tips on doing disney cheap!!!!!!

i searched for any previous threads on this but couldnt find one.

i need tips on doing a disney trip on a major shoestring budget.
we will probably drive.
we will be there for a short time. two or 3 days.
first trip.
one child who is 9 yrs old.
we will probably go in mid January. short notice!

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated~DB's wife

 

Go to www.disboards.com. They have tons of helpful tips and suggestions about anything disney - some of the people on there go to Disney every year. Anyway, it saved us quite a bit of money when we went several years ago.

Hope ya'll have a great trip!

 

Well, if you're willing to sit through a few time share presentations, you can get your hotel for free and discounted tickets to the parks, plus a free breakfast everyday. We did this a few times when our oldest was a baby and saved an insane amount of money.

Other than that, definitely bring your own food and drinks into the parks with you. Food is very expensive. We always bring a cheap umbrella stroller to hold the cooler and jackets and stuff. We usually save by not doing the park-hoppers, and just stick with one park for the whole day. We also save on souvenirs by bringing our own from the Disney store at the mall before leaving. You should probably at least pick up an autograph book.

That's all I can think of, but you can find tons of tips online.

 

If you haven't got the patience for timeshare salesmen, then stay offsite . We went in Nov and stayed at a _very_ nice condo in Windosr Hills -- less than 5 minutes from the parks for well less than $100 per night. We made breakfast and most dinners at the condo, and ate one meal (lunch) in the parks. Saved us a ton of money.

Check disboards.com for reviews of individual condos. You need to be sure to rent from a reputable owner.

 

Agreed. Read as much as you can on the Budget Board at DisBoards.

If they are offering a good deal with the dining program, take it. I don't care what anyone else tells you, it will pay for itself over and over again, especially if you are on a budget.

Stay on site. You get free transportation and extra magic hours.

And honestly, if you'll go on the budget board and post how long you want to stay, and what your budget is, there are several nice people who will help you figure out how to make the best of it. Just ask nicely.

 

Went (drove, 8 hrs with two stops) in Sept (the week after labor day) and it was crazy cheap and most importantly empty. Two factors were in play....one is the economy and two it was the week after all the kiddies went back to school.

This is peak season down there so if you can wait it might be worth it.


The meal plans are definitely worth it. We were getting $100 + dinners (three of us) for free since we bought the plan. It included three meals and two snacks (drink and popcorn/candy bar etc) a day. We stayed on the resort in order to take advantage of the transportation provided for free.


It was crazy cheap. Two of us went down there in '02 and spent double what three of us spent this past year.

 

http://www.mousesavers.com/wdwtixadvice.html

http://travelwithkids.about.com/cs/disneyworld/a/wdwtoptips.htm

http://www.passporter.com/articles/best-disney-world-trip-advice.asp

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-world-vacation.htm

a few web sites for ideas for planning to make the most of yuor time, and savings.

stay on site at the economy resorts. they were around $85/night a year ago. we stayed off site 4 years ago to save $30/night. won't do it again.

 

We stayed off site when we went. Found a hotel that has a free shuttle service to Disney which was nice. It also had a huge continental breakfast that we took bagels with us to the park for lunch, lol.

If you do get sucked into doing a time share (believe me, they have some pretty tempting offers), just keep in mind that their "45 minute presentation" is actually around 3-4 hours. They will keep pestering you until you say the word "No". (unless you really want one)
You dont have to stay through the entire one to get to "prize".

Also, you could call around to some of the travel agents in the FL area, sometimes they have corporate packages that they have not sold out of, so you can get a hotel with tickets for a pretty good deal.

 

With the economy killing off the tourism industry, you might consider going through a travel agent. You might spend a little more than doing it yourself on the cheap but you will likely get a ton more for a little more money.

 

thanks so much! this is great!
there r so many websites and its nice to have someone point u to ones that are good.

i really only seeing us do 2 days with one park each day. maybe 3 days but more likely 2. any suggestions on the best way to do tickets? hotel and tickets together or separately, etc.

thanks, db's wife

 

there are 4 parks, which 2 are you going to do? Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney Studio. I would do the 2 day magic your way, including. Hotel on the grounds (economy one). With a kid, i would do Magic Kingdom and Animal kingdom.

 

AAA had a commerical on TV this morning about discounts.

 

im torn really. i feel like since this is his first trip we should do magic kingdom but he isnt in to disney characters at all and is going 9 in january. i went to magic kingdom, epcot and seems like universal as a trip in my twenties. i enjoyed magic kingdom. what do y'all think? do i really need to do magic kingdom? i cant decide between doing magic kingdom one day and disney studio the next day or maybe epcot one day and disney studio the next day. i know animal kingdom would be great but am thinking of doing that on a future (distant future!) trip.

 

Nothing like getting traped on the "It's a small small world ride" for over a hour (unfortunately they did not kill the soundtrack) to be a memory to fall back on for the rest of your life.

I brought it up earlier this year and found another couple that had the same experience.

 

best advice is to go park by park and see what each has to offer; rides, food etc.. see what times they open and close the days you are going to be there. What time parades, shows etc.. then make a list of what your son will and will not like and go witht he 2 you think he would have the most fun at.. For us DS did not like Hollywood studios, mainly because he's was not into movies and such at the time and Epcot was a little out of his league to enjoy a lot of what it offered (he was 5 at the time) He loved Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom... If you can get the hoppers or add them that day then you might could get 3 parks in if you plan your days right and dont mind hustling around!

I also agree with the dining plan but be aware since you are going in Jan, a lot of places may be booked for the times you want to go eat so you will want to work the parks around that schedule as well!! Try to eat on the park site so you don't have to go to another location and then back to the park!

Good Luck and have fun!

 

Also if you stay onsite and the free transportation is too much, you can also park for free at the parks.. We ended up doing this after the 2nd day of one very tired little boy that did not want to stand on the bus till we got back to the hotel.. The value hotels are pretty cheap and you can request rooms (you dont always get them but its worth a shot)

 

go the the disney world web site. you can go to each park and put in the kids age and it will tell you what things they would like. our 9 year old loved magic kingdom still. (he was 8 last year when we went)

 

www.couponingtodisney.com is a GREAT site for both now and for afterwards when you're just looking for day-to-day deals. be sure to read her tabs "about me" for some background and then "disneyworld training". she posts all day and night, so keep a frequent check. she's about to go in a couple days, so she will be posting from disney...could be some good tips! have fun!!!

 

I am one of those disboards.com people who used to go to Disney 2-4 times per year.

Since you are driving, I would suggest staying at Bonnet Creek. It's not owned by Disney, but is within Disney property. You should be able to get a one bedroom condo for $100 per night with full size kitchen. Lots of info here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2114303

Another option is to rent points from a DVC member. (sorry, I'm all out of points) You can get a studio at one of Disney's DVC resorts for as little as $80 per night.

 

I finaly found an old e mail. here are a few more helpful sites

www.allears.net
www.dwinsider.com
www.dw-secrets.com
www.affordabledisney.com (travel club, i never signed up, used this just for info)