Help, trying to plan on a budget!

[SRUAlmn]

My family has been to Disney twice in my life. My father passed away when I was 16 and it was a way for us to escape the holidays. I feel close to him at Disney and am longing to go back but haven't been able to afford it again since 1998 (I'm now 26.) My boyfriend has never been to Disney- poor deprived child- and he also never got to meet my father. I guess in a way it would be like them getting to meet each other if I took him. I am trying to plan a trip for us, but we are on a tight budget. I have found some deals on www.*********************.com, but I thought maybe there were some other special ways to get discounts that I don't know about. We are considering driving, we live in Baltimore, and I know from previous experience that I REALLY want to stay on property. HELP

 

[IloveDMB]

First off, WELCOME to the DIS! These forums are great, and everyone is so helpful.

I suggest that you go to mousesavers.com . Mary has a great site set up that shows you current codes and discounts available. She also has many valuable tips to help you save on a trip to WDW.

When are you planning on going?

 

[BWVPam]

There are some great rates out there right now at the resort hotels using the code "BBY" The value resorts are about 74/night.
These are for this summer. Not sure of the exact dates.
Pam

 

[swilphil]

You might want to look into the Swan/Dolphin. They are deluxe hotels on Disney property, but they are Westin hotels, not owned by Disney. The Dolphin is usually a little more inexpensive and it is right next to the Beach Club and across from the Boardwalk. I think you would have a blast as an adult being in the Epcot/MGM/Boardwalk area. If you or your boyfriend qualify, you can get a great teacher/nurse/government discount. We stayed on the govt. discount at $129 a night last summer. Because of the great location we did not have to rent a car, so we really didn't pay any more than we would have if we had stayed at a value. Swan/Dolphin has some great rates through Dreams Unlimited Travel agency. Also if you go to the swandolphin.com website, and sign up for the Recipe Club (there may be other options) under promotions, they e-mail you postcards that sometimes have great rates--last winter they had rooms at $99/night. I think if you are flexible about when you want to go, you will be able to find a great deal.

Have fun!!

Sherri

 

[susy]

Even at rack rate the Value resorts at Disney might be the way to go (if you want to stay onsite). Pop Century is brand new and it does not share buses. We stayed there in Jan and I was very impressed with the place. It is a great improvement over the All Stars. Staying onsite is nice for taking those much needed mid-day breaks by the pool! You can save a lot on food by eating breakfast in your room. We bring cereal and Parmalat milk. Fill up a cooler with sodas, water, milk, juice, fruit, yogurt etc for snacks. Buy other snacks ahead of time that don't need to be refrigerated. You can always share meals (we do this all the time) at the counter service or sit-down restaurants. A sit-down at lunch is also cheaper than dinner, so don't rule out the sit-down meal. We do one per day. If you want to do a character meal (I highly suggest it), breakfast is the cheapest and since they are all you can eat, you won't need lunch that day.

A way to save on tickets is by purchasing them in advance. There are a few ways to do this.
http://www.mousesavers.com/wdwticketprices.html#oneday

Since you are driving, I know there is an outlet store that sells Disney merchandise-does anyone know where this is?

 

[SRUAlmn]

These are some great suggestions. I appreciate it so much! We are thinking of going sometime between May and December, and I know with Disney I need to get on the ball! Here is what I was able to find so far.
*at *********************.com if you travel between April 18 & July 4 you can stay at a value resort for $74, a moderate resort for $94, and OKW & AKL for $129.
*The park hoppers to me seem cheapest through Disney's website.
*I found a flight on Orbitz from Baltimore to Orlando for $148/person round trip.

This brings my 7 night trip total to approximately $1600.
Is it a bad idea to book everything separate like this? Usually my whole family goes and someone else does the booking, so I'm a rookie. Thanks everyone for your help and welcome

 

[IloveDMB]

Originally posted by SRUAlmn
These are some great suggestions. I appreciate it so much! We are thinking of going sometime between May and December, and I know with Disney I need to get on the ball! Here is what I was able to find so far.
*at *********************.com if you travel between April 18 & July 4 you can stay at a value resort for $74, a moderate resort for $94, and OKW & AKL for $129.
*The park hoppers to me seem cheapest through Disney's website.
*I found a flight on Orbitz from Baltimore to Orlando for $148/person round trip.

This brings my 7 night trip total to approximately $1600.
Is it a bad idea to book everything separate like this? Usually my whole family goes and someone else does the booking, so I'm a rookie. Thanks everyone for your help and welcome

Wow, $148 roundtrip is awesome. I would definitely take it.

I think maybe you could get park hoppers cheaper through one of the authorized ticket dealers at Mary's site. If you don't feel comfortable buying tickets through them, then do you have AAA? They also offer discounts for tickets, though not as good as the ticket dealers.

To me $1600 doesn't sound so bad for a 7 night trip. I went over Spring Break one year and stayed at a Marriott with a friends and family discount and my trip cost more than that.

And it sounds like you are doing a great job planning, are you sure you're a rookie?

 

[SRUAlmn]

Yes, I'm sure I'm a rookie. I'm just a dork! I love Disney so much that I spend my time seraching message boards and looking at hotel virtual tours, etc... because it makes me feel like I'm there. Like I said previously, I haven't been able to afford going back since 1998, and have been "virtual planning" ever since. It's fun!
As for the park hoppers, I do have AAA so I may check into that, but I will also definitely check mousesavers. The quote from Disneyworld.com was $277/person for 6 or 7 day (I can't remember which I chose.)

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Disney Debbie]

Hey - Be sure and check out the posts about the 4/7 deals with the Disney Visa. If you get a new Disney Visa - by the end of this month!! - you can get the summer dreammaker's package where you pay for 4 nights but get 7 nights. That's your resort plus your Unlimited Magic Passes which gets you in every park including the water parks, Pleasure Island and Disney Quest the entire time you're there. I think you also get some Disney Dream Rewards money as well. We aren't doing it because we live so close we wanted reusable park hoppers - but it would probably work well for you. There are several posts on the resorts board about it.

If you do decide not to do the Visa deal and get tickets - be aware that the prices you see on the WDW site for tickets are BEFORE taxes - which add a lot. The ticketmania site that mousesaver's recommends is definitely your best value. Their prices are including taxes - and right now there is no shipping either. If you sign up for mousesaver's e-mail newsletter you can usually get more deals as well.

 

[aholley1061]

Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus tickets are cheaper at your local Disney Store. If there is not a store close to you, order on line thru Disney or AAA.