Disney ins and outs: remember me from an earlier thread??? help again

[sheryl]

Here I sit on Tuesday at 12 noon and I just spoke with reservations at Disney World. Homeschool days are every Jan and Sept....this year Sept 8, 9 for the presetation.

 

I pressed him again and again for "special" promotions and he didn't offer anything. We need to do this on a budget so I'm needing to find one. I asked about AAA to no avail. He did NOT mention free dining as so many of you suggested.

 

Why is this so difficult to pull off?

 

$1919.50

2 adults, 1 child

4 nights, 4 days on-site at All Star Movie Hotel (does not sound great, but noisy) 2-double beds

Plus dining (each person/each day: quick/cafeteria meal, sit down meal, snack)

That park hopper thing is included

 

No mention of anything else. He said this IS the MOST BASIC package. Everything else is more expensive. If we stay off-site, which I'm not opposed to, my cousin tells me it's just so time consuming and tiring to go back to hotel for a rest/lunch. Shuttle to hotel and back and etc.

 

At least I got the ball rolling, but ??????:confused:

 

Where should I go from here?

 

Thanks. Sheryl <><

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Have you considered camping?

The campsite at Disney World is great. You can even rent a humungous tent, if you don't want to bring yours.

[LynneMcCormick]

Here I sit on Tuesday at 12 noon and I just spoke with reservations at Disney World. Homeschool days are every Jan and Sept....this year Sept 8, 9 for the presetation.

 

I pressed him again and again for "special" promotions and he didn't offer anything. We need to do this on a budget so I'm needing to find one. I asked about AAA to no avail. He did NOT mention free dining as so many of you suggested.

 

Why is this so difficult to pull off?

 

$1919.50

2 adults, 1 child

4 nights, 4 days on-site at All Star Movie Hotel (does not sound great, but noisy) 2-double beds

Plus dining (each person/each day: quick/cafeteria meal, sit down meal, snack)

That park hopper thing is included

 

No mention of anything else. He said this IS the MOST BASIC package. Everything else is more expensive. If we stay off-site, which I'm not opposed to, my cousin tells me it's just so time consuming and tiring to go back to hotel for a rest/lunch. Shuttle to hotel and back and etc.

 

At least I got the ball rolling, but ??????:confused:

 

Where should I go from here?

 

Thanks. Sheryl <><

 

Have you looked at a site called mousesavers? It talks about deals going on for resorts and tickets. I usually go to Disney every year and I get 40% off Disney resorts. If you need more help .... Just let me know. I'm also thinking about going during homeschool days in Sept.

[sheryl]

Have you looked at a site called mousesavers? It talks about deals going on for resorts and tickets. I usually go to Disney every year and I get 40% off Disney resorts. If you need more help .... Just let me know. I'm also thinking about going during homeschool days in Sept.

 

Yes, ok othes suggested that. Is it really a savings? I'll check into it. Are there any glitches by going this route on mousesavers?

 

Have you considered camping?

The campsite at Disney World is great. You can even rent a humungous tent, if you don't want to bring yours.

 

We not strangers to camping, but not for this :glare: ...thanks though.

[sheryl]

:D

[Jennifer in MI]

Here I sit on Tuesday at 12 noon and I just spoke with reservations at Disney World. Homeschool days are every Jan and Sept....this year Sept 8, 9 for the presetation.

 

I pressed him again and again for "special" promotions and he didn't offer anything. We need to do this on a budget so I'm needing to find one. I asked about AAA to no avail. He did NOT mention free dining as so many of you suggested.

 

Why is this so difficult to pull off?

 

$1919.50

2 adults, 1 child

4 nights, 4 days on-site at All Star Movie Hotel (does not sound great, but noisy) 2-double beds

Plus dining (each person/each day: quick/cafeteria meal, sit down meal, snack)

That park hopper thing is included

 

No mention of anything else. He said this IS the MOST BASIC package. Everything else is more expensive. If we stay off-site, which I'm not opposed to, my cousin tells me it's just so time consuming and tiring to go back to hotel for a rest/lunch. Shuttle to hotel and back and etc.

 

At least I got the ball rolling, but ??????:confused:

 

Where should I go from here?

 

Thanks. Sheryl <><

 

This is NOT the most basic package. The most basic would include Counter service dining only and no park hoppers. This sounds expensive!! Try calling back and get them to downgrade. Or, have them take off the dining altogether.

