Disney world Advice

[terces]

Looks like the family vacation this year will be at Disney World in June. This is the first and probably the only time we will be doing this trip. One son is 18 and the other is 13. We did Disneyland many times when we lived in CA. Just your typical day trip there.

But since this will be the only time we do DW, was wanting to get advice. Trying to keep budget no more than $2000 for 5 days. Is it worth it staying at their properties? Benefits compared to the cost?

I want to do this right but not to overdue it either.

[disneysteve]

Obviously, everyone will expect me to respond to this. I will, but I'm at the office right now. I'll try and post later or tomorrow at the latest.

[creditcardfree]

Generally, you can stay for less off property. We did Marriott Village last year and breakfast was included, plus funds for their food court, which we used for a couple dinners.

We went a few years prior and stayed on property and REALLY loved it. To keep it under the $2K, you may need the Value Resorts on property.

We rented a car both times, because we had other places we were going in Florida. Disney's transportation is pretty slick. You may have to wait at times, but they get you where you want to go.

When you stay on property, you end up eating at their restaurants, or food courts, which are very pricey. But it is possible to get to a convenience store and buy granola bars or yogurt for your room.

Parking is free if you stay on property. You can get in to some parks earlier or stay later if you are a Disney Resort guest.

Check out MouseSavers.com - Disney Discount Source - Disney World Discounts, Disneyland Discounts, Disney Cruise Discounts for great advice and specials. I also used Tour Guide Mike last time we went for some great tips to avoid standing in line. It was worth every penny!

[terces]

Haha.... I hoped to get your advice DS... when you have time of course.

I'm looking at possibly driving there..Houston to Orlando. With 3 drivers 15 hours isn't too bad. Plus would reduce are costs drastically.

Thanks for the links CC. Just a quick look at mousesavers and there are some good deals there.

[creditcardfree]

I'm glad to hear you are driving! Otherwise I don't think you would make it on $2,000.

We stayed at a Moderate Resort, Port Orleans Riverside, when we went the first time.

[disneysteve]

Where to begin... I could talk for hours.

1. We drive every year. One driver (me) for 17 hours. No problem at all. I highly recommend it.

2. For 3 of us for a total of 9 nites including travel days, we spend under $2,500 and we could easily trim that closer to $2,000 if we really needed to. That includes 7 nites in Florida, 2 nites on the road, 4 or 5 days in the Disney parks and all food, shopping, park admission and other activities. You should have no problem at all doing 5 days for $2,000 even with one extra person.

3. Onsite or Offsite: This is probably the number one most frequent debate over at The DIS Discussion Forums - DISboards.com. There is no right answer (well I think there is but others apparently disagree ).

Onsite "pros" (I put that in quotes because I'm not sure all of these are truly pros)

• full use of Disney transportation
• early entry hours and extended stay hours
• free parking if you drive to the parks
• restaurants right at your hotel
• surrounded by Disney 24/7

Onsite cons

• high prices
• small rooms
• all 4 of you crammed into one of those rooms
• expensive restaurants
• hours wasted waiting for Disney transportation
• often a long walk to main building and transportation
• surrounded by Disney 24/7 (yes I know that's on both lists)

I could add lots to those lists but those are the biggies.

What are the alternatives? Endless options. The Disney area is somewhat unique when it comes to accommodations. Not only are there a zillion hotels ranging from Motel 6 to the Ritz Carlton, there are also thousands of rental condos, town houses and single homes available. You can easily find a 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with a full kitchen, living room, dining area, washer and dryer and other amenities for under $100/night. That would give you and your spouse a master bedroom and let the boys share the other bedroom. Much roomier. Makes for a much more peaceful trip. Probably 2 or even 3 TVs for down time. WiFi commonly. For a bit more, you could rent a 3-bedroom pool home with all of the above stuff plus a 3rd bedroom and private, screened-in, in-ground pool. That would run $100-$125/night. These kinds of places are available within a 5-10 minute drive from the Disney parks. Many of them are actually closer to the parks than some of the Disney onsite hotels. One place we've stayed a few times (2-bedroom condo) is a 4-5 minute drive from Animal Kingdom (I've timed it). We could be back in our room while onsite guests were still waiting for a bus to come.

Where to find these options? VRBO® is Vacation Rentals By Owner will be your best friend. If you are interested in exploring that, let me know and I'll make some more specific recommendations.

Offsite pros

• cheaper
• much more space for less money
• your own kitchen to prepare some meals or just keep snacks
• washer and dryer lets you pack less
• your own private pool (if you choose that option)
• close to dozens and dozens of less costly dining options

Offsite cons (yes, I acknowledge that there are some)

• no onsite dining generally (though maybe in walking distance)
• pay to park at Disney parks
• have to drive to get anywhere
• usually have to pay in full in advance of your visit

I'm going to stop there for the moment and wait for any more questions. If I think of anything important I forgot, I'll jump back in.

