how to have an affordable Disney world vacation?

Question

my wife really wants us to go but I don't think we can afford it.

Answer 1

Disney can be very affordable (depending on your budget and party size) Disney advertises the $1500 package on T.V. Basically, that is for 7 nights at a value resort, with passes, during value season for two adults, one child and one junior. Not sure of your party size, but if it would only be two adults you can get dining for around that price as well.

Here are a few ideas:

Stay onsite at the value resort. They are clean, the room is nice (though small) and the service is great. Whether you stay at their rooms that run less than $100 a night or at one that is over $1000 a night, you will get the same great service from Disney. During value season the value resorts only run about $80 a night. It is pretty comparable to what you would find offsite, but much nicer accomodations, and you get a lot of extra benefits (I've answered another question regarding staying onsite versus offsite, it is kind of long so I won't paste it here, but if you like let me know and I can forward that to you) Disney offers the best transportation you will get to the parks, it is fast and easy and it runs all day. Most offsite resorts have a shuttle that goes in the morning and at night, you must reserve it and if you want to go back in mid-day, you need to find a way back.

Disney also has Magical Express. It is a free shuttle service from the Orlando airport to your resort at Disney. While it isn't the best and there are some flaws, it is free and saves you about $100. If you don't need to go offsite, you will be able to by without a rental car as well.

The dining plan will save you 40% or more on your food and you get to eat at really great places, a ton of food is included and the tip is included as well. I've heard that Disney has started to automatically include the 18% tip wherever you order, so that can make the dining plan even more of a savings.

Disney also offers discounts for almost every date of the year. Currently it is a free ticket upgrade so you only pay for base, sometimes it is discounts on the room, they have even offered free dining in the past.

Not sure of where you are from, but if driving is an option, be sure that you check into flying first. With gas prices being high, plus the travel time and great rates on air, you may be able to fly for a little less than driving and it is a lot nicer that way.

Disney can definitely be done on a budget. Look into using a Disney specialized agent, they can help you work with your budget to get the most out of it. I always use an agent and she helps me with tips and advice for all my trips. While I go to Disney multiple times a year and know a lot about Disney and the area, she almost has tips, advice or news that helps me with my trip. Plus, since I am busy a lot of the time ("working") it saves me a lot of time having to look up the information on my own, getting different answers all over the board, etc. It is just the way I prefer to go.

Finally, there are going to be a lot of things you will find to save money. For example, sites like Priceline, Expedia, Orbitz, etc. will offer "discounted" rates on rooms. But, a lot of times if you figure it out, you are actually paying more than with Disney (I checked into this once and all of the sites had higher prices for Disney rooms than my agent was able to get me) plus you won't have your tickets included and cannot get the dining plan. Also, these sites aren't the best to deal with if you have a problem. You will also find a lot of discounted tickets. They are either a timeshare deal or a scam. A lot of people sell empty, used or expired tickets. Since tickets are no longer transferrable, it is a very bad idea to try and get them from a non-reputable seller.

In my opinion you will actually spend less staying onsite. If you figure up all of your expenses both ways and figure in your savings, I think that most people will find that you actually spend more staying offsite. There are a lot of "extras" that aren't always obvious right away.

I go to Disney all the time, so if you have any questions, please e-mail me, I love to help!

Good luck with your planning!

Answer 2

While the Disney package ($1600 for a week/family of 4 at any Value Resort) is a great deal, not every family can afford it.
If $1600 for a week long stay (not including airfare) is not in your budget, I recommend you stay off Disney property.

There are several great locations in Kissimmee and Lake Buena Vista that are less than $82 a night. For a family, my top recommendation is the Lake Suites in Kissimmee, off Hwy 192. They are "condo-style" resorts with a full kitchen. You'll save a lot of money if you prepare your own meals as opposed to eating out every day. There is a super wal mart and a super target located just down the street.
They also offer a complimentary shuttle to and from the Disney parks which leave every 30 minutes. So if you want to come home in the middle of the day to rest or go swimming, you can and head back whenever you like. Rooms start out at $69 a night and all styles come with a full kitchen.
Another great hotel is the Best Western Lakeside. This resort doe not have a kitchen, but they do have a decent restaurant at the hotel which is not very expensive. And a few great restaurants are located just down the street. They also have ajoining rooms available for large families. They also offer a shuttle service and located only 3 minutes from the parks.

You can find inexpensive flights through http://www.bookingbuddy.com or http://www.southwest.com

And you can purchase discounted park tickets at these locations:

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

Be sure to visit the City of Orlando's official webpage at: http://www.orlandoinfo.com
and request a free vacation planning kit. This will include a great book filled with coupons for parks, restaurants, rental cars, hotels, activities, and so much more.

These are just a few of the ways you can visit Disney World on a tight budget. :)

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/disneymickeyvacat...

Have a great time!

