[EKUAlum05]

I know some of you may be in vacation planning mode this time of the year. If you were thinking about Disney, or have always wanted to go, then ask your questions here.

Have been fortunate to go several times over the years and my sister is an employee so I have a pretty good inside source for things. I have stayed at a handful of different resorts and ate at several different restaurants on the property.

If you are just passing through Orlando I can also tell you how to have a full Disney experience without having to pay hardly anything if you need it.

[LWC]

Where should I stay?

[RunItUpTheGut]

Ive always hear it was really expensive
Ive always wanted to go but never have due to cost.
In all honesty what would it cost to get a reasonable hotel and everything we need for a family of four to attend?
Is it honestly worth the trip?
Is a trip to say Italy or other European countries (something ive always wanted to do) cheaper to do than going to disney world?

[vundy33]

I've been quite a bit too.

But RIUTG, do you have a passport? If not, get one. It takes a while. I love Europe, alot better than Disney world. It's a hell of a trip, even for the kids.

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
Ive actually never been out of the country as wierd as that sounds.
Which with whats going on in the world today, its hard to make a trip out of the country.
I have no Visa but i do know the how long it takes from co workers who have been.

I'd love to take a cruise that this liner company has thats like two weeks long and takes you threw italy, spain, and a host of other countries for a couple of days at a time just so you can get a glance at each of them.
I dont know if i want to do that or if i want to have a great trip to one country and get the real feel for it.
If i had a choice i guess it would be Italy, and my wife also wants to go badly, we just wasnt sure about taking the kids.
I would really love to do this but if we go overseas we'd be about 2 years in planning that with the visas and getting the finances figured out.
I had a coworker that said it was actually cheaper for him to take a trip to the bahamas than Disney land.

[vundy33]

You could start out to a trip to a U.S. territory if you want to get the hang of international travel...it's not easy at all, especially with kids.

But yeah man..I love Europe so much better than anyone I've ever been. So MUCH history. Get your passport at the post-office!

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
Im a major history buff as well.
Its one of the reason i want to see Europe so bad.
Definitely my favorite subject threw school.
I wish they had a 2 week tour of historic ww2 sites.

[vundy33]

^
Im a major history buff as well.
Its one of the reason i want to see Europe so bad.
Definitely my favorite subject threw school.
I wish they had a 2 week tour of historic ww2 sites.

Yep, I know. Me too, huge, especially military history.

And hell man, they have those types of tours all over Europe...Germany, France, Italy, Poland. I was going to check some out in Germany but the one I wanted to go to was in German, so I went to the Red-light district instead, lol. Great for a single guy.

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
No doubt.
Definitely the most exciting thing to learn in high school.

[EKUAlum05]

Where should I stay?

Depends on the answers to these questions:

1. Who is going? Is it just you and the significant other? Are you taking kids?

2. Do you have a very tight budget to work with?

3. How will you be getting there. Are you driving or flying?

4. How long are you staying?

[LWC]

If we went it would be around 4-5 people, two rooms.

Tight budget but willing to be a little flexible (Would not have to eat at McDonalds every day, but couldn't afford high-end places all the time either.)

Driving

7 days total, including the drive.

[EKUAlum05]

Ive always hear it was really expensive
Ive always wanted to go but never have due to cost.
In all honesty what would it cost to get a reasonable hotel and everything we need for a family of four to attend?
Is it honestly worth the trip?
Is a trip to say Italy or other European countries (something ive always wanted to do) cheaper to do than going to disney world?

Disney can be very expensive, but they also offer several budget friendly ways to go about it. It truly is one of the most unique experiences a kid can have, and as a result there is a cost associated with that. As a parent it provides an opportunity to give your kids the gift of something they will always remember. As an adult, Disney can offer a unique experience...but in this case it appears it will be more about your family.

If budget is your main concern then there are two paths you can take:

1. Stay offsite in Kissimmee.

Pros:
-There are NUMEROUS motels within 5-10 minutes of the gates that are extremely competitively priced. These were all essentially built for the purpose of saving money and are constantly running deals and specials to fill their rooms. Most will run a shuttle a few times over the course of the day at very specific hours.


