More for Less: A Theme Park Planning Strategy

[MrInfinity]

You've pre-loaded your narrative with non negotiable "experiences". You didn't provide cost details, you provided emotional justification.

3x TS restaurant: $200ea. CRT & Luau: $270. Poly: $330/nt, x7. LLH: $329/nt, x2. Dolphin: $0/nt, x2. BB: Free. DQ: Free.

Subtract 7% from all above except LLH for Target/DVA.

Tickets: 7 day non-hopper, at 10% off Disney list TA discount, then 7% off the 10% off. All FP+ at 60 days. EMH heavily utilized.

We will not go back w/in a year, so buying AP or TIW not applicable.

You said you "could save that dude some money" or whatever. A) you could pick off-site experiences that are cheaper. Or B) you can save us some money. Or C) you misspoke.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

3x TS restaurant: $200ea. CRT & Luau: $270. Poly: $330/nt, x7. LLH: $329/nt, x2. Dolphin: $0/nt, x2. BB: Free. DQ: Free.

Subtract 7% from all above except LLH for Target/DVA.

Tickets: 7 day non-hopper, at 10% off Disney list TA discount, then 7% off the 10% off. All FP+ at 60 days. EMH heavily utilized.

We will not go back w/in a year, so buying AP or TIW not applicable.

You said you "could save that dude some money" or whatever. A) you could pick off-site experiences that are cheaper. Or B) you can save us some money. Or C) you misspoke.

Already had this discussion with Travis a couple pages back.

He is essentially opting to spend as close to no money in the Disney parks as possible. All food is essentially off site.

This is a common budget tip, but Travis feels such ideas are new concepts and for some it will be.

That said, I did note that some desire the on site experience. In doing so, one has to reconcile that it will be more expensive by nature.

I don't think Travis is interested in on site savings because Travis is trying to save even more money than those savings would provide.

He is doing a Central Florida trip, that cannot be denied, nor has he denied it.

But bottom line-you, too, can save a lot of money, but it has to be balanced against letting some things to on site. And to be fair, as I said before--sometimes, that isn't the purpose of the vacation.

For us--and the number in our family, once we reach a Certain number (varies per length of trip) of TS meals, we can then justify DDP. We do the whole spreadsheet thing when we are considering it.

And I don't want to pretend I am on Team Travis--but this is a Central Florida trip, so savings of the magnitude he sees them are unlikely to be realized on a Disney immersion experience.

Sometimes on the budget board, folks are seeking savings tips for on site...and when you suggest basic breakfast in their room and maybe sandwiches "from home" for lunch and dinner--they freak. Or when you suggest not getting full Hot breakfast every morning even at CS, they cannot do that because some member of their party needs their eggs, bacon, pancakes, and coffee every single morning... There just aren't tips to save if they are insisting they must spend the money.

Our on site immersion tips for saving money-- breakfast in room, bring our own snacks, limit to CS for lunch and dinner. We will share food as desired. Limit drink purchases. Don't do dessert with every meal. We avoid character meals unless a birthday request on a vacation. And we limit TS on vacation. We also bought DVC to control our own vacation and stay at the level we like on site (for a fraction of the cost) and now get a 2BR with kitchen.

But--the protest are : we must have a TS every day, we won't cook on vacation, no maid service no way!, etc.

So there are many ways to save or not save based upon what is important for that trip. And sometimes it is fun to splurge and not worry.

LT has decided to ride as many rides as they can at as many attractions as possible and minimize his on-site Disney investment. I would have to go back and read to see of he is equally limiting his spending at US/IOA. (We find all theme park food to be somewhat priced comparably.) Off site dining has become his priority to save.

And all of that is okay! I just take great pleasure that LT is able to utilize FP+ to greatly maximize what he can accomplish even at odd hours where the prospect of a legacy FP would have been nil or at a minimum not guaranteed. So this trip is possible (based on how I am reading his itinerary) in part because of FP+.

 

[wisblue]

I've got a SunPass. And I agree with you about Rosen - I'm not a big fan of it either. It just happened to play into this trip because I'm being comped as a speaker for a convention.

You've mentioned this convention a couple of times, but it isn't coming up in any of your daily plans. Where does that fit in? Or is this agenda just something you theoretically could do, not what you actually will be doing on those days?

 

[SeilerBird]

6pm - 7pm: FP Toy Story Mania, head to Rockin' Roller Coaster for single rider line
7pm - 7pm: There's a reason they sell beer outside of RnRC
7pm - 8pm: FP Tower of Terror

Thanks for the heads up. I will NOT be sitting in front of you on ToT.

