Starting to think about WDW for next year, help me plan Disney on a budget!

[ang79]

My girls are 6 and 8 right now. I think we are finally in the right place financially to plan for a WDW trip (thanks to DH's large bonus he just got!). We have friends that we have done week long beach trips with before that want to go along at the same time so that our kids can do some of the activities together. Right now my girls are really into princesses and fairies so I think a meal w/ the princesses would really awe them. Where should I look for the best deals? We will most likely fly since we're coming from PA, so out of Harrisburg or Baltimore.

Also, when is the best time to go? We are thinking being gone a week, so I would prefer to do it when DD's have a few days off school so that they aren't missing 5 consecutive days of class time and work to make up. We have 2 day break at the end of October (a M-T) and then 2 days in Feb. (F-M), which I think falls over President's Day. And then another 1.5 days in March the week before Easter break. I was leaning towards Oct., but my friends want to do the spring (so they have more time to save for the trip). Do prices fluctuate depending on the time of year? When is it cheapest and least crowded? Would love any input and advice, thanks!

Edit to add: We also have some random days off in January (though not back to back), Jan. 13 and also the 18 (that one is a snow-make up). So Jan. is a possibility as well, which I am reading is less crowded/expensive. But then the weather may be cooler, snow may impact travel, and its sickness season......If it were totally up to me, October would be a go. I don't think our friends are on board with going that early though.

[klwa]

October would definitely be the least crowded of the times you're listing and probably the least expensive. http://www.easywdw.com/category/disneybest/besttime/ gives a good overview of when it's the best to visit on average. Then take a look at this year's crowd calendars at easywdw to get an idea of what prices for onsite hotels/crowds will be like. October is MUCH lower priced than either Presidents Day or Easter, which are two of the biggest times of the year for travel.

[Mikey0709]

Following your thread. We are also thinking October. From the research I have done so far - it looks like even Columbus day (Oct 12th ) is now even a crowded time to go? (most schools off) AND end of October is more popular cause of Micky's not so scary halloween? Is there ANYTIME ideal anymore???

[ang79]

Anybody else have any input on planning? I've been checking out some websites and blogs but all the stuff about fast passes, meal plans, etc. is a bit daunting!

[KrystalS]

I've been end of January and mid October, but several years ago. January was definitely less crowded than October, but we weren't there during any school breaks. In January it was too cool to swim if that matters to your kids.

As far as planning goes, I started out finding my lodging first. Then I booked airfare. Then I researched crowd calendars and decided which parks we would do on which days so I could book dining reservations. You should book any character dining 6 months out, especially the popular ones.

If you are staying on property you can book FP 60 days out. We aren't staying on property so I can't do that until 30 days. You get 3 advance FP per day.

[acmom]

We have gone in Nov (2x), Jan and Feb. (2x) and had great trips each time. The weather is definitely hit or miss in the winter months - some of our winter trips we have been able to swim, some we have been wearing coats. But for us, lower crowds and lower prices make going those times worth it. I would probably lean toward Oct in your situation, but I would also look at the online crowd calendars and pricing to help me make my choice.

Like PP, I picked a resort and then did airfare, followed by making a plan of meals based on availability of reservations (if you are doing many sit down meals or the meal plan) and which parks we would visit each day. Then at the 60 day mark booked my FPs (although I talked to my family about those beforehand so we knew which ones I was trying to get).

If you have never been, you may want to sign up for the Disney planning DVD. They will mail it to you for free and then you will also get on their mailing list for promos. I had my kids watch it as part of telling them that we were going. It got them excited and it also helped me see what things they were looking forward to the most so I could prioritize those in my planning. It might also help you decide on a resort or which parks you want to visit most. As far as deals, I usually have found that the deals I could get through Disney were the best I could do (vs AAA discount) bc we usually go during either the free dining or the Stay, Play and Dine promo (30% discount I think). I usually book myself either though the website or by calling (if I want to make specific room or building requests or have questions about different rooms at the resort we are booking). Then I manage everything online from there. I know lots of people like using Disney travel agents too and I believe their services are free as they are paid thru Disney.

Hope that helps- happy to answer any other questions if I can.

