Advice on Epcot Please

[nanamom]

We are taking our two little ones to Epcot Center and could use some advice on how to do it frugally. We are driving since we have family that lives within a 5 hour (or so) drive. We plan on staying over two nights and are torn if we should stay on the facility or not. I understand tickets are very pricey and want to do this as inexpensively as possible. Any advice would be appreciated.

[disneysteve]

Head over to disboards.com. That is a great discussion forum for all things Disney.

To briefly answer your question:

I would NOT stay on site unless you can snag a really great special deal. If you can get one of the Value resorts for $49 or $59 it would probably be worth it. Otherwise, I'd recommend staying offsite. You do pay $11/day to park but you can save a lot more than that on an off-site hotel. You'll have a car so transportation isn't an issue.

You can pack snack food and even simple meals, like PB&J sandwiches, to take into the park. Also, bring your own water. We use a couple of refillable water bottles and either freeze them partly filled over night if we have a freezer, or fill them with ice and water in the morning. During the day, if we need more water, we just ask at one of the restaurants for ice and water. They'll give it to you for free.

Ticket prices are the hard part. Disney prices their tickets to favor longer stays and discourage 1 or 2 day visits. There are some tiny discounts available with AAA or a couple of other places but it only amounts to a few dollars per ticket.

[Seeker]

Disney Parks Have A New Theme: Deeper Discounts

Recent news article from Tampa Bay Online.... Disney Resorts are offering a 44% discount (I don't have any idea what the price is though and how it compares in Florida nowdays) on nightly stays through April 2nd. You might want to check into it.