[creditcardfree]

The "pro" of Disney Resorts is the early and late park hours, but when we followed Tour Guide Mike's suggestions we avoided the the specific park on the days with extra magic hours. That's where the crowds are! So staying onsite to get those hours when it is better to avoid them isn't really a "pro" for Disney Resorts.

[disneysteve]

The "pro" of Disney Resorts is the early and late park hours, but when we followed Tour Guide Mike's suggestions we avoided the the specific park on the days with extra magic hours. That's where the crowds are! So staying onsite to get those hours when it is better to avoid them isn't really a "pro" for Disney Resorts.

I agree 100%. We do the same thing when we go. We purposely avoid the park with extended hours as that's where the crowd goes. I only listed it as a pro because some people seem to think it is one. Again, that's why I put "pros" in quotes. The only thing on my pro list that is actually a pro IMO is free parking but that isn't really free since the room costs so much more.

[kork13]

Your biggest 3 expenses once you get to DW will probably be lodging, tickets, and food (probably that order too... yikes, those tickets get expensive!)

- Lodging: I highly recommend VRBO, as mentioned by DS. I've used that site repeatedly and always been very happy. I'm with DS, off-site is the best way to go.
- Tickets: Look into the "Day of service for a day at Disney" promotion that's been going on for a while. It's pretty simple to earn, and can cut your cost by a couple hundred dollars.
- Food: Bring lunch with you to the parks. Also, find a grocery store and cook meals for yourself (this does assume you stay off-site in a place with a kitchen. again, highly recommended). If you want to eat out, prices go down with an almost direct correlation to how close you are to the parks.

[disneysteve]

Your biggest 3 expenses once you get to DW will probably be lodging, tickets, and food (probably that order too

Actually, I'd say the order is tickets, lodging, food and food and lodging might flip depending on how you eat.

A 4-day pass is about $59/person/day.
As I explained, very nice accommodations can be had for under $100/night, so $25/person/day for a family of 4.
My family averages about $20/person/day for food when we travel.

[terces]

I have teenage boys so our biggest expense is food! ..lol

Lots of great advice from everyone. Reading what everyone says regarding the onsite... makes me think offsite is the way to go. Leaning toward the condo rental like DS mentioned. We always feel squished in hotel rooms now.. would need at least a suite. Plus having a little alone time with hubby would be good. Last vacation was a cruise so didn't get any of that.

I also need to check some of the military MWR sites. We are retired navy so sometimes they have a little cheaper tix.

Guess I need to look into all the different parks there to see how to approach them all.

Once hubby gets final vacation approval we can start finalizing.

[disneysteve]

I also need to check some of the military MWR sites. We are retired navy so sometimes they have a little cheaper tix.

Disney has a military on-site hotel called Shades of Green.
Shades of Green® Resort on WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort

I don't know how the rates are (I'm not military) but I suspect they are better than what the general public gets. You'd be stuck in one room, though, unless you could get two adjoining rooms. Personally, I'd still go with the condo.

Another option I didn't mention is renting a timeshare unit. There are ways to rent them so that you aren't required to attend a timeshare presentation. We've done that several times and have gotten a 2-bed, 2-bath unit for as little as $37/nite just 5 minutes from Disney property.

[terces]

I was just searching the Shades of Green website. They actually show openings but have to call for prices. Agreed separate rooms still sounds better.

But did read that we could buy a military 4 day pass for $99. $25 additional for park hopper or water park.

[kork13]

But did read that we could buy a military 4 day pass for $99. $25 additional for park hopper or water park.

Yes, Disney is offering a great discount for military right now. If I remember correctly, your husband can get a free 4-day, and can buy up to 5 identical passes (restricted to family) for the $99 you mention. I was stationed in FL up until last November, and have many friends who have taken advantage of that offer. Definitely check out the MWR office at your closest base, they'll have all the details.

[creditcardfree]

We bought our military tickets, as kork13 mentioned above, at Shades of Green. DH was free, and the three of us, $99 each. We upgraded to the waterpark, but not park hopping. $75 for the whole family to go to the water park was awesome! We have never stayed SOG, because we seem to decide last minute to go and rooms are booked!

We loved our queen beds in our offsite room last time. Double beds for sleeping aren't all that comfortable after walking around all day!

Try looking at armed forces vacation club for good offsite military rates. Again, we didn't used them because we decided a bit late to go.