Making it count: Tips on saving on an extended stay WDW vacation?

[Mambo Junkie]

Most 1 BR DVC resorts sleep 5. My DGD just entered the adult world (3 years) at WDW and we no longer qualify for a 1 BR. My other DGD is 5.

 

[DoingDisney]

Couple tips I think - First remember that if you add water parks option on your ticket, if you have a water parks day it doesn't actually take any of your ticket days. Ie: So if you booked a 14 day ticket with water parks option, you could fit in 4 or 5 water parks days and that ticket would actually last 19 days.

Check on free dining ? I know the EU countries get it much more often than NA

And I would suggest a Moderate that sleeps 5 ... OR, renting points at DVC !

 

[disnut8]

I'm curious how you are getting onsite to be the same price as offsite for the same type of room/unit/size. You can get some great house or condo rentals, even timeshare rentals that would be within a resort atmosphere for so much less in many cases and some aren't much farther than some of the Disney resorts. One thing that jumps out at me is if you did stay offsite with a kitchen, you could also cook some dinners there (easy stuff) and stretch your budget along with getting to eat homemade food for a change (there is only so long I can eat restaurant food for!)

One thing to consider is the family would need a rental car that they would not need if staying onsite. Also, they would need to pay for parking each day. So if you add those costs into a resort room charge, that will greatly elevate a per night rate. For those of us in the United States, renting a car might not be a big deal but for people from other countries, the US style of driving might not be the best way to take a vacation. For anyone thinking of staying offsite, I advise them to add $20/night to their offsite rate just for the parking fee each day. So, comparing Disney resort X with Offsite resort Y, resort Y needs additional costs added in where resort X doesn't.

 

[Alesia]

One thing to consider is the family would need a rental car that they would not need if staying onsite. Also, they would need to pay for parking each day. So if you add those costs into a resort room charge, that will greatly elevate a per night rate. For those of us in the United States, renting a car might not be a big deal but for people from other countries, the US style of driving might not be the best way to take a vacation. For anyone thinking of staying offsite, I advise them to add $20/night to their offsite rate just for the parking fee each day. So, comparing Disney resort X with Offsite resort Y, resort Y needs additional costs added in where resort X doesn't.

Even adding in the cost of a rental and parking, they would still save about $100 per night staying offsite. That's not an insignificant amount of money, especially over a 3 week span.

Driving in the US isn't terribly different than driving in Norway.

 

[norjack]

I'm really not sure where you've been looking that gives you the idea that staying offsite is anywhere near the cost of staying onsite. Staying offsite can save you thousands of dollars. You can get a 3 bedroom/3 bathroom house for less than $100 per night. That's less than the cost of a tiny value room. Even when you factor in the cost of a rental car and parking it's still a huge savings.

Also having a washer and dryer is a god-send on longer trips. Considering the fact that laundry costs about $6 per load at an onsite resort, it can add up quickly. And being able to do laundry while you're sleeping is a huge plus.

It may be that I am misunderstanding something, or at least have a different opinion: In the past,yes, I would agree. If the point of our vacation would be to see wdw on a budget, then yeah...I can see lots of ways. (I'm one of those that finds lots of easy ways to have fun and save, like getting a bunch of glow bands for the kids at night.)

But here is the rising problem I see: With the introduction of mymagic+, I would say the wdw vacation has already radically changed. It is now already a 2-tier system. Stay on property? Get perks that can save a lot of time and money, thus providing a different service and experience (Gave us a huge advantage last trip. Quite a few things we may have otherwise missed.) Stay off property? While I once looked at that as a viable option, it seems like an increasingly different product, especially if Disney is the reason for your vacation.

Am I in the minority with this opinion, or do more people also see what trends I'm seeing? For Disney, in their current position, it seems to make sense: What not start making people go entirely through you, when there's so much money to be made? Which then also begs the question: where's the balance? How much is too much? And how much can they keep adding/upping prices and offering "special paid advantages" before we start reconsidering our vacation plans? Or am I not seeing something?

