People with 4 kids! How do you afford Disney

[reservations4five]

We stay offsite. I don't really think we have lost much magic. We still get to go to the parks that is the most important part to us.
I love that we can spread out over 2 bedrooms, and I like having a kitchen to help with cost, and a washer and dryer so I don't have to pack as much or bring home dirty clothes.
Favorites are Bonnet Creek and Cypress Palms- HTH

 

[KSDisneyDad]

I too was going to suggest offsite. There are some good deals very close by to Disney off-site.

We have found that with 3 boys that staying on-site is expensive even at the Value resorts. Even with two rooms at the Values, it's a minimum of $150 per night during offseason with discount codes. You could do it during free dining and pay a little more, but get most of your food.

After 15+ trips to the world, we finally bought DVC. It was not the most economical choice, but we are happy with it knowing we can stay on-site and still have some room. We too eat breakfast in our room so it works perfectly for us. We are staying off-site for a couple of nights on our next trip just to extend our trip a little. We looked at on-site, but the least expensive rooms we could get were $250 per night and that was two rooms at the all-stars or one of the Ft. Wilderness cabins. We found a 2BR 1,100 sq ft condo nearby with a king, two queens and a sofa bed for about $119 per night!

Going off season is great too, but once the kids get older it becomes more difficult.

 

[mfulk]

I'm expecting #4 as well. Our oldest is 6 so we have a few more years before we have a disney adult but I would suggest Bonnet Creek. We've rented Wyndham points before and for a week in a 2br during the first week of May it was going to be $500. That's a pretty good price! Then if you have a condo and you want to you can make most of your food.

We're staying for the first time on site at Pop Century all in one room and I'm sure it will be the last time! I just really wanted to do the free dining plan this time.

 

[The 6 J's]

For now your best bet is to cram into a standard room that hold 5 and by the time they are all too big for that maybe Disney will have more family suite options than Music. Don't forget if looking at offsite options you need to factor in the much much more expensive rental of a minivan instead of a standard car AND the child car seats. Disney transportation is soooooo much more convenient with a family of little ones.

 

[rlahansler]

We are about to have another baby. We will have four kids. My childrens ages are 10, 7, and 2. Next year we will have an adult and 2 children and a infant...what places can we stay at? And how affordable is it? Thanks for your info!!

If you cannot afford to buy into DVC then I suggest renting points from a DVC member. My past 2 trips I stayed at AKL Kidani in a one bedroom villa and BCV in a one bedroom villa for our family of four. Points go for round about $10 per point. Last minute they could go up or have some bargains. If inteseted send me a PM and I can recommend a great person and the website to go to.

 

[POOHsie]

My mom and dad bought a travel trailer and hitch to go along with our station wagon and 5 kids. We went to lots of places that we otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford. Mom cooked in the trailer or we used a charcoal grill. There was usually one special evening on a trip when we had a restaurant dinner. Other than that, it was a shoestring budget. We were fine with that. The campgrounds had pools and playgrounds and other entertainment. Hotels aren't the only answer. Ask someone at Fort Wilderness for info.

 

[B.B. Sots]

When we last went, we stayed at POR and used the trundle bed (our son was 2).

We are returning next year and the places to stay have just about disappeared (as we cannot have our son stay in a 'crib'). We like to stay on property (for full Disney immersion)... and also get the dining package (Sn, CS, TS).

What is comes down to for us is we save for 3 years... we literally have an account that we put money in and keep separate for Just Disney.

Other things we do:
1) Drive versus fly
2) Eat breakfast in our room
3) Bring our own water and take it to the parks (at $4 a bottle, this is major savings)
4) Skip Park hopping and the water parks options (saves cash on each ticket)
5) We also keep our eyes open for any discount we can find .... although a good travel agent can help with this

 

[bekkiz]

If you're driving anyway, I suggest an off-site rental as well. We're going next week and have a 4 bedroom house w/ a pool (plus kitchen, laundry etc) for 115/night. The parking does add a little extra ($14/day), but my peace of mind and sanity of having that much space is WELL worth it.

We only stayed on site for years, and then after one trip with the twins (renting DVC points), we realized that we liked the space more than the "magic" plus, we find it much easier to deal with our stoller in our car vs the busses. Just something to keep in mind!

