Stay with family or find cheap lodging?

[mrsabbott]

Now, my goal is to go to Florida for Spring Break.. We are on a strict budget and our vacation fund only has $500 in it so far. I've got a side job lined up and the money from that would be put in the vacation fund. I'm also hoping a small portion of our tax return can be used for Disney! I've read other people's budget vacation stories and their budget vacations would be extravagant to us! This would be a BUDGET budget vacation..

Now, keep in mind here, we are a family of 6 on a limited budget! Staying onsite isn't an option at all and I've researched a lot of different off site lodging options and it looks like we'd need about $500 for a week, give or take. Having room to spread out, use of a washer/dryer, and a kitchen would help a lot..

BUT.. our budget is very limited. My BIL and his family live outside of Orlando and he said they would love for us to stay with them, especially if it would help us afford a visit! While it would help us save money and better afford a trip, we are a family of 6 and they are a family of 4 in a 3br house. I fear that we would impose or it may be too chaotic. I don't want them to feel like they have to feed us or entertain us, even though we'd bring our own food and would be gone most of the time. The other thing is, they don't have a spare room, and having a comfy (and maybe PRIVATE space for DH and I at the end of the day) would be nice..

There are pros and cons.. What do you think?? Stay with family or hopefully save up enough for lodging elsewhere?

And putting off Disney for another year is barely an option.. I've been trying to go back since 2009!!

 

[MSSANDRA]

Could you split it up? Maybe spend a couple days with them, and then move on to an off site hotel.Adding 6 extra people to a full house for more than a day or two will not be fun!

 

[NorthernGrl]

Do you camp? We have a family of 6 in a 3 bedroom house and often my parents come to visit for a few days with anywhere up to 5 of my nieces/nephews in tow. We pitch a tent in the yard for the kids and the grownups sleep inside on beds. The kids always have a blast!
Maybe this could be an option?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I wouldn't stay with relatives. We only have 2 kids but still adding that many people would feel like we're taking over someone's home. Maybe just stay there a night or 2.

I would look on Hotwire for 2 rooms or look for tips on the Orlando board. You can get a lot of offsite tips there. There's a great condo/timeshare resort called Wyndham Bonnet Creek that people get for a great price. This would probably be more comfortable than 2 hotel rooms.

Is it possible for your relatives to buy your WDW tickets at the FL resident rate? Does one have to show ID to enter parks or only when buying? No flames, I have no idea what the rules are but it's worth asking about.

 

[Southernmiss]

That's a lot to put on even family in a 3 bedroom home for a week. We are a family of six also and I am budget conscious and we haven't been to wdw since 2009 also. I think I'd look for my own space.

 

[kirstenb1]

When we had only one child, it worked out to stay at my sister's house. With 2, it was too much. Rent your own house, and meet up for dinner one night.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I wouldn't stay with relatives. We only have 2 kids but still adding that many people would feel like we're taking over someone's home. Maybe just stay there a night or 2.

I would look on Hotwire for 2 rooms or look for tips on the Orlando board. You can get a lot of offsite tips there. There's a great condo/timeshare resort called Wyndham Bonnet Creek that people get for a great price. This would probably be more comfortable than 2 hotel rooms.

Is it possible for your relatives to buy your WDW tickets at the FL resident rate? Does one have to show ID to enter parks or only when buying? No flames, I have no idea what the rules are but it's worth asking about.

That is not allowed. A picture ID must be presented for every Florida Resident adult (18+) ticket purchased. Names are printed on the tickets and at first usage sometimes you are asked to present the matching photo ID.

OP, I would not stay with family, even though it's free, since they really don't have any extra room for you. It might be OK for a day or two if you are primarily visiting them, but not when you're planning park time. If their kids are not on Spring Break, too, then they're getting up early to get ready for work and school and you guys have no place to sleep in, you're having to get ready to go around their schedules, and you wind up feeling in the way. Not an enjoyable vacation, IMO.

I've been both on the visiting and having visitors end of the deal. It really doesn't work for anyone unless you have enough space to where you don't feel in the way, and you don't feel your guests are in the way. It doesn't sound like this is the case here, and I would plan to stay in a hotel or condo.