 

[Ensusieasm]

I would consider renting a two-bedroom at a DVC resort. When we took our first trip with my parents, the cost came to about the same as two moderate rooms rack rate. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge--Kidani Village in a standard view. We had a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. It was wonderful to pop in a load of laundry while we napped during the heat of the day. For some meals, we fixed something in the kitchen before heading back out, but we ate at plenty of table service places, too. Plus we had a great pool and got to see animals around the resort all the time! We felt like we were are able to have plenty of space. My parents could go into their "studio" part and close the door away from us. My teen slept in the living room on the hide-a-bed, and my husband, toddler and I had the king bed in the one-bedroom part. We had three bathrooms. We have another trip planned for July, and we're still renting points for DVC. We're just trying new resorts.

But the OP is used to paying for one Value Room not two Moderate rooms so a dvc one bedroom would be quite a bit more than double the OP's usual cost. A compromise would be one Moderate room that sleeps five as in Port Orleans Riverside. Larger space, Queen Beds, pool slide, hot tub, boat to Disney Springs, refrigerator, coffee maker, ceiling fan, luxurious landscaping, and more.

 

[Ensusieasm]

Ok, ok. I can hear some people now: Saving? On an extended stay (2-3 weeks) on Disney property? Is this some typical rich person 'dilemma'? Well, stay with me for a second...

My family and I love to visit WDW (fam: husband, wife, 3 small kids). We are what you may consider a typical middle class family. We have a monthly budget, and try our best to make our dollar (scratch that, Norwegian kroner) stretch as much as the next guy. The immersive, family-friendly Disney-themed environment that appeals to all of us at WDW is a rare thing...as many of you here already know.

If it were up to us, we would take a trip each year. However, due to living in Europe (Norway), this makes physically getting there a bit of a challenge. Air travel alone from Norway to Florida will typically start at around $3,800 to $4,700 for the fam of 5 roundtrip. Because of the prohibitive travel costs, as well as trying to maxamize our time (shuttle services, taking advantage of fastpass+, etc), balancing ease of use and overall expenses...So far, it has been either the same price, or actually cheaper staying on Disney property during our stay. This is only some of why we have found that staying off property a general "no go". (And, no, Disneyland Paris is not the same --size, service, pricing, overall experience...And the price of getting and staying there is equal or greater than that of WDW.)

That being said: Our goal is to get to WDW every 3 years or so. Instead of being there annually for a week, our goal is to make our stay an extended one, at 2-3 weeks. Here are a few things that came to mind for us:

-value or moderate resort (avoiding more expensive suites: cheaper rooms that house 5 people)
-take advantage of special European discounts (ie buy 1 week of park tickets, get 1 free, free quick service dining)
-using some days around the resort / Disney Springs, instead of having park tickets each day
-ordering groceries ahead of time to resort (breakfast and snacks---family eats cereal in the morning)

Travel really adds to the expenses of our getting to WDW, so we like to be there a little while when we finally get there. For a lot of foreign travellers, this is a common dilemma. Do you have any other tips on how a family can save here and there on their on-property, extended WDW vacation?

Not sure how tight your budget is, but every three years your kids are getting bigger, so I think a slight upgrade to a Moderately priced Port Orleans Riverside room that sleeps 5 fairly comfortably would be worth considering. You would get these things not available at a Value: Larger space, Queen Beds, pool slide, hot tub, boat to DisneySprings, refrigerator, coffee maker, ceiling fan, luxurious landscaping, and more. Have fun planning. I always love the planning stage!

 

[norjack]

But the OP is used to paying for one Value Room not two Moderate rooms so a dvc one bedroom would be quite a bit more than double the OP's usual cost. A compromise would be one Moderate room that sleeps five as in Port Orleans Riverside. Larger space, Queen Beds, pool slide, hot tub, boat to Disney Springs, refrigerator, coffee maker, ceiling fan, luxurious landscaping, and more.

That's the best option we have seen so far, by far. It varies between them and Carribean beach...The best Ihave ever seen was offered last September 2015, booking summer 2016. Through the UK they offered free quick service, free photopass,' free' waterpark access, buy 1 get 1 week free Park hoppers, 200 Usd in gift certificates, plus slight 5% avg room discount, plus other merchandise discounts... I was so disappointed we can't go those summer!

