Please help me get our Disney stay as cheap as possible!

[Sundancer UK]

Well I've gone through looooads of options tonight

As we spent most of our days in the parks and stayed in the resort only for sleeping (apart from one afternoon in the pool), I know that all we need of a hotel is a comfortable place to rest, somewhere for the drinks refills and snacks to grab for breakfast, and nearby bus stops to the parks!

As they all pretty much have this - we're looking at what ever costs least Looking at POFQ I must admit I'm disppointed in the way it looks compared to ASMu, it's just not 'Disney' at all in comparison, if you know what I mean?
But it costs a whole lot less, it's not really further from the parks and it has the free dining. I'm sure once we're there (if we go) we will love it!

Checking it with direct flights added, it's £8918 which is actually less than I had anticipated. With my children being older and having an extra child, I had expected about £10,000 or more! I know things like insurance, a passport for baby, some table service meals and spending money will bump it up considerably, but I'm thinking we can work with this.
Oh, and of course the other thing to think about it price rises between now and 2014!

How can I know when to book to get free dining?

 

[2Tiggies]

Well I've gone through looooads of options tonight

As we spent most of our days in the parks and stayed in the resort only for sleeping (apart from one afternoon in the pool), I know that all we need of a hotel is a comfortable place to rest, somewhere for the drinks refills and snacks to grab for breakfast, and nearby bus stops to the parks!

As they all pretty much have this - we're looking at what ever costs least Looking at POFQ I must admit I'm disppointed in the way it looks compared to ASMu, it's just not 'Disney' at all in comparison, if you know what I mean?
But it costs a whole lot less, it's not really further from the parks and it has the free dining. I'm sure once we're there (if we go) we will love it!

Checking it with direct flights added, it's £8918 which is actually less than I had anticipated. With my children being older and having an extra child, I had expected about £10,000 or more! I know things like insurance, a passport for baby, some table service meals and spending money will bump it up considerably, but I'm thinking we can work with this.
Oh, and of course the other thing to think about it price rises between now and 2014!

How can I know when to book to get free dining?

Going through your options is a good start. Keep an open mind for new ones that might arise; you will need to define your cutting point when you feel that the flexibility of many options is being over ruled by confusion of too many, if you know what I mean.

I think something you need to bear in mind is that you have one very young child and a baby. While I can relate to just crashing and taking a shower at a resort and burning 12-16 hours a day at the parks, I could not IMAGINE doing this with a baby and small child for 2 weeks. There may be times when you appreciate (1) the proximity of the resort from the parks and ease of getting back and (2) the amenities the actual resort itself has to offer. Each family is different and the needs and stamina of each child is different so I'm not suggesting that it's impossible to flatten those parks day in and day out, but I am guessing that you will need a little more down time with the kids due to the ages you are dealing with at the time of your trip. Yes, value resorts are OTT with their theming and have a great appeal to younger kids in particular but perhaps just while considering your options you need to also look past the 'face value' of the Disney atmosphere there and consider what the resort has to offer the other children if you are there more in the daytime this trip.

Prices for 2014 should be out in the next few months and you are right - there may be price increases and we don't know what to expect or what/if free dining will be offered so for now, we can only go by educated guesses based on past trends. Try decide and discuss with your family the various resort options while you wait so that when the price schedule is released, you have a starting point to work from.

 

[MrRomance]

OK, here's the details, set out more clearly

We would like to go in May 2014, we need to be there for a Star Wars Weekend

People:
2 adults, 4 children; 12, 11, 9 and 4 years old, one infant; 23 months - these are ages they will be in May.

Leaving from London, would prefer direct flights but if the savings are massive will consider indirect.

We need 2 weeks passes for all the parks

We would like to stay at an ASMu Family Suite

We will be getting the quick service dining plan



Now the QS plan really worked for us, and I can't imagine having the worry of making spending money last for 2 weeks for food so having a dining plan is non-negotiable. What I would love is to get it as a free dining thing - but I thought that's only available to people in the US?
I've just spoken to DH and he said that Free Dining was available when we last went, but only for the Moderate resorts. Is that the same rule now?
But from my other thread it seems that I might be able to book through the US site? (I had no idea about this before if it's true!) If it is true, how do I see if it's available in may 2014 and how do we get it?