 

[SeilerBird]

LT has decided to ride as many rides as they can at as many attractions as possible and minimize his on-site Disney investment. I would have to go back and read to see of he is equally limiting his spending at US/IOA. (We find all theme park food to be somewhat priced comparably.) Off site dining has become his priority to save.

I eat at WDW counter service restaurants and usually have a childs meal. Only $6 and it includes a drink. More than enough food to satisfy me and just as cheap as any off site restaurant. And I don't have to go off site to get it which tends to waste a lot of time.

 

[Laketravis]

You've mentioned this convention a couple of times, but it isn't coming up in any of your daily plans. Where does that fit in? Or is this agenda just something you theoretically could do, not what you actually will be doing on those days?

....In fact, I'll also be there from the 6th thru the 21st so I can even be present to witness!

This will be a 7 day plan that will utilize park choice, FP+ availability, high crowd days, and additional off-site options to increase vacation yield.

 

[Laketravis]

Yeah, I hear you. But we're talking spring break now.

What attraction are you waiting 45-60 minutes for and why? I guess that's my question. There's just no reason to do that.

I'll be there 3/12-3/19 and plan to not wait in a single line.

Are we talking about the same parks? How are you not going to wait in a single line at WDW during Spring Break?


.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I eat at WDW counter service restaurants and usually have a childs meal. Only $6 and it includes a drink. More than enough food to satisfy me and just as cheap as any off site restaurant. And I don't have to go off site to get it which tends to waste a lot of time.

That is a good tip. Sometimes it would work for me and sometimes not.

I recall way yonder back in 1992, my family stated concierge at Poly. So us kids had our "free" breakfast. For lunch, the old a as at Fiesta fun center had this awesome kids meal that was cheap and a lot of food. Rule in our family was that if we weren't with the parents at meal time, we paid our own way from spending money. When we discovered this place, we hit it up daily.

You are right, there are ways to save money on site. I was just calling attention to the fact that it is often discussed on the budget boards and that savings all depends on what people are willing to do to save that money.

 

[Laketravis]

You are right, there are ways to save money on site. I was just calling attention to the fact that it is often discussed on the budget boards and that savings all depends on what people are willing to do to save that money.

The savings are secondary to me. WDW is inarguably the busiest venue in Orlando and by most accounts is getting busier. Being able to schedule three primary activities in advance, contiguously, and grouped around other non-FP'd attractions like parades and fireworks and short SB opportunity contributes greatly to being able to pre-plan the rest of the day at other less-crowded venues, which then contributes to broader opportunities outside WDW. A snowball effect. Being totally immersed is fine, but it's also possible elsewhere.

 

[wisblue]

So, what you're saying is that the conference is during the second week of your trip?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The savings are secondary to me. WDW is inarguably the busiest venue in Orlando and by most accounts is getting busier. Being able to schedule three primary activities in advance, contiguously, and grouped around other non-FP'd attractions like parades and fireworks and short SB opportunity contributes greatly to being able to pre-plan the rest of the day at other less-crowded venues, which then contributes to broader opportunities outside WDW. A snowball effect. Being totally immersed is fine, but it's also possible elsewhere.

Agreed.

But a lot will depend on what kind of immersion you would like.

Oh, side note--Celebrity Apprentice final task is to created a 90 second marketing video for Universal/IOA. Finale airs next Monday night. Thought you might be interested. One day, I plan to stay onsite there. But I would want the FOTL access. So that is the pricier hotels and a minimum of two rooms. When when the short people are taller.

Back on topic--we are local-- so I hear you on there is more to do in Orlando outside from Disney. When my British relatives come, they do a bunch of things all over the state--sometimes adding a cruise, even.

But sometimes, folks don't want that. And that is okay.

 

[WillAustin]

Price of a condo + resort fee + tax + Rental + Gas + Tolls + Cape Canaveral + Uni passes

If it were me, I'd be comparing that to my previous stays, always deluxe, and dining exclusively on property. That easily surpasses $1000 per day just for hotel and food (family of 5) so our personal savings would be enormous. Staying and eating offsite we'd have quite a bit of money left over to redirect. And yes, we could have done that before, but exploring additional options outside of WDW makes more sense with the way things are set up now. We never would have considered anything else but deluxe/on-property before. Universal was a separate trip entirely.

Comparing prices of a value stay and quick service meals doesn't work for me. We'd never do that, on-site or not.

 

[SeilerBird]

3pm: Early dinner at Lighthouse Lobster Feast. I've seen mixed reviews on this place but I love seafood and you'd have to screw up unlimited lobster and crab before I'm disappointed.

