discount disney tickets

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:32 am

Donnie Barnes wrote:

Michael Westerfield wrote:

Cool. I thought it was well worth it to stay off site and drive in everyday. The cost to stay onsite or try to schedule things based on a shuttle schedule just didn't seem worth it.

Wow, really? We've always found that the time taken to drive in, get through the traffic and lines at the parking booth, the PRICE to park, plus the cost of the rental car, made staying on site worthwhile (Disney's airport shuttle system combined with them handling your luggage for free) for us (I get that if you're doing a timeshare and thus need the car anyway thing, I just don't get the hotel off-site thing). Maybe I just never shopped well enough for the right hotel deals, but the price difference just wasn't good enough to justify it *if* you use mousesavers or other ways of getting on-site discounts.

Often if you stay on-site that qualifies you for other pretty good discounts, too, like the mealplan (which the thought of makes me cringe, but at Disney it actually works very well).

We've been going a couple times per year for the last few years, usually once with kids and once without (and with a couple other families or couples). We don't even investigate off-site anymore, but we do shop the Disney discounts REALLY hard to make sure we get the best deal we can.

We're booked for an adults-only long weekend in September right now. $516 all-inclusive for Southwest flights for two roundtrip. $688 for our room for three nights at the Yacht Club (would have been $556 at the Wilderness Lodge, which is our choice when we're with kids, but on the adults trip this is a little better located and we just wanted to do something a little different).

Haven't done anything with admission tickets, because deals on THOSE are the thing that's the hardest to find and we already have days on our passes. We go enough that we usually buy ten days at a time on the passes because once you get over four days or so, the rest of the days are REALLY cheap to add. And if you add the parkhopper and waterpark option at that point, it's insanely flexible and really inexpensive per day.

They don't expire, but be warned! Disney claims their "system" won't let them find your pass info if you lose it UNLESS you have the number on it. Our system is to just take digital pictures (with a couple cameras for safety) of each card right when we get it. Instant backup info. As long as you have that number, you're golden.

--Donnie

Well, we drove down so we had a car anyways. For us it was easier since staying on Disney meant about 200$ a night for the cheapest on site place we could find that had more than one room (seperate room for my daughter to sleep in). We spent about $900 (~130 a night) on the suite for 7 nights, 550 for the tickets to the park, and $150 in gas. We also decided to take most of our food into the park after the first day since there weren't a lot of good healthy options. After souvenirs and food I think the total trip was $2100 including everything for 7 nights and 6 days at the park. Being it was my first trip I felt pretty good about the price in the end.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2010 1:57 pm

Michael Westerfield wrote:

Well, we drove down so we had a car anyways. For us it was easier since staying on Disney meant about 200$ a night for the cheapest on site place we could find that had more than one room (seperate room for my daughter to sleep in). We spent about $900 (~130 a night) on the suite for 7 nights, 550 for the tickets to the park, and $150 in gas. We also decided to take most of our food into the park after the first day since there weren't a lot of good healthy options. After souvenirs and food I think the total trip was $2100 including everything for 7 nights and 6 days at the park. Being it was my first trip I felt pretty good about the price in the end.

I guess if you're gonna drive down anyway that can make sense. It's just such a horrible drive. I can't for the life of me understand why somewhere on I-95 has to ALWAYS suck.

Just curious, but why do you *need* an extra room? We've always just sucked it up and done a two double bed room and put both our boys in one bed. Once I get my new RV, though, we'll probably start trying to just stay in Fort Wilderness. It's supposed to be totally awesome, plus it's a very quick boat ride to Magic Kingdom/monorail.

--Donnie

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:17 pm

Donnie Barnes wrote:

Michael Westerfield wrote:

Well, we drove down so we had a car anyways. For us it was easier since staying on Disney meant about 200$ a night for the cheapest on site place we could find that had more than one room (seperate room for my daughter to sleep in). We spent about $900 (~130 a night) on the suite for 7 nights, 550 for the tickets to the park, and $150 in gas. We also decided to take most of our food into the park after the first day since there weren't a lot of good healthy options. After souvenirs and food I think the total trip was $2100 including everything for 7 nights and 6 days at the park. Being it was my first trip I felt pretty good about the price in the end.

I guess if you're gonna drive down anyway that can make sense. It's just such a horrible drive. I can't for the life of me understand why somewhere on I-95 has to ALWAYS suck.

