I would like to take the kids and DH to Disney this Spring Break since SS will be a senior and graduating after this year but good golly its so expensive and the youngest will just about be 3 years old so at least his ticket for disney will be free.
We need to fly there from the Midwest and hopefully stay 5-7 days. I did expedia and it was around $2400 for flight/hotel/car rental but then I went to add on the 3/4 days for Disney and yikes I did not realize it was that expensive.
We do have the Disney credit card too that we pay off in full every month and have $263 in Disney rewards.
What is you best go to website for tips or tips of your own?
Post by nonsenseabound on Jul 28, 2014 16:02:48 GMT -5
I recommend staying off site. We stayed here earlier this year and it was perfect. about 15-20 min from Disney, but it was very nice. We also rented from Dollar rental and got a good deal on a car for a week.
Post by delawarejen on Jul 28, 2014 16:02:51 GMT -5
I hear you can buy Disney gift cards at Target with the Target Red Card (credit or debit) and save 5% that way. Other than that, disboards.com seems to be the home of more information than you ever wanted or needed to know about Disney, so maybe that would help with the planning.
Do you really need 3-4 days? Can you cut it down to 2 and get a 2-day park-hopper?
Surely she could, but she's probably in the same boat as us. If we're going to spring for flights (as opposed to driving and the $ savings that comes with driving) then I'm going to stay as long as I can. There's no way I'd pay for flights for 4-5 people for a 2 day vacation. No way, not happening.
OP, staying offsite is the best way to save money. However, if you're flying, you'd probably have to rent a car....unless you stayed at a hotel that had a Disney shuttle. Those wouldn't save you as much money, though.
Keep in mind that if your child is 3, they need a ticket. Once they're 3, they're no longer free.
ETA: I meant you'd have to rent a car if you stayed offsite. If you stay at a Disney resort you won't need a car at all.
What are you using the rental car for? If you stay on site you don't need a car. From time to time we get emails from Disney with discounts on their hotels. We went last April and saved 20-30% with one of those offers.
Do you really need 3-4 days? Can you cut it down to 2 and get a 2-day park-hopper?
Surely she could, but she's probably in the same boat as us. If we're going to spring for flights (as opposed to driving and the $ savings that comes with driving) then I'm going to stay as long as I can. There's no way I'd pay for flights for 4-5 people for a 2 day vacation. No way, not happening.
OP, staying offsite is the best way to save money. However, if you're flying, you'd probably have to rent a car....unless you stayed at a hotel that had a Disney shuttle. Those wouldn't save you as much money, though.
Keep in mind that if your child is 3, they need a ticket. Once they're 3, they're no longer free.
Oh, no I mean you can spend 2 days at Disney, and maybe head to the beach or something cheaper to do for the rest of the trip.
Hotels are a little cheaper off site, but you have to add in parking at Disney, which is expensive. Also - the shuttle system in Disney (while slow at times) is wonderful - and the meal plan actually works out to be a good deal (buying food in Disney every day gets really expensive). I would highly recommend staying on property (Pop Century is a great budget hotel).
We would be going in March/April and he turns 3 in May and yes I will bring his birth cert. with
I think cutting down to a 2 day pass would make us really rushed to try to do 5 different areas but already thinking we will skip Epcot and Animal Kingdom. We are not big zoo people so the latter would be a waste for us and Epcot is meh from what I read online.
We do plan on staying off-site which is why we would need a car unless we do the 5 day tickets but I'd rather go to the beach and yes the water may be cold but we are from the Midwest
defi. planning on bringing food in especially since we will have an umbrella stroller with a basket, taller handlers and canopy for a little shade for the little one. I do hope he is potty trained though so we don't have to lug diapers, etc. Our 7 year old was a late bloomer and was almost 4 but I have high hopes for this kiddo.
Post by alleinesein on Jul 28, 2014 16:52:27 GMT -5
Have you contacted Disney to see what vacation packages they have right now? They do occasionally run specials that include the dining plan or decent room/ticket packages.
Also the Disney CC will sometimes run a 0% interest option if you use it to pay for a disney vacation. Doesnt hurt to look into it to see if its still available.
Ditto to buying Disney gift cards at Target. Even though its a minimal discount ($2.50 off a $50 GC) it does help. You may also be able to use the pharmacy rewards 5% discount as well. Keep on eye on Target Cartwheel because they sometimes offer 5% off certain gift cards.
You can use your Disney CC rewards to get a Disney GC and you can use that for spending money at the parks. Its not a huge amount but it can easily cover daily snacks and souvenirs.
