Looking for advice

[TheBig2na]

You have to account for hotel and a tank of gas...or I do anyway which is give or take $200. I have been pretty fortunate with flights from Buffalo for $60-$70 each way with little tax. Toronto is alot more because of the tax, plus the amount of time it takes to get through Pearson is horrible. I love Buffalo, because you have already taken care of customs, you can get down there the night before and relax, eat dinner, shop, and half of your travel is done. no getting up at 3am for your 7am flight. it may take me 2-2.5 hours door to door, but with the amount you save it is well worth the trip.

 

[Sue M]

I book my own air, and fly out of Seattle, still cheaper, even factoring in the hotel over night.
We are going in Jan too. I booked thru the WDW site with the 40% room discount for deluxe resort, and paying for dining plan. Depending on the # of people free dining or room discount may be the better offer for on site stays.

With it being your first trip, I would book your WDW stay with a WDW specialized travel agent, NOT CAA! There are many good ones, all are internet based, and don't charge a fee. I have used Ears To You, and Instant Impressions. The best thing about a WDW specialized agent is that they know about WDW booking, know when Disney puts out a new promo and will automatically apply this to your reservation. They will also make your dining res. if you want, and can be of help in planning your vacay more then a generic TA.
I would highly recommend staying on site, I've done both, and prefer on site-totally different experience.

 

[essom71]

We have gone often, and I would have not stayed anywhere but onsite when my kids were that young.

I would suggest the music resort because they seem to have some activities by the pool as you might find you want some breaks from the park.

You can do free dining in January and get the quick service plan included. I personally would upgrade to the basic plan as I would want to do some character dining. I think it is $10 per day per adult and less for the kids. Going to the restaurants are part of my family's trip to disney. DO KEEP IN MIND THOUGH TIPS ARE NOT INCLUDED. you should allow for 20% per meal for this. They can add up.

I don't know where you live but I just got an email from spirit for flights in january out of detroit for $27 each way. Even if you drive and pay a park and fly it will only add another $80 for the week.


Good luck!

 

[CdnCarrie]

www.mousesavers is the best place to start.

It lays out all the deals very clearly.

Do you collect Airmiles? They can be redeemed for the park passes.

 

[Practically_Perfect]

Hello all!!
This is my first post
I am trying to plan a Disney trip for myself, my husband and our two daughters (5 & 7) for January 2011. We'd love to stay on the resort to experience everything but money is a definate factor.
Right now I am getting prices from CAA, anyone who has any advice to reduce fees I'd love to hear.
Thanks very much,
Julie

Hi!! First off - welcome to the Dis! It's a great source of information, but it can get overwhelming to a newcomer.

The travel agency I'd recommend is Fairytale Dreams and Destinations. I've used them 1 1/2 times (I booked a trip then needed to cancel) so far and plan on using them again and again. They charge the same prices as through the Disney site, and will keep an eye on your bookings as new discounts come out to make sure you're getting the best deal. They will also handle all your dining reservations for you, and will book Disney Magical Express (the transportation from the airport to the hotel if you're staying on property) if you choose to use it.

What some may see as the downside is that they will not do the other part of your travel reservations, meaning you have to research your own airfare/car rental, etc. However, I've found that I can often get a better rate if I book them separately.

Anyhow - food for thought. Feel free to ask me as many questions as you need to!

~ PP

 

[connorsmom911]

Just going to add my two cents as well! Welcome to the boards and feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like!!

I agree with many of the other posters about flying out of Buffalo on SW! If you're concerned about the cost to add a night in a hotel in Buffalo, look at taking a later non-stop flight and driving across the border in the morning. I have found this option much less stressful actually, and then all I worry about is getting down there and getting settled and checking out the resort that first night. No pressure to do a park because it doesn't make sense. The only thing I would definitely recommend is adding the earlybird check-in option to your flights. Because your kids are older than 4, you will not have the option to pre-board with the family group after the A boarding passes, and lately there has been less of a chance of getting the A boarding group even if you jump on the check-in right at the 24 hr mark. Yes, it is $10 per ticket, each way, but it does give you peace of mind that check-in is taken care of on the way down, and more importantly on the way home, letting you relax 24 hrs before heading home instead of having to find a computer while you're down there!

The other thing I would add is really do your research on the free dining offer. You will be paying rack rate for the room in this case. Take a look at the restaurant menus (allears.net or wdwinfo.com) and prices and get a feel for what your family will eat and how often. Although I have only done the full dining plan as opposed to the quick service, I have found it to be way too much food, and really we were only breaking even or saving a couple of dollars. I have found that doing each piece (room, dining, tickets) seperately and getting the best deals on each has saved way more money. I would advise trying to book it yourself by calling Disney directly and asking for room only discounts (if you have CAA/AAA, you can ask Disney if there is any discounted rooms using that...it's always my standby until I find something better).

For tickets I would recommend looking at undercovertourist.com (I have ordered from them several times...love their service and speed!!!!). Really weigh whether you will use the "hopper" option. I used to get it, and found with little kids it is just too much physical effort to hop all over the place. I plan out which park is the best on which day and stick to it, planning dining and breaks around that park.

To save on food costs, I do rent a car and stop at Walmart on the way to the hotel and stock up on bottled water, snacks, cereal or other breakfast foods so that I'm not paying through the nose for that in the parks! I also tend to buy a lot of my souvenirs at Walmart too (they stock a lot of Disney items at that location...t-shirts, pjs, stuffed animals, trinkets, etc), yes they aren't official park merchandise, but my kids don't know the difference! There is also an official Disney outlet store in the Prime Outlet mall that carries official stuff sometimes at great prices, especially pins!

Another option for souvenirs is to shop at the Disney store at home before you go, or order online from disneyshopping.com (outlet sometimes has awesome deals) and have it shipped to your resort (I have done this a LOT and can tell you step by step how to do it if you want. Don't ship to Canada as the cost is exorbitant!)

For rental car savings, use mousesavers.com for discount codes. I like Alamo personally. You also get free parking at the parks if you stay on site (this is a significant daily cost if you aren't staying on site!). If you just can't justify the car, you can of course rely on Magical Express to/from the airport if you're staying on site, and then do the buses/monorail/boats.

Well, that's my thoughts! Hope it helps! Enjoy your trip!!

 

[Mummy2Sydney]

This is truly a wealth of information!! We booked tonight, 7 days at CBR!!! So totally excited and I am pleased that we got lunch with Cinderella at MK and Mickey's Chef's Still looking into the rest of the planning but this is amazing!