Saving Money While Using DVC

[fattymatty]

Hey Folks,

So We have started planning out trip for WDW and are hopefuly able to get a Villa using our RCI exchange but we will have to wait and see. But With the Villa we will have a little more flexibility on saving money on food. The flights and Tickets we may be able to save a little depending on being able to nab the lowest price flight. Now orginaly was thinking Disney Dinning Plan and I would love to use for the convience as well as just not worrying about the meals but for a family of 4. Its pricey($1140 - 6 Nights). I was hoping maybe someone on here has done a trip in the Villas and saved some money on food to help us out.

Now thinking if had begals and cereal etc in room in the morning, bring snacks to park. Now if we went early and came back to room for lunch could save that as well then was thinking maybe of one table meal per day, maybe a be our guest or character meal or just a good dinner etc.

Concerns would be the time to walk out of the park and back to hotel and then travel back to park later. This will be our first time to disney world, traveling with us will be Myself,Wife and 8 Year Old Son and 6 Year Old Daughter.

Any other thoughts on reducing the trip costs would be greatly appreciated

 

[kydisneyfans]

We bought DVC in 2013.
Big difference is are you renting a car or not. Places like wegoshop/dizzydolphin/gardengrocer deliver to resorts, there is also Amazon Pantry. We always make a grocery run now. Breakfast is in the room, unless we want a Mickey Waffle. We get various snacks and specifically fresh fruits(which seem somewhat difficult to find at Disney).

If you do rope drop and park closing, taking a midday break doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time. That's how we tour now. 3-4 hours in the morning, 3-4 in the evening, except AK which we always did 6 hours or so then went back for the day. That will change with the nighttime activities now.

We normally don't cook in the room, but do things like cold cut sandwiches. Sometimes we'll get some mac and cheese to make. Big savings to us fall in the beverage category. The refillable mugs are fine, but your room may be 10 minutes away from the nearest refill. A grocery run allows you to get a case of water, a case of soda, or a multi pack of sports drinks for the price of 1 at Disney.

 

[arminnie]

My DH and I are retired, have quite a few DVC points, and live within a reasonable drive to WDW. So we usually go multiple times a year.

Since we live in New Orleans we have access to truly great food so the food options at WDW are not an enticement. We are there for the overall experience - not for the fine dining. On our trip two weeks ago I had my DH make me a sandwich to take for lunch at MK as none of the quick service options appealed to me nor was I interested in the sit down restaurants. Yes it saved money - but my main objective was to have something decent to eat.

So saving money doesn't have to mean that you are depriving yourself. If there's a place that I want to have breakfast I will spend the money otherwise it's just fine to have breakfast "at home" at DVC. I like to have snacks available in the room - for us it's fruit, vegetables, cheese, crackers and cold cuts. I like the option of not having to be dressed and at some place at a certain time.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

My DH and I are retired, have quite a few DVC points, and live within a reasonable drive to WDW. So we usually go multiple times a year.

Since we live in New Orleans we have access to truly great food so the food options at WDW are not an enticement. We are there for the overall experience - not for the fine dining. On our trip two weeks ago I had my DH make me a sandwich to take for lunch at MK as none of the quick service options appealed to me nor was I interested in the sit down restaurants. Yes it saved money - but my main objective was to have something decent to eat.

So saving money doesn't have to mean that you are depriving yourself. If there's a place that I want to have breakfast I will spend the money otherwise it's just fine to have breakfast "at home" at DVC. I like to have snacks available in the room - for us it's fruit, vegetables, cheese, crackers and cold cuts. I like the option of not having to be dressed and at some place at a certain time.

I find it interesting that you equate a cold cut sandwich to decent when there are many good dining options at MK that I would consider better than that. Be Our Guest stands out as a reasonably priced and delicious lunch option that is super convenient, especially when you pre-order.

To each her own, but you make it sound like all Disney food is terrible and I know many on this forum would disagree with you, including me.

 

[Marionnette]

Hey Folks,

So We have started planning out trip for WDW and are hopefuly able to get a Villa using our RCI exchange but we will have to wait and see. But With the Villa we will have a little more flexibility on saving money on food. The flights and Tickets we may be able to save a little depending on being able to nab the lowest price flight. Now orginaly was thinking Disney Dinning Plan and I would love to use for the convience as well as just not worrying about the meals but for a family of 4. Its pricey($1140 - 6 Nights). I was hoping maybe someone on here has done a trip in the Villas and saved some money on food to help us out.

