Need tips and advice for planning a budget friendly Disney World trip

[matosfam]

I am also in Pittsburgh -- we're planning now for a trip in Sept so this wasn't helpful to me but it may be to you!
Travelosity just sent me an alert (you can go to their site and sign up for alerts) for flights out of PGH to orlando starting at $114 round trip (Northwestern--with connections) and starting from $136 direct flight(airtran or US Air)

 

[matosfam]

I have been compiling a list of cheap or free things to do from various different sites and dis-ers that I have been reading these past few weeks...It's way too big to post here in full but if you would like a copy you can pm me with your email and I will send it to you.

 

[PiratesRock]

This may or may not be of any use to you... but regarding buying more days on tix for cheaper/day rates... The no expiration tix can be a good buy if you know you're going back(Disclaimer: Remember, these are the opinions of someone who has only been on 1 Dis trip.)

 

[Rylee]

Thank you d1gitman. We don't really want to go in the summer cause my youngest son has a condition where he can't tolerate heat well, that's why we're thinking Spring may be best.

I've noticed that it saves the more days park tickets you buy but then the cost of adding more hotel days and food increases. If we stay on site is there a way to still go to Universal one day? How would we get there without renting a car? We were leaning towards the off site option so it would provide transportation to not only Disney, but also Universal plus alot of hotels offer free breakfast, which would again reduce cost.

Still can't figure out what day to fly out and work in for attendance in parks? Are weekends bad for crowds? We thought going to the parks from Monday to Friday, arriving early Monday and leaving Saturday - thinkin' we could do MGM on Monday, MK on Tues, Epcot on Wed, and Universal Thursday, then MK for the last day.

Doing a check on air fare - on expedia best price I can do for the week of May 5 thur the 10th was $958, best price on Southwest for same week is $696. I was able to price out staying on site at an All Star resort plus 4 day tickets was approx. $1400 (no dining option); adding the first dining option takes it to $1885. Offsite - at a Doubletree with free continental breakfast came to $899 plus 4 days tickets at $780 = $1679. Whereas I found a hotel, Polynesian Inn, which has free shuttle to Disney & Universal, plus free breakfast for a total of $327.00 - then when we add on tickets from disney site it comes to around $1100 and we then only have to buy dinner and small lunch on site and if we use Southwest we should be able to stick around the $2500 mark.

UGH - too much information - all so confusing

Hi,

Off-site transportation -
As for the shuttles from off-site locations, you need to really investigate the shuttle service before making your reservations. They often only provide 1 or 2 drop-off/pick-up times at the parks, and many of the hotels share shuttle service with other hotels... if the shuttle is full, the hotel is not responsible for guaranteeing transportation. As a starting point, you may want to check references on tripadvisor.

Park attendance - If you are not going to stay at a Disney Resort, you won't be able to take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours, (EMH) so, check the park calendars for which park has the EMH's on the days you'll be there and don't go to that park, that day. (On-site visitors, without hopper passes, have to go to that park, that day, to gain admission to the EMH's, making attendance slightly higher at that park.)

 

[suzybeezy]

Thanks again for all the helpful info. I'm takin' everything ya'all are saying then researching. The more I research the more confused I get - lol.

Trying to weigh the options of staying on site vs off site. The only issue we're having with staying on site is we need to be able to go to Universal one day - and now my son is begging to go to the new Sea World water park - Aquatica, which apparently opens in March.

If we stay on site - can we rent a car for just two days to go to those parks? If so does the rental company bring the car to the resort? I've never rented a car so I'm trying to figure that out.

I don't want to rely on the shuttles from off site - if there's a chance we could get stranded! YIKES!!!

I'll also check Travelocity to sign up for alerts - great tip!

 

[idlewoman1]

We have always rented a car as we like to do Universal and since we stay about 2 weeks we like to drive to the different resorts to save time to scope them out or dine there and hit the outlet shopping malls. Having a rental allows you to do things on your own schedule and not rely on shuttle bus schedules and stops if you stay off-site. If you have AAA you can get some deals on rental cars as well as Disney resorts. I looked on-line and priced a room at POR and then called Disney direct and got a better price over phone giving my AAA. Don't care too much for leaving my travel plans in the hands of agents. We will be there mid-April. Wednseday mornings are when prices for airfare go down. I had been checking and tried looking on a Wednesday and got my better price that morning vs the day before or after. HAVE FUN!!

