would this work?

[guera]

So we are planning our first ever trip to DW this Sept. As a family of 6 it is crucial that I find the most economical way possible. Ive decided to stay offsite. It was a tough decision since the transportation, EMH and booking fp+ 60 days out are big incentives. The hardest perk to let go though is free dining.
Im wondering and after reading posts that suggest similar plans, I am intrigued.
Would it be possible to book a FW campsite or even cabin for one night, as a throw away night basically? Wouldnt we then receive wristbands that would reserve 60 days out? Ive also heard there is a "ticketless package" I could book assuming free dining is announced? Would transportation only apply to the throw away night, or be open?
I suppose I could even swing a campsite for the entire stay, since it is only $50 a night during the time we are going. If that would allow for all the perks.
TIA
I sound really cheap, but it is a once in a long long time trip for us.

 

[Dacky619]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/throwaway-room-read-post-2041-before-posting.3218652/

have fun reading

 

[Allison]

You won't be able to get free dining unless you stay onsite for the length of time you want dining with tickets and not at a campsite.

 

[GatorMama]

If you're trying to be economical, choose a place to stay where you can cook meals in your room so you're not paying $20 per person to eat. You'll save buckets over anything you'd spend on property. Pick 2-3 special meals and cook the rest. There's not much in the way of "special" about most of the quick service meals, so they're easy for us to replace with sandwiches or wraps or even offsite fast food.

 

[brymolmom]

I like both onsite and off...so that wouldn't be an issue for me. If it works out to be the best deal. But with a family of 6...have you really run all the numbers vs. free dining? Not sure if you're driving or flying...but paying for parking, paying for food (even offsite food) and renting a car...compared with 2 Value rooms per night (cheapest FD room option)...I would think that would end up being CLOSE in case (unless you do mostly PB&J's and no buying park food at all).

Good luck with the decision.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It doesn't make any economical sense to spend an additional $50+ per night for something you won't use, just for some perqs. It makes even less sense to throw away $250+ for a single night for, again, a room you won't use.

If the Dining Plan Free promotion is offered, it will require the purchase of a room+ticket package. Ticketless packages won't work.

 

[lauradis]

So we are planning our first ever trip to DW this Sept. As a family of 6 it is crucial that I find the most economical way possible. Ive decided to stay offsite. It was a tough decision since the transportation, EMH and booking fp+ 60 days out are big incentives. The hardest perk to let go though is free dining.
Im wondering and after reading posts that suggest similar plans, I am intrigued.
Would it be possible to book a FW campsite or even cabin for one night, as a throw away night basically? Wouldnt we then receive wristbands that would reserve 60 days out? Ive also heard there is a "ticketless package" I could book assuming free dining is announced? Would transportation only apply to the throw away night, or be open?
I suppose I could even swing a campsite for the entire stay, since it is only $50 a night during the time we are going. If that would allow for all the perks.
TIA
I sound really cheap, but it is a once in a long long time trip for us.

Most of the time the campsite are excluded from the offer of free dinning.

Your best bet to save money is offsite with a condo, like Bonnie creek. http://www.wyndhambonnetcreek.com/?hotelid=5063&lid=ggl&gclid=ckbsg6na08mcfyndaqodfm0arq
Crockpot meals. With a couple of planned on site buffet lunch meals.
Ticket will be the hard part. 4 day non hopper will be the cheapest.

If your lucky enough to snag free dinning do 2 rooms at the value on site and decided if upgrade to regular dinning is a plus. or 2 mods. depends on ages of kids.

You could price out the vacation once in a long long time trip and then start saving till you have enough money to do what you want. Disney gift cards never expire.

 

[guera]

Thanks everyone for the replies and ideas.
Ive reserved with VS for a 2bd in WBC. At a total of $716 for 7 nights, vs. a $1680 at a Value resort (very cheapest, 2 rooms). $964 is a huge discount, Im assuming I could add a dining option to the 6 day base tickets I bought from UT? I should check into how much that would be. My kids are 9, 9, 7 and 4 at time of travel. Between the car rental and parking, it shouldnt be more than about $350.
I'm still on a mission to find the most inexpensive flights I can. Any tips?

 

[StitchBuddy]

You can only buy the dining package if you are staying on-site. At least that is the way it has been in the past.

 

[kaytieeldr]

No, again, the Dining Plan is available only to guests staying onsite with a package, ticketed or ticketless. The Dining Plan Free promotion is available only to guests staying onsite with a ticketed package.

lauradis offers some very good advice.

