Originally Posted By alexbook I'm starting to think about maybe trying to start saving up towards a WDW trip. (Is that tentative enough?) It's way too early to start talking about specific plans, but I'm trying to get an idea of approximately, very roughly, how much money I need to set aside. I'd also appreciate some tips on web sites or books for people who never travel. I know there are dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of travel web sites around, but I don't really know where to start. The question for the panel: In round numbers, very roughly, about how much would it cost for a single, male, 50-year-old, cheapskate from Southern California to spend a week or so at WDW?
Originally Posted By alexbook Key piece of information: My notion is to go in or about August of 2010. I'll be turning 50 then, so that's what I'll be celebrating. ;-)
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Well, it depends how soon you book it, and when you want to go. Right now they're running a buy 4 days, get 3 more for free promotion what gets you a week for significantly less than it would normally cost. You would need to travel before the first week in June, and book by the end of March, and it would cost around $700 to stay at one of the Value resort (including room and park tickets, plus a couple little extras), plus airfare, which is running about $300 these days. I'm planning a trip for May, and I checked on all these things yesterday as a reference. And for good websites, I found MouseSavers.com to be absolutely amazing at both giving tips to save some money, and just get some general ideas for extra little things to do while you're there.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Well, that changes things. August tends to be a little more expensive for hotels (I would guess around $130 per night at the Values, up to about $500 at the Deluxe Resorts), but park tickets are the same price year-round. I'm not sure of the exact price, but I think that a 7 or 8 day ticket is a little under $200. The way they do it is the first day is really expensive, but as you add days, each extra day gets a lot cheaper (until they're about $3 more per day, at like 12 days).
Originally Posted By nats 31 When it comes to Disney there is no such thing as a cheap trip. I hate to be a joy kill but add about 20% more than you intended to spend.
Originally Posted By alexbook >>I hate to be a joy kill but add about 20% more than you intended to spend.<< But 20% more than what? That's where I'm stymied. I'm completely, absolutely ignorant about this, and I'm asking for help. The last time I flew anywhere or or booked a hotel room was in the 20th Century. I'm even finding MouseSavers.com pretty intimidating. I'm looking for "Travel for Dummies"-type info.
Originally Posted By -em My 3 cents... Airfare- I would estimate about 300-400 Round Trip (unless the prices drop- then you'd see them as low as 200-250) MCO is the big Orlando Airport. If you stay onsite you can take Magical Express in which is a free (atleast right now) bus service from Airport-Hotel (and back) shuttles for off site seem to be about 30-40 bucks a person one way Hotel- The big choice is on site or off site- Just remember its NOT like anaheim where some off site are closer than on- Its a BIG difference here The main perk (besides Extra Magic Hours) for onsite is transportation- Off site while most offer shuttles it is usually is a limited amount per day at set time. On site runs transportation continuous from open to 2+ hrs after park closes. Price depends on season but anticipate value resorts running anywhere from 80-130 a night. Off site runs the same as anaheim with mostly the same choices anywhere from 50+ I do not know what perks DLR Participants get out here but its always worth looking into.. Tickets- Get much cheaper per day the more days you get, Park Hopping, non expiring etc all cost more to add and for first timing it I may not recommend the park hopping thing as unlike DLR it takes much longer than 5 min to switch parks (I would estimate usually about an hour from gate to gate with waiting for transportation, bag checks etc) but overall I would estimate about 200-280 a person for tickets Food- Roughly the same as DLR (though not NEAR the selection) I found some things cheaper here than there and others cheaper there than here Merchandise- Pretty much the same as DLR (and sadly most of the stuff is the SAME)
Originally Posted By Ursula Alex, we go to WDW once a year and I'm a budget traveler. I'm also happy to help. You can get rooms as low as $45 a night on Priceline. Like our dear -em says, however, not staying on property means that you won't have transportation to and from the airport and then you need to consider the Disney bus systems included in the "on-site" perks. However, people use the buses all the time even if they are not staying on-site as they don't check room keys. They CAN ask for room keys but they don't. I think we've been asked once in our five trips and we stay from four ti 14 days at a time. Do you ever get free tickets working for a DTD Participant? I don't know yours, but our comp tickets include entry to WDW. Our costs have been: $200-450 roundtrip airfair $600-1400 rooms
Originally Posted By trekkeruss airfare $450.00 six nights Value resort $540.00 seven day ticket w/no hopping $250.00 food @$40.00/day $280.00 ---------- $1520.00 souvenirs $?
Originally Posted By Ursula Feeding yourself there is easy. I send a care-box to ourselves full of breakfast cereal, paper bowls, spoons, and then I buy milk at our resort. Toss in some Pop-tarts and you'll never have to buy breakfast. Instead of lunch, have some fruit and then have an early dinner. You can cut out the costs of one meal a day this way. Send bottled water to your room before you leave home, too. Costco or Staples are the cheapest. You'll want to keep yourself hydrated in August and Florida tap water tastes funny! You can also budget yourself cheaper meals so that you can enjoy one or two really good sit-down meals. Anyway, let us know if you are thinking towards on-site or off-site, and we'll go from there to find a budget for you to save towards.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey <<Florida tap water tastes funny!>> Agreed - Florida tapwater is foul!
