planning for Dec. 2003

[tommymommy]

Hi, I am a single mom, 47, planning first ever trip (and possibly only ever) to WDW w/DS, 9, for Dec. value season 2003, 5-6 nites. Plan on staying @ASMovies, going to MK,AK,EC, MGM 1 day ea. Maybe DQ? DS will be 11 by 12/03 so will buy 2 adult passes. Would appreciate thoughts on whether PH tix best for us, think it is possible to upgrade room during value season to moderate, maybe CBR? Planning 1 Character Meal and possibly 3 ps meals for MK fireworks, Illuminations, and Fantasmic. Extremely limited budget, will take till 03 to save up, LOL! Thinking of purchasing PH tix as I can afford them as they never expire. Then start room $, air fare. Should I start by purchasing DC membership? Join AAA? Need as many discounts as I can find! Sorry to run on, have been reading these boards for a few weeks, they are great! Compliments to all and thanks!:

 

[christianweecare]

tommymommy,

I'm a 46 year old mommy that has been to WDW countless times with my two children (now grown) and hubby. IMHO, (LOL), I would stick with the All Star resort for you and your son. You will have just as much fun staying at a value resort as a moderate, and that will be dollars saved that can go towards something else. You will find that you will not spend much time in the room, anyway. Just sleeping and bathing. Also, the park hopper passes would probably be a good choice for you given the length of your stay. We have had a DC membership for years. It has saved us money on lodging, tickets, meals, and merchandise at Downtown Disney. By the way, your son will probably love DQ!
Also, I should mention that the DC discounts are pretty much the same as AAA. We have both though. Have a wonderful time! We will be at POFQ this Nov. All Star Movies next Jan. And probably one of the All Stars and either AKL or WL next Dec. Make lots of memories!

 

[2TxAgs]

Hi Tommymommy - welcome to a great website!

My first (and probably only - I THOUGHT) trip was Dec. 2000 with 3 small kids. Had such a blast, we went back the following year!
I'd bet you'll enjoy it - go next year on the cheap, so you'll be in good shape to start saving towards the SECOND trip!

For us, the DC card nearly paid for itself just with the 5% savings on the tickets. We went for a week - bought 4 day PH passes. We used the off days to play mini-golf and drive out to the beach. We split our stay between on-site and off - saved money but still got a taste of the 'Disney magic' so many enjoy when they stay onsite. As you said, the PH tickets do not expire, so you can save and buy now (before any potential price increases negate the DC savings...), then start saving for the other expenses.

We've not had a character meal yet - the kids have had plenty of character time in the parks chasing autographs. I'm sure they're great, but too $$ for us for what I perceive to be a couple of minutes of one-on-one time with Mickey or Goofy. Actually, we got TONS of one-on-one time with Mickey when we met him in the judges tent in MK last December. You're going at a slower time of year - the wait in line was only about 30 minutes to see him. Consider skipping the character meal and checking out the characters in the Judges tent if you want to save $$.

Have fun planning and keep an eye on these boards for deals.

TxAg