Where do you find the best discounts for campground?

[kampfirekim]

Do they deliver the cart for you? Is it less than the deffrence of a premium site over the prefered? Our daughter may come along, they would stay in a cabin with 5 kids. So we may just need a couple of carts any way.

Thank you so much for all this info. I feel very rusty.

We try to stay in 900 or 1400 which are premiums, so we haven't done a price check on the preferred sites. I'm not sure of the cost difference there, but Kenny is def worth checking out. Yes, he will deliever and pick up the cart at the times you ask him to. You should give him a call, ESPECIALLY if you need more than 1 cart. FW will gouge you blind and then take an arm, leg and possibly your first born to pay for their carts!

You're welcome. There are probably many here who know more about some of this stuff than I do, but I'm glad to share how we do it.

 

[jonimce]

We try to stay in 900 or 1400 which are premiums, so we haven't done a price check on the preferred sites. I'm not sure of the cost difference there, but Kenny is def worth checking out. Yes, he will deliever and pick up the cart at the times you ask him to. You should give him a call, ESPECIALLY if you need more than 1 cart. FW will gouge you blind and then take an arm, leg and possibly your first born to pay for their carts!

You're welcome. There are probably many here who know more about some of this stuff than I do, but I'm glad to share how we do it.

Can't have my first born. We could haggle over #2 though.

Thanks, I will call. I will use all the money we will save not doing the dining. LOL

 

[kampfirekim]

Can't have my first born. We could haggle over #2 though.

Thanks, I will call. I will use all the money we will save not doing the dining. LOL

LOL! about the #2 kid.

Save some of that dining money for food. You've still gotta eat!

Good luck and happy planning!

 

[clkelley]

For tickets, the best deal I have found is the following:

Go to www.mousesavers.com This is a GREAT website that lists all kinds of ways to save on your Disney vacation. Read through that!!

2nd, sign up for the mousesavers newsletter. This is a monthly email newsletter that arrives on the 15th of each month.

When that email arrives look for a special link to undercovertourist.

That is the BEST price on tickets I have found.

This is a special link for mousesavers subscribers.

So basically, book your site seperately by either calling DRC and asking about whatever discounts they have (AAA, Annual Pass, Florida Resident, or general discount). Also keep calling back and checking.

OR contact rhonda@dreamsunlimitedtravel.com. She will make your reservations for you and will continually check and apply discounts as they come up.

Then buy your tickets through the mousesavers undercovertourist link, then do your meals al a carte.

 

[kampfirekim]

Thanks Carol. I don't know why I forget about Mousesavers. I'll make sure to check it out!

 

[BradyBz12]

I am seeing that now. It didn't used to be that way. We started using the dining plan in 2001 and it was incredable. Now it's not worth it.

Agree with you there! Last time we did DDP was when the tip and appetizer were still included. Dining is a big part of our vacation and we loved it those first few years. We got to try loads of places we wouldn't have paid for OOP and definitely got way more than our money's worth.

Just for giggles this year we actually crunched the numbers to see how we'd come out with and without for the way we like to eat.

Over the course of 3 weeks, and using our TiW card, we'd actually save about $300 *not* using the DDP. And that includes booking a few signature dining places too.

The kicker for us though is the flexibility. The last time we did DDP we felt like we were planning everything around dining and that started to be no fun. And of course when we're paying for it up front, we hate to waste anything and we had just too much food - and we're what my mom would call "good eaters"

 

[ftwildernessrick]

I finally gave up & got a basic AAA membership just for me and applied it my campsite on my upcoming Oct 1st trip. It appears to be about a 23% discount.

I had tried to get my AP discount, but I was going to have to split my ressies, since the AP rate did not start until October 3. Which meant I would have to go to the front desk on Oct 3rd, check out, check in and keep my fingers crossed that whoever was doing room assignments would have caught I was continuing my stay and not a separate ressie, forcing me to move.

I do not see the reasoning that Disney will treat a AAA member better than one of their own AP members.

I also use the TIW discount when we can.

 

[jonimce]

I finally gave up & got a basic AAA membership just for me and applied it my campsite on my upcoming Oct 1st trip. It appears to be about a 23% discount.

I had tried to get my AP discount, but I was going to have to split my ressies, since the AP rate did not start until October 3. Which meant I would have to go to the front desk on Oct 3rd, check out, check in and keep my fingers crossed that whoever was doing room assignments would have caught I was continuing my stay and not a separate ressie, forcing me to move.

I do not see the reasoning that Disney will treat a AAA member better than one of their own AP members.

I also use the TIW discount when we can.

WOW, that's a great discount.

We have done seprate ressies twice in the past and never had to move.

 

[jonimce]

Agree with you there! Last time we did DDP was when the tip and appetizer were still included. Dining is a big part of our vacation and we loved it those first few years. We got to try loads of places we wouldn't have paid for OOP and definitely got way more than our money's worth.

Just for giggles this year we actually crunched the numbers to see how we'd come out with and without for the way we like to eat.

Over the course of 3 weeks, and using our TiW card, we'd actually save about $300 *not* using the DDP. And that includes booking a few signature dining places too.

