Hello from Boston - Need all the advice you can give!!

[nahla1204]

Hello my name is Kim and my family and I will be going to Disney in May of 2012. I have been to Disney 4 times but last time was not very recent, 1999. I was 22 years old. I am now 34 years old with triplet boys and a husband. I also have a set of parents who are very doting grandparents and want to fund this entire trip for us. I feel it is my duty to save them as much money as possible so I am doing all of the planning. I would appreciate any and all advice you can give me on saving as much money as possible.

For now, it looks as though we will be staying at the POP because my mom really wants to stay on site and I agree because of the perks. The reviews mostly seem good. We are going to get two rooms. I, however, would love to save enough money to stay at a moderate because I am a resort snob. I love beautiful resorts. I even already looked into renting DVC points but that still seems expensive.

Let me add that my boys will be 4 years old when we travel to WDW. Again, I would appreciate any and all advice you have especially on how to save money.

Thanks!
Kim

 

[Metro West]

 

[pepe of ohio]

Hello my name is Kim and my family and I will be going to Disney in May of 2012. I have been to Disney 4 times but last time was not very recent, 1999. I was 22 years old. I am now 34 years old with triplet boys and a husband. I also have a set of parents who are very doting grandparents and want to fund this entire trip for us. I feel it is my duty to save them as much money as possible so I am doing all of the planning. I would appreciate any and all advice you can give me on saving as much money as possible.

For now, it looks as though we will be staying at the POP because my mom really wants to stay on site and I agree because of the perks. The reviews mostly seem good. We are going to get two rooms. I, however, would love to save enough money to stay at a moderate because I am a resort snob. I love beautiful resorts. I even already looked into renting DVC points but that still seems expensive.

Let me add that my boys will be 4 years old when we travel to WDW. Again, I would appreciate any and all advice you have especially on how to save money.

Thanks!
Kim

Glad to have you aboard....you'll get tons of info here.....some good and some.....

We've done 44 trips so far....first as parents with doting grandparents and now we're the doting grandparents.....and we're resort snobs too....

I'll start the ball rolling...we never care nor stayed at the values or moderates....my Dad always wanted the best on vacation so we started at the Contemporary Resort in 1977.....wonderful resort...we graduated thru the deluxes thru the years for various reasons and now as grandparents we've settled at the WL....over 10+ stays...

Here's our reasons: location (ease to get to the MK) our park of choice....we like being on the lakes...and the compact size of the Lodge makes getting around it fast, plus the boat to the MK is a nice break from the buses (we never use a car at WDW). We always go value season and there's always a room discount out of some kind (even 10% from AAA) to latch on to...We never use the dining plan...don't want meal schedules to rule or run our stays and prefer to take the room only discount....

As for money savings, I've stated the room only discount.....we're not foodies so TS meals don't interest us much....we like a good breakfast which can easily be split (most meals at Disney are huge)....lunch we like poolside...we make picnic lunches we grub we picked up in route with assorted drinks (we always break from the parks mid day) and with the various resort food courts, park dining CS we fill in dinner along with some snacks here and there......

We usually stay 9-12 nights but get tickets for all but 2 of those days.....we like having some down days thrown in to recoup and relax and enjoy the resort and other things to do on property....the go go go days are behind us now....Undercover Tourists has some discounted tickets and thru mousesavers.com some discounts can be had, small but every penny helps...

That should be enough to get your motor running.....I'm sure others will agree and discount most, but we've been doing Disney this way for 30 years and never come home disappointed....for us the wow factor of WDW is the resort....where we spend considerable amount of time....never felt the DVC point rentals would save us much, plus the hassle isn't what we care to get into....same for split stays.......hope your planning goes easy and some planning can be fun....just don't over do it....alot changes once you're there and let your little ones rule the stay and follow their lead...go at their pace..Good luck!

 

[RFrank9504]

Eat, sleep and dream DISboards! The best ways to plan your trip!

