Please help! Is it worth going?

[Soprano]

I'd like to book 2 adults 2 kids to DLP for a few days, but to be honest, I'm finding the price pretty shocking when compared to WDW.
Obviously, the overall cost to Orlando compare to France is big, but each time I look at booking, (I have been doing so for a few years) I just cannot justify the price. I am doing something wrong?

We want to stay at the either Newport Bay Club or Disney's Sequoia Lodge, in June this year for 4 nights and have Eurostar/theme park tickets. This all adds up to over £1k. Our holiday to Orlando in February last year cost £1957.95 for 17 days!!

Fair enough, we didn't stay onsite, nor did this include Disney tickets, but still covered air fare, car (ex. Insurance) and moderate hotel…

I'd really like to see the place, but am very put off at the cost which does not really seem to have the same value for money. The official DLP site is not running properly for me right now, too! I just cannpt seem to find a decent deal for us to go.

Grateful for any advice.

 

[disneypointer]

Hi,

I've been to both and would recommend DLP if the kids are under 10 and WDW if they are over - there is far more to do in Florida.

Keep trying with the prices, we did Sequioa Lodge for 5 nights in Jun 05 and it cost about £700 to £800 I think. Off next week to stay in Disneyland Hotel and its only costing £900!

Look for the free night offers and try different travel agents, I used an independent last time and Cresta this time. Time of year makes a big difference, obviously.

Its so easy to get to and get round - WDW is massive isn't it. DLP can be walked all round and easy to drive to as well - I wanted to go by Eurostar this time but it is over £300 cheaper to drive down via the channel tunnel.

Lastly have a look at the almost on site hotels; we are staying for the first night in the Holiday Inn at DLP so that we can hit the park early the next morning. It is costing 88 Euros for the room including breakfast for all of us - bargain! Friends of ours keep going back to Explorers and say its good.

Hope this helps.

 

[sweetiepie71]

Don't forget that the DLP prices includes a pretty good breakfast.

To be honest though you aren't comparing like for like as your DLP price includes all passes for the whole of your stay, 17 days worth of WDW world passes would add another £3000-£4000 to your £2000.

Plus another £350 for breakfasts if you say £5 a head which is good for Paris.

So really your offsite WDW break if it was comparable to a DLRP trip would be approx £6500 for 17 days plus food, or £382 per day.

Your DLRP quote of £1000 for 5 days/4 nights works out at £200 a day.

I used to also look at the DLRP prices and think how expensive it was, and that it wasn't worth the money so our first trip was a self drive to the Santa Fe in January and it cost us £280 for 3 days for 2 adults and 3 kids with the kids go free offer. You can do DLP on a budget, whereas you can't really do WDW on the same budget. In the same way, you can splurge on a trip at DLP in just the same way as you can splurge on a WDW trip.

Amanda x

 

[Soprano]

Thanks for that info. I'll do more digging.

Both kids 4 and 5, loved their WDW trip last year. I'm just trying to get over the value-for-money side of Orlando, where everything is so cheap compared to here and DLP.

 

[dlpSteve]

Maybe you would consdier staying in a cheaper hotel? My favourite hotel is the Cheyenne which is a Western themed hotel and would I'm sure be a great attraction in itself for your children with the fort and play area, not to mention donkey rides! There is also a C&W band which play in the bar 5 nights a week. You pay less but get more with the Cheyenne, IMO anyway.

 

[Soprano]

Cheyenne looks GREAT, but I was a bit worried it would be noisey at night with teens.

My 1st and only trip to DLP we were supposed to be staying in Cheyenne, but got upgraded to Newport for free.

 

[dlpSteve]

I've never been troubled by noise and I'm a really light sleeper, then I'm always shattered after a day at DLRP. The great thing is that all the buildings are true to the Western period so only 2 stories high, thus there aren't that many people in each block, not compared to 1,000 room hotel anyway!

 

[disneypointer]

Highly recommend the sequioa lodge, it seems to be mid-budget and it is the sheapest one with a pool - very important as far as my kids are concerned.

 

[MorganB]

Keep in mind that the dollar is way way down so it makes florida a cheap buy. The euro is much stronger so you arent getting a currency exchange discount.

 

[lizbro]

Thanks for that info. I'll do more digging.

Both kids 4 and 5, loved their WDW trip last year. I'm just trying to get over the value-for-money side of Orlando, where everything is so cheap compared to here and DLP.

i could be wrong here but i`m sure i read that in dlp for the 15th anniversary year from april 07 all kids from 0-7 yrs are free?
i can`t seem to find any info to quote but i could`ve sworn i read it in the new dlp 15th anniversary brochure,if so then this summer would be the best time to go!
will try and find some info
liz

 

[lizbro]

ok from what i can see from march 30th kids under 7 play and stay free so its only eurostar you would pay for them,don`t know if that helps!

 

[DebIreland]

I've had the exact same thoughts as you on the cost issue. But I do wonder if it's just the yearning for WDW that makes us justify the cost! lol!! Certainly if you boil it down to a per day price, WDW works out much cheaper. Food is such good value over there, not to mention the exchange rate making it cheaper again. But when all is said and done, it's still an expensive holiday (though well worth it) and believe me, I researched every last detail and stayed onsite with great rates! No matter how you do WDW though, between flights, tickets, accommodation and the fact that you need a long stay (hurrah!!!) to justify the flight costs/time it adds up!!!

I can't justify a third trip to WDW in the near future (it's looking like 2009) so we're also looking in DLP for this year or early next year. Some of the non-Disney hotels look like good value, like the Holiday Inn, though I'm in the very early stages of researching them. The 'kids go free' and 'extra night free' offers look quite good too and did I read that those offers can be combined?? I think I did. I'd say try to shift away from comparing per-day WDW to DLP rate and look at the overall cost which will be far less (yes, for less time of course). Also it's a great opportunity too to tour such an amazing Paris and show the kids some very famous sites.

Good luck!! I hope you report back to let us know what you've decided.

 

[*leanne*]

The 'kids go free' and 'extra night free' offers look quite good too and did I read that those offers can be combined?? I think I did. .

Hi!

Yes, they can be combined. I have booked and taken advantage of both offers. It made quite a difference to the cost. You can also get free children's character breakfasts and free children's tickets for buffalo bill's as well.

Being a bit of a bargain hunter, I also booked accomodation and travel separately and took my hotel quotes round the different travel agents who will often beat their competitors.

 

[Raci]

You can also get free children's character breakfasts and free children's tickets for buffalo bill's as well.

I think this is only on the kids go free deal from Jan to March.
After that the deal changes to kids under 7 stay and play free which I think is only for the park tickets and hotel stay.
Still a good saving though especially when you combine it with an extra day and night free if possible.

 

[Soprano]

I'd say try to shift away from comparing per-day WDW to DLP rate and look at the overall cost which will be far less (yes, for less time of course).

This is my problem. I look at DLP, do the sums, then a small voice inside me says "Hey, 4 nights in DLP is half the price of Orlando flight and hotel for 2 and a half weeks…..why not wait a little longer...just save a bit more…lovely weather…great spending..." I'm very weak when I hear this voice.

I still see DLP being more of a 'break', than an actual holiday.


Thanks for advice, all. I'll see what pops up in the months to come. Right now, I can't see the 'Kids stay free' options yet, so I suppose I'll wait until they appear and may book something then.

 

[lizbro]

if you get a chance to pop into a travel agents and get the new brochure,its yellow with a big 15 on the front all the kids free info is in there

 

[Soprano]

Thanks, I'll do that and see what's on offer.