Now thinking if had begals and cereal etc in room in the morning, bring snacks to park. Now if we went early and came back to room for lunch could save that as well then was thinking maybe of one table meal per day, maybe a be our guest or character meal or just a good dinner etc.

Concerns would be the time to walk out of the park and back to hotel and then travel back to park later. This will be our first time to disney world, traveling with us will be Myself,Wife and 8 Year Old Son and 6 Year Old Daughter.

Any other thoughts on reducing the trip costs would be greatly appreciated

DVC owner here. We've gone quite a few times and I've stayed in everything from a studio to a Treehouse villa. First a couple of things about RCI exchanges into DVC -

• It's becoming increasingly difficult to get an RCI exchange into a DVC unit. DVC owners have to exchange their own points into RCI for one to become available in the exchange. Many DVC owners are choosing to "rent out" their points for cash rather than deal with RCI.
• DVC units that do end up in the RCI exchange tend to be 1-bedroom units at SSR (sometimes OKW and AKV on occasion).
• Your success will depend on how early you have started your search, what time of year you intend to travel and the trading strength of your timeshare.
• You will be expected to pay a $195 fee to Disney when you check in. Factor that into your budget.

Having said that, breakfast in your villa is a good idea. It saves valuable park time because you can be there at rope-drop instead of standing in line at a QS location with your starving family. Anything from cold cereal to French toast, bacon and eggs can be prepared in your kitchen.

However, given that the three resorts that you're most likely to be at will not be a hop, skip and a jump away from the parks, returning to your villa just for lunch would be a waste of valuable touring time. This is especially true if you are visiting at a time when parks close early. People who have never been to Disney World grossly under-estimate the amount of time that it takes to travel between places using Disney's transportation system.

If you want to save money on food, I think that packing lunch in a soft-sided cooler for the parks is a better choice. You can rent a locker for a nominal fee if you don't want to lug it around all day. You'll have a refrigerator with a full-size freezer in your villa, so you can freeze water bottles and use them to keep your lunch cold. There are a lot of threads that offer suggestions for packable meals.

Another option is to have your sit down meal at lunchtime (either in the park or in one of the resorts close to the park you are visiting) and then doing a light meal (sandwiches, soups, salads, etc)!back at the villa later in the evening. Lunch tends to be less costly because people are less likely to order appetizers, salad/soup, heavy desserts or alcoholic beverages at that time of the day.

Disney adult beverages tend to be pretty costly, so we keep a nice assortment in our room for evening relaxation or for poolside time (just remember that glass is not permitted inside the pool areas).

Good luck planning your trip. I hope the RCI exchange works out for you!

 

[fattymatty]

Thank you for the input everyone, yeah I don't think that it isn't that we can't find food in the park to eat because believe me if I could see myself funding that cost I would but sadly money doesn't grow on trees.

Taking food into the park is a little daunting to me though, not that it isn't allowed, it's the matter of now bringing a back pack to the park. But maybe I'm making too much of that

 

[fattymatty]

DVC owner here. We've gone quite a few times and I've stayed in everything from a studio to a Treehouse villa. First a couple of things about RCI exchanges into DVC -

• It's becoming increasingly difficult to get an RCI exchange into a DVC unit. DVC owners have to exchange their own points into RCI for one to become available in the exchange. Many DVC owners are choosing to "rent out" their points for cash rather than deal with RCI.
• DVC units that do end up in the RCI exchange tend to be 1-bedroom units at SSR (sometimes OKW and AKV on occasion).
• Your success will depend on how early you have started your search, what time of year you intend to travel and the trading strength of your timeshare.
• You will be expected to pay a $195 fee to Disney when you check in. Factor that into your budget.

Having said that, breakfast in your villa is a good idea. It saves valuable park time because you can be there at rope-drop instead of standing in line at a QS location with your starving family. Anything from cold cereal to French toast, bacon and eggs can be prepared in your kitchen.

However, given that the three resorts that you're most likely to be at will not be a hop, skip and a jump away from the parks, returning to your villa just for lunch would be a waste of valuable touring time. This is especially true if you are visiting at a time when parks close early. People who have never been to Disney World grossly under-estimate the amount of time that it takes to travel between places using Disney's transportation system.

If you want to save money on food, I think that packing lunch in a soft-sided cooler for the parks is a better choice. You can rent a locker for a nominal fee if you don't want to lug it around all day. You'll have a refrigerator with a full-size freezer in your villa, so you can freeze water bottles and use them to keep your lunch cold. There are a lot of threads that offer suggestions for packable meals.