I had not heard of this restaurant so I decided to check it out. I used to do a lot of scuba diving in California and I have caught and eating tons of real lobster. I went to their web site and saw the photo of the "lobsters" that are included in the buffet. Those might technically be lobsters but they are more along the lines of crayfish about the size of your finger. Still tasty if you put enough butter and salt on it. A real lobster meal costs as much as their buffet costs. They don't offer lobster on the a la Carte menu either. So put the vision of a real lobster with a large claw out of your mind if it is there.

I suggest going to Boggy Creek Resort restaurant on Friday night for their seafood buffet. No lobster or crayfish but plenty of everything else and only $16.95.

http://www.boggycreekresortandrvpark.com/index.php/park-amenities/restaurant-and-bar.html

 

[larryz]

To be fair, you cannot really replicate certain experiences off site.

Example: I wanted BOG. There is no comparable off site experience.

Nor is there with character dining. I realize some off site hotels have them. We did not care for them the times we tried.

Aye, there's the rub. Some people go into food venues to eat. Some people go into food venues for an "experience." Disney offers both on site. Off-site venues also offer "experiences" (Medieval Times, Pirate's Dinner Adventure).

For what you pay for a character dining experience, you could also enjoy a renaissance faire meal, or an evening with lusty pirates.

Now you have to decide -- which is the better value, and what was your original intent?

Were you hungry for dinner, or were you hungry for adventure?

 

[larryz]

Note, I budget $100/day in food for two adults. ...Either way, you can see our average for two adults was $60/day in food.

I usually budget $40 per day per person for food. DDP doesn't work for us, either, and I know this through experience. Our last foray on DDP was 2010, and the changes made since then have made it an even worse fit.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Aye, there's the rub. Some people go into food venues to eat. Some people go into food venues for an "experience." Disney offers both on site. Off-site venues also offer "experiences" (Medieval Times, Pirate's Dinner Adventure).

For what you pay for a character dining experience, you could also enjoy a renaissance faire meal, or an evening with lusty pirates.

Now you have to decide -- which is the better value, and what was your original intent?

Were you hungry for dinner, or were you hungry for adventure?

It all depends.

We have done the dinner shows once with no desire to repeat. Fun when we did them, but not something we would do repeatedly and without a sale.

That said, they have nothing on Disney property that remotely represents the calibre of those productions in dinner theater format. And if they did, it would surely cost 2-3x as much.

ETA: and by experiences--when we wanted to eat in Cinderella's castle, that specific experience cannot be replicated. If I am looking for a good burger, well--there most definitely off site places that would be as good if not better than on site. But if we want Sci-fi for the experience, to doesn't exist off site and a Pirate show or medieval show is not an adequate substitute as the theming is quite different.

 

[Cormoran]

I budget $60 per day, for both food and cocktails and usually have money leftover. We have gone at free dining and had the DDP once. It was just too much food! On top of that, the food at Disney IMO is mediocre at best.

 

[MrInfinity]

He is essentially opting to spend as close to no money in the Disney parks as possible. All food is essentially off site.

This is a common budget tip, but Travis feels such ideas are new concepts and for some it will be.

That said, I did note that some desire the on site experience. In doing so, one has to reconcile that it will be more expensive by nature.

I don't think Travis is interested in on site savings because Travis is trying to save even more money than those savings would provide.

He is doing a Central Florida trip, that cannot be denied, nor has he denied it.

But bottom line-you, too, can save a lot of money, but it has to be balanced against letting some things to on site. And to be fair, as I said before--sometimes, that isn't the purpose of the vacation.

For us--and the number in our family, once we reach a Certain number (varies per length of trip) of TS meals, we can then justify DDP. We do the whole spreadsheet thing when we are considering it.

And I don't want to pretend I am on Team Travis--but this is a Central Florida trip, so savings of the magnitude he sees them are unlikely to be realized on a Disney immersion experience.

Sometimes on the budget board, folks are seeking savings tips for on site...and when you suggest basic breakfast in their room and maybe sandwiches "from home" for lunch and dinner--they freak. Or when you suggest not getting full Hot breakfast every morning even at CS, they cannot do that because some member of their party needs their eggs, bacon, pancakes, and coffee every single morning... There just aren't tips to save if they are insisting they must spend the money.

Our on site immersion tips for saving money-- breakfast in room, bring our own snacks, limit to CS for lunch and dinner. We will share food as desired. Limit drink purchases. Don't do dessert with every meal. We avoid character meals unless a birthday request on a vacation. And we limit TS on vacation. We also bought DVC to control our own vacation and stay at the level we like on site (for a fraction of the cost) and now get a 2BR with kitchen.

