I am feeling pretty verbose today! My trips to Disney are usually to visit people who work there or in the area. And it can be done really cheap – but you have to think a little less about “Doing Disney” and more about having a fun vacation. I highly recommend a car – can’t stress that enough. But there are busses that you can take. Check out
www.golynx.com. They do serve all the parks, and I dive as well, but don’t really offer direct access between the two. But if you are willing to make connections, it will enable you to get around.
I recommend starting with an overall budget, but don’t break it down just yet. Then figure out the top four or five things you absolutely want to do (and I am talking – eat out, go to a club, eat dinner here or stay in such and such a hotel, not just what rides you want to do). And budget and plan around them. You will find it a lot easier to find ways to save, and be more willing to live with those savings, if you have done some things you really want to.
Hotels
Employees can get some really good discounts. Keep in mind, though, that these are hard to get – and usually only available non-peak times. And even though you may be getting a great deal, it still may be more than you would pay outside the park, particularly since most of the discounts are for the more costly hotels.
If it is important to stay at a Disney hotel, think about spending a few nights off-site, and then a few nights on-site. It may be a real special present to your girlfriend to spend most of your trip at a cheap off-site hotel and one or two nights at a deluxe resort.
If you are not going to rent a car, try the hotels around Disney Marketplace. You get the benefits or regular (if slow) transportation but usually at a cheaper rate. Make sure you look for AAA discounts, saver sites such as Mousesavers, and check out the hotel’s own web page and not just the main travel booking sites. And don’t forget to check the Swan and Dolphin – they sometimes have some really great deals (but be aware you will pay for parking there!)
Most of the offsite hotels have shuttle service too, so you can stay offsite without needing a car. But be aware you may not be able to stay out late and an awful lot of your time will be spent in traveling and waiting to meet your girlfriend.
Even though they are a little more, I would try to stick to the hotels in Lake Buena Vista – you have stores within walking distance, and if you are really up for it, you can hoof it to Downtown Disney. Plus you have some better discount food options available there.
Food
Food is often your biggest expense. Food within Disney is expensive – and there is no way around that. Your ability to save on food is thus tied in with either a) getting off site to eat or b) Eating cheaply. A lot of money can be spent on extra foods stuffs – the snacks you pick up throughout the day. If you need to or want to eat big meals, I would save the food for then. But, you might also find it a lot less costly to just snack your way through without really sitting down for a meal. You obviously have to think about nutrition and eating nothing but sugar, but considering you are a college student it will probably be nothing worse than what you eat every other day.
You get more bang for your buck at the hotel restaurants than you do at the restaurants in the parks. With possibly one exception – the food court in the land I have found to be the best quality, value, and selection.
Again, if you don’t have a car, think about dining at Downtown Disney. You get more or your money there. Plus, Earl of Sandwich is probably one of my favorite Quick Casual restaurants anywhere!
If you can figure out how to get there, pick up a few bottles of soda at Hess (or, walk across to Goodings or up to 7-11), and stick them in the fridge in your room (if you have one). Also a good idea for some snacks.
There are many places to eat much cheaper if you go out the entrance to Lake Buena Vista. If you stay at the Comfort Inn, there is a plaza on Palm Parkway which has a pizza shop which will save you money.
Car
I highly recommend getting a car. Even if you are under age, it is worth the extra fee (there are companies is Orlando which rent to young drivers). If it’s a lot, rent an economy. Just get some wheels. This really gives you many more options
For instance, there are a ton of cheaper eating establishments off property. Not just along 535 and Palm Parkway, but up a little north along West Sand Lake Road. And if you want to eat better but not spend a fortune, there are some good places there. A little pricy but a good date is the Press Room, which is a wine bar and sandwich shop.
If you have a car, you can also stay a little further off property and save money there. Also, look for a place with a kitchen. You can always find a Publixs, and cook at home.
With a car you can also move from park to park easier. Your girlfriend will be able to get you in without having to pay for parking.
Your girlfriend may be down there for a short enough time that it hasn’t set in yet, but it is very possible she will be sick of Disney day in and out. There are a lot of nice things to see in the area, so think about getting away form the parks for a day. Go to downtown Orlando, pick up a sandwich, and sit out at Lake Eola park. Go shopping (she probably does not have a chance to do much of that), and go explore some of the many small parks Orlando has. Explore Winter Park. All these things are probably going to cost you less than spending your day at Disney. By all means enjoy the park, but don’t forget the most important thing is seeing your girlfriend, and you can make the trip a lot more special by being a little more adventurous.
You are going to get to see Disney in a special way. Unlike most tourists who are simply going to do all the rides – you are going to explore a whole working city. There’s a backside to Disney that the average tourist never gets to see – the whole operational side of the parks and living in Florida. Not just going on rides, but living in a vacation mecca. If you have a car, there are backroads that you can see behind the scenes. And you get to see what it is really like working for the mouse and having to live with tourists every day. Plus, you get to see what goes in to making a tourist city work. So explore!
