new and confused!

[Mom2Tig]

Hi all!! I am new here and busy reading all these posts I was wondering how to get started,lol! Can anyone share their budgeting secrets or how to start planning a trip w/ a tight budget? We are going next June-7 of us,4 of them kids. Thought I'd start early--now I'm glad I did--I am so overwhelmed!!

 

[A kid at heart]

do you have a ressie at any of the resorts?

 

[Mom2Tig]

no-no ressies yet,just starting to plan it....

 

[annemariec]

Best place to start: www.mousesavers.com

Annemarie

 

[susy]

Hi!
I would start with considering these questions:
How old will the kids be?
How long are you staying?
Will you stay on or offsite?
If staying offsite, will you rent a car? (I would)
What kind of tickets will you buy?

Check out these websites:
wdwig.com (great for planning)
mousesavers.com

get some books:
Passporter 2002
The Unofficial Guide to WDW 2002
Birnbaum's Official Guide 2002

If you don't want to buy the books, I would try to get them from a library or just sit and read through them at the bookstore.

Go to the official website: waltdisneyworld.com
They have descriptions of all the attractions.
You can order from them a free planning video.


Be aware that it is cheaper to book everything separate. Don't buy a package!

 

[tink2dw]

You can start deciding what are the things that are "must do's" and "must see's." and decide the length of your trip.

Then decide on the tickets you will need here.
http://www.mousesavers.com/tickets.html

To keep an EYE on All the discounts for on-site and off-site resorts check here often and sign up for the MouseSavers.com newsletter to get all the best news.
http://www.mousesavers.com/wdw.html

For Air fares sign up at all the Airline Web sites that fly out of your airport that fly to Orlando or MCO in airline speak. Then Check Expedia,Travelocity for airline deals. Also check out the Transporation Board air,car deals.
http://www.disboards.com/

Start a WDW change jar to save for your trip.[there are many tips here on this board!!]

Also you can decide where you will want to eat and start making plans to make your food budget and check the Priority Seatings Calculator to know when you can make PS's some are as far out as 730 Days.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/pscalc/dispscalc.html

Also to help decide where to eat you can find menu's at Deb's wdw site,this works 2 ways to see where to eat what,and how much it costs, to finalize the food budget.
http://www.wdwig.com/menu/menus.htm

To keep all this info in one place,here is a computer Disney Vacation Planner. It will print each day on a seperate sheet. Also check the pull down menu'sat the top for loads of info!!
http://www.intercot.com/planner/default.asp

Well,this should get you start on a thousand more Questions!! So,don't be shy! Ask away!! The kind members here will share what they know! So,check back often!!

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by tink2dw
[SNIP]

Well,this should get you start on a thousand more Questions!! So,don't be shy! Ask away!! The kind members here will share what they know! So,check back often!!

Asking questions works great when you know the questions to ask.

The addendum to this advice is to do what all good newbies should do...lurk and read as many of the threads as possible. You'll see questions which you'd never have thought to ask...and they're usually answered.

Hope this helps,
Joe

 

[we3luvdisney]

Let's not forget transportation.......

We3 live in North Carolina and always drive, saves us approximately $300.00 in plane tickets.

 

[BonnieA]

With a large family, you might consider renting a house or condo offsite. They can be very economical and offer plenty of room. Private homes usually come with their own pools. You will save money eating meals there and will be able to do laundry without leaving the house. There are many reputable agencies and private owners.

 

[Mom2Tig]

wow-thanx for all the great ideas already!! Guess I should have added more--we are driving in,my sister wants 2 seperate hotel rooms so condo/house is out-she's very insistant on that. I have all the kids looking at the wdw site and writing their ideas down-there's 2 teens and 2- 9 yr olds,then the 3 adults. They already have a bank started too-both teens empty their pockets at the end of the day-so it's a start. I just like having solid plans laid down,less room to panic lol! this board is great!!!

 

[susy]

We stayed at the AS in Jan and again at CBR in May in two connecting rooms. It was great and a lot of fun. Look for discounts codes as the times gets near. You can book at rack rate (just pay one night's deposit) and then apply the codes when they come out. I'm with your sister. No way am I cooking and cleaning on vacation! I know it would end up happeneing, because I hate a mess!

