Help! Very Little Time Left!!

[Wheresmyfrygdmthr]

Hi everyone! 1st time to post! But so far this has been an amazingly helpful site. My poor hubby and I have saved money for years now to go to Disneyworld with our 2 girls. We are going to stay June 5 - June 12. However, I am trying to figure out how to book the cheapest. Do you have more luck on your own, online, through Disney, or through a local travel agent. Help please!!!!

Thank you so much
Kristy

 

[kdtwiss]

I think that depends on a bunch of different thing! How old are your girls? Are you planning on staying on - site? Do you have a resort in mind? Where are you coming from? Have you looked at the dining plan at all?
I found I got the best deal with Disney directly, but booking my own flight, so I could check often and book when I saw a good price.

 

[spiceycat]

do you belong to AAA?

are you flying or driving?

onsite at WDW or offsite?

onsite is much closer to the action, Extra magic hours, wdw transportation even back and forth to your WDW resort room, package deliver, charging to your room....

offsite has more room for generally a cheaper price (but not always)

does Southwest fly out of your area?

 

[Wheresmyfrygdmthr]

Sorry, guess it would help if you had info huh! It will be me, my hubby, and our 2 girls who will be 4 and 7. We want to stay in moderate resort on Disney property and will be flying and do believe we will be using the dining plan. I just want this to be the most magical experience that my girls could ever imagine! It will be years before we can save up enough to get them back to DW again. So any and all help is GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks so much you guys!!!

 

[Fast Pass]

Hi and Welcome!

We find it cheaper to book through Disney through the phone. We have tried booking through the internet and sometimes the prices are higher for the exact same thing! The best thing to do is call Disney and talk to them and explain what you want and don't want,your budget constraints and any fears you might have with anything about your trip.
The Disney agents on the whole will take all the time you need to get you the best rate and the best solution to your budgetary needs.
I kinda think that your children might actually enjoy the value resorts more than the moderate. I have stayed at the moderates and have nothing against them but when money is tight the values are a wonderful way to go.
You should also check out the Code and Rate section on this board for discounts;another couple of sources can be Mousesavers or Mouseforless.
Food is real expensive so the dining plan is a must! You will come home stuffed but it will be so fun!Don't forget to make advance reservations for those meals!
Good Luck! I used to Live in San Angelo. God I miss Texas! Need any help feel free to PM!

 

[spiceycat]

i also like the value - Pop Century.

I have heard that Continental flying out of texa can be a good deal

 

[disneymomof5]

I actually Called and got a quote through Disney and then called and got a quote through aaa. AAA was $223 cheaper(w/dining). I did not have a membership but I purchased one and they gave me a temporary imediately. For th $52 it cost for AAA it was definitely worth it plus they provide you with trip planning tools and I will always have it for emergencies. Good Luck!

 

[disneytraceyl]

I would book through a travel agent. Many agents have been to Disney and can give you all the advice you need. They will make sure you are covered every step of the way.
I agree with the earlier post. I have stayed at all of the categories of resorts. I think moderates are a waste. You either need to go with a value or a deluxe. They will give you the most bang for your dollar.

 

[mytwotinks]

own first trip. I really really researched all of the options ! I found a ton of info on www.allearsnet.com. You can look up every restaurant, attraction, show, ride, resort...............ANYTHING! The dreaming is half the fun . I mostly agree about the mods being a waste, with one exception. We are very loyal to the POFQ because of it's small size. I would never pay extra for a deluxe unless I could afford a monorail. POFQ is great though and after seeing the lines for the buses at the values this summer I think that the FQ is worth the extra. We have stayed at VWL and I didn't think that the extra cost was worth it. We really didn't have any extras that made it worth it for me. Good luck

 

[indigoxtreme]

