Please help - Newbie and staying off property

kellicj

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
1
My aunt is giving us her points at Hilton Vacation club properties so that we can stay for free. I've been trying to wade through the posts, but it seems like most of the packages involve meals and lodging.

If we stay there should we still buy a meal plan? Is it going to save us a lot of money by not staying on the Disney properties? I think if we aren't at the resorts we'll have to pay to park and rent a car.

Another other thoughts are appreciated!!

Thanks!!
 
We stayed off property many times before we bought DVC.

The reason we stayed off-property and now own a villa is for the kitchen, laundry facilities, multi-rooms, etc. since we're a family of 6.

I wouldn't invest in the meal plan unless tons of Disney dining is really going to enhance your experience.

We would and still eat our breakfasts at the villa. I also like to keep makings for pb&j, frozen pizza, etc.

We're just not into gorging ourselves silly. We don't need constant snacks or endless beverages. For us, the meal plan would not be of value.
 
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My aunt is giving us her points at Hilton Vacation club properties so that we can stay for free. I've been trying to wade through the posts, but it seems like most of the packages involve meals and lodging.

If we stay there should we still buy a meal plan? Is it going to save us a lot of money by not staying on the Disney properties? I think if we aren't at the resorts we'll have to pay to park and rent a car.

Another other thoughts are appreciated!!

Thanks!!

We are not believers in the meal plans......too much food and too much time and we hate schedules. We've found that after 44 trips to WDW, most meals are huge and easily shared, and for us, TS meals are mediocre at best. We share meals, have picnic pool lunches every day with groceries we bought in route and CS and Q'S meals are fine for us for dinner. Savings are bigger for us doing it oop.

As for staying off property....it's up to you....we won't do to WDW and stay off property....on site, Disney provides free transportation to everywhere, no parking fees, no car rental and a quick free ride back to your resort for breaks. We like this because when the parks get crowded and hot, we head back to the resort for some lunch, drinks, pool time and some A/C.

there are guests who like the off site stays, but free transport from the airport to WDW and back and the EMH's for the parks and the ease of returning to your resort, far out weigh the benefits of staying off site. To each their own but not for us. Good luck and enjoy your trip.
 
Unless something has changed I haven't read about, you can only buy a meal plan--the Disney Dining Plan-- if you are staying on Disney Property in one of their resorts. So that is a moot point unless you are willing to give up the free hotel. (someone please correct me if I am wrong)

If the place you are staying has a kitchen then you should be able to do a few meals there. You may also find yourself eating out in town, which may have more variety and cost less, if you have a car.
 
Yes - if you stay off property you will have to pay for parking each day and I think it is about $15 a day (I am an annual pass-holder so I don't pay for parking so this may be off.) In any case, even with paying gas and parking you are still spending less because your hotel is free - so in this case you will definitely be saving lots of money!
 
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Yes - if you stay off property you will have to pay for parking each day and I think it is about $15 a day (I am an annual pass-holder so I don't pay for parking so this may be off.) In any case, even with paying gas and parking you are still spending less because your hotel is free - so in this case you will definitely be saving lots of money!

If you price parking each day, cost of a rental each day, insurance on rental if needed, gas and figure the time you'll spend on the road each day.....a value resort comes pretty close if you snag a discount and then have free dining you just might come out ahead...money wise and time in the parks.

I'd have to weigh my time in travel...how far I have to drive each day and how many times I'm willing to do this each day (back to time share for the children or everyones rest) hassle of parking and traffic against a value resort with dining and no stress of driving or renting a car and see what's worth more to me.....just saying sometimes a free room off property can cost more...
 
Welcome to the Dis!

If you are staying off property, then the meal plans are not available for you to purchase. Yet, since you will have a car, you will have easy access to some great local restaurants and grocery stores.

Here are a few things to help you plan your vacation:

Purchase your tickets from an official Disney distributor, but not from Disney itself. I recommend Undercover Tourist. They are an honest company with great customer service. Cannot Say Enough Good Things about them. http://www.undercovertourist.com/

As to food, that is a very personal and subjective question. Do you really like having sit down meals at fancy restaurants, are you a grazer who likes several small meals a day, or are you an unabashed "junk food" fan? Your answer to these questions will shape how I respond, but I will say that if you eat breakfast at your condo, and then do lunch in the parks, you do NOT have to spend an arm and a leg.

Here is a web site that lists all the current menus and prices. http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm It is a lot to dig though, but for example, at Epcot there is a great kisok outside China, The Joy of Tea, that offers Lucky Combo - combination of Pork Bun, Chicken Pocket, an Egg Roll, with your choice of a soft drink and an ice cream $9.98

You can have a nice meal for ten dollars, if you plan well.

Parking at Disney is expensive, fifteen dollars a day, so you will need to budget for that, but once you pay, that is it for the day, so if you want to go to another park on one day, just show your receipt, and you will not have to pay twice.

One of my favorite Disney trips happened in the late 80's. I was in school, and poor, but I wanted away from the misery of an Indiana winter. So, when Spring Break came around, my two brothers and I, with my cousin Jen, piled into a tiny sports car with an almost non-existent back seat and drove all day and night to Florida. We brought a small tent and stayed at the KOA campground in Kissimmee. My luggage for the entire week was a small backpack. We ate peanut butter and honey sandwiches, ate a huge bag of oranges, and drank water. We only had enough money for one day's entrance, and so we did Epcot one day from rope drop to when the cleaning crew swept us toward the exit.

