how to get to WDW every year?

[macgim]

A question for all of you experts. We would love to go to WDW every year, but it is cost prohibitive. We are going Nov 11 - 18 this year but the cost is $5000. includes airfare, hotel (HIFS) and 5 day park hopper pass with transfers from airport and hotel. (for 2 adults and 2 children) This is my third trip and each time I have booked through a travel agent, but there must be a cheaper way to fly and stay than the way I always do it.

How do you keep your costs down? Is it possible for a family of 4 to get there for under $3000 without driving?

Please point me in the right direction, I need all the help I can get.

Marianne
Mississauga, Ontario

P.S. any other Canadians going to be there between Nov 11-18th?

 

[st_claire]

You may want to consider flying out of Buffalo. You would have to drive ther, or take the bus, but it really cuts down the cost of flying. Another idea is, if you really do intend to visit each and every year, consider buying a timeshare. While the cost will be very big at the start, it is much cheaper overall. Wait for deals on passes, like the second pass half price deal that is available now, or if your trips are long, buy annual passes and arrange your trips so that you can get two years worth of trips for each pass.

Hope these ideas helped. Good luck.

 

[macgim]

ok, so asuming I saved some money on airfare by flying out of Buffalo, is it cheaper to book a hotel from here via the internet, or wait til I go there and try my luck at finding a great price? I am open to adventure

 

[emmalgin]

You want to save big dollars???? You have booked HIFS, is it through a package deal? If not wait and cancel if necessary and wait for last week and book through skyauction. Next week there will be a last minute auction for sure with check-in on Sunday. You will need a car, hope you aren't planning on shuttles. But can get a week for sure for under $300 US for the week.

I did OLCC in May for $299.

You are going at a very low period (we used to do that week also). It is dead as all Americans are travelling the following week.

Enjoy......

 

[macgim]

Yes, I did book it already and paid for it, so no chance of cancelling. What is skyauction?

I am glad that I booked on a slow week, had no idea I was doing that, aren't I clever.

Marianne

 

[grover]

We will be there Nov 7-18th!!

We saved alot of money by flying out the USA instead of here. Also used DC to book rooms and bought the CND special passes.

Grover in Winnipeg

 

[SandraC]

The budget boards are very helpful for saving for WDW. I have it down to an art form. I have little tricks to save $$$$ and I am a very good saver. In fact most of the money I make from my PT job goes into the WDW acct. My thing is timing. In 1998 dh,dd and I went to WDW and had such a great time we said we would go back in January 2000 ~ only thing is, ds was born Jan 2000 so we postponed the trip until he was just over one year old (15 months old). We had such a great trip I announced WE ARE GOING E V E R Y YEAR! We went a year later in April 2002. Although it was a great trip, it wasn't the April 2001 magical trip. Annually for us is too often. Saying that, we have not ruled out going March 2003, but I know we would have a better time waiting until March 2004 and going other places in 2003. Actually, it's funny this subject came up ~ I am revisiting my work schedule and thinking of ditching some hours which would drastically cut my pay. I am greedy, but I would like a rest too. HHHMMMMMM! S

 

[calgarygary]

The key to saving begins with nerves of steel. Wait, wait, wait before booking anything. This trip was a firm date as we are going down to celebrate my parents 60th anniversary (they winter just outside Kissimmee). We waited for the right seat sale and found it in Spokane on Delta. Our family of 6 saved more than $300 per person vs. lowest cost out of Calgary. Book your car, if needed, whenever - but remember to check the rates weekly. Each time a lower rate is available, make a new reservation. Once you have a confirmation at the lower rate, cancel the old res. Use the internet to find best available rates for hotels. Also, you don't need to be an Entertainment book member to reserve their rate. Often, that can be the lowest available rate. Call around, tell them you have an entertainment book and see if that rate justifies buying the book after making the reservation. If you are flexible with where and when you stay, utilize skyauction.com

Finally, if budget is key, the most important advice is to eat as few meals at WDW as possible. Definitely would recommend the Entertainment book for BOGO to keep your meal costs down.

