Want to begin planning a Disney vacation 1st one ever!

[KellyMarie]

I found this board months ago but never actually pursued planning
a disney vacation. I really want to start planning one for our family of 5.
3 children ages 16, 9 and 8 and possibly my oldest who is 24.
I have to do this as frugally as possible and I am sure there are
others in the same boat.
I guess the 1st question is: Is it better to rent a home/condo vs. staying
at Disney world?

 

[naf917]

Welcome.

You can find tips on the Budget Board and Disney for Families. One tip for saving money is determining if you need to rent a car. If not fly into Orlando and use the Magical Express. It is free if staying on Disney Property. If you need to rent a car you can find cheaper places to stay off of Disney property.

There is a ton of information available here. Ask questions and people here like to share their experiences and give opinions.

 

[KellyMarie]

Welcome.

You can find tips on the Budget Board and Disney for Families. One tip for saving money is determining if you need to rent a car. If not fly into Orlando and use the Magical Express. It is free if staying on Disney Property. If you need to rent a car you can find cheaper places to stay off of Disney property.

There is a ton of information available here. Ask questions and people here like to share their experiences and give opinions.

Yes, I'll have to see what is cheapest. I would rather not have to drive but
want to do which ever is cheapest. Renting a car and staying off disney property vs. staying on disney property. hmmm this will be alot of work, lol

 

[torinsmom]

When are you thinking of going? There are definitely times that are cheaper if you stay onsite. For example, we are staying at Pop Century August 3-11 for $73/night with AAA discount. If I was to go in March, it would cost $119/night or around Christmas, it would be $129/night. When you go and what kind of discount you can find are obviously important.

It will be important to know whether you will have 4 or 5 people. With 4, you could do a value resort, but with 5, you would need a Moderate, which means more $.

Staying offsite can be a cost saver in some ways, but don't forget to add in the cost of renting a car, parking fees at Disney and gas to and from the parks. There is also something to be said for being in the magic 24 hours a day.

Marsha

 

[ilovediznee2]

In my opinion, you can stay off-site a lot cheaper. If you go to vrbo.com, they have LOTS of houses/condos for rent. I've always found very reasonable places, and they have always been clean, and exactly the way the pictures look. Even if you need to rent a car, I have found it to be cheaper to do this than to stay on-site.

 

[ilovediznee2]

I am the queen of "frugal." I also have planned trips for many of my friends, all while saving them as much money as possible. If you'd like some more of my tips, PM me, and I'll be happy to share!!

 

[KellyMarie]

We will be a family of 5, so it will cost more unfortunately.

I would LOVE any frugal tips I can get. I'll probably be on a smaller budget than most here and I would like to find a way that we can afford a trip to Disney and make it memorable. I think just going will be quite the memory for the kids though.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

While I love staying on site, I think you may find yourself a better deal staying off site and probably with better accomodations (more room). Definitely start checking out the different areas of the boards and you'll pick up a lot of helpful information about place to stay on and off property as well as lots of budget conscious info for everything else to do with your trip.

 

[Metro West]

 

[nurse.darcy]

Think about this. . .with a family of five you can stay at POR, a moderate with a trundle. . .but does you teen like sharing? if not this may not be the answer. . .Offsite you can rent some great family style suites that are probably much more suited to your needs than the set up of the disney hotels. Time of year is VERY important. Late summer is a value time, and although hot, it is still a lot of fun. You can rent a car service rather than a car if you stay at a hotel that, while not Disney, would be within the disney property boundaries and offer some sort of shuttle service to disney parks. Definitely post on the budget boards and make yourself lists of pros and cons for staying onsite vs offsite. For me it will always be onsite because I like the convenience, but for others, they don't mind the little bit of inconvenience compared with the savings. Are you a teacher, nurse or government employee? Look to the savings of staying at the Swan/Dolphin. They offer some great discounts and the cost comparison could be similar to that of a moderate resort. They are in the Epcot Hotel area and utilize disney transportation to all the parks, though they do NOT participate in Magical Express.

Good luck and have fun planning. . .I think the planning is the best part. . .The budget board will show you ways to save for the vacation of a lifetime. . .

 

[Aliceacc]

We're also a family of 5, going down for the first time in almost 2 decades.

I started this thread for others like me, it may help you get organized: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1715551

 

[Rylee]

I found this board months ago but never actually pursued planning
a disney vacation. I really want to start planning one for our family of 5.
3 children ages 16, 9 and 8 and possibly my oldest who is 24.
I have to do this as frugally as possible and I am sure there are
others in the same boat.
I guess the 1st question is: Is it better to rent a home/condo vs. staying
at Disney world?

