first time w/o package, can you critique my plan and correct if wrong?

[Sagginit]

So I have the best husband in the world as he agreed to WDW for our late Sept./early Oct. vacation.

I am a huge planner so this feels very last minute to me as I normally plan trips at least 6 months in advance. This is something I have been debating for only a week or two now after seeing what other places cost, so I just started to browse actual costs. Can someone critique my plan for bookings and tell me if I am missing any places to save money? I normally book a package with a pin code and the last three times have done free dining, so tickets and full rack room rate were required. This time I can be flexible so its a lot more to think about. I am trying to quickly remember everything I have learned here but am afraid I might miss something and overpay.

- hotel, disney site is showing room only discounts for this time at multiple resorts. based on that I am thinking of doing AKL for the first time as my husband likes nice resorts and we will need more relaxation time (if I go one week earlier there than I initially thought, I can get a standard room for only $400 more than the following week at ASM since I think its a 25% discount vs 15% discount). I am also going to check with independent travel agents and AAA since I have a membership. I also want to call and see if I have a pin code. I highly doubt it as its pin codes law, when I don't need one I get every code that comes out, as soon as I decide to go back they stopped offering me things. I don't want to stay offsite as we don't have a car and for two people I don't think the offsite cost savings is going to be worth renting a car and having to drive around Orlando for a few days (we are city people so public transit is our comfort zone lol).

- park tickets, I am going to do a search of the usual places to see if we can save at all buying them not from disney. I don't want to skip PH to save as I believe they will have Halloween parties at this time and having a PH is a huge advantage on those days.

- dining. we are not going to book a DDP. I have some amazon gift cards and my husband has prime, so I am thinking about sending down breakfast & snacks to the room. we can then book 1-2 TS meal a day and do QS as needed. the other thing is I am GF so if dining is not being offered free I figured its not worth it as I remember a lot of places I ended up with a salad as my App and prepackaged cookies/brownies for dessert (in that case I will send down some in the amazon order or get dole whip/ice cream after the meal instead). we also typically split Apps and sometimes even meals (if we get an App and dessert we split an entree as I can't eat that much). I have a red card so I am thinking about buying giftcards before we go down to save 5% on most meals.

- flights. we are checking to see if we can use miles (my husband has a few cards with a decent amount, so we are hoping to at least get one flight on miles). I did a check today and round trip is coming up for about $265 a person before fees so it looks like flights aren't valuable enough to be blacked out.

- I am going to cash in on "found money" that I have let sit (CC rewards, Ibotta balance, just got an unexpected refund on car insurance, those amazon giftcards for amazon pantry order). I have totalled up at least $400 so far.

Also I only did a trip with magic bands and FP+ once. If I do things outside the disney system, will I not be able to get decent FP+ by the time I link everything in their system (which could be another 2-3 weeks)? I am going to be almost 5.5-6 months pregnant which means many popular rides are out. What I used to do with my mother is do SR whenever possible and then often skip the other rides I wasn't as interested in. I will have my husband do the same for this trip, he can literally run ahead of me to some of the rides early in morning while I stroll over to that section of the park. I am thinking with taking those rides off the FP+ list I should still be able to make due with what is left.

I also don't need anything for the trip such as luggage as we got newer luggage last year for our honeymoon. I even have my Disney gear put away (poncho, autograph book/sharpie, park handbag etc) so I don't need to budget for that.

Lastly I was thinking of packing semi-perishable snacks in my luggage for the first time to avoid the cost of delivering groceries since its just the two of us and I am only want a few things that are cold. If I do this should I just put in a container in my checked bag with maybe an ice pack? (I was thinking string cheese, those laughing cow cheese wedges, carrot sticks, apple slices, yogurt). It's about a 2 hour flight and I want to fly out first thing in the morning, so I am thinking it should be ok with ice packs for about 4 hours in luggage.

 

[NinaBella]

I think Park Hoppers are a waste of money just because there may be a party. There are so many other evening activities you could take advantage of during a party than going to another park.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I think Park Hoppers are a waste of money just because there may be a party. There are so many other evening activities you could take advantage of during a party than going to another park.

