Disney World Questions...

[jaylensmom]

I know there are several of you who have been to WDW...I'm considering WDW in either 2012 or 2013...My son is begging to do another Disney cruise so we may do that next year and I may need 2 years to save for WDW...

So my questions...how long did you stay? Did you stay on site? If so, was it worth it? If not, how did you like the commute to/from the hotel to the park? Did you overbudget or underbudget? If you can give me a ball park as to how much you think the trip cost? I've heard that I should budget at least $5k (this is why I'm thinking it may take 2 years to save for it). I've been to the disboards but it confuses the heck out of me for WDW...I loved it for researching our Disney cruise. Any help will be appreciated

[BrattyMeg]

I know a lot of people tack on a day or two to the end or before their cruise.

I don't think you need 5k if it's just the 2 of you...I've seen pricing for a family of 4 with free dining in a value for like 1900. I personally would pay more to stay in a moderate or deluxe but you can still do that for well under 5k. It really depends on the timing. There's a free dining promo right now for late Aug-Sept dates and a room discount one thru October.

[nesser1981]

I've looked for us, like we'd check in on a Monday & check out on a Saturday, do the park tickets, just regular park tickets (4 days worth) and the dining plan, staying @ a budget resort and for 2 adults & 2 kids it was like $2000. If you stay on site, you can use all the shuttles, etc. If you fly into orlando, then you can use the disney transportation to get to the park too, so you wouldn't have to rent a car even. Get one of the disney planning dvd's and look @ the website and throw some numbers in there.

I just looked it up for 3 people
6 days worth of tickets (w/out hopper or water parks)
Dining Plan (1 quick service, one full service & 1 snack) per person (you can use those for character meals too)

For $1820 @ a value resort. Check in days were like Nov. 28-Dec 3rd. Just random days that were entered.

We're going to try and go in February if Keira is all clear.

[BrattyMeg]

sometimes too if you order a dvd and save a few different pkgs in your profile @ DW.com they will send out special "pins" which are discounts especially for you. Sometimes they are junk but sometimes they are pretty steep room discounts. (I've seen up to 40% off)

[nesser1981]

We also got a Disney Credit Card, you can earn rewards, and discounts on vacations. And you have like 6 months w/ no interest on all vacations, so if you were planning on paying cash anyhow, get the rewards to use on your vacation.

[jessica31876]

just to let you know alot of people prefer to stay on site at Disney but hotels in the international drive area offer shuttle service alot of times for free. Disney I think even picks up from some of the hotels. The reason I say International Drive is if you did not want to do just Disney while here I-Drive is a central location for Universal Studios, Sea World, Wet N Wild, Aquatica and Islands of Adventure as well as City Walk and Prime Outlets. Their rates are much lower I believe then Disney hotels as well.

[jessica31876]

Also just to let you know Disney tickets just increased Sunday across the board for all tickets from one day admission on up

[BrattyMeg]

when you stay off property though you lose the extra magic hours and dining plan which can save you money on food if you use it to your advantage. Plus they pick you up at the airport, get your luggage for you and everything...plus no need to have a car

I don't nec think outside the park is cheaper if you go during a good season/discount. Rightnow Values are like $69/night! Can't beat that

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by jessica31876

Also just to let you know Disney tickets just increased Sunday across the board for all tickets from one day admission on up

sign up for undercover tourist's newsletter..they have a special link you can buy tix with a discount (and they are legit) Don't be alarmed that the prices look higher but theirs include tax..the ones @ disney still need to add tax so you do still get a discount. The NL goes out on the 15th so if you sign up today you can see what I mean when u get it.

[jessica31876]

thanks. I will have to see how it compares with any discounts for florida residents when it is time to go.

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

sign up for undercover tourist's newsletter..they have a special link you can buy tix with a discount (and they are legit) Don't be alarmed that the prices look higher but theirs include tax..the ones @ disney still need to add tax so you do still get a discount. The NL goes out on the 15th so if you sign up today you can see what I mean when u get it.

[SirScrapalot]

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

when you stay off property though you lose the extra magic hours and dining plan which can save you money on food if you use it to your advantage. Plus they pick you up at the airport, get your luggage for you and everything...plus no need to have a car

I don't nec think outside the park is cheaper if you go during a good season/discount. Rightnow Values are like $69/night! Can't beat that

This is what I feel exactly. We actually are leaving in two weeks. We are booked for 7 nights in a Value resort, with the dining plan. Given that we are going at peek time (teachers really can't just go any "off" time), we are paying around $5k for four of us. That is including everything: flights, hotels, tickets, meals....