Another option is to have your sit down meal at lunchtime (either in the park or in one of the resorts close to the park you are visiting) and then doing a light meal (sandwiches, soups, salads, etc)!back at the villa later in the evening. Lunch tends to be less costly because people are less likely to order appetizers, salad/soup, heavy desserts or alcoholic beverages at that time of the day.

Disney adult beverages tend to be pretty costly, so we keep a nice assortment in our room for evening relaxation or for poolside time (just remember that glass is not permitted inside the pool areas).

Good luck planning your trip. I hope the RCI exchange works out for you!

So I have a RCI exchange fee to pay and then Disney will also charge a fee on top of that as well?

 

[Marionnette]

Thank you for the input everyone, yeah I don't think that it isn't that we can't find food in the park to eat because believe me if I could see myself funding that cost I would but sadly money doesn't grow on trees.

Taking food into the park is a little daunting to me though, not that it isn't allowed, it's the matter of now bringing a back pack to the park. But maybe I'm making too much of that

You'd be surprised at how much "stuff" people take into the parks with them. Lots of backpacks everywhere! But I agree with the reluctance to drag one around with you. However, there are lockers and they aren't cost-prohibitive.

So I have a RCI exchange fee to pay and then Disney will also charge a fee on top of that as well?

Yes. RCI has their fees and then Disney has their own. I don't know the why's and wherefores surrounding the fee. I just know that they impose a resort fee on RCI exchanges and they're within their right to do so.

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/other-timeshare-related/3481-dvc-doubles-rci-exchange-fee

 

[fattymatty]

The thought of going back to the room, I like but if it takes upto 30 minutes depending on park we are visiting. Even if go from say 7-11, then back at the hotel for say 12, make lunch etc. We'd probably have to be back out to the parks for 230 as most of the parades have there last one at somewhere between 430-500. I know for the kids that would be a must

 

[fattymatty]

With the exchange fee that adds up but I guess if can get into ssr it's still better at the moment the forking out 1000 for a value resort. Offsite there is some nice places but again then renting car is almost a must and leaving to hotel is definately out

 

[Marionnette]

The thought of going back to the room, I like but if it takes upto 30 minutes depending on park we are visiting. Even if go from say 7-11, then back at the hotel for say 12, make lunch etc. We'd probably have to be back out to the parks for 230 as most of the parades have there last one at somewhere between 430-500. I know for the kids that would be a must

"Up to 30 minutes" is very optimistic, IMO.

Bus stops are not immediately outside of the park gates. At lunchtime , you will need to make your way to the gates, walk beyond them to the bus stop for your resort, wait for a bus, hope that you get on the next one, travel to your resort, and then walk from the bus stop to your villa. Reverse the process for your return trip and add in the amount of time to get thru the security check prior to entering the park. You really are not allowing enough time for travel. Disney recommends that you allow closer to 1 hour to get from one place to another via their transportation system.

Check park hours. They don't open at 7 AM except on rare days during peak attendance. Some parks don't open until 9 AM and EPCOT's World Showcase doesn't open until 11:00 AM, except under special circumstances.

The afternoon parade at MK is at 3:00.

 

[tasha99]

We always do this now. I make super easy meals: rotisserie chicken (I just reheat) and salad, spaghetti, steaks, frozen pizza, wine/cheese tray, cold cut sandwiches, etc. Our touring style is pretty relaxed, so I don't mind spending some time in the middle of the day setting up a meal for the group. We have always gotten grocery delivery, but this year we are going to DL and I think we may stop at Costco on the way down (for chicken, steaks, and giant bags of premade salad), in addition to a Vons delivery.

We enjoy Disney food, but not to the extent a lot of people do. For us, the convenience of not having to face crowded restaurants is another perk of having DVC.

 

[fattymatty]

Is there typically only a parade at magic kingdom and no others at the other parks each year

 

[Marionnette]

Is there typically only a parade at magic kingdom and no others at the other parks each year

No. There have been parades at each of the parks at one time or another. However, to my knowledge the MK is the only park that has an afternoon parade at this time.

 

[arminnie]

I find it interesting that you equate a cold cut sandwich to decent when there are many good dining options at MK that I would consider better than that. Be Our Guest stands out as a reasonably priced and delicious lunch option that is super convenient, especially when you pre-order.

How odd that you assume my sandwich wasn't terrific. Because it was - not just some cold cuts slapped on white bread. My DH used to own a restaurant so he can turn out some great food. And we were in a 1 BR so had a full kitchen.

I am handicapped (dead nerve in one leg) so use a scooter. MK was so busy even in very early March that it would have been extremely difficult and time consuming to maneuver (I was alone) into any QS place. Nor do I think anything would have been available as a walk up at any sit down place.

