1/8: Affordable Disney World

[Al Lutz]

Plan wisely and you won't have to put off a vislt, PLUS: A first look at the American Idol Experience. Discuss Kevin's column here...

DIRECT ARTICLE LINK: MiceAge.com - A different look at Disney...

[Lebeau]

I'm curious. In an earlier article, you indicated you'd never stayed on property before. Obviously, you've spent lots of times in the resorts. I'd bet you've logged more hours there than my whole family combined. But, I think you're missing a big part of the picture if you've never stayed on property before.

I'm not saying it's always worth the price to stay on property. But I can say that the times I have stayed on property, it was worth it. I definitely got the sense of luxury that you described as missing from most WDW vacations.

It may be impossible for you to experience that same feeling as a local. But I would think you should at least try it out sometime. Otherwise, you're really just speculating as to what the experience is like.

It's like writing a review of a restaurant based on a tour of the dining room. Yes, you might get a sense of what it's like. But without actually eating a meal and having the experience, you're not really qualified to issue a verdict.

I hope some time you'll at least give a Disney hotel a try. I'd be interested to read an article about that.

[KevinYee]

I've stayed at Disney hotels before: The Cheyenne in Paris, the Ambassador in Tokyo. So I know what it's like to wake up in the Disney themed environment while on vacation. It's true I haven't done it in Orlando, but it's not a HUGE leap to think it's probably about the same experience.

[adamsloco]

One option I think you missed that combines relaxation and staying on property is the Wilderness Campground. I found that that the campground was very relaxing. Getting away from the parks into your own cabin (or camper/motorhome/tent, depending on your preference and $$$) was the best part of my trip. Next time, we will be spending more time in the campground, and less time in the parks.

Adam

[RenMan]

[write-in quote, not Kevin's] You think they could have cut a few of the flat screens or lights and used live musicians. It really would have given the show the much needed spark and energy.

LOL. Nice sentiment, but I found this concept laughable. I don't know what scale musicians make at WDW, but it would cost more than a few flat screens or lights to provide for a live orchestra to be there for multiple shows per day every day of the week!

[Lebeau]

Originally Posted by KevinYee

I've stayed at Disney hotels before: The Cheyenne in Paris, the Ambassador in Tokyo. So I know what it's like to wake up in the Disney themed environment while on vacation. It's true I haven't done it in Orlando, but it's not a HUGE leap to think it's probably about the same experience.

Ah, I misunderstood.

That seems like it would be roughly equivalent. Having never stayed in those hotels (or visited the overseas parks for that matter) I can't say for sure.

I do think you're being a little overly dismissive of the on-property hotels in Orlando. Depending on your vacation priorities, they can be the right choice. I know, I've gotten some really good deals on them in the past. And we definitely made use of the facilities when we stayed on-site.

I would agree that if your priority is to spend as much time in the parks as possible, you're better off staying off-site. In fact, I would say off-site is the best bet more often than not. But there are times when it is worthwhile to splurge on the hotel. And when you do, the onsite offerings can be hard to beat.

[ameeg]

The Disney hotels are nice, and fun. But for every trip (we take 2-3 a year) its too costly. I love the Buena vista doubletree suites. They are huge rooms, kitchenette and you can get them for the same price as a value resort. I don't know if I agree about the meals though.. I have a toddler and character meals are totally worth the price.

[Mac Daddy]

I was one of those who scratched my head when WDW introduced the idea of American Idol for the guests. Maybe I'll be surprised, but I can't imagine that place filling up multiple times a day. It is, as Kevin's guest reviewer stated, a glorified Karaoke show. And once American Idol goes off the air and the popularity of the show dies off, what then?

It seems like a bad idea on so many levels. If a guest "auditions" for the show but doesn't make it, he or she might be devastated. Nothing like going to a theme park for a fun day and being told that you suck as a singer. Disney just ruined someone's day. Secondly, if the producers of the show don't have any real talent audition on that particular day, do they just stick in people who shouldn't be there and open the doors to an unsuspecting public? Word of mouth will spread that it's a bad way to kill 40 minutes, or how ever long the show is. If I only had a few hours to spend in the park, you couldn't pay me to watch a bad Karaoke show. If I walk into a theater, I want to be ENTERTAINED....rather than sit through a painful rendition of top 40 pop songs.

I just can't see this working.

[daliseurat]

Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. This would be a GREAT article if you wouldn't once again drag out the old Motel 6 $40 room vs a $150 Moderate resort comparison. That's like comparing eating a day old, cold McDonald's hamburger to a properly cooked steak at Outback. You really must stop with this comparison. It's tremendously misleading. And people who expect the type of resort you get at Disney for $150 would most likely run screaming from a Motel 6. Try comparing it to a VALUE resort at $82. And then, don't forget that there are transportation and parking costs that wind up making the cost comparison very close. And in some cases, as has been shown in your talk-backs, the Disney Value resort can be a better value. And honestly, Motel 6 does not offer any amenities at all. So even a value resort is not a good comparison. Just stop dragging out this unfair comparison and wrecking your point.