- Eating offsite will certainly save you money and for as many motels there are plenty of chain restaurants and fast food places to go with it that will maximize your budget. You can also find grocery stores so you can bring supplies to your room for snacks, cold drinks, and sandwiches if you have a mini-fridge (a definite must).

- A lot of people will spend a week "at Disney" but only get a 4 Day Pass. Children are simple creatures...if they have a pool they are generally content. If you find a hotel with a nice pool you can essentially squeeze out a full day there. There are several touristy attractions you can make a day out of. Give them a day to do all their souvenir shopping off-site (save money) and then cap the day off with putt putt. I will also share with everyone my plan to have a Disney experience without having to pay anything for it in the post after this...you can essentially squeeze out a full day doing that. IMO, 4 days is the perfect amount of time in the parks to accomplish what you need.

- Staying offsite also helps eliminate some of the extra surprise charges that seem to pop up onsite. The extra souvenirs, the extra ice creams, the extra video games, etc.



Cons:

- Hassle. First and foremost there is time associated with going back and forth. If the hotel offers a shuttle, odds are that it will only have a very select time schedule it will run and if the kids are not cooperating then you may have way too much time in the heat and that is not fun.

Additionally, if you choose to drive yourself then you will have parking fees and time spent in the parking lot. Don't underestimate this as 5 different trips could cost you 50.00 extra and potentially an extra hour to hour and a half wasted just walking to the gates.

- Guessing Game. With old, cheap motels comes the issue that they have been well used for years and some may not be up to par from a cleanliness perspective. Bed bugs is a HUGE deal in Florida so you always hope the place you choose is up to standards. Do your research.








2. Stay On-Site at a Value Resort
Disney has a handful of Value Resorts designed to provide a Disney feel, an Disney amenities, without breaking the bank. The cheapest is the All-Star Resorts (Music, Sports, and Movies). Over Thanksgiving we spent our first two nights at the All-Star Music and it was more than adequate. They are opening a new resort this year that is supposed to be a family style room called "Art of Animation".

Pros:

- Disney feel. First and foremost these all provide more of the Disney experience from the Disney themed pools, the mouse ear towels arranged on the bed, the Disney themed architecture and landscaping, etc.... staying at any Disney resort makes you feel as if you are in the park. The rooms will be very clean so there is no guessing game involved.

- Convenience- Staying at a Disney resort gives you access to the Disney Transportation System which can be a huge help. Each hotel essentially has constant buses arriving to take you to each of the Disney Parks and they run all day and even for a good period after the parks close. If you need to go back to the room it makes life much easier.

- Extra Magic Hours- Disney guests are entitled to "Extra Magic Hours" at selected parks. In Summer this could mean anywhere from 1 to 3 hours beyond when the park closes to non-Disney guests. Extra Magic Hours also work in the morning at other parks...which is especially useful at Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom which can get every hot during the day.

- Dining- Every Disney resort has a quick service food court on the premises with a variety of options to choose from. Now you don't have to leave, find a place, wait in line, then come back.

I will go into more detail in a separate post about my favorite thing at Disney, the Dining Plan. What you need to know is it is only available to guests staying at Disney resorts and is universally accepted throughout the park. There are certain times of the year where Disney offers free dining plans which is MONEY.

- Free Parking- Even if you do not use the transportation system you park for free at all the parks.

Cons:

- Cost. Though the All-Star resorts are far from "expensive" there is certainly a premium associated with it. You can get an equal quality room off site for less most certainly, but it then becomes a question of the value of the amenities provided.

- Additional cost of being "all inclusive". Much like a cruise, when you stay on property there are always little extra purchases that accumulate to make a big difference. Maybe it is the kids seeing something in the gift shop they have to have...maybe it is the extra midnight snack from the foodcourt since it is in walking distance...maybe it s the charicature artist in the lobby. Suddenly you look up and you spent an additional 120.00 you may not have elsewhere.


