Is there an economical way to play a DLR trip?

[proud_canadian]

Hi there,

We have done "Orlando/Disney" trips twice and now have it down to an exact science on how to do it the most economical ways.

We go in September - Low season. We live in Toronto but fly out of Niagara Falls, New York on 50% off seat sale prices with Direct Air ($600 for 4). We rent from vacationcentralflorida.com and can get amazing accomodations for the week for $500-600 including full kitchen, multiple bedrooms, private pool etc. I scour car rentals and can usually find a deal for $120-140 for the week for a full size. I buy our tickets from undercover tourist (the most expensive part of the trip). We rent a stroller offsite from magic strollers. And then we eat most meals at the rental townhouse, and bring snacks and drinks the the parks. We can usually come in under $2500 for the 4 of us for a week.

I'm wondering what types of tricks there could be to get deals at DLR. Are there slower/cheaper seasons? Where is the best place to stay? Are there places offsite that offer full kitchens?

We might be interested in legoland at least and maybe some other attractions as well based upon timing. Our dates are open... just trying to price out the best and cheapest way to get there and stay there. Any tips?

 

[kwgilley]

I am also interested in any tips

On our previous (2) trips, we have saved a ton of money on food. We always eat breakfast in the room (instant oatmeal, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, muffins, etc) and take one meal a day with us to the park (sandwiches, fruit, etc). We also take snacks, water bottles, individual drink mixes, etc. We get a locker each day, but feel like the $10-15 for rental is worth it because of the food $ savings and storage for jackets, etc. We buy one CS meal and one yummy treat/snack per day. With 5 of us, it adds up pretty quickly.

Also compare pricing between packages and booking room, tickets, etc. individually. One year it was better to purchase the park tickets and hotel individually (we bought So Cal citypasses). Last year, I got a better deal with a hotel room + disney hopper package through getawaytoday.com.

I recently lost my (part-time) job, so looking for even more $ saving tips. I really, really still want to go this year, so I'll be watching this thread for sure .

 

[annadette]

Just a couple of extra tips - we live in Northern Canada, and it is a 34-hour drive (or so) to Disneyland for us. We aren't even remotely close to be able to hop on a flight in the States, and a round-trip flight for 4 of us from up here would run us around $1600-$2400 depending on seat sales. So we just suck it up and drive- costs us about $600 in gas for the entire trip, sometimes even less. Probably not feasible for many people depending on where you live, but it's a pretty straight route for us on a nice highway/freeway and the kids really don't mind it (thanks to our DVD player!) Plus, we can bring pretty much whatever we need and not have to worry about luggage at the airport. For anyone who's even considering it, driving might be worth it. Also, Canadians can save up airmiles for parkhopper tickets. You pretty much have to watch the flyers and get the deals associated with bonus miles at whatever grocery store in your area offers them. When I really focus, I can get 7-day parkhoppers for 3 of us within about 6 months of grocery-shopping, and that really saves a lot. I'm also going to watch this thread, because any tips that will help me get to DL more often are most welcome!

 

[Honeybee1983]

YES! We are the "frugal type" ourselves....well not by MY choice, cuz I'd really rather just stay at the GCH and eat at Steakhouse 55 each day! So I guess I should say my husband is the frugal one, but cost boils down to whether I will get a Disney trip or not, so you better believe I've become REAL good at finding great deals!! Anyway. Look for flight deals with jetblue or Alaska. They start at $49 per person one way. We spent $678 for five of us to fly for this trip. As far as hotel goes, I would just start looking at each one. Takes time, but it's worth it! I find that the Desert Inn & Suites directly across the street seems to have the best deals for anywhere close to the parks, plus they offer a small continental bfast too. It's so beneficial to be so close, saves on bus transportation to and from the park or extra walking for tired feet! There are several low-cost options for food it seems, right there by the maingate too, including Mimi's and Mcdonalds. You can also order groceries from Vons for even more cost effective lunches and snacks and drinks! They deliver directly to your hotel room for FREE for your first delivery! We have found that as far as tickets go, buying them from arestravel.com is the cheapest out there. When you are in the park, if you choose to purchase meals there, be aware that adults CAN buy kids meals if you aren't too hungry, and if you go to places like the plaza inn for lunch or dinner or rancho del zocalo, the portion sizes are HUGE, so sharing is perfect! Oh, and for rental cars, if you need one, United Rentals has the best prices around!