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by SirScrapalot

This is what I feel exactly. We actually are leaving in two weeks. We are booked for 7 nights in a Value resort, with the dining plan. Given that we are going at peek time (teachers really can't just go any "off" time), we are paying around $5k for four of us. That is including everything: flights, hotels, tickets, meals....

Hey Aaron..not sure if you got any sort of discount at all but the Swan and Dolphin offer teacher discounts if you are willing to stay at one of those. You can still get the dining plan and EMH. Not sure the real difference in them vs a regular resort hotel.

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by jessica31876

thanks. I will have to see how it compares with any discounts for florida residents when it is time to go.

I just checked and they have old pricing still Not sure if that'll increase this week with the new NL or not.

[lovely1m]

I have stayed both off property and on, when I go back, we will be staying on property. All the extra values are worth it.

[mariewilcox]

When DD and I go (it's just the 2 of us) we always stay on site because I just can't beat the convenience. I'm not comfortable renting a car and driving all over the place with just the 2 of us since I'm not familiar at all with the area. I love that we can have everything taken care of as far as luggage and transportation. Of course it depends if you want to do other things in the area like Sea World, Universal, etc. We do those things when we're in San Diego visiting my sister (I know SD really well and love to drive all over out there ), so Florida is just WDW for us. We love the extra magic hours at night and all the other little conveniences of staying on site.

We usually stay 8 nights and always leave on the earliest morning flight out so we get there in the later afternoon. We always take the latest flight home so we don't have to leave WDW first thing in the morning. We usually stay at Pop Century. I just don't see paying for a moderate or deluxe hotel when all we really do is sleep there. It's not like DD and I are going to be up late hitting the hotel bar for entertainment Pop Century has it's own bus; unlike the All-Star resorts that share a bus between the 3 (meaning longer ride times where you have to stop at each motel before you get to yours). We always get the park hopper because it gives so much freedom to where and when you want to do things. We always get the dining plan. I usually budget $3K for the 2 of us but that includes a night at the hotel before we leave (we have to travel a few hours to get to the airport and prefer to spend the night before and take a 6 a.m. flight out), flight, room, dining plan, tickets, park hopper, and cash for extras and souvenirs. We usually don't use the whole amount but I would prefer to have extra than run out!

[SirScrapalot]

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

Hey Aaron..not sure if you got any sort of discount at all but the Swan and Dolphin offer teacher discounts if you are willing to stay at one of those. You can still get the dining plan and EMH. Not sure the real difference in them vs a regular resort hotel.

We actually did look into those. The discount wasn't going to make that much difference, and with the girls so little, we just assume stay in Value since it doesn't really matter to them. Thanks though Meg....gee...maybe you should make me a Disney kit.

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by SirScrapalot

We actually did look into those. The discount wasn't going to make that much difference, and with the girls so little, we just assume stay in Value since it doesn't really matter to them. Thanks though Meg....gee...maybe you should make me a Disney kit.

hmm maybe it's almost done?

[maggie965]

We've stayed on and off and there are benefits to both. When we stay on, we park the car and leave it the whole time. I never used it once. Even to go to Universal/Sea World, the Mears shuttle will come pick you up. I love the convenience and being able to go back to the hotel and rest in the afternoon. When we stayed off, we rented a condo and it was REALLY nice. We enjoyed that as well and we were right around the corner from Downtown Disney. It was nice being able to get our own cheaper food and there was a market on site that wasn't priced too much. We had so much more space (there were 6 of us, two families) with two bedrooms and a living room. We ate breakfast in and had lunch at the parks. We would pick up dinner on the way back or order in (not from The on site Domino's though!!). It was really nice and if I was strapped for cash I would do it again.

As for my preference, definitely on site! Enjoy your trip!

[jaylensmom]

Thanks for the info. There will be more people traveling with us but I'm only paying for me and my little guy. I'll defiitely check out the dining packages and staying onsite. I'm glad to see more realistic prices from all of you. Someone told me they spent $10k and I almost choked.

[SirScrapalot]

A lot depends on when you go...we looked into go right after Christmas, and for the same vacation (room, travel, meals) it was almost $9k.

[kendallt]

Originally Posted by SirScrapalot

A lot depends on when you go...we looked into go right after Christmas, and for the same vacation (room, travel, meals) it was almost $9k.