[TwinFoxes]

I love going in October, it's been my favorite month to go. I've gone in October, February, and July. February was very chilly on some days, and it never got warm enough to swim really. July, well, it was hot and humid, surprise, surprise. Anyway, October was lovely. It didn't rain very much, the weather was nice and warm, but not overly hot, and the crowds were manageable. It's also when the Epcot Food and Wine Festival is, which is really awesome. I know you didn't ask about this aspect, but personally I would just go in October with my family. It will suck if your friends make you wait until January, and then they still can't go.

Definitely get on Disney's radar for promos etc. They don't seem to do as many pin codes as they used to, but those can save you money. If you're Costco members, look to see if they do WDW, I know they do DL.

Are you looking to stay on property? If not, I recommend Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Do a search on this board, lots of people recommend it. It's located near Epcot and Downtown Disney, it's more centrally located than some of the official Disney properties.

Book your hotel, then everything else falls into place. From BWI, try Southwest. Also look into Southwest Vacations for package deals to WDW.

Be prepared to take notes on prices etc, because there are lots of different ways to book. If you're a spreadsheet person, I'm sure one would come in handy. I'm not really, so I just took notes.

[ang79]

I love going in October, it's been my favorite month to go. I've gone in October, February, and July. February was very chilly on some days, and it never got warm enough to swim really. July, well, it was hot and humid, surprise, surprise. Anyway, October was lovely. It didn't rain very much, the weather was nice and warm, but not overly hot, and the crowds were manageable. It's also when the Epcot Food and Wine Festival is, which is really awesome. I know you didn't ask about this aspect, but personally I would just go in October with my family. It will suck if your friends make you wait until January, and then they still can't go.

Definitely get on Disney's radar for promos etc. They don't seem to do as many pin codes as they used to, but those can save you money. If you're Costco members, look to see if they do WDW, I know they do DL.

Are you looking to stay on property? If not, I recommend Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Do a search on this board, lots of people recommend it. It's located near Epcot and Downtown Disney, it's more centrally located than some of the official Disney properties.

Book your hotel, then everything else falls into place. From BWI, try Southwest. Also look into Southwest Vacations for package deals to WDW.

Be prepared to take notes on prices etc, because there are lots of different ways to book. If you're a spreadsheet person, I'm sure one would come in handy. I'm not really, so I just took notes.

Thanks for the tips! Not a Costco member but I see that BJ's (which I was thinking of rejoining when my Sams membership runs out) does a special if you book hotels through them and you get a rebate and a BJ's GC I think, so I will check their pricing with others. DH has lots of flyer miles through Southwest that he is planning on using for our airfare. I was thinking of doing a DL property after reading several blogs, probably one of the value ones. I think the girls would enjoy the over the top themes, etc., though they do get a kick out of just staying in any hotel since we don't do it often, LOL! Swimming was one thing I was worried about if we go in January. When I went in January as a kid we didn't pack warm enough clothes and had to go out and buy sweatshirts and jackets because most mornings in the park were chilly. Definately not swim weather and my kids do enjoy hotel pools.

[kdeunc]

We have gone in December (week before Christmas week) low crowds, warm weather, January (MLK week) chilly and pretty low crowds, February nice weather and super low crowds. The week in March you are talking about will probably be super crowded because of spring break season and Easter. We looked at going in March and decided on February based on the crowds. We have purchased tickets from AAA and Undercover Tourist. We do not stay on property we rent a house. Each time we have gone we have had multiple families and we liked staying together. It was MUCH cheaper to do it this way but I know some people really want to stay on site. I get information from the Mouse Savers website and we use Touring Plans.com for crowd info. Happy Planning!

[magnoliaparadise]

If you are staying on Disney property, I was told the campsite at Fort Wilderness is great.
We didn't go there, but a Disney staff member told me about it. He said that you could pitch a tent for $50 a night off-season. (I don't know if that's true, but if so, I would check it out for myself next year!). He said that there is a TON to do for kids there, so much that some people have a hard time getting off the property to get to the parks! Also, you can see the fireworks from there.

He also recommended a hotel that is a 'moderate' near downtown Disney called "Riverside".
I don't know anything about either hotel, but thought I'd mention it.