 

[Susie63]

Hey Annadette,I am from GP too! I would love to know your driving route and timeline to DL.We are going in Feb 2013 and will probably spend $1500 for the three of us. Not sure I could talk DH into a road trip in Feb though.
As for tips....I do't think you will find rental accomodations as cheap as FLA. as I am sure most people are full time residents and they aren't alot of vacay properties.There are some that I have seen but they were pretty pricey and a car would be required or a lot of time on public transit.
The Park View Inn is right across the street from the entrance to DL and DCA.I have not stayed there but I have heard great things about them.If you like them on facebook you can also get some good deals before they are released to the public. They have a hot breakfast,and a light dinner/salad soup/hot food every evening.If you do a search for PVI here on the Dis,you will get lots of info. They also have free bottled water and fresh cookies in the lobby. You would save money on your locker rental because your motel is so close.Will it compare to a rental property in Fla. No.It is a motel and the swimming pool is in the parking lot?
There probably are kitchenette suites on Harbour.I am sure someone will be along soon with some info.
As for park passes, I will buy mine from Flightcenter.ca They are pretty good on price and it will be Canadian funds.
There are lots of good coupons on Anaheim.org
You will find transportation,food(DTD) and tour coupons.
That's all I can think of right now. I"ll be back when I think of more
Happy planning!

 

[HydroGuy]

Great question and I think you have come to the right place.

First, lets talk about going to DLR when costs are lower. Lower costs generally correlate with off-season and the trade-offs at DLR are a bigger issue than at WDW because it is more seasonal. You may find yourself saving money but having a lesser experience (ride closures and missed entertainment). You will have to decide for yourself what is most important.

See

"Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

Second, many folks choose to stay offsite at WDW to save money. Since WDW is so big the impact of distance is not so pronounced compared to their onsite hotels. DLR is different. Some of the hotels (even low cost offsite hotels) are extremely close to the parks. This makes it practical to walk to the parks in 5-10 minutes and it is easy to take hotel breaks to rest.

Using this to your advantage is important because it can totally change your trip. It makes it as easy as it gets to hit rope drop each day and allows you to get a big jump on other later arrivers. It allows you to rest when you want to. It also allows you to more easily eat at your room. The cheapest eating option will be to buy food a grocery store and make it yourself.

There are places like Residence Inn 3/4 to 1 mile from the DLR gates with a full kitchen. Kind of a long walk but it has a kitchen. There are places closer with microwaves and mini-fridges but no full kitchen. You can do sandwiches and hot dogs, etc. We did this ourselves when kids were younger and money was tighter.

See "HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

I hope that gets you going in the right direction for you.

 

[mouseymommy]

We also cut costs where we can. We stay across the street at the BWPPI, their rooms have a microwave and a fridge. This works for us because we just keep breakfast and snack stuff. Last year we had some food delivered from a restaurant. It was enough for us to have dinner, and to have for lunch the next day. It was very reasonably priced too. It was called El Pollo Norteno.

As part of our trip planning, we have been going over the Dl menus and estimating the cost of each meal. Our 10yo has been very helpful with this, and we both think it's really fun. We have also planned what meals to eat in the room, so that we could go to a character breakfast.

As for souvenirs, each child gets a certain amount of money to pick something out. This allows them to have something, but they aren't asking for everything they see.

Hope this helps!

 

[helenb]

I used to live in Toronto, and your tip to fly out of Niagara Falls, NY is a good one. Don't discount Buffalo, either. You can generally get some pretty good deals from Buffalo to the LA area (maybe even into Orange County or Long Beach) on Southwest and Jet Blue.

Check CAA and see if they have some park ticket specials for Canadian residents. They do this often for WDW, and sometimes for DL.

I understand your desire to have a kitchen, but honestly a place that gives you a continental breakfast (but is much closer to the parks) will probably work out better. You can always eat out of the parks if you want a cheap meal and supplement with cereal bars, cup-of-soup, KD bowls, etc. that you could make in an in-room microwave.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I believe that the Tropicana (right across the street) has kitchen suites. I think one easy way to cut costs at DLR is to cut your time in the parks. You need 5 days at WDW. You can make it 4 at DLR and save a days passes and lodging.

 

[DharmaLou]

I just wrote this blog post last week about the ways we are working to save money on our trip:

http://katietalksabout.com/how-to-plan-a-disneyland-vacation-without-breaking-the-bank/

 

[starshine514]

I think many Canadians get a much better price on tickets than US citizens do by purchasing through flightcentre.ca. I haven't actually looked at them, but that has been the impression I've gotten from other threads.

As far as regular budget tips go, we like the Desert Inn & Suites (our group is often 6-8 people and they have reasonably-priced larger rooms w/ fridge & micro), but we try to book early, as prices there start low and increase as the rooms fill. HOJO has a great Entertainment card rate (sometimes), but their cheapest rooms don't have a microwave. We often eat offsite, there's a McDonalds close on Harbor, as well as a Denny's (they have the $2, $4, $6, $8 menu for budget dining). For a slightly higher price (and better variety) there's also a Mimi's, Quizno's and Subway on Harbor. We make PB & J sandwiches for the kids everyday as well (helps with my youngest, who isn't a breakfast person) and take in custom trail mix.