Hi

Some money saving tips...

• If possible, travel during Value season at Disney, or during a slow time, in general. Prices will be lower, but also, during a less busy time, you be able to see and do more in fewer days.
  
• Tickets are a big expense, do not buy any of the extra options... Hoppers, Water Park and More option, or do not buy any options you aren't sure you'll use.
  
• Pack your own breakfast items... bring granola bars, pop-tarts, fruit snacks, juice boxes, etc.
  
• If you'd like to experience/dine at any of the Table Service (TS) Disney restaurants, lunch is usually cheaper than dinner, and a nice break during peak park hours.
  
• When ordering at Counter Service (CS) restaurants, try sharing some items... the portions are usually large enough... example for 5 people, order 5 sandwiches, and 3 fries, or order 3 combo meals, plus 2 sandwiches.
  
• If possible, travel before your 9 y/o turns 10. Anyone 10 and over is consider a Disney adult, (for tickets and dining purposes.)
  
• Bring a couple of refillable drink bottles.
  
• If you aren't staying at a Disney resort, do not go to the park that has the Extra Magic Hours, as that park will be more crowded that day. Check park hours on the calendar at the Disney site.
  
• Watch for discount codes to become available for your dates of travel. Or use AAA, if you have it.
  
• If flying and staying on-site, use Disney's Free Magical Express to and from the airport. If staying on-site, a car rental is not necessary. If you'll have your own car, as a resort guest, you won't have to pay parking fees.

As for hotel accommodations... I always recommend staying on-site at a Disney Resort, however, I realize it may be a better option for some families to stay off-site. When deciding what's best for your family, be sure to consider other factors besides the initial cost...

car rental, gas, parking fees, traveling time and distance to and from the parks, possible traffic and direction hassles, etc.

At the Disney resorts... for a family of 5, your cheapest option is the Port Orlean Riverside Resort. For a family of 6, 2 rooms at a Value Resort, or a Family Suite at All-Star Music, will be your cheapest option.

Check here or the mousesavers site for discount codes.
Read menus and prices, here or at the allears site.

Have fun planning.

 

[Mkgaapril]

Hi

Some money saving tips...

• If possible, travel during Value season at Disney, or during a slow time, in general. Prices will be lower, but also, during a less busy time, you be able to see and do more in fewer days.
  
• Tickets are a big expense, do not buy any of the extra options... Hoppers, Water Park and More option, or do not buy any options you aren't sure you'll use.
  
• Pack your own breakfast items... bring granola bars, pop-tarts, fruit snacks, juice boxes, etc.
  
• If you'd like to experience/dine at any of the Table Service (TS) Disney restaurants, lunch is usually cheaper than dinner, and a nice break during peak park hours.
  
• When ordering at Counter Service (CS) restaurants, try sharing some items... the portions are usually large enough... example for 5 people, order 5 sandwiches, and 3 fries, or order 3 combo meals, plus 2 sandwiches.
  
• If possible, travel before your 9 y/o turns 10. Anyone 10 and over is consider a Disney adult, (for tickets and dining purposes.)
  
• Bring a couple of refillable drink bottles.
  
• If you aren't staying at a Disney resort, do not go to the park that has the Extra Magic Hours, as that park will be more crowded that day. Check park hours on the calendar at the Disney site.
  
• Watch for discount codes to become available for your dates of travel. Or use AAA, if you have it.
  
• If flying and staying on-site, use Disney's Free Magical Express to and from the airport. If staying on-site, a car rental is not necessary. If you'll have your own car, as a resort guest, you won't have to pay parking fees.

As for hotel accommodations... I always recommend staying on-site at a Disney Resort, however, I realize it may be a better option for some families to stay off-site. When deciding what's best for your family, be sure to consider other factors besides the initial cost...

car rental, gas, parking fees, traveling time and distance to and from the parks, possible traffic and direction hassles, etc.

At the Disney resorts... for a family of 5, your cheapest option is the Port Orlean Riverside Resort. For a family of 6, 2 rooms at a Value Resort, or a Family Suite at All-Star Music, will be your cheapest option.

Check here or the mousesavers site for discount codes.
Read menus and prices, here or at the allears site.

Have fun planning.

I so agree with you.....we stay at pop, I always need to rent 2 rooms, but i don't do the water parks(did it one year, only went once and was so packed it wasn't worth the extra money..)..we have done the meal package ...i find t a value, but you can go without using a meal package and still save money...you first need to start with a budget and work it from there...it is much easier when you know how much you can spend...if you rent a house, condo check out.... VRBO.COM.