The cheapest cheapest cheapest way to do Disney from the UK

[MeeskaMooskaMickey]

Hi, i need some advice please, myself, hubby and 2 kids did Disney World for the first time this summer, total cost inc flights, mod hotel, free qs dining, park tickets = £5500 approx for 2 weeks. It was wonderful but way too expensive for us to do again. I'm looking for a cheaper way to do a Disney World holiday, eg. cheapest times of year for flights, cheapest tickets (we would be happy to do one day only in each park but at the prices I've seen the 2 week passes aren't much more), cheapest accommodation with or without free dining. Thanks for any advice you can give



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[Rach78]

Hi,
I am in the same boat as in we went to Disney, me dh and 2 dd's, last October, stayed at OKW, BA Flights, etc and it cost a fortune!! We have booked to go back next year on a budget (if there is such a thing for Florida) What we have decided though is not to do Disney this time. I know many wouldn't want to go and not go to Disney but we figured we spent 14 days there last time, and this time we want to see what else Orlando has to offer, with the plan to go back to Disney in a few years. I know some people do all the parks in one trip but I like to get my money's worth and if I have 14 days tickets to one park, I don't see the point getting 14 days to another when I won't get the benefit of them. We are buying 14 day tickets to Seaword, Busch, Aquatica and getting free Legoland tickets with ATD. This only totals about £360 for all of us. May go to Universal. Booked cheap flights with US Airways, looking at cheaper accomodation such as Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando, which seems to be a decent budget hotel, about £38 per night on average. Booked car hire using AVOIS points through Tesco clubcard. I think the total we will pay for this 17 night holiday including tickets is approx £2800. Don't get me wrong I would love to visit Disney as you said for a day or two but you are right that you are as well getting a 14 days ticket as a one/two day is almost as much. We are therefore seeing it as an opportunity to do some other parks, see some beaches, the rest of Orlando etc instead of just WDW. This was the only way we could justify going next year. Good luck in your savings!!

 

[MeeskaMooskaMickey]

Wow - thanks Rach78, that's interesting because we have been discussing going to Orlando and not doing Disney. Last time we were left with mixed feelings because although we absolutely loved our 2 weeks at Disney we also felt that we missed out on lots of other stuff, mainly Universal and the beaches. The dilemma is that Disney make it almost as cheap to do 2 weeks with them than just a few days, also their free dining make you want to stay there for the duration of your trip! Plus Universal, SeaWorld etc are very expensive for only 1 or 2 days! I think the sensible thing to do next time would be to do what you are doing and give Disney a miss and do all the other stuff, but I'm not sure how I'd feel going all that way and then not going to Disney?? Big dilemma

 

[Rach78]

Yes it is a big dilemma, and I feel exactly the same especially when my youngest couldn't understand why she won't see Tigger this time!! The thought of going all that way and not going to disney is strange, but already we have planned so many other amazing things. We are going up to Crystal River for a night and have booked swimming with manatees, then three days in Tampa at Clearwater, busch and a beautiful country park/beach. Also Legoland, Seaworld, Aquatica, coco beach etc. Also have planned to do things we missed out on at Disney as we were so rushed to do all the parks last time such as Wintersummerland crazy golf, time at DTD at the shops. When I think about it like that it's hard to be disappointed at not going to disney! Like you say when you do go to Disney you are as well staying for 2 weeks and getting dining etc so to me it's most economical to either do disney, or the other stuff and not both. When we go again in a few years we will go back to Disney and do it that way again. Whatever you decide I am sure you will have an amazing time.

 

[ButterbearUK]

You can always do a little bit of Disney without going in the parks. You can visit downtown Disney, book dinner at one of the resorts- maybe a character meal if the little ones will miss the characters, travel the monorail circuit and watch wishes from the Poly beach. All without needing park tickets

 

[london75]

This trip we're on the last few days of cost around 3700 I think, that's excluding food though.

We spent 2000 on flights for 4 indirect to Tampa.
1000 on an absolutely lovely villa at Calabria.
240 on a car
400 on universal tickets with free 14 day legoland tickets

Now admittedly we had Disney tickets already so that helped and save a further 1000.

If you want my opinion, there are ways to do it cheaper but that 5500 was pretty good considering it included tickets and food. Even if I shaved a bit off the villa cost and stayed in a cheap hotel, if I'm honest we haven't beaten that 5500.

