Disney on a BUDGET

[Tony the Tigger]

Offsite hotel can be $300 total. You can make anything work if you want. Cut it back to 3 days and you’re golden.

 

[MaryJaneP]

We do not see how it could be possible to meet the budget stated, fly roundtrip to/from CT, stay on-site for 5 nights, do parks for 3 days, and eat. We would be interested to hear otherwise, though.

 

[tampabrad]

Priorities. Skip disney, do the home improvements, stay in delray beach with the grandmother celebrating a huge milestone birthday.

 

[drp4video]

If you want to stay on disney property, watch for discounts at the hotels and stay in a value or disney springs where you can still get park perks, or try an airbnb except then you need a car, eat breakfast in the room with food you have purchased from a grocery store, even pack lunch if you can, perhaps drop a night to 4 nights and maybe 2 days in the parks, eat at quick service and if not big eaters, split meals maybe adding a side salad, or get kids meals. I have done it, but it has been with a little help from my disney visa rewards points and change I have thrown in a coffee can all year long that pays for meals.

 

[thomas998]

Offsite hotel can be $300 total. You can make anything work if you want. Cut it back to 3 days and you’re golden.

Real question they have to ask and answer is what level of hotel are they willing to use. Given they want 5 days on 1000 and the tickets eat up 600... they still to factor in some food so assume 80 for food on those 5 days if you are careful... now you have 320 for 4 hotel nights or 80 dollar a night for a hotel... That's going to limit your hotel choices to places that some people may not want to stay at... the thought of bedbugs starts to creep in when you stay in the very low end hotels.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Real question they have to ask and answer is what level of hotel are they willing to use. Given they want 5 days on 1000 and the tickets eat up 600... they still to factor in some food so assume 80 for food on those 5 days if you are careful... now you have 320 for 4 hotel nights or 80 dollar a night for a hotel... That's going to limit your hotel choices to places that some people may not want to stay at... the thought of bedbugs starts to creep in when you stay in the very low end hotels.

There are plenty of clean hotels in the area for $50/night.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Real question they have to ask and answer is what level of hotel are they willing to use. Given they want 5 days on 1000 and the tickets eat up 600... they still to factor in some food so assume 80 for food on those 5 days if you are careful... now you have 320 for 4 hotel nights or 80 dollar a night for a hotel... That's going to limit your hotel choices to places that some people may not want to stay at... the thought of bedbugs starts to creep in when you stay in the very low end hotels.

There are plenty of clean hotels in the area for $50/night.

I have stayed at those "low end hotels" based on price comparison with Disney for 35 years now. Never have seen a single bug, much less bed bugs. Even Disney has had problems with that in the past. They are not caused by bad housekeeping, they are brought in by quests and one doesn't have to be human scum to have that issue. What is with this world anyway that so many find it necessary to instill fear in people to prove a point.

I have never paid more then $60.00 per night in any hotel on or near the Main Entrance to WDW. They have been clean, offered more amenities then Disney ever did. The difference is that the outside of the building isn't cluttered with huge plastic ornaments. The only time I ever felt ripped off in my hotel stay was the one (and only) time I stayed at POP Century. Even at a special promotional price it was still over $80.00 per night. (and that was in 2005) The room was so small that one practically had to go outside to change their mind. At the time they didn't have a refrigerator unless you paid extra to have one put in there. I did want one and they placed it so close to the door that I couldn't get the door to open fully before it hit the fridge. There was no other place for it. Even the TV had a huge selection offsite that didn't just include Disney Related things like ABC or ESPN or just a limited number of them. Stacy was still part of the choice offsite and as far as I know still is. Even the food at POP was awful. I ordered a Cheesesteak Sandwich that came, literally, swimming in grease. I'll take that slim, equally possible at Disney, chance of bed bugs every time.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I have stayed at those "low end hotels" based on price comparison with Disney for 35 years now. Never have seen a single bug, much less bed bugs. Even Disney has had problems with that in the past. They are not caused by bad housekeeping, they are brought in by quests and one doesn't have to be human scum to have that issue. What is with this world anyway that so many find it necessary to instill fear in people to prove a point.

I have never paid more then $60.00 per night in any hotel on or near the Main Entrance to WDW. They have been clean, offered more amenities then Disney ever did. The difference is that the outside of the building isn't cluttered with huge plastic ornaments. The only time I ever felt ripped off in my hotel stay was the one (and only) time I stayed at POP Century. Even at a special promotional price it was still over $80.00 per night. (and that was in 2005) The room was so small that one practically had to go outside to change their mind. At the time they didn't have a refrigerator unless you paid extra to have one put in there. I did want one and they placed it so close to the door that I couldn't get the door to open fully before it hit the fridge. There was no other place for it. Even the TV had a huge selection offsite that didn't just include Disney Related things like ABC or ESPN or just a limited number of them. Stacy was still part of the choice offsite and as far as I know still is. Even the food at POP was awful. I ordered a Cheesesteak Sandwich that came, literally, swimming in grease. I'll take that slim, equally possible at Disney, chance of bed bugs every time.

Get ready, someone will tell us how low class we are, and they stayed at one hotel one time where the rest of their lives were ruined. (Ruined!)

