How to plan a Disney trip as cheap as possible and still have a great time?

[Disneypal]

I have done this 5 times now and each tme we go we get it cheaper because of all th help from all of you! Alright I am tryng to talk my husband into another Disney trip. If that doesn't work out then I am going to try and talk my 3 girlfriends into taking agirls trip. As a family we can stay anywhere( have already done All Star Sports, Rivrside and Yacht Club). f we go with all girls I would like to stay at one of the deluxes. How can I get there (have to fly), get around (from airport to Disney and back), see the parks (ticket or pass options) and eat (good places to eat at areasonable price) as cheap as possible. I am a Disney Club member, know it is cheaper to book your room and tickets seperately but wha else? Any suggestions, discounts are great ideas? Help, I have Disny Fever!!!

 

[tinaluis]

Do a search of this Board for Connections info. They have quick and casual meal vouchers for lunch ($11.00) at Beaches & Cream which are an awesome deal. You can order almost anything on the menu and, no matter what the total, your voucher will cover it.

They are also great for park hoppers.

 

[SandraC]

I can tell you how we saved money for next months trip. It's not a cheap trip by any means, but we did manage to save lots.

10 nights at CSR was $154.00 per night, we got a code for $94.00 SAVINGS: $660
$199.00 mini van with code, SAVINGS: $100
Canadian 7 DHP, they expire. It's a Canadians only deal. Buy one get the companion ticket half price, we bought them last year too. SAVINGS: $225
The tickets come with a character meal, SAVINGS: $50
Seat Sale with Air Canada savings is compared the the lowest charter flight, SAVINGS: $300
Many picnic instead of lunches and eating in room, guestimate SAVINGS: $200 (includes the deduction of $100 in groceries) WE HAVE PS for 6 character meals too.

TOTAL SAVINGS: $1535 USF (that's $2500 savings CDN). Last year I didn't know about codes to I paid $174 for CBR USF, YIKES! We are spending about the same amt as last years trip but we are getting WAY more stuff and much longer trip too.

 

[Disneypal]

I am very confused about CONNECTIONS. I had never heard of this before. I went to some of the post and was still confused. Some say they have been double billed, some say the others are cheaper and then they keep talking about Vouchers. Last time we went to Disney they had Hopper Passes, Length of Stay and tickets. I really want to know more about these. Can someone help?

 

[QuickGold]

'El Cheapo' himself will divulge my trade secrets to you only because I seek to enlighten others while keeping their wallets un-lightened

1. Stay offsite! - Nothing says I want to save money like staying offsite. You can save HUNDREDS of dollars by staying offsite. I got a great 3 * hotel for $21/night! As much as I love the Disney magic, sleeping without it is something im willing to sacrifice.

2. Hotwire.com - Search them for hotels & car rental prices. I got great delas on them and the best part is you can see what it will cost before putting down money!

3. Live off US192 like theres no tomorrow - Eat, shop, and live off this strip of Floridian highway. Buffets can save lots, and you can pick up gifts for your friends there too. Just because theres no Mickey seal of approval, doesnt mean it wont have Mickey on it

4. Loot Costco before leaving - What I mean is, go to your Costco or wholesale dealer and buy food and drinks by the truckload. If youve got a microwave and/or fridge in your room, this can be a lifesaver(more for your wallet than you, but you'll be thankful later).

5. No microwave? No problem! Bring a George Foreman grill down. They are small enough to pack and can save you $$$$ on food by not going out.

6. Bring a thermos/super jug with you to parks and fill it up with free water and ice. Save spending $2 or more on drinks at a time by just drinking water.

7. Dont like water? Bring packets of iced tea/hi-c/gatorade mix! Sprinkle some into the water and bada-bing, bada-boom, you've got yourself a refreshing, tasty drink!

8. When ordering food at parks, always ask for no cheese. Save 10 cents! (Hey, it adds up)

9. For cheap airfares, check the "big boys out" but also check out the individual airlines webpages. They dont have the service fees the big boys have and can sometimes be found cheaper. Also, check out low-fare kings like Spirit, AirTran, Frontier and Southwest.

10. Dont want to pay tolls to park in Disney parks? You dont have to! Park for free in one of the hotels nearby and walk or take the Bus.

Hopefully these tips will aid in keeping your wallet nice and fat. And remember, if all else fails, there is a reason God created credit cards

 

[SandraC]

Quick Gold: I love #8, saving 10 cents with NO CHEESE! Not only the savings, it's less fat too! LOL!

Last year I was astonished at the tremendous amount we spent on food, so this year's trip, I swore I was going to cut out lots of characters meals and expensive restaurants and just have three character meals, no fancy restaurants, only counter service and food courts, only one to two meals a day with either a picnic lunch or breakfast in room. BUT I CAN'T DO IT! I managed to eliminate the $100 dinners at Tony's but I just can't do without the character meals. I think I might be about to get rid of one, but this is what we booked: Cindy's, MGM H&V, Poly, Donald's at AK, Crystal Palace, Ice cream social at GG Epcot. We seem to do 6 each trip. We HAVE to do Cindy's and Crystal Palace, they are tradition. Ice cream social is a cheap way to have a char meal so that stays, Donald's is a surprise for dd who loves this one, I think I might cancel MGM and save it for next trip.

We are planning lots of picnic lunches and other than the listed char breakfasts, we will eat in room, dinners will be food courts and counters.

 

[tink2dw]

Change your PS for H&V to the Fantasmic Dinner package. It's the same price as Breakfast [a quirk of fate!!] with Fab food and you get Special seating for Fantazmic!! Where you will see characters galore!!

 

[almostGoofy]

Great tips QuickGold! I do want to add to your #4: Loot Costco. There's a Costco in Orlando so if you think you'll have the time on day of arrival and have a rental car, you might want to buy there instead of lugging it on the plane with you. Just check the www.Costco.com for the location and a map.

Also for cheap airfares, I agree with your suggestion on hotwire. If you have the flexibility, the fares can be very good. If you really need to pick the time and airline, check out these travel search engines: www.sidestep.com and www.qixo.com. They will search several travel websites for low airfares saving you some time. That's how I found my $174/rt from Los Angeles to Orlando for our May trip. I booked directly with the airline's website after finding it on sidestep. Since we're traveling with young children, having some control over the time of travel was important to us for this trip.