Walt Disney World - Budget

Of course this is the first question on every one's mind - how much is this going to cost me? And, every family is very different in what they want/need in a vacation. Below is a checklist of questions to keep in mind when you are planning your trip, along with a few tips and things to remember.  All of the information below will be discussed further in future blog posts, this is basic information just to get you thinking about your vacation needs.

1. Are you flying or driving? 
     Since we are from Canada, we always fly. Driving is not an option. However, we do use Air Miles and Aeroplan miles to assist us with our multiple trips. If flying, do not forget to budget for bag fees. This can add a significant amount to your tickets. For example: West Jet has two free bags, but United Air charges $25 US for the first bag and $35 for the second bag per person EACH WAY. So if you take two bags each there and 2 bags each home, your family of four is spending $480 on bag fees alone! We often do the "suitcase inside a suitcase" trick on the way there bringing only 3 bags for the three of us. On the way home, we will have 6 bags (2 each). Do not forget to watch the weight and size of your bags as well as anything over 50lbs is subject to a hefty fee.
     If driving, consider your hotels, food, gas, etc along the way. Do not forget to account for your time. If you have limited vacation days and spend 2 days driving there and 2 days driving home, then you have spent a lot of your valuable vacation time just driving. Is it worth it when you consider that flying gets you there in just a few hours?




2. Will you rent a car or use Disney Magical Express?
     Renting a car is reasonably priced in Florida, but you do have to do some research and look for deals.  We have found that the best deals are using visa.com promotions and renting from Alamo. It is important to note that if you are staying onsite at a Walt Disney World resort parking at all Walt Disney World theme parks is free.
     Disney's Magical Express is a bus service provided for all on site guests that provides transportation from Orlando International Airport to the various Walt Disney World resorts.  This is a free service that is included in your package when you book through the Disney website or a travel agent.  Once onsite, there is bus service from every resort to every park also provided at no charge to Walt Disney World resort guests.  Essentially you would not ever have to drive on your entire vacation.  However, there are some down sides including transferring buses in order to get from resort to resort and occasionally there are long lines for each bus.


3. Will you stay Onsite or Offsite?
     This is likely this biggest decision you will make and there is no right or wrong answer.  We love to stay onsite as you are immersed in Disney.  However, we do have a small family, so that make a big difference.  Families of 5 are very limited to their hotel choices on site and families of 6 or more are even more limited.  If you have 6 or more in your family, I would consider staying offsite and perhaps renting a condo or house.  Remember, if you are staying offsite, you will have to rent a car as Disney Transportation is for resort guests, and you will have to budget an additional $14 US per day for parking at the theme parks.
     There are many perks besides the transportation and theming to staying onsite.  This includes Extra Magic Hours (special times where only Walt Disney World resort guests are allowed into the theme parks) and access to the Disney Dining Plan (a food plan that allows you to get significant discounts on onsite dining - remember there are 139 restaurants to try!!).


3a. If staying onsite a Walt Disney World Resort, what category of hotel?
     There are four levels of hotels in Walt Disney World: Value, Moderate, Deluxe and Deluxe Villa.  They all offer varying amenities and of course, you get what you pay for.
     We have stayed at Disney's All Start Movies Value Resort all three times and LOVE it!!  But it is not for everyone.  The rooms are very small (being a family of three this is okay) and the amenities included are very basic (no refrigerators in the room, no waterslides at the pools, etc).  But, if you are one of those families were a pool and a bed in a clean environment is all you need - then you will enjoy the atmosphere at the Value resorts.
     Moderate resorts offer a little but more space, some additional dining options, and other additional amenities.  Deluxe resorts offer even more including on site character meals and are in prime locations (such as right on the Monorail route or with rooms offering castle and fireworks views).  For families that are planning to spend a little bit more time at their resorts, these may be better options.