 

[Alesia]

It may be that I am misunderstanding something, or at least have a different opinion: In the past,yes, I would agree. If the point of our vacation would be to see wdw on a budget, then yeah...I can see lots of ways. (I'm one of those that finds lots of easy ways to have fun and save, like getting a bunch of glow bands for the kids at night.)

But here is the rising problem I see: With the introduction of mymagic+, I would say the wdw vacation has already radically changed. It is now already a 2-tier system. Stay on property? Get perks that can save a lot of time and money, thus providing a different service and experience (Gave us a huge advantage last trip. Quite a few things we may have otherwise missed.) Stay off property? While I once looked at that as a viable option, it seems like an increasingly different product, especially if Disney is the reason for your vacation.

Am I in the minority with this opinion, or do more people also see what trends I'm seeing? For Disney, in their current position, it seems to make sense: What not start making people go entirely through you, when there's so much money to be made? Which then also begs the question: where's the balance? How much is too much? And how much can they keep adding/upping prices and offering "special paid advantages" before we start reconsidering our vacation plans? Or am I not seeing something?

I think you're vastly overestimating the perks of staying onsite. I have no trouble getting any fastpasses at 30 days out. Disney transportation is handy, but it isn't worth paying an extra $3000 for. If you're willing to drive, the time between walking out of the park and walking into your house is about 30 minutes, which is certainly in line with (if not a little faster than) taking the bus to an onsite resort.

For what it's worth, I used to swear that I would never stay offsite - I even used a lot of the same rationale as you have. and then in 2014, I actually tried it. It is so much better. I can't see myself going back to staying onsite anytime soon.

 

[Ensusieasm]

That's the best option we have seen so far, by far. It varies between them and Carribean beach...The best Ihave ever seen was offered last September 2015, booking summer 2016. Through the UK they offered free quick service, free photopass,' free' waterpark access, buy 1 get 1 week free Park hoppers, 200 Usd in gift certificates, plus slight 5% avg room discount, plus other merchandise discounts... I was so disappointed we can't go those summer!

WOW, What a deal! We don't get deals like that in the US. Port Orleans Riverside is my favorite of any Disney Resort even Deluxe. Love the boat to Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs Moderates don't have the boat transportation.

 

[MissouriPrincess]

I agree with what you said about how they usually stay, but if someone is saving for a couple of years, I was just throwing out the idea. Even a one-bedroom would give more space. We stayed three nights at Port Orleans Riverside with only four people, one of them a 4-year-old, and it was pretty crowded. I wouldn't want to do 2-3 weeks without a lot of space, no kitchen, and one bathroom, not to mention no washer and dryer. But, I realize people are different from me. I just wanted people to realize that renting points can be more affordable than people think.

 

[norjack]

I think you're vastly overestimating the perks of staying onsite. I have no trouble getting any fastpasses at 30 days out. Disney transportation is handy, but it isn't worth paying an extra $3000 for. If you're willing to drive, the time between walking out of the park and walking into your house is about 30 minutes, which is certainly in line with (if not a little faster than) taking the bus to an onsite resort.

For what it's worth, I used to swear that I would never stay offsite - I even used a lot of the same rationale as you have. and then in 2014, I actually tried it. It is so much better. I can't see myself going back to staying onsite anytime soon.

Really? My impression from others was that people were finding the most popular attractions (Mine train, Anna/Elsa) very hard to find fastpasses for if you aren't staying on site. Also, the car just adds a considerable cost and potential liability .

 

[Paigevon]

We always use our snack credits to get pastries from France or a bakery then we have them for breakfast the next morning. Also, at some of the stores if you get a quick lunch they are huge so 2 people can split them (at least). I think 2 QS credits get you a whole pizza.

Sorry to hijack--would you mind letting me to know any QS you know of that are best options for sharing a meal? Thanks!