We always get park hoppers because we like the flexibility to do whatever we want or eat wherever in the parks, so I wouldn't change your plan on those just because someone else thinks they are a waste.

 

[Marionnette]

So I have the best husband in the world as he agreed to WDW for our late Sept./early Oct. vacation.

I am a huge planner so this feels very last minute to me as I normally plan trips at least 6 months in advance. This is something I have been debating for only a week or two now after seeing what other places cost, so I just started to browse actual costs. Can someone critique my plan for bookings and tell me if I am missing any places to save money? I normally book a package with a pin code and the last three times have done free dining, so tickets and full rack room rate were required. This time I can be flexible so its a lot more to think about. I am trying to quickly remember everything I have learned here but am afraid I might miss something and overpay.

- hotel, disney site is showing room only discounts for this time at multiple resorts. based on that I am thinking of doing AKL for the first time as my husband likes nice resorts and we will need more relaxation time (if I go one week earlier there than I initially thought, I can get a standard room for only $400 more than the following week at ASM since I think its a 25% discount vs 15% discount). I am also going to check with independent travel agents and AAA since I have a membership. I also want to call and see if I have a pin code. I highly doubt it as its pin codes law, when I don't need one I get every code that comes out, as soon as I decide to go back they stopped offering me things. I don't want to stay offsite as we don't have a car and for two people I don't think the offsite cost savings is going to be worth renting a car and having to drive around Orlando for a few days (we are city people so public transit is our comfort zone lol).

- park tickets, I am going to do a search of the usual places to see if we can save at all buying them not from disney. I don't want to skip PH to save as I believe they will have Halloween parties at this time and having a PH is a huge advantage on those days.

- dining. we are not going to book a DDP. I have some amazon gift cards and my husband has prime, so I am thinking about sending down breakfast & snacks to the room. we can then book 1-2 TS meal a day and do QS as needed. the other thing is I am GF so if dining is not being offered free I figured its not worth it as I remember a lot of places I ended up with a salad as my App and prepackaged cookies/brownies for dessert (in that case I will send down some in the amazon order or get dole whip/ice cream after the meal instead). we also typically split Apps and sometimes even meals (if we get an App and dessert we split an entree as I can't eat that much). I have a red card so I am thinking about buying giftcards before we go down to save 5% on most meals.

- flights. we are checking to see if we can use miles (my husband has a few cards with a decent amount, so we are hoping to at least get one flight on miles). I did a check today and round trip is coming up for about $265 a person before fees so it looks like flights aren't valuable enough to be blacked out.

- I am going to cash in on "found money" that I have let sit (CC rewards, Ibotta balance, just got an unexpected refund on car insurance, those amazon giftcards for amazon pantry order). I have totalled up at least $400 so far.

Also I only did a trip with magic bands and FP+ once. If I do things outside the disney system, will I not be able to get decent FP+ by the time I link everything in their system (which could be another 2-3 weeks)? I am going to be almost 5.5-6 months pregnant which means many popular rides are out. What I used to do with my mother is do SR whenever possible and then often skip the other rides I wasn't as interested in. I will have my husband do the same for this trip, he can literally run ahead of me to some of the rides early in morning while I stroll over to that section of the park. I am thinking with taking those rides off the FP+ list I should still be able to make due with what is left.

I also don't need anything for the trip such as luggage as we got newer luggage last year for our honeymoon. I even have my Disney gear put away (poncho, autograph book/sharpie, park handbag etc) so I don't need to budget for that.

Lastly I was thinking of packing semi-perishable snacks in my luggage for the first time to avoid the cost of delivering groceries since its just the two of us and I am only want a few things that are cold. If I do this should I just put in a container in my checked bag with maybe an ice pack? (I was thinking string cheese, those laughing cow cheese wedges, carrot sticks, apple slices, yogurt). It's about a 2 hour flight and I want to fly out first thing in the morning, so I am thinking it should be ok with ice packs for about 4 hours in luggage.

