Mandamom Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I never thought I'd be asking this because I never figured we'd even get down to Florida again, much less Orlando. The last time I went to Disney was when I was 12 or 13 years old and Epcot wasn't open yet. Background: my daughter is a competitive gymnast and our coach decided to sign up for a meet in Orlando in January on the long week-end. The team is staying at Mystic Dunes and the meet is at the ESPN center. I think we might be competing on Saturday or Sunday but it might be Friday, too. I would go down with my 2 girls, 9 and 11 years old. My questions: 1) are we staying on Disney property? 2) if we fly down will we need a rental car (don't know if anything is walkable or not) 3) what should I budget for food -- anyways to save a bunch of money. 4) I'm not even sure we can afford magic Kingdom for 1 day -- ideas for things to do that are free or close to it 5) I'm seriously considering Magic Kingdom because we've never been and that is one thing I might regret. My girls are at the perfect age. 6) I'm still trying to figure out if it is worthwhile to drive down instead of flying -- google maps has it at 15 hours. All that to say, we really don't have the income to support this trip but we're going anyway. I need tips, resources, etc. I'm already feeling terribly guilty about not taking my 5 year old but having him in the gym for hours at a time will be miserable for all of us. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimtaxi234 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I would call Disney http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/. When we were planning our trip, they offered amazing discounts because we are an active duty military family. Since you are going in an off season, it can't hurt to ask for any and all discounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakimberly Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 You could do Downtown Disney because it is free. It is just shopping and stuff with a Disney theme and a Lego store and stuff... It is a nice area to walk around. Free parking too. MK is fun, but it is $$$, no doubt! A rental car would be really helpful. There are buses and stuff, but it is not always convenient and can take FOREVER to get places on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakimberly Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Oh and Mystic Dunes is near Disney but is not a Disney property. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I 1) are we staying on Disney property? 2) if we fly down will we need a rental car (don't know if anything is walkable or not) 3) what should I budget for food -- anyways to save a bunch of money. 4) I'm not even sure we can afford magic Kingdom for 1 day -- ideas for things to do that are free or close to it 5) I'm seriously considering Magic Kingdom because we've never been and that is one thing I might regret. My girls are at the perfect age. 6) I'm still trying to figure out if it is worthwhile to drive down instead of flying -- google maps has it at 15 hours. , 1. No you are not staying on property. I don't know where that resort is, but there are SO many right near the property that I bet it isn't far. 2. I think you would need a rental unless the you can share rides with someone else from the team. If I were you, I'd save that money and drive down in one shot. No hotel stay. Bring your own food for the drive. 3. For food? If I needed to do a budget trip, I'd be bringing quite a bit of my own. Shop for food there at a local store. Bring a cooler (or will your room have a fridge?). Breakfasts are easy - yogurt, milk, cereal, cheese, juice. Lunches - sandwiches - tuna, meat, cheese, carrot sticks, chips, fresh fruit. Dinners are harder. Sometimes, we would eat out for lunch because it's cheaper and then do lunches for dinners. Or, get those Cup of Noodles things. We heat up water in the coffee pot and use it on the noodles. Not very healthy, but we then eat a bunch of fruit and veggies as sides and I figure it evens out! 4. Unfortunately MK for one day is just SO expensive! I did Disneyland for one day with two of my kids a couple months ago and it was over $200 for the day. Yikes! (But, obviously, we thought it was worth it!!) Free things to do: Downtown Disney. There is a lot of shopping there, so you may end up spending some money. But, you can get the Disney atmosphere without going to the parks. Go to the hotels on property and just walk around. Animal Kingdom is beautiful! You can walk around outside and see the animals. We also like the Polynesian for its atmosphere. I think that's the resort that has a beach? We walked around it for a while one night after dinner. I've also read that the mini golf is fun, but I've never done it. And, it's not free, but cheap. I'm sure others will have better suggestions! 5. While it is very expensive, MK is SO much fun!!! We just love it. Could you ask for the tickets for Christmas? Or, could that be your girls' gift? 6. We always drive and it's 20 hours. BUT, we have my sister halfway, so we stay the night with her. I would imagine, if you could do it in one long day that it'd be cheaper to drive. Great. Now I want to go plan a Disney trip!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 If you're staying at Mystic Dunes you aren't on WDW property. If you can rent a car, do, or try to take advantage of a bus schedule to WDW. As far as free things, check out this list from mousesavers.com. I would try to get tickets to the park for a day, but that's just because I absolutely love Disney. We are planning a trip for 2014 and the folks over at the Disboards.com have helped so much with budgeting and figuring out how to get the most out of our money there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 If you're staying at Mystic Dunes you aren't on WDW property. If you can rent a car, do, or try to take advantage of a bus schedule to WDW. As far as free things, check out this list from mousesavers.com. I would try to get tickets to the park for a day, but that's just because I absolutely love Disney. We are planning a trip for 2014 and the folks over at the Disboards.com have helped so much with budgeting and figuring out how to get the most out of our money there. That list is great! I forgot about the Boardwalk! And, Celebration is a fun place too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 1) are we staying on Disney property? No, Mystic Dunes is not a Disney property. 2) if we fly down will we need a rental car (don't know if anything is walkable or not) It is not walkable. But most of the resorts have Disney shuttles. Will the team be providing transportation to the meet? Whether you need a rental car will depend upon where all you want to go. There are quite a few toll roads in the area. If you rent a car, plan for that and have some cash. 3) what should I budget for food -- anyways to save a bunch of money. It looks like Mystic Dunes has rooms with full kitchens? That is what we do when we are there. You can do breakfast and at least some dinners in your room. Counter service meals are around $5-$10 at Magic Kingdom. ideas for things to do that are free or close to it There are lots of free things, like window shopping in Downtown Disney. