[wldfire95]

I am ofically booked for July 19-24 at Buena Vista suites at 119.95 a night for 5 people. I am super excited I want to start packing

[latrice0723]

OK AFCer's I need help with purchasing Disney tickets. Every year we've gone to Disney we pay full price admission to the parks. Well this year I would like to save money without having to go listen to a timeshare lecture. I will need 3 adult tickets and 1 child ticket. I'm looking for 2-3 day passes. Please PM me if you can offer any help. Thanks in advance.

[bette]

Try this site MouseSavers.com - Disney Discount Source - Disney World Discounts, Disneyland Discounts, Disney Cruise Discounts I have used them for years! They have tons of great money-saving tips!

[lwilsonide]

Originally Posted by bette

Try this site MouseSavers.com - Disney Discount Source - Disney World Discounts, Disneyland Discounts, Disney Cruise Discounts I have used them for years! They have tons of great money-saving tips!

I second that! I ahve told many about mousesavers & they all saved a ton!

[lwilsonide]

Originally Posted by wldfire95

I am ofically booked for July 19-24 at Buena Vista suites at 119.95 a night for 5 people. I am super excited I want to start packing

Why didn't you do the Disney deal? Buy 4 get 3?

[wldfire95]

it was a better price staying offsite as I could not find a equal rate for 4 adults and 1 child onsite any help would be great

[bellsandbabies]

I am taking a last min trip to Disney World Orlando next week! It will be 3 adults and 1 child. No timeshare presentations. Any ideas on great deals?

I need ticket deals! I was just looking at the prices and cannot believe how expensive it is! WOW! It will be worth it though. I just need to figure out a way to get them cheaper!

[Guccichic]

I plan to bring my son there next month for the first time. I would love some suggestions on where to eat. I am staying at the animal kingdom Please any ideas of places to see also for a 6 year old that would be great.

[bette]

The Animal Kingdom Lodge actually has an excellent buffet right on the premises! We eat there every time we go. Very unique foods, but quite delicious. As for your child, Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary is one of our kid's favorites. It is a buffet meal with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto. Lots of character interaction and tons of fun. The food is exceptional too. The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom is a character meal with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore and is quite good. For more inexpensive meals, try Pecos Bill's in the Magic Kingdom for really great burgers and wraps. In Epcot, all the countries have some delicious food, but the Cantina de San Angel in Mexico is terrific. In Animal Kingdom, Flame Tree BBQ is a must eat. Great ribs and chicken. Disney Studios has many excellent places to eat, but for a quick, cheaper meal the Backlot Express rules. The 50's Prime Time Cafe is delicious, albeit a little pricey, but so much fun. The Sci-Fi Dine In doesn't have the best food at Disney, but the atmosphere will keep your son talking about it for months. You sit in an old car and watch clips from old sci-fi movies on a movie screen. The kids just adore it. The food is good, just not exceptional. The food at Disney is really quite good anywhere you go. We are always impressed at the quality.
As far as places to see, all the parks have lots your child will love. Animal Kingdom is one of our favorites. There is so much to see and do there. Don't miss the Festival of the Lion King show. It is well worth the wait! Obviously Magic Kingdom is a must do for all kids! Epcot has lots of fun things for the kids and they actually enjoy it more than you would think. It's so educational too. Disney Studios has Broadway quality shows and lots of great rides as well. Whatever you do, I know your child will love it! Have a great time!

[Guccichic]

I can not thank you enough. I had booked my trip last week, and after I saw you other post about mickeysaver I recalled and saved $700 I could not believe it. thanks for the tips about eating also. What do you think about the eating plans at disney are they worth it??

Christine

Originally Posted by bette

The Animal Kingdom Lodge actually has an excellent buffet right on the premises! We eat there every time we go. Very unique foods, but quite delicious. As for your child, Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary is one of our kid's favorites. It is a buffet meal with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto. Lots of character interaction and tons of fun. The food is exceptional too. The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom is a character meal with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore and is quite good. For more inexpensive meals, try Pecos Bill's in the Magic Kingdom for really great burgers and wraps. In Epcot, all the countries have some delicious food, but the Cantina de San Angel in Mexico is terrific. In Animal Kingdom, Flame Tree BBQ is a must eat. Great ribs and chicken. Disney Studios has many excellent places to eat, but for a quick, cheaper meal the Backlot Express rules. The 50's Prime Time Cafe is delicious, albeit a little pricey, but so much fun. The Sci-Fi Dine In doesn't have the best food at Disney, but the atmosphere will keep your son talking about it for months. You sit in an old car and watch clips from old sci-fi movies on a movie screen. The kids just adore it. The food is good, just not exceptional. The food at Disney is really quite good anywhere you go. We are always impressed at the quality.
As far as places to see, all the parks have lots your child will love. Animal Kingdom is one of our favorites. There is so much to see and do there. Don't miss the Festival of the Lion King show. It is well worth the wait! Obviously Magic Kingdom is a must do for all kids! Epcot has lots of fun things for the kids and they actually enjoy it more than you would think. It's so educational too. Disney Studios has Broadway quality shows and lots of great rides as well. Whatever you do, I know your child will love it! Have a great time!