Just curious, but why do you *need* an extra room? We've always just sucked it up and done a two double bed room and put both our boys in one bed. Once I get my new RV, though, we'll probably start trying to just stay in Fort Wilderness. It's supposed to be totally awesome, plus it's a very quick boat ride to Magic Kingdom/monorail.

--Donnie

Yes, 95 sucked, but we made it.

The need for the extra room is so that we don't have to go to bed when she does. The extra room meaning the two double beds are in the same room, but seperate from the living quarters.

The place we booked for 130 last year actually ended up having two full bedrooms and seperate living quarters, so that was an extra nice bonus. One bedroom had a queen, and the other had two doubles. I didn't check if the couch pulled out, but it could have slept 6 adults with the beds alone.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:36 pm

Oh, just another FYI. The Disney meal plan is a good deal, BUT...know that you can't add it unless you're buying a park admission ticket. You have to be buying SOMETHING in terms of admission. Not for everyone, I don't think, but something. So if you do the "buy a bunch of days for everyone" at one time thing, know that you won't get the meal plan option the NEXT time you go to use up more of those days.

--Donnie

Chris Landi · **Joined:** Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:31 pm **Posts:** 579

Donnie Barnes wrote:

Oh, just another FYI. The Disney meal plan is a good deal, BUT...know that you can't add it unless you're buying a park admission ticket. You have to be buying SOMETHING in terms of admission. Not for everyone, I don't think, but something. So if you do the "buy a bunch of days for everyone" at one time thing, know that you won't get the meal plan option the NEXT time you go to use up more of those days.

--Donnie

Meals were 'free' with the stay we did at the Wilderness Lodge. I was impressed by the quality of food served at the various restaurants there.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2010 7:08 pm

Timeshare rules.

have you checked with the timeshare to see if they offer onsite sales of passes to Disney Chris?

we stayed right up the street from Seaworld the last time we exchanged. we spent more time at Universal this past trip as "The Kid" is older. we went to Seaworld on our last day as we had booked a late return flight.

i think it was a Shearaton property and they had a Disney / Universal sales agent on site.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Sat Jun 12, 2010 5:14 pm

Quote:

Cool. I thought it was well worth it to stay off site and drive in everyday. The cost to stay onsite or try to schedule things based on a shuttle schedule just didn't seem worth it.

If you stay off-site and drive in, you pay $14 each day for parking. If you stay on-site and drive to the parks, parking is free and you don't have to rely on Disney Transportation. Just something to consider for those looking at off-site hotels.

Quote:

We also decided to take most of our food into the park after the first day since there weren't a lot of good healthy options.

This has changed alot in the past year or two with Disney moving away from the typical burgers and chicken fingers to much healthier fare. Granted, you have to know where to go, but that's what internet research is for. Go to www.allears.net and look at the menus from all the restraunts in Disney.

Quote:

After souvenirs and food I think the total trip was $2100 including everything for 7 nights and 6 days at the park. Being it was my first trip I felt pretty good about the price in the end.

The way we fix this is by shopping at Disney's outlet stores on the way in. Between Raleigh and Orlando, you pass 4 Official Disney outlets. They are called Character Premiere or Character Warehouse and sell for MUCH cheaper than the on site stores. We bought a Jack Skelington baseball shirt for $14 there and saw it in Hollywood Studios for $45 the next day. I can let you know where they are if you are interested.

Quote:

The need for the extra room is so that we don't have to go to bed when she does. The extra room meaning the two double beds are in the same room, but seperate from the living quarters.

Consider renting Disney Vacation Club points. The rates will be better than if you bought into "Disney's Worst Kept Seceret" and you can get anything from a studio to a Grand Villa. Prices will definately be more than even the moderate resorts, but you will not be paying as much as you would if you stayed at the Poly.

Quote:

Meals were 'free' with the stay we did at the Wilderness Lodge. I was impressed by the quality of food served at the various restaurants there.

Disney does free dining from time to time. Usually during the slower times of the year. This year it runs from Aug 14 to Oct 2. Something to consider with free dining is that you end up by paying rack rates on the room. It might be cheaper to go with a room only discount, bundle in tickets and bring cash for meals.

