Need help from all tight-budget parents!

[DDreamer]

Ok-I'm just starting to plan our next trip to DW. This will be the second time for our twins (now 10). We went when they were 6. And the first time for our now 2 1/2 yr. old. Last time we went with my parents so we didn't really have to do any planning. They wanted to stay at Old Key West Resort, so that's what we did. So now, before I do any research I'd like some advice from all you veterans!

So, we're a family of 5 from NH. Would probably rather fly, because of the time involved, but will probably drive because of finances. Am I crazy to try and attempt to drive with a toddler?
Also, can't decide when to go. I would like to go this spring, but I know prices and crowds are better in the fall. Is it really that big of a difference in price? Do you think it's worth it to wait until fall? We went in Sept. before and love it-hardly any crowds.

Where to stay? I was thinking All Star, but then realized we would need 2 rooms since we have 5 people. This is definately a tight budget trip, any suggestions. I'd love to stay anywhere on property. What are some good options for a family of 5. Would really love to stay at Fort Wilderness, but think it's too expensive.

Please, everyone, just throw me out some ideas on what you did if you traveled with kids. Do I drive, do I fly? Where do I stay? SO MANY CHOICES!

Thanks
Becky

 

[tymegjus3]

Hi Becky! We are also a family of 5 from NH that have twins (they are 7). We are flying from Manchester to Orlando for $952.50 in November. We are actually pulling the kids out of school to go. When are you going?

 

[Cindy B]

We've driven evyer trip we have gone with the kids. We started the trips in 1999, when my DD was a few months over 2 years old, and my son was four !

Its actually a pretty decent drive We are in the Philadelphia PA area if that is helpful

 

[worm761]

i am not 100% sure but i think you can technically fit your family into an all star resort. i believe it is 4 and one in a crib. you may want to call and ask. if not the you would fit into some of the moderates. also, have you looked at the downtown disney resorts? those might also be an option.

 

[njdizneygal]

Have you checked out Mousesavers.com??? They have alot of money saving advice.

 

[antkim]

Well first off I would definitely go during their value season. I'm not sure of the exact dates but I do know that it starts in November and runs through I believe the 2nd week of Feb.-except for the holiday week, of course. You can get the exact dates from mousesavers.com or disneyworld.com. Also, Port Orleans(moderate resort) offers some accomodations that have a trundle bed so that a family of five can fit. The other thing to consider is 2 rooms at the All Star resorts. With the codes that have come out in the past you can sometimes get that resort for as little as 49-59 dollars a night at that time of year. ASMovies doesn't always offer this discount as it is the most popular of the resorts. Christmas time is a wonderful time to visit because of all the decorations, extra events, not to mention the fact that there is virtually NO crowds. Plan on spending a little less times in the parks and enjoy the resorts a bit more. We alwyas take a few days off from the parks to enjoy the resort and to tour other resorts especially during the Christmas season-the decorations are just breathtaking.

 

[antkim]

I had to end my last post quickly because my computer was shutting down! Like someone else said mousesavers.com is a great way of getting some money saving tips. If you are not already signed up for their newsletter do so. You can get some great deals on park passes-ones that Disney does not offer. We can usually get by on our trips with a 3 days hopper plus pass. That gives us 3 days in the parks, 1 day at a water park(weather permitting) and we usually buy the seperate ticket for MVMCP so that gives us more time in MK. As far as flying versus driving Southwest usually offers some good fares that time of year. For a family of 5 you could probably fly for under 1000.00, if that fits in your budget. I know it's alot of money!! Start making payments now on your hotel so that by the time your trip comes you have one less thing to worry about paying for! Also buy your park passes in advance. A little bit here and there really takes the edge off such a vacation!! I could go on and on. PM me if you'd like!
Kim

 

[DDreamer]

Thanks for the tips everyone! Keep them coming. I'm writing everything down so I don't forget. I'm such a planner when it comes to these things. I will definately check out mousesavers.com. When I do book, where is the best place? With Disney directly? Thanks

Becky

 

[cali2gagirl]

I think you will fit into All Stars fine... add a crib, or make a pallet on the floor. My 2 yr old slept with us anyways. You won't spend THAT much time in the room, but it's worth it to have more money to do the other things.
Now...I didn't drive as far as you did with my DD7 and DD2..but we drove around 600 miles 1 way..and my kids were FINE! I got them little surprises to open on the way, Disney Tunes..and a vcr and tv doesn't hurt! We stopped every couple hrs and it was worth it to drive into Disney!
As far as season..I don't know .. our 1st and only trip was last month, but go for the cheaper season as others guide you..because there will be crowds regardless, but it's all doable
Have fun and good luck!