 

[Rylee]

Thanks again for all the helpful info. I'm takin' everything ya'all are saying then researching. The more I research the more confused I get - lol.

Trying to weigh the options of staying on site vs off site. The only issue we're having with staying on site is we need to be able to go to Universal one day - and now my son is begging to go to the new Sea World water park - Aquatica, which apparently opens in March.

If we stay on site - can we rent a car for just two days to go to those parks? If so does the rental company bring the car to the resort? I've never rented a car so I'm trying to figure that out.

I don't want to rely on the shuttles from off site - if there's a chance we could get stranded! YIKES!!!

I'll also check Travelocity to sign up for alerts - great tip!

Check the mousesavers site. It always list discount codes for car rentals.

There is a current code for free upgrades on Disney ticket admission... by Magic Your Way tickets and receive the Hoppers and Water Park & more option, for FREE! Perhaps your son will be content to visit Disney's Waterparks and skip Sea World.

Consider staying off-site for a few days, to save some $$$ and visit Universal and Sea World, then checking into a Disney resort for the remainder of your vacation.

We have done this before (to visit relatives) and you can use Disney's Magical Express for one-way service, too.

Also, we rented a car from a company at the airport, that also had a location on Disney property, and returned it after checking into our resort.

 

[suzybeezy]

First of all - thank you again for all the help. I'm really trying to make this happen for my kids but financial concerns/limits are really worrying me and its essential that I do this as cheaply as possible, while still making it the best vacation it can be. I appreciate all the help, truly!

I had been checking and tried looking on a Wednesday and got my better price that morning vs the day before or after.

So its best to book the airline tickets on a Wednesday. Wonder why? Does it make a difference what day you fly out? Is it more expensive to fly on a weekend or a weekday?

Check the mousesavers site. It always list discount codes for car rentals.

There is a current code for free upgrades on Disney ticket admission... by Magic Your Way tickets and receive the Hoppers and Water Park & more option, for FREE! Perhaps your son will be content to visit Disney's Waterparks and skip Sea World.

Consider staying off-site for a few days, to save some $$$ and visit Universal and Sea World, then checking into a Disney resort for the remainder of your vacation.

We have done this before (to visit relatives) and you can use Disney's Magical Express for one-way service, too.

Also, we rented a car from a company at the airport, that also had a location on Disney property, and returned it after checking into our resort.

I like this option of maybe staying off site a few days then moving to a Disney resort the remainder. I never thought of that. That just may work. What's the name of the Car rental company that's at the airport and at Disney properties? And once you're at Disney, does Disney provide transportation back to the airport?

My son is really hooke on this Aquatica idea. Guess the drawl to it is that there's these slides tha are clear and dolphins are swimming all around. And i'm the one who must go to Universal cause the Mummy is my absolute favorite ride. If I get all the way to Florida, I can't imagine missing it.

Additionally what's Magical Express? never heard of it.

 

[suzybeezy]

I went to the mousesaver site and couldn't find the code for free upgrade for tickets?

 

[Rylee]

I went to the mousesaver site and couldn't find the code for free upgrade for tickets?

Taken from this site -

FREE PARK HOPPING AND WATER PARK FUN & MORE
Included with your theme park admission when you book a Magic Your Way package at a Disney Resort for travel from 3/30 - 5/21.
Click Here for Details
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneypackages.htm#current

Go to the Airtran site - click on flexible dates, then put in all your info, click on "search 2 days to either side of this date."

You will be able to view several days and flight times, with prices to find the cheapest dates. I was able to find some flights starting a $79 one-way between PIT and Orlando (MCO).

Disney's Magical Express is free transportation to and from the Disney Resorts to the Orlando airport (MCO).

I'm sorry, I don't remember the name of the car company we used, maybe my husband will remember.

 

[matosfam]

I don't know if it's true but I just heard that Southwest often has discounted fares for sale on it's anniversary/birthdate which I also heard is this week...
might be worth googling the date and checking it out...?

