Going to Disney on a shoestring budget

[El Topo]

My Cologne- Hello. I was wondering if I can get some advice on how to get the most out of Disney on a rather small budget. I have four children and a wife. Could somebody help me with some tips as to get the most out of my experience without spending too much money. Any advice would be helpful.




Carlos

 

[Bri1121]

Wow 2800 for 6 days is pretty good!! I am guess you are getting free dinning because that is where a lot of money goes, well a good chunk of it anyway!

We are also driving this time, for the first time! Ahh! We usually do a drive to Hilton Head SC from NJ so this is only a few more hours....5!!! So I think we are pretty used to it but we are adding a hotel stop over, both ways. Hoping to get some good deals!

 

[MMCoffman]

how long is the car ride? It would be about 24 hours via car from Pittsburgh. I'm so NOT willing to drive that. :lol: saved money be damned! haha. We would have to stop and get a hotel so we'd probably not save a bunch of money that way. Blah. Disney my love why must you be so expensive!

Mapquest says 23 hours. Thing is, for us it's a choice, drive to Disney, or don't go. Those that fly can afford it, and I can't say if I'd fly if I had $1500 more to spend or not.

We leave on a Friday and drive 6 1/2 hours (not long at all), stop at a hotel and get going on Saturday for an 11 hour drive (our relatives all live 9 to 11 hours away so we drive this far a lot), then stay at another hotel and on Sunday we only have 4 hours on the road and a good 10 hours at Disney if we want to. Our first trip we drove 2 11+ hours days and the 2 1/2 days and one long day is THE way to go.

We drive for $750, this is hotels, food and gas both coming and going. We could NEVER find a flight for 4 for this or even twice this really.

The first time we went we traveled with a 7 month old and a 5 year old, this trip will be our 4th driving and with a 4 1/2 year old and an 8 1/2 year old, both travel well. It's really a fun time to see the country and stop in cities we'd otherwise never visit. It does add 3 1/2 days to our trip, but for us we can spare those days versus the $$.

Some kids don't travel well, if you have kids that cannot make it on shorter trips then flying is surely the way to go.

 

[MMCoffman]

how long is the car ride? It would be about 24 hours via car from Pittsburgh. I'm so NOT willing to drive that. :lol: saved money be damned! haha. We would have to stop and get a hotel so we'd probably not save a bunch of money that way. Blah. Disney my love why must you be so expensive!

Wow 2800 for 6 days is pretty good!! I am guess you are getting free dinning because that is where a lot of money goes, well a good chunk of it anyway!

We are also driving this time, for the first time! Ahh! We usually do a drive to Hilton Head SC from NJ so this is only a few more hours....5!!! So I think we are pretty used to it but we are adding a hotel stop over, both ways. Hoping to get some good deals!

Free dining is worth $800, so it's SO worth it, one of the reasons we go in September, this is our last year to be able to go in September Of course if we didn't do the dining plan we wouldn't spend $800, probably $500, but either way it's free eating!

 

[marcriss]

Four of us are flying NY to Orlando on Southwest in December for $821.60 as of now.


I booked the first sale day that my dates were available (tickets were $1000 and change). I've reduced them down to the $821.60 over time. I keep checking to see if they go lower. We can use the credits up to a year from when i first purchased the tickets. I used to be able to give the credits to my dad but they changed that policy, still it works. Maybe we'll do a DC trip or Chicago, or even a quick Disney trip using the credits...

For my sanity I don't think I could do the drive.

 

[MMCoffman]

Four of us are flying NY to Orlando on Southwest in December for $821.60 as of now.


I booked the first sale day that my dates were available (tickets were $1000 and change). I've reduced them down to the $821.60 over time. I keep checking to see if they go lower. We can use the credits up to a year from when i first purchased the tickets. I used to be able to give the credits to my dad but they changed that policy, still it works. Maybe we'll do a DC trip or Chicago, or even a quick Disney trip using the credits...

For my sanity I don't think I could do the drive.

I've heard NY is pretty affordable to fly out of. I'm from a very small city and flights are atleast $1500

 

[marcriss]

I've heard NY is pretty affordable to fly out of. I'm from a very small city and flights are atleast $1500

It can really vary. You have to be quick before the cheap seats are gone. Plus parking here is killer. We do our best to rope a family member into taking us .

 

[Disneykidder]

Cabins would be cool but i'm not so sure it will save them $. We are a family of 5 and I priced the cabins and it wasn't cheaper...it was a lot more. In fact, it would be only a couple of hundred more to stay at a studio in a DVC resort.

Check with what time of year you are going and plug in every imaginable way into the computer. Not getting the hopper or water options will save you, too. We stayed in a family suite at ASMu and it was excellent. Take your own snacks and water, too.

Good luck.

 

[LilSuzy]

we took them for a day to mk, since it was right before his birthday we got him a birthday button with the name chuck on it. the cm in country bear jamboree had the audience sing happy birthday to chuck...payback is fun .

THAT is so funny!!!!! :ROFLOL: I'm sure he cherished every minute with you guys...:wave: