Thinking about Disney...help:o)

[disney54321]

Hi everyone,

We are contemplating a trip to disney. I have so many questions don't know where to start..lol! First is we are thinking about staying off grounds in a home in the clermont area, neighborhood called orange trees. We are a family of six, 2 adults, 4 children ages 10, 7, 2, and 1. These homes seem so much more affordable than staying on the grounds. Do any of you have any feedback about this place or any advice would help? Also where do i start as far as purchasing park tickets if i'm staying off grounds? And would we be eligible for the dining plan? or is that even a good idea? As you can see i am clueless and very overwhelmed. Any advice will be sooooooo helpful!!! Thanks in advance!!)

 

[kim_o]

IMO in regards to tickets...first stop should be www.mousesavers.com and sign up for the newsletter.

They give a lot of helpful info and discounts. The ticket discounts through undercovertourist.com are very competitive.

 

[stepnut]

If you stay off-site, you cannot get the dining plan.

Staying off-site is a huge money saver if you have a large family, or if you just can't stand having everyone in only 1 hotel room (that's us...). Even the extra added expense of a rental car and parking at the parks isn't enough to make me want to cram into one hotel room.

Depending on how long you stay, the discounts on tickets will vary, but none will be HUGE discounts. Two day passes are not discounted anywhere. Three day passes are discounted about $3 (whoopee.) Longer passes are discounted a little more, but when you consider you've got 6 tickets to buy, it's a nice savings. There are a lot of good reputable ticket brokers, many online. For our last trip, I found an online place, but didn't have the time to wait to have them mailed to us, so we went directly to thier store in Orlando after we landed. They had a deal on 3 day passes...buy the 3 day and get a 4th day for free. It wasn't a HUGE savings, since the price of a 4 day pass isn't all that much more than a 3 day, but it was pennies in my pocket. And my husband thought I was BRILLIANT for finding the deal.

Get yourself a copy of the Unofficial Guide to WDW...you'll be glad you did! It was my bible for our trips. I still enjoy reading it even though I'm not currently planning a trip (we just returned from our last one a few days ago.)

Have fun planning! Planning the trip is part of the fun!

 

[disney54321]

thanks stepnut for the advice i will look into this! And also if you don't mind me asking where have you guys stayed off grounds?

 

[disney54321]

and oops thanks kim o!! took your advice and have joined mousesavers

 

[Cruz91]

Or at least how I was just two short years ago! Now I think I'm well on my way to becoming a veteran - and you have taken your first huge step by checking in here! You name the issue and you'll find plenty of answers on this site!

Staying off-site is a good move. I'm not sure where the area you're talking about is, though. We're huge fans of WH. We leave in about 4 hours for our next trip, and have a 3 BR, 2 BA condo booked. We payed less than $100 per night including taxes. We've stayed in a different condo with a different owner twice before - 1st time with this owner. We found both on vrbo.com - which is one of the recommended sites in UG, which another poster suggested you get.

Anyway - feel free to ask lots of questions, then take all the opinions and make the decision that's best for your family (translation - not everyone who posts here agrees on many topics - so you have to weed through the opinions and make an informed decision).

 

[disney54321]

Thank you so much cruz!!! And if you don't mind me asking what is the WH? And actually the home that i found is on vrbo.com. So i guess i made a right move there lol! wish you guys a wonderful disney vacation

 

[Cruz91]

WH is Windsor Hills. It's a gated community, which adds a little peace of mind. There is a guard shack, and nobody gets in without them knowing it. It has AWESOME ammenities, and very affordable.

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

In all honesty, we've never liked the dining plan (though others do). Here are a few "secrets" that we've found for economizing at Disney....

