Help with all the things.

[lala]

The above is great advice. I get that your mom is paying half, but you are paying the other half. Renting DVC can be very economical & it is super easy. That said, you can book those villas through disney, too, just more $$$.

I highly doubt the southwest people are disney experts. If I was using a travel agent, I'd use a well regarded disney specific one. Small world vacations, dreams unlimited travel, etc.

[ilikedonuts]

Off site is literally off Disney property. I think parking is $20/day now so for a week you are looking at $140 for parking if you stay off site.

[badgerwrangler]

I'm guessing that what you have read about off-site hotels being within walking distance pertains to Disneyland in California, not WDW in Florida. There is no way you are walking to any WDW park from an offsite hotel.

Definitely look into a DVC rental! Try David's at dvcrequest.com. My parents own DVC so I have never rented but good friends of ours have numerous times and were very happy with it.

[ohiopollworker]

Thank you thank you again! I will continue updating as we progress.

[jeaniebueller]

I would skip a character meal, especially given your kids ages. THey are really $$$ and the food is just mediocre.

[Deleted]

I was just thinking about your group. What about looking into Business Class at Coronado Springs?

Coronado Springs is a moderate resort owned by Disney.

It is Mexican themed.

It has bus transportation to and from the parks.

Business Class offers you 2 things for about less than 100.00 a night more than a regular room there.

1) Preferred location. Coronado is a BIG resort. This location puts you near the food court ( which I have heard is good and has lots of choices) and the main building and the central bus stop. A short walk to the pool/
2) Access to a " Business Class Lounge" Which provides a light continental breakfast AND evening snacks, beer and wine. You can take all of this to your room if you want and take bottles of water from Business Class to the parks. It makes sense for your party since you want early evenings so you will be at Coronado during the serving times of the evening snacks to take advantage. If you save 60.00 a day on breakfast for 4 people and 10.00 a day on water and then you and your Mom each have 2 glasses of wine or Sangria a night that is your cost of the room upgrade right there. It's not the absolute " cheapest" way to go BUT it is a very very very good value. If you want to book this look into a travel agent ( I like Pixie Vacations but have never booked with them). These rooms are sometimes discounted so you can end up saving money and your agent will take care of applying the discount for you.

[ohiopollworker]

I'm pricing out 47 different options.

Holy crap this is overwhelming.

Here is where I am at so far, please tell me if you think anything is wonky:

Coronado springs, on WDW website: 208 a night for std. room, 289 business class. Would get 2 rooms.
Still waiting for quote for the above from Small World Vacation

Renting DVC Villa: Animal Kingdom is by far the cheapest, but still the same price as 2 Coronado Springs rooms. I think I would rather have 2 rooms at a better location (we aren't particularly interested in AK). And that cheap rate probably isn't even available, it apparently books 11 months out.

Hilton Bonnet Creek: ~250 a night with resort fees and parking, seems like a bad deal.

Sheraton Vistana: 260 a night for 2 room condo, send bedroom might have 2 single beds or 2 doubles. We would need two doubles, I need to figure that out. Also probably has parking fee.

So at this point I feel like Coronado springs or Vistana will be the winner. Like I said I am waiting for the TA quote, and I am also going to get a quote from Costco travel.

[ohiopollworker]

And of course, right when I hit post, I got the Small World Vacation email!

Their price is the same as booking on the WDW website, so what is the advantage of using the TA?

semi-related: I found this ticket deal: parksavers.com/product/adult-7-day-myw-park-hopper-ticket-3-days-free/ Can you only use something like that if you stay offsite? Or can you stay onsite and just purchase your own tickets separately to get that lower price?

So, at this point, I feel like if we decide to stay onsite, we will just do Disney the whole time, and skip seeing Kennedy Space center. Or at most, rent a car for one day and just go do that. If we stay offsite, we could do a day at Harry Potter (my kids are reading HP right now, but no idea what they'll be into in a year) and at the space center. If we stay onsite, we might do a whole day at the waterpark instead.

HOW TO DECIDE??

[curbsideprophet]

You can use that ticket deal on-site. Just make sure you book room only and not a room and ticket package.

[TBM]

Aug 26, 2016 14:34:35 GMT -5 ohiopollworker said:

And of course, right when I hit post, I got the Small World Vacation email!

Their price is the same as booking on the WDW website, so what is the advantage of using the TA?

The advantage of using a TA is that they do all of the deal hunting for you and take care of the details.

[ohiopollworker]

Aug 26, 2016 14:45:46 GMT -5 TBM said:

Aug 26, 2016 14:34:35 GMT -5 ohiopollworker said:

And of course, right when I hit post, I got the Small World Vacation email!

Their price is the same as booking on the WDW website, so what is the advantage of using the TA?

The advantage of using a TA is that they do all of the deal hunting for you and take care of the details.

That makes sense.  In this case, the email said there were no special deals now, but they would look for new ones that come up.  Is it realistic for new ones to come up?

[ohiopollworker]

Also, Costco had some pretty good deals. Suite + room at Waldorf Astoria for the same price as Coronado.

[TBM]

Aug 26, 2016 15:00:51 GMT -5 ohiopollworker said:

Aug 26, 2016 14:45:46 GMT -5 TBM said:

The advantage of using a TA is that they do all of the deal hunting for you and take care of the details.

That makes sense.  In this case, the email said there were no special deals now, but they would look for new ones that come up.  Is it realistic for new ones to come up?

pandce.proboards.com/thread/538883/using-disney-travel-agent 

[ohiopollworker]

Of course that question was already answered!