Yes! Time of year has SO much to do with room rates and even dining costs. If your dates are flexible, you can actually find some pretty good deals, especially since Disney often releases discounts which can include anything from free dining to kids of a certain age stay free.

I've found late summer (mid to late August-ish) to be a good time to go as far as deals are concerned. I'm a Disney-authorized travel agent, so if anyone would like more info. about discounts, pricing, etc., feel free to shoot me a PM. (Hope it's okay for me to post this here! ).

[Nettio]

Originally Posted by SirScrapalot

A lot depends on when you go...we looked into go right after Christmas, and for the same vacation (room, travel, meals) it was almost $9k.

Totally agree with this.

Adam and I went a couple of years ago during spring break (so peak season) and it cost us a little under $3000 for the two of us. I thought that was pretty good considering we booked the trip 3 weeks before going.

We did save quite a bit thanks to the military discounts they were offering at the time - Adam's 5-day park hopper was free and my 5-day ticket was only $99. We also cashed in reward points to cover a big chunk of the cost of our flights. Our big splurge was staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge but even that we got at 40% off so the cost wasn't that much more than staying at one of the lower level resorts at full price. I'm sure we could have done it cheaper at a different time of the year but since the military chose the dates, we didn't get that option.

I will say that while I probably wouldn't pay full price to stay at AKL again, I personally wouldn't want to stay at a value resort either. Our bus from the airport to AKL stopped at one of the value resorts and OMG, that place was a madhouse. The lines for the busses to the parks were SO long and there were kids running around everywhere (which may not be an issue for you but being kid-free, it seemed completely crazy to us ). When my family and I went a year ago we stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside which is a moderate level resort and I thought that was really nice - a good balance between cost and overall experience. I'd stay there again.

[ariesfl326]

We were just there (may 27-june 3). Although I only live an hour away and did not need the expense of airlines I would say 5k is kinda high for 2 of you but not totally unrealistic depending on where you stay and the activities (dining, etc.) you want to do.

Disney just raised ticket prices and food has definitely gone up too! I had underbudgeted on food but had taken a credit card as backup. So glad I did!

We did a total of 4 special meals/character dining and those were pretty costly. There are plenty of different dining options and you can sign up for the Dining Plan ahead of time if you want. If you are doing any character dining experiences be sure to make reservations way ahead of your actual arrival.

We stayed on site at the All Star Movies and they were pretty reasonable. Since it is pretty hot here we spent a lot of time at the pool and they have activities and games every 30 minutes from 2pm to about 7pm (poolside). Each night they show a movie by the pool and you can actually go to the other All Star resorts if you choose to see the movie they are showing; you get a list when you check in. As for the buses from hotel to park and back, they can be hit or miss...sometimes they annoy me and sometimes they are invaluable. The thing that annoys me the most is that I don't think they run often enough and you can be left standing up for the ride squished together like sardines! LOL

Hopefully I helped to answer some of your questions. Let me know if you need more info. I am looking at doing the Disney Cruise next March so I might call on you for some info on that!

[jessica31876]

Living here in Orlando I could defenitely see that as a posibility. Every ride just about exits into a gift shop from I remember. They have pictures on almost every ride of you during your ride. Then all the pictures they take in the park...couple that with the cost of food. Have not been to Disney in awhile but last time my husband and I went to Downtown Disney we ate at the Mcdonalds there and it was almost twice as much as a regular Mcdonalds outside of the Disney property. And that was just a Mcdonalds! So all of the added stuff you CAN do and all the tempting stuff to buy while there the prices can add up signifigantly. Then like others have said depending on the place you stay the hotel can vary a huge amount. If you can avoid alot of those traps where you tend to drop money on souvineers and budget on food and hotel you could defenitely go for much much less. Of course I dont know a thing about flight costs or where you are coming from but Ive looked at the other stuff and been there enough to see where alot of money is spent LOL

Originally Posted by jaylensmom

Thanks for the info. There will be more people traveling with us but I'm only paying for me and my little guy. I'll defiitely check out the dining packages and staying onsite. I'm glad to see more realistic prices from all of you. Someone told me they spent $10k and I almost choked.

[jorgies5]

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but what is the difference between Disneyland and Disney World. We are much closer to Disneyland and have been a few times...I am just wondering if it is worth spending the extra money to fly to Florida to go to Disney World.

