Fun $$ saving story

[Suz D]

So like many of us here, I'm known as the person to talk to if you're planning a Disney vacation. We moved a few years ago but people still contact me. I had a friend contact me the other day asking about WDW. They have a larger family plus a foreign exchange student living with them. For a party of 7 plus an infant he was quoted $13,000 for 5 nights with dining and park tickets. Now he may have chosen Dx dining and I'm guessing maybe the reservation system put them in a villa or something else, I'm not sure, but he told me he thought that was ridiculous and did I have any other ideas.

I priced out 2 rooms at All Star Music, 4 days with no park hopper (this is their first trip so they won't need to hop), and quick service dining (which may be upgraded to regular dining if we can get ADR's at this late notice) and the total for everything was just at $4700.00. He thinks I'm a miracle worker. Gotta love all the knowledge we pass around here on the Budget board right?

 

[FortForever]

So like many of us here, I'm known as the person to talk to if you're planning a Disney vacation. We moved a few years ago but people still contact me. I had a friend contact me the other day asking about WDW. They have a larger family plus a foreign exchange student living with them. For a party of 7 plus an infant he was quoted $13,000 for 5 nights with dining and park tickets. Now he may have chosen Dx dining and I'm guessing maybe the reservation system put them in a villa or something else, I'm not sure, but he told me he thought that was ridiculous and did I have any other ideas.

I priced out 2 rooms at All Star Music, 4 days with no park hopper (this is their first trip so they won't need to hop), and quick service dining (which may be upgraded to regular dining if we can get ADR's at this late notice) and the total for everything was just at $4700.00. He thinks I'm a miracle worker. Gotta love all the knowledge we pass around here on the Budget board right?

Holy cow, $13k!!! We just bought the four acres that join ours for that price.

I'm glad you fixed it for them. I agree that park hoppers are a good thing to eliminate from a budget to bring the cost down.

Unless they are set on a package deal, I would cut out the dining plan all together. If they didn't have dessert with their CS meals, which most people cant eat after the huge WDW meals anyway, their OOP cost would only be about half what they will pay on the dining plan for two meals and a snack.

Of course all those rules change if free dining is offered and they end up going during that.

By the way, most of my family lives in Morgantown and Fairmont. My cousin is a doctor at Ruby.

 

[cjnix29]

Great job! I am always amazed at how much you can spend on Disney if you don't know what you are doing, or don't have all the ins to do it. My DS9's best friend has never been to Disney. I off handedly remarked to his mom that they should go with us in June. Well, she told me if I can keep their whole trip to $3000, they are in. Sure enough, they will be joining us in June. SO excited to experience Disney through the eyes of a first timer!! And DS is through the moon that his buddy gets to come!!!

 

[mm1971]

So like many of us here, I'm known as the person to talk to if you're planning a Disney vacation. We moved a few years ago but people still contact me. I had a friend contact me the other day asking about WDW. They have a larger family plus a foreign exchange student living with them. For a party of 7 plus an infant he was quoted $13,000 for 5 nights with dining and park tickets. Now he may have chosen Dx dining and I'm guessing maybe the reservation system put them in a villa or something else, I'm not sure, but he told me he thought that was ridiculous and did I have any other ideas.

I priced out 2 rooms at All Star Music, 4 days with no park hopper (this is their first trip so they won't need to hop), and quick service dining (which may be upgraded to regular dining if we can get ADR's at this late notice) and the total for everything was just at $4700.00. He thinks I'm a miracle worker. Gotta love all the knowledge we pass around here on the Budget board right?

Glad you could bring them off the ledge. I'll bet a good percentage of people either just paying thinking it is expensive or don't go because they don't look into it enough.

I would take a look at the dining plan and ask them if they think it will provide enough value. If they don't eat a lot at meals, it may be better to pay OOP.

Oh, and you re a miracle worker. You saved a friend $8K!

 

[Suz D]

Holy cow, $13k!!! We just bought the four acres that join ours for that price.

I'm glad you fixed it for them. I agree that park hoppers are a good thing to eliminate from a budget to bring the cost down.

Unless they are set on a package deal, I would cut out the dining plan all together. If they didn't have dessert with their CS meals, which most people cant eat after the huge WDW meals anyway, their OOP cost would only be about half what they will pay on the dining plan for two meals and a snack.

Of course all those rules change if free dining is offered and they end up going during that.

By the way, most of my family lives in Morgantown and Fairmont. My cousin is a doctor at Ruby.

PM me your cousins name if you have time. It's a pretty small town and I know lots of people at Ruby. How fun to have that West Virginia connection with you.

Great job! I am always amazed at how much you can spend on Disney if you don't know what you are doing, or don't have all the ins to do it. My DS9's best friend has never been to Disney. I off handedly remarked to his mom that they should go with us in June. Well, she told me if I can keep their whole trip to $3000, they are in. Sure enough, they will be joining us in June. SO excited to experience Disney through the eyes of a first timer!! And DS is through the moon that his buddy gets to come!!!

I SO wish I could go with them because I completely agree with you. Disney through the eyes of a first timer? Nothing like it. They are going to leave WDW about 3 days before I arrive there for a convention. But neither one of our schedules has any wiggle room.

Glad you could bring them off the ledge. I'll bet a good percentage of people either just paying thinking it is expensive or don't go because they don't look into it enough.

I would take a look at the dining plan and ask them if they think it will provide enough value. If they don't eat a lot at meals, it may be better to pay OOP.

Oh, and you re a miracle worker. You saved a friend $8K!

I agree that they could save $$ not being on the dining plan but I think that the convenience for them would outweigh the cost savings. They really want to do a table service every day, and I'm hoping that will work out for them. They are going in June.