In Summary:

It's about what you view as how the experience goes. The people who complain about Disney being "so expensive" typically are people who don't plan ahead and then have sticker shock. These are people who buy their bottled water at the park instead of bringing it from home and putting it in the mini-fridge. The people who don't realize you pay every time you park. The people who think a cheeseburger and fries will be the same price as McDonalds. The other type of person is the one who overspends and buys a 7 day ticket up front and realizes they didn't need the last 2 or 3 days. Then they look back at the extra 1200.00 or so dollars that they felt was wasted.

The city of Kissimmeee is essentially built on being the value alternative for food, groceries, and lodging. If one can utilize this for their needs and not rely simply on paying "Disney Prices" then you will see your dollar stretch farther.

The question then falls on lodging and that truly is up to how you view the trip and how much value you put in the amenities. Additionally, its about your schedule. If you are flexible with your vacation and feel you can take your kids out of school for a week and they can get caught up, there is significant value in going in the off season for less days and potentially getting either reduced rates or free dining.

The 45 minute wait in June may be a 15 minute wait in October in much more comfortable temperatures. You then do 3X the rides in a day and suddenly that 7 day vacation only needs to be 4 Days, or that 5 Day Ticket only needs to be a 3 Day Ticket.

[EKUAlum05]

If we went it would be around 4-5 people, two rooms.

Tight budget but willing to be a little flexible (Would not have to eat at McDonalds every day, but couldn't afford high-end places all the time either.)

Driving

7 days total, including the drive.

See above post then. All adults or 2 adults and 2 kids?

[LWC]

^All adults

[EKUAlum05]

Disney Day for Next to Nothing

So two years ago we decided to break up our drive to Jupiter by staying in Orlando. We didn't have a plan, just knew we had a full day in Orlando since we had to check in to our rental home on a Sunday. We had not budgeted to have an elaborate day, but decided since we would be there might as well try to have a Disney Day for as cheap as possible. What me and the GF did is great for young adults, or if you want to avoid paying for an extra day at the park.


We stayed off site at what I consider the best roach motel ever. The Knight's Inn-Maingate was like 30.00 a night (literally) and it certainly looks the part of a 30.00 motel. Old, a bit run down, sketchy people staying there, etc.... maybe not family friendly at all. But it was literally 5 minutes from the main gates, offered a shuttle, a mini fridge, and the staff were actually very nice and tried to accommodate us like we were paying 200.00 a night.

We arrived and had a lunch of turkey sandwiches from Publix and waters we brought from home. We drove to Downtown Disney first and walked around. It is set on a lake and is a huge shopping/restaurant area. We spent time playing at the Leggo Store, bought candy apples made right in front of our eyes, looked at the fish in all the aquariums at Rain Forest Cafe, looked at the artwork at the high end art shops, and then hopped on the bus to Disney's Boardwalk.

The Boardwalk is a row of shops, restaurants, games, street performers along a lake where the Yacht and Beach Club, Dolphin, Swan, and Boardwalk Inn are. It is located directly next to Epcot. We watched all the street performers entertain, took a souvenir photo in the photo both, played a couple games, and walked around the Lake. We dipped our feet in the Yacht Club's awesome pool and boarded the Ferry and road it on it's route to the gates of Hollywood Studios, to the Gates of Epcot, and back. We then sat on benches at the Ligthouse that juts out in the lake where the Ferry Boards and watched the entire firework show from Epcot. We then took the ferry back across the Lake to the Boardwalk before taking the bus back to our car.

All told:

Hotel 30.00
Turkey Sandwich Groceries: 12.00
Candy Apples: 12.00
Souvenir Photo: 5.00
Games at Boardwalk: 8.00


Entire Disney Afternoon: 65.00

[EKUAlum05]

^All adults

First of all I would STRONGLY advise on going in the off-season, specifically when the Dining Plan is available (My next post is on the Dining Plan) and staying at a Value Resort. No kids means no school to worry about and now it doesn't have to be prime summer pool conditions. You would enjoy it more in a more temperate 70 degree days of late fall. You may want to go in early November (not Thanksgiving but just before...it is somewhat crowded at Thanksgiving) when the Christmas decorations are up everywhere. This adds a whole new feel to the experience I strongly reccomend.

With adults some things are paramount. You won't need to ride all the rides, but you will want to do the signature rides, and long lines will be very annoying. Food is increasingly more important to your experience. The experience is more about sharing the experience with your significant other then it is to go all out riding everything and playing in a pool.