4. Food - Dining Plan, Pay as you go or make meals
     Food is going to be a big expense, there is no way around it.  There are many options, but I will always recommend the Disney Dining Plan.  I will cover this more in a later post, but each day each person will get one Table Service meal (meaning a sit down meal or buffet), one Quick Serve meal (meaning one fast food or cafeteria style meal) and one snack.  At first glance it looks like you are missing a meal each day, but I have to say, the portions at Walt Disney World are huge!  And sharing meals or eating only two meals a day with a snack is very realistic! 
     If you are going to stay off site, making meals is an option.  Walt Disney World parks do allow outside food in (with some rules and restrictions) so packing snacks and sandwiches for the family is possible.


5. Park Tickets - How many days, and optional add ons
     Park tickets are a big park of the budget and it is very hard for most families to spend that kind of money.  The biggest tip is the more days you go, the more you save.  So a 10 day ticket is just a few dollars more than an 8 day ticket.  You can also add options such as Park Hopper (meaning you can "hop" from one park to another in the same day) or Water Parks & More (meaning you also get access to the two water parks and Disney Quest in Downtown Disney).  To start, determine how many days you are going for and how many of those days will be in a Disney park.


6. Other things to budget for
     Many small things are forgotten and that is what can ruin an overall budget.  We try to plan for everything. Again, all of these topics will be covered in more detail in further blog posts.

• Gas if renting a car
• Photopass - Walt Disney World's photo option
• Souvenirs and spending money
• Stroller rental (if needed)
• Special Occasions (birthday cakes, etc)
• Tips (tips are NOT included in the dining plan)
• Refillable Mugs - another great Disney Resort perk
• Parking at local Airport or cabs to local Airport
• Spending money on travel days
• Special Events (Mickey's Not So Scary Hallowe'en Party or Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party)
• Other extra services (Bibbidy Bobbity Boutique or Characters in Flight).

Now it is time to start thinking about what you want from your vacation.  Are you going to be go, go, go or do you want to relax at the resort?  Will you go to one park per day, or do you want the freedom of park hopping? There are a lot of options.


As always, if you have any questions or have anything to add, please feel free to leave a comment.


~~Happy Planning!!~~

Where to Start....

So you have decided to look into a trip to Disney.  Now you need to know where to start to plan. 


First things first - Disneyland, California or Walt Disney World, Florida or a Disney Cruise?


As of now, I have only been to Walt Disney World, Florida and on a Disney Cruise, but Disneyland, California is next on our list (shh..don't tell, but we are thinking early 2012!!).


Here is a basic run down of the two parks and their key differences:


Disneyland, CA


Disneyland, CA consists of two parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.  These parks are in very close proximity to each other and share a parking lot.  Throughout the day and your stay, it is very easy to "hop" back and forth between the two parks (depending on your choice of park ticket).  Also within walking distance is Downtown Disney, a shopping/restaurant area where you can indulge in Disney without requiring an admission ticket.


Disneyland also has three on site hotels where guests can stay and enjoy additional Disney perks such as early entry to the parks. However, staying on site is not as exigent in Disneyland as it is in Walt Disney World.  There are several options in very close proximity that Disney designates as "Good Neighbor Hotels".  These hotels are very close to the park entrance (some walking distance) and offer Disneyland packages including tickets, early entry and other perks.  Many of these Good Neighbor Hotels are large chain hotels such as Best Western, Marriot and Holiday Inn to name a few.  Guests at Disneyland park can enjoy the perks of their favorite hotel chain and still be almost "on site". While in Southern California, Disneyland visitors can enjoy many other parks and recreational areas such as Sea World, Universal Studios, Legoland, San Diego Zoo, and much more.


Overall, Disneyland is smaller, and less encompassing than Disneyworld.  It is very easy to "hop" from park to park and stay offsite.  It allows families to enjoy Disney, yet not be immersed in "Mickey-Mania".  You can have breakfast at Denny's, lunch at McDonald's and still enjoy a full day at the parks.


Walt Disney World, FL
Ahh!!  My second home!!! What is it about Walt Disney World that we love so much?