You are dead on though when it comes to comparing moderate Disney resorts to off-property resorts. You can get much more resort for your money off-property. Even $82 off property will buy more than the value resort. Of course there's still the transportation and parking costs.

I always recommend staying at a value resort and then eating and visiting the other expensive resorts. Like you, I don't hang out at my resort, so I wouldn't waste tons of money on my room. I've stayed off-property at various levels of hotel. I always miss being on-property. And I am always annoyed by the transportation options. And, as I spend all my time in the parks, I never have time to leave to go off property to eat cheaper. And honestly, for me, eating at Disney is PART of my vacation. I would NEVER go eat at Denny's or McDonalds when on vacation. I curb the cost of food by bringing breakfast from outside (bagels, bread, cereal) to my room for the duration, bringing my own re-fillable water bottle and snacks, and avoiding impulse eating.

[KevinYee]

Originally Posted by daliseurat

That's like comparing eating a day old, cold McDonald's hamburger to a properly cooked steak at Outback. You really must stop with this comparison. It's tremendously misleading.

Actually, this was my intention in the article. I was trying to say that if you want luxury in ONE way (spend more days in the parks, for instance), you might well want to save costs in OTHER ways. I did point out that quality was not equal... I was only looking at price.

Would I ever eat a day old Big Mac over an Outback steak? Yes, sure. If it meant an extra day at Tokyo Disney Sea, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[SueinSac]

(Eww, stay away from those day-old Big Mac's, Kevin. Food poisoning is a baaaaad thing!)

One way we splurge in Orlando without going broke is by doing split stays. We like to stay somewhere relatively cheap first, and then move to somewhere "nice" for the last two or three days of our trip. When we're busy seeing the parks, it doesn't matter how fancy the hotel is, but once we're past that stage and want to just relax and enjoy, we appreciate a nicer place. With split stays, we've gotten to stay at great places like the Beach Club, the Dolphin and Old Key West Villas, and eaten at some of the primo restaurants without feeling like an ATM for the mouse.

As adamsloco said, my favorite less-expensive place to stay on-property is the campground. It's relatively cheap, it's got great boat service to MK (as well as WL and the Contemporary for quick food), it's got on-property EMH privileges, we always have a car to go wherever else on- or off-property we want to go. The campground is an attraction unto itself, and most importantly, you can stay there with a family of more than four without going broke! That last point is key...if you think Disney is expensive with a family of four, hang on to your wallet when family member #5 turns 3 years old. Disney clearly designs their hotels for parties of 4 or less. If you have more, you're going to pay thru the nose. At the campground, you can have up to 10 people on a site. When we stay off-site, we always stay at hotels that have refrigerators and include a hot breakfast, which is another great way to save big bucks on food and not be penalized for having a third child.

My other split-stay advice is with the Disney Dining Plan. Yeah, the plan is great but expensive and gives you way too much food. So when we buy it, we only get it for three or four days, and have a separate reservation for the rest of our trip without the dining plan. We get to have Disney dining experiences at dining plan prices, and then it's done before we're tired of it. We generally don't even have to change where we're staying (in our case, we stayed in the same campsite), we just had to "check out" on the old reservation and "check in" on the new one.

There are lots of ways to make a Disney trip more wonderful without breaking the bank. But you're right Kevin, they definitely stack the deck in their favor!

Sue in Texas
...just got home from WDW four days ago...

[sir clinksalot]

Wow, I have quite a few comments about this one, but great article. You always give us something to think and talk about.

First is this part:

I concede that there is a smaller subset of folks who find that restaurant reservations and ride reservations REMOVE stress, but I remain convinced based on weekly observational evidence that they are a minority

This fits me to a "T". I LOVE having my reservations set. Before we go out we have a printed out itenerary for our meals (generally 1 sit-down meal at lunch per day), and based around things like EMH, etc. I actually find the opposite to be true, and by having things planned out, it allows us to take things slower, and relax more.

Example: If we know were going to be back at the EPCOT in 2 days because we have a reservation at Biergarten for lunch, if we don't see everything in the park today, it's okay. We'll just make it a priority when we come back.

Eat top-flight once, then save by avoiding table-service restaurants
I have to disagree on this one. In our 3 trips to WDW, we've never eaten at any of the restaurants you highlighted as top-tier (Victoria & Albert's, Jiko, and California Grill.)

For me personally, I'd rather have a daily meal (lunch is generally cheaper) at places like Sci-Fi, 50's Prime-Time, Biergarten, Pooh Buffet, etc and have a counter-service (or many times hotel food court) dinner. Plus, with the dining plan (at least in it's past incarnation) eating at Sci-Fi for example, isn't really much more expensive than eating at the ABC Commissary.

One must though, is we have to eat at 'Ohana at least once (if not twice) each trip. It's without question our favorite on-property restaurant. The restaurants, to us, are just a part of a WDW vacation as Space Mountain or Test Track. It's a nice way to break up your day, sit for an hour or two, enjoy some good food, good company and just "talk" to your family. (imagine that).

