I am NOT a Disney expert by any means! In 6 weeks we'll embark on our third trip to Walt Disney World. We're fortunate that we live within a day's drive so the travel expense is minimal. A tank of gas, eight hours and a great deal of patience - and we're there!
There are almost as many blogs and websites about traveling to WDW as there are travelers. My perspective is unique primarily in that I will be traveling with a teenager with special needs and a preschooler. Also, I'm very budget conscious. I wish I had the money to rent a 2 bedroom suite at the Grand Floridian (currently a "mere" $2,285/night), but I don't. And, truthfully, probably wouldn't if I did.
I do understand the appeal of the Disney Experience. They offer a great deal - especially if you have to fly. You can take a Disney shuttle from the airport to your lodging and use Disney transportation for the rest of your stay - saving the cost of a rental car and daily theme park parking (totalling about $250). A full-size car rental will cost approximately $156 for six days and parking will cost roughly $90. Remember - you only have to pay to park ONCE per day -save your receipt if you leave the park and return to either the same park or a different park on the sae day.
Staying at a Disney Resort gives you lots of amenities - a beautiful lobby and pool, on site restaurants and shops, proximity to parks or park transportation. You get to use any other resort pool or amenity - so you can go to the outdoor movie at Fort Wilderness one night if you want. You also get some small services like delivery of any park purchases to your resort so you don't have to carry bags all day or worry about your souvenirs being stolen. And, of course, the Extra Magic Hours that allow you to arrive early or stay late at a particular park.
As a family we have personal preferences that may not suit everyone. For instance, we tend to like to sleep in til about 9AM and the girls go to bed around 10PM so the Extra Magic Hours wouldn't give us any advantage. Since we don't have to worry about renting a car we prefer to rent a house rather than stay in a Disney resort. Any Disney guest (even those not staying on property) can use the Disney transportation - monorail, boats, etc. so we can still move easily between parks, etc. if we chose to. It isn't entirely about budget although it looks that way on first glance. Right now (April 2012) a Disney Value resort with Quick Service Dining plan is $276/night (not including taxes) for a family of four. A night at a Disney Moderate resort with is $348 - or $2,088 for 6 days (not including taxes.)
We rented a three bedroom house with a private pool for $115/ night. That's $805 for six nights (not including taxes). The difference in cost is $851 less than the Value option and $1,283 from the Moderate plan. We will, of course, have to pay for all of our meals out of pocket. I think the Moderate plan is a good deal if you plan on eating all of your meals at the park - for example, a character meal (table service) would cost our family (3 adults and 1 child) about $200.
The Moderate plan costs includes 6 snacks, 6 Quick Service meals and 6 Table Service meals per person during those 6 days. However, if you choose to use your plan at certain places - Cinderella's Table, Signature Restaurants and Dinner Shows - it will "cost" 2 meals per person per event. If you use your meal plan for any of these you need to add the cost of at least one additional meal to your budget. Similarly, if your family wants to eat 3 meals a day as well as a snack you will need to budget for additional meals. If you have bought into the Disney Experience all of these will by default have to be on Disney property since you won't have a car. The Value plan doesn't include the ability to attend any prepaid Character or Signature meals. So if your kids want breakfast with Mickey, you'll need to pay for it privately, just like I will. Somehow, I bet most people end up buying a few extra meals or snacks even if they are on one of the Dining Plans. Who knows? Maybe they buy cold cereal and PB&J and just eat in their room a couple of times.
It's easy to spend to $200 a day for a family of 4 to eat on Disney property (1 character meal and you're there) which would make the cost of the house vs. the hotel even over 6 nights. Having done this before I know that we will eat breakfast at the house as well as some dinners and snacks. The cost is no different than our regular grocery bill - probably $100- 150 for the week. That leaves me with $1,043 (after theme park parking) in the budget before I hit the same cost as the Moderate plan. We will eat a few meals and snacks at the parks when we are hungry or staying longer than we planned. We also will have the ability to eat at local restaurants or even Burger King if we feel like it. It is possible that we will spend an additional $175/day on food, but unlikely. Which is one of the reasons we rent a house.
The other is SPACE. We like not only having a kitchen, but three bedrooms and a living room. We don't have to go to bed when our kids do just because we're all crammed into the same room. A typical room at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is about 340 square feet. These are among the largest rooms on Disney property that aren't suites or villas. The house we're renting is approximately 1500 square feet. My oldest doesn't do well in the heat so we typically go back to the house in the middle of the day.
