Do Authorized Disney Vacation Planners really have the best deals?

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

I'm excited to be planning a trip to WDW next year, but I MUST stay within budget. I'm afraid I may have underestimated the cost of the trip when I approached the wife and suggested (okay, more like pleaded) we take a family trip.

So, I'm hearing that using an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner is the best bet to save money (ADVP: such as the wonderful folks at Dreams Unlimited, which I see often advertising on this site; or Small World Vacations, which is coming highly recommended from a rather pushy friend).

But reading some of the posts on here it seems like if I knew what to do I could probably get even better deals on my own. However, one nice advantage I've heard using an ADVP is that if a better deal comes out after booking, they can pass the savings onto you. True, yes no? Then again, I read in a book something about booking resorts and tickets under separate transactions so you can take advantage of discount "stacking" (sorry if this is taboo to take about openly - if so, pretend I didn't write it!)

Here are some facts about me and the fam and what we have going on. Please, I am very open to any and all suggestions. I was ready to book the vacation online 2 weeks ago but since then I've been struck with analysis-paralysis - especially when I saw how much it was going to be. Ages below will be how old everyone is at the time of the trip:

• Me: 33 YO fan of Disney and everything related (I'm certain a few of you can relate)
• DW: 27 YO fan of Disney and everything related. She just doesn't get into the planning of the trips like I do (yet)
• DS1: 19-months-old. Can't say Disney yet, but I can see the twinkle in his eyes. Plus, look at his parents. I have no doubt the Disney gene was passed onto him.
• DS2: 6-months-old (?) He isn't quite born yet, but he will be! Due date is Sept 15 and his mom is ready to put his first pair of Mickey ears on him!
• Okay, the nitty-gritty: We live in Jacksonville, FL, so we will be able to take advantage of Florida resident deals
• DW is a public school teacher (any discounts? I'm new at this Smilie thing too, so excuse any excess and/or misplaced Smilies. They're kinda addicting to use )
• I'm a military veteran (not retired or on disability - just honorably discharged)
• Will be driving to Orlando in our own vehicle
• Plan on staying 4 nights (Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon) and leaving after a 1/2 day on Tue
• Would like to arrive on a Friday afternoon and explore the resort the first evening; gotta keep it casual the first night with the two boys. Would like to get to one park each day, starting on Sat. If all goes well, a half day on Tuesday and then head back home
• We feel staying at an on-site Disney Resort is the best bet, especially with the boys being so young (but let's be honest, the mid-day nap is really for me, not them! )
• Best time for us to go is the last week of Jan '11 through the first 2 weeks of Feb (is this cutting too close with it now being Sept?)
• $$BUDGET$$! Yikes! I didn't want to go there, but I guess this is probably one of the most important factors. We MUST keep the trip under $2000 total (lodging, food, tickets, Mickey ears for the boys, Mickey ears for me, etc) - Please, PLEASE don't tell me to wait and save more money up! I've read these boards long enough to know YOU understand exactly how I feel!

Okay, so that's what we're looking at. I know Disney recently released a bunch of discounts, but I've never booked on-site and I feel like I'm leaving discounts on the table if I book without asking the experts here first. Ya know, I haven't the faintest idea if getting the Dining Plan is worth it or not.

I've also found that something as "simple" as just getting park tickets is no longer "simple." Do I just get a simple 4-day park pass or should I get the 10-day pass and purchase the no expiration option?

Help me out and I promise to take lots of photos and write up a Trip Report once we get back! Sorry for the long post!

Ooof, if I had a I know I'd wish for this trip to be planned.

 

[ancestry]

Authorized Disney Planner do not always have the best deal. Often you can get the same and possibly even a better deal by doing it yourself.

I don't use a travel agent for my Disney trip and never will. I don't like the fact that the travel agent "owns" my reservation and that I can't make changes to thinks myself. If you use a travel agent you are at their mercy. If you want to make a quick change and they take days to get back to you, then you may end up being out of luck.