 

[goofy-4-ever]

Welcome and enjoy the planning. I find the planning to be great fun and as pepe of ohio said, your little ones will run the schedule. You should plan on some down time for the boy’s (including your DH and DGD). This will keep the boy’s from being too overwhelmed and also allow you a better time. I know most people want to go, go , go, but trust me, you don’t want to be the parent dragging their kids kicking and screaming (although you might get some of that anyway) the whole night long because they are to exhausted to carry on.
Next, you have to plan a couple (at least one) character meals. I personally like the Tusker House Donald’s Safari Breakfast. With this you get a good chance to interact and take plenty of photos with the characters. As for peace of mind, I would schedule a couple of sit down meals just so everyone can relax, but if you’re looking to save money you can always get a good variety of food at the food courts of POP and a few other resorts (Contemporary, Coronado Springs Pepper Market, and Port Orleans Riverside).
You will find a ton of information on this site and others. Have fun and good luck.

 

[Aliceacc]

Hi Kim, and welcome!

Take a look at the meal plan. Because your kids are so young, they'll each cost about $12 a day for a full table service meal, a counter service meal and a snack (think bagel or croissant.) The adults would each be about $50. We like the DDP for a number of reasons, one of which is that it pushes us to have one meal a day where we just sit and talk. (As opposed to rushing off to the next ride or attraction.)

To be honest, I would suggest you work with a good travel agent. He or she knows the ins and outs, will be on the lookout for a bargain for you... and best of all, works at no cost to you. Many of us here can recommend one to you if you're interested.

 

[pooki1]

Hi! We are looking at Pop or Pofq for May 2012. I noticed last year for April-May WDW offered kids stay and play free, keep a look out for that to come possibly in Dec.!

 

[nahla1204]

Great info so far! Thanks! We will definately plan some down time, which is why I prefer a nicer resort. Personally, I would like to spend a part of each day at the resort and I know that my boys would enjoy the pools.

We also are planning on a character breakfast as well. Thanks for the suggestion.

So far, these boards are very overwhelming and full of information. I have been all over the place already and learned so much like getting in room fridges for free and strollers for free. Plus I never knew that they released discounts.

In looking at the resorts more, I am not stuck on POR or POFQ. They look really nice. I'm hoping to score a discount and maybe talk my parents into upgrading or else I'll just pay the extra. As it stands right now, if you price out a moderate over a value, its like $400 extra for our party of 7. Not too shabby.

We probably wont be booking until early next year because we cant go until the school year is over for me and I'm not sure when in May that will be. I'm a first year nursing student, starting in August.

Thanks again. I look forward to getting to know everyone!!!

Kim

 

[Deesknee]

My suggestion would be to crunch numbers. you mentioned you looked into renting dvc points. check out Old Key West as usually is the least amount of points. Keep in mind at a dvc you can rent 1 or 2 bedroom villas or you could opt for 2 studios for you & your parents.
I will list the money saving tips that I can think of below:

1)I would suggest looking closely at the 1 or 2 bedroom if you could all stand living together for the vacation.

1 bed and up have washer & dryer as well as full kitchen. I know cooking and laundry don't sound like fun on vaca. I used to think the same thing but can the savings alone on meals could pay the difference in the cost of the room.

2)depending on how long you are staying, the discounts that come with it maybe worth purchasing 1 annual pass.

3)if renting strollers, rent one and let the kids take turns.

4)consider renting a car the money you could save by eating off property (easy to drive to) is substantial.

5)if you have a microwave (another advantage to atleast a studio dvc room) take home leftovers.

6)if you want to eat table service make it a breakfast meal.

7)purchase small gifts at a local dollar store & surprise the kids with them rather than spending alot of money on alot of different gift shops.

8)we used to take refillable water bottles (brita) and fill them at the bubblers.

BTW, we have triplets too. you are going to have SO much FUN!!!!

 

[jesswindsor]

Welcome!!

 

[Aliceacc]

Are you or your parents AAA members? You can get a discount of 10-15% that way. (If you want a package with the AAA discount, you have to book through an AAA agent. Otherwise, you can book "room only" on your own.)