We'll be at Vistana Villages from Nov. 9th to 23rd. As strange as it sounds, still find that 2 weeks is not enough time but it is the max. we can afford.

 

[PoohBWV]

If you can go a week earlier next year, consider buying an annual pass. Then you can use the pass for one week this year and one week next year. Also you may be able to get annual passholders discounts on rooms which are usually quite a substantial discount! Be sure to check out the Budget Board here at the DIS as well.

 

[madonna31]

We use to be able to do it under $3000 by renting a vacation home in the Kississmee area. Don't get me wrong - staying on Disney property is AWESOME...but you can't beat the price of a house.

My DH and I went down with my parents and my sister and her fiancee to a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom/Kitchen/dining room/living room/laundry room/ screened in pool house - cost about $100 US a night - divide that by 3 couples and it was $30 bucks US each!!!!

Not only do you save on the price of a room - but you also save on the cost of food - go grocery shopping at the beginning of the trip and since the house has a full kitchen - stock up to make food - especially breakfast - the less eating you do at the parks the better!

If you are travelling to WDW with a group of people - I HIGHLY recommend renting a house - the cost is unbelieveably cheaper!

 

[MikeJ]

All of these are very, very, very good suggestions. Here are a couple of others that we do as well:

1) Consider driving (even though I know you said you'd rather not). The4moores have another post talking about what they spent on the drive down for their recent trip. We drove down (I-75) last Christmas with a copy of Dave Hunter's book in hand, and it was a great trip - we did each way in 2 days. If time is an issue, though, this may not be viable - but it does save on the cost of a rental car (or transfers).

2) We opened a US$ bank account and try to transfer money over to it on a regular basis - even if it's only $100 every month or so. If you start this a year before your trip, you'll have US$700-$800 for spending cash without feeling like you're breaking the bank on the exchange rate.

3) I admit it, we like amenities when we travel. We grew tired of scouring the Budget Board looking for every trick possible to save money, so we went out and bought into DVC. Our annual dues are about Cdn$1700, and for that we could stay in a studio at OKW for almost the entire month of January, should we so choose. Even with the best room deal you could find, you would pay far more than that to even stay at any of the All-Stars. Of course, you could purchase fewer points than we have which would lower your dues accordingly.


Our first trip to WDW with the kids was back in 1995 - we stayed at CBR and booked through a travel agent. When you go that route you almost always wind up paying for things in your package which will almost certainly never use. I think it's safe to say that virtually everyone over on the Budget Board will tell you you'll be able to do much better by checking the discounts and booking everything yourselves.

- Mike

 

[SandraC]

I am with Mike about driving. I was a HUGE fan of flying to Florida. Of the six trips I've taken to Florida, only the first one was a driving trip, the rest were flying. As I watched the airfares go thru the roof, I started to consider driving more and more. This past summer we took a 10 hour driving trip to the states and it was perfect. The kids were great and the driving was fun. dh and I said we could have driven further that day. That's what made us think about driving next trip. We will likely rent a car. In fact, I have booked a full sized car for two weeks for $550 all taxes and expenses. That's about the cost of a car rental in Florida when we fly. I think driving in a nice new rental car will feel like we are on vacation for than driving our own car. We are basically saving the $2400 airfare. We love staying on site, so I booked codes. Our kids are young so counter service and food courts and groceries suit us fine for meals. The only exceptions are character meals, I love them and do about 6 per trip. Last couple of year we purchased the Canadian ticket deal. I am looking forward to driving. We will start our vacation with 2 or 3 nights at the Beach to relax, then a week at WDW. We plan to take our time driving home. S

 

[macgim]

You guys are awesome, thanks so much for sharing all of your helpful ideas.

My best friend just moved down to South Carolina, we are planning on visiting her is the summer and we were going to drive, I guess driving to Florida will not be that much different...stuff to ponder for my next trip.

Marianne

 

[disney funseeker]

Macgim,

I have just sent you a PM.