[bette]

The Disney dining plans are generally way more food than most families will eat. They also tend to take alot of time that you will probably want to spend having fun in the parks. Sometimes they are offered as a free plus to your package and that is an amazing deal, but I probably wouldn't purchase it.

[Stacey012345]

Bette....do you happen to know at what age they begin requiring a pass for a child? Will a 2 year old need a pass or do they just enter for free? And is there much a 2 1/4 yr old can do? Also, do you know anything about late February or first week into March crowds? Hope you don't mind more questions, thanks!!!

[bette]

Children can get in free until they are 3 years old. All of my kids went before they were 2 and had a great time. Do they remember it? No, but we do. They could ride many rides, including almost everything in the Magic Kingdom. They loved seeing the characters, the parades, everything. They had a wonderful time, and we have lots of pictures and memories to last forever.
All of Feb tends to be fairly slow and is a good time to visit. March is a bit more moderate, as some states have an early spring break. It's not awful though.
I love Disney and am happy to answer any questions you may have!

[Stacey012345]

Originally Posted by bette

Children can get in free until they are 3 years old. All of my kids went before they were 2 and had a great time. Do they remember it? No, but we do. They could ride many rides, including almost everything in the Magic Kingdom. They loved seeing the characters, the parades, everything. They had a wonderful time, and we have lots of pictures and memories to last forever.
All of Feb tends to be fairly slow and is a good time to visit. March is a bit more moderate, as some states have an early spring break. It's not awful though.
I love Disney and am happy to answer any questions you may have!

Thanks so much!!! I appreciate your quick reply. I just subscribed to mouse savers. How far out do you typically book? Is it too early to be thinking about next year? And do you generally buy your tickets as part of a package or do you buy them separately to save $? Thanks again!

[Jenn'sCup]

Thanks for the tips. We are going for the first time in about 2 weeks. We are all super excited (13 of us in total). We have purchased everything but tickets. I am planning to look at mousesavers.com that has been mentioned. I hope to save us some money on tickets!

[bette]

Originally Posted by Stacey012345

Thanks so much!!! My little one will be just over 2 when we are thinking of going and is coming because of my older one being ready, so I fully don't anticipate much being remembered, but I'm glad to hear there are rides to be done at that age, too! I appreciate your quick reply. I just subscribed to mouse savers. How far out do you typically book? Is it too early to be thinking about 1st week of March for next year? And do you generally buy your tickets as part of a package or do you buy them separately to save $? Thanks again!

We generally book about a year or so before we plan to leave, so it is definitely not too early. That should be a very nice time to go, before the weather gets unbearably hot! We normally get our tickets separately, but they have been running some pretty fabulous deals here lately so you may want to look into a package. Especially when they offer the dining plan for free- that is an unbelievable deal! I definitely recommend staying on-site. The transportation they provide will save you about $15 in parking fees and is just so convenient. The buses run very frequently and they pick you up at the front of each park and drop you off near the front of your hotel. If you are looking for an inexpensive Disney hotel, the Pop Century resort is awesome. We have stayed there about 4 times and we just love it. All the Disney hotels are very nice, and we have stayed from the highest end(I had a complaint to Disney at one point and they gave us the Animal Kingdom lodge concierge level) to the lowest and we have never been disappointed. I can't say that for other hotels.

[bellsandbabies]

Ok, Here is what I have found so far in my searches:

5 days, 4 Nights
$199 + tax TOTAL!

4 Star Hotel! You have to stay Sunday through Thursday to get the deal. Right now it is $89 a night, Buy 1 night get 1 free so $44 a night booked through Expedia. (Friday rates are $425!!!)

Rosen Shingle Creek

THE BEST DEAL SO FAR! Even better than a timeshare presentation!

Disney Ticket Deals:

I have not found very many at all. However, if you order directly through the Disney sight you can register for a Disney Visa Card, use it to pay for the tickets and you will get $40 off your bill!

Another option would be through Ebay. I found a reputable seller that sells tickets $10-$30 below Disney prices and no tax. You pick the tickets up in Orlando.

2 DAY ADULT DISNEY WORLD BASE 1 PARK PER DAY TICKET - eBay (item 150345463840 end time May-23-09 19:14:00 PDT)

The last option is an idea I got from researching Ebay. It is a bit more complicated but will make up for the cost. If we buy 3 7 day passes with no expiration date and use 3 days I can sell the remaining 4 days on Ebay for around $200 a piece. That would save us $222 total off the tickets. Its a risk doing that though.

OR do a timeshare presentation at Silver Lake Resort Plantation and get 5 days, 4 nights for $200 plus tax and get 2 Disney tickets.