We flew with Virgin before. I know they aren't cheap, but I think they were the cheapest direct last time. They looked after us well and we would love to go that way again if possible, but like I said, money talks...

The park passes - last time it covered all 4 parks and the water parks. Ideally we would have the same this time, it really relaxed us being able to go wherever suited us day to day, and being able to switch from one in the morning to another in the afternoon. DH says we got 2 weeks for the price of 1.
We wont be going anywhere apart from Disney parks, so really do need this!

I believe that All Star Music Family Suite is the cheapest way for us to go. This is fortunate as we all LOVED it there I do love the look of AOA, but I think ASMu is the one for us.


I'm really sorry to seem so dim here. I want to do this as well as I possibly can.
DH has said we can go for it, but he's now added the caveat "try not to be too disappointed if we just can't save enough money." - Ahem. I will be heartbroken!

So yes, I really do need all the help I can get. I value your thoughts and knowledge so so much, and I thank you in advance!

Well I've gone through looooads of options tonight

As we spent most of our days in the parks and stayed in the resort only for sleeping (apart from one afternoon in the pool), I know that all we need of a hotel is a comfortable place to rest, somewhere for the drinks refills and snacks to grab for breakfast, and nearby bus stops to the parks!

As they all pretty much have this - we're looking at what ever costs least Looking at POFQ I must admit I'm disppointed in the way it looks compared to ASMu, it's just not 'Disney' at all in comparison, if you know what I mean?
But it costs a whole lot less, it's not really further from the parks and it has the free dining. I'm sure once we're there (if we go) we will love it!

Checking it with direct flights added, it's £8918 which is actually less than I had anticipated. With my children being older and having an extra child, I had expected about £10,000 or more! I know things like insurance, a passport for baby, some table service meals and spending money will bump it up considerably, but I'm thinking we can work with this.
Oh, and of course the other thing to think about it price rises between now and 2014!

How can I know when to book to get free dining?

Hi!

The first thing I would say is that you should wait until the Disney Travel Company release the 2014 holiday options. In my experience, the earlier you book, the better the deal you can get. Virgin holidays release their holiday packages before Disney directly but you need all of the information before you can make an informed decision. Usually, Disney release their deals in April.

With a party such as yours, you are going to need accommodation that is big enough for you all, and it's is going to be tricky. If the dining plan is a MUST have and you want free dining, you're going to need to look at moderate resorts. Disney stopped offering free dining on value resorts a while ago.

When Disney release the 2014 holiday packages, look at the deluxe DVC resorts (Old Key West and Saratoga Springs), both have the option of 2 bedroom villas. This will allow you to be in one space and will also offer free regular dining (if they offer the same deals as they did in previous years).

Last year the early offer for OKW and SSR was as follows:

35% off hotel
14 for the price of 7 tickets
Free Dining
$200 gift card for spending money

You will not be able to book flights when they release the holiday package, but you can add them later or book them separately as we did.

 

[Sundancer UK]

You know what? I remembered that the Disboards was the best place for any WDW information, but I had forgotten just HOW lovely, quick and helpful people are here. Thank you so so much.

2Tiggies, our baby will be one month older than his brother was when we last went, so I know we can manage that. A possible issue is his brother, who at 4 will still get quite tired - our second youngest last time was 6 and he was fine (we walk a lot anyway, but the heat makes the difference) but 4 is still small. Knowing that the hotel resort will provide for the bigger kids is definitely important though, thanks
I should add that we weren't in the parks all day every day - we found a method that worked for us! Out early to do the parks in the coolest time of day, 'home' for a nap and then back out but at a much slower pace.

MrRomance, hi I've checked both those resorts and they both come in a fair bit pricier than POFQ at the moment. Thanks for the information on when new prices normally come out though, I shall have another night like this where I check a squillion different options I'm sure!

Does anyone know when SWW dates are normally announced? I'm torn between wanting to book really early, and running the risk of missing the Star Wars fun. My children are SW mad so it really needs to be done again!

