OUR TRIP PLANS SO FAR -some costs saving advice

[Lynz]

Here is what we did: We leave January 1, 2006.

2 Adults and 1 child from Lindsay, Ontario

Rented 1 bedroom at OKW from a DVC member on the rent/trade board for a 6 night stay at $230.00US/night.

Purchased Orlando entertainment book through a link which I cannot remember now for $25.00 and received by purolator 10 days later.

Rented a car from National for $180.00US approx using entertainment book coupon of $20.00 off per week rental and joined the emerald club so second driver free and go the fast check in.

Booked SWA for around $800.00US non stop flight out of Buffalo return non-stop for 3 of us then re-booked internet rates and now $547.00US for 3 of us non-stop and have a credit of 247.00US to use later. Would have costs us much more from Toronto.

Booked a room New Years Eve at Holiday Inn Express Buffalo airport which was most expensive room with 2 tv's and jaqusi with my TD visa points and includes breakfast, parking and shuttle will cost me $40.00 only had so many points.

Bought our WDW tickets through link on mousesavers 6 day hopper passes and received them within the time they said they would arrive and cannot remember the price but was the best I have seen.

We booked an ADR at Boma for our first day so my we can check out the AKL and we are just going to get groceries and hang out our first day.

We plan on eating at counter service resturants during the day and then probably off site using entertainment coupons for dinners, but may eat on site as well playing it by ear.

We plan on eating breakfast in the condo.

We have the unoffical guide to WDW and will follow the tour plans unless it is not busy.

Hope this helps people making their plans, I found this board to be very helpful and it has taken a lot of time to make the plans we are leaving to Buffalo on December 31 so we are getting excited.

Happy travels

Lyndsay

 

[hockey mom]

Now with a SW credit you will have to plan another trip

We also ended up with a credit. I got 5 flights on SW for $486US and have a $590 credit so we are going back in May.

You will like Holiday Inn Express- we have stayed there 2x.

Have a great trip.

 

[Lynz]

Some have said you can try and get refund on credit card but I did change the time of day on one leg of the trip. We travel a lot so I will probably use the credit no problem, if not I will try and get CC refund or maybe sell to family member but March break if Ding fares come out I may just go somewhere warmer than here for a few days.

 

[runner26.2]

Looks like you've done a great job. A couple of minor money saving thoughts. Take bottled water with you to the Park. We put them in the freezer the night before. Saved a few dollars and wasn't too bad carrying 3-4 in our back packs. We didn't find taking snacks was much help as all the kids (and parents) wanted were the WDW treats they had anyway. We took some bars, snacks the first day which went uneaten and never took them again.

The only other thing I might suggest is to avoid Goodings when buying groceries. Find Walmart, Publix etc for groceries. Goodings is significantly more expensive than other stores. We also bought autograph books, and a few small Disney souvenirs (pens, pin holder necklace (lanyards??) etc ) which we put on kids beds at night at Walmart rather than WDW. The sounvenirs the kids wanted (clothing, dolls) we bought at WDW as we figured that was part of the "experience" altho some of the things could be found for less off site.

I also found gas to be cheaper at the WDW service stations (whose name I forget) as opposed to those off site, and not by a cent or two, seems to be it was 15 cents or more a gallon cheaper ... which I really couldn't figure out.

 

[surfer_ed]

The gas stations on WDW are HES I think?

Do you plan on using the car all the time? We saved some $$ by returning it to Alamo becuase we didn't need a car for the last few days. Took ME back to the airport.

 

[riu girl]

Hi from Omemee,

It sounds like you have things planned nicely.
We will also be in Disney the first week of January.
Have a great vacation.

Suzy