Has anyone bought the tips for a cheap disney vacation? Are they worth it? Do they work?

Question

My kids have been begging for a couple years to go to Disney World. Most of the other kids in the school have gone and I want they to be able to go, but can't afford to spend several thousand dollars. Any hints, advise, or experience would be appreciated.

Answer 1

If you are wanting to stay in a budget, but really want to reduce the amount of time you have to put into the research, I would look into a Disney specialized agent. They can work a budget like magic so you can get so much more with their knowledge, and it takes so much less time.

I'm not sure of what your budget is. If you really want to have a fantastic time, I would try to stay onsite. The value resorts at Disney are really cute (Pop Century, All Star Movies, All Star Music and All Star Sports) they aren't fancy, but they are a lot of fun, and most kids like them better than the moderate or deluxe resorts which cost alot more.

There are a lot of books that offer info on saving money, but most of the info can be found online, so I would save the money and look around online, or use an agent. I think an agent is the best way to get the most for your money. I would also check the library, I've not read the book, but most of the time I don't find the info that useful and it can be inaccurate as well, some of the more popular books I've even read inaccurate info.

I would say that $2000 would give you a nice stay onsite. The meal plan is a great deal and will save you a lot of money, depending on your kids ages, kids under 10 eat for only $10.99 and under 2 are free. You really can't find less expensive food for the kids, that is a big savings. You can eat for less, you just can't expect to eat at the nicer places you are able to eat at on the meal plan. Bringing some snacks and things will help you save some money and maybe you won't need to eat as many meals in the park. If you go offsite that will also save you money. Have a large breakfast someplace like Denny's and then go to the park, have a snack and then have dinner in the early evening. The meal plan can save you 40% off your food if you want to eat at the nicer places, so if you plan to eat onsite, that is really the way to go and one of the biggest benefits to staying onsite. Counterservice meals only cost about $10 per person, but most only offer hamburgers and fries. There are some that offer other foods for around the same price, but not as many.

Staying onsite also gives you a ton of benefits that you can't get offsite. Here are a few of the reasons I would stay onsite:

1). Better transportation- Especially if you are travelling with younger kids or older adults that need to rest in the middle of the day. Many offsite hotels, if they offer a shuttle (if they don't that is an additional cost you will have to pay) only run in the morning and in evening. You usually need to schedule the shuttle, etc. It can also be a long ride and take away a good portion of your time at the park. Onsite transportation is fast and easy, and it runs all day. Depending on where you would stay you have different transportation options, all resorts offer buses, some of them offer boat transportation and three offer a monorail for transportation.

2). You can take advantage of the Disney dining plan. This plan can save you 40% off of your food and you get to eat at the nicer restaurants that you may not eat at otherwise. It is a great deal.

3). I'm not sure when you are going, but Disney offers promotions for just about every date of the year. Unless you are going in the next few weeks, you should still be able to get a promotion for your dates. Currently they are offering free ticket upgrades, but they often offer free dining, especially during value season. So if you add up the saving there, you will more than likely be spending less, or possibly a little more than an offsite hotel, but you get all of the extra benefits and probably a lot more included.

4) The Disney touch- When you stay at Disney you know you are going to be staying at a nice place. I've gone past some of hotels that offer lower rates, and in some cases the same rates as Disney's hotels, and I think I would be afraid to go inside. Most of them aren't very clean, they can be a few miles away, etc. Also, you get the Disney service. If there is a problem, Disney will go above and beyond to try and fix the problem and do everything they can to make up for it. Even in cases where it isn't even their problem, they try their best to compensate in some way.

5). You can charge purchases to a room card so you don't have to bring your credit cards and cash with you everywhere you go.

6). Parking is free at your resort and you will also get free parking for the theme parks and some of the other places on property.

7). You packages can be delivered to your room. I know this doesn't sound like much now. But when you are in the parks, it is hot, you've been there all day, your tired and you have a ton of purchases to carry around, put on the bus, take back to the room (especially if you have kids that have purchases and/or diaper bags, strollers, etc.) it is nice to be able to make your purchase and then let Disney deliver it to your room.

8). Disney also offers Magical Express. Now, this isn't the best service and it does have some room for improvement, but it is also free. So that is another $100 or so dollars that you can save just for your transfer to and from the airport.

These are just a few of the benefits. I think that if you actually figure out your costs, everything that is included, etc. you will probably find that an offsite hotel actually ends up being more and you don't get all of the benefits. Most people think they are saving a ton of money by staying offsite, but they don't figure in the costs for everything else, or consider other benefits. After everything is said and done, I can almost guarentee you can save money by staying onsite, and you know you have a good room and things like that.

Unless I am in Orlando for business, or have to attend a convention, meeting, etc. I always stay onsite, I even stay onsite when I am just there for business because I like the Disney hotels that much.


If you need any ideas or need some more help, please e-mail me. I go to Disney several times a year and I love to help.

Answer 2

I wouldn't buy anything advertising tips on a cheap Disney vacation as it is probably not telling you anything you can't find out for yourself with a little online research; chances are it is linked to a timeshare tour so ignore it. My suggestions: Look for hotels in Kissimmee. They are not far from Disney and things are generally a lot cheaper there. I have found some great deals for hotels on Expedia, usually the longer you stay the more likely there are to be discounts and deals. As far as Disney is concerned, the price goes down (price per day) the more days you spend there. I think the difference between a five day and six day vacation is a matter of a few dollars. There are no real discounts on Disney tickets though. Aside from finding a cheap hotel in Kissimmee, the best way to save money is by eating outside of the parks. There is a Ponderosa Steakhouse in Kissimmee that offers a $3.99 all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. Fill up there and you can get past lunch. International Drive has several sit-down restaurants and is not too far from Disney and Universal. The world's largest McDonald's is on International Drive. Bottom line: You are going to pay for the tickets, but you can save on hotel and food, and aside from a rental car if you need one there won't be any other major expenses.

Answer 3

My husband and I offer a Disney vacation planning service. We charge a one time, small flat rate (typically $39). This cost simply covers our time, materials for your personalized trip booklet and shipping costs to send it to you. We help you plan your entire trip and make it to fit your budget. And no, we are not a big company with timeshare presentations. I operate my small business out of my home. Both my husband and I used to be Cast Members at Disney World so we have lots of great tips and advice. If you are interested, please check out the link and additional info below.

Disney can be done on a budget. Families can stay and play at one of Disney's Value Resorts for a week for only $1600 (does not include airfare). However, staying off Disney property is the best way to visit on a tight budget. So I recommend the Lake Suites or Best Western Lakeside in Kissimmee if you'd like to stay for under $82 a night. And the Lake Suites have full kitchens so you can prepare your own meals and save a ton of money, rather than eating out every day.
You can purchase discounted park tickets at any of these locations:

AAA (membership required)
your local Disney Store
Costco (membership required - travel services)
Sam's Club (membership required - travel services)

If you would like any help researching or planning your next trip, or if you would like to read up on some fun tips and ideas which are updated monthly, check out our Disney Vacation Service Myspace Page at:

http://www.myspace.com/disneymickeyvacation

Have a great time!

Answer 4

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