Trip For $2500?

[theworldneedscolor]

Is it possible to do a trip for $2500 or less? A family of four (two adults, two teens), flying out of PDX. I am thinking, week of Thanksgiving or sometime during Christmas break. Spring break is also a possibility, which is the last full week in March. That could knock of a person. We would like to stay on property, but we could stay off if that is the only way it will work.

Thoughts?

 

[sissy_ib]

Is it possible to do a trip for $2500 or less? A family of four (two adults, two teens), flying out of PDX. I am thinking, week of Thanksgiving or sometime during Christmas break. Spring break is also a possibility, which is the last full week in March. That could knock of a person. We would like to stay on property, but we could stay off if that is the only way it will work.

Thoughts?

I'm assuming you are working around school schedules with those dates. Those are going to be the busiest and most expensive times of the year. For both your airfare and hotel stay. Have you priced out a trip online?

 

[theworldneedscolor]

Yes, school schedules. Our only breaks are Thanksgiving week, Christmas break, and Spring break this year. The lowest I have priced online is $3200 for thanksgivingm

 

[Marionnette]

Is it possible to do a trip for $2500 or less? A family of four (two adults, two teens), flying out of PDX. I am thinking, week of Thanksgiving or sometime during Christmas break. Spring break is also a possibility, which is the last full week in March. That could knock of a person. We would like to stay on property, but we could stay off if that is the only way it will work.

Thoughts?

I think that airfare for 4 people alone is going to eat up more than half of your budget if you plan to travel completely across the country even during non-peak vacation times. Onsite resort rooms will be at their most expensive during holidays and discounts are pretty much non-existent. I don't think your budget is realistic given the dates that you want to travel and the number of people in your party.

If you've found a package for 4 that includes air + room + tickets + food for $3200 at Thanksgiving, then jump on it. You are not going to find it cheaper.

 

[tar heel]

I can't imagine being able to do it. I'm planning a Thanksgiving trip for two of my sons, either four or five nights, and it's going to be between $1,500 and $2,000 with airfare.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

If you want to stay on property then consider renting points. I saw posts on mouse owners for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Spring Break rentals. If there is another Southwest 50,000 point offer and you can fly with them, then consider applying for the credit card. You could all fly for free if you and your husband both sign up. We signed up for 3 cards and plan to use the points to fly for free. As for food, if you rent points from a dvc owner, you do not have to purchase tickets to get the dining plan so you could add quick service plan as it is the cheapest. Lastly, get tickets from UT using mousesavers discount. However, if you really want to cut back then just get basic tickets.

 

[Marionnette]

If you want to stay on property then consider renting points. I saw posts on mouse owners for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Spring Break rentals. If there is another Southwest 50,000 point offer and you can fly with them, then consider applying for the credit card. You could all fly for free if you and your husband both sign up. We signed up for 3 cards and plan to use the points to fly for free. As for food, if you rent points from a dvc owner, you do not have to purchase tickets to get the dining plan so you could add quick service plan as it is the cheapest. Lastly, get tickets from UT using mousesavers discount. However, if you really want to cut back then just get basic tickets.

These are all good suggestions for someone who wants to reduce the total cost of their trip. But for the OP's budget, it just isn't realistic.

1. They are flying from Portland during a holiday. Even SWA flights are going to be expensive. We're talking somewhere in the range of 30,000 points for a single RT ticket. 50,000 RR points will help but it won't buy 4 free tickets.
   
2. It takes time for those RR points to show up in your account. You have to apply for, qualify for, receive the card and use it to make $1000 in purchases. Then, the points have to credit to your account. And all that time, the cost of the flights goes up.
   
3. Renting DVC is cheaper than staying in a deluxe resort room but it is not the least expensive way to stay onsite. At this point, it will be difficult to find someone renting points who can get Thanksgiving week for the OP. The most affordable rooms (AK value, std. views, etc.) are already booked. If you're lucky enough to find someone who has a reservation they can transfer into your name, they are not going to let it go for less than $12/point.
   
4. Tickets for 4 people, even when purchased from a discounter, will cost over $1000! That's 5-day base tickets! Add hopping or WPF&M and the cost just goes up.
   
5. The QSDP would cost the OP $94 per night, assuming that they are 2 adults and 2 Disney children (under the age of 10). Guessing that they wouldn't be staying for less than 5 nights, that's nearly $500 more out of their vacation budget.
   ETA: I just noticed that the kids are teenagers. The cost of the QSDP would be $140/night for the OP.

 

[peacelover]

If that price includes airfare, No , I don't think it is possible. I think you can possibly stay at Disney for 5 days, 4 day ticket, free dining for under $2500, but airfare would be additional.

