Pricing up for our trip with friends

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi again

I have been doing some pricing up for our trip next Oct - just something rough using this years prices -to give my friends an idea of what this holiday will cost them and I must say I am quite shocked at how expensive it looks like it will be and I am worried that it might put them off.

As you know we are providing most of the accomodation through our DVC and I thought that this would help - but now I am not sure it will!!!

For flights with Virgin atlantic, seperate car hire/ins (compact car only), 1 night at Royal Pacific hotel, 2 day park passes at Universal, 1 day at Seaworld & 14 day pass for Disney, I am making it almost £4000 for the 4 of them for 2 weeks (2 adults and 2 children - 5 and 8 years old). Does that seem a lot to you???

By the time they add on spending money for food and souvenirs I reckon this 'affordable' holiday will cost them £6000!!! What would you think if I came to you with that price??? (I am sure they will have an amazing time with MK views at BLT and savannah views at AKV - a real holiday of a lifetime, but still £6K???!!!!)

I wanted to run it past you guys before I tell them and possibly put them off altogether.

 

[Zeebs]

Our trip for May is currently sitting at £4005 for 2 weeks staying offsite

Flying into Miami with miles plus money £1800
Car hire £420
Accommodation £950 including night in Miami and then 4 bed pool home.
tickets £825

Still to add tickets to Seaworld if we decide to go and obviously meals etc.

So looking about right I would think.

Kirsten

 

[wayneg]

Difficult to compare but sounds expensive without Disney hotel.
We are taking relatives in August, probably most expensive 2 weeks of the year.
This is for 2 adults and 1 child
Old Key West, 14 day tickets and Dining plan £2,261
3 Virgin flights(Eco out, PE in) £2,480
Car £210
SW/Busch 14 day tix £204

Total £5,155, 1 less child/flight but OKW incl & DDP which will mean their spending will be just tips & gifts.

1 thing I noticed, you said 2 days at Universal, its usually cheaper to buy a 14 day ticket than 2 days.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2631236

Never easy costing something until prices are released.

 

[paulh]

its the virgin bit that's costing the mega money look at indirect or a charter to Sanford
with someone like Thomson you could knock a about £800 of the flights.
Virgin are nice but to us its not about getting there its about being there so we spend the money there
Look at flights all the time book flights when cheapest usilay 11months out and 7 months out and around Xmas time
Paul

 

[disneyholic family]

please update us with their reaction.....i'd love to know what they think!!

 

[wayneg]

its the virgin bit that's costing the mega money look at indirect or a charter to Sanford
with someone like Thomson you could knock a about £800 of the flights.
Virgin are nice but to us its not about getting there its about being there so we spend the money there
Look at flights all the time book flights when cheapest usilay 11months out and 7 months out and around Xmas time
Paul

Depends on time of year, dates for the trip I posted above Thomson want £2,907.00, which has come down slightly, it was over £3k for economy both ways, at least they are coming back in PE with Virgin for £2,480.

 

[paulh]

Depends on time of year, dates for the trip I posted above Thomson want £2,907.00, which has come down slightly, it was over £3k for economy both ways, at least they are coming back in PE with Virgin for £2,480.

personally think virgin over rated,think yourself and me would always go for the cheaper option
Paul

 

[OrlandoMagic]

Do you have to fly with Virgin? When we were pricing up our flights we found them VERY expensive! Have you priced up alternative airlines?

Also have you considered flying to an alternative destination? We are flying into Tampa because MCO was so expensive and we have saved about £230 each!

 

[2Tiggies]

Do you have to fly with Virgin? When we were pricing up our flights we found them VERY expensive! Have you priced up alternative airlines?

Also have you considered flying to an alternative destination? We are flying into Tampa because MCO was so expensive and we have saved about £230 each!

I have to agree with this. Had I not gone the indirect route this year, we would have upped our expenses by a few hundred ££.

Offsite sounds a bit pricey at 6k. If it were onsite I would say it sounds about right though. DD and I are half the family of four, as it's just the two of us (she's 8, so still a child even by Disney standards). Without spending money, but with Disney mod hotel, free dining park tickets and indirect flights to MCO we are sitting at a little over £3k.

I realise there are kids involved so school is an issue, but is there any chance of going the last week of September/first week of October? That alone shaved another several hundred pounds off of what I (could not afford to) pay. Prices for flights and resorts jumped from 1st October. Disney resort pegs 1st October as the beginning of a new seasonal category in their pricing structure.

 

[wayneg]

personally think virgin over rated,think yourself and me would always go for the cheaper option
Paul

I would go further than overated, I would say from being near market leader 10-12 years ago to bottom of the pile but they were cheapest option for us this August for a direct flight.

Do you have to fly with Virgin? When we were pricing up our flights we found them VERY expensive! Have you priced up alternative airlines?

Also have you considered flying to an alternative destination? We are flying into Tampa because MCO was so expensive and we have saved about £230 each!

I would go miles out of my way to save money, I would drive to London or drive down from Atlanta if the price was right but this time even indirect economy was only about £100 less than Virgin Eco/PE. The flights into JAX ect did come up at a better price but it was too late we had booked. I am happy paying a little more this trip with taking a 3 year old but next year will be back to waiting for a bargain.

