Family of 8 traveling 18 hrs to Disney, Reasonable places to Stay? How to save ?

[Belle5]

I just talked to a Triple A agent (we belong to AAA) , I think I was misunderstanding something, SHe said you do not have to pay to park IF you leave your vehcle at the Disney Resort, just if you drive it to the Park (which we would not do - if we stayed at Disney), I thought someone was saying that you have to pay PER DAY $14 at the Resort itself !!! I misunderstood. So inaccuality, I will save money in parking if we stay at Disney.

The Agent said sometimes they offer a Buy 4 nights, get 3 free offer, and sometimes extend the Free Dining. It sounds to me, with her doing the math, IF i can get either of those deals, I would take it -if I was happy with the time frame . April -May and Oct- Nov into Dec will work for us. Her prices were $1,450 for 1 room, $1,340 for second room at POP Century(?) for 6 nights - and 5 parks -base tickets not Hopper for MAY 2011. But no food plan with this.

Nobody ever mentioned AAA deals on here, I wonder why!?

Red flag--If your travel agent has already given you false information about parking, I would be leery of her future guidance. If you are staying on-property--you will never pay to park at any Disney park. I say the "be leery" thing having been on these boards almost daily for 11-12 years--I've seen the travel agents who have a lot of false information. You might want to look at the travel agents who sponsor this board (Dreams Unlimited) or even Small World. They will know all the correct information every time.

I got my mom in on the 4/3 deal a couple of years ago and it was a great deal. Was your agent telling you that the free dining could be combined with the 4/3 or am I misreading that?

 

[Belle5]

I just talked to a Triple A agent (we belong to AAA) , I think I was misunderstanding something, SHe said you do not have to pay to park IF you leave your vehcle at the Disney Resort, just if you drive it to the Park (which we would not do - if we stayed at Disney), I thought someone was saying that you have to pay PER DAY $14 at the Resort itself !!! I misunderstood. So inaccuality, I will save money in parking if we stay at Disney.

Yes, you definitely misunderstood what several people have tried to tell you about parking.

 

[Belle5]

Nobody ever mentioned AAA deals on here, I wonder why!?

As someone mentioned earlier, you are asking a lot of questions that you can do the leg-work for yourself. If you would have asked us if AAA discounts are available, someone would have told you "YES"!

We are glad to answer questions and help wherever we can, but we are just unpaid fellow travelers...

 

[WDWisTheBest]

I just talked to a Triple A agent (we belong to AAA) , I think I was misunderstanding something, SHe said you do not have to pay to park IF you leave your vehcle at the Disney Resort, just if you drive it to the Park (which we would not do - if we stayed at Disney), I thought someone was saying that you have to pay PER DAY $14 at the Resort itself !!! I misunderstood. So inaccuality, I will save money in parking if we stay at Disney.

The Agent said sometimes they offer a Buy 4 nights, get 3 free offer, and sometimes extend the Free Dining. It sounds to me, with her doing the math, IF i can get either of those deals, I would take it -if I was happy with the time frame . April -May and Oct- Nov into Dec will work for us. Her prices were $1,450 for 1 room, $1,340 for second room at POP Century(?) for 6 nights - and 5 parks -base tickets not Hopper for MAY 2011. But no food plan with this.

Nobody ever mentioned AAA deals on here, I wonder why!?

As Belle5 and others have said, this is the value of the DIS board fellow travelers, i.e., good advice.

We have stayed at Tropical Palms many times, as recently as three weeks ago, and it is as good, or better, than it was when you stayed there last. I highly recommend it for what it is.

But, the value resorts with dining plans, free Disney transportation, and no parking fees at theme parks may be better for you. You might want to narrow your choices to something like Windsor Hills offsite, Disney values, or Tropical Palms campground.

Has the information that everyone provided so far helped?

 

[HeatherC]

If anyone in your family works for the govt......either town, state or federal, you can rent condos through Govarm.com and getravelop.com for about $300 a week. We have saved a ton doing this.