 

[pepe of ohio]

After reading some of the other posts, thought I'd offer alittle more. I see you have triplets, quite young....if budget options would allow, WL is a great alternative over the monorail resorts, price wise and I'm sure you'll be doing alot of time in the MK....we just returned with our daughters family and our dranddaughter, second trip for her, 20 months) and WL could not be beat for the boat ride to the MK.....she adored the boat and trip and it's easy to boat to the CR and catch the monorail to the TTC and switching to the EPCOT monorail...WL can cut out alot of buses... we broke from the parks every day around 1-2ish...little one needed her down time and she adored the pool.

We have tons of trips under our belts from taking our children from 5 years old on up to adulthood and now enjoying our grandchildren at WDW that we found location is number one for our stays....being as close to the park you'll spend the most time in is worth the extra cost...especially going back to the resort and returning to the parks in the evenings....

Enjoy your trip and the 3 little ones.....Disney magic is catchy!

 

[Lumiere Lover]

Welcome to the boards. Wow, triplets, that has got to keep you busy!! I think you should consider buying the photopass CD. Your kids are so young, you will want a lot of photos of them at WDW.

POFQ is a beautiful resort, but I can see how your kids would love Pop. POFQ tends to be a quieter resort, it is very small, and never seems busy.

Good luck planning. I hope these boards help you out!

 

[usd2bmd]

I think your decision to stay at a moderate is a good one, but maybe if you are going for the kids first time staying at POP or even one of the All-star Resorts is also a good choice. The reason I say this is that the theming at these resorts is much bigger and will appeal to your triplets more than that of a moderate. That being said, My choice for moderate would be Caribbean Beach. My family and I have stayed at both Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans Riverside. When we stayed at Riverside we always stayed in the mansions. An advantage of staying in a moderate is that they have a sit down restaurant and not just a food court. They also have more pools, there is a large themed pool and then several quiet pools throughout the resort. Although the Deluxe are beautiful resorts, it may not be a nice idea to suggest to someone who has just offered to pay for your vacation that you go "all out". You can have just as wonderful of a time at a value or moderate resort, because let's face it; you're there to see parks and characters. I would also suggest a website Allears.net. I use this website everytime we plan a a trip (and we have been 8 times) there are detailed photos of each resort as well as menus from restaurants, ticket and package information as well as plenty of information on the dining plan ( which I also highly recommend). Hope this helps, have fun planning and I hope your trip is magical!!!

 

[Aliceacc]

As another mom of 3 kids, I have to offer a word of caution: Unless you're willing to split you your family and put one of your kids with grandma, a lot of the resorts mentioned won't accomodate a family of 5 in a basic room.

For a family of 5 in a single room, you're pretty much limited to:
- family suites at All Star Music or the new Art of Animation
- Trundle room at Port Orleans Riverside
- cabins at Fort Wilderness
- Many of the Deluxes, but excluding Animal Kingdom and Wilderness Lodge.
- DVC, mostly 2 bedroom villas

Of those, the cheapest is usually POR.

Of the Deluxes, the cheapest tends to be a room in the Garden Wing at the Contemporary.

Of the Values, Art of Animation is MUCH more expensive than ASMusic.

Also, if you can play with the time of year, you'll find that the Value seasons are probably quite a bit cheaper than May. Yes, summer is HOT in Orlando. But the park hours are extended, and the pools are delightful. In particular, if you can swing the end of August (we never can; we're both teachers and need to be back) you may luck into Free Dining.

 

[Terk-1]

I have to admit, I'm not a resort snob. Where I stay depends on cost & how much time I'm really going to spend at the resort and room. My mind set is why waste tons of $$$ staying at a deluxe resort, when I know I won't use most of the things there and will hardly be in the room, with the exception of sleeping and showering.

I've stayed at all of the values, as well Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside & Caribbean Beach.

If you feel you are on a budget, then I would recommend doing a family suite at the new Art of Animation resort! It opens in May 2012, just in time for your trip.