 

[queendisney]

The thing with Orlando is that you will always miss out on things because a first timer will never be able to do it all in 14 days. Personally I can never go to Orlando and NOT do Disney although I can take or leave Universal, we only do that every few years! SeaWorld is another park I have to do each time.
Cheap is not a word associated with Florida and can be very subjective. Whats cheap for one is not cheap for others. Sure you can cut the costs but you have to be careful that it doesn't ruin your hols. Ie..one year we decided to try and do it on the 'Cheap' and ended up in a rubbish hotel in Kissimmee. The reviews for this hotel were good but to us it was awful. Then you have to take into account the cost of parking at the parks or if you haven't got a car, the time it takes to get to the parks.
Flights are obviously a lot cheaper out of season. We always go November now and you can pick up flights for around £430 direct. Which brings me to another point. Package hols can work out way more expensive then DIY, not always but for us if normally does. so maybe look at pricing up each part of your hols individually. I am sure you will be able to beat £5500 no probs especially if you don't go in the summer.

 

[joolz1910]

I feel your pain Staying onsite has spoilt us as I want to do the same again! A holiday for a family of 5 is always more expensive as you only fit into certain hotels! I have to go in the summer holidays as I am a teacher and have realised that I am looking at about 10k for what we want:

I am happy to fly indirect.
I want to stay in a 1 bed at OKW.
I want free DDP again (fingers crossed)
I want to do Seaworld and Universal.
We will have to go during the last two weeks of August.

The offers on at OKW are the deal-breaker for me. Would have to have a rethink if they are withdrawn.

 

[foxxxy83]

Cheapest way to do Disneyworld is to stay off-site. Motels are cheapest as the door to your room opens onto the street like you see in the movies and hotels are slightly more but still not as much as Disney hotels. Also, it's worth keeping an eye on Disney store for ticket prices because they have offers sometimes. All depends on what's most important to you, some people have to have a certain type or star rating of hotel or they won't be happy, me it's a case of I'm not in my hotel long enough to enjoy mod cons.. so long as the shower works, there's a safe and it's clean then am happy. As for cheapest time of year, low season (Jan - April) is always cheapest no matter where you go in the world. Hope that helps.

 

[foxxxy83]

I disagree that a first timer can't do it all in 14 days!! We're going for 14 days and we're doing Disney parks minus Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, we're doing both Universal parks, we're doing MNSSHP, we're doing Discovery Cove with Dolphin Swim and Seaworld with Dine with Shamu, we're doing Medieval Knights at Kissimee, we're doing Legoland and we're doing an adventure day excursion through Thomson swimming with Manatees and visiting Homassa State Park!! And we've got 2 free days!!

 

[queendisney]

I disagree that a first timer can't do it all in 14 days!! We're going for 14 days and we're doing Disney parks minus Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, we're doing both Universal parks, we're doing MNSSHP, we're doing Discovery Cove with Dolphin Swim and Seaworld with Dine with Shamu, we're doing Medieval Knights at Kissimee, we're doing Legoland and we're doing an adventure day excursion through Thomson swimming with Manatees and visiting Homassa State Park!! And we've got 2 free days!!

You will NOT do everything! You will be able to do what you are doing but you do not have enough time to do it all ie see everything in all the parks (the parks are HUGE) and you admitted that you aren't doing Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. With all due respect this is your first trip you haven't been before..it cannot be done in what basically is 12 full days!

 

[queendisney]

Cheapest way to do Disneyworld is to stay off-site. Motels are cheapest as the door to your room opens onto the street like you see in the movies and hotels are slightly more but still not as much as Disney hotels. Also, it's worth keeping an eye on Disney store for ticket prices because they have offers sometimes. All depends on what's most important to you, some people have to have a certain type or star rating of hotel or they won't be happy, me it's a case of I'm not in my hotel long enough to enjoy mod cons.. so long as the shower works, there's a safe and it's clean then am happy. As for cheapest time of year, low season (Jan - April) is always cheapest no matter where you go in the world. Hope that helps.

You will find that there are infact other times of the year that are also low season other then Jan-April. April can be extremely busy at WDW if Easter is anyway near it. Disney Store is not the cheapest place for tickets you need to keep your eyes open for other sellers as well, ie Attraction Tickets Direct. Motels can be cheap but you can also find exceptionally good deals on far better hotels for the same price. Again you do have to shop around. Its all down to personal choice but there are lots of people on this board that tell you how to find a really good hotel for the price of a motel.

 

[foxxxy83]

Was only making the point that it was a very sweeping statement. What some people count as "doing disney" is not necessarily what other people do. Reason we aren't doing Disney's water parks is nothing to do with time restraints, it's to do with the fact that we don't like waterparks in general. My son's only 6 so he's not old enough for rollercoasters which other people will do plus how many people go, do a ride, enjoy it and don't go back on? Not many.