The only thing I bought in Disney was a Mickey Ice Cream Bar.

It was a fantastic trip. My brothers and I still laugh about how happy we were around the square concrete swimming pool at the KOA. Yet, we were warm and the sun was shining. Life didn't get much better than that.

I share this story simply to say that there are many ways to enjoy a Disney Vacation, and not all of them involve staying on property.

Have a magical vacation and enjoy planning your trip.:wizard:
 
My aunt is giving us her points at Hilton Vacation club properties so that we can stay for free. I've been trying to wade through the posts, but it seems like most of the packages involve meals and lodging.

If we stay there should we still buy a meal plan? Is it going to save us a lot of money by not staying on the Disney properties? I think if we aren't at the resorts we'll have to pay to park and rent a car.

Another other thoughts are appreciated!!

Thanks!!
The Disney Dining Plan is the main reason we stay on-site and will always stay on-site at WDW. We love the dining plan! I don't ever get all of the ridiculous posts about gourging yourself and the plan being too much food. I guess if you got the Deluxe plan I could see that, but the Basic DDP is perfect - 1 Table Service Meal, 1 Quick Service Meal and 1 snack per person per night of your stay. We have always enjoyed good food at Disney's table service restaurants. In all the years we have visited we have never had a bad meal at Disney. If you choose to stay on-site at Disney and plan to eat at least one table service meal per day, then the DDP is a money saver. If you plan on packing lunches and eating in your room, then no, the DDP is not a money saver. It's just how you vacation. I personally, would never cook or do laundry at WDW. I'm a stay-at-home mom and cooking and laundry is my life (ha ha) and I just don't do it on vacation. Also, we've been lucky enough to get the Free Dining Discount for our last 4 trips and it saved us a fortune - $1,800.00 on our December trip.

So, if you book a value resort and get a free dining discount, then yes, it probably would be cheaper for you to stay on-site vs. getting a free room. At the very least you would probably break even and have all your meals paid for. The trouble is the booking dates for this year's free dining discounts have already passed, so, right now, you're going to save more money with your aunt's free timeshare.
 
The Disney Dining Plan is the main reason we stay on-site and will always stay on-site at WDW. We love the dining plan! I don't ever get all of the ridiculous posts about gourging yourself and the plan being too much food. I guess if you got the Deluxe plan I could see that, but the Basic DDP is perfect - 1 Table Service Meal, 1 Quick Service Meal and 1 snack per person per night of your stay. We have always enjoyed good food at Disney's table service restaurants. In all the years we have visited we have never had a bad meal at Disney. If you choose to stay on-site at Disney and plan to eat at least one table service meal per day, then the DDP is a money saver. If you plan on packing lunches and eating in your room, then no, the DDP is not a money saver. It's just how you vacation. I personally, would never cook or do laundry at WDW. I'm a stay-at-home mom and cooking and laundry is my life (ha ha) and I just don't do it on vacation. Also, we've been lucky enough to get the Free Dining Discount for our last 4 trips and it saved us a fortune - $1,800.00 on our December trip.

So, if you book a value resort and get a free dining discount, then yes, it probably would be cheaper for you to stay on-site vs. getting a free room. At the very least you would probably break even and have all your meals paid for. The trouble is the booking dates for this year's free dining discounts have already passed, so, right now, you're going to save more money with your aunt's free timeshare.

Well said Princess Tiffany. I agree with your take on things.
 
The Disney Dining Plan is the main reason we stay on-site and will always stay on-site at WDW. We love the dining plan! I don't ever get all of the ridiculous posts about gourging yourself and the plan being too much food. I guess if you got the Deluxe plan I could see that, but the Basic DDP is perfect - 1 Table Service Meal, 1 Quick Service Meal and 1 snack per person per night of your stay. We have always enjoyed good food at Disney's table service restaurants. In all the years we have visited we have never had a bad meal at Disney. If you choose to stay on-site at Disney and plan to eat at least one table service meal per day, then the DDP is a money saver. If you plan on packing lunches and eating in your room, then no, the DDP is not a money saver. It's just how you vacation. I personally, would never cook or do laundry at WDW. I'm a stay-at-home mom and cooking and laundry is my life (ha ha) and I just don't do it on vacation. Also, we've been lucky enough to get the Free Dining Discount for our last 4 trips and it saved us a fortune - $1,800.00 on our December trip.

So, if you book a value resort and get a free dining discount, then yes, it probably would be cheaper for you to stay on-site vs. getting a free room. At the very least you would probably break even and have all your meals paid for. The trouble is the booking dates for this year's free dining discounts have already passed, so, right now, you're going to save more money with your aunt's free timeshare.

This is pretty much exactly what I was going to write - i work HARD at home at a FT job outside the home and FT at home taking care of stuff. For my family, the DP is perfect - 1 snack (fruit)? 1 QS for lunch, 1 TS for dinner (we are ready to sit and be waited on by then!). That said I understand from family members who are snow birds that there are some great inexpensive places right outside disney property so if you don't mind the constant driving back and forth (I would mind that) then off site is good too.

You can get a free quote from DreamsUnlimited.com for the time you want to go -- if you can get a better deal on property, they will tell you! (they sponsor this board I think)
 














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