No WDW Trip This Year

[ThinkTink721]

My family has decided that WDW is out of reach for us this year.
We usually visit during free dining, but since we have a family of 5 & Port Orleans Riverside is not included in the promotion this year, we won't be able to make it.
We originally opted for the cabins at Ft. Wilderness & even booked it.
But when we priced everything out, it was going to be about $1000 more than we paid last year.
I understand that WDW has to raise prices when they implement new features & new attractions.
I guess I am just a little bummed.
I am thinking that we may be able to visit every few years now instead of every year.
I look at it this way, lots of people never get to visit WDW.
We are probably going to make a trip to Gatlinburg this summer instead.
I hope to make it back to The World real soon!

 

[Nemo14]

My family has decided that WDW is out of reach for us this year.
We usually visit during free dining, but since we have a family of 5 & Port Orleans Riverside is not included in the promotion this year, we won't be able to make it.
We originally opted for the cabins at Ft. Wilderness & even booked it.
But when we priced everything out, it was going to be about $1000 more than we paid last year.
I understand that WDW has to raise prices when they implement new features & new attractions.
I guess I am just a little bummed.
I am thinking that we may be able to visit every few years now instead of every year.
I look at it this way, lots of people never get to visit WDW.
We are probably going to make a trip to Gatlinburg this summer instead.
I hope to make it back to The World real soon!

Gatlinburg is awesome too. Beautiful area!

 

[cw1982]

Gatlinburg is awesome too. Beautiful area!

I have to second this! DH and I usually go to Gatlinburg as our "regular" getaway when we just want to leave town for a night or two... or longer lol. We had our honeymoon up there and I don't regret that for one second.

 

[Susan Savia]

Have you considered staying offsite?

 

[smk]

I feel your pain! I see no way to make it there this year, no way. I have considered a trip south to Gatlinburg but we drive thru on our way to Orlando and it seems depressing to me to stop and not continue on! Maybe we will just stay close to home and do some home improvements or take day trips, who knows. I do know I will miss WDW.

 

[dave&di]

We can only afford to go to WDW every 2 years, although after our 2012 trip we foolishly decided to squeeze a trip in in 2013, we can't afford to go back till 2015 now (all booked) but I can't help thinking that if we had stuck to our '2 yr' plan we would there this Sept and with so many new things happening this year I'm a bit gutted to have to wait over another year!

 

[loriloughs]

Sorry to hear you can't make it to Disney. We used to go twice a year, but we are lucky if we can afford every two years now. Last year we opted for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It was half the distance and half the price. It wasn't Disney but it was still great! And they had a food and wine festival going on! Have fun wherever you go!

 

[AndyS2992]

In the grand scheme of things, Disney is an over priced fake plastic theme park. There is a whole World out there to explore with many new experiences to discover which you may find you enjoy much more enjoyable than Disney. You won't know until you try. We only have one life and you should make the most of it by trying new things, be more cultured and discover yourself. You will find these experiences much more fulfilling. As you said, many people never get to go to Disney and you should be happy that you have had the opportunity to visit. Disney World is not going anywhere any time soon will always be there when you need it.

However if you really want to go to Disney then stay off site, save money and make sacrifices and the money will build up quickly. Buy cheaper groceries, cut down/stop smoking and drinking, work extra hours etc. It isn't easy but you will make the money if you really want it.

 

[disney4life2008]

As someone else mentioned, you could stay off site. Is there anything preventing you from thst?

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Like others have said, you could try to stay off site but if you choose that it's not right for your family, we definitely understand. My husband and I have basically decided that we wouldn't go as often if it meant an offsite stay. We love being enveloped by the magic and it makes everything easier with the bands now and transportation. For us, it makes for a more full experience. I stayed off site once or twice as a kid and it's definitely much different.

Anywho, I think going less often makes it even more magical honestly. DH and I have gone every year since 2009 and after our upcoming Fall trip, we're going to look at taking some non-Disney vacations (gasp). It'll make going back more exciting and less routine.

 

[sbkline]

I'm in the same boat you are. After last year's trip, I was immediately thinking about this year's trip, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that we just can't save back enough throughout the year to be able to afford a trip PLUS save some money back for savings. We have two kids, both going to private school which costs some money, plus we have a car payment for the next year and a half. So I realized that at least for now, we cannot continue going every year like we have been, staying on property. Then, we found out later last year that we are having another baby (due August 5th). So even if we had planned on going this year, the baby would have nixed that plan.

Since then, in my zeal to still go to WDW as often as possible, I have discovered a condo which could fit our family of 5, for about half the price of a Disney resort (even though I hate to go off property). I have a Disney rewards Visa, on which I accumulate around $500 a year in rewards points, so by May of 2015, I should have around $1,000 in rewards points to help with dining.