Or, DO stay at a Disney hotel, but sacrifice everything else.

Again, I have to dissagree. You don't HAVE to sacrifice everything by staying on-site. We've NEVER stayed off-site in Orlando, and I know I've mentioned this before, but I feel that staying in the hotels IS part of the "immersion" that a vacation should be.

We've only stayed at the moderates (once each at Carribbean Beach, Riverside and French Quarter). We LOVE the Port Orleans hotels. Sure it would be nice to splurge and stay at the Poly sometime, but for us, we'd rather save the $150-$200 a night and eat a nice meal each day.

I know everybody has their own priorities, but I can't even fathom going to WDW and staying at Motel 6.

Better yet, plan a "Hotel Hopping" day into your itinerary.

I couldn't agree more with the this. It's great fun, but it is easier with a car (which we always do rent anyway).

Buy experiences, not souvenirs. (Or: "buy experiences, not food")

Again, TOTALLY agree here. But, some of the best "experiences" (for us at least) are the food places. By not taking advantage of the great themed dining establishments, your selling yourself short on the experiences. If you are doing the Pooh Buffet, you not only are getting what is (IMO) a pretty decent buffett (we've liked it both times we were there) but your kids (and you if you like) get to see the characters without waiting in line. Free's up time and give you that expeirience.

I'm also going to throw in:

Penny Machines. It's great to have a list of all the penny machines (you can get them at City Hall, Guest Relations or your hotel) and have a great time between rides, or even just spend a day doing it. Everybody has a "Coin Bucket" at home (ours is the bucket o' booze from Pleasure Island) and with all of the water, etc, you get PLENTY of change for this.

Above all, have a financial plan and stick to it.
ABSOLUTELY!!!!! Which is why our extreme planning of each day, and each sit-down meal helps us. We don't buy alot of souveniers. I remember on our first trip, one of the things we got was a popcorn bucket from each park. It was an inexpensive way to have something that was from WDW, but we still use.

Here are some tips we've come up with to save money:

- Invest in the Disney Dining Experience (this used to be a better deal, haven't used it since the "Tip" thing came on, so not sure if it's worth it now)
- Have your "Big Meal" at a sit-down place for lunch. The prices are generally a little less expensive, and for a family of 4 or 5, this will add up quickly.
- Choose a Moderate over Deluxe and rent a car. Not only does this give you the freedom of not relying on the busses, it get's you to (most) parks quicker (MK excluded) and allows you to save more money on other things.
- Since you have a car, on your first day (or even before going to your hotel), stop at the local wal-mart or Winn Dixie (there is one each not 2 miles from the entrance to WDW) and stock on on Breakfast food and snacks. If your kids are like my kids, they don't want to eat as soon as they wake up. It's nice to have snacks in the fridge, milk, juice, etc where they can just grab something quick. This also makes having the big meal be "lunch" a good thing. A quick snack in the morning, a few hours at one of the parks, lunch at about 1:00 and then by dinner, something small is PLENTY.

[princesakellita]

I think the advice here is spot on. As a child, we always stayed Disney because the off property hotels just couldn't compare, especially transportation-wise. Now, that no longer seems to be the case.

We went on a budget WDW vacation last year, but stayed in a moderate Disney resort because a friend got us his employee discount. With a couple other cheap moves--flying Southwest and using frequent flier tickets, eating two meals a day, etc.--we were able to enjoy a night at Victoria & Alberts. And it was soooo worth it!

[JiminyCricketFan]

Kevin, thanks for the review.

I personally have great reservations on how this American Idol show would be fun. It is not family friendly. Only a certain age group of people are going to even potentially enjoy the program. Will Grandma like it? Or third grader Johnny. Probably not! Even for those who participate, it might be a very disappointing experience to be told you stink!

As to WDW vacations.. I have enjoyed staying on property and felt it was worth it. It really carried the immersion into a different place and time for me. The French Quarter really makes me feel like I'm in New Orleans and the Wilderness Lodge makes me feel like am staying at Yellowstone. So I guess I disagree with you on that point, but everything else I think I agree with.

[KevinYee]

I get the best emails:

You are cheap, for someone who can get to the parks so many times. I went twice to WDW and the second time I took my entire family w ewere there 9 days including universal. I sent 15g’s yeah a lot of money but it was a trip of a lifetime.
I was there at a family bday and Christmas. I was taken care of like a king stayed at the Coronado Springs the second time and had a great time. At WDW I would think of nothing other than staying Disney.
At Disneyland I stay across the street from the opening and eat Breakfast at McDonalds. I go there every other year even alone. Even as a diabetic I live on dole whip. Everyone knows what they can afford and should budget for their vacations.
Even I as a 60 year old I enjoy Disney souvenirs. I work in baseball, have for decades and know that I cannot collect every souvenir in baseball and have never been to a major league game. If individuals spend too much its their problem not Disney’s sure Disney wants your money but they do give back a lot.
Go spend a buck!!