Would you go for this?

[snowy76]

The Disney bug is biting me hard and DH has said I should take youngest DS (5) to FL for the weekend of Dec 2-4. Here's the tentative plan, and I'm deciding whether I should pull the trigger or not:

Fly into MCO (free if DH books with his miles)
Fly home $250 if we take a 7:40 am flight on Sunday, $400 if we fly midday.
Hotel $100 per night for Hilton BC or $150 per night at the Swan
$120 MVMCP tix
$75 Legoland tix (the BOGO Pepsi offer) - DS is a Lego fanatic
$75-100 rental car
$50 gas

Dinner Friday, BLD Saturday, B&L Sunday.... then parking and maybe a couple of souvies (but we went to WDW in August, and Christmas is coming so there won't be much). I have $70 in Disney rewards dollars to offset some of those those costs.

Would you do it??

 

[Marionnette]

The Disney bug is biting me hard and DH has said I should take youngest DS (5) to FL for the weekend of Dec 2-4. Here's the tentative plan, and I'm deciding whether I should pull the trigger or not:

Fly into MCO (free if DH books with his miles)
Fly home $250 if we take a 7:40 am flight on Sunday, $400 if we fly midday.
Hotel $100 per night for Hilton BC or $150 per night at the Swan
$120 MVMCP tix
$75 Legoland tix (the BOGO Pepsi offer) - DS is a Lego fanatic
$75-100 rental car
$50 gas

Dinner Friday, BLD Saturday, B&L Sunday.... then parking and maybe a couple of souvies (but we went to WDW in August, and Christmas is coming so there won't be much). I have $70 in Disney rewards dollars to offset some of those those costs.

Would you do it??

I wouldn't do it. You're talking $1K or more for what will amount to a day and a half in Disney for two people. I would save the miles and the rewards dollars for another trip, when more of the family can go and you have more time to enjoy your trip.

 

[vegasnative]

I would do it if I could afford it and still give DS a good Christmas. If it were one or the other, then I would probably not do the trip, but put that $ more towards Christmas. Now if it were older kids and they were not waiting for Santa to come, that is a different story, then the trip would be their gift, but at age 5, that is such a precious age and the anticipation of Santa is huge. Sorry, I probably wasn't much help.

 

[jcemom]

I'm not a big fan of 2 or 3 day trips, because the cost per day is way too high. I'd rather put the money towards a longer trip, even if it meant waiting a few more months to do it. We have a limited amount of vacation money per year, so I usually try to get the best bang for my buck, and that almost always means an 8-10 day trip, one per year.

If this has no bearing on when you will take future trips, and you can totally spare the money, then go for it!

 

[snowy76]

It's not a budget-buster for us to do this quick trip; I just keep asking myself if it's a good value.

Airfare is always killer for us, but whenever I can get to $250 pp or less RT, I start looking. Prices suddenly dropped for us this week. Our August trip was DS's first to WDW, and I was bummed out that Legoland wasn't open yet for him. I feel like the stars are aligning for that weekend, but I'm also a penny pincher, so I'm not sure I've convinced myself yet.

 

[Deb & Bill]

That's the weekend they will be filming the Christmas parade so getting into the MK and maybe even the other parks could be difficult. A lot of money for a whim.

 

[jcemom]

You're looking at $800 plus food and misc expenses, for only one full day. Arrival day is going to be a partial day, and departure day allows you no time for anything if you take the early, less expensive, flight. So...$900-1000 for a day and a half. Personally, I do not think it's a good value at all. However, I do understand the desire to go anyway, lol.

If you REALLY want to go, then maybe you should go, regardless of whether or not it's a good value for your money. Sometimes I've passed things up because I thought they weren't worth the price, and then regretted it later.

ETA: Then again, I have splurged on things and later regretted that too! I am no help at all!

 

[mrsklamc]

Like a PP I am not a fan of short trips, but what if you just do Lego land?

 

[Kellydelly]

If you were just there three months ago I don't see how you could justify it.

 

[edk35]

Unfortunately I would never do that unless I could stay at least 5 or 6 nights. That is a lot of money for a weekend. Now if you lived within a short driving distance then it would be more of a value. I can see why people do three day weekends here and there. Our dd is going to do the Disney College Program starting in Jan. We are all flying down for 5 nights to spend some time there before she checks in, but we got 65 bucks each way. We also got 40% off our rooms at POR. Even with the good deals..we will still DROP some moola on that trip.

 

[englishteacha]

If I were to do it, I'd choose some cheaper options. It's Orlando. There are lots of decent hotels for under/around $50 a night. You're planning on renting a car anyway. You could eat cheaply. My other concern is the choice of weekend. PopWarner football will be there that weekend and they're filming the parade, so it could be really, really busy. Could you skip going to the Disney parks and just do Legoland? Could you do a different weekend? I wouldn't go, personally. I'd save that $800-1000 for a longer trip. I would LOVE to take one last before-baby trip this winter but we can't justify the cost, and I can't take time off work.