In comparison to Disneyland, Walt Disney World is HUGE!!  Covering 47 square miles, Walt Disney World is about the size of San Francisco or two Manhattan islands. Of the more than 30,000 acres, less than one-fourth has been developed with another quarter designated as a wilderness preserve (1). Disneyland can actually fit in the Magic Kingdom parking lot with room to spare! (Trust me, that parking lot is huge! And, at the end of the day when you want to find your car, you had better remember if you parking in the Minnie or Goofy section!). On property Walt Disney World is home to 33 hotels (with one more recently announced), 4 parks, 2 water parks, 4 golf courses, 2 mini-golf courses, 139 restaurants and a large shopping area (also known as Downtown Disney).  It is entirely possible to arrive onsite and stay there for a 10 day vacation and never leave (and trust me, I never want to!).


The four parks are the biggest draw to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom (where everyone is a kid, a boy can be a pirate and a girl can be a princess); Disney's Hollywood Studios (where thrill rides are combined with family fun); Epcot (where you can explore the whole world in one day) and Animal Kingdom (where you can go on a Safari adventure).  


Hotel options vary from Value Resorts (as low as $82/night during Value Season) to Moderate (as low as $149/night) to Deluxe (much more expensive, but include options such as Castle Views or direct access to the Monorail). We are a Value resort family as we prefer the less expensive option of the All Star Movies.  However, if I had my choice, we would live at the Polynesian Hotel!


We have also enjoyed Blizzard Beach (one of the two water parks, the other being Typhoon Lagoon) and spent many hours at Downtown Disney (including Disney Quest and Cirque De Soleil's La Nouba).


Overall, Walt Disney World immerses you in Disney! Yes, there are other things to do in Florida (we have visited Universal Studios, Sea World and went to a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game) but, if all you want is Mickey, then Walt Disney World is where you want to be!


Disney Cruise Line


Throughout North America there are several ports where you can hop aboard a Disney Cruise.  Once on the ship your destination choices vary from the Bahamas, to Alaska, to the Mediterranean and much more. You can spend any where from 3 nights to 14 nights and get spoiled but the superior Disney service. Your cabin can include an inside cabin which sleeps four to the extravagant Roy or Walt Disney suites which include Jacuzzi tubs.


Most Caribbean and Bahamian cruises also include a stop at Disney's Castaway Cay where guest can spend the day at the beach with some of their favorite characters (including my favorite Captain Jack Sparrow!) Other characters we met on the ship included Princess Tianna, Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Chip, Dale, Goofy, Pluto, Lilo, Stitch and more!


Cruise prices and destinations vary depending on the time of year, but all cruises include rotating meals in themed restaurants, a Sail Away Party, a Pirate Party (which includes fireworks at sea) and much more.


So....where do you want to go???


As the planning blog progresses, In will provide additional information on all of the above topics and include links.  As always, if there is something you are looking for more information on, please feel free to leave a comment and I will respond.


For additional information on Disney Parks, Hotels and Cruises, please visit http://www.disney.com/.


~~Happy Planning!!~~




 (1) Information Courtesy of explorethemagic.com

I have been Inspired!!

There are hundreds of Disney planning sources out there, and looking at them can be a bit overwhelming.  But, that is where I come in!  I love Disney planning and vacationing.  We have enjoyed three trips in three years as a family and since 2011 is the year of no Mickey, let's do the next best thing....help others plan.


This is really a blog where I can put all my ideas down in one place.  I am forever sending emails full of tips for others and often find myself wishing that I was not retyping the same information over and over.  The solution - put it on a blog and pass it around.


Time for some disclaimers: I am not a travel agent, nor am I affiliated with Disney in any manner.  I just love my Disney trips and planning them was half of the fun. All of the information I have posted here is tips and tricks I have learned on my own or have learned from others.  I will be happy to give credit where credit is due and will post links to helpful sites along the way. I also post the current information available as of the date of the original post, Disney is often changing policies, promotions and calendars.  Please ensure that you have checked the Disney website at http://www.disney.com/ for the most accurate information regarding any of the above.


That being said, it is time to start planning!!




If you have any questions or tips yourself, please feel free to leave a comment.  I will be happy to reply as quickly as possible.