 

[matosfam]

btw, we just got our flights about $200 cheaper than what we were finding elsewhere from Pittsburgh to Orlando thru Cheapflights.com (choose "search by date" then we chose Kayak then chose the best price from the Northwest Airlines site) 6 of us for less than $850

 

[suzybeezy]

Again, can't thank ya'all enough for all the help. I'm takin' all the advice given and putting it to good use.

 

[Grandmouse]

Suzy -- it has been more than 10 years since I have sayed off site and I would never do it again if I had to depend on the hotel shuttles. The shuttles service many other hotels in the area and take forever, are not very frequent and are crowded. You come and go on THEIR schedule, not yours. After only one day of this, we used a taxi. Not sure of your DSs age, but you would never be able to go back to the room during the day for a break. Call a taxi service (or limo) and see what the cost would be to go to Sea World for a day from DW, opposed to the time and cost of renting a car or moving off-site for a few days. Perhaps your son would be happy with a day visit to Sea World in Ohio later in the summer after you return. (Okay, I know it's not the same). Really, once you get to the World, you may not want to leave and go somewhere else.

It has been a long time since I've been to the TTC, but does anyone remember if there is an Orlando city bus that made stops there -- I thought there was.

 

[suzybeezy]

I'd love to be able to substitute a Sea World Ohio, because its so close, but there isn't an Ohio Sea World anymore, unfortunately. I don't really know why he's so insistent on Sea World, except he got wind of the new Aquatica and is totally excited. I tried to convince him to go to Blizzard Beach or the other Disney waterpark, using the free upgrade if we stayed on site, but he's not buying it. I think the biggest draw to the Aquatica is the Dolphin Plunge, which is a clear tube waterslide that takes you thru a Dolphin pool.

I think I've resigned myself to the fact I'm going to spend more than I had hoped to just so everyone will be happy.

This is the pricing options I've calculated out:

Southwest flying out Sunday May 11 - returning May 16 $895 for 5 people (3 adults, 2 kids)

Buena Vista Suites - 6 mights $465 which includes full breakfast
Polynesian Inn - 6 nights $270 - with continental breakfast


If we stay Sunday night and Monday night off site at Buena Vista Suites =
Then Stay on site Disney Port Orleans Riverside = $2423

Disney Tix - 5 days/5 people $1003
with hopper $1228
with water parks $1478

4 days/5 = $992
with hopper $1227

Universal tix for 5 - one day one park - $323
one day two parks - $394

Sea World - 2 parks $399

Chosing Southwest, Buena Vista Suits, Disneytix with hopper $2588
adding waterparks - $2838
with 5 day hopper without waterparks, but plus Universal - $2911
with 5 day hopper without waterparks, plus 2 Universal parks - $2982
with 5 day hopper without waterparks, plus 2 Universal parks, and two Sea World parks $3381

I know it seems like alot to do, and I wonder if I'll be able to do it all. I know alot of folks make the mistake of trying to cram too much into their vacation. We did a Make a Wish before for my son, and we ran the whole time. It wasn't too bad cause we took a break every day. Here's the options I figured out.

Option 1 - has no Sea World, but adds Disney's Water parks, plus only Universal Studios
Arrival day Sunday- if we rent a car - go to beach
Monday - Universal
Tuesday - Magic Kingdom
Wednesday - MGM and waterparks
Thursday - Magic Kingdom
Friday - Epcot
Departure day, leaving late evening - Hop parks for favorite rides

Option 2 adds Sea World & Aquatica, plus both Universal parks:

Arrival early a.m. day Sunday - go to Hotel then Sea World & Aquatica
Monday - maybe Give Kids The World (8 am-9 am character pics) then MGM, rest
Tuesday - Magic Kingdom, rest mid day
Wednesday Universal Studios & Universal Island of Adventure
Thursday - Magic Kingdom
Friday - Epcot
Departure day, leaving late evening - hop parks for favorite rides

Thinkin' about staying an extra night and leaving next morning so we aren't hideously rushed last day and it shouldn't increase the cost too much, except an extra night at the hotel, which isn't much.

Still haven't been able to price out the rental car, cause I've never rented a car and I'm finding the sites rather confusing.