 

[hookedonears]

We're not going again until May of 2013. We will be taking my daughter's cousin and will be booking 2 rooms at the Poly. I started saving $200 per month about 3 months ago and hope to continue saving this amount specifically for this trip for the next 2 years. That's the only way we're going to be able to afford it.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

For now your best bet is to cram into a standard room that hold 5 and by the time they are all too big for that maybe Disney will have more family suite options than Music. Don't forget if looking at offsite options you need to factor in the much much more expensive rental of a minivan instead of a standard car AND the child car seats. Disney transportation is soooooo much more convenient with a family of little ones.

As an FYI, there are some good deals on minivans in Orlando! Check out mousesavers.com or the transportation board on this thread. We are renting a minivan for 11 days for a grand total of $304 including all taxes and fees through National this coming May/June. A co-worker of mine is trying to find a mid-size car for the week after we leave and she is finding prices around $250 for 8 days.

FWIW, we actually found a minivan easier than the buses when our kids were little. First we didn't have to wait in the long lines at the end of the day. The trams to the cars came much more quickly. Second, we didn't have to carry the strollers onto a standing room only bus. Third, all of our kids had their own seat and didn't have to stand or sit on the floor of the bus. Fourth, if we happened to have a sleeping child, they could sit in their car seat and not be held by one of us while standing and trying to maintain our balance in the moving bus. Fifth, we could go offsite and find less expensive places to eat and stop at Wal-mart for some inexpensive breakfast items for the week and water for the parks.

Your post seemed to overdramatize the fact that Disney transportation was "soooooo" much better than a "much much" more expensive minivan. I just wanted to highlight the other side to that opinion. We did both when our kids were little and felt that our own car was more convenient. When our kids outgrew the carseats and booster seats, we tried a trip with Disney transportation again and decided that we will never again rely solely on Disney transportation. I know a lot of guests love it and swear by it as they find driving around WDW stressful. I understand and don't begrudge them that right, but please recognize that it's not a universal opinion shared by all. As much as you think it was more convenient, we feel the opposite. Each family has to make that decision on their own. JMHO

Staying off-site is nearly always less expensive than staying on-site even when you factor in the cost of a minivan and parking for a family of 5 or 6. Free dining may be the exception, but you'd have to run the numbers. Regardless, we prefer to stay on-site even if it is more expensive. That's why we joined DVC.

 

[minnie mouse ears]

We are going with 4 kids (one is 11 so is at adult prices for the parks) and 3 adults. We booked a 4 bedroom house with a pool and game room in Indian Creek - total cost was $949 for 8 days. It looks to be super nice, has great reviews and has Disney Decor. It is also only about 3 miles from the edge of Disney property.

We use the Mousesavers website. I get the newsletters as well. There is a link in the newsletters to receive additional discounts on tickets from Under Cover Tourist. We purchased 4 adult tickets & 3 kids tickets, MYW (so no park hopping) for $1,388 for 6 days at Disney. Now, we did elect to go to Universal for a day to see Harry Potter. This raised the bill up over $450 what it would have cost to go to Disney for 7 days. The Universal tickets were over $500 for one day. Oops - budget buster for sure but we wanted to see HP really bad.

We drive as plane tickets would be really high for 7. We are going to have about 2 or 3 sit down meals at the parks and resorts but everything else will be counter service while there. We tend to eat off site at night sometimes to save money - but only if we are done with the parks for the day. Since we don't park hop, we will be eating dinner out of the park the day we go to Animal Kingdom for sure. I am also of the mind that I wouldn't want to do 3 sit down meals a day because it gets in my way of touring the parks. We also don't waste a lot of time making our own meals (except for breakfast - bacon sandwhiches or cereal or waffles unless it is a character meal day) -- time is money when it comes to a Disney Vacation. I cook a lot for beach vacations but I am just not going to do it while vacationing in Orlando.

Look at the Mousesavers website. She will give you lots of ideas on how to save money.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

We drive so arifare is not a problem!!!

We did a price quote at All Star suite and it was a very large amount!! But it is definitely doable! Port Orleans was much more reasonable, at least until our littlest one turns 3!!

FWIW, we didn't care for the all-star suites anyway. We prefer connecting rooms at the Values instead. It's a little less with more discounts available right now. There is a small chance you wouldn't get connecting rooms even though Disney says they are guaranteed. We never had an issue with gettng them though at the Values.

