Most Affordable Way to Book a Vacation?

[dale001]

Group of four of us will soon begin planning for an early January Orlando Disney vacation: 4 days (4 nights), and we just want to hit the Disney parks and stay on or very near Disney property this time. We will need a suite or something similar to a suite.

What is the most affordable way to secure the airfare, hotel, park tickets, and dinner plan (I’m assuming the dinner plan is worth it)?

Is going through the Disney main web page the most affordable route ($$$) to get it by a package?

 

[eliza61]

Group of four of us will soon begin planning for an early January Orlando Disney vacation: 4 days (4 nights), and we just want to hit the Disney parks and stay on or very near Disney property this time. We will need a suite or something similar to a suite.

What is the most affordable way to secure the airfare, hotel, park tickets, and dinner plan (I’m assuming the dinner plan is worth it)?

Is going through the Disney main web page the most affordable route ($$$) to get it by a package?

Generally if you want a package you will be required to stay onsite.

You're going to have to crunch the number. What's important to you may not be important to me.

If you need a suite, offsite is always a better choice IMO but that will require a car. We've stayed in suites offsite and even with daily parking fees we generally stay 100 bucks a night cheaper than we could at disney (I'm comparing them to the deluxe villas, not allstar family suites which we don't like).


Airfare is another thing that is almost always cheaper if you book yourself. Sign up for kayak and Southwest ding fares and track fares to Orlando for a while.

Also check out motor clubs like AAA. They always have discounted packages.
Sorry Dale but you're going to have to do a bit of fact finding. There are so many variables.

You've got to play with the numbers that fit your family's vacation style.

 

[Princesca]

Price the vaca out on the Disney website and through AAA. At this point, I don't think I'd bother with the Disney travel agents... they've never quoted me any price that's any better than the Disney website. In addition, some people have said that if you create and save a vacation on the Disney website, but don't book it, you could get sent a PIN for a discount.

The dining plan is not worth it, to us, unless it's free. For example, on the quick service plan, you get a snack and two counter service meals every day. If you use them at lunch or dinner, that includes an entree, drink, and dessert. In order to make the most of our plan, my DH and I would have to have a drink at each meal (we don't drink soda), and eat dessert twice a day, in addition to having a snack in the park. We are one dessert a day people, at best. If it's free, I'm sure we can rise to the occasion, but otherwise, we'd do better on our own.

Just explore, check out some menus online, and price it out. If you're looking to go dirt cheap and stay on site, you're looking (probably) at one of the Value resorts, bringing continental breakfast items like fruit and danishes to have in your room, and sticking to the more economical park eating options.

Also... at least at the Values, it seems to be cheaper to get two connecting rooms than to get a suite, but then, of course, you don't get the kitchenette.

 

[dale001]

Thank you for the tips.

In the past, we always got a suite at Floridays---a nice place BTW--and a free shuttle always took us to the parks, 12 minutes away.

However, this time we want to get the tickets included, dinner plan included, and be a bit closer (if not ON the property).

Let me stress, Floridays is awesome, and I wouldn't mind going back a third time to that resort, but for the reasons mentioned above, it's time to change it up a bit and hopefully get a good deal on tickets too--all at ONE time.

 

[Princesca]

Well, as a PP said, if the dining plan is a must for you, you HAVE to stay at a Disney hotel. If you're hoping to get the dining plan free, you will have to pay rack rate for your room.

If there's no free dining when you're going, but you're going to pay OOP for your dining plan, I would recommend looking at booking your room through AAA and getting your tickets from Undercover Tourist. If you sign up for the MouseSavers newsletter, you can get a link to UT that reduces the prices even further. My understanding is that if you book a room through AAA and Disney releases some sort of discount, you can usually get it applied to your reservation, if there is remaining capacity left on the deal.

 

[dale001]

Thank you; I think where we got burnt before was, while we got an excellent deal on airfare and a suite at Floriday's via Expedia, the hopper tickets where purchased at the gate, and I was wondering if the tickets are that much less $$$ when booked all at once via Disney's web site or as you suggest, possibly with AAA.

I now got my answers and thanks for the replies.

 

[Princesca]

Don't forget to check Undercover Tourist for tix. They may well be cheaper than AAA. If you go to MouseSavers.com, and sign up for their newsletter, there will be a link in the next one that will get you even better rates at Undercover Tourist. They're a highly-regarded company, with excellent customer service, so I've heard.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Well, as a PP said, if the dining plan is a must for you, you HAVE to stay at a Disney hotel. If you're hoping to get the dining plan free, you will have to pay rack rate for your room.

If there's no free dining when you're going, but you're going to pay OOP for your dining plan, I would recommend looking at booking your room through AAA and getting your tickets from Undercover Tourist. If you sign up for the MouseSavers newsletter, you can get a link to UT that reduces the prices even further. My understanding is that if you book a room through AAA and Disney releases some sort of discount, you can usually get it applied to your reservation, if there is remaining capacity left on the deal.