 

[GatorMama]

You won't be able to add dining. That's only for onsite guests. Crock pot meals are great to toss in before you head to the parks. Or eat salads from a bag. No prep at all. Even if you COULD purchase the dining plan (you can't), it's far far FAR cheaper to cook a few times than to pay $60/day per adult and $20/day per child to eat all of your meals onsite. Yes, that's the standard plan and there is a cheaper one, but not by much.

 

[ldo]

If it is once in a lifetime, then MB or not getting a 60 day FP for something won't matter, as the kids won't know the difference. We stayed many times offsite when our kids were that age and had great trips!
if you were driving, it would be a no-brainer to stay at BC. However, with 6 persons, and flying, that means you are renting a minivan or taking a limo taxi to/from the airport, plus either transport to/from BC to the parks. It think BC charges $5 PP for everyone over 3--so that is $30 per day. So, if you add up $30X6 days=$180, plus $100 each way to/from airport, so almost $400 for minimal transport. Or, car rental, which would be probably $400+, plus $17 per day parking, so at least $520. You need to add these fees to total price saved.
If you are really only saving around $400, I would get 2 values and get the free dining--which is certainly worth $400 for 7 days.

 

[vratiana]

I would still consider 2 rooms at a Value resort if free dining is offered for your dates. Once you subtract the parking and rental car, the offsite is saving you about $600. That's a savings of $85 per day. Free dining for 6 is worth way more than $85. Plus you'd get the perks of staying on site. I think either way you will be fine, but it's worth thinking about.

 

[dunningdisney]

It is almost impossible to eat as much food that they give on the dining plan. That being said, if it were free--yes definately take it! but you will probably spend much less on food it you just eat regularly. With the ages of your kids, I would guess they could split meals also.

Probably not going to be a very popular answer on here, but having 4 kids myself and many many trips to disney. What about renting a room for 5 (Port Orleans or any of the deluxes) and having the kids share a bed. I don't really feel like it is wrong, because I have always thought that I should not have to have a different hotel room for my children. It depends how you feel about it--you would also only have one bathroom. We could never get away with that now that they are grown, but it worked when they were little.

Also, eat breakfast in the room--it is just faster and easier while some people are getting ready others are eating. I was always a challenge for us to just get out of the hotel room in the morning.

 

[guera]

I would have no problem at all sharing a room, but was under the impression that only the listed people would be eligible for the perks, ie. magic express, fp+ reservations and EMH? My kids sleep in the same bed most of time at home even though they have their own rooms. Renting two rooms at a value seems like a hassle, like taking separate vacations almost, with my husband in one room and me in the other.

 

[HeatherC]

If this is a once in a long long time trip, I would definitely be staying at Bonnet Creek! I know I am going against the grain here, but honestly think you will enjoy it much more than two value rooms.

Yes, the theming is nice at Disney Resorts...outside. the value rooms to me are like a basic Motel...tiny and nothing special.

With 6 people, you will love the location, space and resort amenities at Bonnet Creek. Yes, you have to rent a car and pay for parking. Still better than waiting on Disney buses with little ones. When you are tired, you can just leave when you are ready. Plus, some buses go to more than one resort which means more waiting and driving around.

You will have a kitchen that is awesome for a large family. Even if you don't want to cook on vacation, you can buy some stuff and have a meal on the table in five minutes. Plus, when kids are tired at the end of a long day they don't always want to sit and wait and behave in a restaurant.

Touring the parks can get exhausting. I honestly think you will have a more relaxed and enjoyable time staying at Bonnet Creek while also saving money.

 

[mjkacmom]

I would have no problem at all sharing a room, but was under the impression that only the listed people would be eligible for the perks, ie. magic express, fp+ reservations and EMH? My kids sleep in the same bed most of time at home even though they have their own rooms. Renting two rooms at a value seems like a hassle, like taking separate vacations almost, with my husband in one room and me in the other.

We have stayed in connecting rooms (and cabins on cruise ships) more times than I can count. We keep the door open, and it's great having 2 bathrooms, and 2 tv's.

 

[princesspwrhr]

Before thinking that Free Dining (and full price hotel rooms) are something to be missed, I would encourage you to think about your families eating habits and take a look at the menus and prices at allears.net . You may find that the dining plan (paid or free) is NOT a good value for your family. We always always always come out cheaper paying for food out of pocket. When my kids were Disney kids they wouldn't eat 75% of what is offered on the kids menus, but would have been locked into it with the DDP. Now that we're all Disney adults, there's not one of us that consistently can eat the amount of food offered on the DDP without feeling icky. We also don't drink soda and only dh and the teen drink coffee, so the refillable mugs hold no allure. For some families the DDP works wonderfully.

