Planning on a budget...

[ChiTownGrl]

Hi all, I'm planning our first family trip to WDW in April 2005(Spring Break) for 4-5 days. Me, DH, DD (4), DS (1) and possibly extended family. I would like to stay on Disney property but some family members are on a budget. What are the advantages of staying off-site & is it really cheaper??? Also, I, my parents & in-laws have AAA...how much does this help? Oh, they have AARP too! Can you get discounts on tickets, hotel, food? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[TammyAlphabet]

My suggestion would be to get adjoining rooms at one of the value resorts. This is your first trip, and you only have a short time, I would want the children immersed in the magic. Try the All-stars movies or the Pop Century, the hotels themselves are entertaining. Plus, the extra evening hours and early entry perks are for resort guests only, so you can take advantage of that. Plus, there are discounts for rooms for AAA members (I think)? Stay onsite, you will not regret it. You can take advantage of the easy return to the room for a nap for the little ones or some quiet swimming in the afternoon to recharge and go back to the parks for the nighttime activities. In any case, have a great time.

 

[disneysteve]

What are the advantages of staying off-site & is it really cheaper???Thanks!

You can stay offsite in nice accomodations for less than an onsite value. What are the advantages? Cheaper, lots more space, less hectic. There are plenty of places close enough to easily go back for a mid-day break. You will also be surrounded by inexpensive restaurants which also helps cut costs.

Personally, I would not stay onsite with 4 people in a room, especially at a value where the rooms are rather small. Offsite, for the same price (or less) you could get a 2 room suite so the kids would be in one bedroom and you and your spouse could be in a different bedroom. Plus you would have a kitchen. You could save even more by eating breakfast in the room or preparing simple meals one or two nites.

If you are willing to stay with the other family members, you could look into renting a pool home. There are homes from 3-8 bedrooms in the area. If you split the cost with others, your share would likely be less than the cost of a room onsite.

 

[blanq]

I am a diehard WDW resort fan, so you might want to factor in that bias when you consider my answer. That said, it is your first trip and you are staying for only a few days. Further, you are going to WDW during a busy time (especially if your Spring Break falls at the beginning of April) and 4 to 5 days is really very little time to see WDW (even during less busy times), so I personally would stay on sight so that you minimize your driving back and forth to an offsite location and maximize the time you can spend enjoying all that WDW has to offer. Also, you have a 1 year old and a 4 year old, who likely will need a break during the day. By staying at a WDW resort, you can quickly get back to your resort for a break and then head back to the parks once everyone gets their second wind. If it is just you, DH and the kids, a value or moderate room will suit you just fine. If you are going with extended family, you are most definitely better off with two connecting rooms. WDW does have AAA discounts (although they are not as large as discounts you can get with codes). I personally don't think that the value/moderate resorts are all that costly, but no doubt you can get cheaper digs offsite. If you have not yet done so, check out the WDW resorts at www.allearsnet.com (follow the accommodations link) and you can view some great photos of all the WDW resorts, as well as get some factual information. www.mousesavers.com has some great information regarding available discounts.

 

[Microcell]

I have done both and when you figure in the cost of parking at the park, (if you don't want to wait for the shuttles from off site hotels- Holiday inn for instance only runs shuttles 4 times a day or so), it saves you more especially if you get a room only code from Mousesavers for a Value Resort- which the kids like better. None are available curently, buit maybe after Christmas? Yes the room is smaller, but how long will you really be in the room? It is the size of a Motel 6 or Comfort Inn. Even with naps- one parent will be swimming with the older one while the younger one sleeps with one parent watching TV or reading anyway if you are like us.

Some people maintain you don't even have to rent a car when staying onsite (we do and will next trip because we are driving from Tampa- since the flights from KC are cheaper there) but if you do and use it to go to the parks parking is free for resort guests.

The food is expensive there is the only drawback, but I have an answer for that too, I am getting Cereal and Milk and ice for the cooler at Walmart (some have bought a dorm refrigerator) and we are doing breakfast in the room. Because I have anti trust issues with Walmart, I may try Publix when we are there. I am a hypocrite because I find myself at the big corporate monster because it is a half a mile away from my house, but I digress!

 

[disneysteve]

By staying at a WDW resort, you can quickly get back to your resort for a break

This depends on where you are staying, where you happen to be and how the buses are running. Many times, getting back to your hotel can be far from quick. There are many offsite hotels that are actually closer to some of the Disney parks than the Disney hotels are. Last trip, we were less than 3 miles door to door from our resort to Animal Kingdom and exactly 3 miles to MGM. We could be back in our room in less time than it would take to wait for a Disney bus to show up.

Even with naps- one parent will be swimming with the older one while the younger one sleeps with one parent watching TV or reading anyway if you are like us.

Now this would not work for my family. If DD was sleeping, we had the lights and TV off. That left DW and I sitting in the bathroom with the door closed and whispering to each other. By staying in an offsite suite or condo, DD can go to sleep in her room and DW and I can be awake, talking, watching TV, etc. in our room or in the living room. Much more comfortable for everyone. Also, in the morning, if DD wakes up first, she doesn't wake us like she does in a hotel room. So we all sleep better.