If OP buys tickets from UCT, then it's considered a room-only reservation and can't buy DP. Doesn't the res have to be considered a package (room + tickets) to buy DP?

 

[bigbabyblues]

If OP buys tickets from UCT, then it's considered a room-only reservation and can't buy DP. Doesn't the res have to be considered a package (room + tickets) to buy DP?

Yes, you can only add the Disney Dining Plans to a package that includes room & tickets.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Group of four of us will soon begin planning for an early January Orlando Disney vacation: 4 days (4 nights), and we just want to hit the Disney parks and stay on or very near Disney property this time. We will need a suite or something similar to a suite.

What is the most affordable way to secure the airfare, hotel, park tickets, and dinner plan (I’m assuming the dinner plan is worth it)?

Is going through the Disney main web page the most affordable route ($$$) to get it by a package?

Buying a package through Disney's website is certainly the easiest, most convenient way to book. You simply enter your dates, select a resort & what type of ticket you want (# of days, hopping or not, exp or not, etc.)
It's not necessarily the least expensive way to do it. Also prices vary a LOT depending on what resort you stay at. From $400-4000 and up. Sky's the limit you know.
Your airport transfers are free from Disney then.
If you want more space than a hotel room and don't mind staying offsite & renting a car, there are lots of condo type places (such as Floridays) that will give you much more space and comforts of home which appeal to many (fridge, w/d, multiple bathrooms & tvs,etc.)

If you look on the Orlando boards, there is a resort called Wyndam Bonnet Creek that is right next to CBR, surrounded on 3 sides by Disney property though technically it's not owned by Disney so it's still off-site. People have posted getting very reasonable rates for condos and the place is just beautiful. Huge awesome pools, lazy river, granite counter tops, full kitchen, jacuzzi, etc.
There is a whole thread on the Orlando board dedicated to Bonnet Creek. Check it out.
If you go with an off site resort, or end up getting a room-only res onsite then def buy tickets through UCT using the link from a mousesavers newsletter. They are def cheaper than buying through Disney and tix are legit. We bought our last tickets from them and would do so again.

 

[dale001]

Thanks so much for the tips and info. Appreciate it.

I do love Floridays, but want to change-up this next time.

And just to clear-up, perhaps, a misconception. We have been to Floridays a couple of times without a rental car (you don't need one):

The resort is a short walk to a big grocery store and it has free shuttle service to the parks, including Universal studios too.

 

[Princesca]

If OP buys tickets from UCT, then it's considered a room-only reservation and can't buy DP. Doesn't the res have to be considered a package (room + tickets) to buy DP?

Yes, that's why I said if there's no free dining that it wasn't worth it in my opinion. But I should have gone on to say that my plan is to hold off buying the tix so I can book everything BUT that. My understanding is that if you book through AAA, for example, that you can get discounts applied, still, after the fact. So my tentative plan at this point is to book my room through AAA (probably) for their discount and perks, and wait to buy my tickets 'til closer to time. Then if a good promo comes up where I have to pay rack rate and buy the package, I'll just have them change my booking. I don't plan on buying my actual park tix until probably 1.5 months before the trip.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yes, that's why I said if there's no free dining that it wasn't worth it in my opinion. But I should have gone on to say that my plan is to hold off buying the tix so I can book everything BUT that. My understanding is that if you book through AAA, for example, that you can get discounts applied, still, after the fact. So my tentative plan at this point is to book my room through AAA (probably) for their discount and perks, and wait to buy my tickets 'til closer to time. Then if a good promo comes up where I have to pay rack rate and buy the package, I'll just have them change my booking. I don't plan on buying my actual park tix until probably 1.5 months before the trip.

I understand but I thought the OP was considering just buying the DP, not necessarily waiting for free dining, and was asking if it's a good value.

Thanks so much for the tips and info. Appreciate it.

I do love Floridays, but want to change-up this next time.

And just to clear-up, perhaps, a misconception. We have been to Floridays a couple of times without a rental car (you don't need one):

The resort is a short walk to a big grocery store and it has free shuttle service to the parks, including Universal studios too.

How do you get to Floridays from MCO? Usually by the time you pay for car service, it's close in price to a car rental. When we stay off site, we like the freedom to come and go that a rental car allows.

 

[dale001]

they offer bus shuttle rather cheaply, but we knew someone and saved $.

When I go on vacation to DW, I try not to drive because i do enough of it when i'm not on vacation, and it just adds stress (and i like being serviced during my down time). For me, a few extra bucks to/fro airport is worth it--but as i said, we knew someone the last time we went to DW, and it didn't cost us much $.

But yes, many resorts take you right to the parks, of course, and a select few even have free transportation to/from airport.