Side note: I believe "swimming in grease" is part of the recipe for an authentic cheesesteak sandwich.

In all seriousness, some experiences were better than others, including some stays at the same hotel. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw (including at WDW, if you get stuck next to certain neighbors.) We have often just "Pricelined it" and ended up where we ended up, and it was worth the savings. We stayed for years at the Red Roof on Kyng's Heath Road (no longer a Red Roof) because they took pets, were pretty darn cheap, and we had points. Some stays were uneventful. Some had crazy people running around loud at night. Never bedbugs, fleas, or anything else.

Lately we're partial to the Crown Club Inn in Clermont. Average $50/night using Priceline/orbitz/etc., free breakfast, restaurant on site, decent rooms (some better than others) and convenient to WDW without resort fees.

Not a fan of the Disney Values other than POP, although I liked All Star Music a few years ago much better than All Star Movies back when it first opened and was maybe $49/night.

When we have a little extra to spend, we may do a moderate, and for a special occasion, we may do a Deluxe.

But if it's a tight month and we want to take a visit, I'll stay just about anywhere and not mind, as long as it's decent. La Quinta, etc.

 

[larryz]

Poke around a bit at Disney-specialist travel agencies and consider the second tier hotels in the Downtown Disney Springs area.

 

[Disnee4Me]

It didn't sound like the mom was going to be at WDW. They are driving to the birthday after Disney (if I understood).

Exactly. While mom is still mobile and still has her sense of humor (and sometimes stubborn) personality, she would not be interested in going back to Disney.

 

[Disnee4Me]

Maybe if you pack all of your meals and stay off property, which doesn't sound like a very fun combo.

I'd say wait and keep saving. Do your Disney vacation right and don't cut corners if it just means putting it off for another 6 months to a year.

My whole family will go in 2021. My oldest should have his doctorate and teaching, so going in late May after classes get out will make him available. My youngest son will be 26 and plans to "pop the question" to his then 24 year old girlfriend, somewhere in Tomorrowland where he will declare that she is "his future".

 

[Goofyernmost]

Get ready, someone will tell us how low class we are, and they stayed at one hotel one time where the rest of their lives were ruined. (Ruined!)

Side note: I believe "swimming in grease" is part of the recipe for an authentic cheesesteak sandwich.

Well, that's a given. I ain't never had no life experience that required a shirt or teeth.

I agree to an extent, but, when you can wring out the roll and don't have to swallow because it just slides down your throat, that is a bit much. However, that could just be me because I hate sloppy, messy food. If I have to shower after a meal it fails to measure up to my enjoyment criteria.

 

[larryz]

My whole family will go in 2021. My oldest should have his doctorate and teaching, so going in late May after classes get out will make him available. My youngest son will be 26 and plans to "pop the question" to his then 24 year old girlfriend, somewhere in Tomorrowland where he will declare that she is "his future".

Uh.... I hope that's not supposed to be a secret...

 

[Disnee4Me]

Well since park tickets eat up about 600 for 2 adults for 3 days I think it would be very difficult to get food air and lodging for 400.

I could use my Disney Visa $$$s (currently $427), but was saving them for the BIG family trip in 2021. However, I could buy Disney gift cards through target and save 5% on each gift card???

 

[Disnee4Me]

Well since park tickets eat up about 600 for 2 adults for 3 days I think it would be very difficult to get food air and lodging for 400.

Too bad that don't offer senior citizen discounts, as my husband is 69!!!

 

[Disnee4Me]

Uh.... I hope that's not supposed to be a secret...

She's not on WDWMagic, so letting the "secret" out of the bag here is safe.

 

[Disnee4Me]

What does the $1000 have to include? POR is $250+ a night alone (until a sale comes up between now and then), so five nights would bust that budget.

I'd settle for one of the budget hotels. Maybe just two days in the park. And two in Disney Springs. Haven't been since 2015 and I know how much its expanded since then.

 

[Disnee4Me]

We do not see how it could be possible to meet the budget stated, fly roundtrip to/from CT, stay on-site for 5 nights, do parks for 3 days, and eat. We would be interested to hear otherwise, though.

I'm not including airfare (hopefully enough JetBlue points for free tickets). Just the Disney part needs to be $1000. Rental car would be only after we leave the parks, and staying with mom is FREE.

 

[Disnee4Me]

Real question they have to ask and answer is what level of hotel are they willing to use. Given they want 5 days on 1000 and the tickets eat up 600... they still to factor in some food so assume 80 for food on those 5 days if you are careful... now you have 320 for 4 hotel nights or 80 dollar a night for a hotel... That's going to limit your hotel choices to places that some people may not want to stay at... the thought of bedbugs starts to creep in when you stay in the very low end hotels.

We started out staying at Low End, all the ALL Stars, graduated to POP, then to POR, and last time Coronado Springs. Hubby's favorite is POR, I'm not fussy as long as the room is clean. We go to the parks early and stay late.

 

[Disnee4Me]

Priorities. Skip disney, do the home improvements, stay in delray beach with the grandmother celebrating a huge milestone birthday.

I'm giving serious consideration to skip the parks and just spend two days roaming around Disney Springs. Or maybe just one day in a park.