Some questions..

[PrincessJasmine1972]

I have never been to WDW , but it has alwasy been something I have wanted to do and I am trying to convince DH its not going to be as expensive as he thinks it is. Now, we most likely would be driving down(we live VA) so that would cut out plane tix And our car is brand new so we would be driving it. My thing would be to go the 1st week of October becuase my birthday is October 3rd. We have about a $2,000 budget to work with. Now that I told you all a little about my situation, here are the questions:

IS that week a good time to go for the value?

I want to stay onsite..which of the 3 Value resorts is the best?

Is it better to do room,tix, meals,etc. seperately or get a package?

Is it true that with the newr ticketing that the longer you stay the less you pay?

My husband cannot walk or stand for long periods of time, does Disney have electronic wheelchair/scooters for rental?

Well, these are all i can think of now, but I am pretty sure more will pop up.
Thanks for answerign me in advance..

 

[Soupermom]

Greetings and welcome to the DisBoards! I am by no means a WDW expert, but I've been hanging out here for over a year now and planning my second trip to WDW with the help of everyone here. My family of four went last June, had a great time staying at the Value Resorts, and saved lots of time and money thanks to everyone here and a few other sources.


Other websites to check out: www.mousesavers.com Run by Mary who is a pro and has everything you'd need to know everything related to WDW and where/how to get the best prices. She has links to many other great sites!

www.allearsnet.com Run by Deb, I think, and also lots of info, you can even see menus from all of the restaurants!

I also recommend getting a guidebook. There are many to choose from but my favorite, and the favorite of many here, is The UnOfficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It helped me SOOO much. One of the researchers for the book, Len Testa, can been seen often on these boards.

We stayed at a Value last summer, the All Star Movies. (ASMu). We had a great time and it was just fine. For the next trip we're shooting for a "moderate"...Coronado Springs Resort. Mainy because we're going with grandparents and extended family members who are springing for the difference! I'd have no problems staying at a value again, probably the Pop Century though because it's the newest and I'd like to give it a try. Check out the resorts board for more info. here.


October is supposed to be an awesome time to go. We can't because DH and I are teachers, but I'd love to go then! Should be a good time to get Value prices, too!

From what I've read it's usually cheaper to book things seperately; that said, we booked a package last year only because it was a great deal through Disney Visa. The next trip (March '06) I'm planning seperately, at this point.

The longer ticket you get, the less it is per day at a park. a 10 day pass is only minimal dollars more than a 5 day I think. You'd have to pay extra for non-expiration though (unless you'll use all 10 days in one visit); that's a little more but still worth it.

Yes, you can rent wheelchairs and motorized chairs, etc. Onsite. I don't know specifics on this, but check out the transportation boards or the boards for Disabled folks.

Everyone here is so helpful! I know you'll get many more responses with better info, but hopefully what I"ve given you will help you get started!

Have a great time planning and enjoy your trip!!!!

 

[vanyel]

"IS that week a good time to go for the value?"

Yes - we'll be there at that time too.

"I want to stay onsite..which of the 3 Value resorts is the best?"

Never stayed value before but on this trip, we'll be at Pop to save money, then we're moving to AKL. I like the sounds of POP but others may have different opinions. I did searches on the site and others, looked at pictures, read reviews, asked questions. You'll see bad and good reviews on all the resorts.

"Is it better to do room,tix, meals,etc. seperately or get a package?"

In my opinion, it depends. I like to do things separately unless there's a good deal on the package like last year's 7 for 4 (or something like that). I went through Magical Journeys this time and have been really happy with my agent's help (Wendy). I'm sure other disney specialists are also good.

"Is it true that with the newr ticketing that the longer you stay the less you pay?"

Yes, especially if you don't do extras like park hopping, no exp, plus options. Again, that depends on your needs.

"My husband cannot walk or stand for long periods of time, does Disney have electronic wheelchair/scooters for rental?"

I know you can rent them but am not sure how or where. I've seen other threads on this.

Have fun planning. Read some of the budget suggestions for saving for wdw - can really make a difference. Pick up some guidebooks, either at the library or buy your own. I like having several like the Passporter (great for first time planning) and the unofficial guide.

