Super Newbie here...

[mellynne79]

Ok so I need some advice please! We are on a budget as most everyone else is, and we have 4 adults, 2 kids (3yr old and a 1yr old) going. We have a decent deal offered to us to stay off site ($109/night 2 bedroom villa) which is great and all, but I would also like to keep it simple with 2 little ones in tow as much as possible.

Also I know they won't eat a ton, but eating on demand and not having to pay HUGE money for snacks would be nice. Can we get a dinning plan if we did stay off site with our tickets? I know the portions are a decent size (I've read that a lot) so I realize we may not need that for my little one(s).

We have a pin to stay on site too. The disney fan in me wants to use it because the treehouse is available and with a dinning plan it would be the mother of all vacations for us. I haven't been in 12yrs! I tried doing this same room with the GC deal but it works out to the same price W/O the DP! It's price, but good deal considering. It's $500 more than rack price for a package deal with DP. Just that the offsite is about half the cost, I'm just worried about the hassle and food cost.

But we could also do 2 rooms in a mod resort for slightly less, also no kitchen or washer etc. Not that we would even need those. With the little ones still napping, I don't think one room would work since the grandparents would likely not want to sit in one place for 2 hrs each day.

So my head wants to explode. Any advice here? LOL!

We picked a pretty boring time to go since we don't have school to worry about. I played around with quite a few dates and it was the cheapest I found.

 

[Christine9125]

Have you thought about getting 2 rooms at a value resort? We have done this in the past and will do this in the future. If you don't need a washer/dryer in your room or a kitchen it would be worth it and you would save some money in the long run

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

There is also the family suite at All Star Music. It has a kitchenette and seperate bedroom. It also has 2 bathrooms! Might be a better value for you!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/asm-suite-review.html

Here is a link with some specs and pictures of ASMu family suite.....

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...mage_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved=0CBQQ9QEwAw

The floor plan of the family suite

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Ok so I need some advice please! We are on a budget as most everyone else is, and we have 4 adults, 2 kids (3yr old and a 1yr old) going. We have a decent deal offered to us to stay off site ($109/night 2 bedroom villa) which is great and all, but I would also like to keep it simple with 2 little ones in tow as much as possible.

Also I know they won't eat a ton, but eating on demand and not having to pay HUGE money for snacks would be nice. Can we get a dinning plan if we did stay off site with our tickets? I know the portions are a decent size (I've read that a lot) so I realize we may not need that for my little one(s).

We have a pin to stay on site too. The disney fan in me wants to use it because the treehouse is available and with a dinning plan it would be the mother of all vacations for us. I haven't been in 12yrs! I tried doing this same room with the GC deal but it works out to the same price W/O the DP! It's price, but good deal considering. It's $500 more than rack price for a package deal with DP. Just that the offsite is about half the cost, I'm just worried about the hassle and food cost.

But we could also do 2 rooms in a mod resort for slightly less, also no kitchen or washer etc. Not that we would even need those. With the little ones still napping, I don't think one room would work since the grandparents would likely not want to sit in one place for 2 hrs each day.

So my head wants to explode. Any advice here? LOL!

We picked a pretty boring time to go since we don't have school to worry about. I played around with quite a few dates and it was the cheapest I found.

No, you can not get the dining plan if you are staying off-site. To get the dining plan, you must purchase a Magic Your Way Package through Disney, which includes your resort room, your tickets and the dining plan.

We are a family of six and we always get two connecting rooms at a value resort. It is the cheapest way for us to stay on-site.

 

[indimom3]

We are a family of 5, and have brought Grandma along before. We stay in the cabins at Ft Wilderness - separate bedroom, full kitchen, etc. We really enjoy it. We never use the dining plan simply because we can have several meals in the cabin, and the DDP is just way too much food for our little kids (6,3, and 2). The cabins do not have a w/d inside, but there are several located throughout the resort, including next to the pools which makes it pretty easy to do a load of laundry.
Also, remember staying onsite means you don't have to rent a car which can save you a ton of money. Or, if you do have a car, you don't have to pay for parking at the resorts.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Price comparison for rooms in value season that hold six people:

Two connecting rooms at any value resort $164.00 per night
All-Star Music Suite $189.00 per night
Ft. Wilderness Cabins $260.00 per night
Two connecting rooms at any moderate $318.00 per night

 

[mellynne79]

Price comparison for rooms in value season that hold six people:

Two connecting rooms at any value resort $164.00 per night
All-Star Music Suite $189.00 per night
Ft. Wilderness Cabins $260.00 per night
Two connecting rooms at any moderate $318.00 per night

Thanks everyone! I did look into the suite and that is a bit cheaper than the treehouse. I didn't realize it was 2 bath and all that. I may cut the dinning plan too. I can hit up a Publix and feed us all for a fraction of that cost and STILL have some great disney meals. Hmmm...So much to ponder!