1. Yes, you can bring in food. Don't get me wrong, you can't bring in a huge cooler, but a small backpack with chips, PBJ or snacks is just fine.
2. You can also bring in your own water bottles! When we stayed at a DVC (which is kinda like a condo as far as kitchen amenities go...we froze our bottles and enjoyed them throughout the day.
3. "Sit-down" meals are cheaper at breakfast and lunch than they are at dinner.
4. Yep, many rides exit through shops with lots of trinkets to buy. I tell my son that we will shop on our last day at Disney and we keep a journal of the things he "really" wanted with the item description, store we found it in (and where...i.e., POTC in Adventureland at MK), and the cost. He has a certain amount that we give him for the trip that we agree to before we leave. We tell him that he might want to save his allowance and we also give him ways to "earn" extra money in addition to his allowance that he can put in his "Disney Jar."
5. You don't have to order a "combo" at the counter-serve places....you can order just a sandwich and a drink. We've found that they always give us too many fries and 1 order usually feeds the 3 of us!
6. Anyone can order a kids meal at a counter-service restaurant! Our son (who will soon be 10) is the size of an average 14 year old...and has an appetite to match! Me, on the other hand, I prefer to eat smaller meals and have been known to order the kids meal for me...otherwise, it's just too much food!
7. We often eat breakfast in our room...and splurge once or twice on a big breakfast (usually Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's). We're not big breakfast types...a nutri-grain bar with milk is good for me while DS and DH often eat power bars and carnation instant breakfast!

Oh yes...one final thing! My DS favorite ride is FREE (no admission required)! He loves to ride up front with the driver on the monorail from MK to EPCOT. We often save that for a day when we are planning to swim or shop at Downtown Disney.

Have a great trip.
7.

 

[disney54321]

Has anyone ever purchased tickets from this site orlandofuntickets.com? They have a special 4day magic your way base tickets with an upgrade to 5day.

 

[Tigger&Pooh]

Hi everyone,

We are contemplating a trip to disney. I have so many questions don't know where to start..lol! First is we are thinking about staying off grounds in a home in the clermont area, neighborhood called orange trees. We are a family of six, 2 adults, 4 children ages 10, 7, 2, and 1. These homes seem so much more affordable than staying on the grounds. Do any of you have any feedback about this place or any advice would help? Also where do i start as far as purchasing park tickets if i'm staying off grounds? And would we be eligible for the dining plan? or is that even a good idea? As you can see i am clueless and very overwhelmed. Any advice will be sooooooo helpful!!! Thanks in advance!!)

We first began our journey by purchasing the Unofficial Guide and very soon after checked out Mousesaver.com. They have lots of information on their website and I signed up for their monthly newsletter. They provide a link (only through the newsletter) for undercovertourist.com that has discounted tickets. We are staying at a condo in Windsor Hills (WH) that we rented through VRBO as well, so we are not eligible for the dining plan. We are paying less than $100 a night for the 2 bedroom condo, with full kitchen and laundry. We are planning one character meal at The Crystal Palace in MK for lunch as my son is a fan of Tigger and Pooh. Most everything else will be lunches brought in or counter service(CS), with dinners at the condo or CS in the park. As my son is only 6, we have planned in some days of afternoon breaks, relaxing at the pool or just hanging out/napping at the condo.
This board is a wonderful place that I check often for updates, advice and help along the way. I find planning the trip is a lot of fun, too. I hope you have a great trip! May all your research lead you to magical journey to Disney!!

 

[disney54321]

Thanks TiggerandPooh We are actually looking at homes in Windsor Hills now. As thru my research found out that its the closes off ground site to disney. I am really so excited and I'm loving this planning too. It feels like an adventure..lol

I noticed that you said you guys will have days where you go in for naps and relaxing at the condo..Are you allowed to return to the same park after you leave for a few hours or so?

 

[Tigger&Pooh]

Thanks TiggerandPooh We are actually looking at homes in Windsor Hills now. As thru my research found out that its the closes off ground site to disney. I am really so excited and I'm loving this planning too. It feels like an adventure..lol

I noticed that you said you guys will have days where you go in for naps and relaxing at the condo..Are you allowed to return to the same park after you leave for a few hours or so?

I think you can, but maybe one of the veterans from the board would know better. We are getting the park hopper option, but I think even without the park hopper, you can get your hand stamped and return later. I read that in the Unofficial Guide. (HTH) Hope that helps!!

 

[disney54321]

Thanks again Tiggerandpooh and to all of you!! We are officially going to Disney..we booked a townhome at WH last night!!! I think i'm more excited than the kids lol!