 

I've heard that free dining is going to be announced sometime at the beginning of April. You can book this package and then drop your dining and add free dining after the announcement. If you stay at a value resort, I think the free dining package is the counter service plan.

 

Another cheaper option would be to stay on property with a package that includes a one day park pass for everyone (that's required for the free dining). Get free dining when it's announced. Then, get more park tickets through the homeschooling option. I believe the tickets are MUCH cheaper if bought this way. I was going to do this last year, but the dates didn't work out.

 

If you stay off property, you will not be able to get free dining. But, you will save money if you do your own cooking. Remember to add in the parking fee (I think it's $14/day now). We stayed at Windsor Hills for $468 for the week and split it with my sister. I wouldn't have wanted to come back to the resort during the day. It really took a long time. But, the bus system at the resorts sometimes took just as long. So, you may find it a pain to go back to the Pop resort during the day anyway.

 

Good luck!~!

[~Kirsten~]

I'm not an expert, but two things: Disney won't give you the AAA discount. You need to contact AAA directly and book through them. That will be a definite discount, usually in the 10% range (but no guarantee).

 

Second, free dining for fall hasn't been announced yet. There's a really, really fantastic chance that it will happen again, as it has been offered during September for the last several years. But it doesn't usually get offered until, I think, the end of March or beginning of April. The people at Disney aren't being deceitful; they just can't offer it to you until it's public, which hasn't happened as of right now. :tongue_smilie: You can book, either through Disney or through AAA, and then have the free dining added/adjusted for you package once it's out. You could also wait until the code is available. You do lose some of your AAA discount if you add the free dining through them, but it's not much, and you still get the "perks" of AAA, the best of which, IMO, is the parking pass. Of course, if you're not driving, that's not an issue.

 

Oh! Personally? I'd dump the hoppers. We've had them on 3 separate trips, and we really don't make use of them. So that's a definite way to save a little. Also, if you get there, check in, and decide you really want the hoppers, I think you can add them while you're there (you definitely can add extra days to your pass while you're there).

 

Okay, this is getting longer and longer! Yikes! I really love using Tour Guide Mike. It's about $20 for a subscription, but he explains how to maximize your touring, and we've found it amazing. We get all of our ride riding done in the mornings, using his touring suggestions, and then we rest in the afternoons and return to just play in the evenings. That $20 has repaid itself many times in saving my sanity. Also, if you're staying 4 nights, you may only need 3 days of park tickets. You may want all 4 days, but you'll have travel on one of those, so it's something to consider.

 

Hope you can find a truly great deal, at some point! Enjoy! :D

[sheryl]

This is NOT the most basic package. The most basic would include Counter service dining only and no park hoppers. This sounds expensive!! Try calling back and get them to downgrade. Or, have them take off the dining altogether.

 

I've heard that free dining is going to be announced sometime at the beginning of April. You can book this package and then drop your dining and add free dining after the announcement. If you stay at a value resort, I think the free dining package is the counter service plan.

 

Another cheaper option would be to stay on property with a package that includes a one day park pass for everyone (that's required for the free dining). Get free dining when it's announced. Then, get more park tickets through the homeschooling option. I believe the tickets are MUCH cheaper if bought this way. I was going to do this last year, but the dates didn't work out.

 

If you stay off property, you will not be able to get free dining. But, you will save money if you do your own cooking. Remember to add in the parking fee (I think it's $14/day now). We stayed at Windsor Hills for $468 for the week and split it with my sister. I wouldn't have wanted to come back to the resort during the day. It really took a long time. But, the bus system at the resorts sometimes took just as long. So, you may find it a pain to go back to the Pop resort during the day anyway.

 

Good luck!~!

 

Thanks Jennifer..this is good info/advice. I did "press" him, but I'm sooooo inexperienced doing this. He asked for our personal info which I relunctantly gave him....now that we're in the system that shows our interest/intent and I'm wondering if we'll ever get a better deal. Do *not* mean to sound cynical here, but honest.

[~Kirsten~]

Actually, another thought. Look at allears.net for food menus. If you can't get free dining (which, again, you probably can), it might be cheaper to go without dining. Like Jennifer points out, this ISN'T the cheapest option. You can ditch dining altogether. ;) Allears gives prices, so you can figure out approximately how much you'd spend and compare that to the total cost of the dining plan. You can also go to Disney's website, enter your dates and resorts, and it will figure prices for you as you add and subtract days and parts of the package. Then you'll know exactly what is the cheapest and most basic package for when you call AAA or Disney.