Post by littlemermaid on Jul 28, 2014 17:21:03 GMT -5
If you are staying on property you don't need a rental car. There is transportation from airport to hotel and then from hotel to all parks. Have you looked at cheaper airlines like Southwest or Spirit Airlines? Look at the value resorts, that new one Animation has family suites and it's reasonably priced. You could skip the Park Hopper too to save money.
1.We would be going in March/April and he turns 3 in May and yes I will bring his birth cert. with
2.I think cutting down to a 2 day pass would make us really rushed to try to do 5 different areas but already thinking we will skip Epcot and Animal Kingdom. We are not big zoo people so the latter would be a waste for us and Epcot is meh from what I read online.
3.We do plan on staying off-site which is why we would need a car unless we do the 5 day tickets but I'd rather go to the beach and yes the water may be cold but we are from the Midwest
4.defi. planning on bringing food in especially since we will have an umbrella stroller with a basket, taller handlers and canopy for a little shade for the little one. I do hope he is potty trained though so we don't have to lug diapers, etc. Our 7 year old was a late bloomer and was almost 4 but I have high hopes for this kiddo.
1. Great! That's a good savings right there.
2. 2 days is definitely not enough time, unless you go to Disney like every year. Also, Animal Kingdom really is not much like a zoo at all. There is a couple of sections (Rafiki's Island and the Safari ride) that have animals and are slightly zoo-like, but the park as a whole is definitely not. Some of the best kid-friendly things are there, like the boneyard by dinoland which your little boy would LOVE. Epcot is awesome, too, but if you absolutely have to skip one I guess I'd choose Epcot over Animal Kingdom. But really, I would hate to skip any of them.
3. Just be sure to factor the cost of parking into your budget.
4. Great idea. The meal plan is way more food than necessary, IMO. We've gotten it the last two times we've gone but only because we received it free as a promotion.
I travel to Disney frequently and find that staying on site in the end is cheaper due to shuttles, no parking etc. most of the cost of Disney park tickets are in the first day, adding additional days is inexpensive. The least expensive way to do disney for us has been to stay at one of the value resorts, no park hopper and look for free dining plan offer.
Post by dragonfly08 on Jul 28, 2014 18:59:06 GMT -5
I personally think the Disney Value hotels are a great deal. Not extremely expensive, clean, and you get all of the on-site perks like the shuttles including Magical Express from the airport (so no need for a rental car, no parking fees) and Extra Magic Hours. And it's all Disney, all the time for the kids. Mine are partial to Pop Century.
We skip the dining plan. It's way more food than we eat. My kids like a light breakfast in the room before we head out, then lunch and dinner on the go. And we definitely don't want to be tied down by ADRs...no way do I want to plan six months in advance when, where, and what I want to eat. We'd rather have the flexibility to eat when we're hungry, in whatever park we've chosen for the day (rather than choosing the park based on a reservation). We skip park hoppers, as well...it's a great cost savings and moving around is too tiring for my kids anyway. Unless you eat a lot and/or plan a bunch of the pricier meals, paying rack rate for the room to get free dining is not cost effective...take the room discount instead. We bring a lot of food with us, since you can take stuff into the parks (just no hard sided/rolling coolers, no glass, no straws in DAK). But having our own snacks and some PB&J sandwiches/bagels/granola bars not only keeps costs down but helps with my kids' stomachs since #1, in particular, tends to get sick on vacations when her diet changes at all. And you can ask for free ice water at any counter service location if you need it.
For my last visit, in the months leading up to the trip I bought Disney gift cards whenever I went to the grocery store. That way I was only spending a little at a time and could budget better. We found the best fares with Air Tran and it's a short enough flight from here that they were fine.
Can someone give me an idea what I should be planning on spending? Sorry for the hijack. It'll be my DH, 2 y/o and I. We are planning late May just before her 3rd birthday. We will stay at value hotel and want a meal plan. No set number of days yet though.
Can someone give me an idea what I should be planning on spending? Sorry for the hijack. It'll be my DH, 2 y/o and I. We are planning late May just before her 3rd birthday. We will stay at value hotel and want a meal plan. No set number of days yet though.
I mostly tried to spread out the spending. One month I booked flights another bought tickets at AAA. I bought cards at target for the 5% discount (pharmacy rewards did not work).
You could try free dunking but I don't think they have it that time of year. You are getting into spring break time and flights can be ridiculous. I would book those before anything else so you don't get stuck.
Try Allegiant air. They specialize in flying from the Midwest to Orlando. Super cheap, don't get the add ons except a bag.
Orbitz 15% off codes work on Disney hotels. I think we got an A Star resort for under $100/nt and honestly it was great! We had a "preferred room" for about $4 more and the location was amazing.