[kscwgirl]

Disney World is much bigger than Disneyland. Much. I've never been to Disneyland, just know from what I read on the disboards.

[mariewilcox]

Disney World is made up of the 4 major parks along with the 2 water parks. I haven't been to Disneyland since DS was quite young, probably about 18 years, but I remember it being more like just what the Magic Kingdom is in WDW. DD and I both love Epcot at WDW and we enjoy the other parks as well.

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by jorgies5

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but what is the difference between Disneyland and Disney World. We are much closer to Disneyland and have been a few times...I am just wondering if it is worth spending the extra money to fly to Florida to go to Disney World.

I think it's worth it! Here's a website that compares the two
http://www.disneygeek.com/dland_vs_wdw/

[sprauncey1]

We just got back from Disney (two weeks ago) and I just added up the final costs. $3500 for our 4 day/ 5 night fun extravaganza.

We did rent a car ($130) and airfare was about $1000 for the four of us. We stayed at the military resort there at Disney and used the military park hopper passes. We had to spend some extra money since we also visited Coco Beach (beach towels, pails, gas) but it was worth it. If I did anything differently, I don't know if I'd do the character breakfast again (my boys weren't so wowed by it to justify the cost) and I would stay an extra day just to have a non-park day to relax at the hotel.

[scrap2day]

I highly recommend signing up for the Mousesavers newsletter.

We stayed off property and were very happy with our deal. My sister and her family stayed on property and I think they were happy with that.

If you are looking for ways to save money for your trip I also recommend Couponing to Disney. She happens to save money for their family trip to Disney but you can decide to save your money for whatever goal you choose. Obviously, you have to choose which tips & offers work best for your family but the point is she tries to encourage you to find the pennies, dimes and more in your life to grow your account.

[Julie Billingsley]

Originally Posted by jorgies5

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but what is the difference between Disneyland and Disney World. We are much closer to Disneyland and have been a few times...I am just wondering if it is worth spending the extra money to fly to Florida to go to Disney World.

I have been to both. Until I was 12 I lived in San Diego, so we were at Disneyland several times a year. I've also been there as an adult. I now live in Oregon, so even though it's a trip across the whole United States, I'd much rather go to Disney World.

Let's say you have a 5-6 day vacation (not including travel time)... in 2-3 days you would be done with Disneyland/California Adventure. So then you would need to venture out to other theme parks/zoos in the area to fill up the rest of the vacation time. And that adds costs like rental car and admission to those other parks.

At Disney World, you could easily spend those 5-6 days just there at Disney World and still not do everything! There is just so much more. Like others said, there are 4 parks within WDW: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Plus 2 water parks and a shopping/dining area called Downtown Disney. The Magic Kingdom part is pretty much like Disneyland, except more spread out, so you'd already be familiar with that park. A lot of people that travel to WDW don't even leave the property. It certainly can be an all-in-one vacation.

We went to WDW a few years ago, during the tough economic times. When I was figuring out if we should go to Disneyland or to WDW, I ended up finding out it was cheaper to go to WDW. WDW is more dependent on out-of-state tourists and thus will drop prices on hotels or add free dining to entice people to go. Disneyland's average visitor lives in California and is just there for a day trip, so price drops aren't as big. It would have cost us more to go to Disneyland (plus adding in 2 days at another theme park to round out our vacation) than to travel across the country to WDW, and that is including the airfare difference too. You have to really watch for the deals to make it cost effective though- mousesavers.com (sign up for their newsletter) and disboards.com budget section and deals section can help with that.

[jorgies5]

Thanks for the info everyone...it is very helpful. DH has an 8-week paid sabbatical next year and I was thinking WDW would be a great place to go. I don't think we have even done Disneyland the "right" way either. Every time we have gone, we have only spent one day at Disneyland. We have never done California Adventure and we never get everything in in that one day. So I am looking forward to the time when we can do either one over a week instead of a day. I will definitely check out all these message boards and websites.

[mariewilcox]

Jenny - if you have a week (or more), then I would definitel do WDW. Like someone else said, you would never have to leave WDW unless you wanted to do something else in the area. Depending on the time of year Epcot has different things going on, as does Hollywood Studios. You can hit the beach at the Caribbean Beach or the Polynesian. You can go to a campfire jamboree over at Fort Wilderness. There is so much to do and see and you can really take the time to plan and do what you want.

Here is another resource that I love: allears.net