Whats cheaper than Disney?

[PIRATEGIRL007]

We can vacation at Disney cheaper than anywhere else. We actually own a cabin thru timeshares in Piegon Forge and we still can go to WDW cheaper. We end up eating out nightly and spending more on meals in PF, IF we go to Dollywood/Splash Country there is that cost, then our groceries for breakfast and lunch, we might do one round of putt putt and go up to Ober one day and ice skate and then there is the shopping. Even if we don't count the shopping $ we spend our total is right at what we can go to WDW for in a value and sometimes even in a mod for a week. We have done Disney trips with airfare and rental car for 5 nights for as low as $750 and over $230 was the rental car (with AP rates and having AP).

 

[nkereina]

I didn't get a chance to read all posts, but I have to say it really depends on your party and plans. I'm assuming OP is taking advantage of FL discounts which is why it's cheap. For us, we are two adults and including flights from NY, our week at Disney is costing about $3400 at a mod resort with DxDP during value season. The flights were about $600 so the Disney portion was about $2800. We've done a week long all inclusive including flights to western Mexico for $2800 during peak season, a week long cruise which wound up to be about $2500 after it was all said and done, and a week in Vegas at the Mirage for about $2700. So Disney is definitely most expensive for us. DxDP is comparable to the food plans and the way we ate on those recent vacations, so the added cost of this isn't really a factor. So it just depends for some people. I personally don't think Disney is cheap by any means for anything, but it's worth the prices that we pay.

 

[nkereina]

Having just got back from Alaska on the Wonder, I'm afraid I'll have to disagree...our total cost, soup-to-nuts, was more than 2x what our "typical" WDW vacation runs. Granted, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we did not skimp. But, still, I don't think I could have gotten the total cost under our typical WDW cost.

In defense of cruising, Alaskan cruises are the most expensive cruises you can take. Even higher than Mediterranean ones sometimes. Cruising to the Caribbean can be a cheap vacation option, it was one of the cheaper vacations we took. It does start to add up, though, when you add in excursions - which are almost necessary at some destinations if you don't want to be bored, and also when you add in the bar bill. But Disney doesn't include alcohol either for that matter.

The best value, IMO, are all inclusive resorts. We do these frequently and pay $1400-$1700 per person, depending on the destination and time of year, and we stay at a 4 or 5 star resort. The price includes your room, flight, all food, ALCOHOL, tips, taxes and entertainment. That is a true value - but they are certainly not for everyone.

 

[Brian Noble]

You are right about Alaska. But, even the Caribbean trips on DCL add up quickly---about on par with a typical WDW trip.

I figured out the cheapest way for us to vacation was to buy a timeshare.

We've been very pleased with our timeshare purchases (resale!) as well.

 

[hbehrman]

I think it all depends on your planning, sometimes years in advance.

We are a family of 5. Our Disney adventure started in 2006 when our twin DD's turned 4. We took advantage of offers for 2006 (free dining), 2007(bounceback with free dining), 2008 (room only discount), and 2010 ( room only discount). We found that they saved us a lot of money and (at the time) could not find a vacation (that included all costs) for less money unless we went and stayed with relatives.

During these years our strategy at Disney was to:
1) Stay at the most economical on-site resort. In our case POR (family of 5);
2) Buy the most tickets with WPM option and the no-expiration option (in 2006 that was 7, after that was 10) allowing for more days of activities for a lower cost per entry;
3) Eat breakfast in the room;
4) When paying OOP for meals, choose a late breakfast as one of the last times around 10am, and only eat another meal (CS) or snack later in the day.

Last year we decided to take the DVC plunge. So starting last year we no longer have lodging costs (annual membership dues though), nor do we have ticket costs (we do 3 theme and TL and/or BB each trip), our food costs is our trip to BJ's (and the attached liquor store, if desired) and one or two TS, and gas for the car (or train fare) for our day/night trip down (cost is about the same).

Now it is even harder to find a vacation that costs less. Usually if I do that is our other vacation for the year (we usually do Disney/Hilton head in October and somewhere else in April).

Remember though my definition is a vacation away from home and not with relatives. We have relatives in Gatlinburg, near Williamsburg, the Hocking Hills in OH, and we live two hours away from the NC beaches.

I think is that as a family of 5 it is harder to plane an inexpensive trip as compared to a family of 4 . In travelling to Disney we have absorbed most of the annual costs of the Disney trip (tickets and lodging) already in our discounted prior trips (esp tickets). DVC lets us have a full kitchen (and more space) to prepare meals at a much lower cost that eating on the DIning Plan (where you now don't get appetizer anymore, and they have added taxes and tip(18%) to Plan).

 

[Brian Noble]

So starting last year we no longer have lodging costs

Your accountant would disagree---you have to amortize/depreciate your purchase and opportunity costs on that purchase.