 

[OhanaSam]

Does anyone know when SWW dates are normally announced? I'm torn between wanting to book really early, and running the risk of missing the Star Wars fun. My children are SW mad so it really needs to be done again!

I believe they're announced in December/January each year and are generally the last two weekends of May and first two of June.

 

[Sundancer UK]

Thanks OhanaSam

So Disney usually release their deals in April, and the sooner I book the more likely I am to get a good offer.
BUT
Star Wars Weekend dates aren't usually announced until December/January, and they can vary.


I think I might have to risk missing a good deal, to make sure I get SWW

 

[OhanaSam]

Thanks OhanaSam

So Disney usually release their deals in April, and the sooner I book the more likely I am to get a good offer.
BUT
Star Wars Weekend dates aren't usually announced until December/January, and they can vary.


I think I might have to risk missing a good deal, to make sure I get SWW

We're going for the first SWW this year and we got free QSDP and $200 gift card

 

[Sundancer UK]

We're going for the first SWW this year and we got free QSDP and $200 gift card

I hope I share some of your luck in 2014 When did you book yours?
Have fun! We thought SWW was amazing. We were so lucky - not knowing anything about WDW we just booked the holiday and were pleased when we realised it went through a SWW - but if I'd known how cool it was I'd have been even more delighted!

 

[OhanaSam]

I hope I share some of your luck in 2014 When did you book yours?
Have fun! We thought SWW was amazing. We were so lucky - not knowing anything about WDW we just booked the holiday and were pleased when we realised it went through a SWW - but if I'd known how cool it was I'd have been even more delighted!

We booked in June I think through Disney, was handy only having to pay the deposit

 

[Sundancer UK]

So does that mean you booked without knowing for certain it would fall on a SWW? I've been reading that they've had SWW all in June before now and I am just so worried we will miss it if I book end of May dates!

 

[OhanaSam]

So does that mean you booked without knowing for certain it would fall on a SWW? I've been reading that they've had SWW all in June before now and I am just so worried we will miss it if I book end of May dates!

Yeh we really wanted to go for it too so just booked and hoped for the best and luckily we'll catch the first weekend

Also if we had of booked our flights separately through virgin they were about £100 cheaper than Disney were for the same flight. We just chose to do it through Disney because we could just pay the deposit

 

[Samaya]

So does that mean you booked without knowing for certain it would fall on a SWW? I've been reading that they've had SWW all in June before now and I am just so worried we will miss it if I book end of May dates!

If not already seen have a read of the following for past SWW dates and announcements up to 2010 at...
http://www.studioscentral.com/column/studios-weekly/what-about-star-wars-weekends

and...
http://www.starwarsweekends.net/history/swwhistory.htm

and Wikipedia has some basic info on the weekends with other links such as http://allears.net/tp/mgm/m_starwars.htm listed under References at the bottom of the page at...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Weekends

 

[Sundancer UK]

Thank you, Samaya, and Sam.

I have a feeling that as this is our last WDW trip until my children are adults (at least!), I'm going to have to ensure we hit SWW - even if that means taking the risk of spending more... It wouldn't be so bad if we were able to go back more often, but as this will be the lingering childhood memory, I want to get it right.

 

[Sundancer UK]

Hey all - sorry to resurrect an old thread, I forgot it was here!

So it's now June, and I've been fake booking again

Am I being dim?
If I go to the Disney website I can see a bit telling me about free dining, $200 gift card and 14 for 7 tickets.
But when I start booking for POFQ (which I love now by the way!), it wants to charge me for QSDP

What am I doing wrong?

Edited to add: I'm entering dates 13-27th may 2014 and for one adult and two children (12 and 11).

 

[Samaya]

Hey all - sorry to resurrect an old thread, I forgot it was here!

So it's now June, and I've been fake booking again

Am I being dim?
If I go to the Disney website I can see a bit telling me about free dining, $200 gift card and 14 for 7 tickets.
But when I start booking for POFQ (which I love now by the way!), it wants to charge me for QSDP

What am I doing wrong?