I'd do the 3-4 days with park hoppers and go to all 4. There's something magic about Disney.
Try not to go during sping break (if you can). Super busy and more expensive.
If you're flexible on your dates you can save some money. We went in October and stayed at the Art of Animation value resort in a suite. If we had stayed at one of the other value resorts in a regular room it would have been substantially cheaper.
I used this crowd/price tracker to pick a great week with low crowds and low prices.
Travel before child is 3, and when Disney is offering a sale rate on rooms. Book Art of Animation - it is the newest value resort and the family suites are nice and have a refrigerator. Place a grocery order from Garden Grocer to stock your room. I believe it requires a $40 order, but you can add diapers, sunscreen, etc, so if you plan your order before you go, you can limit your packing. Then, you have food in your room for your day to day, and can pack a small cooler for meals to go with you to the parks.
Because of your child's age, you likely won't be park hopping. We went with DD was the exact same age, right before her 3rd birthday. We went to the park first thing when it opened, and powered through until she ran out of steam. Then, hotel for nap, and pool in the evenings.
As for which parks, try to choose based on things your kid is into, rather than what forums tell you. For us, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios were most appealing to DD, because she got to see her favorite characters at those two parks, and all her favorite shows. She loved meeting Doug and the boy from Up, Bolt, the Disney Junior crew, and the shows at Animal Kingdom - Nemo and Lion King. Plus, we did a breakfast at Animal Kingdom - Tusker House - and met Donald, Mickey, Minnie and Goofy there. We could have skipped Magic Kingdom completely, if we were just there based on her favorites. She wasn't into princesses at all at that point. Don't get me wrong, there is so much to do at MK, and great rides. She loved it. I would just say that it was the 3rd most memorable for her.
Enjoy your trip! If you want to use a travel agent, feel free to PM. My friend is Disney certified and does a great job helping first timers plan the best trip for their money. And, she gets paid by Disney, so its no additional cost for you. Its the same rates as if you booked yourself.
ETA: You can use Disney gift cards to pay for the trip, so you can get them at Target to get 5% off with your redcard, or you can get them through your local grocery to offset fuel rewards. I got through Giant Eagle, saved a lot on gas, and also spent enough that they now send me a ton of store coupons.
You do not need a park hopper pass. We just did the pass that lets you into the parks for five days. I do not see the need to leave one park for another..there is so much to see and do in each one!
We skipped the meal plan too....way too much food and we came in under budget on meals. Watch the "free dining plan" offers as sometimes it bumps up the cost of the hotels.
I would stay on property at a value resort. You get off the plane. Your luggage goes right to the resort. You don't need a car. You don't need to pay to park.
i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.
Post by nonsenseabound on Jul 29, 2014 9:47:01 GMT -5
You do not need a birth certificate. I actually inquired this prior to Disney as my son is quite verbally advanced and u had some concerns that someone would not believe he was 2.5 years. They told me unless he was looking like he was school age they don't question it
Post by curlygirlygirl on Jul 29, 2014 12:47:43 GMT -5
My family had our first ever Disney World vacation a few months ago. All of us liked Animal Kingdom the best! Although, that may be because it was so different than everything we have at home with Disneyland.
Post by stephm0188 on Jul 29, 2014 14:01:31 GMT -5
Look for discounts. Disney often offers free dining packages or room only discounts. Deluxe resorts are around 20-30% off, moderates are anywhere from 15-25%, and values are around 10-20%, depending on the resort. (BTW, I disagree about booking Art of Animation. It's often excluded from promotions, or the discount is so small that it isn't a good value when you could book a nicer hotel for less money.)
Ticket prices also go down the more days you stay. A one day ticket for adults is 99.00 for Magic Kingdom or 94.00 for the other parks. Two days is 188. Three is 274. Day four is when you see a bigger price break at $295. Day 5+ tickets are just an additional $10. A four day ticket is going to be cheaper than a 2 day park hopper ticket.
It's funny how everyone likes different parks the best. I hated the Hollywood one, but our kids didn't watch Disney Jr, do they're was nothing familiar, the big show with beauty and the beast has an actor not show up and... Well it was just an awful day.
On the other hand they loved Epcot almost as much as magic kingdom. They were 2 and 5 at the time. SS was 17 and we left him at Hollywood and let him meet us later - which is a fantastic perk of staying on property. Being a single rider was a huge peek and he got to ride a lot more things than if he'd waited in love with one of us.
We were in the ft wilderness cabins because it was the only room big enough for 6 at non crazy prices (mil was with us). We had a meal plan, it was 5k for 6 day park hopper for 4 adults one child and one free child.