How can I make a 1 day trip any cheaper?

[ChristusG]

We go to Disney often, but I'm looking to take a short overnight trip to attend Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party in a few weeks. The way I'm totaling it, a quick trip for us would be $700. I'm wondering how to cut costs but I'm not seeing where.

Tickets: $370 for 3 adults, 2 kids, & baby
Hotel: try for less than $100 with Priceline
Food: $200 That's fast food on the way there and back, bring our own breakfast, and a dinner in the park at the party.

Seems so pricey for one night and 5 hours in a park. Wondering if it's worth it?

 

[rachel09985]

My friend does priceline all the time and sometimes gets hotels for $30! I would set your price lower and hopefully it will be accepted.

 

[Marionnette]

We go to Disney often, but I'm looking to take a short overnight trip to attend Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party in a few weeks. The way I'm totaling it, a quick trip for us would be $700. I'm wondering how to cut costs but I'm not seeing where.

Tickets: $370 for 3 adults, 2 kids, & baby
Hotel: try for less than $100 with Priceline
Food: $200 That's fast food on the way there and back, bring our own breakfast, and a dinner in the park at the party.

Seems so pricey for one night and 5 hours in a park. Wondering if it's worth it?

You can enter the MK with your party tickets at 4 PM. That gives you an extra 3 hours for your money!

Don't waste precious party time eating dinner in the park. Do a filling late lunch at one of the monorail resorts. Plan you meal so that you will be finished well before the 4:00 PM park entry time. You will need additional time to get to the park entrance, go through security and then enter the gates.

Use your Target REDCard (if you have one) to purchase Disney GCs at a 5% discount (or read the Disney GC discount thread for other sources of discounted GCs). Use them to pay for your party tickets and your meal at Disney.

 

[danygirl]

I would add spend the day checking out the decor in the resorts! Also. Pack food and snacks for the car. - much cheaper than fast food and healthier tii

 

[dpswift]

One way of saving a small amount would be to make sandwitches for your drive down. We have a 20hr drive so we started it to save time but I now find that I enjoy it. To be honest we are not big fast food eaters. Until our DD18 got a job at MacDonalds we would eat there less than once a year.

The price for the Christmas party is the main part of your budget. There are no discounts for that. I would try to think of it as a weekend with the kids. If we lived closer I am sure that we would take weekend trips.

Go and have fun. Do not think of it as 5 hours think of the cost for the weekend total. As PP mentioned do some Resort hopping to check out the decorations.

 

[Judique]

We go to Disney often, but I'm looking to take a short overnight trip to attend Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party in a few weeks. The way I'm totaling it, a quick trip for us would be $700. I'm wondering how to cut costs but I'm not seeing where.

Tickets: $370 for 3 adults, 2 kids, & baby
Hotel: try for less than $100 with Priceline
Food: $200 That's fast food on the way there and back, bring our own breakfast, and a dinner in the park at the party.

Seems so pricey for one night and 5 hours in a park. Wondering if it's worth it?

I would look at this as $700 for 6 people and not blink an eye!

You've got a possible 2 days of trip. Arrive early, stay late and maximize your time.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[cel_disney]

If you were not traveling you still would be buying food for the family to eat and gas for the car...I like to subtract out my everyday costs from the vacation total (usually means food estimates like yours would be halved).

Also - stay offsite and eat linner at 2:30 seems like another money saving option! There will be unlimited cookies, hot cocoa, and i think apple slices at the party...so just bring a few snacks - maybe cheese sticks or granola/protein bars for around 7pm snack!

Enjoy it!!!

 

[sweetdana]

What about travel to the park, are you local, where there is no real gas?

Also if you dont care where you stay, there are plenty of places for 30$ a night.

Bonnet creek for 100$ you could prolly get a 2 or 3 bedroom suite.

Check out Ebay too, people rent there own timeshares for much less.

I would deduct at least 50-70$ from the food budget as you would eat anyway.. You could squeek a bit of this budget, but buying things you would on your own and bringing it. IE lunch, sandwiches/chips/ect, dinner eat fast food and bring it with you to eat prior to the party, and snack while you are there. If Fast food like a ceasers 5$ pizza, is not a win, then bring something you can keep in a cooler like boiled eggs, tuna and crackers, tomatoe sandwiches, blts, ect then pack already made breakfast sammies you just need to microwave, the next AM. I would also spend the next day at the pool if warm enough, and make a trip over to DTD or a resort and enjoy a bit more magic for the day.

I think you could squeek out 550 - 600 if travel is free.

AND THAT seems like a win for a family of 5 at Disney!

 

[delmar411]

We go to Disney often, but I'm looking to take a short overnight trip to attend Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party in a few weeks. The way I'm totaling it, a quick trip for us would be $700. I'm wondering how to cut costs but I'm not seeing where.

Tickets: $370 for 3 adults, 2 kids, & baby
Hotel: try for less than $100 with Priceline
Food: $200 That's fast food on the way there and back, bring our own breakfast, and a dinner in the park at the party.

Seems so pricey for one night and 5 hours in a park. Wondering if it's worth it?

If you visit often, then you possibly have APs? If so, I'd suggest.....

Plan an overnight for right after the last party. The holiday parade and holiday wishes are what is done in replacement of the normal parade and wishes after the last party. Including snow on main st at night.

That cuts out the $370 cost of party tickets right there.

 

[disney1990]

If you visit often, then you possibly have APs? If so, I'd suggest.....

Plan an overnight for right after the last party. The holiday parade and holiday wishes are what is done in replacement of the normal parade and wishes after the last party. Including snow on main st at night.

That cuts out the $370 cost of party tickets right there.

Yes, but if they are going because they actually want to go to the "party", APs won't get them in.

 

[delmar411]

Yes, but if they are going because they actually want to go to the "party", APs won't get them in.

Correct but there is nothing other than free cookies and some special characters that the $370 is buying them. Everything else is free and available to everyone right after the last party. So that's why my suggestion.