A couple other places to look is sky auction.com under their vacation rentals and bookit.com which has great deals.

I also want to mention Bonnet Creek again. It is onsite really but not a Disney resort. You can also use their shuttle and not pay for parking. The location cannot be beat and it is a BEAUTIFUL resort. Check out vacation upgrades.com.

Have fun planning.

 

[OverRunWithSons]

Has the information that everyone provided so far helped?

Sorry, I have not been on here lately for a few weeks. YES ! this has all been very helpful to me. I also picked up at the Library Disney's Unofficial guide book and reading about the Dining plan in there has totally turned me away from it. Many families have complained that it was very very confusing, not to mention having to book reservatons months in advance, figuring out the different options, then those under 9 even have other options . Many did this and regretted it cause , in their experience, their time at Disney revolved around FOOD, getting to these particular reservatnos on time etc. I DO NOT want this . Tooo many kids, too much confusion. And also I read that years ago, the gratitiy fee was included in the plan, now it is NOT and how much do they charge extra - another 18- 20% of the bill ? I can see the benefit IF this was included and someone had the full understanding of how this plan works & maybe rides were not their main focus, but with the confusin, added expense, resevations, this sounds like a royal nightmare to me personally.



So I have narrowed it down to -not wanting a food plan at all . But choosing either Tropical Palms campgorund again, or finding a Hotel that can fit all of us in one room/suite & offers Free Breakfast. Or a House that would be as cheap as Tropical palms, with as many animeties on the property for my kids to enjoy.

And for those who eat outside the park, what smogesboards are very close by? that will be our plan to leave the park approx 3:00ish -eat and then go back till it closes. That way , we ony think about Food 1 time during each wonderful day at the park, with some snacks in our stroller for before and after that smorgesboard meal.

 

[Belle5]

And for those who eat outside the park, what smogesboards are very close by? that will be our plan to leave the park approx 3:00ish -eat and then go back till it closes. That way , we ony think about Food 1 time during each wonderful day at the park, with some snacks in our stroller for before and after that smorgesboard meal.

Buffets that are mentioned quite often are the Ci Ci's Pizza, Sweet Tomatoes and Golden Corral. If you plan on dining off-property and staying off-property there is another board here on the DIS that is called "Orlando Hotels and Attractions" where you will likely find a lot more detailed help. The folks over there tend to know which condos are having special rates and can guide you to the most economical dining outside of WDW. Good luch with your planning!

 

[OverRunWithSons]

Buffets that are mentioned quite often are the Ci Ci's Pizza, Sweet Tomatoes and Golden Corral. If you plan on dining off-property and staying off-property there is another board here on the DIS that is called "Orlando Hotels and Attractions" where you will likely find a lot more detailed help. The folks over there tend to know which condos are having special rates and can guide you to the most economical dining outside of WDW. Good luch with your planning!

Thank you very much ! Here in PA, we have Ci Cis and Golden Coral , not sure of the prices in Florida, but in PA/Ohio , Cici's is sooooo reasonable, probably a normal meal is $6, on Mondays around here, it is literally all you can eat for 2.99 before 4:00pm! and Golden Carral is about $8 before 4:00pm.

I did just post over there, I never heard of Sweet Tomatoes .

 

[momx2]

Sorry, I have not been on here lately for a few weeks. YES ! this has all been very helpful to me. I also picked up at the Library Disney's Unofficial guide book and reading about the Dining plan in there has totally turned me away from it. Many families have complained that it was very very confusing, not to mention having to book reservatons months in advance, figuring out the different options, then those under 9 even have other options . Many did this and regretted it cause , in their experience, their time at Disney revolved around FOOD, getting to these particular reservatnos on time etc. I DO NOT want this . Tooo many kids, too much confusion. And also I read that years ago, the gratitiy fee was included in the plan, now it is NOT and how much do they charge extra - another 18- 20% of the bill ? I can see the benefit IF this was included and someone had the full understanding of how this plan works & maybe rides were not their main focus, but with the confusin, added expense, resevations, this sounds like a royal nightmare to me personally.