 

We found the counter service meals to be HUGE! It was easy to share, and the 4 of us (admittedly, our girls are young) could share 2 or 3 meals without any problems. When we had free dining last year, we had extra meals at the end of our trip because we couldn't stand wasting the food, and we just didn't eat it all. HTH!

[~Kirsten~]

Thanks Jennifer..this is good info/advice. I did "press" him, but I'm sooooo inexperienced doing this. He asked for our personal info which I relunctantly gave him....now that we're in the system that shows our interest/intent and I'm wondering if we'll ever get a better deal. Do *not* mean to sound cynical here, but honest.

I understand your cynicism! But don't worry! Really, when the dining plan option comes out again, there will be a public code you'll be able to use. The pin codes are a different story. I've never gotten one, so those (40% off and such) are pretty rare. Being in the system or out of the system doesn't seem to matter much for that. :grouphug:

[Jennifer in MI]

Okay - I just looked it up. A 5 day homeschool day ticket to the parks without the hopping option is $131.73. That's a great deal!!! Now, you will only be allowed in to the park that is offering the homeschooling program that particular day. But, if you can be flexible, that would save you a lot of money!! A quick search shows me that the Disney ticket for 5 days not on the homeschooling program is $242.82. Wow. Now I want to go! Especially if I can get free dining!

 

Now, I just went to the Disney website and got a quote: 4 nights - 9/6 - 9/10 at All star Music with a one day park pass (you don't need the park passes on this package unless you want free dining. They require you get at least one day passes to get the free dining.). 2 adults, 1 child. $614.79. Order the extra tickets above (actually, you wouldn't need 5 days!) and add free dining. Your vacation costs you just over $1000.

 

Okay - if you decide not to go with free dining, you can get those nights at the hotel - room only for $371. Get the homeschooling tickets for $131/pp. Now, you're down to $750. But, you'd need to pay for food on top of that.

 

I really need to be a travel agent!!!

Edited March 16, 2010 by Jennifer in MI

[Jennifer in MI]

I understand your cynicism! But don't worry! Really, when the dining plan option comes out again, there will be a public code you'll be able to use. The pin codes are a different story. I've never gotten one, so those (40% off and such) are pretty rare. Being in the system or out of the system doesn't seem to matter much for that. :grouphug:

 

Yes! Those codes are WONDERFUL!!! I don't mind being in the Disney system. We just got one for 45% off a deluxe resort room. The dates didn't work. Bummer.

[asta]

A couple of things to recognize:

 

With each successive year of "free" dining, that time period has apparently become more and more of a mad house. As in, people becoming ruder (a "I want MINE mentality) and also less patient. Additionally, there have been several reports on mouse websites that the food quality and quantity have decreased during those times to make up for the loss of income.

 

Second - Disney flat out isn't cheap. No matter how you slice it, now matter how well you plan it, no matter how many deals you manage to find - it is an expensive vacation. You can buy all of your t-shirts and doo-dads ahead of time during online sales and stash them in a drawer so that your kid doesn't see them. You can take advantage of hotel offers. You can get (relatively) inexpensive plane tickets. But the bottom line is that, once you're in the Magic Kingdom and your water bottle runs out (and you aren't near a fountain) - you'll buy that $6 Coke. You just will.

 

You have to decide what it is that you want out of it. Do you want to drive around a lot? Staying "off site" will give you that. Even with parking passes, the road to Disney, and the roads through Disney are quite a distance. And they are heavily trafficked at high season. Do you want a place that your kid can take a nap in the middle of the festivities? Are you willing to drive off site to do that? This is where Disney gets you on the price of their hotel rooms. They know you don't want to drive 30 minutes to take a nap. Sure, you may have a wait for a bus, but when you get to your onsite hotel and take a nap, you'll wake up and be able to get right back on the bus - not have to drive again and find parking.

 

Everyone has different expectations for their vacations, and for Disney. We found that it was best to write out a pros and cons list for what we wanted / didn't want; needed / didn't need.

 

Finally, as to the information that Disney wants from you - I really wouldn't worry about it: they have a better security system than US Homeland Security. Seriously. Companies and nations come to them for advice on how to terror-proof themselves. Your data is safer with Disney than it probably is at your house.

 

 

a

[Jan in SC]

Other than having Jennifer in MI plan your trip, the easiest thing to do would be:

 

Join AAA

Wait on the dining announcement (usually late March/early April)

Call AAA and let them book your trip (they get up tp 30% off regular rates and free perks like- good seat for parade)

 

*You can always book a trip without the dining package and then add it when the free dining is available.

