Freaking out!!!! Updated

[robinb]

I "second" Priceline and www.biddingfortravel.com to get the best hotel for your price range. Honestly, $65 per night is not enough otherwise. You could possibly book as nice as the Hilton neat DTD for about $60. Other very nice options are available at less than $60. Please make sure that you read and understand the Hotel Bidding FAQ before you bid. It's worth your time to know exactly how and what to bid when your budget is so tight.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

The reason people are suggesting on site has to do with dining plan. You could stay onsite all of the nights, eat on the dining plan and go to the parks all nights for well under your $2000. If you don't want to be THAT committed to WDW (if you seriously think you'll get to universal) you have the option of purchasing as few days of tickets as you want (but at least one) and you can still get the dining plan for the length of your stay. If you are absolutely sure about universal I'd get four hopper days with the plus option. That way if you decide not to go to Universal you could still go to Disney Quest or Typhoon Lagoon.

The dining plan gives you (I believe) one table service option, one counter service option and a snack. Table service translates as a sit down meal with waiter. Some restaurants require the use of two table service options because its a special meal.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you skip a day in the parks you cannot go to a table or counterservice inside the parks (obviously). You would need to use your option at a hotel restaurant or in downtown disney. And you don't HAVE to use your options each day...you could save them for a special meal or for breakfast.

PS. I'm not sure AAA would sell you fewer hopper days than your length of stay but its worth your while to visit the nearest office to see what they can tell you about their disney packages.

 

[Wendy31]

I was curious, so I went to the official Disney site & found the following:

The Disney site was still showing availability at Pop Century. (I didn't check the other Value Resorts.)

For 4/23 through 4/29 (6 nights) -

* Pop Century standard room

* 2 adult MYW 7-day tickets w/ park hopping option

* Dining Plan

TOTAL = $1,632.08

w/o the dining plan & w/o the parking hopping option = $1,098.00

w/o the dining plan but w/ the parking hopping option = $1,166.16

w/o the parking hopping option but w/ dining = $1,563.92

If you went w/ a preferred room over a standard room, it would be an additional $80.00 - $100.00

Of course, you said that, one day, you had planned to go to Universal, so, instead of getting a 7-day ticket, you could get a 6-day or a 5-day pass which would be around $5-$20 less depending on the variations. However, once you get past 5 days, you're only talking about $5-$10 more to add days.

And, if you became a AAA member, you probably could get the above package even less expensively. We joined AAA last year & saved $200.00 off our MYW package.

 

[hddanis]

If you did the MYW Package with Dining and got a 7 day park hopper pass (which if you're going to Universal, you don't need a full seven days..maybe only 5 so it would be less) Your rate would be $1632.08..That's room, tickets and food! That Dining Plan could really help.

Also call AAA and see what they can do for you, they can discount your package even more, but then you would need to join AAA. It's $74 for a year long membership. Might be worth it to save a few more $$$

 

[hddanis]

I was curious, so I went to the official Disney site & found the following:

The Disney site was still showing availability at Pop Century. (I didn't check the other Value Resorts.)

For 4/23 through 4/29 (6 nights) -

* Pop Century standard room

* 2 adult MYW 7-day tickets w/ park hopping option

* Dining Plan

TOTAL = $1,632.08

w/o the dining plan = $1,166.16

w/o the dining plan & w/o the parking hopping option = $1,098.00

w/o the parking hopping option but w/ dining = $1,563.92

If you went w/ a preferred room over a standard room, it would be an additional $81.36

Of course, you said that, one day, you had planned to go to Universal, so, instead of getting a 7-day ticket, you could get a 6-day or a 5-day pass. However, once you get past 5 days, you're only talking about $10 more.

And, if you became a AAA member, you probably could get the above package even less expensively. We joined AAA last year & saved $200.00 off our MYW package.

LOL! We were posting at the same time!!!

 

[jcsbama]

I just priced out your dates of travel at disneyworld.com and for six nights at Pop Century standard view, Magic Your Way Tickets for 7 days with dining and park hopper was $1632.08. That leaves you with extra money to go to Universal for under $2000. You can go with less days to the park, but honestly, the difference between a five day and seven day ticket is $4.26. As others stated, sign up for AAA and get an extra 15% discount for the cost of the room. To book a package, you would have to book through AAA.

 

[Wendy31]

LOL! We were posting at the same time!!!

Disney minds think alike!!

 

[jcsbama]

Sorry, I guess the others posted as I was pricing out options. But at least you know we all came to the same number and that you can stay onsite with meals and tickets for under $2000.

 

[DLBDS]

Let us know what you end up doing. I hope we've been able to convince you to stay onsite. If you're driving down, you'll be able to go to Universal on your own. There's no law stating that folks staying onsite can't leave during their stay! We'll be eating most dinners offsite and visiting Gatorland ourselves so stay onsite and have a Disney time!!! Good luck to you!

 

[umaangel00]

Well we have decided:

We are going to get a room only ressie for pop century through AAA. I am going to get tickets through Ticketmania. Also the dining plan is just not for us. That is just too much food for us.

 

[mjmcca]

Well we have decided:

We are going to get a room only ressie for pop century through AAA. I am going to get tickets through Ticketmania. Also the dining plan is just not for us. That is just too much food for us.

Do you have a mousavers link to save more money on the ticket?

 

[umaangel00]

I sure do!

 

[DLBDS]

I'm so glad we were able to help you out and I hope you have a great time at The World!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I was going to say that with the list of restaurants you had the dining plan could work out very well for you ...but you may be like friends of mine. They usually split their main meal and get appetizers that they may or maynot split.

So if that's you then no, the dining plan isn't for you. You'd have to do Table service for lunch and dinner just to use up those parts of the plan then counterservice for breakfast. I might still check it out if you are going to do any signature or character meals. I haven't done the plan myself but I might the next time I go.

For a honeymoon after five years I think I might suggest going with a moderate rather than a value. To me those locations are more romantic and less kid oriented. Check out http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/faq_hot.htm to see photos of what the rooms look like...I loved my standard room at POFQ. It had a great view of the EPCOT fireworks each night.