Need to cut costs

[SirDuff]

$300 is low for tips and excursions? We are not big drinkers and probably won't do much for excursions other than some shopping and beaching.

Assuming you mean a 5 day/4 night cruise, the tips would be $240 ($12/person/night). If you meant 5 night, the tips would be $300. Which accounts for your total budget for tips and excursions (or leaves $60 if you meant 4 night). Either way, definitely not enough for any excursions or more than a few drinks.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

I'd toss out the cruise too, and maybe split your stay to a mod or value for the remaining days. Use the deluxe days for the parks for ease of transportation. Use the mod or value for waterpark, resort days, and Downtown Disney.

We prefer Deluxes (who doesn't?! haha), we've stayed at GF, WL, BC, and Boardwalk. The Epcot resorts are definitely my favorite, especially with a stroller.

Since you're in Canada, couldn't you do a different amazing cruise closer to home (less expensive?) at another time? I'm not sure where you are, but I feel like those Alaskan type cruises would just be to die for. Or doesn't Disney sometimes sail out of New York or something like that? You could do that another time and perhaps drive to cut costs?

 

[jiminykrikkit]

On your list,

I'd keep the dining plan because of character dining. Or you could add up what you REALLY will eat and if it's less, put it on a gift card like PP said. It's still easy.

As PP said, lose memory maker. We got it because my stepdad will buy the ride photo at every ride no matter what it looks like, and so it made it worth it for us. If you can pass on those (or just pay out of pocket for that one really good one...), get rid of MM.

Do y'all really need that many souvenirs? I'm becoming quite a minimalist lately...we really don't need that much STUFF. Cut it to like $50-$75 per kid for the whole trip (honestly, I'd do less than that, but my kid is used to me saying no to things... haha). My family of 3 can get by on like $150 for the whole trip for souvenirs.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I would skip the cruise from Miami and do the shorter one from Canaveral, especially with young kids. The DDP should be kept with character dining involved. My 3rd suggestion would be to check through DVC rental management companies that sell points to save on costs. There should be some type of onsite promo code for that time frame too.

 

[verleniahall]

Have you thought about just saving th emoney and investing in DVC? with that cost, tha tis what i would do

 

[dvc at last !]

Have you thought about just saving th emoney and investing in DVC? with that cost, tha tis what i would do

Great idea = vacation for the next 50 years !

 

[danceintherain]

I definitely would drop the cruise. To me, a cruise is best when you're planning on an excursion in each port or really exploring those areas. If you're just going to stay on the boat, shop a bit, or hang out on the beach, it makes more sense to me to do an all-inclusive resort somewhere, and not risk the sea sickness.
You could definitely rent a house and a car for less than a Disney cruise.
Overall...I'm a one stop vacationer. I don't like to transfer from place to place over and over. I would consider it for as long of a trip as you're doing, but only if it was giving me the opportunity to try a resort we couldn't afford otherwise, so I'd do a week at a moderate and a week at a deluxe. I doubt I would consider renting a house off property for a week, because there are always tons of extra activities at the hotels that we rarely get to experience, but I wouldn't be able to duplicate at a private pool. Disney is one of the closest things to all-inclusive you can get in the US.

 

[amylevan]

Id give serious thought to WL instead of the poly if you want to go deluxe. Much cheaper, but still an easy Boat ride to MK.

 

[Yougotit]

Hello fellow Canadian! I feel your pain with the current exchange, and Disney trips are expensive to begin with!
Personally I would skip the Disney World part and do the 7 night Disney cruise out of MCO.. You mention wanting to go all out and with 3 kids under 9 the cruise will give you the opportunity for great family time AND some adult time. The dining rooms are incredible, as are the shows, the kids clubs are also AMAZING..
Once you have factored in your tips you can budget alcohol, souvenir and excursions costs and it is very possible to keep those to a minimum. I'd suggest flying in a day early, maybe hit universal or sea world or just head to downtown Disney to get in the mood, and then sail away the following day. Yes, it is less time "away" on vacation, but you will be a relaxed version of busy and have an incredible, magical time.
I've done 3 Disney cruises and last year took the kids (11 and 9) to the World instead. It's a completely different vacation, personally we prefer the cruise and that's what we will be back doing come January.
If you do decide to do Disney World, look at renting DVC points, you get the deluxe experience for a great price.

Either way, happy planning!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Wow that is a hefty price tag. I could think of so many vacations I would take with that budget.

We are family of 5 (3 kids 10 and under) who have done a trip similar but spent about a third of that. Things we did not go all out on. -

Went with a moderate.

Skipped the dining plan.

Stuck to beach days while on DCL.

Skipped Hoppers

Whatever you don't miss DCL!!!

I couldn't agree with you more on this. That would be the very last thing to cut. Anyone who suggests cutting it hasn't cruised DCL.
It makes the parks feel like hard work! I would highly recommend doing parks first, then cruise. You will feel so pampered by the end of the cruise that the service in WDW will suddenly feel lacking. Extremely.