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/kids-things-orlando-14749.html 5) I'm seriously considering Magic Kingdom because we've never been and that is one thing I might regret. My girls are at the perfect age.6) I'm still trying to figure out if it is worthwhile to drive down instead of flying -- google maps has it at 15 hours. All that to say, we really don't have the income to support this trip but we're going anyway. I need tips, resources, etc. I'm already feeling terribly guilty about not taking my 5 year old but having him in the gym for hours at a time will be miserable for all of us. Thoughts to maybe help you sort it out: What kind of transportation is the team providing? Are you supposed to be sharing a room with anyone? Will anyone else be staying extra days? Is there another friend or family member who could go with you, split costs like room and driving duties? Who could entertain your 5 year old while the girls are in their meet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 http://www.disboards.com will have the answers to ALL your questions and there is even a budget board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Now I want to know what everyone's names are on the Dis boards!!!! I'm the same there as here. I don't post often and usually just on the cruise boards and the budget boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Now I want to know what everyone's names are on the Dis boards!!!! I'm the same there as here. I don't post often and usually just on the cruise boards and the budget boards. I haven't been on in awhile because our trip was a few months ago. I will say that it was someone in the "homeschool chat" thread that pointed me to the WTM and the forums. SO whoever that was...THANKS! My sn is mwgreene! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I haven't been on in awhile because our trip was a few months ago. I will say that it was someone in the "homeschool chat" thread that pointed me to the WTM and the forums. SO whoever that was...THANKS! My sn is mwgreene! There's a homeschool chat there? Hmmmm . . . maybe it's time for another visit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I just have to say, if you can scrimp and save and try to afford a multi-day pass and stay a few days, DO IT. There is SO much neat to see and do at WDW, including some neat educational opportunities if you plan your visit right. The Magic Kingdom is something worth doing for reasons you've indicated you already know, but EPCOT is such an amazing park. Multi-day passes really eliminate the cost on a per-day basis. - Drive - When driving, pack boxes of food for your visit. You can eat breakfast in your hotel each morning, and then pack sack lunches/dinners. - Use hotel transportation to get to the parks to avoid having to pay for parking If you are a camper, Disney also has an on-property campground that is clean and awesome with a boat that takes you directly to the Magic Kingdom, and I think it is less than $50 a night to stay there. A GREAT way to save money and still get the Disney packages and perks for staying on-property. If you can only do 1 day, I'd seriously be tempted to advise you to consider EPCOT. I know it is less classically Disney and while *most people* prefer the Magic Kingdom, most of the homeschooling families I know agree that EPCOT is their favorite Disney park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Now I want to know what everyone's names are on the Dis boards!!!! I'm the same there as here. I don't post often and usually just on the cruise boards and the budget boards. I'm DianeW over there. Imaginative, huh? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 There's a homeschool chat there? Hmmmm . . . maybe it's time for another visit! Yep! It's on the family board. Mostly just people looking for advice on how to get started! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Thank you thank you. You have given me a lot so that I can figure out what I'm going to do. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 A gymnastics team near me went to an Orlando meet last year (may have been the same one, it was in January). The coaches or one of the team parents organized purchasing tickets through group sales. You might ask if others on your dds team wants to do that and find out if it's cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 The Disney hotels are free to visit and great! Animal Kingdom lodge has the walk outside with the giraffes and other animals and lots of scheduled mini activities. It could be a craft, or a talk by the "campfire" and some even give each participant a bead when completed. The price for a complete kids meal, which can be ordered for adults too, is very reasonable there - about $5 for mac and cheese. Most of the Disney hotels allow you to use their pools for free too! I think Grand Floridian is an exception but the others are more kid friendly anyway. I'd go to Polynesian in the late afternoon, the pool has a great slide, and stick around for watching the electric parade on the water, followed by fireworks. You can hang out on the beach - there are hammocks and loveseat swings available if you get there early enough. I'd also recommend parking at one of the hotels or at Downtown Disney and using the Disney transportation - monorails, ferries, and buses if necessary - it's a lot of fun - ferries and monorail especially. :) I would ask what meals will be provided for you and ask if there's free shuttle to the Disney property. If enough meals are provided and there's transport, I'd probably not bother with the cost of a rental. Once you get on Disney property - any Disney property - you can take free transportation to wherever you need to go. As Kimberly said, it's not always the fastest way, but if you're not paying to go into the parks, that shouldn't be a problem, and you'll save the cost of a rental and not have to worry about parking and all. For MK tickets, you can get them for about $50 a piece at the ticket sale places outside Disney property. As long as you go to a place like in the lobby of Denny's or someplace reputable, you should be fine doing this. It's still expensive, but as long as you're there ... :) Bring in your food as it's all expensive there. If you want to buy a meal there, burgers at the Starlight Cafe in Tomorrow are reasonable. Iced water is free everywhere, but not particularly tasty. :tongue_smilie: Bring some iced tea or fruit punch powder to add and you'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Now I want to know what everyone's names are on the Dis boards!!!! I'm the same there as here. I don't post often and usually just on the cruise boards and the budget boards. I'm the same as here and you should join the For 2000+ Miles Drivers thread in the Transportation forum!!! C'mon!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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