Going in the off season will allow you to wait in much shorter lines and ride the signature rides much faster and breeze through the parks. With kids you have to expect to spend time on Dumbo, anything toy story related, and essentially everything in Fantasyworld. That is a LOT of time. I think it is possible to knock out everything necessary for adults in 3 days.

You will find Epcot will be more appealing as you will want to do the World Showcase, especially if you want to partake in an icy cold adult beverage or two. Since you can stay out later then the extra Magic Hours and hassle free transportation will be clutch.

If you choose not to do the meal plan, or stay on site. Take coolers with you to keep in your rooms with fruit, cold cuts, cheese, and drinks. Take individual bags of chips and some pop tarts for breakfast. Eat a hearty feast for breakfast so you only have a light lunch in the parks then go off site for dinner that night.

As couples, I fully endorse my cheap Disney Day above as a way to save money and have fun. I also strongly urge that you take int he Fireworks Shows together, but not necessarily the parades (take advantage of this time for shortened line lengths).

[EKUAlum05]

DINING PLAN

I love food, more importantly the "experience" of food. Disney is all about the experience and they have one of the finest collections of fine dining anywhere.

Most resorts have a signature restaurant associated with it. Downtown Disney (no admission needed), The Boardwalk (no admission needed), and Epcot are all littered with awesome restaurants with a variety of styles and ambient settings. In the other parks there are a handful of character meals and sit down restaurants all designed to be unique. The problem is, you most definitely will pay for these experiences if you dine there ala carte.

The Meal Plan is available ONLY to Disney Resort Guests and there are different variations to the plans which you can choose... I will stock with the general plan as the frame of reference since it is most common and what you could potentially get for free.

Disney's restaurants/food options are arranged in categories:

Snacks- Single serve items such as non-alcoholic beverages, ice creams, popcorns, fruit cups, pastries, etc

Quick Service- Think Fast Food. Burgers, breakfasts, individual pizza's, sandwiches, etc. On the meal plan a Snak consists of an entree (ex: BBQ Sandwich and Fries), a drink, and a dessert (exingle serve cheesecake). Can either be a venue at a park, a foodcourt at a hotel, or a snack stand at like a water park.

Table Service: Think Sit Down Restaurant with a server. These can range from a casual Mexican Restaurant, a family style table, a buffet, a character meal, or a traditional meal at hotel's main restaurant.

Dinner Show- Think Dixie Stampede or a Luau (sp?). They serve you and they entertain you at the same time.

Signature Restaurants- These are the elite restaurants. Think 5*, famous chefs, and true cuisine. Some places require you to meet a specific dress code or offer a unique experience like a private balcony to watch fireworks from.

With the standard dining plan each person in the party gets (1) Snack, (1) Quick Service, and (1) Table Service per day. These are cumulative of your entire stay. So if you are staying 4 days and have 4 in your group...you will have a pool of (16) Snacks, (1) Quick Service, and (16 Table Service) for your time there. In other words if you used (2) Quick Serves the first day, but not any of your table service...then you still have (16) Table Service for the entire stay, but only (8) Quick Service moving forward. Your room key acts as your credit card and form of payment (unless you leave a tip which is not included).

The Signature Restaurants and Dinner Shows require (2) Table Service credits per person. IMHO, unless you just accidentally have a surplus I don't think you necessarily should do either. There are plenty of unbelievable restaurants as standard Table Service and you can see shows all day at the parks.

When we went for Thanksgiving we did the meal plan and it essentially paid for itself by Day 2. We would use our snack for breakfast coupled with our own stuff we brought in the room(I would get a delicious cheese danish for example), we would use the Quick Service in the parks (EX: Taco salad in Adventureland) or at the foodcourt of the hotel between going to different parks (ex: Meatball Sub, fries, chocolate cake and drink) then we made reservations for our Table Service for Dinner.

