Interesting read

[Lizzybear]

I noticed many say that in order to save money on food they go off site to eat. Well if you have to rent a car, pay for gas, then the it takes to leave the resort/parks, are you really saving that much money?

We live about 12 hours from Orlando, but fly for convenience and time (Direct flight 2 hours max), we don't rent a car, we just use Disney transportation. We normally stay at the Polynesian, and use the dining plan. By doing it this way, we find we actually save money.

I think many UK guests hire a car to visit the other Orlando attractions rather than just for offsite dining so in that situation it probably would save money. However, if it was for offsite dining only I agree that the savings may not be that great unless you were choosing cheap places to eat like the set price buffets (Golden Corral, Ponderosa etc)

 

[paulh]

I noticed many say that in order to save money on food they go off site to eat. Well if you have to rent a car, pay for gas, then the it takes to leave the resort/parks, are you really saving that much money?

We live about 12 hours from Orlando, but fly for convenience and time (Direct flight 2 hours max), we don't rent a car, we just use Disney transportation. We normally stay at the Polynesian, and use the dining plan. By doing it this way, we find we actually save money.

have stayed many times without a care and eat off site.within a short taxi ride there are plenty of places to eat.one of our fav`s is the outback within a $20 taxi form most places on site.just outside at the crossroads within walking distance is olive garden ,Black Angus. Orlando ale house to mention a few.
Staying on site with no car shouldn't restrict you to eating on site
Paulh

 

[wayneg]

I noticed many say that in order to save money on food they go off site to eat. Well if you have to rent a car, pay for gas, then the it takes to leave the resort/parks, are you really saving that much money?

We live about 12 hours from Orlando, but fly for convenience and time (Direct flight 2 hours max), we don't rent a car, we just use Disney transportation. We normally stay at the Polynesian, and use the dining plan. By doing it this way, we find we actually save money.

I think its so difficult to compare onsite offsite for food or hotels, the arguments for and against are endless. Just to give one example of dining we love Sweet Tomatoes, good cleen fresh food. 4 adults with vouchers eat there for $28 incl sodas and tax, 4 of us ate at trails end Disney's cheapest buffet $100 with Xmas surcharge and tax. Both + tip.
We have stayed at All stars, totally disliked and AKL, OK for 3 days not somewhere I would stay longer. Disney hotels just don't do it for me, prefer to get offsite away from Disney, just have a more relaxed feel to me, Disney resorts are too big, difficult to explain. Love staying somewhere like Fairfield Inn LBV or Country Inn and Suites, smaller and more enjoyable to me But we have been tempted with free DDP, Trip in August at OKW we have paid £91/night($135approx) incl DDP for 3 adults, To others this is a bargain, to me I will reserve judgement, offsite we could stay and dine for less last year with the great exchange rate, this year its about the same price but after seeing many reviews and photos of food I am wondering if we have done the right option. Offsite I know we enjoy every meal very cheap, onsite I feel as though we will have to go for more buffets to eat well or pay for extras with regular TS.
There is usually a big difference in a US traveller to UK traveller for time spent there, for us its anywhere between 9 to 25 nights each visit. Personally I would not want to be tied to Disney for 9 nights never mind 25. Maybe if it was 4 or 5 nights that would be different so I would never visit without a car.
Also Internet access annoys me, $10/day onsite free offsite, not looking forward to paying $160 in August for it. Certainly not paying cruise prices for access week after.

 

[tinks_1989]

I agree with price of strollers being raised as there are so many of them with fully grown kids in them hopefully will stop them

 

[paulh]

I agree with price of strollers being raised as there are so many of them with fully grown kids in them hopefully will stop them

i agree disney is no place for children, keep it for us adults
Paulh

 

[taylor3297]

Someone suggested I try pricing a trip using the Disney UK site. Once I finally found the site, I priced the package I would want, the date (Dec 2010), and after using an exchange rate calculator with the days current rate, I would come out $800 cheaper! Also, there are benefits, that I wouldn't get through the US site (Special seating for Illuminations for example). So what do you think will happen if I tried booking through the UK site? Will I get denied when I put in a current US address.

Now it makes sense with the lenght of stay, going off site to eat would save some money. Some of the buffets I don't eat at any more (Golden Corral) due to some of the poor food handling I have seen here in NC. Sweet Tomatoes is a great place for fresh food! I don't know if there is one in Orlando but if you can find a Pei Wei or a PF Changs. Try it out. Both are owned by the same company. PF Changs is a Chinese restaurant with more of a gourmet flair, and Pei Wei is like a more of a fast food version of PF's.

 

[disneyholic family]

Someone suggested I try pricing a trip using the Disney UK site. Once I finally found the site, I priced the package I would want, the date (Dec 2010), and after using an exchange rate calculator with the days current rate, I would come out $800 cheaper! Also, there are benefits, that I wouldn't get through the US site (Special seating for Illuminations for example). So what do you think will happen if I tried booking through the UK site? Will I get denied when I put in a current US address.

you need a UK credit card and address to book through the UK disney site.

 

[taylor3297]

you need a UK credit card and address to book through the UK disney site.

Thanks for the information.