You are correct that only the people listed on the reservation are eligible for dining packages, EMH, and ME.

We stayed at Bonnet Creek in summer 2013 in a 2 bedroom as a family of 6, previously we had stayed all but one trip onsite. I won't lie- I DID miss EMH. But that was the only thing I missed. I spoke above about the DDP not working for us. We drive down so ME wasn't a factor. Paying for parking was a painful added expense after not paying for it for so long, but we budgeted for it and it took maybe 8 seconds in the morning instead of 3 to go through the parking gates. When we stayed onsite we stayed in the cabins usually so had a kitchen, just like you'll have at Bonnet Creek.

It is SO nice to allow everyone to get up and eat breakfast without the fuss of being dressed/out the door to get to a restaurant/food court. There's much less noise and over-stimulation as well. We did plan one park breakfast (we love Crystal Palace), but otherwise our mornings were easy. When we stayed onsite we would come back mid day for lunch then go back, but at Bonnet Creek we ate lunch in the parks and came back for dinner, then those of us who wanted too went back to the parks. Unless we planned an ADR for dinner and then we swam in the morning and went to the park after an early lunch and stayed all evening. The cost savings for a family of 6 to be able to have groceries is incredible. The ease of knowing that the kids will eat SOMETHING that day is also a great stress relief.

The rooms at Bonnet Creek are nice, well laid out and comfortable. Plenty of storage and 3 televisions. The in room laundry was a HUGE bonus. If you're flying, this alone could save you money on luggage fees- you could fly carry on only really. It's no problem at all to toss a load in on your way out, switch it to the dryer when you get back before you go to the pool, and wah lah, fresh clean clothes before bed. There was ample parking and each building has a drop off area near the door, a parent and the children can be dropped off while the other parent parks. There were several pools- I liked the smaller pools better than the themed pools because it was easier to see the kids. We didn't do any of the activities that were offered because we were so busy with Disney and the pools, but there was a lot of other stuff available.

 

[tzeitel]

You already bought tickets so FD is not option anymore. You got a great deal on lodgings so now just think of all the other stuff. Check out allears.net for menus, see what your family would like (and the prices) and pick one or two must do places. At MK The Plaza is a the cheapest TS and it is pretty nice. At Epcot you could go to Via Napoli and get a couple of big pizzas (more expensive than delivery but not too bad compared to other TS restaurants at WDW). Epcot also has the best CS places in all WDW, on those days I would not pack a lunch

Be our Guest is the hardest restaurant to book right now and will most likely be booked by the time you get to book it (another perk of staying on site is the 180+ 10 day window as opposed to just 180). But BoG is also open for lunch, it is still a counter service (unless something changes after Feb 25) but one of the nicer ones and if you would like to eat inside the castle this is a good option for saving money.

If you want to do a character meal go for a late breakfast - they are the cheaper meal and by choosing a late time it could easily count as bfast and lunch. If you do not want to cook every day you could always order pizza etc and have it delivered.
What I do when we go to Disneyland is check the restaurants nearby and buy discounted gift cards for them (check Giftcardgranny for best rates).

You still have time to join a rewards program like Swagbucks or Perk which reward you for taking surveys, completing offers, watching videos etc. Their rewards vary but they both have restaurant cards you could use off property and even some restaurants on property - Rainforest Café, TRex, and Yak & Yeti (at AK) cards can be found on both. Swagbucks also has Paypal rewards. I get Paypal and buy Disney cards through Target.

Check Priceline for cheap van rental from the airport. Deals can be found, we got a car for $7 a day. I know vans are more expensive (had to rent one a couple of times) but keep checking, Sept is slow season.

 

[guera]

You guys are awesome! I really appreciate all the great ideas. Im going to sign up for Perk and Swagbucks asap.
I guess I had an illusion of the whole Disney experience and staying offsite wasn't initially part of the illusion. The more I run the numbers and factor in the ease, convenience, and stress reducing staying offsite will be the more Im able to let go the allure of onsite.
Flights are in my sights now. Ive never flown with all 4 kids before and it does make me nervous. I am toying with the idea of having my husband fly in first with the older boys, getting the car, groceries and then picking us up at the airport. Does that sound like too much hassle or out of the way?
Also been pricing cars, there are a ton at super cheap rates. Kind of leery of the reviews from places like EZ rentals, advantage, FOX and others. Anyone have experience with them?