 

[kymom99]

I like the idea of splitting it up. Maybe you could stay with them the first night if you are arriving later so that you don't waste a paid night. Pitching a tent is a great idea too.

 

[lvillotta1]

If you are on such a tight budget I would stay with family. There are 3 of us in a 3br/1bath home. If we had family visit I would have the kids all sleep in the family room give up my bedroom queen size bed and sleep in a twin bed. We would make it work in order to save money for our family to share our home. Really you would only be sleeping there. Pack breakfast and eat on the way. Then you can plan to eat at the parks for the other meals.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

You can get a one bedroom suite at Quality Suites Lake Buena Vista for about $70 a night if you book online and pre-pay. The one bedroom sleeps 6. They have a 2 bedroom for about $150.

It includes free breakfast.

The only way mom and dad are going to have their own room is if you rent on off site house or a condo at some place like Bonnet Creek. But both of those options are going to cost you around $700-$800 for the week.

I definitely would not take a family of 6 and stay in a house with a family of 4 in a 3 bedroom house. No matter what anybody says that is definitely a big imposition on a family having to give up their rooms and beds.

I would just save up a little longer than you planned until you actually have enough money for the vacation.

 

[happymommy]

Honestly, they do not have space for you to stay with them.

We only have two kids, and when we go back to Missouri to see family, we haven't stayed with my folks (even though they pretty much do have space) in well over 10 years. We just need our own space.

Remember, not only do you need to budget for the accommodations, but also if you visit theme parks, the tickets are a huge expense. I'd see how much you can save up for now, but would definitely get your own place to stay.

Edited to add: we have a timeshare, so also have (Platinum) Interval International membership. With that, we can get "getaway" weeks, frequently they've been two bedroom (sleeps 8 but that's a bit tight) condos for about $350 a week (several have been Marriott ones in Orlando). So if you have any friends with timeshares, they can look for you and for a small fee (it's free with our platinum membership) they can put it in your name. They are prepaid, so you can't cancel, but some of our getaways would have cost almost $300 per night otherwise - huge savings at very nice resorts!

 

[Judique]

Now, my goal is to go to Florida for Spring Break.. We are on a strict budget and our vacation fund only has $500 in it so far. I've got a side job lined up and the money from that would be put in the vacation fund. I'm also hoping a small portion of our tax return can be used for Disney! I've read other people's budget vacation stories and their budget vacations would be extravagant to us! This would be a BUDGET budget vacation..

Now, keep in mind here, we are a family of 6 on a limited budget! Staying onsite isn't an option at all and I've researched a lot of different off site lodging options and it looks like we'd need about $500 for a week, give or take. Having room to spread out, use of a washer/dryer, and a kitchen would help a lot..

BUT.. our budget is very limited. My BIL and his family live outside of Orlando and he said they would love for us to stay with them, especially if it would help us afford a visit! While it would help us save money and better afford a trip, we are a family of 6 and they are a family of 4 in a 3br house. I fear that we would impose or it may be too chaotic. I don't want them to feel like they have to feed us or entertain us, even though we'd bring our own food and would be gone most of the time. The other thing is, they don't have a spare room, and having a comfy (and maybe PRIVATE space for DH and I at the end of the day) would be nice..

There are pros and cons.. What do you think?? Stay with family or hopefully save up enough for lodging elsewhere?

And putting off Disney for another year is barely an option.. I've been trying to go back since 2009!!

Someone suggested camping. Sounded like a plan to me! You don't mention the ages of all these children. I think it could work with a lot of younger kids.

I would talk to your BIL and his wife and see if the offer still stands. Sometimes you get offers that people really don't expect you to accept. Or one family member throws out the offer and the other partner is not quite so enthusiastic.

Personally I love it when I get visitors, but only if I get to plan in advance -ie take some time off work, get to do some cleaning, cooking in advance and rearranging the sleeping.

I hope you all get to go! Spring break is usually a great weather time to be there.