 

[HM]

I think it's near impossible.
Park tickets alone will be more than $1000 for the four of you.
Value priced rooms will be more than $100 a night during those dates.
Flight prices can vary, but I can't imagine you'd be able to fly for less than $1200.
And we haven't even added in food yet.

 

[Shmily1]

If you could get decent airfare, you could work the rest around it. Right now, there are free dining and room discounts to work with. It's possible.

 

[punkin]

The flights will kill you. Prices for those weeks are really high and they will not come down as you get closer to the dates. Hotels are less of a problem, but still you are talking very busy times, so you will have issues.

No. I don't think your budget is realistic during those times.

 

[blessedby3]

Just checked the disney site for the week of Thanksgiving and just room and tickets for 4 comes to $2291.42 (this is at POP, value resort). Regular room and 7 day base tickets. This doesnt include food or airfare. If you go during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter...they are not going to offer discounts. These are their holiday season pricing times.
Pricing out the last week in March for the same tickets and resort is $2649.8.
If you can check in by Dec 20th of this year, they are offerning free dining. You can get the same tickets as above, same resort and free counter service dining plan for $2563.80. Then you would have to get airfare. This would be the craziest time of year as far as crowds, though.
You could look at staying offsite. We are doing that in October and getting a room at Bonnet Creek for $832 for the week. You would still have to add park tickets, food and parking at $14 a day. They have a shuttle, but I wouldnt rely on that...and during these peak times that you are looking at they may have park closings for off property guests.
I think you would be looking more at a $3500 price range instead of $2500 for the trip you want.

 

[musicmantrs]

It is heresy on the DIS boards to suggest not staying on property but...
You can get a UT 6 day MYW tickets for $1122.60 and then stay in a Groupon/Priceline/LS deal hotel. It may be tough to find one for Thanksgiving week but they have them so often that if you read the fine print it could be doable. I could see getting a hotel for $60-$70 a night. $350 for the hotel - that's about $1500 with tickets. You'd have to get some free flights to stay within budget, I'd recommend SW points because I got several free flights when I did it. If you could get free flights I could see getting a rental car and food for the remaining $1000.

Personal experience though - for 2 of us going for 5 nights in early November with FD (one hotel price level above value season) staying at CBR with a free return flight from SW and paying OOP for airfare to MCO our trip is $2000. When we originally booked ASMusic with FQSD it was $1600 with the one OOP flight leg. It would be tough to do on that much of a budget and having to go at peak times it may be hard to get much done.

 

[hsmamato2]

I've never traveled at those peak times, But I would assume other pp's are right, the prices are higher then. If you could get free dining at a value plus park tix in a package,maybe around 2500 for that- but then you have to get yourself there....

 

[ADisneyQueen]

We just went in June for 7 nights $2600. 2 adults and a 15 yr. old and 11 yr. old. But, we got the SW credit card and used the free 50,000 pts. it came with for all our flights. We stayed at POP and had a pin code for free QSDP and bought 6 day tickets, no park hoppers. It can be done if you find some good deals but less likely to get them during holidays.

 

[jekajekalynn]

My advice? Stay offsite in a vacation home. Splitting the cost between 4 adults in half will make the cost about 500-600. Added bonus, you get your OWN house to stay in , usually with a pool, and you don't have to cram your family into one small room.

We've done this every time on our WDW vacations.

 

[budafam]

I would suggest looking into Bonnet Creek. We had a 2 bedroom condo there for 7 nights and it was only $693. They're inside Disney's gates and also have bus transportation to/from the parks for free. You can get groceries delivered and make your own meals to save on money. Not sure about the YES program but maybe that could help with ticket costs???

This is why I dread my kids turning into teens... it's going to cost so much more

 

[v.t.]

If you could arrive on Nov. 15th and fly out on Thanksgiving day, that would help with the airfare, plus you would qualify for free dining. kayak.com compares all the airfares except southwest. Good luck

 

[theworldneedscolor]

This is all great advice, everyone! I am looking into off property, that might be the way to go. And my 2500-3000 budget is excluding food. Also wanted to clarify that our 3 day non park hopper tickets from Undecover Tourist give us a free day, all for $255. So not quite the numbers some were thinking, but still $1000.

Flights are ridiculous. This is why we have never flown cross country before!

 

[punkin]

This is all great advice, everyone! I am looking into off property, that might be the way to go. And my 2500-3000 budget is excluding food. Also wanted to clarify that our 3 day non park hopper tickets from Undecover Tourist give us a free day, all for $255. So not quite the numbers some were thinking, but still $1000.

Flights are ridiculous. This is why we have never flown cross country before!

It's the times you are looking at. Everyone and their mother wants to fly on those days so airlines charge very high prices. Other dates are MUCH cheaper!