We just combined a WDW visit with a DCL cruise from Miami over Easter week. We rented points and stayed at BCV 2 nights.(later added 1 extra nt at WL.) BCV is a short walk to Epcot and easy boat to DHS. We feel that being on the Boardwalk loop around the lake has just as much Disney magic as being near MK. (and we have splurged on Poly before) If you've never stayed onsite, BC/YC/BW will still feel like a splurge. They're very nice and BC/YC share Stormalong Bay which is such an awesome pool. Poly has a lot of construction going on so I personally would wait until that is all done before trying there. Also maybe try it when you're not combining with a cruise. (We stayed at the Poly with free dining during Sept so it was as value-packed as a Poly stay could get.)

Plus from BC/YC/BW you can easily walk to the Dolphin where Alamo has an office in their lobby where we picked up a car to drive to Miami, one way rental. Just hold onto ALL of your receipts/paperwork for the car rental. Alamo has a free shuttle bus that will take you to the port but they do check all paperwork to make sure you had an Alamo rental that day. Right inside the lobby of the BC is Cape May Café which has a wonderful beach-themed character breakfast buffet. So we planned an early breakfast, (def. need an ADR) and walked out to our car plenty full for the 3 hr drive. You don't need to worry about getting a Sun Pass or having cash at the FL Turnpike tollbooths. Alamo has a device on their cars' license plates so it automatically bills your cc for all tolls + $3.00 per day that you incur any tolls. IIRC it was less than $10 for tolls. If you look on the cruise boards there's a Port of Miami thread complete with pics of the Alamo shuttle, how to navigate it all, etc.

I would also cut out the memory maker. CMs will gladly take pics with your own camera. I'd also cut out the hoppers. You could easily upgrade once you're in the parks if you feel like you can't live without it but honestly we only hop when our visit is less than 4 days therefore we need to combine 2 parks in 1 day. jmho

PPs are correct about having to budget for tips when using the dining plan. We tried the deluxe DP on this April trip and overall spent a couple hundred total on tips and it was only 3 of us. I wouldn't do the deluxe DP again. Way too much food and too much time spent doing TS meals.

Definitely count on $12 pp/day for the cruise tips, even for kids. They certainly earn their tips and we usually tip our dinner servers & stateroom host extra. With kids, they work even harder to make them happy.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I was going to second the fact that you are completely underestimating the cost of the cruise. Did you figure in your tips? Is your heart set on a Disney cruise? We took a Disney cruise for our first one, and have had every bit as much fun on other lines for a fraction of the cost. I'd also caution you to really think about the dining plan. Really look at the menus and compare costs. Take the cost of the plan, and figure out your meals. It is SO MUCH FOOD, and then calculate the costs of what you would do. I generally take the cost of the dining plan and put it on a disney gift card, I always have lots of money leftover! Also...I'm curious as to how you came up with $150 for transport to Miami from Orlando. Seems a little low as well. Don't want to discourage you from an awesome vacation, but want you to not have any surprises!!

This is a copy of our one way car rental during Easter week using Costco discount:
Pickup & Drop Off

Pickup
Tue, Apr 07, 2015 03:30 PM
Walt Disney Dolphin
1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd
Orlando FL 32830 US

Drop Off
Wed, Apr 08, 2015 03:00 PM
Miami Intl Arpt (MIA)
3900 NW 25th St
Miami FL 33142 US

Your Vehicle & Add-Ons

Car Summary
Fullsize
Ford Fusion or similar
Additional options available
Tilt Steering Wheel
Power Windows
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo and CD
Power Door Locks
Automatic Transmission
Air Conditioning

Your Rate

Rates & Charges
1 Day(s) @75.00 $ 75.00
Additional Driver INCLUDED
UNLIMITED MILEAGE INCLUDED
Freq Traveler Surcharge $ 1.50
Hotel Consession Fee 10 Pct (10.0%) $ 6.60
Tire/battery Fee .02/day $ 0.02
Florida Surcharge 2.00/day $ 2.00
Vehicle License Fee .64/day $ 0.64
Sales Tax (6.5%) $ 4.89
Total Savings - $ 9.00

Estimated Total: $ 81.65


We flew out of FLL to go home and used SAS Transportation for shared ride shuttle from POM to FLL.
$15 pp x 3=$45 +10 tip= $55

Honestly, SAS was cheap but I cannot recommend them. At least not their shared-ride. We were all packed in like sardines. Not everyone was going to the airport and we made several stops at local hotels before I finally spoke up that we will miss our flight to spend another 40 mins riding around town. They do offer a private service but I was trying to cut costs and stupidly assumed everyone in our van would be going from the port to the airport.