 

[luvmy3]

If it were one or two nights I'd stay with family but I would not stay for a whole week. That is just too many people in the same place for too long. I know that you won't be there most of the time, but just getting ready in the morning to go out for the day with that many is going to be so chaotic. I wouldn't be able to handle it, and I would feel awful for doing that to my relatives.

ETA My family of 5 has been the guest and the host, and no matter how much we as family and friends love eachother, having 10 people sharing a home gets stressful!

 

[HeatherC]

We have done budget budget trips over the years and they are just as much fun.

A couple ideas on places to stay...

1. SkyAuction...check out their vacation rentals.....we have stayed in villas for about $250 a week. One was Orange Lake Resort. It had two bedrooms, two baths, full kitchen, etc, washer dryer, etc.

2. GovArm and Getravelop are great too if you are eligible.

3. Holiday Inn friends and family rate.....do a search here for Shelby. She is a Dis'er who was kind enough to share her discount. Can save a good chunk with this discount.

4. Regal Palms Resort in Davenport is great and can be rented VERY cheaply via homeaway.com and vrbo.com

5. Check out mousesavers.com for discounts on preferred hotels near Disney.

Hope these help! Have a great time planning!

 

[mrsabbott]

Thanks for the replies!

I am also leaning towards finding inexpensive lodging. I don't know anyone with a timeshare, but I've found condo's that have last minute deals pretty consistently, plus we are eligible for a veteran's holiday program where we can get a hotel/condo for about $369 plus tax for a week.. it's just touch and go whether they have one on the dates we need.. We are also eligible for the Armed Forces Salute tickets since Hubs is retired. Honestly, that discount is about the ONLY way we could ever afford Disney and I am so thankful for it!!

Camping is something I wouldn't mind doing. My kids are 9, 7, 5, and 2. We've done some backyard camping and I'm trying to work my kids up to doing it more often! I mentioned camping in Florida to Hubs and he looked at me like I was insane! LOL! He doesn't mind camping, but I guess the thought of camping there seems odd to him, I don't know.

We counted up our vacation fund and have $554 plus a jar full of change that needs rolled.. Hoping to be able to put a little bit of my paycheck in there pretty soon now that our monthly income is starting to be enough to actually COVER our expenses! I also have an occasional babysitting job lined up and any money earned from that will go in the vacation fund!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks for the replies!

I am also leaning towards finding inexpensive lodging. I don't know anyone with a timeshare, but I've found condo's that have last minute deals pretty consistently, plus we are eligible for a veteran's holiday program where we can get a hotel/condo for about $369 plus tax for a week.. it's just touch and go whether they have one on the dates we need.. We are also eligible for the Armed Forces Salute tickets since Hubs is retired. Honestly, that discount is about the ONLY way we could ever afford Disney and I am so thankful for it!!

Camping is something I wouldn't mind doing. My kids are 9, 7, 5, and 2. We've done some backyard camping and I'm trying to work my kids up to doing it more often! I mentioned camping in Florida to Hubs and he looked at me like I was insane! LOL! He doesn't mind camping, but I guess the thought of camping there seems odd to him, I don't know.

We counted up our vacation fund and have $554 plus a jar full of change that needs rolled.. Hoping to be able to put a little bit of my paycheck in there pretty soon now that our monthly income is starting to be enough to actually COVER our expenses! I also have an occasional babysitting job lined up and any money earned from that will go in the vacation fund!

He's probably thinking this because FL is hot, muggy & buggy. Camping in the mountains with cool crisp air is one thing. In FL, it's another. Then again, there are plenty who love Ft. Wilderness so different strokes...

Many banks now have coin counting machines that don't charge any fee to use. Our TD Banks all have them though when my kids were little, like yours, I still counted them out manually for the math & coins lesson.

