Planning a Large Family Trip........

[MeNZ2DizNee]

I need lots of help and I figure this is the best place to ask. This may get long. I want to plan a Disney vacation for my extended family. I want to have a budget and basic itinerary set when I bring the proposal to them. I need to know how you guys would start. I'm completely new at this and have no idea where to start or how to get the best deals. I've read this board cover to cover but I feel so overwhelmed. I guess I wanna know what you guys would do if this were your trip to plan.

There will be 6 adults (59, 59, 29, 28, 28,27, 24) and 5 children (4, 3, 3, 2, 9 months). Of course money is a huge issue and of course I realize that anything Disney is gonna cost BIG BUCKS. We want to stay for about 10 days and it'll be the last week of January or the first week of February 2005.

One of the biggest expenses is gonna be transportation. We live in Hawaii, so we're about as far away as we can be. None of us have ever been to the World before so we know nothing. I already know we'll want to rent a vacation home since we canall be together but with LOTS of room to stay out of each other's way. I also know it'll save on the food bill since we'll have access to a kitchen.

Would it be cheaper to fly half way and drive the rest or just fly the entire way? I'm really leary about the LONG plane ride as my son is Autistic and won't take the plane ride very well. Also, all the kids have no problems driving long distances. We're planning on renting a vehicle anyway. I'm looking at 15 passenger vans. I was actually surprised that they were readily available for rental.

What else do I need to know? How do I even begin to set a budget for something thats nearly a year away? How do I do this as cheaply as possible? I know about Mousesavers and DisneyDollarless but I'm just so completely overwhelmed that I don't know where to start.

Can anyone help me get myself together enough to do this??

Thank you sooo much. I want to make this dream come true for my son. He deserves it.

Lisa

 

[mudnuri]

Okay let me offer some help. Now mind you I'm no veteran! I'm getting ready for our first trip to the world, however I've read this and a few other boards page by page LOL

1st- the Search feature is NOW WORKING!!!!! (I'm VERY excited about that) type in Vacation Home and go from there, there are a LOT of people on this board that have rented from owners and from brokers. I have read that most are happiest going through an owner directly. Start with that.

2nd- you need to know how many days your doing at Disney, are you planning Universal, and Sea World? This will help with your park ticket prices. If the 2 year old is 3 by then, you'll need a child ticket.. check out www.ticketmania.com for prices, these include tax and shipping, and are the cheapest I've found online. AAA here was cheaper, by a few $$ and since I'm becoming a member there, I'm getting them...

3rd, dont forget to plan down days. You'll have a home, which will have a screened in pool. Plan a day just at the pool. The children and adults will thank you!

4th- when your working on your food budget, do not forget to take into consideration that your not using your normal food money at home. This puts food into perspective.
You will have a home, with a full kitchen, make plans to stop at WalMart or a grocery store, and pick up breakfast items, snacks and beverages. This cuts your food budget down as well.

I'm not sure about flying part way and then driving...I know that some rentals you can't leave the state you rent in...this could be a problem. I would fly the entire way, you can get good connections etc.. though it's going to be $$...

I'm assuming you'll be renting a van, check out www.mousesavers.com and also the transportation board here on the Dis, this will help you with codes, and other ways to save. Also- the transp board has good recommendations on what company to use and why.

Find out from your credit card if it offers CDW insurance, if so...DECLINE DECLINE DECLINE at the counter. And I MEAN DECLINE...they've been known to be very persistant, as this is where they make a ton of money..dont fall for it!

Above all else, dont stop asking questions, my trip has been planned, then DH added another week to it, and replanned more than I can tell you! The Dis is a wonderful place, full of very kind and helpful people, and everyone is more than willing to answer your questions...you've come to the right place!

Good luck planning.

oh- I forgot....a few books to pick up...the unofficial guide to WDW (some of the people who wrote the book are HERE!), and the passporter, found at www.passporter.com I have both, along with about 4 others LOL! It's good to read read read, become overwhelmed, than come back here for help LOL

Brandy

 

[mad4themouse]

Hi MeNZ2DizNee! Welcome to the DISboards. I know what you mean about it all being so overwhelming! There's so much to plan when you take the do-it-yourself approach.

My your biggest expenses will be:

• transportation
• accommodations
• park passes
• food

Transportation costs will include your airfare, rental car, gasoline and parking fees. You can start to research airfare right now and get an idea of costs. Keep in mind that you can also fly into Tampa or Clearwater/St. Pete as well as Orlando. So check flights into all 3 airports for the best deals. Airfare can be booked 330 days out, so you have time to watch the fares and get an idea of what they'll run.

Reserve your rental car as early as possible. Prices can go up as you get closer to your dates of travel. It costs you nothing to reserve the van and there is no penalty for changing or canceling the ressie later. I've had my mini-van reserved for my July trip since September of last year. The rate is $199 per week and I doubt that I'll see it that low again before I go.

For a vacation home, look into vrbo.com orAll Star Vacation Homes. This will give you an idea of how much a rental property will go for at the time of year that you're visiting.

The passes you can purchase any time in advance. I like Ticketmania.com but others have also raved about Paramount Travel as well. Sign up for the MouseSaver.com Newsletter . There are links in it every month to specially priced passes from Ticketmania. In fact, check out the website itself for tons of information on getting the best deals at WDW.

Lastly, you'll need to think about food. Plan to grab breakfast at the house before leaving for the parks. Have lunch at the parks and then either eat dinner at the house or somewhere offsite. I think that you'll find that grocery prices are pretty much what you would spend at home. It's the eating out everyday that will cost you a lot of money. Check this link for your dining options in "The World". You can get an idea of what is offered and the prices that they charge. As a general rule, we budget $100 per day for the 4 of us for food. But we eat all 3 meals out.

