I need help planning a really cheap trip.

[ddm26358]

Whoo, first post!

Ok so here's the deal, I'm on a really, really tight budget. I know I probably shouldn't even be considering a Disney trip, but my best friend is having her destination wedding at Disney! I have to be there, and I would prefer to do it myself.

If I save, I can put away about $75/week toward a trip, maybe more if I work extra shifts. I need to know, what do you think is the cheapest possible trip that can be done, with the following constraints:

1. 5 day trip, 6 nights 9/21 to 9/27
2. On-site (saves me gas, tolls, parking, airport transfer, etc)
3. 5 park days, hoppers not needed
4. Maybe a MNSSHP ticket, the bride hasn't decided yet (she's really cramming a lot in at the last minute!)
5. No airfare, my uncle is giving me some JetBlue miles
6. I need to eat, nothing too fancy the big dinner for the reception is covered, the rest can be quick service or counter service

I guess that's it, alright budget minded people, show me the ways of the budgeteers!

Lisa

 

[4under4]

Is there anyone else you know traveling for the wedding that may want to split room costs? As for onsite accommodations, the All Stars are going to be the most cost effective. I would skip buying park tickets direct from Disney and order from Undercover Tourist (sign up for the mousesavers newsletter to get the extra discount).

For breakfast, you could pack some basics and eat in your room (i.e. instant oatmeal, dry cereal, etc.).

 

[powellrj]

I would check and see if you can get the free dining promo. I think for what you need it would be your best bet. Also can you get a roommate to split the room cost with?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Free dining during that timeframe?

 

[EveDallas]

Whoo, first post!

Ok so here's the deal, I'm on a really, really tight budget. I know I probably shouldn't even be considering a Disney trip, but my best friend is having her destination wedding at Disney! I have to be there, and I would prefer to do it myself.

If I save, I can put away about $75/week toward a trip, maybe more if I work extra shifts. I need to know, what do you think is the cheapest possible trip that can be done, with the following constraints:

1. 5 day trip, 6 nights 9/21 to 9/27
2. On-site (saves me gas, tolls, parking, airport transfer, etc)
3. 5 park days, hoppers not needed
4. Maybe a MNSSHP ticket, the bride hasn't decided yet (she's really cramming a lot in at the last minute!)
5. No airfare, my uncle is giving me some JetBlue miles
6. I need to eat, nothing too fancy the big dinner for the reception is covered, the rest can be quick service or counter service

I guess that's it, alright budget minded people, show me the ways of the budgeteers!

Lisa

I don't see any way you could do it with all of your constraints (assuming you are talking about September of this year). There are 12 weeks to the dates you specified - 12x75=900. Let's say you pulled extra shifts and managed 100 per week - that's 1200. Those dates at All Star Movies (the cheapest) are $676.21. A five day base ticket from Undercover Tourist is $309.99. That's $986.20 for hotel and tickets. That would leave just over $200 for food for 6 days (much less if you bought a MNSSHP ticket). Again this is if you were able to save more than you think - $75 a week wouldn't even cover hotel and tickets.

ETA: I checked the website - it doesn't look like free dining extends to the All Stars for that time frame. If it does, it may be doable. Or, like a PP said, perhaps if you could split hotel cost.

 

[nugov2]

Find someone to split with and stay off site:

448 2 bedroom condo

570(309 tickets) for tickets and car rental(you can get them cheaper) through UCT

In your situation I would ask one of the people staying on site to register your car for their room to save on parking at the parks(yes people will be all down on that idea and flame away, but if you need to save money...I'd do it)

The total is 1018 for lodging, tickets, car...maybe add 50 for gas, but what you will save being able to buy cheap food at walmart/target it will balance out. Get someone to split and you go to 354 for lodging and car and 309 for tickets.

Windsor Hills is just as close as the values so you are no further away from the parks and you will have way nicer accommodations!!

ETA didn't factor food, but I am assuming you can squeeze a little out of your normal weekly food budget and I would buy pop tarts and Ramen and a few cheap snacks to eat from Walmart besides a few park snacks in your situation. So maybe add $75 more bringing it to 1143 total with gas,food, car and tickets you would have to save $96 a week for my budget.

 

[happily single]

Are there any discounts available for guests of Disney weddings?

 

[j2thomason]

To help with the food budget, order kids meals at counter service. I do it all the time just to help with portioning and my budget. There is usually more food in a kids meal than I would normally eat while I'm at home. Although I do think your dates fall during free dining. You should book the free dining package and try to find someone else that's going to the wedding to share the room costs with you.

 

[kymom99]

Are you going alone? As mentioned before, could you try to find someone to room with? I may be wrong but free dining is usually only considered a good deal if you have 4 Disney adults to a room. I'm not sure it would be better than a room only discount for you. What resort are others staying at?

I agree with the kids' meal idea. Not all places have good choices but many do. At CBR, I ordered a child's spaghetti and it was plenty. You can save a bit that way. I am like you, I can be fine with quick service meals most of the time.

Here is my suggestion for coming up with the money. Could you apply for a credit card that offers 0% interest for the first few months? That way you can go ahead and save what you can before the trip and continue to put the $75 a week towards the balance when you get back. You don't want to go down there and have everything cost more than you expected, or worse, get sick and need a doctor and not have the money to cover it. If you are disciplined enough to save $75 a week, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to have some available credit. This is a one-time event for a friend, so I get that you want to make it work so you can be there.

I look forward to hearing more details.

 

[ellochka]

There are still discounted preferred rooms available at All Star Movies at $100/night for your dates. I suggest you snatch them before they are gone. Also, if you want to afford it, cut the number of days. Staying 6 nights is not really in your budget.