If you want to upgrade to a moderate, I would recommend the Port Orleans French Quarter!! It's my favorite moderate out of all of them. It's small & compact, so it's easy to get everywhere. There is only one bus stop here and my nephews still remember the pool from many years ago. There is also a boat that takes you to Downtown Disney.

If a Deluxe is affordable, then I would recommend the Wilderness Lodge. It's my favorite deluxe resort! The lobby is amazing and it's close to the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary (to catch the monorail to EPCOT). This is a small resort, so again, easy to get everyhwere. This is the least expensive of all of the deluxe resorts.

 

[Moira222]

Wow what a trip you will have! We traveled to WDW for the first time when DD was 4 1/2. We stayed at a moderate - Coronado Springs(CSR)-- because truthfully we traveled in January and did not want to deal with a resort full of high school kids on band/cheering/winter break trips.

Here are a few things I learned that may be helpful:

BYO stroller(s)! While WDW has great rentals, they are only good for IN PARK. the longest walk of the day is the walk from the park entrance to the transportation home. trust me! DD often slept in her stroller the walk back, and on the ride back to the resort. The one nice thing about a bus is that for some reason it seemed a bit easier for her to snooze on a bus than on the monorail or ferry. Maybe because there was less to look at?

start early and take a break! When DD was that young, she napped in her stroller, which gave us all a break - we'd sit on a park bench and take turns meandering the stores solo. We took advantage of the EMH morning openings -- by fireworks we were all done and ready for some relaxing pool time.

Kids love sand! when we went to the pool area, DD still, at 8, heads over tot he sand to play. Pick a resort with a play area that appeals to you too because you'll be hanging there! CSR's play area is right next to the pool and the poolside lounge. WL has a fair amount of space between the play area, which is on a beach, so lots of sand, but not as much fun as far as the playground eqpt.

Bring snacks & instants. Because we did lots of early mornings, we had instant oatmeal in the room, or grabbed a bagel or something hand held and ate on the way - DD didn't really care much and it kept us moving in the morning. We'd sit for lunch at a counter service, then a sit down - this is how we do at home, so we tried to keep some consistency even on vacation. less meltdowns LOL

As far as DP: we did the traditional DP - snack + TS + CS per day. that worked perfectly for us on all three trips we've made. Truly, it depends on your sons' eating habits - my DD would eat the meals and portions , but not all children do. our day/meals would be like this: Coffee (us) and apple juice for DD (we brought a pack), instant oatmeal int he morning in the room. salad/sandwich for us, nuggets or PB&J for DD for lunch, a snack in the afternoon - fruit, popcorn, whatever struck us, then sit down dinner in the evening. pretty much what we eat at home. that's the meal plan to a T. buying the meal plans is all or nothing, so if your whole group doesn't eat that way, it may not be worth it.

Renting DVC points for a 2 br may work out cheaper, but make a list for yourself of the costs of DVC + food + park tickets VS a WDW package for a family suite or 2 rooms. Remember that if you rent DVC points, you will not be able to take advantage of any free meal/discounted room deals that open up later. If you use a WDW package, even after you have your reservation, if a deal is announced, you can call your travel agent or WDW and ask them to apply the deal to your stay.

Have fun planning!!!

 

[Deesknee]

I just thought of a couple of other things worth mentioning.

1) if renting dvc points consider they do not have daily mousekeeping. (which in many peoples mind is an advantage, although personally I miss it).

2) IMO do not consider bringing a triple stroller to disney. I would suggest a double and single. I can't vouch for how good the rentals now. We used to rent them when our triplets were young, but that was many moons ago. When our youngest needed a stroller we would just bring a good one from home. It became very useful in the airport too.

And as another person pointed out, with dvc you are not eligible for free dining. However as far as I know they still offer the option of purchasing a dining plan. (although with a kitchen, full refrig you could easly make do without and just buy 1 meal per day.)

We've taken the triplets several times begining at 3 1/2. And still we have alot to learn. I see a "oh I wish I had thought of that when the triplets were little" moment every trip.