So we are definitely planning on going next year. Only question is, will we now be on an every other year basis, or can we find ways to afford to continue going every year? As I said, our car payment will disappear in another year and a half, which will save over $2,000 a year which could then go towards a trip. On the other hand, life experience shows that when one expense disappears, another soon rises up in its place. And the reality is, in 4 more years, we will be having to pay for baby #3 to go to preschool, then after that, she will be going to the same private school that the other two kids go to. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

 

[ParentsOf4]

One inexpensive pseudo onsite option is Wyndham Bonnet Creek (WBC), located near Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR).

It's often possible to get a 2-bedroom suite (3 separate rooms) for around $100/night on eBay. The suite includes 2 bedrooms and a combined living room & full kitchen with dining table, similar to a DVC 2-bedroom villa (which can cost over $1000/night).

Drive to one of local grocery stores and stock up. Then, with a strategy of eating breakfast in the suite and one meal at WDW's theme parks, it's possible to save quite a bit. Because of its convenient location, it's even possible to leave the parks, eat in the room, and then return, a huge savings.

WBC also is conveniently located to hopping on I-4 and visiting Universal.

For someone who is driving to WDW and will have their own car, it's a great option.

In recent years, Extra Magic Hours (EMH) have become much more crowded than they once were. With evening EMH cut back to 2 hours, we tend to take the contrarian touring plan and visit a park the day after it has had EMH, even when we stay onsite.

To avoid Disney's $17/day parking, WBC runs an hourly shuttle. (We prefer the convenience of driving to the parks. Time is money at WDW! )

For price, space, and location, WBC cannot be beat.

 

[wdwmom2+1]

I agree about staying off site. when we lived in florida we would go all the time and always stay on property etc. Even when my son was smaller we would stay on property and stay at pop or all stars. But now that he is bigger we are a family of 5 and it is too expensive to stay onsite if we want to go as often as we do.. we have loved the homewood suites and the doubletree suites both real close to disney!

 

[sbkline]

I agree about staying off site. when we lived in florida we would go all the time and always stay on property etc. Even when my son was smaller we would stay on property and stay at pop or all stars. But now that he is bigger we are a family of 5 and it is too expensive to stay onsite if we want to go as often as we do.. we have loved the homewood suites and the doubletree suites both real close to disney!

Do you have websites for those places?

 

[wdwmom2+1]

http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/e...n-lake-buena-vista-orlando-MCOVSHW/index.html

http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/ho...l-orlando-lake-buena-vista-MCOFHDT/index.html

 

[ThinkTink721]

I am hoping we can make it back to WDW in a couple of years.
Waiting will definitely make me appreciate it more!
Our family took a cruise in 2009 instead of going to WDW.
It was alot of fun, but it did make our next trip to WDW even better because we had more time to miss it.
Being able to go on a vacation anywhere these days is a treat considering how expensive it can be.

 

[RubyLee]

My family has decided that WDW is out of reach for us this year.
We usually visit during free dining, but since we have a family of 5 & Port Orleans Riverside is not included in the promotion this year, we won't be able to make it.
We originally opted for the cabins at Ft. Wilderness & even booked it.
But when we priced everything out, it was going to be about $1000 more than we paid last year.
I understand that WDW has to raise prices when they implement new features & new attractions.
I guess I am just a little bummed.
I am thinking that we may be able to visit every few years now instead of every year.
I look at it this way, lots of people never get to visit WDW.
We are probably going to make a trip to Gatlinburg this summer instead.
I hope to make it back to The World real soon!

Gatlinburg is in my backyard & is still one of my favorite places to escape!

Not to sound like the tourist board but there's a ton to do...,maybe even Dollywood? It's obviously not Disney but could be a fun day or two.

 

[erstwo]

We've found it to be much less expensive to get two rooms at a Value than 1 cabin at Ft Wilderness. I'm sure all the free dining rooms at the Values are taken now, but you can always put 1 adult & 2 kids in one room and 1 adult and 1 kid in the other and have both rooms with Free Dining. I know they say they can't 'guarantee' adjoining rooms, but in probably 6 trips of 2 rooms at a Value resort we've always been given adjoining rooms.
ETA - plus you get 2 bathrooms!!

 

[GrammieBee]

We usually have gone to WDW about every two years. Once it was two visits in one year and a couple of times when we had children in college it was as long as four years between visits. For us, there are simply other expenses, things to do and places to go to justify the cost of Disney each year.

We were going back this Oct., but due to the crowds for the new Fantasyland attractions and the hub being all torn up, we have decided to change our reservation to the Fall of 2015. Instead of WDW we will be going on a New England cruise and spending some time at the Maryland shore. It's not Disney, but hey, we have a good time almost anywhere.

 

[pug]