 

[EthansMom]

DH and I drove from MD to WDW a few years back and didn't find it such a bad drive. Drove to DisneyLand in Mar. from Utah with Ethan (then 18 mos.) -- he didn't care for all the time in the car, but I sat in back with him and read and read and read, so he kept pretty calm. My friends who have them swear by he portable vcr's for long trips with the kids -- maybe you can borrow or rent one? (We plan on buying one before our next long car trip.) Also, one of my friends says the best way to do long car trips with her young girls is to put them in their pajamas, leave the house close to bedtime, and drive all night.

When budgeting for car travel, don't forget to figure all of the tolls in the Northeast -- I think we paid around $30 one time traveling between MD and CT (one direction!).

On our last trip to WDW, we went in the 3rd week of January, which was discount season -- lower prices and no lines. If spring or fall doesn't work, I highly recommend that period between New Year's and President's weekend.

One good thing about going next fall vs. in the spring would be the extra time to save and plan for the trip -- maybe you could save a little bit extra in those few months to do something special that you might not have been able to afford otherwise!

I agree you should look into putting the 2 1/2 year-old in a crib. Or maybe even fib about the number of kids and put 3 in a bed? (This shouldn't be a problem if you book the room and buy tix separately, which is generally the cheapest alternative anyway.) Also, the Downtown Disney hotels are a good option -- we'll be staying at the Courtyard by Marriott for our upcoming trip and have heard good things about it (avg. $52/night for our Sept. trip).

For the older kids, I recommend letting them know ahead of time that you are going so they can save their allowance and/or change for spending money. My parents did this when I was their age and I was able to save up $100 that I was allowed to spend on any thing I wanted. I think it's a great way to encourage saving and to teach kids about budgeting and making priorities. (Plus, it's money that isn't totally out of your pocket!) (Some money-making ideas might include consigning clothes they've outgrown, selling old toys at a garage sale, recycling cans etc. for money, and doing extra chores around the house.)

Best of Luck,

EthansMom

 

[HeyMickey]

We drove from Pittsburgh when I was about 6, which would have made my brother 3. And yes, we survived We've also driven from Pittsburgh to Alabama and back. If you can take your time, a long drive can actually be kind of a vacation in itself. What we always did was to make sightseeing stops along the way - go on cave tours, walk through a museum, drive (slowly! look out the windows!) through a national park, have lunch in Colonial Williamsburg. It only takes an hour or two and it really helps to break up the monotony if you do decide to drive. Find yourself some AAA guidebooks and look up interesting things along your route... you never know what you'll find.

 

[tinaluis]

We are a family of 5, we usually drive to WDW (the drive isn't too bad and all of my DDs have been on driving vacations since about 8 weeks of age) and we stay in 1 room-- (my DDs are 7, 5 and 2) but we've never stayed on property. As the others have said, I think the baby will be just fine in a crib. We prefer to go in the Fall because we've had better weather and can go to the water parks, but you may prefer Spring. You may also want to try to squeeze in a trip before your 2 1/2 yo turns 3 and has to pay for a ticket. We always go in the off-season, though, and that's important to us. We don't want to pay a small fortune to be at WDWduring peak times and wait in line all day. My parents made their first and only visit in July and only rode about 3 rides after waiting in lines all day (before FP, of course). They were so soured on the experience after that trip they vowed never to go back. My DH and I visited the first time in October, 1993 for our honeymoon and LOVED it -- hardly any crowds and lots of great swimming weather. We've been hooked on Fall ever since. Good luck to you whatever you decide and have fun planning!

 

[ReneeQ]

Go NOW, like the above poster said, before your child turns 3! This way you don't have to buy them a ticket AND you can all 5 fit in one room, as they allow "four, plus one child under 3 in a crib." Also, if you do any character meals, you won't have to pay for the 2 year old (until they turn 3). Going before he turns 3 will save you more money than anything!

 

[WIcruizer]

Driving vs flying is really a personal choice. We've done both. Driving with a toddler can be difficult, we even drove overnight one time. Great for toddler, not so great for me...but I survived. Now we have DVD in our minivan. You could even pick up one of those portable TV/VCR units for about $100 so the toddler could watch Disney videos.

If you are driving, I would strongly suggest staying off site. Just my OPINION. You could get a much nicer room at a suite hotel like Summerfield, Homewood, Buena Vista, etc. The room will be bigger, nicer, and probably a cheaper price than All Star. Most of these are right outside Disney's entrances, so you're basically "on-site" anyhow. Check Expedia and others for pricing. Fall is always better than Spring (unless it's early Spring...like real early in March) Not only are the prices better, but you're not battling crowds.