 

[Tori 2001]

Seems like a lot of money to spend on a day-and-a-half trip - and on a busy day when you wouldn't be able to hit everything in MK with the holiday parade being filmed.

If I went I'd be looking for a value room on site to avoid rental car cost, or staying at one of the more affordable Orlando places for easily half the price.

Honestly, I'd put the grand into a CD or something, and put it toward a week's vacation for all three of you sometime next year. Maybe by then he will have enough miles piled up to cover the whole trip, and you will have enough Disney rewards dollars to cover souvenir costs, plus a little interest on your savings.

By planning ahead now, you can get the resort you really want, at a time when the crowds won't be so bad.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

The Disney bug is biting me hard and DH has said I should take youngest DS (5) to FL for the weekend of Dec 2-4. Here's the tentative plan, and I'm deciding whether I should pull the trigger or not:

Fly into MCO (free if DH books with his miles)
Fly home $250 if we take a 7:40 am flight on Sunday, $400 if we fly midday.
Hotel $100 per night for Hilton BC or $150 per night at the Swan
$120 MVMCP tix
$75 Legoland tix (the BOGO Pepsi offer) - DS is a Lego fanatic
$75-100 rental car
$50 gas

Dinner Friday, BLD Saturday, B&L Sunday.... then parking and maybe a couple of souvies (but we went to WDW in August, and Christmas is coming so there won't be much). I have $70 in Disney rewards dollars to offset some of those those costs.

Would you do it??

Sounds like fun - but I would only do it if I could extend it a day or two and stay at the Swan.

Forget about the cost, it's all of the running around that would not be worth it to me for such a short stay.

What would you do if you get snow and your flight is delayed? That would cut into your already short stay.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you were just there three months ago I don't see how you could justify it.

I personally wouldn't do it - I could probably manage a weeklong trip for that money - but why does everything have to be justified?

If the OP wants to do this, can do it, and it wouldn't be a hardship, why not? I've done the 'weekend in Orlando' before; it was fun. They're not going to run into parade-taping crowds; they're going to MVMCP the night (or two) before. Saturday they'll be at Legoland.

And, OP: check out the Transportation Board (and Mousesavers.com) for help with the rental car pricing and tips where to fill up before returning the car; and I think you're severely overestimating your gas cost. That weekend trip I mentioned? I used less than a gallon of gas!

 

[Deb & Bill]

... They're not going to run into parade-taping crowds; they're going to MVMCP the night (or two) before. Saturday they'll be at Legoland....

They certainly will run into the parade-taping crowds. Arriving late afternoon Dec 2 and departing early Dec 4. They tape the parade Dec 2-4.

 

[snowy76]

OP here... thanks for all the input!

Decided not to do it unless I can bring my costs down significantly - so I might research a little more but it's probably not happening. Plus, since DH can't go with us, I think I'd rather wait. That being said, I am going to plan for a long weekend this time NEXT year so that I have plenty of time to plan!

 

[MickeyP]

If such a trip is not a budget buster, why ask on the BUDGET BOARD? Who flies in for 1 1/2 days? Don't you want 4 days? Go on a long weekend.

 

[jessica52877]

I love short trips and have no issues taking them. I do spend alot on a short trip when compared with a longer trip but I am good with that.

 

[disneyofcourse]

Good choice, I wouldn't do a trip that short and only because I'd feel rushed. My weekend trips for other places usually involve leaving work early on Friday and returning on the latest flight on Sunday or the earliest on Monday. Going to Florida and really only having one full day would be really hard to do.

 

[kaytieeldr]

OP here... thanks for all the input!

Decided not to do it unless I can bring my costs down significantly - so I might research a little more but it's probably not happening. Plus, since DH can't go with us, I think I'd rather wait. That being said, I am going to plan for a long weekend this time NEXT year so that I have plenty of time to plan!

Well, the Westgate Orlando at SeaWorld is $55 per night prepaid/nonrefundable plus $6.75 per night resort fee and 12% tax, so $5.60; total $135 for two nights. That's through hotels.com (where it gets four stars), but the same rate should be available through the hotel.

Hotwire has standard size rental cars for $17 per 24 hour rental period, or just under $60 for the two nights with taxes and fees. Smaller cars would be slightly less. I think your gas estimate is very far off unless you prepay for a full tank of gas or get hopelessly lost. I'd be shocked if you spent more than $20 on car expenses, including tolls.

You could bring non-perishable breakfast food and buy milk/juice at a supermarket or convenience store, and eat that meal in the room (Saturday at least, since you may not have time Sunday if you go with the early flight). Check restaurants.com for Orlando certificates, especially places on International Drive. One place I really like that doesn't offer discounts but you can easily control, or lose control of, what you spend is Cafe Tu Tu Tango.

But, ah, I can't do anything about the ticket prices