For example here is what we used it for this last time:
Night 1: The Garden Grill at Epcot's "The Land". Revolving restaurant that has constantly changing scenery and a character meal where you can take pictures and interact with several characters. Family style serving where they keep bringing food until you tell them to stop. fetauring fresh bread, tossed salad bowl, drinks, beef tenderloion, turkey and gravy, Mahi Mahi, rice pilaf, horseradish mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables, and a cobbler for dessert.

Night 2: Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot's "The Seas". Ala Carte ordering from the menu. It is set with the massive aquarium used for the pavilion with all the sharks, sea turtles, and fish swimming by beside you.Serve bread and drinks, I chose a NY Strip with mashed potatoes as my entree, then I choose a chocolate souffle for desert.

Night 3: Ohana at the Polynesian Resort. Amazing experience. Hawaiian setting with live entertainment and music. Family style with pineapple bread, drinks, pot stickers, noodles, wings, and salad as appetizers. Then they constantly come around with skewers of steak, chicken, shrimp, and pork grilled over a woodfire and literally feed you until you are stuffed. They had a bread pudding for dessert which I could not eat. When the fireworks in the Magic Kingdom started they played the soundtrack over the speaker system and you could see them from your seat.

If you do the Dining Plan then reservations are a MUST as soon as you book your trip. The peak seasons fill up a year in advance at some places.

If you can get a free Dining Plan then you are looking at potentially saving 80.00-120.00 per person per day over hat you would have had to spend. Of course, this is all relative as if you so choose to you coudl eat for much less off site, but you probably wouldn't have the same experience.

[RunItUpTheGut]

This is some great info EKU.
I always figured that we wouldnt actually stay in disney land and would rather stay somewhere else, just not sure where.
According to this, Kissimmee would be a great idea.
Also on your 4day idea, im sure itd be nice to take a break in the middle and just lay around since thats what my personaly vacation goals are anywyas lol.

[EKUAlum05]

This is some great info EKU.
I always figured that we wouldnt actually stay in disney land and would rather stay somewhere else, just not sure where.
According to this, Kissimmee would be a great idea.
Also on your 4day idea, im sure itd be nice to take a break in the middle and just lay around since thats what my personaly vacation goals are anywyas lol.

Just did a quick Hotels.com search for "Walt Disney World" for October 2012 and had numerous hits within 5 miles for 3* and 4* hotels that seem very nice in the 80.00-120.00 range. The Disney All-Star results are on there for 95.00 a night for standard rooms as well. Disney's Port Orleans Riverside (where we spent the 2nd Half of Thanksgiving VERY NICE) is on there for 169.00 for a standard room.. this is a Moderate Resort with a ton of cool ammenities (fishing pond, monstrous pool with waterslide and play area), bike rental, ferry service, etc

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
You've got me wanting to go to disney world like right now lol.

[Ring'Em Up]

The Contemporary is top notch. Anything and everything available. Love it.

[EKUAlum05]

^^^ It is, and essentially inside the Magic Kingdom.

My favorite resort I ever got to stay at when I was a kid was the Yacht Club. Here's why:

[EKUAlum05]

RIUTG and LWC

http://www.undercovertourist.com


If you go check this website out and potentially save money. They are very reputable.



And here's you an off property hotel to stay at that the kids will love and give you a full day of staying at the pool
http://www.clarionhotel.com/hotel-kissim...47xxe10493

[TheRealVille]

^
Ive actually never been out of the country as wierd as that sounds.
Which with whats going on in the world today, its hard to make a trip out of the country.
I have no Visa but i do know the how long it takes from co workers who have been.

I'd love to take a cruise that this liner company has thats like two weeks long and takes you threw italy, spain, and a host of other countries for a couple of days at a time just so you can get a glance at each of them.
I dont know if i want to do that or if i want to have a great trip to one country and get the real feel for it.
If i had a choice i guess it would be Italy, and my wife also wants to go badly, we just wasnt sure about taking the kids.
I would really love to do this but if we go overseas we'd be about 2 years in planning that with the visas and getting the finances figured out.
I had a coworker that said it was actually cheaper for him to take a trip to the bahamas than Disney land.

If you have plans on going out of country, even in a couple of years, go ahead and get a passport, they are good for 10 years. For cruises, you don't need a passport, unless you plan on venturing out of the port area of a country.