 

 

We have been to Disney for the past seven years and it was so easy to book with them. It saved us a lot!!

 

Also- our family really enjoyed the park hopper. We used them everyday. we would eat a character breakfast in one park and then leave for another park for supper.

[sheryl]

Other than having Jennifer in MI plan your trip, the easiest thing to do would be: :lol: LOVE THAT!

 

Join AAA

Wait on the dining announcement (usually late March/early April)

Call AAA and let them book your trip (they get up tp 30% off regular rates and free perks like- good seat for parade)

 

*You can always book a trip without the dining package and then add it when the free dining is available.

 

 

We have been to Disney for the past seven years and it was so easy to book with them. It saved us a lot!!

 

Also- our family really enjoyed the park hopper. We used them everyday. we would eat a character breakfast in one park and then leave for another park for supper.

 

A couple of things to recognize:

 

With each successive year of "free" dining, that time period has apparently become more and more of a mad house. As in, people becoming ruder (a "I want MINE mentality) and also less patient. Additionally, there have been several reports on mouse websites that the food quality and quantity have decreased during those times to make up for the loss of income.

 

Second - Disney flat out isn't cheap. No matter how you slice it, now matter how well you plan it, no matter how many deals you manage to find - it is an expensive vacation. You can buy all of your t-shirts and doo-dads ahead of time during online sales and stash them in a drawer so that your kid doesn't see them. You can take advantage of hotel offers. You can get (relatively) inexpensive plane tickets. But the bottom line is that, once you're in the Magic Kingdom and your water bottle runs out (and you aren't near a fountain) - you'll buy that $6 Coke. You just will.

 

You have to decide what it is that you want out of it. Do you want to drive around a lot? Staying "off site" will give you that. Even with parking passes, the road to Disney, and the roads through Disney are quite a distance. And they are heavily trafficked at high season. Do you want a place that your kid can take a nap in the middle of the festivities? Are you willing to drive off site to do that? This is where Disney gets you on the price of their hotel rooms. They know you don't want to drive 30 minutes to take a nap. Sure, you may have a wait for a bus, but when you get to your onsite hotel and take a nap, you'll wake up and be able to get right back on the bus - not have to drive again and find parking.

 

Everyone has different expectations for their vacations, and for Disney. We found that it was best to write out a pros and cons list for what we wanted / didn't want; needed / didn't need.

 

Finally, as to the information that Disney wants from you - I really wouldn't worry about it: they have a better security system than US Homeland Security. Seriously. Companies and nations come to them for advice on how to terror-proof themselves. Your data is safer with Disney than it probably is at your house.

 

 

a

 

Got it....I think it would work better for us to stay on-site....you're right especially during peak times.

 

Okay - I just looked it up. A 5 day homeschool day ticket to the parks without the hopping option is $131.73. That's a great deal!!! Now, you will only be allowed in to the park that is offering the homeschooling program that particular day. But, if you can be flexible, that would save you a lot of money!! A quick search shows me that the Disney ticket for 5 days not on the homeschooling program is $242.82. Wow. Now I want to go! Especially if I can get free dining!

 

Now, I just went to the Disney website and got a quote: 4 nights - 9/6 - 9/10 at All star Music with a one day park pass (you don't need the park passes on this package unless you want free dining. They require you get at least one day passes to get the free dining.). 2 adults, 1 child. $614.79. Order the extra tickets above (actually, you wouldn't need 5 days!) and add free dining. Your vacation costs you just over $1000.

 

Okay - if you decide not to go with free dining, you can get those nights at the hotel - room only for $371. Get the homeschooling tickets for $131/pp. Now, you're down to $750. But, you'd need to pay for food on top of that.

 

I really need to be a travel agent!!!

:lol: As I said above, I LOVE THAT. Honestly, I was thinking the same thing.

 

Actually, another thought. Look at allears.net for food menus. If you can't get free dining (which, again, you probably can), it might be cheaper to go without dining. Like Jennifer points out, this ISN'T the cheapest option. You can ditch dining altogether. ;) Allears gives prices, so you can figure out approximately how much you'd spend and compare that to the total cost of the dining plan. You can also go to Disney's website, enter your dates and resorts, and it will figure prices for you as you add and subtract days and parts of the package. Then you'll know exactly what is the cheapest and most basic package for when you call AAA or Disney.