We did POR one year, but our kids were too big to really enjoy it. Had they been smaller, it would have been just fine.

If you're set on staying on-site, do it when the kids are small!! You'll enjoy it.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

My 2 year old will be 3 at the time...so she will be kid aged! LOL! I should have put that lol! Will we be able to stay in Port Orleans with the trundle bed until my newest baby will be 3???

Yes, until your youngest turns 3, POR will be the cheapest place on-site for you to stay.

We are a family of 6 and really, the way we afford to go to Disney every year, is we get two connecting rooms at a value resort and now plan all of our WDW vacations around when they are offering their annual free dining promos. There is no cheaper way for us to go to Disiney. As for DVC, it's about $25,000 buy in to get a 2 bedroom, which is the minimum you need for a family of 6 and really, I'd just prefer to keep paying our $3,200.00 per year for our annual trips and keep my $25,000.00 in savings. In 7 years of trips, we still haven't spent $25,000.00. Even renting DVC points is very costly when you have a family of 6 and need a 2 bedroom Villa and if you rent points you don't qualify for room discount or free dining offers. I've looked at renting points twice and it's DOUBLE the cost of booking 2 connecting rooms at a value resort. Also, I'm not giving up free transportaion or the Disney Dining Plan or EMH or any of the other on-site perks to stay off-site. Anyway, if you you have any more specific questions, just let me know.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

We're not going again until May of 2013. We will be taking my daughter's cousin and will be booking 2 rooms at the Poly. I started saving $200 per month about 3 months ago and hope to continue saving this amount specifically for this trip for the next 2 years. That's the only way we're going to be able to afford it.

Good idea. We prefer to stay a little less extravagently in order to fit in more trips though! If we had to wait to take a trip every other year I think we'd have to be put into rehab for Disney vacation addiction withdrawals. We were fine with the All-Stars before our DVC purchase.

 

[The 6 J's]

We are renting a minivan for 11 days for a grand total of $304 including all taxes and fees through National this coming May/June.

Your post seemed to overdramatize the fact that Disney transportation was "soooooo" much better than a "much much" more expensive minivan. I just wanted to highlight the other side to that opinion. We did both when our kids were little and felt that our own car was more convenient. Regardless, we prefer to stay on-site even if it is more expensive. That's why we joined DVC.

That IS a great deal compare to what I've been finding for a potential Fall trip and i had checked out those sites. I'll look again. All I've been seeing is $500 and up for a week.

Glad you had a different experience to share. We all see "the World" through the prism of our own experiences. For us it seems like we've never been there at a busy time. Never had to wait more than about 10-15 mins for a bus and never had a crowded bus. Folding up the double stroller and flopping it into the bus was a piece of cake. But different experiences and gather different opinions is what forums liket his are supposed to be about.

 

[grandmadebby2]

We often times stay at Bonnet Creek. They have shuttle service for free, we get a 3-4 bedroom plus some times more condos. This year there will be a 3 bedroom, a 2 bedroom and a 1 bedroom unit for us. Lots of room and with kids we never use the EMH late at night anyway so we aren't missing anything. Look at Ebay or Redweek.com. I have read on the we love Bonnet Creek thread where so people rent from Ken. It makes going so much more affordable.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Yes, until your youngest turns 3, POR will be the cheapest place on-site for you to stay.

We are a family of 6 and really, the way we afford to go to Disney every year, is we get two connecting rooms at a value resort and now plan all of our WDW vacations around when they are offering their annual free dining promos. There is no cheaper way for us to go to Disiney. As for DVC, it's about $25,000 buy in to get a 2 bedroom, which is the minimum you need for a family of 6 and really, I'd just prefer to keep paying our $3,200.00 per year for our annual trips and keep my $25,000.00 in savings. In 7 years of trips, we still haven't spent $25,000.00. Even renting DVC points is very costly when you have a family of 6 and need a 2 bedroom Villa and if you rent points you don't qualify for room discount or free dining offers. I've looked at renting points twice and it's DOUBLE the cost of booking 2 connecting rooms at a value resort. Also, I'm not giving up free transportaion or the Disney Dining Plan or EMH or any of the other on-site perks to stay off-site. Anyway, if you you have any more specific questions, just let me know.