- hotel, disney site is showing room only discounts for this time at multiple resorts. based on that I am thinking of doing AKL
Don't forget to check 3rd party websites like Orbitz, Expedia and Hotels .com. If they have a discount code that can be stacked with a Disney resort that has been discounted, you will get a better deal than you would with Disney. Plus, you can go through ebates and get additional cash back. You could also look into renting DVC points for an AKV Kidani studio, although at this late date you might not find consecutive nights available. Sept/Oct are very popular with DVC members.
dining. we are not going to book a DDP.
I'm not a fan of the way that the DDP forces you to dine. But I think you should take a look at menu prices because you'll get sticker shock if you haven't been there in a while. And being at the end of your 2nd trimester, you may find that the heat and humidity will suppress your appetite considerably. You might be better off will several small snack-like meals than a couple of TS meals.
- park tickets, I am going to do a search of the usual places to see if we can save at all buying them not from disney.
You will certainly do better in most cases. Linking tickets to your MDE account is pretty easy, even if they have been purchased from a 3rd party.
- flights. we are checking to see if we can use miles
A lot will depend on how those award miles are used when it comes time to book your flights. Southwest makes it easy because every seat on every flight is eligible. Many other airlines restrict the number of award seats available on each flight. In that case, you're coming to the game a little late. Being flexible with your dates works to your advantage. In fact, if I were planning a trip with the expectation of using airline miles, I would check available flights first and then book my room based on when I could fly.
- I am going to cash in on "found money"
I love found money! Don't forget rebates on small items. My Staples rebates, P&G rebates and Melaluca checks all go into my CapitalOne360 account that is designated for Disney.
If I do things outside the disney system, will I not be able to get decent FP+ by the time I link everything in their system (which could be another 2-3 weeks)?
Onsite guests can book FP+ 60+ days prior to their arrival. The "+" refers to their length of stay. Offsite guests must wait until 30 days prior to the day they wish to make FP+ arrangements and they must book one day at a time. Regardless of whether you're onsite or offsite, you must have valid admission media (tickets) attached to your name in your MDE account. Onsite guests are coming up on their FP+ dates if they are going to be visiting late Sept-early Oct. In 2-3 weeks, you will still be able to book some FP+ but will certainly miss out on the newer and more popular attractions.
Lastly I was thinking of packing semi-perishable snacks in my luggage for the first time to avoid the cost of delivering groceries
Personally, I'm not a fan of packing perishables in checked luggage. Aside from the stench that it would create if your luggage were to be lost, you cannot guarantee yourself that the food stayed at safe temperatures while in transit. Plus, most airlines charge for checked bags ($25 per bag or more each way). You don't want to use precious luggage space on food that would only cost a few dollars more to be delivered than you would pay at home.

 

[wdwrule]

I haven't tried them because I just learned of it but a lot of people on here say Parksavers are great for tickets. Apparently 7-day hopper for around $370 or so.

 

[MermaidMommy]

Yes, Parksavers and Boardwalk tickets both have 7 day hoppers for the price of 4. I think the savings are $80-$90 per ticket (Boardwalk is a little cheaper than Parksavers, I think).

Orbitz has a 15% off code that works for Disney hotels, so you can get an additional 15% off of Disney's cheapest rates.

AKL is usually one of the DVC resorts that fills up the latest, so you might be able to find something there. If not, you'll almost certainly be able to rent points for OKW or SSR, and those are the cheapest of the DVC resorts, so you can probably get t good price.

 

[hsmamato2]

Marionette has good advice.... being GF, I would pack (or send amazon prime) package down with enough breakfast food so you can eat in your room,that's easy. I can't eat 2 TS in one day,even one TS every day is a bit much for me, so you should plan one TS at most per day,and take advantage of your freedom to choose your other meals as you go,it's a lot of fun,and so many good choices!(and it can save you $$$) for instance if you eat 'lunch' rather than 'dinner' at certain restaurants it's cheaper.... A nice moderate can be very relaxing also to save some money, I like a lot of resort/pool time myself,and enjoy the mods. I know undercover tourist,etc have cheaper park tix, you could buy regular tix,and just add the hopper when you get there,if you want to,(this way if you decide you don't want it, you're not overpaying) I do enjoy hopping,esp. if one park closes early,or is overcrowded,we can just switch.....