 

We found the counter service meals to be HUGE! It was easy to share, and the 4 of us (admittedly, our girls are young) could share 2 or 3 meals without any problems. When we had free dining last year, we had extra meals at the end of our trip because we couldn't stand wasting the food, and we just didn't eat it all. HTH!

 

Thanks.

 

I need to go back to the drawing board and implement all your ideas. A, I will write out pros/cons...excellent. Will be patient and wait until mid-May which ironically is my dd's b'day. Lastly, I'll check AAA vs mousesavers.com.

 

To everyone I say this: it is O*V*E*R*W*H*E*L*M*I*N*G!!! There are so many this's and that's, do's and don'ts, this deal and that deal????

I'll have to slooooooow down, pace myself and be content that we'll get some kind of package within our budget. ;)

[olan719]

Okay - I just looked it up. A 5 day homeschool day ticket to the parks without the hopping option is $131.73. That's a great deal!!! Now, you will only be allowed in to the park that is offering the homeschooling program that particular day. But, if you can be flexible, that would save you a lot of money!! A quick search shows me that the Disney ticket for 5 days not on the homeschooling program is $242.82. Wow. Now I want to go! Especially if I can get free dining!

 

Now, I just went to the Disney website and got a quote: 4 nights - 9/6 - 9/10 at All star Music with a one day park pass (you don't need the park passes on this package unless you want free dining. They require you get at least one day passes to get the free dining.). 2 adults, 1 child. $614.79. Order the extra tickets above (actually, you wouldn't need 5 days!) and add free dining. Your vacation costs you just over $1000.

 

Okay - if you decide not to go with free dining, you can get those nights at the hotel - room only for $371. Get the homeschooling tickets for $131/pp. Now, you're down to $750. But, you'd need to pay for food on top of that.

 

I really need to be a travel agent!!!

 

:iagree:This is exactly what I would do. I was toying around with this a couple of months ago, and figured we could stay in a value resort for 10 nights, purchase one day tickets in the package (if we could get free dining), and buy 5 day park hoppers separately through the homeschool offerings. I think the total came to around $2000, and that was for 2A/2C for TEN nights.

[Jan in SC]

Don't wait until May! Keep checking the Disney website and look for the dining announcement. Then book right away!

 

Also, be sure to ask the difference in the dining plan for the value vs. moderate resort. It might be worth $20-$30 extra a night for a seated restaurant meal for all of you.

 

(My gut instinct is to say...Call me and I'll plan it for you!)

[sheryl]

Don't wait until May! Keep checking the Disney website and look for the dining announcement. Then book right away!

 

Also, be sure to ask the difference in the dining plan for the value vs. moderate resort. It might be worth $20-$30 extra a night for a seated restaurant meal for all of you.

 

(My gut instinct is to say...Call me and I'll plan it for you!)

 

 

Better yet, we live in Charlotte....let's meet for coffee! :D

[Amy in KS]

We just did the homeschool days in January. We bought 5 day tickets. We also brought big bags of food in every day. We are so glad we did. It is perfectly acceptable and saved us lots of money. Honestly, the kids did better with it, too. Ride a couple of rides, sit and have a kashi bar. Watch a show, walk around, have a small pouch of nuts, etc. The kids loved it. Small meals all day kept everyone's blood sugar evenly keeled and nobody was hungry. The food available was either nice counter food or expensive nice food anyway (both of which had long lines).

 

Also, I wouldn't hesitate to stay off site in the off season. Most hotels have free shuttles and in January the traffic wasn't bad at all. Off site hotels in Kissimmee were CHEAP (good quality name brand hotels for around $40/night with free shuttles). We actually commuted every day from Tampa (an hour and 15 minutes each way), but that's only because my husband's on a project here. I didn't find the traffic bad at all.

[Jan in SC]

Better yet, we live in Charlotte....let's meet for coffee! :D

 

I'll be happy to help!!! Or, my AAA is here in SC, but I'll give you her name and number!

[twoboysmom]

I took my guys to Disney last September and this past January for Homeschool Days and did it very inexpensively.

 

First, you need to decided if want to stay on Disney property. We typically stay offsite because we own a timeshare. We enjoy the extra space of condos and not having to eat Disney food every day. Yes, you must pay to park at the 4 theme parks, but it is still significantly cheaper than staying onsite. There are lots of timeshares and privately owned condos in Orlando which can be rented very cheaply, especially when you consider that some/all of your meals can be prepared there. We very rarely eat at Disney anymore, even bringing lunch/snacks in an insulated backpack that I found at Target.

