Anyone knowledegable about Disney World

[Based on Faith Academy]

Looking to take kids to Disney next July for sons 12th birthday. I want to start planning and saving now. Any good websites, ideas, money saving ideas, help planning, keys to getting good prices and tickets? Any stories about things you saw or did? Can't wait to hear it all..

 

 

Christina

[chanda7]

www.disboards.com

www.allears.net

www.touringplans.com

 

are all helpful web sites. We went about 3 weeks ago. I'm sure you've seen the commercials that your son can get a free ticket on his birthday. Chase has a Disney Visa that you can earn points on to use for tickets or other Disney purchases.

 

Make use of the fast passes; the fast passes are your friends ;)

[haysmommy]

Another place to look is www.mousesavers.com. We used a hotel recommended by that site a few years ago, Buena Vista Suites, and it was great-huge buffet breakfast every morning plus free shuttles to the park.

[HFClassicalAcademy]

on Mousesavers.com. We have gone for the past 2 years and plan on going yearly (last trip was in Feb. and next should be in Feb. of 2010).

 

You must use the fast passes. We usually map out where and what we want to do the night before. Because of that, our first day tends to be a little more chaotic.

 

A BIG thing...reserve your spots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner ASAp!!! Most places fill up quickly and well in advance. Unless you don't plan on going to a restaurant, you really need to do this. And I recommend that you at least do a sit down dinner for one of your meals. Reservations can be made one year in advance, I believe.

 

I have younger kids, so we have enjoyed doing the character dining, with Cinderella's Royal Table (in Magic Kingdom) being our favorite. If you don't use the dining plan, these can get pricey (we have a family 5...don't pay for the baby...and usually pay $150 per meal or more at a restaurant without the dining plan).

 

Planning in advance is good. We usually wing it and plan everything from 2-3 weeks beforehand. We still have a great time.

 

Good luck with the planning!!! It will be a memorable trip.

 

Liz in NC

[Ibbygirl]

Disney has a free guide. You can get it here. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/ Fast passes are the way to go. Also make sure to wear a hat, sunscreen and bring lots of bottled water. They cost a fortune in the park itself and the sun is hot in July. The turkey legs in adventure land aren't that expensive and the kids get a kick out of eating them and I think the burger place over by Space Mountain is the cheaper one too. Hope this helps. :)

[Based on Faith Academy]

Is there a way you can book everything and start paying now so that when the time comes everything is pretty much paid for?

[ConnieB]

Is there a way you can book everything and start paying now so that when the time comes everything is pretty much paid for?

 

 

Are you planning to stay on Disney property? If so, then yes, you can book your package now, you'll be required to pay a $200 deposit, and then the balance is due 45 days before arrival. But you can call them and make payments on your balance whenever you want.

 

If you are staying off site, then that depends on the owner of the property where you are staying. Most require a non-refundable deposit and the balance 30 or so days before arrival (each owner of course sets their own rules, so 30 days is just typical), but I've never heard of one that takes monthly payment, though hey why not.

 

What we did was open up a checking account and called it "Disney World Fund" and each time we had extra money it went in there. We didn't plan our first trip until we had almost all the money we needed....but our second trip we planned and paid into our account each paycheck. It went much faster of course when we had a "budget line" amount from each paycheck to go into the fund instead of the "hey if we go home and eat lunch instead of McD's, I'll put $5 into the fund" or "we made $10 today in coupon savings, into the fund it goes".

 

Even if you're staying onsite and therefore able to make payments don't forget that room and tickets aren't the only costs. If you're doing the dining plan then most, if not all, of your food would also be paid, but be sure to look at allearsnet.com at the menus to see whether your family would really eat enough to warrant the cost of the dining plan. We did it on one of our visits and found it to be way more food than we typically eat (and so we were often bloated and uncomfortable after a meal) or we ended up throwing away food which always bothers me. My kids hated the "kids menu" options because it was so limited and the same thing constantly while the adults got lots of choices. Plus, we figured out when we were paying out of pocket it was actually better for the kids to share an adult meal....enough food for two kids, better selection and the price was often cheaper than two kids meals. Sharing desserts also meant we got to try things and satisfy the sweet tooth without eating so much rich sugary foods. And we drank water instead of soda (a few of the kids brought flavor packets to add to the water). You can get water at any counter service free just for the asking, so no need to cart around water bottles either.