 

[Sagginit]

Thank you Marionette for the good ideas and everyone else as well. I think a chunk of this weekend will be spent price shopping and nailing down reservations.

I didn't even think about what will happen if my luggage is lost, yikes that would be terrible! I think I might price out a grocery delivery, I have been doing a lot of snacking so yogurt and low fat string cheese is a better way to get protein than eating processed bars all day. As someone mentioned big meals are not really possible in my condition, I normally am a huge DDP advocate but am looking forward of the freedom of not having to us up credits each day. For what disney charges for food the delivery fee might be as much as just a QS meal so I think I need to keep it in perspective lol.

I think we will start with the flights, my boss advised me that the week of Sept 19 is the best and the first week of October is out (I have a project based workload and when project comes up I can't take off for 3-4 weeks straight). I remember with our honeymoon we only used miles one way as the other flight only had layovers at odd times available, so even splitting the flights into two bookings could work better. I do see that moderates are not showing up as part of the discount range on some days, but I will dig around to see what other sites can offer.

I typically stay in moderates but my husband is not a "disney person" (so says the man who had me do over 20 rides/shows in one day at DCA/DL) which is why I was thinking of spending money there. Oddly enough moderates are completely booked it looks like during some of the days, so when I look at having to get a preferred room at a value with a 15% discount vs the standard at AKL with a 25% discount its not that big of a difference.

Park hoppers are debatable, but my husband loved hopping in DL/DCA. Also I think food& wine is starting at that time, so I think that combine with MNSSHP will drive people without hoppers to do Epcot on days with parties and MK on days w/o. If we can do the opposite it will save time and be less crowds to deal with. Also it seems like HS might not have as much with a chunk of the park under construction and I have to skip a bunch of rides, so its nice to have options. I am not necessarily trying to do it bare bones, I just don't want to overpay in the last minute rush to book things.

 

[Sagginit]

So I ended up booking this weekend. After running numbers on several resorts and websites we ended up going with my first hunch AKL standard room direct with WDW as it had the 30% discount. Many moderates had just a 10-15% discount so it was only $100-200 more from the best price we were finding at those resorts. The $100-$200 more is worth it for the amenities and a king sized bed. Orbitz had lots of hotels but the discounts varied a lot and some only had club level left once we clicked through to actually see the rooms available. SSR was a close 2nd as far as value/price, but the resort looked so dull and it is rather large. From what I read the standard room at AKL should have us near the lobby and overall the resort is smaller, which if I am going to go up to a deluxe level I prefer not to have to walk that far to get around. Since we can cancel I have another few days to shop around just in case I missed anything but I don't think I will find much better.

Airfare was better to buy than use miles as we ran a few dates and the one place my husband had enough miles to get a free flight wanted us to do a connecting flight. Since the flight is a little over 2 hours that was more than doubling our travel time. I booked direct with Jetblue to get the miles with them and it was $310 RT with taxes & luggage fees a person which isn't bad compared to what we have seen for other flights lately. We are doing a 6:05am flight there and an 8:30pm back. The only way to get it cheaper would be to fly back super early Saturday, but the $15-20 a person was not worth sacrificing the last day in the parks. Also Jetblue just has better perks on flight so this is always a plus.

I think for this short notice we did pretty good with the pricing by going with a standard view room and the flights we chose. As my husband said considering we haven't taken a vacation in almost a year this is worth it as we both need a break.

I looked up park hours and am going to book a few ADRs for the trip so I can decide what our food costs should be. DP is debatable only because with the Food & Wine in Epcot it may be worth have a QS meal to turn into 3 snack credits and one TS meal a day as my husband tends to pick expensive options. Plus the mugs themselves are almost up to $17 each!

I also ruled out MNSSHP and some other extras that I normally consider, I think with a nicer resort we should just take advantage of animal watching and pool time.

If anyone has any other advice please feel free to share.