 

Take a look at disboards.com...there's is a sub-forum for offsite stays and the people there are very helpful.

 

With that said, I was unable to book my January stay completely at our timeshare because it was a last minute trip. I was able to pick up a room at Pop Century for $60/night with taxes through Expedia. Disney wanted about $15/night more. And September is the lowest season of the year, so I would expect that you could pick up a room at a value resort in the $50-$60/night range.

 

As for tickets, if you book a package, only get the 1 day ticket that is required for the package. Disney's Youth Educational Services (Y.E.S.) offers a steep discount on park tickets. Also, the Y.E.S. tickets are all one price...no separate price for adults and children. In January I bought 8 day park hoppers with the plus option for $190/each. This gave us 8 park days at any park, the ability to hop between the parks, and 8 visits to Disney Quest and both Waterparks (in reality, that's 16 days of admission). The tickets are valid 7 days prior to your arrival date and 7 days after your departure date, so you can spread your trip over a longer time frame as well. We spent 16 days in Orlando, and were able to use our tickets during our entire stay.

 

We've visited Disney World at least 25 times in the past five years and never have we spent $2000 on a 4 night trip. Granted, our accommodations are "paid for" with the timeshare, but it can be done much more cheaply and with just as much "magic" than Disney wants you to know. If you have any other questions, or I can be of any other help, feel free to PM me.

[sheryl]

I took my guys to Disney last September and this past January for Homeschool Days and did it very inexpensively.

 

First, you need to decided if want to stay on Disney property. We typically stay offsite because we own a timeshare. We enjoy the extra space of condos and not having to eat Disney food every day. Yes, you must pay to park at the 4 theme parks, but it is still significantly cheaper than staying onsite. There are lots of timeshares and privately owned condos in Orlando which can be rented very cheaply, especially when you consider that some/all of your meals can be prepared there. We very rarely eat at Disney anymore, even bringing lunch/snacks in an insulated backpack that I found at Target.

 

Take a look at disboards.com...there's is a sub-forum for offsite stays and the people there are very helpful.

 

With that said, I was unable to book my January stay completely at our timeshare because it was a last minute trip. I was able to pick up a room at Pop Century for $60/night with taxes through Expedia. Disney wanted about $15/night more. And September is the lowest season of the year, so I would expect that you could pick up a room at a value resort in the $50-$60/night range.

 

As for tickets, if you book a package, only get the 1 day ticket that is required for the package. Disney's Youth Educational Services (Y.E.S.) offers a steep discount on park tickets. Also, the Y.E.S. tickets are all one price...no separate price for adults and children. In January I bought 8 day park hoppers with the plus option for $190/each. This gave us 8 park days at any park, the ability to hop between the parks, and 8 visits to Disney Quest and both Waterparks (in reality, that's 16 days of admission). The tickets are valid 7 days prior to your arrival date and 7 days after your departure date, so you can spread your trip over a longer time frame as well. We spent 16 days in Orlando, and were able to use our tickets during our entire stay.

 

We've visited Disney World at least 25 times in the past five years and never have we spent $2000 on a 4 night trip. Granted, our accommodations are "paid for" with the timeshare, but it can be done much more cheaply and with just as much "magic" than Disney wants you to know. If you have any other questions, or I can be of any other help, feel free to PM me.

 

 

That's for that. I think I'm looking for this to go off w/o a hitch and that just is not possible. I'll plan and try to secure a good deal, and work within our parameters money wise, schedule wise, etc, BUT we will certainly come away with a great experience, but also "improvements" to our plan. I need to remember this aspect...yea yea I know it sounds a little perfectionist, doesn't it??? :D I'm getting better though.

 

Still....I do want to make wise and discerning decisions. Hence my reason for the endless questions. Do you book directly on disboards or mousesavers?

[Luckymama]

Disboards is a discussion board for Disney, like this is for homeschooling. The owners/operators of Disboards also own a separate Disney-specialist travel agency----you can find the links on the site----but I just use Disboards for information.

 

Mousesavers is a website dedicated to all saving-money-on-all-things-Disney (US parks mainly but she does address other aspects like movies and Broadway shows etc). It is FABULOUS. Seriously. Again, it receives some sponsorship by a Disney-specialist travel agency.

 

Whatever you do, if you do use a travel agency, make sure you choose one that is a Disney specialist. Some AAA branches are really good, others not so much, while yet others have one or two agents who only book Disney. Disney specialists know how to look for the deals, how to apply the codes, how to compare free dining VS a room-only discount, etc.

