How Would You Reduce This Budget??

[MELSMICE]

How old are your children? Are they into the characters a lot. I would also suggest either Chef Mickey's or the Ice Cream Social, but noth both, especially if you get the same characters. If you are looking for ways to cut costs, then to the social, not the dinner.

Are you really set on eating on-site at all the places you chose? I am a real Disney fan, & wouldn't consider staying off-site, but eating off-site is another story, IMO. There are many off-site places with great food & more reasonable prices than Disney. One is the Orlando Ale House - great food, extensive menu & very reasonable - right near the Crossroads area.

If you're at your timeshare any of the days for lunch you could probably just have sandwiches or frozen pizzas those days or even leftovers that you bring home from some of your sit down meals.

Good luck with your budgeting.

 

[MinnieGi]

I would make your hanging by the pool day to be totally off-site. Whispering Canyon is fun, but I would cut that out and eat dinner some place off-site. I'm assuming you traded into an off-site timeshare. Also since you will be hanging by the pool, how about just doing lunch right in your timeshare. You mentioned you will probably be getting lots of the family reunion leftover, why not make them into lunch or get sandwiches from a nearby deli or grocery store.

Also I believe on Tuesday you mentioned doing two big sit-downs for lunch and dinner, both at World Showcase restaurants. I would cut one of those out. Our family cannot do two sit-downs in a row, it is just too much food. To save money we often do our sit-down for lunch. Mostly the same menu at a lower cost. Then do counter service for dinner. You will most likely be way to filled from a sit-down dinner to even do the ice cream social.

I would do Chef Mickey's as a breakfast. I believe it is a lower cost and I like the food selection better at breakfast than dinner. We often do it at a late morning seating. So its more like an early lunch and that covers us till dinner time.

As a few others have said cut the FDP and just get some counter service and eat it while waiting for Fantasmic or right before.

Good luck getting your budget to where you want it!

 

[Julia M]

Well, now here's what I'm thinking:

Cut out Chef Mickeys (kids aren't that into characters) (this is the one dh wants to cut out, also)

Cut out FTP. That way, maybe I can wait for seats and dh can take the kids on a ride or two. Then they can stop and get counter food for us to share when we can go in and sit down.

That's $205 right there. if we take off Le Cellier, that's about $325 off my projected budget.

I won't go to RFC that day, as we will be eating there the week before with our family reunion, and we have one here in San Francisco.

I will have to rethink our EPCOT day, and how I will handle that.

Realistically, it makes sense to also cut out whispering canyon, as we will be relaxing that night.

It's just hard......these are all places I have wanted to try. I have no expectation we will be making a return trip at any time in the future, as my ds will start Catholic HS in 2 years, and our vacation fund will then turn into our tuition fund (as will our theatre ticket fund, our fix up the house fund, and so on..... ) So, it kills me to take these off our schedule. I'm sure once we're there I won't care, though

Julia

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Julia:
Just cut out the few things you mentioned already and have a good time. Planning is great, but don't make yourself a slave to a bunch of schedules. I don't think there is a single person that hasn't left WDW wishing they could have done more. That's what makes it so exciting -- all those future trips to experience something new (and yes, I'm sure there will be more as you've obviously been showered w/Pixie Dust). ENJOY!!!

 

[MEM]

I want to chime in with fairytinkerbell that your dog is "worth every penny". We will be in Florida for 17 days next month (12 at WDW) and will board our 15 year old dachshund with her vet. They bring her into the front office with them so she gets plenty of attention. Its $30 a night but I could not enjoy my vacation unless I knew she was in good hands!! Because of her age, if she has any problems, her vet can catch them early.

We had a similar situation with too many PS...I originally had 8 for the 12 days. I decided each of the four of us could pick a sit-down restaurant. DH picked Hoop de Doo Revue, DS picked CP character breakfast, DD picked the afternoon tea at GF in the Garden View room and I picked Jiko for dinner.

I. too, would suggest cancelling Chef Mickey's -- that was a disappointment to my family. Also, H&V -- have not heard great things about their food.

 

[sconnell]

My suggestion... Wait and see how you feel. I would leave out those things that you don't really want to do. But, when it comes down to it, I like to have things prepared IF I want to do them. I have found more times than not, that WDW is a great place to explore and do what you want. You might be suprised how much you like something that you didn't think you would, or didn't know existed.
Keep everything flexible. Just think about how much you are spending and if it really is worth that to you at that time. I know that sometimes I can do without a Mickey Bar and sometimes, it's the thing that makes my day. Sometimes a cheap meal and a treat later are better than an expensive dinner. You may get so tired, (or be having so much fun,) that making it to a certain place to eat isn't important.
Have fun!

 

[maggiew]

I also wanted to add, if you don't think you will be going back soon ( ) and the budget isn't too constrained (you said you could go over) then I might consider keeping some of the PSs. Don't kick yourself later saying, "I wish we just went ahead and did the Whispering Canyon." or whatever. If these are things you really wanted to do, you need to weigh how much you would like to do them vs. what would happen if you went a little over your intended budget.

Maggie

 

[GeekChic]

here would be my suggestions:

If your kids want to meet the mouse, don't cancel Chef Mickey. It's the most painless way to get them to Mickey.

I haven't eaten there myself, but based on mixed reviews I would cut out Le Cellier. I have heard about the service being not the best and the food being a dice shoot; sometimes great, others, not so much.

Also, I would NOT do Rose and Crown for illuminations. We did it once, and it was a huge disappointment. We were on the terrace, you couldn't hear the music (oops, typed water the first time LOL), people from other tables pushed their chairs up against our table so tightly we couldn't move; and there was this dusty fall out from some of the shells. I hated it, won't ever do it again.

DID love the food though, and the fireworks show. My advice is to have lunch there, and then scope out a good place to watch the show. The music is such an integral part of the show and we couldn't hear it at all from where we were.

the place i would not suggest cutting is Ohana. The food is phenomenal. We did SO many PS's at sit downs on our last trip (our poor daughter was so patient) i have promised her not so many this time; and we only have one dinner scheduled so far, and it's ohana. she wanted to go back as well as DH pleading LOL.

your dog IS worth every penny too. If the puppy's happy, everybody can relax and enjoy their trip

hope that helps a little!
geek

 

[TINKTWINS]

Id say cutting down on the meals too, we usually get tired of eating in the parks and spending that much money for sometimes the smae foods. Go off property and eat. we also go to the Olive Garden, Red Lobster, or Macaroni Grill. Nice change up.