This is exactly why we put off buying DVC for so long. We just kept staying in the All-Stars every year and DVC didn't make sense. That said, we are a family of 5 so we can do a 1BR at BLT or AKV so didn't need to pay as much as you have listed above so we took the plunge.

DVC is a luxury item IMO. That said, I was able to work out the math and found that we will pay about the same as we paid per night for an All-Star Music Family Suite in value season (late August) for each night in our 1BR Villa at BLT. If the prices for the All-Star Music go up, we might be better off over the long run depending on promotions.

You're right in that we miss out on free dining. Unfortunately, we have found that free dining was rarely available when we wanted it as we can't pull our kids out of school. I think we could have used it this year for the first time, but Disney is trying to phase this out and over time, I think it will go away. In the meantime, it is a great perk.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

That IS a great deal compare to what I've been finding for a potential Fall trip and i had checked out those sites. I'll look again. All I've been seeing is $500 and up for a week.

Glad you had a different experience to share. We all see "the World" through the prism of our own experiences. For us it seems like we've never been there at a busy time. Never had to wait more than about 10-15 mins for a bus and never had a crowded bus. Folding up the double stroller and flopping it into the bus was a piece of cake. But different experiences and gather different opinions is what forums liket his are supposed to be about.

Keep checking those minivan prices! When I first looked for our late May trip starting in January, the best price I found was about $550 from Dollar for our 10-nights.

About a month ago, I found a code for Budget for $450 for the same time frame.

About a week ago, I found a code for National for $304! It seemed like the closer to the trip, the less expensive the cars became. I'm actually still looking. The Code I used for National was Contract ID 5007160 with a $35 coupon off the rate. The Coupon expires in June, but the contract ID should work for you.

As I also said, keep trying the Transportation Board. They are good at finding the best rental car discounts!

I saw from your ticker that you visited in February/March in the past. Our visits have mostly been in very early or very late summer since the kids started school. Prior to that we did some fall/early December trips. However, we still found the buses to be crowded - especially at closing. Not sure if it was because we were mostly in the Values.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

This is exactly why we put off buying DVC for so long. We just kept staying in the All-Stars every year and DVC didn't make sense. That said, we are a family of 5 so we can do a 1BR at BLT or AKV so didn't need to pay as much as you have listed above so we took the plunge.

DVC is a luxury item IMO. That said, I was able to work out the math and found that we will pay about the same as we paid per night for an All-Star Music Family Suite in value season (late August) for each night in our 1BR Villa at BLT. If the prices for the All-Star Music go up, we might be better off over the long run depending on promotions.

You're right in that we miss out on free dining. Unfortunately, we have found that free dining was rarely available when we wanted it as we can't pull our kids out of school. I think we could have used it this year for the first time, but Disney is trying to phase this out and over time, I think it will go away. In the meantime, it is a great perk.

In regards to Disney, going from a family of 5 to a family of 6 is a huge jump financially. I can't ever image feeling good about buying DVC for us when they run so many good discounts throughout the year. I do think it is a luxury. Also, we like to take 3 vacations per year and going to WDW in the off season makes the other trips possible. Taking the kids out once a year for Disney, for us, had totally been worth it.

And Really, I don't think Free Dining is going anywhere for a long, long time. This past year they released more free dining dates than ever before and included months and weeks that had never been included before. Also, the height of hurricane season is always going to be mid-August - October 1, so can't image they will ever totally get rid of FD for that timeframe - as that season was the original reason they created free dining in the first place. Free Dining was been one of the best marketing tools that WDW has ever come up with. They are now able to fill the resorts during weeks there were previously almost empty. They just released another free dining discount yesterday so I think we are good for while longer.

 

[cheryterese]

I have not read the previous replies, but we went in Jan '10 with 4 kids aged 17, 4, 2 and 18 months. We stayed off-site, a 15 minute drive from all park parking lots, at a fantastic rental house for $122 a night. We made our own breakfasts at the rental house, packed lunches for the parks, and did take out or Disney dining for dinners. By doing our own breakfasts and lunches we had enough to rent a mini van. We used our Disney Visa card to buy one of our 10 day Magic Your Way Tickets. Two of the kids were free for park tickets because they were under 3. 1 kid was free for the airline because he was under 2. The entire 10 day trip, including everything (rental house, flight from NY state, tickets, food, van, misc) was just under $3500.