Good luck with your planning and stop in often to let us know how it's going.

 

[MELSMICE]

Hi & Welcome to the DIS.

My 2 cents!!!

--If you can swing the cost & if your son can do it I would try & fly.

--Think about renting DVC points from a DVC member for a Grand Villa. I think OKW & the BW are the 2 DVC resorts with Grand Villas. OKW are the largest & is the quieter of the 2 resorts. The Grand Villas sleep 12 & a child under 3 in a crib.

--Remember, the 2 yr. old & 9 month old will not need park passes. I would check Ticketmania for passes as someone else mentioned.

Good luck. Although it will be expensive, it is doable. Start saving now.

A few saving tips you may want to pass along to others in your travelling

--Save ALL your change
--Save singles
--Put aside $5 or $10 a week for the trip
--Have auto deductions taking out of pay checks
--Put all these savings into a bank account that doesn't have easy access so you aren't tempted to touch it.

I hope everything comes together & that you get to take a great trip.

P.S. I'm jealous that you live in such a beautiful place year round. I hope to visit there some day (if my DH can tear me away from Disney that is!! )

 

[HookdonWDW]

Aloha Lisa!

Sounds like your planning for a fantastic vacation! Here are some things that I hope will help you while planning for your trip.

1. Tickets: Cheap Tickets has an office in town if your on Oahu. I forget exactly where it is, but look up Cheap Tickets in the yellow pages, and you'll find the local number. It's much better to deal with them over the phone than online. I know that we used to get some great rates when we were flying back to the mainland to visit. They sell leftovers from tourist blocks, so the rate on the tickets is usually pretty good. Also, Delta has a non-stop into Atlanta (Flight 50/51). If you can get a good deal on that flight, it's a good way to go. I know long airplane rides can be a drag, but this flight really isn't that bad (I promise... I did it alone with two kids twice!). If you choose to drive from Atlanta, it's less than 7 hours from Hartsfield to WDW. You may be able to get a good deal on flights out of Atlanta though.

2. Accomodations: The first thing you need to figure out is if you want to stay onsite or offsite. As many others have mentioned, check out Mousesavers.com for info. I would also check out the DVC Rent/Trade Board here on the DIS Boards. Read the FAQs, and get an idea of how it works. Rather than trying for a Grand Villa, I think I would actually look at getting a 2 BR and a studio. Looking at the ages, it looks like the grandparents will be coming along, and this would give them a place to hang out by themselves, so they can get away from it all.

3. If anyone in your family is in the military, look at the ticket rates through ITR. Another great site to check out for information and ticket rates is WDWIG

Hope this helps you starting out!

Lisa

 

[OzFan]

With a party of your size you can also ask the airline for a group rate. I know that ATA and Southwest Airlines offers a group rate at a great discount. There are 16 of us flying and we are saving over $100 in airfare for our family alone. I must also agree with the above posters, rent DVC points! We do this every year and saves us BIG! As for the planning stage, we held a planning night and watched the Disney planning video. I brought my maps from last year and all of my photos. If this is your first trip you can go to any travel agency and get brochures, and check books out of the library. Planning to me is most of the fun!
Hope this helps!

 

[bridgettesmom]

I guess everything has been covered by now..But, I have to say Wow!!!... mudnuri .. for someone who has never been to the world..You have certainly shocked me with your knowledge..Congratulations!!!!...You are now a graduate of the disboard!!

We are all so proud!!!

 

[vald1977]

Hi MeNZ2DizNee,
I just wanted to add that you may want to think about renting two vehicles instead of just one (maybe 2 minivans may work for you?). It may be nice to split up for dinners or even if some want to head home before the rest.

As for a vacation home, you may also want to check out the Orlando Hotels and Attractions board. There are many threads over there on this subject and many helpful people as well to answer questions.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[kilee]

As someone who planned a trip for 12 people (9 of them newbies) this past fall. Here is my thoughts:

-I have to agree with renting 2-3 vehicles. That many people relying on one van is too stressful.

-DOWN TIME--- my family is close and we love each other, but after 5-6 days we all need alittle down time. We went for 8 days. We had one day were everyone could do there thing. At the parks we split up alittle every day. We started each morning off together, we had meals together as well as the parades and fireworks. That many people trying to get to one place at any given time, for an entire trip gets tiresome.

-Budget-- be sure everyone is one the same page. Tom may not be able to spend as much as Mary. It is hard when kids A B & C are all getting souvineers galore, but D & E aren't!! Try to all be on the same page with this.

-Also, the rental homes are a great idea. If possible, maybe try 2 neighboring ones. Once again. Too much togetherness can ruin a good thing. We rented 2 homes, we had a 5 bedroom and a 3 bedroom. We did end up with one totally empty room. But it gave us breathing room. I think even 2 houses in January shouldn't end up costing alot. If not, even a 7 bedroom will reasonable.

-Fly the whole way-- it will make life much easier. Talk to your physician about your son making the flight. They may be able to help you out there.

-Take advantage of the Magical Gatherings Disney is now offering.

-LASTLY HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!

 

[Jana49]

My DH and I are taking our grown kids and grandkids in March of next year, and I agree with all the advice you've gotten so far. I've got all the park-hopper tickets bought, and will be paying on resort ressies soon. Then the airline tickets will be after that!

Just a thought - some vacation home are really expensive - especially the 3-4br you would need - and for the same or less money, you could stay at a value resort at Disney (3-4 rooms) and not have to rent any cars/vans. You'd still have to get to and from the airport, but the cost would be much less. Plus, you would save on parking fees by using the free Dis transportation. And you would have Disney Magic 24/7.

We always take stuff with us for breakfast in the room and take snacks, too, which saves lots of $$.

Just a thought...
Jana