I would also suggest going off season. We went during a busy time (just now - President's week) and it was super crowded and expensive :)
It was great, but made me re-think good times to visit Disney!

Btw, I see that others have suggested Undercover Tourist. My friend used them for a huge party (her extended family were coming in from overseas) and she said it saved her a lot of money. I checked the website out and didn't use it because at that point we were about to bite the bullet anyway, but I think I might pursue it next time.

We used an agent and although it was helpful to have her because we were new and I had a bunch of questions, I actually don't think she helped ALL that much and it made it harder for us to modify any part of our reservation before we got to Disney (because we had to do everything through her).

Also, I would add - the Disney staff are really helpful. You could call a couple of times and see what the staff suggest you do as far as hotels (if you want to stay onsite).

[bnme]

I would avoid going over any school breaks. It is just too crowded. October and early December are both great, worth it to take the kids out IMO. Other then that, I would go late August, although it is unbearably hot. I also love staying on-site, even in the values. The buses and boats are a breeze, easy trip to DTD for dinner & shopping, The ME saves money, and just love the Disney touches. Have never been disappointed.

[TwinFoxes]

Staying on property is nice, but even the value hotels are expensive compared to off property. If you're really looking to save, staying on property makes it harder. That said, we only stayed off property once, and it was at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek. We went two years ago, had a presidential one bedroom suite for I think 9 nights, and it was around $1100. We've never stayed in a value, so I can't really give advice (well, I did stay in one once, but it was with a friend in my 20s, so not really relevant!) We like having a suite of some sort. On property, we really liked Boardwalk Villas, which is walking distance to Epcot and DHS.

[egoldber]

We have stayed at all levels of WDW hotels: Values, Moderates, and Deluxes. They are all nice, but if budget is a concern then I would have no qualms staying at a Value. You can get great deals. We stayed at All Star Movies twice in the last year. And we have stayed at Pop Century before as well, although it's been 3 years. The nice things about the Values is they have HUGE on-site food courts. I love them. :) In particular, my youngest is very picky, but she can generally find several sides at the food court to make a meal, which is easier on us than buying a "meal" that she won't eat.

The moderates are also very nice. Our favorite moderate is Port Orleans French Quarter, which is the sister resort to Port Orleans Riverside (that a PP mentioned). POR is a beautiful resort, but I will warn that it is a very large, very spread out resort. Most of the moderates are like this. We like POFQ because it has a very compact footprint. I have stayed at all the moderates over the years.

IMO, the biggest downside to both the Values and Moderates is that the rooms are small. If you think that you will spend a lot of time in the room (we generally don't) then you could consider getting 2 connecting rooms.

I would also consider packing a box of non-perishable food/snacks and checking it with your luggage. We save a ton of money not having to purchase things like granola bars. Many people don't like the tap water at WDW, but I don't have any issues with it, and my kids drink it just fine.

As for time of year, by far my fav time is January. The parks are empty. But it can be cold. October is nice, but it has begun to get crowded with the popularity of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Parties at the Magic Kingdom. We went the first week of November this year and that was very pleasant as well.

[bnme]

[QUOTE=TwinFoxes;4089024]Staying on property is nice, but even the value hotels are expensive compared to off property. If you're really looking to save, staying on property makes it harder.QUOTE]

Is it really much cheaper after factoring in car rental and parking? My parents have DVC so we have been very lucky to not have to pay for rooms, but good to know for future reference. We stayed offsite once, but trading through RCI so it was "free". And we were actually going to Universal.

[scrooks]

[QUOTE=TwinFoxes;4089024]Staying on property is nice, but even the value hotels are expensive compared to off property. If you're really looking to save, staying on property makes it harder.QUOTE]

Is it really much cheaper after factoring in car rental and parking? My parents have DVC so we have been very lucky to not have to pay for rooms, but good to know for future reference. We stayed offsite once, but trading through RCI so it was "free". And we were actually going to Universal.
When we stayed it was....we went to the Wyndham bonnet creek and got a 3 bedroom presidential suite for less than $800 for 5 nights (it was a screaming deal we will probably never see again). A similar room at a dvc would have been probably $3k plus. Adding a couple of hundred $$$s in car rental and parking was peanuts compared to what we saved.