripping over empty suitcases that
Couldn't be placed in closets. I couldn't imagine adding a crib and a stroller to that space.

 

[rideswithchrist]

CAMPING!
We did POP when DS was 2 and did not count, but I just can't fathom spending the money to stay in one of the suites when we do not spend much time in the room itself.
This next trip, we will stay at Fort Wilderness in our popup.
If we had grandparents tagging along, we would ask for connected rooms at POP and split the kids.

 

[100AcreWood]

Newly made family of 6 here. Here's what we do:

1. Southwest Credit Card: if you're flying (and have good credit), you can apply for both their plus card and premier card at about the same time when they are having their 50,000 point promotion. That'll give you 100k points for the cost of the two annual fees (~$180) and the security taxes and that should be very close to enough for 6 tickets if you book when the window opens up.

2. Purchase tickets from undercover tourist: if you can do it ahead of time, even better. Not sure what your military discount is, but that might be a better option.

3. Unless you're really stuck on staying on-site, I'd recommend an offsite condo or townhome at Windsor Hills or a similar resort. Everyone gets their own room (or at least the parents do) and we've stayed there for a little as $600/wk. Even when you add the cost of parking and a car rental, it's still a better deal.

4. Staying offsite has its advantages in that you can easily do breakfast and lunch at the condo, allowing you to save a ton of money on food.

Currently, not counting food, our budget stands at $3,500 and that includes airfare for 6, 7-day park hoppers, 7 nights at a 3 bedroom townhome, and a one week stroller rental. Biggest chunk of the budget are park tickets.

We're a family of 5. I agree with this poster. This is what we do (except we drive). Anyway, I think you'll find staying offsite in a condo is a completely different experience. Having a kitchen and 2 bathrooms is AWESOME!

 

[tzolkin]

How do you manage to not be cramped? Space isn't even do much of a priority, but not tripping over suitcases is. Even with emptying out the suitcases and using the provided dressers, we were STILL tripping over empty suitcases that
Couldn't be placed in closets. I couldn't imagine adding a crib and a stroller to that space.

I just make sure everything is super organized (if it's not I'm very stressed). We empty the suitcases completely: kids use dresser drawers, DH and I use closet. Suitcases are stacked (some fit inside the others) and put up on the top shelf of the closet (you can stack at least 4 high) so there is nothing on the floor. I use a collapsible hamper in the closet for the dirty clothes. Use one of these ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195FD0G6?psc=1 ) to hold clothes in the closet. I pack everything with ease of keeping it organized in mind (like each person has a gallon ziplock for their clean socks and underwear so they're easy to keep together, swim gear is in a pool bag, sunglasses in a zippered bag so they stay together, etc).

My kids are older now, but there were a few trips where we used a crib and had two strollers. We moved some of the furniture to fit the crib in most efficiently and the strollers were parked in a corner near the door.

It takes a few extra minutes to evaluate the space and set everything up most efficiently when you arrive, but then it makes the rest of the trip much easier.

I can see where more space would be nice (we usually stay in rental homes when we travel), but for us onsite is worth the trade-off at Disney. Walking to parks and around the resorts is an important part of the vacation for us. Some families prefer staying offsite to have more space and their focus at Disney is the parks. It's just a personal preference.

 

[Meriam]

I also have a family of 6 (kids 9, 7, 4, 1), and we bring a cot. We stayed at AOA in September, and one of the kids slept on a cot. We decided we didn't want the hassle of collapsing the stroller and the over-packed bus rides with kids standing, so we're staying at the Poly when we go back in May, and will take the cot again.
We may look into staying offsite in the future when they're a bit older, but while they're so young, it's nice to just hop into the provided transportation and not mess with carseats.

 

[DisneyOma]

I also have a family of 6 (kids 9, 7, 4, 1), and we bring a cot. We stayed at AOA in September, and one of the kids slept on a cot. We decided we didn't want the hassle of collapsing the stroller and the over-packed bus rides with kids standing, so we're staying at the Poly when we go back in May, and will take the cot again.
We may look into staying offsite in the future when they're a bit older, but while they're so young, it's nice to just hop into the provided transportation and not mess with carseats.

Poly gets you to MK and EPCOT without a bus, but how do you get to DHS and AK?

 

[makwis]

We are a family of 6 (14,9,7,2) last year and we priced out everything and ended up with 2 adjoining rooms at All Star Sports and it was cheaper than anything else onsite. We looked at staying off-site but really liked not having to do our own transportation and we liked the magic of staying onsite. We're planning on doing 2 rooms at Pop this year.