Edited to add: I'm entering dates 13-27th may 2014 and for one adult and two children (12 and 11).

Just tried a dummy booking and free dinning is there, showing up as 'Enjoy a FREE Disney Quick (Counter) Service Dining Plan for your stay worth £1,091.58 when you add Disney Tickets!'

Total price: £2,836.00
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter
1 Adult, 2 Children
Standard View from 13th May 2014 - 27th May 2014

Disney's 14 Day Ultimate Ticket
3 x Disney's 14 Day Ultimate Ticket (Ages 10 and Up)
Your Disney Tickets are valid for use from 13th May 2014
Your package includes a 14 Day ticket for the price of a 7 Day!

Disney Quick (Counter) Service Dining Plan
3 x Disney Quick (Counter) Service Dining Plan (Ages 10 and Up)
Book now and enjoy FREE dining worth £1,091.58!

Disney's Magical Express
As a guest staying in a Disney Resort Hotel you are eligible for Disney's Magical Express transfer service which provides FREE transportation from and to Orlando International Airport (MCO).

 

[flortlebap]

Hey all - sorry to resurrect an old thread, I forgot it was here!

So it's now June, and I've been fake booking again

Am I being dim?
If I go to the Disney website I can see a bit telling me about free dining, $200 gift card and 14 for 7 tickets.
But when I start booking for POFQ (which I love now by the way!), it wants to charge me for QSDP

What am I doing wrong?

Edited to add: I'm entering dates 13-27th may 2014 and for one adult and two children (12 and 11).

Are the dates you're using definitely valid?

And have you actually selected the ticket option to add on - its not automatically done as a package so it could be a simple box ticking error

 

[MommaBearof4]

Not being from the UK, I am not sure if your booking site is different, but over here we have to click on Special Offers and select the offer we want. Right now it is free dining from Sept 2 to I think the 28, and a room discount from mid August to the end of Sept. if you just book from the regular reservations page and you book during a time period they will NOT apply the discount. For us Special Offers is at the bottom of the page and when you key in your dates there, if you are outside the offer window it automatically chooses some within the offer period. If your dates are within the offer period, once you have booked you should see a banner with your offer displayed. So, for example you want free dining, there will be a rectangle about mid page, mine was blue and in it said something like "late summer free dining offer". Then I knew I had the offer.

Good luck

 

[Sundancer UK]

Thanks for all of your replies

Yes, I'm sure that I clicked all the correct buttons. I tried both through the usual booking bit and through the button saying free dining offer.
And yep, it's real acceptable dates. Too early for flights, but Disney tickets and resort are fine for these dates.

So today I've tried it again - and it's all different!
The free dining option is now showing!
But there's no standard view room!
The page shows garden view and water view as options to select. Standard kingsize is there but in grey and not an option I can click as our party is too big.
I want to go for standard view!

Frustrated and a little confused.

 

[Sundancer UK]

Argh!

You may choose not to believe me but I swear I'm telling the truth.
I just restarted my computer and tried again. The whole page looked different. I clicked the option to book early for free dining (it's telling me I only have 11 days left!) and when I tried to select a hotel, Port Orleans French Quarter was not there.

HOW?!?!?!

I selected "Disney's Port Orleans Resorts", thinking the two might be lumped together, but it only gives me Port Orleans Riverside! Something is up with this website

Edited to add: I'm not logged in this time. Wonder if that's made a difference. And of course I can't find the log in button!

Editd again - sorry!: I've logged in. I've also managed to find POFQ, but there's still no sign of a standard view room. We really don't care about views, so I don't want to pay for a garden view!

 

[Sundancer UK]

Final update, before I go scream in to a pillow, Lilo style

I had a rather well timed survey pop up on my screen. I politely let rip. It was a good vent for my frustrations.

I now have two windows open on my computer (as we are booking two rooms).
One has got right up to the itinerary page before you finalise things and has POFQ standard room, 14 for 7 park tickets, free dining, etc.
The other is stuck on the POFQ page, because I just can not get it to give me the standard view option.

I think we're going to have to phone and get help!