One thing to keep in mind when *buying* the regular dining plan...it cost ~$49 per person per day for adults and is ALOT of food. You can't share a meal plan and everyone in the room has to have the same plan. So you can't have one person on the regular and one on the quick service meal plan.

If you don't think you are going to eat $49 worth of food every day, it isn't worth it. However, if you are planning on doing a sit down meal and eat a quick service meal and eat a snack, every day, then go for it.

One MAJOR thing about dining at Disney...if you are planning on a sit down dinner at 6:00 and haven't made reservations before you get there, good luck. Disney allows you to make dining reservations up to 6 months out. HERE is the link to the reservation site to book them now. The only place I know of that requires a deposit is Cinderella's Royal Table.

It is nice though to know that your meals are already taken care of. All you have to do is swipe your room key and go eat.

Link to the Disney Dining Plan brochure.

Link to the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan brochure

Chris, for the lowest non discount ticket prices go here The Lowest Price Ticket Calculator These are reputable companies that deal with the owners of Touringplans.com. They are not timeshare operations that hold you hostage through a 6 hour presentation before giving you your tickets. You might be able to save a little on your tickets.

Also, make sure you take advantage of Seaworld's $5 kids tickets with the purchase of an adult admission! It will save you a ton!

Try a travel agent that specializes in Disney vacations. I have used Coleen at MouseFanTravel.com for my last few Disney trips and she has been able to save me a ton of money. They are a no fee agency and get paid by Disney, so there is no cost to you. Quotes are free also. Last year she called me a month before our trip to say that she found another discount. Total saved on that trip...over $350! All with discounts that I could not have found on my own.

Hope this helps,

Serious Disney Geek who is currently planning a trip for this October and a Disney Cruise for 2012. And there will be a trip in 2011 also. Yes, I have a problem.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:08 pm

Todd, we did a Disney cruise and LOVED it. I can't wait to do a longer one on the Dream. It's gonna be amazing. I can't wait to take the kids to Castaway Cay, too. They are gonna LOVE it.

Another tip about table-service reservations...they're "flexible." They don't say so online, but if you show up early, often they'll seat you. And if you show up late, they will, too. Might wait a FEW minutes, but it won't be horrible. I have not tried this, but I have seen it several places. But like Todd said, reservations at least a month or two out are required.

Todd, thanks for the allears.net site. Hadn't seen it, and I think we just found our adults-only restaurant for our September trip. Citricos at the Grand Floridian looks to be high quality stuff without an amazingly high price (like Victoria and Alberts...yikes!).

--Donnie

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:18 pm

Donnie, look at V&A's Chef's Table. Talk about YIKES!!!!!

We are really looking forward to the cruise. We were going to try to go next spring on the Dream but it just isn't going to work out. So the Dream in 2012 it is. The AquaDuck looks fun and we can't wait to see what their signature dining is going to be. hopefully it will be as good as Palo is supposed to be on the other boats.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:29 pm

Dude, I'm sure it'll be as good as Palo. We didn't eat at Palo (didn't take nice enough clothes, though I didn't really care anyway), but we did get a tour. Amazing. I've been following the build on one of the Disney blogs...it's going to just be sick. We're definitely going to be hitching a ride on that sucker.

--Donnie

Dustin Fredrickson · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:23 am

Todd Breakey wrote:

Try a travel agent that specializes in Disney vacations. I have used Coleen at MouseFanTravel.com for my last few Disney trips and she has been able to save me a ton of money. They are a no fee agency and get paid by Disney, so there is no cost to you. Quotes are free also. Last year she called me a month before our trip to say that she found another discount. Total saved on that trip...over $350! All with discounts that I could not have found on my own.

x2. A good friend of ours is doing this also. We normally do all this research stuff ourselves but she saved us a bunch on our last trip. PM me if you want her (local) contact info.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:31 pm

MouseFanTravel also has a local agent. Annette Owens, lives here in Raleigh and also happens to be their manager of group travel, so if you are traveling in a large group, like I am in October (~16 people) give her a shout.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:24 am

Todd Breakey wrote:

Chris, for the lowest non discount ticket prices go here The Lowest Price Ticket Calculator These are reputable companies that deal with the owners of Touringplans.com.

nice, thanks todd...$878 is certainly the best i've found so far!

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:29 am

Saving $250 so far doesn't suck.

THSCC > Costco

- AB

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