So I have narrowed it down to -not wanting a food plan at all . But choosing either Tropical Palms campgorund again, or finding a Hotel that can fit all of us in one room/suite & offers Free Breakfast. Or a House that would be as cheap as Tropical palms, with as many animeties on the property for my kids to enjoy.

And for those who eat outside the park, what smogesboards are very close by? that will be our plan to leave the park approx 3:00ish -eat and then go back till it closes. That way , we ony think about Food 1 time during each wonderful day at the park, with some snacks in our stroller for before and after that smorgesboard meal.

Just so you know, having to deal the reservations, etc. is only if you get the dining plan with Table Service option. If you get the Counter Service meal plan, you won't have to worry about reservations. You get 2 counter service (fast food type) meals and 2 snacks daily and a refillable mug for the length of your stay. If you go during free dining time period and stay at a value resort, you get the Counter Service dining plan for free.

 

[OverRunWithSons]

Just so you know, having to deal the reservations, etc. is only if you get the dining plan with Table Service option. If you get the Counter Service meal plan, you won't have to worry about reservations. You get 2 counter service (fast food type) meals and 2 snacks daily and a refillable mug for the length of your stay. If you go during free dining time period and stay at a value resort, you get the Counter Service dining plan for free.

I may not have to deal with reservations, but I still have to deal with the confusion, resorting to staying when I do not want to stay, they do not offer this when I can go , trying to plan all these meals to get my $$'s worth and those outragous gratuity fees- that I feel should be included in the plan as they was years ago. Its a total deal breaker for me.

 

[MOM POPPINS]

I think the counter service plan is great as well. It really takes a lot of extra time away from the parks to leave just for a meal. You have to consider how much time it takes to get to your car etc. and it can be very time consuming.

 

[MOM POPPINS]

There is NO gratuity on the counter service plan.

 

[MOM POPPINS]

IMHO.... If it were my family and it was a once in a lifetime trip, I would still stay in a value in 2 rooms with the free counter service plan. The counter service plan is great for on the go and you don't need reservations or pay any gratuity. This has worked great for our family. I have posted a link to somones review of the counter service plan so you can see it's not just burgers and fries. I think being in Disney 24/7 is part of the magic of Disney especially if it's a one time trip.

The Disney transportain is great and gas gets expensive driving to the parks for a large family, I know we have to have a large van to transport us all. My husband like to park the van and let Disney do the driving for him its a vacation to park the van and relax. Getting around Disney can be overwhelming, although there are lots of signs, its still confusing. You have asked us larger families to chime in and tell your our thoughts and how we do Disney so I thought I would give my 2 cents. I have read the thread somewhat and I think most large families agree with me. Whatever you decide have a great trip, Disney is a fantastic place to spend a family vacation.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2499155

 

[mrsklamc]

It is a once in a lifetime trip but OP has made it clear that they have to do it ultra-budget and there's NO way to make the math line up that on site is cheaper.

 

[OverRunWithSons]

It is a once in a lifetime trip but OP has made it clear that they have to do it ultra-budget and there's NO way to make the math line up that on site is cheaper.

Thank you , also we will be renting a miniVan anyway (unless we take our suburban), not taking a plane - so using the vehicle we rented is perfectly fine, not a bother, we did this last time , we had a wonderful time off site. You know what this is starting to remind me of...I had 6 c-sections but it always amazes me how someone who had all "natural" births will try to convice me that her plan, her experience was far more surperior than mine. I disagree, I went through labor & wouldnt wish that experiece (that I personally had) on my worse enemy. I will argue my experience was JUST as good and "magical".

Seriously, I had ZERO complaints/issues with staying off site last time , I was proud we did it so frugally and still LOVED it. Plus I really want togo back to Islands of Advneture & possibly Universal again - I dont want to give that up anyway. Another deal breaker for me personally.

