I am so OVERWHELMED with all of this

[anita36]

I am trying to plan a disney vacation-- we have been there before but now with 2 children I am trying to find the best deals.

I was looking off site to stay but then we have to worry about a rental car and parking--

I was looking at a hotel on disney property but then they have schedule transportation to the parks..

So I was considering stay at a moderate hotel-- pop century etc but I am concerned about the room--- we are use to staying at condos- 2 bdrms 2 bathrms- I know we won't be in the room alot but w/ 2 dults and 2 kids it would be easier w/ more room and laundry faciliteis.

I have been reading these boards for a few weeks now and I just don't know where to began--
between the vouchers- tickets -rooms-flights I am at a loss.

if anyonce can give me what is important- what to look for consider I would be so grateful

2 adults
2 kids
going 9-25-04 to 10-01-04
l5 day hopper plus..

 

[topcat011]

Hi Anita: YOu came to the right place to start your search.
This is where I came a few weeks before I started looking at my plans just to get a few feelers out there.
I then went to places like orbitz.com and travelocity.com to see the price I am looking at. It was good for me as I learned about Presidents week plus spring break. Good thing I was able to change my dates around these dates.
I was seeing prices as low as 324pp for days inn which included air fare/hotel and rental car. We decided on the Raddison at the parkway for 433pp. I then went to the different places to check on park hoppers. And there are a lot of information on this located on these boards. We went with Paramount for a 5 day park hopper plus for 239 pp plus a 15 shipping charge. I then went to ebay and looked at what they were offering for food vouchers then went to allearsnet.com to look at menus to see what it is I will need.
I paid for my trip less then 2000 for the 2 of us for 7 days which includes air/hotel/car/all food vouchers/ admissions to disney AND Universal for a day/and the Titanic Exhibition. All I need now is spending money.

 

[OhMickey]

I would start by making a list of what is important to you (in order). Then I would look at the hotels which give you these options.

For us, the transportation is usually a big issue. Car rental for my family can be expensive (there are 6 of us). So using Disney's transportation is a big $$ saver. We've been satisfied with Disney's transportation. Often it is a nice change of pace and adds to our trip (boats & monorail).

We also like the idea of using early entry (again, Disney property).

You can save a lot of money if one person in your party has an annual pass. You can check out the ap passes on mousesavers and calculate your savings. There are additional saving (besides the hotel rates) like restaurant and shopping discounts.

Mousesavers also lists discounts for buying passes. I've always purchased ours through the Disney Store using the Disney Club discount (can't take advantage of this discount any more).

Laundry facilities are available at all the Disney hotels. They are usually near the pool. My husband takes the kids swimming for a couple of hours while I do laundry. If you plan it right (mid morning or afternoon) you can do several loads at the same time.

I also want to note that during one trip we stayed at the Fort Wilderness Cabins. These cabins are very nice and have a kitchen. However, you still need to go to a laundry room to do your laundry.

I have never used vouchers but have taken advantage of other discounts for dining such as the now defunct Disney Club and the AP discounts.

If you do rent a car - check Mousesavers for discounts. We rented from Dollar a few years ago and were very happy with the rate. A lot of people use National's Emerald Isle. You can probably take advantage of this because of the size of your family.

Mousesavers.com is a great resource for all of your questions. You can sign up for a newsletter and alerts for changes. This should help you a lot.

 

[mbb]

renting points from a DVC member to stay in one of the 1 or 2 bdr villas at the Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, Old Key West, Boardwalk, or Saratoga Springs...the space you want, onsite, kitchen/laundry in your room, and no car rental to worry about. Read the FAQ's on the DVC pages, and feel free to post some questions...

Only problem is, it worked so well for us - we became members!!

 

[crazelion]

I also I would do a search for onsite vs offsite debate you will get two total different answers. I have done both I enjoy onsite but I am consdeing for offsite for this trip because i can get more room for my money. Also check the Orlando and Attractions board they has excellent information about offsite condos.

Tickets is more of a personnel choice. Do decide on how many days you won't spend at the parks. I also if won't to US , IOA and Sea World. They have excellent tickets prices compare to Disney.

List a list things to consider:
Air or drive

Hotel

Rental Car to get and from the airport

Food

Snacks and T-shirts to take home

Is member of AAA you can get Disconts at WDW at the hotels, US and other hotels to. Also get discounts for Tickets too.

Also check the different boards here for more information.

 

[BrerMama]

In addition to what everyone else has said, don't worry about changing your mind. For our trip, which doesn't even occur for another five months, we've had 4 hotel reservations and 3 rental car reservations. Until I made the 4th (and final) hotel reservation, I had no penalty for canceling -- as long as I did it before a certain deadline -- and at one time I held 3 at once, including an on-property reservation. Our final reservation was for a suite with 3 bed and 2 baths for a great price through HotelKingdom.com. If I cancel this one, I'll pay a $10 fee but at this point I don't intend to even look for a better deal. This one gives us everything we want in a hotel room for a great price. But I didn't have any problem looking until we got exactly what we want. Each time I thought we were getting closer, I'd go ahead and make a reservation. And as soon as I made my final decision, I cancelled all the others so that other travellers could have those rooms. Same thing with car rental, but for most car rentals you don't even have to give a credit card to hold the reservation. Car rental deals also get better the closer you get to your vacation. I anticipate I'll change those at least once more.

There are many who say that it's worth it to stay on property simply to have the Disney magic 24/7. I've never done it, so I can't comment on that. I do know that this is my vacation and the only one I'll have this year. I'd like to have a magical vacation, but I think it will be more magical if I'm in a hotel that has plenty of room for my family and where I can be on my own schedule, not the bus schedules on Disney property. Just my opinion...

 

[sln88]

for hotel/condo
try skyauction(I have gotten a 2 bedroom condo there for $265 for a week)
Hotelkingdom has good rates, sign up for Travelzoo's newsletter- they will send you their specials. Priceline may be an option for you- or Hotwire. If you decide to use these, check out biddingfortravel or betterbidding. The Courtyard by marriot had the $20 special last year- maybe they will run it again. You are going during off season, so you should get decent hotel prices. A condo will also let you save $ on breakfast and give you some privacy.

You need a rental car if you stay off site, BUT, if you stay on site, you have to pay for a ride to and from the airport, so, in the end, you don't pay that much more for a rental. With only 4 of you, you could get away with a compact. Check out the codes on Mousesavers. Parking is $7 a day at WDW. Driving is not a problem, and does not take long when you are off site.

For flights, sign up for all the airline websites and check out their deals.

For hopppers, check out Paramount or Hotwire savings club.

Good luck!

 

[Lisa P.]

Anita36, you know this but I'll write it anyway.

Begin by choosing your lodging. Once that is done, the rest is much easier because your field of options will narrow. Don't try to do it all at once. Just focus on the lodging issue.

Is it more important to you to be able to skip the rental car and stay onsite -or- to have the space & amenities of an offsite condo?

Read the suggested threads considering this onsite/offsite issue on the Orlando Hotels and Attractions forum and decide for yourself.