 

We are Disney lovers :) Since 2005 we've been 4 times with the family and dh and I have gone twice by ourselves during the Food & Wine Festival in the fall.

[Hedgehogs4]

are you military or retired military, or do you know any such creature? we just got an awesome deal on our park tix. $124 with park hopper for four days. we will also stay in the cabins--a reasonable rate for those @ $1250 from Sun. to Sat. on non-blockout days.

 

if you don't have the military connections, i guess this is irrelevant, but hope it helps.

 

keep digging. there are deals out there.

[sheryl]

are you military or retired military, or do you know any such creature? we just got an awesome deal on our park tix. $124 with park hopper for four days. we will also stay in the cabins--a reasonable rate for those @ $1250 from Sun. to Sat. on non-blockout days.

 

if you don't have the military connections, i guess this is irrelevant, but hope it helps.

 

keep digging. there are deals out there.

 

 

Ironically today I saw the military discount....but we do not qualify. I think it's great as we support our troops!!!

 

Disboards is a discussion board for Disney, like this is for homeschooling. The owners/operators of Disboards also own a separate Disney-specialist travel agency----you can find the links on the site----but I just use Disboards for information.

 

Mousesavers is a website dedicated to all saving-money-on-all-things-Disney (US parks mainly but she does address other aspects like movies and Broadway shows etc). It is FABULOUS. Seriously. Again, it receives some sponsorship by a Disney-specialist travel agency.

 

Whatever you do, if you do use a travel agency, make sure you choose one that is a Disney specialist. Some AAA branches are really good, others not so much, while yet others have one or two agents who only book Disney. Disney specialists know how to look for the deals, how to apply the codes, how to compare free dining VS a room-only discount, etc.

 

We are Disney lovers :) Since 2005 we've been 4 times with the family and dh and I have gone twice by ourselves during the Food & Wine Festival in the fall.

 

 

Thanks for your input. I'm going to let everyone know when it's booked! But, who knows how long that will be for me to accomplish...:D

[sheryl]

It seems y'all are saying Sept is the best month to go in terms of lowest cost. With that though, does that mean that "everyone" else is there too for the "same best deal?"

 

Does that mean traffic will be thick, parking hard to come by, and long lines?

[crl]

I would second the recommendation to look at the following websites for great planning info:

http://www.disboards.com

http://www.mousesavers.com

http://www.allearsnet.com

 

We usually go in Jan (been 4 times in Jan, 1 in Feb, 1 in Oct and 1 in March) and we feel it's the best time to go. The weather may prohibit outdoor swimming, but the parks are a lot less crowded and cooler. If you can get the homeschool tickets for park entry, that will be your cheapest option by far. I believe you can visit any park with those tickets, not just the park hosting the event for the day. But it is limited to one park per day. We personally stay off site and love it. We do normally use our timeshare, but have stayed in a suite with kitchenette before. You can look at places like skyacution.com for deals on a timeshare unit. Either way it was better than trying to rely on the Disney transportation and paying the Disney prices. We also like having the kitchen to cook in since it makes for much cheaper meals for us. Plus we enjoy having the extra space and seperate bedroom from the kids.

[Liza Q]

If we stay off-site, which I'm not opposed to, my cousin tells me it's just so time consuming and tiring to go back to hotel for a rest/lunch.

 

Not that we have stayed off-site but we rarely go back for a rest - maybe on the next to last day when we are all tired but we do tend to be there for a long time (10 days, 12 days, 8 days). Lots of people and guide books told us to plan for one daily and I love Tour Guide Mike and take most of his advice but...unless you have kids that nap you may not need to do this. When we got tired we would rest wherever we were - sitting with a drink or a snack, just riding the train or watching a show. We didn't lose as much time and we were able to soak up a little more of the magic! Our youngest was five on our first trip so we had a stroller for him and he was fine.

[sheryl]

Not that we have stayed off-site but we rarely go back for a rest - maybe on the next to last day when we are all tired but we do tend to be there for a long time (10 days, 12 days, 8 days). Lots of people and guide books told us to plan for one daily and I love Tour Guide Mike and take most of his advice but...unless you have kids that nap you may not need to do this. When we got tired we would rest wherever we were - sitting with a drink or a snack, just riding the train or watching a show. We didn't lose as much time and we were able to soak up a little more of the magic! Our youngest was five on our first trip so we had a stroller for him and he was fine.