 

[duffy]

Last year we decided to take the DVC plunge. So starting last year we no longer have lodging costs (annual membership dues though), nor do we have ticket costs (we do 3 theme and TL and/or BB each trip), our food costs is our trip to BJ's (and the attached liquor store, if desired) and one or two TS, and gas for the car (or train fare) for our day/night trip down (cost is about the same).

Your maintenance fees ARE your lodging costs.

Our more expensive timeshare has fees of ~$650/yr. That means we get our week at a price of ~$650. (not including the original cost of the timeshare to us-$1-or the closing costs-~$350, one-time only.) So, each night is <$100. Our second one has maintenance fees of only $350. Each night is $50. But we certainly have lodging costs!!

How do you figure that "3 theme and TL and/or BB each trip" means no ticket costs?

 

[Experiment_626]

How people do Disney for less than $3,000 blows my mind.

I probably shouldn't tell you how much we pay for our typical Disney trips, then. You might not survive to pass this way again!

We get FL resident APs, drive the 300 miles from home to WDW in our own car, buy most of our own food on the way down and keep it in a cooler, stay off-property in a more-than-decent hotel just a few minutes from WDW (and we usually get that through Travelocity or Priceline), spend our souvenir money on really special stuff or not at all (or for the boys, let them get what they want as long as the price is low -- they understand that once they pull the trigger, they're done). We spend much less than $3K -- although I will say that a typical trip for us in usually no longer than five days.

I realize we could save more staying off site and then not having the dining plan, but my DH likes the "on-site resort feel" of not needing to drive all week.

You could save a lot more staying off-property. We usually pay under $40 per night using the sites listed above, and sometimes the amenities where we stay are roughly comparable to a WDW moderate resort -- sometimes even better.

Scott

 

[iheartdisney]

Having just got back from Alaska on the Wonder, I'm afraid I'll have to disagree...our total cost, soup-to-nuts, was more than 2x what our "typical" WDW vacation runs. Granted, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we did not skimp. But, still, I don't think I could have gotten the total cost under our typical WDW cost.

That is probably because Disney Cruises are 2-3 times more than any other cruise line.
For instance, comparing an Alaskan cruise, Disney's is 3 days shorter, doesn't go to glacier bay, and $3,000 more than the one I was looking at. ouch. I don't like throwing money away just for the brand.

 

[preschoolmom]

I probably shouldn't tell you how much we pay for our typical Disney trips, then. You might not survive to pass this way again!

We get FL resident APs, drive the 300 miles from home to WDW in our own car, buy most of our own food on the way down and keep it in a cooler, stay off-property in a more-than-decent hotel just a few minutes from WDW (and we usually get that through Travelocity or Priceline), spend our souvenir money on really special stuff or not at all (or for the boys, let them get what they want as long as the price is low -- they understand that once they pull the trigger, they're done). We spend much less than $3K -- although I will say that a typical trip for us in usually no longer than five days.
You could save a lot more staying off-property. We usually pay under $40 per night using the sites listed above, and sometimes the amenities where we stay are roughly comparable to a WDW moderate resort -- sometimes even better.

Scott

I wish, wish, wish we could live in Florida!!! Since we live in Illinois, we are decently far away from the World. It's either two days in the car (18 plus hours not including stops), or a flight. We've driven once and flown once (we'll be driving for the next trip). So, we have gas and travel expenses. There is boarding the dog. Then, once we get to Disney, food, tickets, and lodging.

If we lived in Florida, I imagine we would do lots of weekend trips, instead of a longer every other year trip like we do now. It's far enough away for us, that you really need at least 5 days for the trip itself to be worth it...

If only my DH could score a job in Fl - I'd move there in a heartbeat!

 

[Brian Noble]

That is probably because Disney Cruises are 2-3 times more than any other cruise line.

We actually caught a break. Ours was comparable to NCL's for the same class of stateroom and a very comparable itinerary---maybe only about 10-15% more. I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but there you go.

 

[ReneeA]

I agree with the OP. We've spent more on all of the other vacations we've taken.

We travel during value season by default...it really is the best time for my DH to travel with his work schedule. We have been the past 5 of 6 years at WDW the last week of August til Labor Day. I can price out our last trip:

9 nights/10 days Caribbean Beach Resort: $2340
10 day base tickets
Free regular dining plan
4 round trip airfare + bags from Detroit to Orlando: $680 (super great price!)
free magical express
free disney transportation
tips, drinks, coffee, incidentals: $245

Total for a 10 day stay: $3265...not bad for a long vacation stay.

 

[hbehrman]

Your maintenance fees ARE your lodging costs.

Our more expensive timeshare has fees of ~$650/yr. That means we get our week at a price of ~$650. (not including the original cost of the timeshare to us-$1-or the closing costs-~$350, one-time only.) So, each night is <$100. Our second one has maintenance fees of only $350. Each night is $50. But we certainly have lodging costs!!