[Stacey012345]

Originally Posted by bette

We generally book about a year or so before we plan to leave, so it is definitely not too early. That should be a very nice time to go, before the weather gets unbearably hot! We normally get our tickets separately, but they have been running some pretty fabulous deals here lately so you may want to look into a package. Especially when they offer the dining plan for free- that is an unbelievable deal! I definitely recommend staying on-site. The transportation they provide will save you about $15 in parking fees and is just so convenient. The buses run very frequently and they pick you up at the front of each park and drop you off near the front of your hotel. If you are looking for an inexpensive Disney hotel, the Pop Century resort is awesome. We have stayed there about 4 times and we just love it. All the Disney hotels are very nice, and we have stayed from the highest end(I had a complaint to Disney at one point and they gave us the Animal Kingdom lodge concierge level) to the lowest and we have never been disappointed. I can't say that for other hotels.

Thanks, Bette. I was looking online at pricing out a stay and they only have it available through year end, so would I call to get pricing then? Do you ever see deals for the Grand Floridian Hotel? And if you book now but they start to run a special like dining plan or tickets free or something with stay, do they adjust or do you have to cancel out the reservation and re-book? Thanks again!

[bette]

Originally Posted by bellsandbabies

Ok, Here is what I have found so far in my searches:

5 days, 4 Nights
$199 + tax

4 Star Hotel! You have to stay Sunday through Thursday to get the deal. Right now it is $89 a night, Buy 1 night get 1 free so $44 a night booked through Expedia. (Friday rates are $425!!!)

Rosen Shingle Creek

THE BEST DEAL SO FAR! Even better than a timeshare presentation!

Disney Ticket Deals:

I have not found very many at all. However, if you order directly through the Disney sight you can register for a Disney Visa Card, use it to pay for the tickets and you will get $40 off your bill!

Another option would be through Ebay. I found a reputable seller that sells tickets $10-$30 below Disney prices and no tax. You pick the tickets up in Orlando.

2 DAY ADULT DISNEY WORLD BASE 1 PARK PER DAY TICKET - eBay (item 150345463840 end time May-23-09 19:14:00 PDT)

The last option is an idea I got from researching Ebay. It is a bit more complicated but will make up for the cost. If we buy 3 7 day passes with no expiration date and use 3 days I can sell the remaining 4 days on Ebay for around $200 a piece. That would save us $222 total off the tickets. Its a risk doing that though.

OR do a timeshare presentation at Silver Lake Resort Plantation and get 5 days, 4 nights for $200 plus tax and get 2 Disney tickets.

Word of warning- You cannot sell the days left on your tickets. Disney tickets are non-transferable. In fact, in FL it is illegal to resell them. There is no way to tell if days are left on them and Disney will not back them up.
The only place I would get discounted Disney tickets from is Maple Leaf tickets.

[bette]

Originally Posted by Stacey012345

Thanks, Bette. I was looking online at pricing out a stay and they only have it available through year end, so would I call to get pricing then? Do you ever see deals for the Grand Floridian Hotel? And if you book now but they start to run a special like dining plan or tickets free or something with stay, do they adjust or do you have to cancel out the reservation and re-book? Thanks again!

Yes, that's what we do, just call. Rarely do they have deals for the luxury hotels, unless you do some sort of package deal. The Grand Floridian is absolutely gorgeous though. We had breakfast there once. As far as changing your reservation, it kinda depends on who answers the phone. I have had some who will just change it and get me a better deal, and others who say you have to cancel.

[Stacey012345]

Originally Posted by bette

Yes, that's what we do, just call. Rarely do they have deals for the luxury hotels, unless you do some sort of package deal. The Grand Floridian is absolutely gorgeous though. We had breakfast there once. As far as changing your reservation, it kinda depends on who answers the phone. I have had some who will just change it and get me a better deal, and others who say you have to cancel.

Thanks! I'll have to see the prices and the budget ultimately, but one can dream. Do you happen to know when you can cancel up until -- is it pretty close to vacation time that way if there is a better deal, you don't have trouble canceling to get it?

[bellsandbabies]

Originally Posted by bette

Word of warning- You cannot sell the days left on your tickets. Disney tickets are non-transferable. In fact, in FL it is illegal to resell them. There is no way to tell if days are left on them and Disney will not back them up.
The only place I would get discounted Disney tickets from is Maple Leaf tickets.

Yeah, we decided not to do that. We are just going to buy the tickets directly from Disney.com. Dont want to have any trouble on our last min vaca!

By the way, I checked out Maple Leaf tickets and the prices were the same.

[rabideyes]

I am taking my kids to disney next week. The twins are turning six( free on their birthday), but as of this moment we dont have tickets (two adults) and (one kid because our 2 yr old will still be free) or a hotel...
does anyone have a link to the mousesavers JUne newsletter? any tips besides timeshare seminars to get cheap tickets?
ktandrews5@yahoo.com

[kiddyjunction09]

hey friend i think from this you had a great time over there its sure that i am also going there. thank you for the information.

[wldfire95]

My july trip was postponed due to my grandmas illness and now we are going December 13-18. Staying at Lake Buena Vista Suites as planned and got a room for 4 adults 1 child for $375 total with free breakfast. We still have not ordered our tickets as I am hoping to find good deals, my husband got laid off Sunday and I would hate to cancel this trip for the 3rd time. We are so excited and looking for cost cutting tips. We are driving frm WI