 

 

OK, now I get it. Perhaps Sept is the least expensive when you stay on site and they offer "free dining". But, when you stay off-site then any time is economically advantageous, right? Because you'd save money in food and parking even at $14/day will not deter savings from off-site price. Now, these h'schooling tickets are available all year long?

 

 

I would second the recommendation to look at the following websites for great planning info:

www.disboards.com

www.mousesavers.com

www.allearsnet.com

 

We usually go in Jan (been 4 times in Jan, 1 in Feb, 1 in Oct and 1 in March) and we feel it's the best time to go. The weather may prohibit outdoor swimming, but the parks are a lot less crowded and cooler. If you can get the homeschool tickets for park entry, that will be your cheapest option by far. Are the h'school tickets cheaper in Sept than other months of the year? I believe you can visit any park with those tickets, not just the park hosting the event for the day. But it is limited to one park per day. We personally stay off site and love it. We do normally use our timeshare, but have stayed in a suite with kitchenette before. You can look at places like skyacution.com for deals on a timeshare unit. Either way it was better than trying to rely on the Disney transportation and paying the Disney prices. We also like having the kitchen to cook in since it makes for much cheaper meals for us. Plus we enjoy having the extra space and seperate bedroom from the kids.

[kokotg]

It seems y'all are saying Sept is the best month to go in terms of lowest cost. With that though, does that mean that "everyone" else is there too for the "same best deal?"

 

Does that mean traffic will be thick, parking hard to come by, and long lines?

 

September is more crowded than it used to be (because of free dining) but it's still one of the least crowded times of year. They offer the big discounts in September BECAUSE it's a slow time. We go regularly in September...the crowds are there, but they're manageable. In general, you can walk on to most of the less popular rides, but you have to do some planning (use fastpasses, get there early, have a basic touring plan, etc) for the big rides. We almost never wait more than 10 minutes in line. Traffic and parking are not a problem at all. The main drawback of September is that it's still VERY hot and humid.

 

I just skimmed the thread, so don't know if this has been mentioned...but if they do offer the quick service plan for the values, you can upgrade to the regular dining if you want by paying the difference (I think it's about $10/day for adults and $3/day for kids).

 

Also, if you're going in early September, you're already inside your 180 day window for dining reservations. You might want to go ahead and book so you can make reservations before the free dining rush hits (you can change or cancel anything without penalty up to 45 days before your trip). Then you can call and add on free dining if/when it's announced.

[sheryl]

September is more crowded than it used to be (because of free dining) but it's still one of the least crowded times of year. They offer the big discounts in September BECAUSE it's a slow time. We go regularly in September...the crowds are there, but they're manageable. In general, you can walk on to most of the less popular rides, but you have to do some planning (use fastpasses, get there early, have a basic touring plan, etc) for the big rides. We almost never wait more than 10 minutes in line. Traffic and parking are not a problem at all. The main drawback of September is that it's still VERY hot and humid.

 

I just skimmed the thread, so don't know if this has been mentioned...but if they do offer the quick service plan for the values, you can upgrade to the regular dining if you want by paying the difference (I think it's about $10/day for adults and $3/day for kids).

 

Also, if you're going in early September, you're already inside your 180 day window for dining reservations. You might want to go ahead and book so you can make reservations before the free dining rush hits (you can change or cancel anything without penalty up to 45 days before your trip). Then you can call and add on free dining if/when it's announced.

 

Wow, that helped alot. To know that it's not super crowded. It's their slow time and hence the deals. So, it's busy, but not the busiest and the wait time is not long with fast passes, etc. I don't get the 180 day thing b/c free dining has not been offered for fall yet.

[kokotg]

You can make dining reservations 180 days in advance (all the time, whether there's free dining or not). So I was just saying that as soon as free dining IS announced (assuming it is) it will probably get harder to make reservations. So if you're pretty sure of your dates, you might want to go ahead and make reservations now, particularly if you have some popular restaurants that you want to make sure you eat at.

[mom2denj]

We LOVE LOVE LOVE Fort Wilderness!!! We are actually going over memorial weekend and I am going to the homeschool convention in Orlando. The campgraound can be anywhere from $60 - $100 per/night. Usually when we go, we do not even have to visit a park. They have so much to do on the campground!

Have you considered camping?

The campsite at Disney World is great. You can even rent a humungous tent, if you don't want to bring yours.

[sheryl]

I wanted to thank everyone. My dh will read all of your responses, we'll discuss and take it from there. There is soooo much more to do in planning a trip such as this to DW....let's see, spend hours on planning or homeschooling....;)