With a house we can spread out. Amanda can play on the computer or watch TV. Danielle can watch a different TV, nap or swim. Kevin & I can read, swim, watch TV. We've rented houses in several places. This year we are returning to a house we rented through Florida Spirit Vacation Homes. In addition to a full kitchen and 3 bedrooms we'll have a private pool, washer & dryer, 2 full baths and 4 TVs. Another advantage for our family is that everything is on a single floor- no messing with transport, elevators, long walks etc. pushing a wheelchair every time one of us wants a meal or a swim.
Luckily, right now my girls like a lot of the same things - Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Disney Princesses and simple rides. I think this may be the last easy trip before my youngest outgrows my older daughter's interests. Its an odd truth to be facing. So, I feel like making the most of this trip.
I do understand the appeal of the Disney Experience. They offer a great deal - especially if you have to fly. You can take a Disney shuttle from the airport to your lodging and use Disney transportation for the rest of your stay - saving the cost of a rental car and daily theme park parking (totalling about $250). A full-size car rental will cost approximately $156 for six days and parking will cost roughly $90. Remember - you only have to pay to park ONCE per day -save your receipt if you leave the park and return to either the same park or a different park on the sae day.
Staying at a Disney Resort gives you lots of amenities - a beautiful lobby and pool, on site restaurants and shops, proximity to parks or park transportation. You get to use any other resort pool or amenity - so you can go to the outdoor movie at Fort Wilderness one night if you want. You also get some small services like delivery of any park purchases to your resort so you don't have to carry bags all day or worry about your souvenirs being stolen. And, of course, the Extra Magic Hours that allow you to arrive early or stay late at a particular park.
As a family we have personal preferences that may not suit everyone. For instance, we tend to like to sleep in til about 9AM and the girls go to bed around 10PM so the Extra Magic Hours wouldn't give us any advantage. Since we don't have to worry about renting a car we prefer to rent a house rather than stay in a Disney resort. Any Disney guest (even those not staying on property) can use the Disney transportation - monorail, boats, etc. so we can still move easily between parks, etc. if we chose to. It isn't entirely about budget although it looks that way on first glance. Right now (April 2012) a Disney Value resort with Quick Service Dining plan is $276/night (not including taxes) for a family of four. A night at a Disney Moderate resort with is $348 - or $2,088 for 6 days (not including taxes.)
We rented a three bedroom house with a private pool for $115/ night. That's $805 for six nights (not including taxes). The difference in cost is $851 less than the Value option and $1,283 from the Moderate plan. We will, of course, have to pay for all of our meals out of pocket. I think the Moderate plan is a good deal if you plan on eating all of your meals at the park - for example, a character meal (table service) would cost our family (3 adults and 1 child) about $200.
The Moderate plan costs includes 6 snacks, 6 Quick Service meals and 6 Table Service meals per person during those 6 days. However, if you choose to use your plan at certain places - Cinderella's Table, Signature Restaurants and Dinner Shows - it will "cost" 2 meals per person per event. If you use your meal plan for any of these you need to add the cost of at least one additional meal to your budget. Similarly, if your family wants to eat 3 meals a day as well as a snack you will need to budget for additional meals. If you have bought into the Disney Experience all of these will by default have to be on Disney property since you won't have a car. The Value plan doesn't include the ability to attend any prepaid Character or Signature meals. So if your kids want breakfast with Mickey, you'll need to pay for it privately, just like I will. Somehow, I bet most people end up buying a few extra meals or snacks even if they are on one of the Dining Plans. Who knows? Maybe they buy cold cereal and PB&J and just eat in their room a couple of times.
It's easy to spend to $200 a day for a family of 4 to eat on Disney property (1 character meal and you're there) which would make the cost of the house vs. the hotel even over 6 nights. Having done this before I know that we will eat breakfast at the house as well as some dinners and snacks. The cost is no different than our regular grocery bill - probably $100- 150 for the week. That leaves me with $1,043 (after theme park parking) in the budget before I hit the same cost as the Moderate plan. We will eat a few meals and snacks at the parks when we are hungry or staying longer than we planned. We also will have the ability to eat at local restaurants or even Burger King if we feel like it. It is possible that we will spend an additional $175/day on food, but unlikely. Which is one of the reasons we rent a house.
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| Floor plan Caribbean Beach Resort |
With a house we can spread out. Amanda can play on the computer or watch TV. Danielle can watch a different TV, nap or swim. Kevin & I can read, swim, watch TV. We've rented houses in several places. This year we are returning to a house we rented through Florida Spirit Vacation Homes. In addition to a full kitchen and 3 bedrooms we'll have a private pool, washer & dryer, 2 full baths and 4 TVs. Another advantage for our family is that everything is on a single floor- no messing with transport, elevators, long walks etc. pushing a wheelchair every time one of us wants a meal or a swim.
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| Floor plan of the house we're renting |
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