Help planning 1st Disney Vacation!

[mommy2littlemonkeys]

I am 27 and have never been to Disney, so this year I'm taking my family. We are driving and will be in Orlando June 8-16. I support a family of 4, so budget tips are welcome!

I've read many threads, and staying at Pop w/ 8 day tickets w/o hoppers & w/ dining is $2,600! Yikes! Based on other years, is there ever a discount code during this time period? I like the fact of not paying to park, meals included, etc. of the package.

Also, I have been checking out the prices of off-site hotels, I want a clean safe room w/ 2 beds, kid-friendly, a pool, breakfast, and close proximity to everything. Any recommendations? About how much do you spend on food (not cooking) for 4 people a day?

Sorry for all the questions, I've been researching online about 5 hours a day for two weeks and still haven't came up with major decisions, lol.

 

[cakesnjammom]

We went in Sept 2006 with a 2 yr old and a 5 yr old. We had so much fun but we had to do a lot in the late afternoon/evening due to the extreme HEAT. We are from the South but we are not accustomed to hanging out in it without a pool or lake! I would suggest first and foremost that you do some research on the temp's so that you will be prepared with personal misters, personal fans, cool bands and plenty of water for your family. Secondly, it sounds like you have your plans made (and I have heard great things about the POP) but if you have any flexibility in when you travel you may want to wait for the "free dining plan" that WDW has run in August and September for the past several years (2005 and 2006 I know for sure). That is what we did and it sure is a BLESSING and you get to try out a lot of disney restaurants that you may have otherwise decided were too expensive! I highly recommend the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom it was my family's favorite AND remember your kid's dining plan credits are not "MARKED" just for kids meals (unless they have changed this) so you can get them ONE adult combo and save a credit/meal each time on the dining plan! BUT the dining plan is WAY more than enough FOOD! If you go to a table service meal that is not a buffet and you order from a menu two adults can share one meal. BUT NOT AT buffets. Third, I would stick with the POP instead of an off site keeping in mind that you park for free at all parks if you stay at a Disney resort and you also get Extra Magic hours and you will appreciate then especially if you are sensitive to 100 degree temps you will want to take advantage of the morning and night! If you have any specific questions I will be happy to try and answer I did goobs of research before we went in Sept 2006 so I will be glad to help. Good luck you are going to have the time of your life!

 

[ndgqmiller]

My family went on their first trip this year. I researched and followed the dis boards. We ended up going in Oct. I found a code it came out in Aug. I had already booked our trip, but when it came out I just called and they gave me the rate. We are a family of 5 dh,me,ds9,dd6,dd2(she was free). Our total with dining 8 nights at POP w/ preferred room a must, and park hopper tickets was 2765.00 w/ code 2265.00. I think it ended up only being 49.00 a night for our hotel. Fall was a great time we had awesome weather. We didn't sweat to death, crowds were small. The longest we waited in line was 30mins for Soarin (which is usually 70-90 mins) My family really enjoyed Chef Mickeys breakfast and Liberty Tree and if you have dd Cinderellas Royal Table , next time we are going to try the Princess lunch at the Grand Floridian. We really like POP Century . they had a nice eating area with LOTS of choices. They also gave us bed rails for the baby. She was already out of her crib so she slept with me and we put on bed rails to prevent falling. I hope this helps. Remember if you are watching for codes I went on the rate and code board everyday for about 2 months. And make sure to make your dinner reservations early. I called 4 months before and still couldn't get all the times I wanted even in the slower season.
Oh and we loved the dining plan. It saved us around 350.00. We did get appetizers and desserts which we probably would not have gotten, but the food was great and we really enjoyed every resturant. Can't wait for next trip Fall 2008.

 

[HeatherC]

If you are on a very strict budget and would consider staying offsite, you can probably stay in a villa for very cheap.

If you rent at somewhere like Windsor Hills, you can get a place for about $100 a night that can sleep everybody and you won't need multiple rooms.

Sometimes you can get a week on Skyauction (ready,set,go auctions) for about $260 a week including taxes. That is for a 2-3bedroom condo with full kitchen and mulitple baths. In additon, some of the offsite resorts are closer to certain parks than the Disney sites.

Of course, this would not let you get the dining package and you would need to calculate your ticket costs in addition to this. But...because we are a family of 5, we have never been able to find a way to pay less by staing onsite...but that is also because we travel over holiday periods for the most part and we choose to stay in larger accomodations than a regular hotel room. Just what we prefer.

Check out mousesavers.com for links to discount ticket sites to help you calculate the cheapest options.

Best of luck to you.

 

[mommy2littlemonkeys]

I was able to get condo at Windsor Hills for less than $100 per night including 13% tax! That resort had some great reviews on here. I figure with the cost savings, we can do a few character meals (dd-6, ds-5).

I so want to do a Princess character meal. Is the MK castle or the Mad Hatter tea party more fun?

 

[HeatherC]

Oh that's terrific! I love when people are able to save money!!! And the commute really is nothing from there. What you save on lodging, really will make up for the $10 a day parking fee.

I have not done either of those character meals. CRT at the castle is very hard to get since it is such a small restaurant. We love Crystal Palace for lunch...It has Pooh and Tigger and friends and is a buffet. We like it because we get to take a break during the day and the kids are entertained and the food has always been great.

You can do a Princess Meal at Akershus in Epcot too. I also think that Grand Floridians Character Meal has some princesses.

Have you checked out www.wdwig.com? This site will have a list of all the restaurants as well as most menus and prices.

Have a great time!

 

[mommy2littlemonkeys]

So the Crystal Palace isn't the same as the MK castle? I guess thats my next research .

 

[dougsmom98]

You will definitely save money by bringing/buying bottled water and other serving sized drinks and putting them in your fridge. You bring a soft sided cooler with some ice packs and drinks and bring them to the parks. In June you will need lots of drinks. It is very hot and humid then. We have always stayed off site and enjoy having the big fridge at a villa or town home so that we could put leftovers in there and eat them the next day for a quick snack. We do not cook meals while on vacation and often get take out pizza or meals from a restaurant and there are always left overs.
Good luck.

 

[HeatherC]

No the Crystal Palace is a separate restaurant. It is at the end of Main Street heading towards the castle...but then you make a left. It has a pretty glass domed roof on it. We love it.

The other Princess meal is Cinderella's Gala Feast at the Grand Floridian.

Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary is also fun for breakfast or dinner. These two you don't need park admittance so you could go on a nonpark day.

Enjoy!

P.S. Have you checked out www.mousesavers.com? Wealth of info there.