Originally Posted By trekkeruss JMHO, it's not so foul that I would have a case of water sent ahead to my hotel. The colder you can get water, the less objectionable it tastes. I was filling a hydration pack full of iced tap water on my last trip; tasted fine to me. The example budget I gave earlier is what I would say is a minimum for a 1st time visit to WDW. Of course one could make an even cheaper trip by staying and eating off-site, but if it might possibly be a one-and-only visit, I think it's worth saving a bit extra.
Originally Posted By danyoung If you decide on staying off property (which may not be cheaper if Disney is still offering $49/night at the value resorts like they are now!), you can rent a car at the Orlando airport for much less than most places. $200 will get you a midsized car for the week. But then you're going to have to spend $10/day or so on parking, so that has to go into your calculations. You only have to pay this parking fee one time each day - it's good for multiple trips to all the parking lots for that day. And while I understand going cheap, you shouldn't miss out on some fun dining options in WDW, both sitdown and fast food. You can eat a tasty lunch for around $15 or so. An entree in many of the nicer table service restaurants can be had for as little as $20 to $25. Add in an appetizer and non-alcoholic beverage and you're looking at around $35 to $50 for a terrific sitdown meal. Also look at the ticket options at the WDW website. They do some insane math with prices the longer you stay. You pay more for the first few days, but up around days 6 or 7 or so it drops dramatically, like around $8 a day! Sorry, I don't have the exact math, but it's easy to find at disneyworld.com. And even though it's an added expense, I strongly recommend getting the park hopping option on your ticket. It's no fun to be at the Animal Kingdom when it closes at 5pm and know that lots of fun is going on in the Magic Kingdom or Epcot but your ticket won't let you in. Hopping is a must for me! Good luck with your planning. I spent my 40th birthday as a single visitor. I had just gotten scuba certified, and did my first official dive in Epcot's Living Seas tank, followed by dinner in the Coral Reef restaurant, on the other side of the glass that I'd just been diving in. Totally memorable!!!
Originally Posted By barboy WDW for very, very cheap: (1)Sit in a 1 hr. long, high pressured real estate/time share/vacation ownership sales pitch.......yes, I strongly bet that the LA area has them........ and get your *mostly* free RT air to Orlando and 1 week rental car.(expect to pay maybe $100 for fees and/or taxes though) (2)get a friend to drop you off at LAX so you won't have to pay long term parking. (3)once in Orlando listen to two or 3 more sales pitches, at different locations of course, and grab your WDW and Universal(if desired) park tickets. (4) stop at Costco or Sam's Club and load up on food--- food that can be readily carried in a backpack. Choose your food wisely as you don't want to draw attention at WDW customs('bag check'). (5)stay at the Comfort Inn and Suites Lake Buena Vista for $40 per night. (6)drive to Downtown Disney, which is super close, and hop on a Disney Transport or take advantage of the free Comfort Inn shuttle to the theme parks. (7) fast foods and many full service chain restaurants are right there in Lake Buena Vista for 1/2 or 1/3 the cost of Disney. ***Just remember that you get to ride Mission:Space too and see the same Illuminations show as those spending $500 per night at the Board Walk and $60 per person at the Canada steak house in Epcot*** Good luck!
Originally Posted By barboy So if you follow all those steps and feast on the Comfort Inn's free continental breakfast and tap the off property fast foods for dinners expect: airplane/rental car $100 Costco day food $50 Comfort Inn $300 fast food dinners $50 Misc.(gas, B-line tolls) $25
Originally Posted By trekkeruss LOL. If someone was trying to be *that* cheap, why bother staying in a hotel at all? Sleep in the rental car and use public restrooms to take sponge baths!
Originally Posted By Disney Joy ^^^ That was a good one.......great laugh to start the day. :O)))) I'ld get a temporary 2nd job BEFORE I do all that. ROFL
Originally Posted By barboy ///Sleep in the rental car and use public restrooms to take sponge baths!/// When my friend and I were 20, poor and desperate for the grand daddy of Disney spots(we had tapped Dl Anaheim many times already) we entertained that very idea..... Yes, I'm serious. As for getting to Orlando and back: 'Greyhound Bus' naturally In the end we didn't make it and he died 2 years later never realizing his dream.
Originally Posted By Disney Joy barboy sorry to hear your friend never realized his dream. you know when I was younger I would have done some things I wouldn't now. gotta agree with ya....the most I did younger was do the Disney drive every year from Oregon to Anaheim. Took munchies snack food. I never will forget one bucket of Kentucky chicken down with bread and one bucket back. There were me and at least 2 kids a year then it grew to 3 and grew to 4. Grands starting arriving..... Now after who knows 20 years I think going to DLAND yearly I have finally moved up to flying and living large at the Land. Where compared to before this is large. I have only been to the World twice but you know if I never made it ~~ I am so thankful I made it to the Land. I think of that for your friend. :O))
Originally Posted By Disney Joy and one more thing...Motel 6 was the choice hotel for our budget then. :O))))