Answer 3

Believe it or not, you can afford it. I am by no means rich. My wife and I make a decent living, and we are getting ready for our 7th trip in 14 years. I would suggest going to www.disneyworld.com and pricing out a trip. You can get a quote, and then have an idea of what you are dealing with.

Here is a tip that I used for planning a Disney trip. They accept reservations at leat 18 months in advance. Make the reservation as early as possible, then just make payments on the trip. You can get a whole package through Disney, including airfare, rental car, room and passes, and then the whole thing is paid off before you go. You can make monthly payments, quarterly, or whatever, but you have to have everything paid off before the trip.

When you are looking for trip ideas and planning your trip, make sure you stay on the grounds. By staying at a Disney resort you are able to take advantage of all of the perks of staying on property. Things people take for granted like transportation to and from the parks, to and from the airport, etc. Transportation from a non-disney hotel can be prohibitve, and usually costs extra. Remember, if an off the grounds hotel is priced pretty low, and it seems like it is too good to be true, it usually is.

The other source I would try is the Birnbaum's guide to Disney. We always have a copy on hand. There are tons of guidebooks out there, but we have found that one the best.

Answer 4

I have gone the past 2 years in September. Disney offered a FANTASTIC package that included 6 days/ 5 nights at a value resort, 6 day admission and FREE Disney Dining plan for the cost of about $450 per person!

My son (25 years old) and I have done this these past 2 years and it is great! The Disney Dining plan allows you 1 table service meal, 1 counter service meal and 1 snack for each night of your stay. We were able to enjoy some of the nicest restaurants at Disney without paying a penny!! I saved receipts (for the meals we didn't have to pay for) and when I added them up, it would have cost us almost $500.00 to eat at the places we chose!)

By staying on Disney property you don't even need to rent a car. Disney offers "the Magical Express". What this means is that once you arrive at the airport, you don't even have to find your luggage! You ride a coach bus from the airport to your resort, during which time they show a video showcasing the parks, resorts, etc. You luggage is delivered directly to your room! (But since this may take a couple of extra hours, we usually take a change of clothes in our carry-on, go to the room, change and then head out for one of the parks. You could also pack your swimsuit in your carry on and then enjoy the pool a bit first!) Then you just use Disney Transportation system to get to each of the parks and Downtown Disney. They have a bus system to take you from the resort to each park. (just keep in mind that the bus will be quite full usually in the mornings and when the parks are closing. A couple of times we had to wait for the bus to make 2 or 3 passes before we were at the front of the line to get on. Small price to pay to not have the hassle of driving, parking, etc.)

I don't know if it is just your wife & youself, but even with kids, Disney can be very affordable. Check the Disney World website around March/ April to see if they are offering the "free dining plan" in September. You can book your vacation with a $200.00 down payment, and then pay the balance no later than 45 days before your trip.

You can book your airfare through the Disney site also, but I have had better luck finding cheaper flights by booking it on my own, directly through the airlines web site. (I have used Southwest & USAirways) You then simply call Disney with your flight info (so that they can plan for your luggage pickup and transportation.)

For years I wanted to go to Disney, but never thought I could afford it. Then in 2003, my brother-in-law passed away suddenly and I realized that life only comes around once. You've got to live it while you can! So GO! Spend some time forgetting about your problems, feel like a kid again!

Answer 5

I have been with my family three times the first time was in 2002 then in 2005 and 2006. The best way is to stay off site.The money that you would spend to stay in a hotel you can stay in a villa for about the same amount of money.By staying in a villa you have your own private swimming pool in the back yard your family can swim any time that you would like.Second you can save money by cooking at the house than eating out everyday. Every time we go we always stay at a villa.I will give you the web sites that you can do some research and compare them side by side with a hotel and a villa.Hands down it is better than staying in a hotel room.Good luck and I hope that this information was helpful.

Answer 6

I went to Disney last summer with my hubby and daughter. We had a budget of $3000. 1st, we drove from Chicago to Orlando. Way cheaper than flying. 2nd we stayed in one of the "economy" hotels. Fair warning, while clean, they are VERY small. 3rd, we did the dining program. It includes 1 counter sevice meal (fast food), one snack and one sit down dinner for each day there. We brought our cooler with and had breakfast in the room before going to the park. We managed to eat, drink, sleep , jump from park to park, and have souvineers out the you know what and still come home with cash in our pockets.
Go to the Disney web site and do your research. DO NOT buy park tickets off the internet or booths on the street. Most are fakes and you will loose your money.
If you can't make it work right now, consider stashing money here and there and go next year.
Good luck and have fun!!!

Answer 7

It can be affordable to a certin degree. We went a few years ago. Do lots and lot of research fist off. I think the best time is to go the 1st or 2nd week of janury or the 3rd week in october. It is a littl cheeper to go then.

Answer 8

www.waltdisneyworld.com/dreams

dreams is a new promotion that allows you to travel for (i think) 5 days and stay in disney for $1600 for a family of four!!

Answer 9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBYVaMop7tI