 

[Rohais]

For DF and I, staying at POFQ for 18 nights - with the DDP upgraded from the free QSDP - and 21 day Disney tickets, we've come in at £3,810. Thats not including spending money and money for tips which totals $2100 approximately.
So, a little over £5k

 

[UKDEB]

Circumstances for our mooted October/November trip are virtually identical to what you describe. Our adult daughters are desperate to go this year (we haven't been as a family since 2004). Like your friends, their accommodation costs will be covered by our DVC points. For a two-week trip, I've told younger dd that she and her boyfriend need to save around £4000 for flights, car (they'll need one, unless Matt is prepared to drive a hulking great van), travel insurance, park tickets, food and spending money. Elder dd and her partner have a son who'll be 3 by the time we go, so they'll need extra for his flight and tickets. It's likely that we'll fly Virgin Atlantic, not because we've got any particular allegiance to them, but because, thanks to Flying Club Miles, they always work out cheapest for us. I spend a considerable amount of time each trip trying to find better deals, but never can. (We're not willing to fly indirect, but would fly with a charter.) They're also keen to spend one night at RPR, but it will depend on cost nearer the time. The trip is by no means a given because we're not at all sure we'll be able to afford it.

So, I reckon your calculations appear to be there or thereabouts.

 

[wayneg]

Circumstances for our mooted October/November trip

We are looking at a week in Oct(half term) it isn't going to happen direct for us. VA £1,057pp, Charter £760pp

 

[dixonsontour]

Is it going to be a one off trip or might they go back in a few years?

If they just do disney then that will shave off quite a bit in tickets and universal hotel.

Also I'd price indirect flights.

We just did disney with our nearly 5 year old last October and this October we will do seaworld/universal and MNSSHP.

Think alot of first timers buy too many tickets - especially with younger children some down time in the pool is a must.

We've paid £2080 for 2 adults + 1 child for 2 weeks this October halfterm with thomas cook online staying in a 3 bed apt at floridays resort. Obviously got to factor in car hire/tickets/food - reckon we will come in about £3500.

Flying indirect with US airways - virgin wanted £1000 more for direct.

 

[disneyholic family]

Circumstances for our mooted October/November trip are virtually identical to what you describe. Our adult daughters are desperate to go this year (we haven't been as a family since 2004). Like your friends, their accommodation costs will be covered by our DVC points. For a two-week trip, I've told younger dd that she and her boyfriend need to save around £4000 for flights, car (they'll need one, unless Matt is prepared to drive a hulking great van), travel insurance, park tickets, food and spending money. Elder dd and her partner have a son who'll be 3 by the time we go, so they'll need extra for his flight and tickets. It's likely that we'll fly Virgin Atlantic, not because we've got any particular allegiance to them, but because, thanks to Flying Club Miles, they always work out cheapest for us. I spend a considerable amount of time each trip trying to find better deals, but never can. (We're not willing to fly indirect, but would fly with a charter.) They're also keen to spend one night at RPR, but it will depend on cost nearer the time. The trip is by no means a given because we're not at all sure we'll be able to afford it.

So, I reckon your calculations appear to be there or thereabouts.

gosh the prices are just insane!!!
if i go back to when the kids were little tots and figure out how little we spent back then i'd probably jump out the window....

 

[amystevekai&bump]

thanks so much everyone for all of your replies

This will undoubtedly be a one off for them, and having spoken to them they really want to do Seaworld and Universal (as well as Disney) even though they know they won't see everything and it will be a very busy 2 weeks!!

Wayne - thanks for that thread link I will have a look - we do normally opt for the 14 day Universal ticket as I know it works out better value, but they know that there is no way they will have time to do more than 2 days at UO so I thought we might as well just get a 2 day pass - but if it is actually cheaper for the 14 night pass then I will opt for that.

I must admit I hadn't looked at other airlines yet - I spent so long last night looking at car hire/tickets etc that I only had time to look at virgin holidays and virgin atlantic flight prices. We do usually fly Virgin as I like their twilight check in. Being afraid of flying, indirect flights are not something I can face doing - but other airlines might be a consideration.

I will email them the costings I came up with to see what their initial reaction is, but having now read the other thread about how expensive it has all become, I am beginning to realise that there is no such thing as a'cheapy' to Orlando anymore!!!

I'll let you know what they say - thanks again!!

 

[wayneg]

Wayne - thanks for that thread link I will have a look - we do normally opt for the 14 day Universal ticket as I know it works out better value, but they know that there is no way they will have time to do more than 2 days at UO so I thought we might as well just get a 2 day pass - but if it is actually cheaper for the 14 night pass then I will opt for that.

Just checked, it depends if you want to hop between the 2.
2 day ticket (no hopping) £76.55
2 day ticket (with hopping) £89.86
14 day ticket £83

Makes our AP renewal look good value still at £99.85.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Just checked, it depends if you want to hop between the 2.
2 day ticket (no hopping) £76.55
2 day ticket (with hopping) £89.86
14 day ticket £83

Makes our AP renewal look good value still at £99.85.

thanks so mcuh Wayne - thats great info!

I normally opt for hopping, but realistically with 4 youngish children between us and limited time, I think once we are in a park, I think we will be staying put and getting as much as possible done - as I know how it was with us this year - once we left a park, that was it for the day - my boys were just as happy playing in the room or by the pool - so one park per day will probably be our limit this time !!!

thanks for that - thats a big help

 

[wayneg]

Double check the prices when you are ready, I just had another look and they add a small fee into the price when you buy as the tax and fees are more than 6.5%.
You also need to buy online to get the $10/ticket discount, buy at the gate and it will be cheaper to buy 14 day UK ticket.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Double check the prices when you are ready, I just had another look and they add a small fee into the price when you buy as the tax and fees are more than 6.5%.
You also need to buy online to get the $10/ticket discount, buy at the gate and it will be cheaper to buy 14 day UK ticket.

brilliant thanks - I will save this post to remind me!!