 

[Laz]

Best tip someone gave me was that no matter how long you stay, you cannot do everything there is to do at WDW in one vistit. Therefore, find out what is a "must do" for you and you group. Then, work from there. Good Luck and remember that half the fun is in the planning.

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says..................................You have already passed half of the tourists just by being here. Just ask specific questions and you will get all the answers!!
As far as accommodations go, it's either two rooms at all stars, or some condominium resort, off site where you can get 2or 3 bedrooms and a full kitchen, for a good price. Or be willing to do a timeshare presentation, and get the same 2/3 bedroom place for a steal!!!
Relax, you have a lot of time to read these boards, and gather much information. By the way did we tell you, that you are now in a cult, and you can never leave, and that you must love Disney forever??? It's true!

 

[Gillian]

Here's one more question for you you said you sister wants 2 rooms. Is that two rooms for her family, and 1 for yours, or 2 rooms for the 7 of you? Also, which kids go with which adults? It doesn't much matter, unless one family is 2 adults & 3 kids.

I'm not sure why she doesn't want a condo or house. There are some fantastic places out there with much more space and privacy than 2 hotel rooms! And if you go offsite (check out the orlando hotels board) it can be very inexpensive!

Happy planning! I know we'll see a lot of you around here!

 

[Rpsemont]

My best advise for a tight budget is to start buying theme park tickets or disney dollars. Tell all relatives, friends, etc that you're going and say you want disney dollars for gifts. Tell the kids they need to raise, earn, come up with the cost of their own pass. You've got a whole year of gift giving to hopefully amass the cost of the tickets. With the ticket prices out of the way, the cost of a disney vacation is only nominally greater than any other vacation. If you bought park hoppers and bought one every other month, you'd probably have them almost all bought by the time you go. Plus, if the prices go up, the sooner you buy the more likely you buy at the lower price.

 

[Mom2Tig]

A Disney cult,huh?!! lol-well I can think of worse things to be in Let's see--I have the big group-the 2 teens and 9 1/2 yr old are mine-so that's one room,she has one 9 yr old and my mom! She wants completly separate places to give the boys a break from one another-they fight-a lot!Very competitive-so I see her point. She figures even in a condo they will be together.....
I know you buy disney dollars at the disney stores-but what amounts do they come in?-what ever you want? And is the store the best place to buy tix?

 

[Gillian]

With the number of passes you need to buy, it might be worth it to get a membership in AAA or the disney club. Typically, AAA/DC are the first room discounts put into the system. Usually they are 1st available in the fall for the entire next year. 10-20% off rack rates, depending on the season & hotel. AAA/Dc are usually the same rate. You'll need to get an idea of the discounts available in June this year to see what you can expect to pay next year.

Both offer discounts on passes. The Disney club also gives you 10% off at the Disney store (but not on D. dollars or passes). You also get the Disney magazine, which is nice. AAA is good because of the emergency road service, maps & guidebooks. We have both

I really do think a condo (which is like an apartment!) would be great, but if you stay onsite, you'll have the advantage of Disney busses. With a big family, it's nice to be able to split up sometimes. Staying offiste & only having 1 car can be a problem if someone gets sick or tired or you just need a break from each other.

I hope you have a notebook to write down all of these tips!

 

[Rpsemont]

Disney $$ come in $5, $10, $20. Passes can be bought at the disney store (but only up to a six day) If you're going for a week, A six day PH should be fine. Another thing you both might want to consider is buy a twim size inflatable mattress and an air pump. I bought one a couple years ago when my BIL started to travel with me DH, and DD(7) . I have saved the $40 investment many times over by not having to rent cots. In your case, it may just allow all adults to have their own bed. The pump will inflate and deflate the mattress in just minutes. I pack a set of twin sheets too and use a blanket and pillow off the beds in the room. Budget minded wanting two rooms with children the ages you have and I'd just aim for any All Stars right now. Look and see what specials people are getting for the trips they're taking now and you can probably get an idea of the cost. With the teens there would be a big plus to being on site with the buses. Also keep your eye out for 2 way radios on sale.