 

[foxxxy83]

And you're most likely right QueenDisney about shopping around if you want to do Disney on a budget as you would shop around for the best deal on anything. Thankfully, I'm not in the same position but know friends who have been

 

[queendisney]

Was only making the point that it was a very sweeping statement. What some people count as "doing disney" is not necessarily what other people do. Reason we aren't doing Disney's water parks is nothing to do with time restraints, it's to do with the fact that we don't like waterparks in general. My son's only 6 so he's not old enough for rollercoasters which other people will do plus how many people go, do a ride, enjoy it and don't go back on? Not many.

it wasn't a sweeping statement at all. The fact is if you have never been before that it always surprises people just how huge Orlando is. Even with the best planned itinerary as a first timer, its extremely hard to keep to as at some point you hit a brick wall if you don't factor in some breaks. With a six year old its obviously going to be a tad slower. So back to what I said...you cannot do it all in 14 days. You can plan to do some of it, like you have, but what you are doing is still only touching on it...

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

You will find that there are infact other times of the year that are also low season other then Jan-April. April can be extremely busy at WDW if Easter is anyway near it. Disney Store is not the cheapest place for tickets you need to keep your eyes open for other sellers as well, ie Attraction Tickets Direct. Motels can be cheap but you can also find exceptionally good deals on far better hotels for the same price. Again you do have to shop around. Its all down to personal choice but there are lots of people on this board that tell you how to find a really good hotel for the price of a motel.

Totally agree with this .... we've been too many times that I'd like to admit too and we've no way seen everything. Ok so we've "done" the Disney parks, except for the stuff introduced since we were last there of course, but we've not visited all of the resorts or eaten in all the restaurants. We've never done any of the things you can book with Robert Duvall (?) We've not been to Seaworld for AGES (hoping to rectify that next trip ), nor have we visited Universal or KSC for ages either.

BTW: I quoted the wrong post Vanda I meant to quote the one where you said it's not possible to do everything in 14 days

 

[Elise79]

The cheapest way is usually to book DIY, stay offsite and fly indirect.

The cheapest times to travel are January to mid march (excluding half term) possibly September (although this isn't as cheap as it used to be as the airlines have reduced capacity hence pushed up prices), early October and mid November through to early December.

The other thing is to no do all the parks. We always do Disney We can take or leave Universal so haven't been in years and it is not in our immediate plans. SeaWorld we do every few years as we enjoy it but not enough to pay to go every time.

We now always take at least a day out to go the coast.

We did 16 nights in the summer and just did Disney, both Disney water parks, 3 days at the beach and a day at KSC.

 

[foxxxy83]

Blimey, why does it feel like there's an argument brewing?? Lol! I only wanted to make the point that what for one is "doing Disney" may not be what another person would interpret by the same term. Some people aren't happy unless they've done every single thing but we don't want to do every single thing because some of it would never appeal to us. It's the same anywhere you go not just Disney. Some people wouldn't say they'd "done" New York unless they'd done EVERYTHING New York had to offer but in order to do that you would have to go back every year for at least 25 yrs (according to a New York cop we were chatting with last time we were out there) but we aren't the type of people that would go anywhere that often. See what I mean?? We always cram a heck of a lot into each of our hols and count each place as "done" by the time we get back because we've "done" all we want to do there.

 

[Elise79]

I disagree that a first timer can't do it all in 14 days!! We're going for 14 days and we're doing Disney parks minus Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, we're doing both Universal parks, we're doing MNSSHP, we're doing Discovery Cove with Dolphin Swim and Seaworld with Dine with Shamu, we're doing Medieval Knights at Kissimee, we're doing Legoland and we're doing an adventure day excursion through Thomson swimming with Manatees and visiting Homassa State Park!! And we've got 2 free days!!

Was only making the point that it was a very sweeping statement. What some people count as "doing disney" is not necessarily what other people do. Reason we aren't doing Disney's water parks is nothing to do with time restraints, it's to do with the fact that we don't like waterparks in general. My son's only 6 so he's not old enough for rollercoasters which other people will do plus how many people go, do a ride, enjoy it and don't go back on? Not many.

Unless you have actually been I don't think it is possible to say you can do everything in 14 days.

You will not see everything in MK in a day even if you miss the 3 mountains (although my 5 year old would be mightily upset if I told her she count ride them!)

What you are doing it is visiting all the parks - not doing all the parks.

 

[edinburghlass]

I think probably because of the vast size of the Disney parks its difficult to say you can even walk round one in a day let alone doing any of the rides or take into account any of the inevitable queuing even with fast pass.