Is there anyway to go cheap during spring break?

[talulabelle]

What would you all advise for the cheapest way to get my family of 7 to Disney for spring break? I know it is the most crowded, and not the cheapest time to go....but I just can't take the kids out of school (they are older amd miss too much if absent) - and DH doesn't want to go in the summer, we did that last time and it was too HOT for him.

If we drive (from MD) what is the cheapest thing we can do? Bonnet Creek?, Windsor Hills?, 2 value rooms? family suite on property?

Anyone know if they ever have YES classes during spring break time? My kids have been dieing to do that and the lower cost tickets would help...

Any advice is much appreciated....If I can't keep it dirt cheap - Hubby says we can't go.

 

[Marionnette]

What would you all advise for the cheapest way to get my family of 7 to Disney for spring break? I know it is the most crowded, and not the cheapest time to go....but I just can't take the kids out of school (they are older amd miss too much if absent) - and DH doesn't want to go in the summer, we did that last time and it was too HOT for him.

If we drive (from MD) what is the cheapest thing we can do? Bonnet Creek?, Windsor Hills?, 2 value rooms? family suite on property?

Anyone know if they ever have YES classes during spring break time? My kids have been dieing to do that and the lower cost tickets would help...

Any advice is much appreciated....If I can't keep it dirt cheap - Hubby says we can't go.

I don't think that they do enrollment for YES tickets during the busiest times in the parks. You can check the website to see what their schedule is for the upcoming months. http://www.disneyyouth.com/individual-enrollment/catalog/

IMO, regardless of how cheap you can get accomodations, the tickets for 7 people alone are going to be a budget-buster.

 

[cheerky]

If Individual Enrollment is not available during your Spring Break, perhaps you can organize a YES group. We joined a YES group here on the DIS last year and it worked out great!

Staying offsite in a condo is a money saver! Condodirect.com and Bookit.com offer some great rates on condos. I have used both websites and have had great experiences!

We usually drive down from NC and stay offsite. I cook meals ahead of time and freeze in disposable trays. This saves us lots of money on food/ lodging and I still do not "cook" while enjoying our vacation.

We've stayed at Windsor Hills several times, SunLake Resort, Mystic Dunes, Vistana and Westgate Lakes on Turkey Lake Rd. If you have any questions about these properties, feel free to ask!

Happy planning!

 

[Marionnette]

If Individual Enrollment is not available during your Spring Break, perhaps you can organize a YES group. We joined a YES group here on the DIS last year and it worked out great!

Staying offsite in a condo is a money saver! Condodirect.com and Bookit.com offer some great rates on condos. I have used both websites and have had great experiences!

We usually drive down from NC and stay offsite. I cook meals ahead of time and freeze in disposable trays. This saves us lots of money on food/ lodging and I still do not "cook" while enjoying our vacation.

We've stayed at Windsor Hills several times, SunLake Resort, Mystic Dunes, Vistana and Westgate Lakes on Turkey Lake Rd. If you have any questions about these properties, feel free to ask!

Happy planning!

Disney has made it very difficult to join regular YES classes when the group exists solely for the purpose of getting cheaper tickets. They now want proof that you actually get together on a regular basis outside of Disney World.

 

[englishteacha]

We always go to WDW on a budget. Like you we have to travel during school breaks. We stay offsite (we've stayed at a condo through Vacationrentals.com), get tickets from Undercovertourist.com using the Mousesavers discount. We often are "park commandos" and are at a park from opening till closing. We also get a park hopper ticket so we can change parks if we want to. We never seem to spend an entire day at Animal Kingdom, so then we can hop elsewhere in the afternoon/evening. (though the park hopper add on is something I'd give up on a tighter budget.) We eat counter service meals in the parks, eat some meals in the condo and/or offsite, and, again, if we're on a very tight budget I'll pack us lunches and snacks.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Is $20/night dirt cheap enough for your DH?

That's the going rate for tent camping at this campground in Kissimmee! http://www.ogcrvpark.com/rates.html


If camping isn't your thing (no way in H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks would I camp in a tent for a Disney vacation), I would recommend trying to find a Bonnett Creek deal on eBay.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

You could shoot for free dining, but not sure they have ever given free dining during Spring Break periods. You are very limited on what rooms you can stay in with 7 ppl. You can't stay in a family suite with 7 ppl, it only holds 6. You could do 2 connecting value rooms and hope they give you connecting, but like a PP said, just the tickets for 7 ppl are stupendous.

There is no such thing as dirt cheap with a Disney vacation.

As already mentioned, if you want a dirt cheap vacation you will have to go camping.

Even if you only eat CS meals you are looking at about $200 a day just to feed 7 ppl. Then around $200 a day for the two value rooms. Then about 2 grand for the tickets for 5 day tickets. SO bottom dollar cheap you are looking at around $4,000 minimum for a 5 day stay. But what I think is cheap may be different than what you think is cheap.

4 grand for 5 days is not cheap. Ours was 7 grand for 10 days and I almost had stroke paying that amount but we did it as cheaply as we could and we even had free dining.

Good luck with your trip.

 

[talulabelle]

No, my husband is not an outdoors-man, so unfortunately, camping is out. We can fit in a family suite - the youngest is an infant, so would be in a pack-n-play. Problem is - there will be no deal at that time of year. What is dirt cheap to a family of 7 is definately different than what is dirt cheap to a family of 4. If I can keep the vacation under $2500 (before meals and spending money) I think I can convince him to go. In the past we always flew, but rates have gone up so much. It used to be, my husband would do a cost analysis of flying vs. drving and after figuring the cost of a motel (2 rooms) for the drive down and 2 rooms again on the drive home - and the high cost of gas - he always felt for the time saved it made more sense money wise to fly. Now I think driving would win that analysis. I will start researching rates...If I can find a great deal on something like bonnet creek, I'll jump on it - otherwise - I think we will just have to go in the summer again.

 

[edk35]

We are actually going the week leading into Easter weekend. This will be a FIRST for us for that time of year at Disney. We are driving (have only driven 2 other times out of all of our trips) and renting a HUGE house in Windsor Hills. Another FIRST for us. You can get some incredible deals at Windsor Hills. Now I did book our house in Oct. BUT friends of ours...just arrived LAST night at Windsor Hills and they didn't book until a few weeks ago and got a great deal for a very busy time at Disney. There are all kinds of things you can do to cut costs. The most expensive will be park tickets. You can eat breakfast in our rented house, even dinner if you take a break from the crowds at the parks. Just plan ONE counter service meal at lunch at the parks. GOOD LUCK!! Let me add, we are a family of 5 but our friends who are there now...they are a family of 6 and they brought her mom. They got a great deal on a HUGE house with a pool..like we did.