The kicker for us though is the flexibility. The last time we did DDP we felt like we were planning everything around dining and that started to be no fun. And of course when we're paying for it up front, we hate to waste anything and we had just too much food - and we're what my mom would call "good eaters"

Thanks for the confirmation on the savings. I didn't have my DH totally convinced. He just likes having everything paid for. Like when we cruise.

This is the first big Disney trip we will be paying out of pocket for. Our trips in the past, 2001, 2004 and 2006 were paid with travel credits we earned working for a travel agent during the final four. If we did the dining we could add the mealsa into the credits. 2001 you got the app, soup or salad, entree, soda, coffee and dessert. We had two kids with us and were able to streach it to three meals a day. We spent so much time eating. All meals were sit down then. They have decreased the plan each time we got it after that. You could even use meal credits for boat rentals, cirqu, parasailing and all kinds of things.

I think I may take the money for the dining plan and buy Disney gift cards. I can then use them on our vacation. Can you use gift cards for meals?

 

[jonimce]

For tickets, the best deal I have found is the following:

Go to www.mousesavers.com This is a GREAT website that lists all kinds of ways to save on your Disney vacation. Read through that!!

2nd, sign up for the mousesavers newsletter. This is a monthly email newsletter that arrives on the 15th of each month.

When that email arrives look for a special link to undercovertourist.

That is the BEST price on tickets I have found.

This is a special link for mousesavers subscribers.

So basically, book your site seperately by either calling DRC and asking about whatever discounts they have (AAA, Annual Pass, Florida Resident, or general discount). Also keep calling back and checking.

OR contact rhonda@dreamsunlimitedtravel.com. She will make your reservations for you and will continually check and apply discounts as they come up.

Then buy your tickets through the mousesavers undercovertourist link, then do your meals al a carte.

I will check her out. Thanks again.

 

[BradyBz12]

Thanks for the confirmation on the savings. I didn't have my DH totally convinced. He just likes having everything paid for. Like when we cruise.

I can understand that. And I know the DDP is still good for some people, just doesn't work for us anymore.

I think I may take the money for the dining plan and buy Disney gift cards. I can then use them on our vacation. Can you use gift cards for meals?

You sure can! We've been stockpiling gift cards since our last trip too.

 

[KristinU]

For tickets, the best deal I have found is the following:

Go to www.mousesavers.com This is a GREAT website that lists all kinds of ways to save on your Disney vacation. Read through that!!

2nd, sign up for the mousesavers newsletter. This is a monthly email newsletter that arrives on the 15th of each month.

When that email arrives look for a special link to undercovertourist.

That is the BEST price on tickets I have found.

This is a special link for mousesavers subscribers.

So basically, book your site seperately by either calling DRC and asking about whatever discounts they have (AAA, Annual Pass, Florida Resident, or general discount). Also keep calling back and checking.

OR contact rhonda@dreamsunlimitedtravel.com. She will make your reservations for you and will continually check and apply discounts as they come up.

Then buy your tickets through the mousesavers undercovertourist link, then do your meals al a carte.

Carol, your mention of resident rates got me thinking...can residents book more than one site at the resident rate? My parents live in FL and usually meet up with us when we go to WDW, I'm wondering if they could just book two sites at their rate? But them I'm guessing we'd need to be in the same type of site, which isn't necessary for us with our Aliner - they have a 36' moho with slides. I guess we'd need to crunch the numbers if it is in fact possible for them to book 2 sites.

 

[iuki]

Carol, your mention of resident rates got me thinking...can residents book more than one site at the resident rate? My parents live in FL and usually meet up with us when we go to WDW, I'm wondering if they could just book two sites at their rate? But them I'm guessing we'd need to be in the same type of site, which isn't necessary for us with our Aliner - they have a 36' moho with slides. I guess we'd need to crunch the numbers if it is in fact possible for them to book 2 sites.

My guess would be that when you check in, you would have to show a Florida ID (such as a driver's license) to get the FL resident rate. I say this, because I asked about buying theme park tickets for visitors that I will be paying for, and I was told that the visitors could not use the theme park tickets without showing a FL ID. They said that I would have to pay for theme park tickets at the regular admission price for my family that would be visiting us.

iuki

 

[KristinU]

My guess would be that when you check in, you would have to show a Florida ID (such as a driver's license) to get the FL resident rate. I say this, because I asked about buying theme park tickets for visitors that I will be paying for, and I was told that the visitors could not use the theme park tickets without showing a FL ID. They said that I would have to pay for theme park tickets at the regular admission price for my family that would be visiting us.

iuki

Good point, Iuki...

We've stayed in DVC units together back when we were DVC members - we got into town first and checked in and got their car pass too then they just joined us at the villa when they drove up...but driving into the Fort with a camper is probably a different story. I'm guessing we'd probably have to get there to check in with them at the same time, which could get a little tricky logistically to get there at precisely the same time and get lined up exactly behind them in the queue line. We've never tried to coordinate an exact arrival time, just a general arrival date for morning or afternoon.