I'm new and I'm confused

[Lil'Simba]

Hi

This is my first post! Please ignore my ignorance.
I've been trying to read a bunch of posts and learn (you guys are amazing!) I know I will have a ton of questions for y'all, but first I'm wondering where to begin.

When you call to see if there are discounts, do you mean you call Disney direct?
I would like to get a good Disney book. Many claim to have all the 'ins and outs' and 'secrets'. Which do you recommend?

 

[pooch]

welcome to the DIS from aonther Connecticuter!! There is a wealth of information here. Try not to get overwhelmed but take it in slowly. First, tell us a little about yourself and the type of trip you're looking at. Married, single, kids? When, how long? My first book was the Unofficial Guide. Not only does it have a lot of good info (and some not so), it's really funny. Read, ask questions, everyone here will help!!

 

[Aliceacc]

HI and welcome!!!

I started this thread for other newbies; it may help get you started:http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1715551

And I agree-- the Unofficial Guide is a wealth of info!

 

[oliviansmom17]

Welcome from yet another Connecticutian, Connectiac???
I really like the Unofficial Guide, too, but I love Birnbaum's guide. Colorful, compact, to-the-point. The UG has Birnbaum's beat on content. Meaning: the UG covers EVERYTHING...but hullo? It's 50 lbs!

Like the previous poster said: fill us in on all your details!

 

[disneydreamin247]

Welcome! Instead of using a trip book you may want to buy Tourist Mike's Automatic Vacation Planner. Its 21 bucks I think, but if you click through the link in the theme park thread you get $3 off! If you really prefer a book I like Passporter and Complete Guide!

 

[karenklo]

Welcome! the people here are just wonderful and full of answers! I agree about Tour Guide Mike! I have worked at Disney and been there numerous times, but TGM is full of information you need!

 

[LSchrow]

play around these sites also:
www.mousesavers.com
www.allearsnet.com

pls don't buy one of the books that tout they can save you tons of money & time (norm on ebay, the ones listed by PPs are good).
you can get the identical info here, and/or at the two site above ~ all free

hth
laurie s

 

[Lil'Simba]

Thanks so much!
This would be a family trip - me, dh, & dd (11). The last time we went was in 1999. I've been trying to get back ever since. It was always a timing issue. Anyhow, it looks like it can really happen this year and I'm so excited.
Because of work and school, it looks like August may be the target month for us - 6 nights, 7 days.

Obviously, like a lot of people, money was always our number one deterrant, so I'm looking for ways to save where I can. I'm trying to figure out where to spend our money - what works for us. On the other hand, this would also be my 15th anniversary, so we are not going to scrape and skimp. We are looking to stay at the moderate resort level. Any suggestions there?

I started looking into the dining plan - not sure if it's right for us or not. I need to find out more info on that. I know I definitely want the park hopper plus tix.

I would love for our friends to go with us - but money is a big issue for them. Therefore, I do want to investigate the 'cheap' road to take to a Disney vacation as well. I know my dd would love company! In your opinion, is it less expensive to find a suite to split between two families, or would the value resort still be the least expensive way?
Thanks so much for your future help as well as all the help you have already given me in the other threads! It's nice to meet you all!
And to my fellow CT'ers, I can't wait for the warm sunshine, can you? LOL

 

[Buzz2001]

Welcome from CT!

 

[Aliceacc]

Also, for what it's worth, start looking at airfares soon.

Try www.bookingbuddy.com It's a clearninghouse of websites and can help you find the best price. Also consider flying midweek (that's why you'll want to have an idea of the fares before you book your room.)

I booked Jetblue for August from JFK-- it was $99 pp each way when I booked in late December. Those same flights are now $129 each way. Also take a look at Southwest airlines.

 

[PrincessPaczki]

Hi! Welcome to the boards! This is a great place to be to ask questions and receive the best information on everything from Disney. I really like the Birnbaum books. I go through every page, every year, to see what new and what has changed.

 

[Steven41782]

A cheap way to go would be to look into renting a home at a nearby neighborhood (windsor hills for example). In my opinion though, that would be foregoing some very good perks of staying onsite. Like, extra magic hours and Disney transportation. I'm not a very selfish person, but if I was only able to get to Disney every 10 years, I would put my vacation wants over others.

That said, I would recommend that you go to the Disney website and sign up for a vacation video as that puts your on their email list where there is a slight chance that you could get a disccount code. I would also sign up for AAA because there are almost always discounts available on rooms for AAA members.

Finally, if you plan to finance the vacation, remember that you can sign up for a Disney Visa and get 0% interest for 6 months on Disney trips.

Oh yeah, all moderates are priced out the same for a standard room. So are all values, although Pop Century is in a different tax district, so it comes out as having cheaper taxes... and therefore slightly cheaper than the other values.

As for a moderate resort, i recommend CSR (Coronado Springs) or Port Orleans. CSR has a great slide for your DD, but PO French Quarter is the smallest and most manageable resort.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[pooch]

see - advice already!! We stayed at a Value (Pop Century) last year, just DD (21) and I. The room ran about $90 per night with tax. I would recommend a Moderate though. The Pop room was FINE - clean -quiet but I like the resort feel you get at the Mod level. We've stayed Value - Moderate and Deluxe. This year will be Port Orleans French Quarter.

SW flights out of Bradley (where in CT are you?) can be very reasonable. Now we always go in Sept so the deals are a little better but you could probably do the flights for $200 or less RT per person. Download "DING" if you haven't already, the best deals can be gotten there. Last year we got $154 each RT.

Getting a Disney Visa is also a good idea. Often, deals are offered to card holders first.

Regards,

Gail

 

[RMulieri]