 

[speedyf]

First off...welcome to the DIS.....

I've never been to Disney in October...but, I would think that early October would be an excellent time to go because the weather will be a little cooler and hurricane season should be winding down (although you never know).

Driving will definitely help you to save money on transportation unless you can get a really great airfare. We were set on driving this summer until I was able to get a $39 each way fare from New Orleans to Orlando for the 3 of us. With the price of gas and the cost of travel (stopping to eat and possibly stopping somewhere along the way to sleep), it ended up being cheaper to fly.

As for the Value resorts, I have stayed at only Pop Century....but, we loved our stay there. It is the newest value resort with relics from each generation starting with the 50's until the 90's. I've heard good things about all of the value resorts, so it's really a matter of preference. We chose Pop Century because it was new and I had heard great things about it.

We usually book everything seperately....but, it really depends on the discounts and your preferences. I usually price it out both ways and see which is better. For example, last year....Disney was offering new Disney Visa cardholers a 7 for 4 Dreammaker deal. You get a 7 day DreamMaker package for the price of 4 days plus $100 worth of Disney Dollars. This was cheaper for us than booking everything seperately...so we went with that.

The new ticketing is set up that the longer you stay, the cheaper it is per day. This year, we were looking at a 7 Day Expiring Hopper Pass (no pluses) for $231 with a discount at Ticketmania. For $3 more, we can get a 10 Day Expiring Hopper Pass (no pluses) at $234 and go to the parks on the day we arrive and the day that we are set to leave.

Disney does have wheelchairs and electronics scooters for rent. My mom had broken her foot before our last trip in May 2004. We were able to get a wheelchair for free at the resort and keep it throughout our entire stay. There were also chairs and electronic scooters for rent at the parks themselves.

I would say that you could do a vacation at Disney easily for $2000.

Check out these boards for great money saving tips....

We are heading to Disney in June (regular season versus when you are going in Value season). We are going 2 adults and 1 child (5 year old) and I was able to budget the entire trip down to $2500 with the cheap airlines tickets included.

Good Luck,
speed

 

[Soupermom]

Hi again. I forgot to mention that for our trip last June we had a budget of $2000 for a family of two adults, two children. This included 4 nights at a Value hotel, 5 days in the parks, airfare for 4, meals and spending money. We were able to do it without skimping at all so I think you'll be just fine!!!

 

[pumpkinfish]

PrincessJasmine1972

Welcome

We are from VA too! Where do you live? We have always driven down to WDW so if you have any questions with that, let me know! You have come to the right place to find out info! These boards are FILLED with great information (plus it is VERY addicting ).

We estimate ourselves about $200 total for auto. This includes all gas, food while traveling, and one night hotel (going down only. coming back we drive straight through). I hope this helps!

We LOVED Pop! I highly suggest checking out the different threads on the Resort board that deal with each Value.

Last visit my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) was bad and we rented a wheelchair each day. They also have ECV available to rent too. These go fairly quickly in the early mornings, so be prepared for that. I have also found out that the resorts have wheelchairs available free of charge (put down a refundable deposit) for your length of stay, but this is on a first come first serve basis.

Hope your planning goes well!!!

 

[jennifer293]

HI!!

We are going in May and we too have never been before..We will be there 8 days and 7 nights at the ASMo. We have the MYW dining package and the MYW tickets with a 6 day parkhopper. We will be driving from Tennessee.

All of this cost us just over 2100.00 and that is 2 adults and 2 children so I bet you could EASILY do it for 2000.00!!

I hope you get to go, I KNOW we are going to have a BLAST!!!


Just do what I did go ahead and book it and tell him he needs to schedule some time off from work because you just booked and vacation and he has to go..LOL

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Congrats on the trip - I would like to go that week also, but have opted for the 16-22 instead. Don't forget that as long as you check in before October 5 then you will get value season pricing for your whole stay. BTW, we can't come the first week b/c we are leaving the munchkins behind and you share a birthday w/ my oldest munchkin (and we don't want to be gone on her birthday!) Have a great trip!