HELP-my DD & friends want to do Disney in Feb for under $850 each!

[patch7777]

Could save a lot flying out of Buffalo....

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I agree with the poster who suggested flying from Buffalo or Detroit. The flight savings could be substantial. I know Frontier flies nonstop from DTW to MCO for around $80 each way (and sometimes quite a bit lower than that....I've seen flight prices in the $50 range). Even paying for luggage, they'd be ahead. It's not ideal in the winter time, but its somewhere that money could be saved if needed.

 

[hockey mom]

Fly out of Hamilton on swoop. $99 can each way was last I saw

 

[smiths02]

They are only doing two park days, could they do 3 nights instead?

 

[alohamom]

hmmmm just saw a connecting flight today pricing at $341 Canadian round trip-I wonder if they could do better? this was from Toronto-probably not riiiighht? not in Feb anyway...

 

[Cottager]

hmmmm just saw a connecting flight today pricing at $341 Canadian round trip-I wonder if they could do better? this was from Toronto-probably not riiiighht? not in Feb anyway...

If I'm looking at the same flight on the 17th, have a closer look at the arrival time for that flight and make sure you're comfortable arriving at 12:30 am the next day. They wouldn't get into their room until 2:30 am which makes it difficult to get up early for the parks.

Flying out of Buffalo etc. is traditionally cheaper 95% of the time, however, this is Reading Week for the universities, combined with the holiday weekend for the U.S. President's Day and Family Day in Canada. All US and Canadian flights are abnormally inflated that particular week. Prices on Frontier, Southwest, Jet Blue, Delta, AA, United out of Buffalo are higher than Toronto even without the currency exchange! And of course, there's the challenge with transporting 6 people in 1 car to Buffalo.

In my opinion, you're best to continue focusing on flights out of the Toronto area. If they are ok with the first day being a resort/Disney Springs day, that $341 flight may not be so bad. At least you have a dollar value to compare to if you continue to monitor flights. Also, consider setting up a price alert using www.google.ca/flights if you have a Gmail account.

 

[alohamom]

Yes, that is what we are finding-the price is really high out of Buffalo and Detroit. I dont know if we have EVER flown to MCO out of Toronto, like ever! It is waaay too much because of the taxes times four for our family.

I know that is a crazy arrival time but it is a group of high energy girls - good point though, not the best arrival time!!!

 

[MoreTravels]

They are young people in their 20’s full of energy. I think they will have no problem in arriving at 2:30am take instant-gram, chat, and party for 4 hours, then go for breakfast at 6:30am then head for rope drop park opening at 7:30am.

Some days I wish I can still have the stamina to pull a whole nighter... instead of falling asleep on couch just from watching tv.

 

[Zombie]

I was looking just at Expedia and think it might be possible. I used Feb 16 to 20 with 6 adults in my search. I see that world champions resort is $578/per for the flight and hotel. It’s a double room with a sofa bed and a free shuttle to theme parks and shopping district. That resort would be closest to the Animal kingdom side of Disney but a bit of a trek.

The better option might be that Parc Croniche does have space too. It’s $602/person. And it’s in a two bedroom condo with a kitchen and living space with a pullout. We’ve stayed here before and enjoyed it. It’s very close to Sea World (walkable less than a km). So closer to universal than Disney. But in a convenient location. We had a car rental but the resort does have a theme park shuttle that’s listed as free. It also had a free continental breakfast that we felt was quite extensive. And a restaurant on site. There are several other restaurants within walking distance as well as a publix to make use of that kitchen and keep the food costs down.

There looks to be several options in the $575-605 range that might make it feasible. Not nicest accommodations and would lose time to the shuttle buses but certainly not awful. There are several house rentals and condo rentals but then they’d need to get into a car rental which would eat up costs quickly.

I think they’ll have to be flexible on doing a flight with a stopover and the time of day they fly. And be willing for most of their meals and snacks to be grocery items. But I do think they can potentially reach their budget point (tightly), as long as they understand the free theme park shuttles aren’t 10 minutes and you’re at the gates deal. They’ll be adding (or losing) about two hours of their day in transit each day. (EDIT: remember to check into the shuttles carefully because a lot of them only go a couple times per day and at specific times. And/or just drop off at Epcot or the TTC. So if they aren’t going to that park they’ll lose more time to Disney transit. And if the shuttle times don’t suit them or let them make full use of their days they might end up having to add in the Uber costs. But perhaps the roommates who have the larger budget can just express a willingness for one of them to each pay for Uber each day on the ground and maybe everyone put some money into a grocery and/or meals out pool and use it that way. Look at the $850 as the “travel budget” but that the “ground budget” is separate from it (ie Uber/taxi/shuttle costs and communal food) so that the other roommates can “top up” without making the other feel excluded and she can contribute what she can “on the ground” at the time”. I know there were situations with my roommates and various travel, food, activities that we sort of had to do it that way. One year we even tried adding an extra $20 each month to our rent checks to go into the houses account so there was a bit of communal fund already paid into for when these sorts of things came up - fun things but also basics including like ketchup and toilet paper needs for the house communally. We looked at it as sort of funding all of us to have occasional fun nights. Pizza or Chinese. Or to a movie or a festival/concert. Outing out of town or weekend in a nearby city. That we individually might not have the money for that weekend/evening activity. But we had a “slush” fund we’d already paid into as a community to be able to do some of that kind of stuff. It was a townhouse with 6 people living in it also.)

If anyone has Any kind of travel points to put toward costs or the other roommates are willing to top up that $50 each it might be slightly more realistic and comfortable. $1000/each would likely be a much better “all inclusive” number to play with when there’s the need to at least eat something! But I know in my university and early 20s travel I’d often eat very little on trips (not just at Disney) to save money for other things and I certainly survived!

 

[FigmentSpark]

Don't forget there will be some sales coming up, if they can fly mid-week. It's those weekend fares that are killer. Like PP said, don't forget to check surrounding airports - Buffalo, Hamilton, Island Airport

 

[Donald - my hero]

OK to jump on the Expedia band wagon -- EXCELLENT idea @Zombie I had forgotten. We've used them 4 times to go to Disney and had nothing but great service (even during one of the EPIC fails with Westjet cancelling our flights -- they got us onto perfect flights in Plus with free luggage for the trouble even) Best ever was a Black Friday sale that i snagged for a full week at the Dolphin for under $1500 for both of us -- flights & taxes included YMMV with this though, last year's BF sales weren't as amazing

Just found a full 3 bedroom house, FREE WIFI included, round trip non-stop flights out of Pearson for $524.78 each. Flight there is on AC and arrives at 9:13 am flight home on Air Transat leaves at 8 and gets back at 11 giving them close to the 2 full days on either end.

NOW -- to get around the dreaded rental car issue I'm gonna suggest a little *sneaky* that others may chastise me for but hey, saving +$$ right? You can get a code for a free UBER ride with every new account -- if each girl signs up for 2 accounts (using 2 different emails but they can get free google ones) they have 12 rides right there. This isn't something i feel comfortable doing but my kids have all done it (not sure where they learned bending the rules to the point of breaking -- their dad obviously NOT ME! )

I second the work-arounds with counter meals with an extra suggestion -- take some sort of transportation from a park to any of the resorts to get CS meals with a bigger selection and a change of view. If they're willing to take a 90 minute break they can go to Fort Wilderness and get fried chicken to eat on the beach! 8 piece bucket with cornbread & 2 massive sides for $23.49. It's a little take out window between HDD and Trains End that serves the same food.

 

[alohamom]

Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful suggestions,

I have copied them all to the girls and they are having a lot of fun planning now!