 

allears.net; mouseforless.com; mousesavers.com; disboards.com are probably the largest for information and disboards is definitely the largest community/forums I ever found.

 

There are a lot of ways to save money and yet still have a fantastic time. Enjoy!

[ConnieB]

 

A BIG thing...reserve your spots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner ASAp!!! Most places fill up quickly and well in advance. Unless you don't plan on going to a restaurant, you really need to do this. And I recommend that you at least do a sit down dinner for one of your meals. Reservations can be made one year in advance, I believe.

 

 

 

Actually it used to be 180 days in advance, now it's 90 days in advance. You can use this "calculator" to find out when your "window" opens (just an FYI, the calculator does still give you the 180 and 365 days because the change to 90 days is pretty recent and there is still a lot of hope it will go back to 180. The 365 is for specific events not dining):

 

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/pscalc/dispscalc.html

 

The number to call is 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).

 

 

Things like Cinderella's Royal Castle (especially breakfast); Akershus Princess Storybook Breakfast; Chef Mickeys; Le Cellier, Vicotoria & Albert, those are the hardest reservations to get....if you want one of those it is recommended that you call at exactly 7am Florida time on your 90th day. (in fact most FAQ's tell you to call 1 minute ahead and keep hitting redial...then to interrupt the person who answers by saying I need "Cinderella on X date for breakfast". They'll understand your rudeness and save the small talk until after they try for you! Yes...it sounds nuts, but seriously.....call at 7:15 and there won't be anything left). If you don't get the reservation, or can't call on that day, you can keep trying but some people call every day for weeks and aren't able to get in....some luck out and get in because someone cancelled just before them, lol. It's the luck of the draw, but if your (or the kids) heart is set on a very popular restaurant....start early to get it booked! It's a rat race (pun intended).

[ChristusG]

Are you sure you want to go in July? LOL. I live in FL, 2.5 hours away from The Mouse, and we go often. But never ever ever in the summertime. Miserably hot with crazy long lines.

[ConnieB]

Looking to take kids to Disney next July for sons 12th birthday. I want to start planning and saving now. Any good websites, ideas, money saving ideas, help planning, keys to getting good prices and tickets? Any stories about things you saw or did? Can't wait to hear it all..

 

 

Christina

 

 

One other thing I thought of.....DIsney currently has a promotion if you go ON your actual birthday. You would need to bring a birth certificate to prove it's your son's birthday, but he would be entitled to either a free one day in one park ticket or a $75 gift certificate or special fast passes. Since you are planning to go for more than just that one day, I'd suggest the gift certificate because the one day ticket isn't upgradeable and the more days you stay the cheaper "per day" it costs, so it greatly reduces the value of the free one day. (In fact once you hit 4 days on a ticket, the extra days after that cost mere dollars). The fast pass is nice, and the above poster is correct that July has crazy long lines, but with proper planning and early arrival you can get the regular fast passes and not wait as long. But, $75 of souveniors is very very nice!

 

You can read about the promotion online at disney.com and preregister to get a bit of the work done ahead of time, then you take your proof of birthday to the guest services window the day of your birthday. One note....you say "next July" and I'm assuming you mean July 2009....if by "next" you actually mean 2010, I don't know if this same promotion will be going on or not. It's only advertised as being through the end of 2009, but the "year" of a million dreams lasted 2 years so you never know.

 

 

Personally, as homeschoolers we avoid doing most vacation type things during the summer because the crowds are always much much bigger, and I'm not a heat lover (odd considering I live in the desert, lol). It's the time we spend doing most of our schoolwork and we play more during the cooler spring/fall/winter months. But, if July is the only time you can go there are ways to survive it.....disboards.com is a great place to get great been there done that type of ideas. It definitely takes some planning and thought but it's very do-able. And of course, knowing what to expect and how to work around the pitfalls makes it much nicer than being oblivious to the problems until they strike! So proper planning!

 

Also, be sure to stop by guest services and get the birthday boy a free Birthday pin. It's guaranteed to get him a lot of attention from the Cast Members (staff) as they always say Happy Birthday to those with pins, and every once in a while the magic and pixie dust strike and there can be other surprises as well. For the birthday pin you do not have to be there exactly on your birthday....celebrating it is good enough for Disney, be it days or weeks or even months off, it's the celebration that they go for. So if you do go ON his birthday, get him a birthday pin and any other children (or children at heart) an "unbirthday" pin. We celebrated my daughter's "half" birthday because she was born in summer and we weren't going then.....and they wrote "un-birthday" on the pin. The extra attention that Alice and Mad Hatter paid to my daughter (since the term un-birthday comes from their movie of course) was absolutely delightful and a highlight of her memories. The characters stopped the tea cup ride and took us for a whirl all by ourselves. Remember though that the pin is not a guarantee that something that magical will happen.....but you never know what may!