How do you figure that "3 theme and TL and/or BB each trip" means no ticket costs?

We have tickets that have the wpm and no expiration options. So we have already paid that cost up front on our prior visits. And I completely agree the maintance fees are our lodging cost so we pay < $650/yr in this.

 

[Purple Monkey]

With a family of 5, Disney is a very affordable option for us. PO offers a room for 5 (with trundle bed) that doesn't cost much more than a moderate room for 4 people.

Other vacations -- like cruises, all inclusives, even regular hotels -- want to bump 5 people up to some sort of suite or 2 hotel rooms. Both of which end up being way more pricey than Disney. My kids are all under 5, we really don't need 2 rooms.

About the only thing that we can do cheaper for 5 people that is fairly nice is rent a house for a week at a lake or beach -- and depends on the location/time of year.

 

[wen8jr]

What is there to do in that area? I know there's Dollywood, but I don't know what else... our Disney trips (without paying for one child who's still under 3) are around $1600 before airfare/driving costs, so that's similar - maybe we should look into it?

Depending on your choice of accomodations, food and entertainment...a week can cost quite a bit at Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area! I could not stay there an entire week for under 2K. Gatlinburg is one of the most expensive places to visit if you do all the road side attractions that cost $150 a pop for 2 hours of entertainment. I really feel that Disney is just as affordable if you can swing a discount.

I live 2 hours away from Gatlinburg and we go there often and although it costs quite a bit...we do visit at least once a year for a 3 or more night stay, usually renting a cabin. I easily drop 1200.00 on a 3 day weekend and that is w/ no shopping (we don't do shopping) and taking in what nature offers rather than hitting road side attractions.

Dollywood has a great theme park, water park and is as clean as Disney and unique in it's own way. There is more to do than I can name...river tubing, white water rafting, of course the Smoky Mtns, hiking, driving tours, Cades Cove, Ober Gatlinburg (season skiing), chair lifts, shopping galore, Wonder Works, Dinner Shows, Magic Shows, Nascar Go Carts, mini-golf, Ripley's haunted house, Ripley's aquarium (very nice), etc.

Most of all it is also absolutely beautiful in the fall.

We like it because the Smoky Mtn national park is awesome and we like nature... but it is totally different for us than a vacation at Disney World and it is not cheap. For entertainment, it's more like vacationing and hitting attractions in Orlando rather than visiting Disney World unless you do the "nature" thing. Myrtle Beach is much cheaper than Gatlinburg for a week.

 

[KorieDWnut]

Don't take the tour.

we wouldn't. lol We dont do well with salespeople anyway, and plus we know already that there is no way we can afford any sort of timeshare. So, if people approach us we always kindly say, no thank you.

 

[jtopp]

A few years back, we had the opportunity to compare our disney vacation with one at the Jersey shore. All things being equal, we found that disney was less expensive, and we got a better return on our dollar. Compound that with the friendliness and experience, disney was less expensive but much more cost effective. I'm sure you can find cheaper somewhere, but not better.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

That is probably because Disney Cruises are 2-3 times more than any other cruise line.
For instance, comparing an Alaskan cruise, Disney's is 3 days shorter, doesn't go to glacier bay, and $3,000 more than the one I was looking at. ouch. I don't like throwing money away just for the brand.

This. I have never cruised Disney. I can't justify the price difference. We have 2 kids and I can get the four of us in a balcony for the same itinerary on another line that I would pay for Disney's inside room. I'm not cruise line picky and I definitely go for the cheaper lines though, but I've always had a very good experience. We book private tours which cost much less and have more personalized itineraries.

 

[DznyCrzy11]

This completely depends on what you look for in a vacation and how many people you are paying for. My husband and I took a trip to Tybee Island, GA last summer. We rented a beach house with other family members. That was $740 for the 2 of us. A historical 30 minute carriage ride in Savannah was $30/person. The 20 minute dolphin tour was $20/person. Besides shopping in Savannah and enjoying the pool at the house and the beach just down the street, that was the extent of our vacation. We then took a 2nd vacation last year to Disney and stayed at the Polynesian. While it was considerably more than going to Tybee Island, we still felt it was more worth it. This year for vacation we searched other options for vacations like taking a cruise, visiting the US Virgin Islands, or maybe going somewhere along the NC coast, or even visiting Key West. For the cost of the airfare to these different locations, cost of hotel stay and then paying extra for anything else you do, we decided that while Disney World may be a little more expensive, it works for us. We like that we know what to expect and how much spending money we need to take and all and all, I think we prefer going to Disney World over anywhere else. With the value resorts and the many quick service meals now days, you can visit Disney for about the same price as going anywhere else. It all depends what you look for in a vacation and how much you are willing to spend for and while on vacation. For us, vacation comes once a year so no, I am not skimping!