If you have the time and desire, I would suggest that you read through these boards and learn the ins and outs of planning a Disney vacation and learn about all of the current promotions/offers. If you don't have that type of time then in your case you might do better to use a Disney vacation planner/travel agent but just know that they "own" your reservation until you check-in on-site and any changes you want to make must be made by them.

 

[mydisneyobsession]

What was the trip you priced out online? It might be helpful to know what you're trying to beat!

 

[disneyfan55]

Being a FL resident there are many ticket types esp if you plan to go often. That's one thing to take into consideration when making plans. There is Free dining in Jan so you might want to take advantage of that-not sure of all the dates in Jan, but an idea and you could take those tickets and upgrade to some type of FL AP if you are going to go again during the year-living so close I would think you will be even if only day trips. Please give more info so we may be able to help (resort is esp. important)

 

[LilGMom]

We've been going for about 11 years (a few times a year) and I've never used a travel agent. You can do it yourself and it is nice to be able to tweak it as you wish even if it is 2am.

Check out HERE and follow the links for the FL resident discounts to see what they currently have going. They don't have any FL resident discounts released for January yet and you probably won't see those until around the October - November timeframe. For tickets there are a lot of options for FL residents. If you plan on going a few times during the year check out the FL Resident Seasonal Pass (SAP). Since your DW is a teacher and I imagine that you'll be a little limited with the times you can go make sure you look at the Black Out dates for the SAP before purchasing. FL residents can also get discounted regular APs, three or four day tickets and all of these can be purchased at your local MWR/ITT office for an additional slight savings too. Having a SAP/AP will also give you discounts on resorts (lately the AP discounts have been better than the FL resident discounts), some restaurants give AP discounts on breakfast and/or lunch, some retail stores have AP discounts.

For the last couple of years WDW has offered deals on tickets and resorts for military but there is no real way to know, right now, if they will do so again. Shades of Green (SOG) is a MWR run resort on WDW which used to be a deluxe WDW resort and your rate is based on your rank (active, Reserves, or retired). It also recently underwent a refurbishment and while we've never stayed there I've read some really great things about it. You won't be able to get the DDP if staying at SOG but I am pretty sure you still get all of the other perks that on-site guests get. It is located acorss the street from the Poly so it is in a great location.

The Swan and Dolphin resorts sometimes offer discounts to teachers but I'm not sure how often those get released. The Swan & Dolphin also have FL resident rates but when figuring out the final cost make sure you add in the resort and parking fees.

With two small children I don't know that the DDP is the best way to go since you lose some flexibility in that if you don't make it to your ADR you have to somehow us that credit another way or your end up wasting money.

I'd be happy to share my planning/budget spreadsheet with you if you promise not to run away screaming.

 

[AimeeMichele]

You could go January 28 - February 1st, stay at Pop Century in a Preferred room, 5 day base tickets (no hoppers) with free quick service dining for only $968.20

Or go the same dates and stay at Coronado Springs in a Preferred room, 5 day base tickets, with free dining for $1357.60 (standard room is ~$112 less)

Port Orleans French Quarter in a standard room is $1222.60 for the same dates, 5 day base tickets, free dining.

Any of the above options should leave you with enough gas money as well as money for souveniors. Each dining plan comes with snack credits as well

*Note: in order to get the above pricing you must click on the Speical Offers button located at the bottom of the page. If you just plug in your dates and search you will not see any of the discounted pricing. I only searched for the free dining promo, but I believe the % off promo will also work with these dates.

Most importantly have fun planning your trip and even more fun at the World with your family!!!

 

[disneyfan55]

You could go January 28 - February 1st, stay at Pop Century in a Preferred room, 5 day base tickets (no hoppers) with free quick service dining for only $968.20

Or go the same dates and stay at Coronado Springs in a Preferred room, 5 day base tickets, with free dining for $1357.60 (standard room is ~$112 less)

Port Orleans French Quarter in a standard room is $1222.60 for the same dates, 5 day base tickets, free dining.