 

[norjack]

I would consider renting a two-bedroom at a DVC resort. When we took our first trip with my parents, the cost came to about the same as two moderate rooms rack rate. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge--Kidani Village in a standard view. We had a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. It was wonderful to pop in a load of laundry while we napped during the heat of the day. For some meals, we fixed something in the kitchen before heading back out, but we ate at plenty of table service places, too. Plus we had a great pool and got to see animals around the resort all the time! We felt like we were are able to have plenty of space. My parents could go into their "studio" part and close the door away from us. My teen slept in the living room on the hide-a-bed, and my husband, toddler and I had the king bed in the one-bedroom part. We had three bathrooms. We have another trip planned for July, and we're still renting points for DVC. We're just trying new resorts.

That's really cool. I have heard a lot of great things about those rooms. Can you tell me what time of year you stayed there, and how many points you used?

 

[norjack]

I have done longer stays in orlando, but not on property. I refuse to pay that much money for a motel 6 type room. We stay offsite in a townhouse cheaper than a value would cost.

Would that include Art of Animation as well?

 

[TML2012]

One thing to consider is the family would need a rental car that they would not need if staying onsite. Also, they would need to pay for parking each day. So if you add those costs into a resort room charge, that will greatly elevate a per night rate. For those of us in the United States, renting a car might not be a big deal but for people from other countries, the US style of driving might not be the best way to take a vacation. For anyone thinking of staying offsite, I advise them to add $20/night to their offsite rate just for the parking fee each day. So, comparing Disney resort X with Offsite resort Y, resort Y needs additional costs added in where resort X doesn't.

Agreed.... the offsite savings for a US traveller and a foreign traveller may not be the same. When factoring in the car rental costs, gas, parking, accident insurance etc. (plus the exchange rate 1 USD= 1.40 CAD), I didn't find any saving (if any) for our family. If we stay at POP for about $115/ night versus an off-site condo for $100/night. Yes, you would get more space and access to a kitchen but these are not really benefits for us since we spend very little time in the room and cooking is the last thing I want to do on a Disney vacation. For a European traveller the benefits of staying onsite is even more with the special ticket deals they get and the free dining offers.

 

[TML2012]

@norjack, if you are lucky and are able to get a UK free dining deal. One "savings" tip is to use some of your snack credits to purchase pre-packaged food items to give as presents to people back home rather than purchase separate souvenirs. My kids love bringing back Disney snack for their friends.

 

[norjack]

My guess is that they give Europeans/foreigners discounts because a) Travel costs and b) They know when we stay over there on property, I would guess a good amount of people go "full bore" and all out. Again, just my impression of vacationing and discussing vacations with people over here vs people in the US. In fact, while everyone over here would still like to save some money, I have always gotten the distinct impression that American are better at maximizing their purchases (ie waiting for discounts). I would guess that is because American sales (including Disney ones) generally happen at certain times on certain things, so people who want to can wait it out. (I have noticed this in my years living in the US vs Norway. Oh, how I miss sales, coupons, and businesses that allow using two or more promotional discounts at a time. I'm not sure how many more on these boards live in Norway or Scandinavia, but real sales here are much fewer and far between, and much harder to anticipate, imo. But sorry, I digress...I just find it interesting how consumers are used to different things in different cultures...

 

[larissawbb]

Just throwing this out there. You could look for a Norwegian DVC owner to rent points from. At least you would be paying in your own currency. If you subscribe to Iceland air's email list, you get access to specials.

 

[norjack]

I think you're vastly overestimating the perks of staying onsite. I have no trouble getting any fastpasses at 30 days out. Disney transportation is handy, but it isn't worth paying an extra $3000 for. If you're willing to drive, the time between walking out of the park and walking into your house is about 30 minutes, which is certainly in line with (if not a little faster than) taking the bus to an onsite resort.

For what it's worth, I used to swear that I would never stay offsite - I even used a lot of the same rationale as you have. and then in 2014, I actually tried it. It is so much better. I can't see myself going back to staying onsite anytime soon.

I like to think I can keep an open mind. So from what you have found, Fastpasses are not a problem 30 days out for any attraction? Also, which hotel(s) would you recommend looking into?