Need Some Planning Help

[Franniex4]

Ok please bare with me, might be a bit long. Ok we were scheduled to go to WDW for the first time last August but my son ended up having emergency surgery and we had to cancel, fast forward we r going Feb 28-March5th, my birthday is the 1st btw lol, I am trying to figure out what is the best way to go, I have a few quotes from Disney for my family of 6, 2 adults 4 teenagers, 2 of them boys lol. We r driving from Indiana there, 2 teens finanlly got liscense so we now have 4 drivers whoohoo lol

2 value rooms(Pop Century) with MYW plus for $2,722, with dining $3,722
Off Site The Sauna Suite $2,721 save 1 buck nuts!
The Sabridge Suites $2,678

I know staying on site is much better since we get the extra hours and the dining gives u the character meals but my kids r older and not so sure they want to have a meal with Pooh, though I would lol

I also have 18 Q&C vouchers I bought for the last trip so I am wondering is it worth the dining package and sell the Q&C or just get the tickets and use the Q&C. Since we have never been there and I am looking at food prices online I was thinking $1,000 in food for 6 people for a week sounds awesome(from the dining package). Any suggestions, hints, ideas?

Thanks so much in advance,

Frannie

 

[blujaymama]

Frannie,
Here is my suggestion: I would reccomment staying onsite for a few reasons. Since your kids are older, I assume they will be a bit independant and going off on their own sometimes. Staying onsite will allow for them to just hop on the free Disney transportation and go to which ever parks they want. If you stay off site if you and your husband want to go to Downtown for dinner but your 2 of your kids want to go on Space Mountain in MK and the other 2 really want to catch Fantasmic at MGM, you would have to figure out the car schedule. It is also convenient to run back to the room mid day to take a nap or get a sweater. Another big perk is the ability to have the packages you purchase in the park to be sent to your room so you don't have to carry them around. And after a long day of walking in the parks it is much easier to have someone drive you back to your room than driving yourself ( what can I say, I'm lazy! =) ) I am sure where ever you stay will be great and you will have a fantastic time, but the convenience of staying on site always wins out for me.
Also, keep in mind if you are a AAA member, you get 10% off(most times: let them know when you call Disney to reserve) and I have found it cheaper to purchase the parts of my trip seperately. I purchase my tickets either online or from AAA ( with the 10% again).
I don't know much about vouchers, I have never used them myself, so I am sorry I am no help there. But great ideas to save some $ on food are to bring waters with you. Since you are driving you should, hopefully, have some extra space for a case of water. It is super expensive in the parks. Another idea is the Brita fill-n- go bottle. I bought one and used it on my last trip. It must have saved us (my DBF and I) more than $50!.
I hope you have a great trip!
Have fun.

 

[crazymomof4]

Frannie,
I've sent you a private message.
crazymom

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Buy one adult AP for $420.68.

Buy 5 adult MYW Hopper (no pluses, expiry) at Ticketmania for $1140.

Use the AP to get the rooms for $74/night using the BEX code. 5 nights x 2 rooms x $74 + 11.5% tax = $825.10

Use the AP to join Disney's Dining Experience for $50. Use it to get 20% off meals at most of the sitdown restaurants and some counterservice restaurants.

Total cost = $2436

Price difference: without the dining package = -$286
with the dining package = -$1286....do you really think that you would spend this much in food for 5nights/6 days?

Sell most, if not all of the Q&C vouchers and use the proceeds to help pay for your meals. Save enough Q&Cs to give the teens to pay for lunch on the afternoons when you split up.

Those are just my thoughts. The dining package would make it easier to budget but I'm not sure that it would be worth the cost.

 

[crazymomof4]

aka-mad4themouse

Impressive calculating!

Can you do my taxes for me?

 

[Franniex4]

Buy one adult AP for $420.68.

Buy 5 adult MYW Hopper (no pluses, expiry) at Ticketmania for $1140.

Use the AP to get the rooms for $74/night using the BEX code. 5 nights x 2 rooms x $74 + 11.5% tax = $825.10

Use the AP to join Disney's Dining Experience for $50. Use it to get 20% off meals at most of the sitdown restaurants and some counterservice restaurants.

Total cost = $2436

Price difference: without the dining package = -$286
with the dining package = -$1286....do you really think that you would spend this much in food for 5nights/6 days?

Sell most, if not all of the Q&C vouchers and use the proceeds to help pay for your meals. Save enough Q&Cs to give the teens to pay for lunch on the afternoons when you split up.

ok some of that make sense to me but I am wondering y sell the Q&C? is that if I do the dining plan? Didn't know about the AP discounts that is good to know and since I have never been there I actually have no idea how much $$ to budget for food, my 2 boys can really eat lol I was hoping to use the Q&C for them while they were on their own instead of giving them money to lose or spend on crap lol

and staying on site makes lots of sense now as the kids r 16, 16, 15 & 14 so they will be off on their own lots I hope lol

Thanks so much for all this info off to dig a bit deeper now on the AP info