Any of the above options should leave you with enough gas money as well as money for souveniors. Each dining plan comes with snack credits as well

*Note: in order to get the above pricing you must click on the Speical Offers button located at the bottom of the page. If you just plug in your dates and search you will not see any of the discounted pricing. I only searched for the free dining promo, but I believe the % off promo will also work with these dates.

Most importantly have fun planning your trip and even more fun at the World with your family!!!

all great examples plus you can take that 5 day ticket and UPGRADE it to any of the many FL AP/seasonal passes. They take the cost you already paid and you just pay the difference to upgrade and then take more day/weekend trips to WDW.

 

[ccgirl]

We've been going for about 11 years (a few times a year) and I've never used a travel agent. You can do it yourself and it is nice to be able to tweak it as you wish even if it is 2am.

Check out HERE and follow the links for the FL resident discounts to see what they currently have going. They don't have any FL resident discounts released for January yet and you probably won't see those until around the October - November timeframe. For tickets there are a lot of options for FL residents. If you plan on going a few times during the year check out the FL Resident Seasonal Pass (SAP). Since your DW is a teacher and I imagine that you'll be a little limited with the times you can go make sure you look at the Black Out dates for the SAP before purchasing. FL residents can also get discounted regular APs, three or four day tickets and all of these can be purchased at your local MWR/ITT office for an additional slight savings too. Having a SAP/AP will also give you discounts on resorts (lately the AP discounts have been better than the FL resident discounts), some restaurants give AP discounts on breakfast and/or lunch, some retail stores have AP discounts.

For the last couple of years WDW has offered deals on tickets and resorts for military but there is no real way to know, right now, if they will do so again. Shades of Green (SOG) is a MWR run resort on WDW which used to be a deluxe WDW resort and your rate is based on your rank (active, Reserves, or retired). It also recently underwent a refurbishment and while we've never stayed there I've read some really great things about it. You won't be able to get the DDP if staying at SOG but I am pretty sure you still get all of the other perks that on-site guests get. It is located acorss the street from the Poly so it is in a great location.

The Swan and Dolphin resorts sometimes offer discounts to teachers but I'm not sure how often those get released. The Swan & Dolphin also have FL resident rates but when figuring out the final cost make sure you add in the resort and parking fees.

With two small children I don't know that the DDP is the best way to go since you lose some flexibility in that if you don't make it to your ADR you have to somehow us that credit another way or your end up wasting money.

I'd be happy to share my planning/budget spreadsheet with you if you promise not to run away screaming.

You could go January 28 - February 1st, stay at Pop Century in a Preferred room, 5 day base tickets (no hoppers) with free quick service dining for only $968.20

Or go the same dates and stay at Coronado Springs in a Preferred room, 5 day base tickets, with free dining for $1357.60 (standard room is ~$112 less)

Port Orleans French Quarter in a standard room is $1222.60 for the same dates, 5 day base tickets, free dining.

Any of the above options should leave you with enough gas money as well as money for souveniors. Each dining plan comes with snack credits as well

*Note: in order to get the above pricing you must click on the Speical Offers button located at the bottom of the page. If you just plug in your dates and search you will not see any of the discounted pricing. I only searched for the free dining promo, but I believe the % off promo will also work with these dates.

Most importantly have fun planning your trip and even more fun at the World with your family!!!

Oh man!!! These two pretty much said what I was going to. I really love the Epcot area so I would really look at the Swan and Dolphin. I used a travel agent once and I loved it. I just didn't have the time to investigate everything and constantly watch for discounts and they did it for me (Small World Vacations). The thing with getting a "better" deal on your own is simply untrue as long as you have a good travel agent. Another thing you could to is look at Travelocity and Expedia. They had some incredible deals last month. If you have the time to do the research go ahead and research/book yourself. If you would rather someone do all the work for you...go with a Disney Authorized travel agency. I, personally, had bad luck with AAA. I was telling them about the discounts. Try one that does just Disney like the two you mentioned. I wouldn't do too many table service meals but I would definitely do a character breakfast. I love those! Make your reservations soon if you want to do that. Fell free to ask more questions. Good luck and have fun! It is VERY possible to keep your budget under $2,000.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Disney doesn't allow discounting by TA's, everybody has access to the same deals - Disney's. Not to say that there aren't some great TA's and their knowledge can be very helpful, also service that saves you the time. Onboard credits by a TA on DCL are considered a gift, not a discount.

