What has saved you the most $$$$$?

[Magic4UsZ's]

AP room only discounts and the dining perks that come with the AP or do you think the packages they promote save you more?

Pros and cons please.

We are doing two trips for sure, in 6/07& 10/07 and am thinking of a shorter trip this Feb 07. We are renting pts for the 1st trip, havent made reservations for the Oct 07 trip and am wondering if I go in Feb would an AP make more sense money wise? even if I dont do Feb what about an AP?

 

[bytheblood]

For us, it was planning out meals last time and using the dining plan. We ate the nice meals we really wanted; we could just not pay out of pocket for all of them.

I am a fan of the packages myself, unless Disney sends me a spectaular room code...like in 2005 when I got a $79 code for a moderate in June.

 

[Laralyn]

It saved us a lot of money in 2004 & 2005 to buy APs, then plan our two visits to be about 11 months apart. The APs were about $20 more than the park hopper passes would have been for our first stay (9 nights), and then the next stay had no ticket costs. We also saved a lot by adding the Disney Dining Experience (saved on food) and with the AP discount for restaurants, some gifts, and the hotel room.

 

[SUSANMELODY]

Disney Dining...it kept us on a "soft" schedule also.

 

[rluey29]

The dining plan saved us a lot of money!!!

 

[I'mNoPrince]

It's all costing me more money. There's no savings going on here at all.

Free Dining is a good one as far as packages go.

But the DDE and Ap rate is what we just used as to not borrow into next years DVC points.

We did almost like you are planning .


Late June 06 (Start of AP's) , Quick 4 day Oct trip (Ap rate POFQ), Dec DVC trip 5 days and then again in June 07 but early in the month to get that in on the AP as well.

 

[maelstrom]

We go a couple of times a year and the AP saves us a lot of money. We stay at deluxes and get around $75 off per night with the AP discount. We usually stay for around ten nights, so that's $750 per trip!

 

[pepe of ohio]

We go a couple of times a year and the AP saves us a lot of money. We stay at deluxes and get around $75 off per night with the AP discount. We usually stay for around ten nights, so that's $750 per trip!

We like to go twice in a year, AP's gives us the room discount we like, we prefer deluxes and do not care for packages. We travel during the value seasons for the steeper discounts and low crowd levels. If we feel like splurging on a trip, we up grade to conceirge level, again great discount from AP helps, and as stated above our lengths of stays are 8-12 nighta and the second trip has no park tickets to buy, huge savings. As for packages and the free dining, we have our few must eat ats but we hit the grocery store, like out pool picnics, and really don't do alot of extra, pay out of pocket things so we never book the package to get free dining.

 

[cybrkitn]

Another vote for the DDP! We used it for the first time with our trip last month (10/25-11/1) and it saved us a lot. Of course we had a lot of TS credits that we used and spent $300 (+/-) in a day and a half. We used the CS credits for breakfast and lunches.

 

[trypnotic]

As much as we love to stay on property, for our quick weekend trips, we book our rooms through Hotwire and go off-site. Typically we take the 2.5 star in the Disney Main Gate - Champions Gate area, mostly on US 192, and wind up with the Best Western Lakeside for usually around $35 a night and it's really not that bad of a place if you're looking for a cheap stay. You'd wind up paying twice, if not more, at a value resort. The only disadvantage is that you'd have to have your own transportation but we wind up renting a car each trip anyway, regardless of where we stay.

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Renting Dvc Points Has Saved Us Money!

We Are Staying 2 Nights At Okw Next Month For $80 Per Night!

In May We Stayed 6 Days And 5 Nights At The Bwv For $650!!

Plus I Bought The 7 Day Magic Your Way Passes For Christmas And Then Added The No Expiration While We Were Down There In May.

So We Still Have 3 Days Left For Future Trips Like The One In December.

Bring Cereal And Buy Milk To Have Breakfast In Our Rooms Saves Too!

 

[Magic4UsZ's]

All this info really helps, I think Ill ask for an AP for my b-day in Feb.
Sounds like this is the way to go for multiple trips rather than hoping for a special package deal that would save you money.

thanks everyone

 

[cdrn1]

This is the first year I have ever had an AP, and it's COSTING ME A FORTUNE!!!!! I've gone four times already since March!
Seriously, I think that it has been a good value for me due to the discounts I was able to get for these trips. Even though I spent the savings (and more) in extra trips.

 

[Magic4UsZ's]

That so funny cdrn1... I try to tell my husband that you cant take it with you but I know there has to be a balance between saving and enjoying life. Those kids of ours wont want to hang out with mom and dad forever. But then agian maybe they will , if I were my kids Id think Id have a hard time leaving this cushy life they live.

 

[dkostel]

I too get the AP because once a year is never enough! I love the DDE. It pays for itself very quickly.

 

[jarrdisney]

Hands down it would be the AP + DDE. I always stay at deluxes and tend to dine at "signature restaurants" w/alcohol. I think if you stayed at pop w/4 people per room the free dining would definatley save you more though.