[BeckyFL]

Don't go in July! UGH! :tongue_smilie:

[DawnM]

If you homeschool all of your kids.....you can go during the 2 homeschool weeks during the year....it is FAR less expensive.

 

We got the most expensive passes.....5 day park hoppers and 4 vouchers for Disney Quest and/or the waterparks....and it was $150 each. You can choose less expensive options as well.

 

http://disneyyouthgroups.disney.go.com/wdyp/programs/programOverview?page=HSDProgramOverviewPage

 

Dates and prices for Sept aren't up yet, but it has always been the 3rd week of Sept. and the 3rd week of January. Tickets are good for the week before and the week after the event, so you don't HAVE to do those weeks, but those weeks offter some free homeschool classes as well as some additional paying optional classes.

 

We stay off-site in a condo just because for us it is far less expensive and gives us room to spread out.

 

http://www.skyauction.com/ is around $295/wk including taxes. Sometimes they have Blowout deals for $199/wk but you have to purchase those and then book later. I would NOT recommend relying on this for heavy travel times like summer, Christmas, or Spring Break as they are very difficult to get.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disney-World-Guides/dp/0470285702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240225209&sr=8-1

 

This book has been invaluable to us! It tells you all you need to know for a great trip! It also tells you the average crowd levels for various times of year. (July is VERY crowded btw, if you CAN go off-season, DO! I can't stand the heavy crowds, it isn't even fun for us to go then.)

 

Dawn

[Ibbygirl]

July is hot, but not as hot as August and September, but another thing to consider is that July is in hurricane season also. Hurricane season starts June 1st and runs through November 30th with August and September being the most active months just to give you a heads up. If you go during this time it's a good idea to make sure that you can get your money back from the hotel etc if a storm should hit while you're there. November is a great time to go if you can swing it then, the tourists haven't all come down yet for the winter and it is starting to cool off after summer. Also it's the end of hurricane season and it's rare to get one that late in the year. It is also drier in the fall. In the summers here we get downpours in the afternoon almost everyday. Just another heads up for ya. I hope this helps in your trip planning. Disney is so much fun. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time when you come. :)

 

Blessings,

Jennifer

[oliveview]

You've been given some great advice here. We've been every time of the year possible. July is not a great time to go, but if you do, then I have this to add. Be there early. If the park opens at 9:00 then be there just after 8:00. When it's real busy they will open up the front part of the park early. You want to do as much of the park as you can before the heat really sets in. The water parks fill up early and they stop letting people in usually by lunch. The parks have lots of tour groups from outside the US in the summer. This is nothing to plan for but just be aware. They will have a tour leader who walks around carrying a flag and there will be a group of 10-200 people following behind. We have been seperated as a family between these groups. Like I said, nothing to plan for just be aware. As others have said, use your fastpasses. Get the next fp before you go on the attraction that you have one for. Also, set your must-sees and do those. We've been when it is busy and only done 3 or 4 attractions and had a great time. We've also been on one of the busiest days of the year and done almost every attraction at MK. It's all what you want out of the experience and where you set your priorities.

[cworthy]

Avoid summer if at all possible.

 

I don't know how you feel about credit cards, but we have used a Disney Visa for years. You get points for everything you charge (we pay it off each month). Our last trip, the points paid for our hotel stay, plus tickets to an evening event. You also get deals on stays, tickets, etc. throughout the year.

 

Definitely plan ahead. We have been many times and I have written several stories about WDW trip planning. PM me if you have a specific question. WDW is, without question, our favorite place to visit, but at the busy times of year, it can be miserable.

 

My other suggestion, if you can afford it, is to stay on-site. There are deals to be had if you go at off times. It makes all the difference to me to have the "Disney magic" continue after leaving the park. But if my choices were not going or staying off-site, then I would stay off-site. :001_smile:

 

Finally (I promise), I firmly believe that enjoying Disney requires a suspension of disbelief. It is a wonderful place that can make anyone a child again, you just have to embrace it. (I'm a Disney geek. Sorry.)