It just depends on whether you are a do it yourselfer or would like some professional help. A TA that specializes in Disney would probably be better with your trip than a generalist.

Good luck with it.

 

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

What was the trip you priced out online? It might be helpful to know what you're trying to beat!

I had priced out accomodations at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with a standard view. Also came with the 4-day park base ticket (no park hopping or water parks) and the basic dining plan (the one right above QSR). The total package price was a tick over $2000, which took the whole budget.

I know the resort is one of the deluxe ones, so I can save money by dropping down a level. At the same time, I do want to make it special for DW. I guess I'd like this vacation to be a "push gift" of sorts. We had such a miserable experience last time we came because of the off-site hotel I chose, that I'm definitely gun-shy to go with any accomodations that come off as "value", "economy", etc.

I've seen pictures of the Port Orleans resort and that one seems really nice. I've read mostly positive reviews...I'll price that one out in just a few minutes!

 

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

Being a FL resident there are many ticket types esp if you plan to go often. That's one thing to take into consideration when making plans. There is Free dining in Jan so you might want to take advantage of that-not sure of all the dates in Jan, but an idea and you could take those tickets and upgrade to some type of FL AP if you are going to go again during the year-living so close I would think you will be even if only day trips. Please give more info so we may be able to help (resort is esp. important)

Yes, exactly my thoughts! I've seen the free dining, but I've tried pricing for it and I don't see whether or not my particular package had qualified for it. I'm sure I read somewhere that the stay has to be of 5 nights; I think I'm one night short. Can you verify?

As for an annual pass, I like the idea, but I'm not sure what the rest of the year holds. Generally, we're restricted to taking vacations when Rachel is not teaching. She gets just a couple extra "vacation" days for the year, since she has summers off, Christmas off, Spring break, etc. We using those vacation days this year for the Jan trip, so it doesn't leave much room any other time. I'm considering getting the 10-day park pass with the No Expiration option, so we don't have to worry if we can't get back to DW within that year.

By the way, I won't consider any day trips to Disney because of what my parents did to us! They would wake us up at 4 AM to drive down (and of course stopping at the Denny's for breakfast in Ormond Beach off I95). We would usually get to the park around 8:30 AM. It was great until around 1 PM when we all got hot and cranky. Of course we were there only for the day, so my parents insisted we stay at least until 5 PM to get their "money's worth." Argh! We never got to do everything everyone wanted and driving back was always a solemn experience - since my and my brother and sister all said, "well, mom's miserable so we probably won't ever go back to Disney again". Anyway, I refuse to ever do a day trip to Disney again. However, a weekend trip might just work!

Oh yeah, as for resorts, I'm not sure which one I want to go to. I'm sure the value resorts are splendid, but I really want to make this special for Rachel (and the boys, this will be their first time here!) I was hoping for one of the less expensive deluxe resorts, but that looks to be a touch too expensive. I've heard the Carribean resort is a good place since the rooms are a little larger. I've liked what I've seen on here about Port Orleans. I haven't seen much about the Coronado Springs.

 

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

We've been going for about 11 years (a few times a year) and I've never used a travel agent. You can do it yourself and it is nice to be able to tweak it as you wish even if it is 2am.