But--the protest are : we must have a TS every day, we won't cook on vacation, no maid service no way!, etc.

So there are many ways to save or not save based upon what is important for that trip. And sometimes it is fun to splurge and not worry.

LT has decided to ride as many rides as they can at as many attractions as possible and minimize his on-site Disney investment. I would have to go back and read to see of he is equally limiting his spending at US/IOA. (We find all theme park food to be somewhat priced comparably.) Off site dining has become his priority to save.

And all of that is okay! I just take great pleasure that LT is able to utilize FP+ to greatly maximize what he can accomplish even at odd hours where the prospect of a legacy FP would have been nil or at a minimum not guaranteed. So this trip is possible (based on how I am reading his itinerary) in part because of FP+.

These things are all pretty reasonable, Lisa. And I love your examples. But his premise was how to do more while paying less and he would accomplish this by staying offsite. His typical onsite stay has been CSR for a week. So can he, by staying at Rosen, do Disney, Universal, Cape Canaveral, and whatever else he wants to plan in, plus eat out the entire time, for less. I just don't see it. The cost of his hotel + resort fee + tax + car rental + Universal tickets + Cape Canaveral + dining he's spelled out already exceeds the cost of just staying on property and getting the QSDP.

So... if he was to call this thread: Central Florida - a strategy for the guest who wants to do more than just Disney. Or... A strategy: For a little more than the cost of a Disney World vacation, one can see much of Central Florida.

Anything like that would be reasonable. But his premise was to do more -- for less. If you're going to say that, you should be able to show the for less part. Or just delete the "for less" from your theory if you don't intend to show the savings.

I even asked Lake along the lines of... So did you really mean you were going to do this for less, or is it more like it'll cost a bit more, you're just tolerant of paying more to do other things because it's not paid to Disney?

 

[johde]

The savings are secondary to me. WDW is inarguably the busiest venue in Orlando and by most accounts is getting busier. Being able to schedule three primary activities in advance, contiguously, and grouped around other non-FP'd attractions like parades and fireworks and short SB opportunity contributes greatly to being able to pre-plan the rest of the day at other less-crowded venues, which then contributes to broader opportunities outside WDW. A snowball effect. Being totally immersed is fine, but it's also possible elsewhere.

I agree in many ways there are 3 issues being "tested" that snowball off one another. But, in many ways it's contingent on wanting to do Disney combined with many other things in Central Florida.

1. Are you better off planning "all Disney days" and then planning "non Disney days". Or, because of FP+ should you plan non-Disney events every day combined with Disney Events Every day. On Undercover Tourist, a 10 day base ticket is slightly cheaper than a 4 day park hopper ticket. At Universal, Upgrading a 2 day Park to Park ticket to a Power Pass is $18. So, Once you've decided to do both, the cost difference is almost a wash. The question becomes, is it more valuable to get the extra prebooked FP+ at the expense of extra travel time. For many of us, this is the most interesting and the "newest" item being tested.

2. Once you've decided to travel between Disney and somewhere else each day, does it make sense to use that time save some money and eat your main meal offsite. LakeTravis is taking it the extra step and trying to eat no meals onsite. But, that is a continuum each individual can decide on.

3. The final one would be staying onsite vs. offsite. There are cases to be made for onsite Disney vs. onsite Universal vs. Offsite. But, once you break that "bubble mentality" perspectives change. It's not about being immersed in Disney or Universal 24/7. The Disney or Universal perks: EMH, Themeing, Early FP+ Booking/Express Passes need to stand on their own merits and cost separate from the bubble.

 

[cakebaker]

...So... if he was to call this thread: Central Florida - a strategy for the guest who wants to do more than just Disney. Or... A strategy: For a little more than the cost of a Disney World vacation, one can see much of Central Florida...

Exactly right.

I'd post my trip details and see where he could save me money- but he can't and still give us what we think is a great vacation. I don't want a cheap vacation doing "something". I want a WDW vacation for as little as I can spend and still have a great time.

My resort is already as discounted as it's going to get. We aren't doing any sit down dining and what ts dining we will do is paid for thru rewards we earn on our Disney Visa's- as well as any optional spending we'll do. We visit often by most standards and long ago stopped spending on trinkets and souvenirs. A strategically purchased balloon or cupcake (our meltdown cures) is about all we do and again, paid for by rewards dollars. We basically spend nothing once the tickets and room and driving expenses are paid for and there is no way to save anymore on that than we already are saving. So, we're already spending $0 inside the parks every day and we're getting what we want, not replacing it with something cheaper.