[whitestavern]

We just got back from WDW and had a wonderful time! My first piece of advice would be to join tourguidemike.com. It's about $20 for a year's subscription but the information he gives you is invaluable! You tell him what days you want to go and he will tell you what day to go to which park (and why), when to do which attractions, and it is loaded with reviews of each attraction, restaurant, hotel. There are forums where people are so so willing to help you with every little thing. By really reading through the site, we didn't wait in one line and everything went super smooth.

 

We stayed offsite at Vacation Village at Parkway. It is 5 min door to door from the parks. We loved it. We ended up eating at quite a few of the resorts and thought for our next trip we would stay on site, but after seeing the prices, it's just not worth it to us. Plus, we were able to eat breakfast every day in our unit (full kitchens) and a few lunches.

 

Another important piece of advice...take breaks every day. Be at the park at opening, tour til lunch and then leave. Give yourself a long afternoon to hang around the pool or relax in your room. Then head back for dinner, more touring and fireworks shows.

 

I have heard July is not only hot, but really really crowded, so I would say if you could go any other time, to do so.

 

My dd celebrated her 9th birthday at WDW and it was indeed magical, but they will not have the "celebration theme" next year as each year brings a new theme.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I feel like a Disney expert now!

[tinkgumby]

If you homeschool all of your kids.....you can go during the 2 homeschool weeks during the year....it is FAR less expensive.

 

Dates and prices for Sept aren't up yet, but it has always been the 3rd week of Sept. and the 3rd week of January.

 

Wow, thanks for this info! Our family already has airline tickets to go to WDW Sept. 11 - 21, and that would cover the third week of September! It would be wonderful if we were able to get discounted tickets and meet other homeschoolers to boot! :D

 

Do you have to be affiliated with a homeschool group to get discounted tickets, or can you get them directly from the link you provided? (They didn't have much information up yet about it.)

 

Thanks again!

[Ibbygirl]

Finally (I promise), I firmly believe that enjoying Disney requires a suspension of disbelief. It is a wonderful place that can make anyone a child again, you just have to embrace it. (I'm a Disney geek. Sorry.)

 

 

hehe I'm such a Disney geek too. I'm a native of South Florida and I've been going to Disney for as long as I can remember and I NEVER get tired of it. The first time I took my husband and daughter (my son wasn't born yet), my husband didn't want to go. He's an intellectual, out of NYC and he just thought it was so beneath him to go to a commercial place like Disney. He wanted to take dd to art museums instead so that she could get culture. :tongue_smilie: I told him, "all kids have got to go to Disney at least once in their lives. That's it, just once, if you don't like it, I'll never ask you to go again." He agreed and we went.

 

Man, when we got in that park I don't know who had more fun, him or her! He went down Splash Mountain like 10 times. He went around narfing on turkey legs every time we were in Adventureland. He was up on top of the bridge over the white water rapids in Animal Kingdom shooting water from the water guns on the bridge at all the people in the rafts below (leave it to Disney to find away for even sadists to have fun! ;) ) and he had such a blast! He couldn't wait to go back and it was his idea to go when my son came along! He'll still tell me from time to time, "we need to go to DW again. I"m missing the magic" ;) hehe

 

Disney can be the vacation of a lifetime, but it can also be an expensive nightmare if you go at the wrong time of year. Trust me, you DO NOT want to go in September if you can at all avoid it. Summertime is off season for a reason. It is too hot. It is humid and the sun is so strong that it will literally make you sick if you're not used to heat. It rains EVERYDAY in the afternoon from about 2-3pm on and we're not talking sprinkles here, we're talking monsoon like downpours. Because of all the rain, the humidity is unbelievable and in August and September it's like being outside in a steam room. I'm not kidding. You go outside in the morning and you will literally see steam rising off of the ground. The mornings are not cool, they are muggy and the air is still and did I mention the mosquitoes?? And during the summer you always run the risk of having to contend with a hurricane. I would just hate to see that happen to anyone.

 

Florida is a beautiful place and most of the people (okay... some of the people... okay the "natives") are very warm and friendly. ;) :D It can be a tourist's playground and there is alot of fun to be had, but what time of year you come makes all the difference in your vacation experience. I know summer is cheaper, but if you're miserable, then it's not worth it. I personally think that November is the magic month if you can possibly come then. I just want you to have a good experience and to enjoy your time in my beloved Sunshine State, but I am rambling here. Basta! I'll end it here. Best of luck to you. :)

 

Jen

Edited April 20, 2009 by Ibbygirl

[DawnM]

I believe they start posting ticket prices and links to purchase around July, but you can keep checking back.