Check out HERE and follow the links for the FL resident discounts to see what they currently have going. They don't have any FL resident discounts released for January yet and you probably won't see those until around the October - November timeframe. For tickets there are a lot of options for FL residents. If you plan on going a few times during the year check out the FL Resident Seasonal Pass (SAP). Since your DW is a teacher and I imagine that you'll be a little limited with the times you can go make sure you look at the Black Out dates for the SAP before purchasing. FL residents can also get discounted regular APs, three or four day tickets and all of these can be purchased at your local MWR/ITT office for an additional slight savings too. Having a SAP/AP will also give you discounts on resorts (lately the AP discounts have been better than the FL resident discounts), some restaurants give AP discounts on breakfast and/or lunch, some retail stores have AP discounts.

For the last couple of years WDW has offered deals on tickets and resorts for military but there is no real way to know, right now, if they will do so again. Shades of Green (SOG) is a MWR run resort on WDW which used to be a deluxe WDW resort and your rate is based on your rank (active, Reserves, or retired). It also recently underwent a refurbishment and while we've never stayed there I've read some really great things about it. You won't be able to get the DDP if staying at SOG but I am pretty sure you still get all of the other perks that on-site guests get. It is located acorss the street from the Poly so it is in a great location.

The Swan and Dolphin resorts sometimes offer discounts to teachers but I'm not sure how often those get released. The Swan & Dolphin also have FL resident rates but when figuring out the final cost make sure you add in the resort and parking fees.

With two small children I don't know that the DDP is the best way to go since you lose some flexibility in that if you don't make it to your ADR you have to somehow us that credit another way or your end up wasting money.

I'd be happy to share my planning/budget spreadsheet with you if you promise not to run away screaming.

Thanks for the fantastic information! I've seen the mousesavers mentioned a few times before, I've never checked it out though. That's a really incredible website. Whoever is running that operation should be commended for keeping up-to-date with all that information! I'm blown away!

As far as booking the vacation myself online through the Disney website, what if a better deal/discount comes out after I've booked? Can I re-book to take advantage of that deal? For example, what if I qualified for the free DDP but booked right before they offered it and paid for the DDP, would I call up Disney and ask for the promotion?

You are correct with my wife, the teacher. For the most part, we will be limited to the times we can go. Most of her time off falls within the black-out dates. I'm really considering getting the 10-day pass and paying for the no expiration option. I just need to sit my rear down and do the math!

I checked out SOG and it doesn't look like I'll be eligible to stay there. I'm not AD, Reserves, or retired - just a lonely ol' veteran!

Yeah, that's a good point about the two little ones and the DDP. We do kinda have to follow their schedule and I don't want to bring super-cranky babies into a TS restaurant just because I have ADR. Do you happen to know if I can get the food "to-go" at an ADR if it's not feasible for us to sit and eat?

And yes, I would be most appreciative to check out your planning/budget spreadsheet...and I promise not to run away, though I still might end up screaming!

 

[Dismom55]

I guess I am the odd one out as I do use a Travel Agent, one of the authorized ones of course. I do my own research, check the rack prices for everything and know if Disney history has offered any discounts during the time I want to go. Then I go ahead and let my TA book my reservation. I keep up with any discounts going on, and keep in contact with my TA, if I qualify or need changes, my TA takes care of it all. She also does all my ADR's and I have never been disappointed yet. We even had a conflict with getting a Fantasmic Dinner pkg and MNNSHP tickets, she got things switched and I had no worries or frustrations. Basically I could do all the work and have all the fun at Disney, but I figure why, I end up having all the fun while my TA does all the work. She also gives a small incentive for booking with her.

Each person does things their own way and this way has worked for me for several trips now. I have heard horror stories and am glad I found a trusted TA.

Lastly, enjoy your trip, no matter which way you go, you and family will have a blast and some great family memories.

 

[LilGMom]

Thanks for the fantastic information! I've seen the mousesavers mentioned a few times before, I've never checked it out though. That's a really incredible website. Whoever is running that operation should be commended for keeping up-to-date with all that information! I'm blown away!

