I am an avid Disney fan and watched your segment tonight on Disney Savings - the inaccuracy of the report and lack of true savings potential at Disney was really surprising to me.
In the clips of Walt Disney World - you actually showed the Disneyland castle.
The resorts that you mentioned staying in to save money because they allow you to cook - cost over $100 more a night than the value resorts - the woman featured in your story appears to be a Disney Vacation Club member - which allows her the flexibility to stay in these resorts but for a family heading to WDW on occassion - staying in those hotels is not a good choice when on a tight budget.
In addition - if you stay on property - you can ride a free shuttle to the resorts from the airport so to get groceries would require renting a car or paying to have them delivered - not worth the difference you would save on groceries.
You did not mention researching the
Disney Dining plan which gives an economical option to those who will be eating all their meals on property - it is around $35/day for an adult and $10 a day for a child and includes a counter service meal, table service meal and snack item.
If a family was on a tight budget, getting a room at one of Disney's budget resorts and adding the dining plan - would actually be cheaper than staying at the Deluxe resorts you mentioned, paying for groceries and meals and a rental car to get them
The best way to not waste your money at Disney is to plan, plan, plan. A better website to refer them to would have been disboards.com - which helps in planning and can help people choose which resort choices are best for them.
The cheap offsite hotel you showed in the clip (the Swan and Dolphin) runs about $200 a night - in off season - hardly considered a budget option
You said multi-day passes allow you in the park at 6 am - this is not true. This is a perk for Disney resort guests only - and allows you in a park on designated days one hour before opening. The Magic Kingdom NEVER opens before 8 am - therefore - you would never be able to enter the park at 6 am.
A quick comparison for my family in August - using your budget saving tips versus my suggestions - gave me the following price difference:
staying in one of Disney's All-Star resorts: includes tickets and the Dining Package - giving my kids a character meal each day of my trip and a counter service meal and snack
$2499
or staying in a Moderate resort
$2831
USING YOUR MONEY SAVING TIPS:
needing to rent a car; having 2 character meals, and counter service 5 days - leaving us with one meal a day in our room - that I would have to cook on my vacation and staying at the Fort Wilderness Cabins
$3200 -
if I eliminated the rental car and groceries delivered instead - it would cost me $3000
I would hope that in the future when giving information in your reports that you would take time to verify information and suggestions.