 

[ellochka]

Are you going alone? As mentioned before, could you try to find someone to room with? I may be wrong but free dining is usually only considered a good deal if you have 4 Disney adults to a room. I'm not sure it would be better than a room only discount for you. What resort are others staying at?

I agree with the kids' meal idea. Not all places have good choices but many do. At CBR, I ordered a child's spaghetti and it was plenty. You can save a bit that way. I am like you, I can be fine with quick service meals most of the time.

Here is my suggestion for coming up with the money. Could you apply for a credit card that offers 0% interest for the first few months? That way you can go ahead and save what you can before the trip and continue to put the $75 a week towards the balance when you get back. You don't want to go down there and have everything cost more than you expected, or worse, get sick and need a doctor and not have the money to cover it. If you are disciplined enough to save $75 a week, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to have some available credit. This is a one-time event for a friend, so I get that you want to make it work so you can be there.

I look forward to hearing more details.

Um... no, getting into debt to go to someone else's wedding is not a good idea. I saw a $100 statement credit promo on Disney visa, though, and if she is able to pay the bill in full, then it is a much better way to go.

 

[Glenn]

Everyone has mentioned a room mate. That would be a huge savings. Think about what you wont be spending at home while in wdw. Add your weekly grocery budget, how do you get to work? youll save on gas, maybe parking, tolls. Basically add what every you wont spend at home to your budget. Drink water there. Can someone drop you off & pick you up at the airport at home?
Last bring snacks for breakfast from home unless it puts you over limits for lugage. The key I think will be that room mate idea.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

I'll let you know what I do!
1. We drive to Disney
2. We bring most of our meals..easy yo do since we're driving.
3. If you need to buy meals there, the counter service meals are generally $10 or less
4. Try to get free dining and stay at a value or moderate. Otherwise if you're going during a time when discounts on resorts are going on, its either or...so work out the math and see which saves you more

 

[indimom]

My first thought (after sharing room costs and staying offsite which others have mentioned) is Why 6 days? Since this trip is for a wedding, another option is to cut it back to two or three days total.

Good luck.

 

[Elleshoodat]

My first thought (after sharing room costs and staying offsite which others have mentioned) is Why 6 days? Since this trip is for a wedding, another option is to cut it back to two or three days total. Good luck.

This was my first thought, too. If the purpose of the trip is to attend a wedding, why such a long stay? Or is the wedding just an excuse?

Either way, good luck!

 

[mgsquared]

If you want to stay on site- AS Movies or music (can't remember which) had free dining. I suggest writing every Disney travel agent you can find and getting a quote in the hopes they have maybe a room with free dining set aside! This and finding a roommate would make it doable.
Mousesavers recommends one and there is one that hosts this forum that I have heard good things about.
The TA is free to you and might be able to help make this happen.

 

[ellochka]

I know people mentioned free dining - please note that your dates are not eligible for free dining at value resorts, and only a few dates are eligible at moderate resorts, which will make the trip more expensive.
Here are the eligible dates for value resorts:
Aug 31 through Sep 20, 2014
Oct 30 through Nov 1, 2014
Nov 20, 2014
Dec 12 through Dec 23, 2014

Moderate resorts:
Aug 31 through Sep 13, 2014
Sep 23 through Sep 26, 2014
Nov 20, 2014

Your dates are also eligible for a room only discount, however, and I can't stress this enough, there are not many rooms left at this discount. Out of five resorts with two room types at each, only one is still available. It might be gone by the end of the day. Had you started shopping for a room a month earlier, you would have had more options, and cheaper options. Not any more. If your lose this one, your best room rate will go from $100 to $145.

 

[ddm26358]

Most (all but me possibly at this point) of the wedding guests are traveling with spouses/dates, and children in some cases, there aren't any loose ones to pair up with unfortunately. I did try that, but everyone just passed me on to the next person.

As far as the long stay, there are a number of other pre/post-wedding activities the bride and groom wanted everyone around for, including MNSSHP, so I was hoping to be able to stay for those. It seems that I won't be able to do so. Driving won't save me any money, since the airfare is free and DME is included if I can stay on site. I will have to start investigating off site places and figuring out how to get on-site every morning.

I'm going to take another crack at looking for roommates and I'll see if I can scare up a suitable free dining offer. Worst case, I'll just have to shorten my stay for just the weddding.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Lisa

 

[HM]

Do you have to be there for six nights? I'd look into a much shorter trip, stay in a value resort with a room discount, skip park tickets altogether, and eat QS meals at resorts when not covered by the wedding meals. You are going to a wedding, that happens to be at WDW. That is not a reason to spend more than you can afford. Make it all about the wedding and forget where you are.

It always makes me sad to hear about people that are 'forced' to attend destination weddings that they can ill afford.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I don't see any way you could do it with all of your constraints (assuming you are talking about September of this year). There are 12 weeks to the dates you specified - 12x75=900. Let's say you pulled extra shifts and managed 100 per week - that's 1200. Those dates at All Star Movies (the cheapest) are $676.21. A five day base ticket from Undercover Tourist is $309.99. That's $986.20 for hotel and tickets. That would leave just over $200 for food for 6 days (much less if you bought a MNSSHP ticket). Again this is if you were able to save more than you think - $75 a week wouldn't even cover hotel and tickets.

ETA: I checked the website - it doesn't look like free dining extends to the All Stars for that time frame. If it does, it may be doable. Or, like a PP said, perhaps if you could split hotel cost.

Free dining this fall extents to All Star Sports. We have it booked (and upgraded) but we are going 9/10 - 9/16. I looked and it isn't available for the OPs dates. Bummer!