If you have AAA go through them for the complete package other wise call WDW and ask for Port Orleans French Quarter (POFQ), it is the smallest moderate and just refurbished last year. Free refrigerator, double beds, but they are very good, privacy curtain in the bathroom and the colors are wonderful. Boat to DTD and to POR or a nice walkway by the river. 1 bus stop and first on and first off. You will pick up at POR Riverside, but it is not a very long trip anywhere. Also this is the only resort that you can share the amenties with POR as they are sister resorts, pools playground, fishing hole etc. AT POFQ you can walk to anything in the resort in 3 to 4 minutes. The counter service restaurant is good and the Beignets are great. The pool has a serpent slide with King Triton on top (Ariels dad). Many little alligators playing instrucments which put out water. Garden areas, playground and nice walk ways, even the parking lot view rooms have a garden area in between, Mousekeeping is great and the CM's are great. The dining plan is a good thing for a budget all tax and tips are paid, if did leave more tip at the Table services meals as our service was excellent, (they include 15 to 18% with plan). Just bring your questions here. I found this site last year and everyone has been so helpful and knowledgable.

 

[laura001]

remember that you don't have to go through AAA to book for the discount. YOu can call WDW yourself and book it and ask for the AAA discount. If you don't get it, call back and try again. I always ask for the discount after they tell me the price.

 

[kdtwiss]

i DISAGREE ABOUT MODS BEING A WASTE! i THINK THEY OFFER MUCH MORE THAN THE VALUES, (OOPSp POR & POFQ especially!
Since you have 2 girls and they are 4 and 7, you may want to look into - Grand Adventures in Cooking, or The Alice In Wonderland Tea Party. Those are kids only events, but very well run& supervised , adn I think well worth the $$. Also there is now a Bibbidy - Boppity Boutique, which just opened, so I don't know much about that, but do a search on the boards and you will find it! If that is too expensive, hit the barbershop in the magic kingdom and the girls can get some dos complete with colr, sparkles, confetti. The lady there gave my dd a cinderella headband with the hair color!
You need to make your dinner plans NOW!
If you can afford it the fireworks cruise is an amazing experience!!!
Good luck - it is so much fun planning!

 

[mommystieg]

Hi We will be there June 4-15 and live in the DFW area We used a travel agent for our first trip and they couldn't get us any better deal than WDW Travel.(I didn't discover this site until after we came back) Our first stay was at POR and we LOVED it!! If a moderate doesn't quite fit your budget then the value resorts are nice, too. They do have some awesome theming -- perfect for the kids. If you are planning on using Disney transportation then you might need to be prepared for a little longer wait times for the buses at the value resorts. We don't typically use the buses (we drive from home so we have our own car) but I have seen the lines for the buses at ASMo and ASMu and they were kinda looooong during the summer.
Character meals are a great way to meet the characters. We love Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's. IMHO, Chef Mickey's is pure Disney--we ate there on our first trip and had a BLAST!! We typically schedule our dinner during the earliest seating to avoid the dinner time crowds. If your girls are into the Princesses, then you should try one of the Princess character experiences. We really like the Princess Storybook Breakfast in Epcot (DD#2 loves Sleeping Beauty) there are lots of Princesses and the food is good.
If you haven't already, you should purchase one or two guidebooks -- our favorites are the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the PassPorter. DD#2 was just a little over 2 when we first visited but DD#1 participated in the planning-Birnbaum's publishes a guide for kids.
Be sure to visit here often---check the Restaurant forum for meal ideas, the Theme Park Attractions and Strategies forum for lots of great park info, Disney for Families and the Disney Tips forums are also great for trip planning.
Visiting WDW for the first time can be overwhelming--all the research in the world cannot prepare you for how HUGE WDW is and how much there is to do there.
Lots of luck--planning is almost as much fun as going.

 

[my3princes]

If this is your first trip and budget is a real issue I agree that staying at Pop is a great alternative. We did Pop/POFQ our last trip. There were 5 of us(ds10, ds8,ds2) So we had 2 beds and a pack and play. Both resorts were roomy enough for us and our luggage and stroller. POFQ is much smaller and has a fridge, that being said POP was big enough and had theming that was over the top and really appealed to the kids. We booked our accomodations through AAA because we had a rental car and wanted the parking pass. Otherwise if you do your research you can book the parts invidually and do well.

Deb