As far as booking the vacation myself online through the Disney website, what if a better deal/discount comes out after I've booked? Can I re-book to take advantage of that deal? For example, what if I qualified for the free DDP but booked right before they offered it and paid for the DDP, would I call up Disney and ask for the promotion?

You are correct with my wife, the teacher. For the most part, we will be limited to the times we can go. Most of her time off falls within the black-out dates. I'm really considering getting the 10-day pass and paying for the no expiration option. I just need to sit my rear down and do the math!

I checked out SOG and it doesn't look like I'll be eligible to stay there. I'm not AD, Reserves, or retired - just a lonely ol' veteran!

Yeah, that's a good point about the two little ones and the DDP. We do kinda have to follow their schedule and I don't want to bring super-cranky babies into a TS restaurant just because I have ADR. Do you happen to know if I can get the food "to-go" at an ADR if it's not feasible for us to sit and eat?

And yes, I would be most appreciative to check out your planning/budget spreadsheet...and I promise not to run away, though I still might end up screaming!

This info is if you book a room only reservation, I'm not familiar with package deals. If you have a resort booked and find out closer to your arrival date about a discount you can call and see if you can get the discount applied to your reservation. Example - You book AKL now and in November they release the FL resident rates. Call as soon as you find out about the FL rate (I tend to check MouseSavers almost daily if booking or helping friends/family) and see if they can apply the discount. There are only a certain number of rooms available at select resorts for any discount available so there might be a possibility that you'd have to book a different resort or different class of room (std. view as opposed to waterview).

Here is a quick example of booking room only and paying OOP for food (using the current FL resident savings and January weekend rack rates).

Two FL res. adult 4-day MYW tickets without park hopping will run around $380 if you want to add PHing add $54 to that total. This is as opposed to $526 for the same tickets without PHing, which will be an additional $58 for each ticket. So two non-FL resident 4 day MYW tickets with PHing will be around $642. Sometimes it pays off to live in FL.

Resorts:
Value using the current FL resident rate for the nights you mentioned = $340
Moderate = $520
Deluxe = $620

So if you were to stay at a Deluxe and get the FL resident 4 day MYW PHing tickets you are looking at around $1054. Guesstimate $100 day in eating (we budget between $110-150 for our family of four which includes DH, myself, DS9, DS5) and for the four nights you are sitting around $1500+/-. If you add in the DDP your daily food cost might be lower but that is assuming that you eat all of your credits.

I'll clean up my spreadsheet some and send it to you. Love those spreadsheets.

 

[Bephus]

Just wanted to point out that if you are a AAA member you can get tickets at FL resident rates plus a small discount at any office in FL. If you don't get a pkg (DP) you can save a little $ that way. Also as a FL resident you can purchase the TIW card which gets you 20% off most TS and a few CS (including food courts at the value resorts) for up to 10 people. It costs $100 of you are not APholder.
If you have a strict $2000 budget, I would not stay deluxe. Stay moderate, the themeing is very nice and let's be realistic, you are there for the parks not the room!
Have fun!

 

[We_love_WDW]

I am an agent that works for an agency that has been EarMarked by Disney as an “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner" and while you can do the work yourself and probably price out the same package, an agent will continually monitor your reservation to see if a new discount can be applied - if they are good they will do it without you saying anything and call you with how much you saved. An agent can also save you time by pricing out your package and making your adrs...even if that means getting up at 5:00 am to secure Le Cellier or CRT. I also create a daily itinerary to help beat the long lines and include tips and tricks. Using a travel agent is not for everyone, some people love to plan every little detail themselves and other people like to not stress and worry about all the details.

 

[ccgirl]

I had priced out accomodations at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with a standard view. Also came with the 4-day park base ticket (no park hopping or water parks) and the basic dining plan (the one right above QSR). The total package price was a tick over $2000, which took the whole budget.

I know the resort is one of the deluxe ones, so I can save money by dropping down a level. At the same time, I do want to make it special for DW. I guess I'd like this vacation to be a "push gift" of sorts. We had such a miserable experience last time we came because of the off-site hotel I chose, that I'm definitely gun-shy to go with any accomodations that come off as "value", "economy", etc.