 

[cjnix29]

yeah, figured the only way it could be that cheap was for a rental car.....Especially for 5 people. But not sure if for 5 people you could even do a regular size car, with luggage for two weeks! It would all have to fit in the trunk, since she will have carseats.

 

[Madteaparty001]

Have you looked into travel credit cards with reward points? An airline card could pay for most of your plane tickets if you do it right. I live next door to Canada and my tickets cost me about 50,000 southwest points for 4 adults and a 1 free seat bought with my companion pass (so 5 tickets total). That's only one credit card bonus worth.

 

[crisi]

First, you aren't likely to find many DVC points to rent at a monorail resort for Spring Break next year. That's one of those "better get your reservation lined up well in advance" sorts of things. You might, it might be worth pursuing, but I wouldn't expect much luck. If you have luck, it will be BLT - the BLT DVC rooms are very small.

Second, I think you are going about this wrong. You've decided what you want, then are trying to find a way to get it in your budget. I'd like a diamond tiara (I have my eye on the second one here: http://rarevintage.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-tiara-or-two.html) but $2.5M U.S. doesn't fit in my budget. I'd start by defining your budget, then start figuring out what can fit in that (I can get a nice diamond solitaire necklace - much more practical for everyday wear). Some things you can't do without - you'll need park tickets and there aren't really ways to make those much cheaper than you get from a ticket broker. Travel expenses - probably can't do too much there. Then decide on where you want to spend what you have left. When you have a budget, you may think a three day cruise and stay moderate. Or no cruise and stay Deluxe. Or one character meal, and no dining plan.

Prioritize what is important to you. Everything can't be the most important.

You are underestimating the cost of the cruise - one drink on the cruise is expensive. And if you are taking a splurge trip, you won't want to skip out on all the cruise extras - like Palo. Some cruises do connecting inside rooms with families of five, which are usually cheaper than a single room that sleeps five.

We took a family of four to Europe for two weeks for what you are talking about spending - and I don't travel cheap. So consider carefully what you are getting.

 

[Suzette5181]

3-Night Bahamian Cruise on Disney Magic-Itinerary B
$3,007.55
Sail Date
March 3, 2016
Ship
Disney Magic
Ports
Port Canaveral; Castaway Cay

 

[Suzette5181]

I posted your price for a 3 night cruise from Port Canaveral. Also, I would highly reccomend that you do Disney World beforehand. That way you will end your vacation on a relaxing note.

 

[robinb]

I posted your price for a 3 night cruise from Port Canaveral. Also, I would highly reccomend that you do Disney World beforehand. That way you will end your vacation on a relaxing note.

That's a good idea, especially if the OP doesn't want anything other than a beach day. That itinerary is all Disney so there are no extra costs except tips.

 

[Narnia_girl]

I'd drop WDW before I'd drop a cruise.
Just keep in mind a 3-night cruise is actually 2.5 days onboard. It goes by in the blink of an eye. That's probably why OP wants a 5-nighter.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

yeah, figured the only way it could be that cheap was for a rental car.....Especially for 5 people. But not sure if for 5 people you could even do a regular size car, with luggage for two weeks! It would all have to fit in the trunk, since she will have carseats.

Yes, for a family of 5 needing car seats, strollers, lots of luggage etc they would probably need a minivan. The one good thing about having little ones is that their clothes are little too. I have 2 teen boys and their clothes are close in size to dh's. Gone are the days when they could share 1 suitcase. I could fit a crazy amount of stuff when rolling up little 4T shorts. Lol

3-Night Bahamian Cruise on Disney Magic-Itinerary B
$3,007.55
Sail Date
March 3, 2016
Ship
Disney Magic
Ports
Port Canaveral; Castaway Cay

We are sailing on this cruise!
We chose it because it's the cheapest 3-night cruise we could find. Also the Magic is our fav, we prefer sailing from PC, it doesn't stop at Nassau, and ds15 has a teacher's inservice (day off for kids) during that time.
We've done short cruises in March on RCCL and it was full of spring breakers. On a beautiful day at sea someone vomited in the of the main pools, closing it for the afternoon. We watched a 20-something literally dragged from the pool area by his friends because he was too drunk to walk. Another group of young men kept trying to dunk their friend using the hydraulic lift-chair meant for disabled guests to be lowered into the pool.
A huge fight broke out in a bar over a girl which resulted in one guest being sent to the brig. Overall there are way more smokers. I could go on and on.

Suffice it to say we appreciate the DCL atmosphere and are willing to pay more for it.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'd drop WDW before I'd drop a cruise.
Just keep in mind a 3-night cruise is actually 2.5 days onboard. It goes by in the blink of an eye. That's probably why OP wants a 5-nighter.

I agree with this too.
We're stuck with 3-nighters for a while. With ds being in 10th grade we need to keep school days missed to a minimum and the 7 night cruises over Easter break are out of our price range with ds18 entering college. So for now our options are 3 nights or 0 nights.