This is also not once in a lifetime, this will be my 4th trip, our familes 2nd and because we save the way we do, I know we will come again in another 8 yrs or so, and when the kids are gone, me & the hubs will finally try Epcott. But not now. That food plan MAY intice me more when I do not care about the rides.

We did not even go out of the parks to eat last trip with 4 kids & I do not remember us dying of hunger either. I think we bought a couple small meals & shared them. But this time, I want the smorgesboards, already got a reply about A Golden Corral right outside of Universal, we can even walk there if we want, takes about 15 minutes.

Sounds very good advice to me. And sounds like I can save alot of $$ on tickets , getting them all at one place through MapleLeaftickets, another Great tip !

 

[Belle5]

You know what this is starting to remind me of...I had 6 c-sections but it always amazes me how someone who had all "natural" births will try to convice me that her plan, her experience was far more surperior than mine. I disagree, I went through labor & wouldnt wish that experiece (that I personally had) on my worse enemy.

I am sure all the advice given on this thread was kindly meant. Most of the others advising have large families and are speaking from experience. I am sure they all wanted you to have the best trip possible. Someone pointing out that you do NOT have to pay tips on the QSDP and then restating that you might want to reconsider based on the new information, is just trying to be helpful.

 

[bluesaturn]

Thank you , also we will be renting a miniVan anyway (unless we take our suburban), not taking a plane - so using the vehicle we rented is perfectly fine, not a bother, we did this last time , we had a wonderful time off site. You know what this is starting to remind me of...I had 6 c-sections but it always amazes me how someone who had all "natural" births will try to convice me that her plan, her experience was far more surperior than mine. I disagree, I went through labor & wouldnt wish that experiece (that I personally had) on my worse enemy. I will argue my experience was JUST as good and "magical".

Seriously, I had ZERO complaints/issues with staying off site last time , I was proud we did it so frugally and still LOVED it. Plus I really want togo back to Islands of Advneture & possibly Universal again - I dont want to give that up anyway. Another deal breaker for me personally.

This is also not once in a lifetime, this will be my 4th trip, our familes 2nd and because we save the way we do, I know we will come again in another 8 yrs or so, and when the kids are gone, me & the hubs will finally try Epcott. But not now. That food plan MAY intice me more when I do not care about the rides.

We did not even go out of the parks to eat last trip with 4 kids & I do not remember us dying of hunger either. I think we bought a couple small meals & shared them. But this time, I want the smorgesboards, already got a reply about A Golden Corral right outside of Universal, we can even walk there if we want, takes about 15 minutes.

Sounds very good advice to me. And sounds like I can save alot of $$ on tickets , getting them all at one place through MapleLeaftickets, another Great tip !

You came here and expected people to provide you with all kinds of information that is readily available online that you didn't feel like looking up. I can't believe you would get snooty with people when they try to correct your misinterpretations. It was pretty obvious they just wanted to make sure you had all the right information before you made your decision.

 

[MOM POPPINS]

Yes just trying to be helpful... I know when you are writing on the computer you cannot tell the tone... but truely just trying to be helpful. We are all taking the time to give you advice on our own experiences to help you gather information from all directions.

Although I want to be helpful. I am deleting this thread since the tone itself has changed.

 

[momx2]

You came here and expected people to provide you with all kinds of information that is readily available online that you didn't feel like looking up. I can't believe you would get snooty with people when they try to correct your misinterpretations. It was pretty obvious they just wanted to make sure you had all the right information before you made your decision.

I agree totally! I wasn't trying to convince you of anything. I was only trying to correct one of your many misinterpretations of things that have been suggested. I almost didn't post anything and just let you believe wrong, because you have sounded rather rude and unappreciative in many of your posts, but did so anyway. You want everyone to do the research for you, but then bash them for trying to help.

Hope you have a wonderful trip, but I'm done trying to give you any advice.

 

[PADISFAM]

Universal please