Make me a Disney budget (please)

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I'm hoping to take a quick October trip when the schools are closed for a conference. One adult, 2 11 year old boys.

Fly down early Thurs. 10/14
3 nights in a WDW hotel (maybe POP? we've never been there)
At least one day at Universal to see HP plus we'll need transportation there.
Food is important, we all like to eat (so no "have the kids split a kids meal"), but we're cheap about souvenirs.

After airfare I'll have about $2,000 to play with -- that seems fine right? So help me figure out what's a good budget for this trip.

 

[mnrose]

How locked in are you to staying on site? You might do better renting a condo close by for 4 nights. The reason I say that is if you truly want to do Universal, you almost certainly would want a rental car. Just makes getting around easier. I would think with priceline done at the last minute, a rental car would cost around $120-150, including all taxes and fees. Condo at Windsor Hills would run you $500 or less for your nights (and that high only because you aren't staying a week, so you pay cleaning fees). Here's an example (I only did a down and dirty quick search).

http://www.vrbo.com/189225

Park tickets. I assume you are spending three days Disney, and one day Universal. Undercover tourist prices for these (magic your way, not hoppers) would be (per person). $240 for Disney and 84.50 for Universal. Tickets would be $975 or so for three. You would do much better in overall cost to go to Disney for the 4th day, rather than Universal....the cost for a 4 day MYW Disney ticket is exactly the same! If you skipped Universal, you'd save $250. Huge. But, if your sons are determined to do HP, then you should just do it.

Now, your total is at $1600. Leaving you $400 for food...or $100 a day. Doable, particularly if you stay off site and can do some minimal cooking...such as cereal/toast for breakfast.

A quick pricing of Disney value resorts shows a rate of around $1450 (for one room, tickets for three people, transportation to and from the airport). If you add Universal on to that, you quickly get to more than off site, plus you have to get there and back. And, since it's a hotel room, you are completely locked into Disney food.

Another idea would be to enroll your kids in the YES program being offered on October 16.
http://www.disneyyouth.com/individual-enrollment/wdw/ocean-discovery/?id=24541

You'd save a FORTUNE in tickets because a 3 day MYW ticket as purchased through this program would be $126 per ticket. It's an amazing deal. Assuming you do this (and why wouldn't you? Seriously....your kids get a learning experience, and you save over $100 a ticket). You are the "chaperone" so you also get that great price. There are a couple of program options for that time period, so if the ocean one doesn't appeal, I'm sure one of the others would.

HTH

 

[brymolmom]

If budget is at all a concern - I would not stay on WDW site - since you have to pay for transportation to Universal - it will likely (for such a quick trip) end up only slightly more expensive to rent a vehicle. And then you can stay offsite. PLUS - you can buy groceries for breakfasts in your room.

You didn't say how many days you want to/can visit WDW parks - for a family of 4 adults for 2 day tickets it will be - $650. Then for one day at Universal - not sure how much those are...maybe $75 each?? - that's another $300. So you're over $1000 just for tickets. Consider $150 for a small car, $30 for gas, $50/night for an off site hotel, $35 per day for one counter service meal, and $120 for one sit-down meal, another $40 per day for the 2 days without the sit down meal - I'm getting near $1600 total for all of this.

I think it would be do-able with $2000....Now if you're planning WDW parks for 3 days - add in another $60 per person for that extra day - so that's $240 more. AND if you want to stay on-site I'd add in about $100 more for accomodations. You're still close to that even with these though. But if you stay on site and no one will want to split meals - I'd add in some more money for breakfast costs.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I guess I'm not understanding how the offsite thing would work from a financial point of view.

If I stay off site, I'd be out $150 for the car, $60 for parking, and the cost of a tankful of gas, which I'll estimate at $40. In total, that's $250. I'd save the cost of the taxi to Universal -- let's say $40 each way with tip. Put it all together and I'd have to save $170 on the room to make it even. The quote I got for room only, before looking into discounts, was $379. Can I really find something decent for $209 for 3 nights? Or rather for enough less than $209 to justify the hassle of driving/parking, and the loss of other "onsite" benefits? I'm a skeptic.

Here's what I'm thinking is Thursday, DTD and MNSHHP, Friday HP and IOA, Saturday let the boys pick between another Disney park, more MK, and US or IOA, Sunday Disney Quest.

So the prices would be either: (This is 2 days at US)

Airfare: (taken care of)
Hotel: Total:$379
Tickets: Total: $651.54 (1 day MNSSHP ($172.38), 1 day DQ ($134.19) 2 Days Universal ($344.97))
Transportation: Total:$160 (DME (free!), Taxi WDW to US ($40 x 4)
Souvenirs: $100 (give each boy $50 to spend)

That leaves us $710 for food and incidentals.

OR

Airfare: (taken care of)
Hotel: Total:$379
Tickets: Total: $752.79 (1 day MNSSHP ($172.38), 1 day WDW plus Waterparks and More for 2 ($289.68 one boy has a 1 day ticket left over from a previous trip) 1 boy just DQ ($44.73) 1 Day Universal ($246))
Transportation: Total:$80 (DME (free!), Taxi WDW to US ($40 x 2)
Souvenirs: $100 (give each boy $50 to spend)

Leaves us $688.21 for food and incidentals.

The two options are amazingly close.

Now, any codes or ways to bring that down? Anyone have a better idea?

 

[ShariVT]

Stay at a value with 2 days of disney tickets and the dinning plan is 1201.84 that leaves about the universal tickets and transportantion and souvenirs. So that makes it about 1600 less is you only buy 1 day of tickets and go to the halloween party or if you switch the dinning plan to quick service.

 

[barmybella]

You can save a huge amount on transportation by using the Mears Shuttle to Universal. Its really easy to arrange and costs only £19 round trip per adult (less for a child). All you have to do is call them 24 hours before travel and choose a pick up time and then 2 hours before you're ready to leave the park call again and they'll come pick you up. You'll save lots of $$$ doing this

Have a great trip xx

 

[momto4obkids]

If you go on the disney website under special offers and click on the 25% off rooms then you can get POP for $283 for 3 nights instead of $379.

hth,
Amanda

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

If you go on the disney website under special offers and click on the 25% off rooms then you can get POP for $283 for 3 nights instead of $379.

hth,
Amanda

Wow thanks! That's a lot of money to save!

 

[robinb]

Sheraton Vistana Villages is running a $199 for 3 nights special in a 1BR villa: http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/Sheraton/Villages/svv-res.cfm . That comes out to $225 for the whole 3 days including tax for a 1BR which includes a kitchen for breakfast and other meals.

I punched your dates into Car Savers: http://www.carrentalsavers.com/index.html and came up with an intermediate car for $117 including taxes.

So, for $345 you have your room and your transportation taken care of. Since you'll have your own car you will be able to eat places that are cheaper than Disney or Universal like Golden Corral or CiCi's Pizza.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

You're a Disney budget!