 

No, you don't have to be a member of any organization and they don't even ask you to prove you homeschool, but I would advise to please not share with the general public or it will be harder to get the tickets in the future as they only have a reserved number available.

 

Are you staying on property for the free dining?

 

Dawn

 

Wow, thanks for this info! Our family already has airline tickets to go to WDW Sept. 11 - 21, and that would cover the third week of September! It would be wonderful if we were able to get discounted tickets and meet other homeschoolers to boot! :D

 

Do you have to be affiliated with a homeschool group to get discounted tickets, or can you get them directly from the link you provided? (They didn't have much information up yet about it.)

 

Thanks again!

[DawnM]

We are heading down to WDW in 10 days!

 

Dawn

[Ibbygirl]

We are heading down to WDW in 10 days!

 

Dawn

 

 

Oh man!! I'm so jealous! Can I go with you?? :tongue_smilie:;) :)

[tinkgumby]

Are you staying on property for the free dining?

 

Alas, no . . . we found out about that AFTER we signed up for a time share thing. :glare: I wish we were! Have fun on your trip!

[DawnM]

Well, I know this isn't the "popular" thing to do, but we do not stay on property. with a family of 5, the minimum amount PER NIGHT to stay on property is $168 per night including tax. Even with free dining, that is a LOT of money! We have several weeks of condo weeks we pre-purchased for $189-$199 per WEEK including tax through SkyAuction....so around $28 per night! That would give us $140 to blow on food to match prices even WITH "free" dining.

 

We cant' afford free dining! ;)

 

Dawn

 

Alas, no . . . we found out about that AFTER we signed up for a time share thing. :glare: I wish we were! Have fun on your trip!

[Ibbygirl]

.

 

We cant' afford free dining! ;)

 

Dawn

 

 

hehehe I do the same thing. I'd love to afford to stay in the park, but we just can't afford it. I usually stay in a cheap hotel near the park that offers a shuttle service to the parks, but I think your condo idea is much better. Have a wonderful time. Say hi to Mickey for me. :)

 

Jennifer

[DawnM]

Sure!

 

Dawn

 

Oh man!! I'm so jealous! Can I go with you?? :tongue_smilie:;) :)

[Ibbygirl]

Sure!

 

Dawn

 

 

Cool! Can I be a stowaway in your :auto:??? I'll leave a note for hubby that I ran away from home! hehehe

 

Ay, I wish. I love my family to death, but it would be nice to be able to get away alone sometimes. That would be an interested poll here. How many homeschooling moms actually get time alone. hehehehe :)

[cougarmom4]

So we just went to Disneyland a few weeks ago and a friend had recommended that we check out ridemax.com. Oh, my...this is amazing! It costs $15 for 3 months...and they have a separate one for Disney World and Disneyland/California Adventure. Basically these people have done tons of research to figure out how busy certain rides are at various times of day. You enter the dates you'll be there, enter the rides you want to go on...and it spits out an itinerary for you. You can make all kinds of changes and get it down to exactly what you want.

 

Now, we were a little skeptical, but we printed out schedules for two of our three days at the park--and it was absolutely amazing. Those two days were by far much better than our third. I wish I could get a commission for advertising or something--because it made such a difference. We did so many things within such a short amount of time. My friend went last week, when it was super crowded and she said the same thing about her ridemax schedules. I'm totally convinced.

 

On a similar note, just in case anyone is interested, ridemax taught us a little secret about the fastpasses. Maybe you all already know this, but the fastpasses don't expire at the ending time. In other words, when you grab a fastpass for say, Splash Mountain, and it says that you need to come back between 10:00 and 11:00, you just have to come back anytime AFTER 10:00...even up until the park closes. And the beauty of it, is you can grab another fastpass for another ride as soon as the starting time passes. (Did you get all that?). It makes such a difference! Oh, and just for the record, I actually asked several employees if this was okay before we tried it (I'm a letter of the law type of person...I wasn't going to do it if it was against the rules)...they all said it wasn't a problem.

 

Happy planning...

[DawnM]

Well, sadly, you wouldn't be alone....you would have MY kids along!!!!!:lol:

 

But, I have to say that there is a large group of ladies from my graduating high school class and we do a long weekend at the beach every year. We just started 3 years ago and we all look forward to it every year!