The BOG menu looks good so I hope that will be a viable option at some other time. But I liked the convenience of having the exact sandwich that I wanted within 2 minutes of when I wanted it. And being on a scooter I had the luxury of not having to search for and wait for a seat in a restaurant packed to the gills. I escaped the crowds, found a shady quiet spot and quite enjoyed my meal.

The OP post was about how to save money. I was merely pointing out that sometimes one does not have to sacrifice to save money. I saved money and totally upgraded my lunch experience at the same time.

 

[TwoMisfits]

How odd that you assume my sandwich wasn't terrific. Because it was - not just some cold cuts slapped on white bread. My DH used to own a restaurant so he can turn out some great food. And we were in a 1 BR so had a full kitchen.

I am handicapped (dead nerve in one leg) so use a scooter. MK was so busy even in very early March that it would have been extremely difficult and time consuming to maneuver (I was alone) into any QS place. Nor do I think anything would have been available as a walk up at any sit down place.

The BOG menu looks good so I hope that will be a viable option at some other time. But I liked the convenience of having the exact sandwich that I wanted within 2 minutes of when I wanted it. And being on a scooter I had the luxury of not having to search for and wait for a seat in a restaurant packed to the gills. I escaped the crowds, found a shady quiet spot and quite enjoyed my meal.

The OP post was about how to save money. I was merely pointing out that sometimes one does not have to sacrifice to save money. I saved money and totally upgraded my lunch experience at the same time.

Amen...while I usually head back to my condo for a smoothie and dinner sandwich, not a lunch one, I can tell you that you can easily whip up sandwiches that far exceed Disney CS for less money AND exactly how you want it (the right amount of bread, veg, sauce, meat)...I routinely made chicken clubs (rotisserie chicken, leftover cooked breakfast bacon) with green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, red onion, and mayo on croissants - so good, so exactly how I want...another special "vacation" sandwich is proscuitto, premade pesto, sliced tomato and sliced mozzarella on ciabbatta (or a roll). I don't eat these normally at home, so they are a treat on vacation (and last trip, I found proscuitto so cheap, it was ridiculous - made quite a few of these on vacation)...

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

How odd that you assume my sandwich wasn't terrific. Because it was - not just some cold cuts slapped on white bread. My DH used to own a restaurant so he can turn out some great food. And we were in a 1 BR so had a full kitchen.

I am handicapped (dead nerve in one leg) so use a scooter. MK was so busy even in very early March that it would have been extremely difficult and time consuming to maneuver (I was alone) into any QS place. Nor do I think anything would have been available as a walk up at any sit down place.

The BOG menu looks good so I hope that will be a viable option at some other time. But I liked the convenience of having the exact sandwich that I wanted within 2 minutes of when I wanted it. And being on a scooter I had the luxury of not having to search for and wait for a seat in a restaurant packed to the gills. I escaped the crowds, found a shady quiet spot and quite enjoyed my meal.

The OP post was about how to save money. I was merely pointing out that sometimes one does not have to sacrifice to save money. I saved money and totally upgraded my lunch experience at the same time.

You original post mentioned cold cuts, but not in the context of a sandwich necessarily, so yes, that was an assumption that I made. But your original message also didn't say anything regarding your limitations as a reason for avoiding QS or TS meals, just that the food wasn't appealing and you compared it with "fine dining" in New Orleans. That is what I take issue with because I think that is a pretty broad over generalization. I think there are many good restaurants at WDW. My husband and I lean towards TS meals, but we have enjoyed many QS places too. Also, I have been to fine dining restaurants in New Orleans and maybe I was going to the wrong places, but nothing from my trips really stood out to me as great. But I can think of several meals at Disney signature restaurants (what I would consider as equivalent to a fine dining restaurant) that were very memorable. On our last trip we ate at Artist Point and my husband and I thought that every single dish from the appetizer to the dessert was exceptional. It's not fair to compare MK QS to a fine dining restaurant anywhere, though Be Our Guest lunch was quite delicious and I hope you get a chance to try it on your next trip.

I know the OP was asking about saving money, but sometimes that can be at the expense of convenience and/or the overall experience. In your case, bringing a sandwich is what met your needs and was most convenient. For another family, it might be grabbing QS or having an ADR for a leisurely meal. Marionette gave some great advice regarding travel times and bringing food into the parks. Getting from place to place at Disney can be very time consuming, especially at peak hours or during peak times of year. I would not want to travel from MK to SSR and back during lunch, since that might eat up 2-3 hours in the middle of the day.