I've seen pictures of the Port Orleans resort and that one seems really nice. I've read mostly positive reviews...I'll price that one out in just a few minutes!

Sounds like you were looking at full rack rate. On the WDW website; make sure to click on specials. It will tell you special discounts they are running. you can plug in your dates and see if AKL is available. Good luck.

 

[ccgirl]

clicking on special offers I priced a vacation for you.

Check in on 1/28 and check out on 2/1 (4 nights)
Free dining (the one with 1TS,1QS, 1Snack
4 day park tickets
SAVANNA VIEW (talk about special)
All for $1981.50

click Tickets&Packages then special offers.

Have fun!!!

 

[Quin]

OP, I would strongly recommend a moderate for this stay. The theming they have is lovely. Go with whichever would appeal most to your DW; the boys will be too young to have much input this trip. Does a relaxed tropical island atmosphere appeal to her? Go to CBR. Does she prefer the opulence of a bygone era? Try POR Mansions. Would a vacation in Mexico be her choice? CSR. The high-energy Mardi Gras? POFQ. A moderate gives you the most options for your family with both TS and a food court on site.

When the boys are a little older - say, both in the 3 to 8 year old range - the relentless Disney animation theming at the All-Stars will appeal most to them. A little older than that, maybe 8 to 12, and you'll need to go to the CBR for the specialty Pirate rooms. This time, no. You're wanting to make sure DW has a great experience, so just go with her theming choices.

Unless you need to go through AAA for their discount I'd recommend making a room ressie only at this point and do it directly through Disney. Then keep checking, as others have suggested, for additional discounts - packages, FL resident rates, PIN codes.

I also think that for this group on this trip you'd be better to look for a substantial room discount rather than free dining. You don't want to repeat your childhood commando experience, but you also can't really predict how each family member will react to the parks and what your needs will be so far in advance. Even the QSDP is based on full CS meals that include entree/drink/dessert and you may find the family does better browsing at CS and Cart choices all day long. I'd recommend at most one character meal ressie - Chef Mickey's for choice, just because it guarantees you the Fab 5 for your DS2. You are driving in so you can bring groceries and Moderates include a free room fridge. You can save significant $ and park time by having breakfast in the room, plus snacks for breaks/bedtime. To get the best budget picture, figure how your family would really eat and then price the OOP costs using the menus at Allears.net.

When it comes time for tickets I usually recommend Park Hoppers, but given the short stay and the budget constraints you could actually do without. The trip is also too short to justify the Water Park option. The moderates all have good kid areas at their pools; if it gets hot, return to the resort mid-day to let them splash, then go back to your original park for the late afternoon/evening hours. Actually, you're going to need to go back anyhow for mid-day naps!

One full day at MK. One full day at HS. With the ages of the 2 boys you might actually prefer to schedule the 3rd full day at AK, maybe with Chef Mickey for dinner that night (AK closes pretty early anyhow, so you get the character meal w/out missing much park time). Save Epcot for the final day. WS won't appeal to the boys yet and it's an awful lot of walking for you and DW while packing the baby. Do the FW attractions that appeal to you in the AM, go back to WS and pick a country for a CS lunch, or even 2 countries (one for you, one for DW, then sit someplace where everybody can sample both). If you and the budget decide you want a final TS meal before leaving, the Biergarten has a decent lunch price, kid-friendly food options, and walk-up availability. Alternatively, hit the bakeries in France and Norway both for the final lunch and to purchase additional goodies to-go for the ride home.

If she likes it, a Deluxe resort will be something she will WANT to join you in planning and saving for in a future trip. Hope you have a great trip!

 

[Order66]

Actually, you would be eligible to stay at Shades of Green in January. They allow all honorably discharged veterans to book rooms during Sept and Jan only.

http://www.shadesofgreenvets.org/

regards