 

[LoriZH]

Well, first off, I am a mother of twins too! (6yo boys!) As far as driving vs. flying, if I could tolerate driving from MA to FLA with twin boys and a 10 yo sister who would NOT fight then I would do it in a minute, however, I can't even get them to sit in the same room without bickering let alone a vehicle. I would probably be tempted to have the dh pull over and let me take a bus!

You can definitely fit your family in the All Stars, but it is small. You may want to think about POR some of their rooms have the trundle bed and you can fit 5 comfortably.

Keep watching the boards for discounts and tips!

PS Ethan's mom, I'm an Ethan's Mom too! How old is yours?

 

[mattmommy]

Hi,

My husband and I have been to WDW many times. Now we have an almost 3 year old going with us. Ok, ok, he's been there 5 times and the cruise already too. We've stayed on property most times and the last time off (ick).

1. The best time to go is right after labor day. It EMPTIES OUT.

2. You have to look at the time spent in the car (with 3 kids) vs. the quickness of getting there. Do you and your husband have that much time off?

3. There are car services that charge about $80 round trip to Disney hotels with a 30 minute shopping spree at the local market before you get to the hotel.

4. Do you want to take Disney transportation with 3 kids or drive everywhere? Do you plan to go to other resorts to eat? Do you have relatives to visit? Car rental isn't too bad in FL, but if you have to go mini-van it definitely ups the cost, but mini-vans usually have car seats built in (rental saver because they cost about $6 a day to rent).

5. We stayed at the Grosvenor last time across from the Disney Market Place. It was ok, but the $6 we had to pony up for parking everyday at the parks was a bummer. When you stay on property you park for free.

6. My top favorite hotels are the contemporary, port orleans and all star resorts. All star is really family oriented and really nice.


Good luck.
Colleen

 

[DDreamer]

OH, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the great tips! I'm leaning towards the All Star resort I think. But, now I know I won't be going this fall because my mini-van just lost it's transmission yesterday ($1500!) so now I have to save up some money for that! What are crowds like in the spring. I think the most important thing for us with a toddler is that there are minimal crowds. I don't think she'll do that great waiting in lines. So now I'm looking at her being 3 when we go.

Don't know if I can wait that long!

Becky

 

[mattmommy]

Becky,

So sorry to hear about your car. We've all been there. All excited about a trip and the car dies. Just think, you'll have more time to save up a bit and maybe your 3 year old will be potty trained for the trip!!!

Colleen

 

[undertheradar]

We are a family of five-Me,DW,DS-12,DDs-7&5. We prefer FW or to stay offsite in the Marriott Vacation Clubs. The benefit of having more space and full kitchen are very important. Our favorite time of year is early December, as the holiday decorations are up- this is also value season. Due to the ages of our kids, we prefer offsite for the added bathrooms, etc. While Disney does offer these, the cost is way out of range. You are looking at abudget trip, so preparing your own meals will save you alot of money. If you drive yourself, bring a cooler, pack your lunch each day, and exit the parks for lunch. You will save lots of money by avoiding Disney food prices. If you have AAA, check with them for discounted tickets and hotels. We go to the Disney Store and purchase little things when they are on sale to give to the kids for souv. We love Disney, but paying theme park prices for food, souv., etc. adds up quickly. The part of paying for your then 3y.o. is completely forgotten when you see them smiling and giggling throughout WDW.

 

[Doodlebug939]

I agree with what others have said about staying onsie at the All Stars resorts because most of the times you can get some pretty good deals.

As far as driving, I think you will be fine. My husband and I moved from Maine to New Orleans this spring with my four and two year olds. I purchased a portable DVD player but VCR ones are pretty cheap these days. During the holidays I have seen lots of sales on them for pretty cheap. My kids enjoyed having the TV there in the afternoon after lunch when we made the trip. What we did is get up really early, like 3:30-4:00 and started driving to get past some of the bigger cities before traffic really got going. Plus the kids slept until around 8 which gave us four hours of solid driving before the kids started the are we there yet stuff. We would stop for breakfast-fast food and potty break then it is back on the road. The kids felt like they just started so they were fine.

We packed those dry crayola markers for them to play with without being able to write on each other or themselves and they were pretty cheap and that kept them busy. And we usually stopped driving by 3:30-4:00 so we he had 12 hours in but enough time for the kids to hit the pool. Not a bad experience at all. I would go to mapquest and find out how long the trip really is and break it up accordingly.

As far as saving money-My brother is taking his kids to Disney in the beginning of Dec so I am giving each child $15-20 in Disney Dollars for them to spend on what they would like. I always have family memebers ask what to get my kids at Christmas so this would be a good thing for you to tell them is they ask. It also keeps the I want this and I want that to a minimum.

Ultimately, your kids are going to be excited to get there and the trip is really what you make it. Make it an adventure