 

Dawn

 

Cool! Can I be a stowaway in your :auto:??? I'll leave a note for hubby that I ran away from home! hehehe

 

Ay, I wish. I love my family to death, but it would be nice to be able to get away alone sometimes. That would be an interested poll here. How many homeschooling moms actually get time alone. hehehehe :)

[Ibbygirl]

Well, sadly, you wouldn't be alone....you would have MY kids along!!!!!:lol:

 

But, I have to say that there is a large group of ladies from my graduating high school class and we do a long weekend at the beach every year. We just started 3 years ago and we all look forward to it every year!

 

Dawn

 

 

That's so nice. My mother does something similar. Once a year she gets together with her closest cousins and they stay in a condo on Panama City Beach for a week. They've been doing this for almost 20 years now! IT's really cool. No matter where they are living or what they are doing, without fail they take that week and fly or drive to Panama City and catch up. :)

 

Have a wonderful time in Disney. I told my husband that I was going to run away from home and stowaway in your car, but he said "no". ;) hehe Have a lovely time. :)

 

Blessings,

Jennifer

[momto4greatkids]

I also live in Fl-only 30 minutes away. I wouldn't tell you not to go in July, just know it is HOT! Maybe you could do mornings in the park. After lunch, head back to rest or play in the pool, then go back out as the sun goes down. Between 3 and 5 is brutal, not to mention the daily afternoon storms. The water parks are wonderful this time of year!

[DawnM]

Have you tried TourGuideMike.com? How would you compare the 2?

 

Dawn

 

e=cougarmom4;905052]So we just went to Disneyland a few weeks ago and a friend had recommended that we check out ridemax.com. Oh, my...this is amazing! It costs $15 for 3 months...and they have a separate one for Disney World and Disneyland/California Adventure. Basically these people have done tons of research to figure out how busy certain rides are at various times of day. You enter the dates you'll be there, enter the rides you want to go on...and it spits out an itinerary for you. You can make all kinds of changes and get it down to exactly what you want.

 

Now, we were a little skeptical, but we printed out schedules for two of our three days at the park--and it was absolutely amazing. Those two days were by far much better than our third. I wish I could get a commission for advertising or something--because it made such a difference. We did so many things within such a short amount of time. My friend went last week, when it was super crowded and she said the same thing about her ridemax schedules. I'm totally convinced.

 

On a similar note, just in case anyone is interested, ridemax taught us a little secret about the fastpasses. Maybe you all already know this, but the fastpasses don't expire at the ending time. In other words, when you grab a fastpass for say, Splash Mountain, and it says that you need to come back between 10:00 and 11:00, you just have to come back anytime AFTER 10:00...even up until the park closes. And the beauty of it, is you can grab another fastpass for another ride as soon as the starting time passes. (Did you get all that?). It makes such a difference! Oh, and just for the record, I actually asked several employees if this was okay before we tried it (I'm a letter of the law type of person...I wasn't going to do it if it was against the rules)...they all said it wasn't a problem.

 

Happy planning...

[Jennifer in MI]

Well, I know this isn't the "popular" thing to do, but we do not stay on property. with a family of 5, the minimum amount PER NIGHT to stay on property is $168 per night including tax. Even with free dining, that is a LOT of money! We have several weeks of condo weeks we pre-purchased for $189-$199 per WEEK including tax through SkyAuction....so around $28 per night! That would give us $140 to blow on food to match prices even WITH "free" dining.

 

We cant' afford free dining! ;)

 

Dawn

 

Dawn - Where are you staying??? We just booked a place at Windsor Hills for $369/week for next January. It's the closest place to Disney and it's gated, so I feel safe with it. But, if I can save money, well, I may be willing to change! Oh - and we're splitting that with my brother - so it'd be really cheap! I LOVE staying on property, but I hope this works!!

 

We found last year as a family of 5, it was still worth it to get free dining and stay on property. Our dd was still under 2, so she didn't count yet. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and LOVED it!!! We got free dining and over 6 days spent over $1750 in food. We ate at some of the nicest places! It was cheaper to stay there than at the suite at their cheaper resorts. Maybe there's another option for you!

[Vanna]

First, I have to admit that most of the trip was "gifted" to us by my in-laws. They paid for our accomodations and the kids' tix. All we had to do was pay for our tix, get there, and take care of food.