If you sign up for the mousesavers.com monthly newsletter, you will get a link to buy tickets from Undercover Tourist. The link adds a little extra discount compared to if you just entered UCT directly. Last time I did a comparison of authorized ticket sellers,(Ticketmania.com, mapleleaftickets.com, travelaffiliates, etc.) UCT was the cheapest. It's only $5-10 pp off gate price but small amounts add up when multiplying by 6!


ps. You don't have to know anyone with a time share to stay at Bonnet Creek. On the Orlando board, people can put you in touch with Wyndham owners that rent their points very inexpensively. It's surrounded on 3 sides by Disney property so while technically it's offsite, it's probably the closest offsite place to stay. Infinitely nice than say a Best Western or similar motel.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2951974

Here is the link that explains about Bonnet Creek. There are multiple pools, lazy river & beautiful condos of various sizes.

Even if finding a cheap motel, you will still need 2 rooms so it could end up costing the same as BC.

Also something to consider would be a family suite at All Star Music. It's a Disney value resort that sleeps up to 6. It would also eliminate the cost of parking each day at the parks, $15/day now? and gas for driving around. You could park your car at the hotel & not touch it til it's time to go home.


Another huge money saver would be to not go over spring break. That is peak season & most expensive. I don't know how strict your school district is but here we had no problems letting our kids miss a week of school up until around 6th grade. After that, the workload gets too much. I would enjoy that while they're little. Sadly, it doesn't last long.

Also, do you celebrate Christmas? Perhaps you could give it as a family gift and go in late Jan? That would kill 2 birds w/one stone so to speak. You could also request that any birthday or Christmas gifts from relatives be a Disney gift card.

I'd go before your little one turns 3. That will save you a park ticket right there.

 

[mrsabbott]

Well, the Armed Forces Salute tickets are 4 day water park n' more passes for just $169 EACH!! Haven't found another discount yet that beats this deal! So thankful for it!!



Unfortunately, Spring Break is about the only time we can do it unless we want to go in Summer (um.. nope..) or wait until Fall Break of next year! They can be a little strict about unexcused absences here, plus it would mesh well with my work schedule and Hubs' school schedule.

I've mentioned that I'd rather have money for a vacation then gifts I don't need.. I even mentioned that the kids would LOVE a Disney Gift Card to spend on vacation.. Not sure if anyone will listen to that request or not! I've talked to DH about doing a vacation as a family and looked into going after Christmas and that being our Christmas gift.. having the money in that time plus with school and whatnot.. just won't work! Much easier when the kiddos were little and not in school to plan stuff!

I will look into the Bonnet Creek.. I've heard good things about it on here!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Wow! That's an awesome price for tickets. Certainly you won't find a better deal elsewhere.
Thank you & your husband for his service to our country!
Somehow, I missed that before.

I got to thinking also about staying with family. Assuming you'll be driving & probably tired when you arrive, maybe it would be good to spend just 1 night with your BIL. Since you'll probably want to visit with them anyway and thinking as a mom, we've had a bunch of kids sleep over for birthday parties and anyone can stand a crowd for one night. Anything more than that starts to wear on the nerves. It would give you time to visit with the relatives, get a good sleep, then in the morning, move on to fun at WDW before you've had a chance to wear out your welcome. Just saving one night of lodging costs would cover your grocery shopping bill or a good chunk of it.

Also I would start waaay in advance picking up little things, non-perishables, every now & then that are on sale & put it aside: paper plates, roll of paper towels, laundry detergent, tea bags (hot/ice tea) coffee, coffee filters, sugar, microwave popcorn, instant oatmeal, dry cereal, etc. That way you aren't paying top dollar at an Orlando grocery store for all these things you could have brought from home & got on sale. That stuff really adds up & when you shop in FL (high prices for vacationers) you only have to buy refrigerated stuff.

 

[auntmeme7577]

I know you don't want to wait until next fall, but your money will stretch much further. We are staying in a 2 bedroom at Wyndham Bonnet Creek for 7 nights for $625, total ! Stayed there last year too and it was awesome! Lots of on property things to do and very close to the parks. Excellent resort
Another option might be Best Western Saratoga on 192 Irlo Bronson.
We stayed there in the spring and are staying one night in October.
2 bedroom "condo" set up, small pool, LOVED it !! $89 a night
Both places have full kitchens and that saves too
I'm rooting for you Mrs Abbott and you'll get better prices and excellent weather in October
Good Luck