 

Here are my "been there, done that" tips:

 

1. Oh, no! Don't go in July! I hope you're able to pick another time of year. Hot! Hot! Hot! We went the week after Easter break and it was marvelous. For example, we were able to ride Pirates of the Caribbean after only a 5 min. wait. A photographer told us the wait was 2 hrs. the week before.

 

2. Favorite rides/Shows: MGM: "Extreme Stunt Show," The Rock-n-Roller Coaster, Indiana Jones Stunt show and the Spectro Magic Fireworks display. Magic Kingdom: the Character Lunch at Cinderella's Castle (most people do the breakfast, even booking 3 mos in advance we couldn't get that, but the lunch turned out to be the surprise hit -- excellent in every way).

 

Oops! Battery running low on the laptop... gotta run. PM me if you want more details and I hope you have a great trip. I went doubting that I'd have a good time and left feeling blown away by the experience. We hope to go again next year.:auto:

[Based on Faith Academy]

So much information. I can't wait to look everything up. I am a planner no doubt. It looks like I will end up going in November then which wouldn't be a hardship for me since my b-day is in November. Just can't decide do i go this year or wait until next November. I know it is a long ways away but this was I can continue with the move and have no problem having the money to take with me. Plus my daughter will be four and a half then. I do know as of now she isn't too excited about Mickey Mouse as that is what she calls the guy at Chuck E Cheese. Anyone with experience with this or a way to help her with it?

Keep the info coming and thanks!!!

[Ibbygirl]

So much information. I can't wait to look everything up. I am a planner no doubt. It looks like I will end up going in November then which wouldn't be a hardship for me since my b-day is in November. Just can't decide do i go this year or wait until next November. I know it is a long ways away but this was I can continue with the move and have no problem having the money to take with me. Plus my daughter will be four and a half then. I do know as of now she isn't too excited about Mickey Mouse as that is what she calls the guy at Chuck E Cheese. Anyone with experience with this or a way to help her with it?

Keep the info coming and thanks!!!

 

 

Just wait til she gets there. When she sees Mickey hats, dolls, shirts, balloons, sunglasses, pictures etc etc she'll find out pretty quick who the main mouse is. hehe The first time we went with my daughter she was 3. She was like, "Mickey who?" When we went to Mickey's house in Toon Town and she saw where he lived and saw him at the end of it all. She was completely overwhelmed. She ran up to Mickey and gave him a hug (the people in the costumes are EXCELLENT with the kids btw) and Mickey tousled her hair and posed for a pic with her and as we were leaving, she started walking slower and slower until she eventually stopped walking and broke down crying. She was so star struck by meeting the mouse and was so overwhelmed by it all. She wanted to go back into his house again the next day. This was a kid who could care less about Mickey before we went on the trip. Fast forward 3 years and we went back with my daughter and son. My daughter had drawn a picture for Mickey to give to him when she went to visit him in his house. She had drawn it like a month before the trip and had been so excited to give it to him. She made sure that she had it in her pocket when we went and the first order of business when we got to the Magic Kingdom was to go see the mouse. hehe The cool thing about Disney though, is that all of the characters are there somewhere and alot of them walk around in the costumes so even if she doesn't like Mickey she can see The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Tigger, Pooh Bear, Minnie, Goofy etc etc. :)

[DawnM]

No, we have done all the math and we go often....paying $150 plus 12% tax per night comes to $1,176 per week. Even with free dining, that is WAY more than we ever spend and only gives us one small room. We much prefer a 2 bedroom condo for $199 per week indluding tax. We budget about $200 for meals and eat in and carry snacks with us. That is a savings of well over $900 and allows us to go more often.

 

We are also not huge eaters and typically can get 3 adult meals in the parks and share it and be fine. If we ordered 5 actual meals we would waste a lot.

 

We stay at a condo with SkyAuction.com. We have stayed at different ones. We see what is available and check tripadvisor.com before booking.

 

Dawn

 

Dawn - Where are you staying??? We just booked a place at Windsor Hills for $369/week for next January. It's the closest place to Disney and it's gated, so I feel safe with it. But, if I can save money, well, I may be willing to change! Oh - and we're splitting that with my brother - so it'd be really cheap! I LOVE staying on property, but I hope this works!!

 

We found last year as a family of 5, it was still worth it to get free dining and stay on property. Our dd was still under 2, so she didn't count yet. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and LOVED it!!! We got free dining and over 6 days spent over $1750 in food. We ate at some of the nicest places! It was cheaper to stay there than at the suite at their cheaper resorts. Maybe there's another option for you!