The Great 'Disney Cost Cutting' Hunt

Tennisnutz

We used this website 18 months ago when we went at Christmas even though we regard ourselves as "streetwise" Disneyphiles! I have to say it was brilliant and more than worth the money it cost. The only thing he got wrong was the weather! It poured with rain on Christmas Day and Orlando was under tornado watch! The following day was, as a consequence, very much busier than Mike had anticipated but we worked round it using his plans and still had a great day. I really would recommend this website to anyone - he certainly knows what he's talking about! On the last day of our trip when we had ridden Soarin twice and there was a THREE HOUR queue (can you believe anyone being willing to stand inline for that long?) we knew we'd done the right thing!

As far as tickets go, we found American Attractions good but it really is a case of knowing what you want to do and finding the right ticket to suit you before you go (sometimes that can mean buying the ticket at the gate). One word of advice - don't bother with the Park Hopper tickets. Spend one day in one park and you will see and do an awful lot more than if you park hop. If you've got kids, do look at the special UK tickets for 7/14 or 21 days or consider an Annual Pass (gives you free parking as well as some other bonuses). These tickets make the whole Disney experience a LOT less stressful.

Enjoy.......!

GentleGiant_2

...but who sells annual passes? I can't find them on the websites I have looked at (unless I am looking at the wrong item )

Edinburghlass_2

Disney for Disney Annual pass...

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/tickets/ticketsLandingPage?id=TicketsLandingPage

Universal for Universal annual pass...

http://www.universalorlando.com/annualpass/index.php.html

and Seaworld for Seaworld annual pass

http://www.seaworld.com/sitepage.aspx?PageID=164

allinav

We are lucky enough to visit WDW sometimes every year and have done for the past twenty five years always staying at a Disney resort.
We purchase an Annual Pass and are able to sometimes fit two Disney trips into the 12 month period.
The AP is not activated until its first use, and with the AP one gets 12 months unlimited Access into all the Disney parks and water parks (premium pass) heavily discounted Disney resort rooms, and many other perks and discounts at Disney stores and Disney restaurants including Planet Hollywood.
This year also we have taken advantage of the Free Disney Dining Plan, which means we can eat completely free at any Disney park, resort, water park three times a day (One counter service, one table service, and one snack including character meals) for the length of our stay (23 days split into two reservations-one 9 and one 14) To get the free dining we had to buy a one day Magic Your Way ticket for each reservation! that was all.
So the cost of the 2 MYW tickets times by 23 days food is minimal, and the discounts of hotel room for 23 nights and the 12 month unlimited park tickets is more than covered by the cost of the annual passes.
If you are planning on visiting WDW on an annual basis taking advantage of the exchange rate then the Annual pass is certainly something to consider.

allinav

modgit wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a car hire company. We have booked transfers to the hotel (don't fancy driving straight off flight!) we need a 7 seater and are staying in Lake Buena Vista. Have searched and it just seems a minefield of companies, so would be grateful for any help.

I will post this on the florida thread as well, in case it's more suitable there.

Thanks.

We always book our car through the USA Dollar web site. Also search around for Dollar discount codes (Mousesavers.com has some good ones listed) we have booked a Premium car this year and got a huge reduction by using a discount code, if the first ones dont work keep working through until they do. The one I used was OOAG.

CSI:Jude

Thanks VIVATIFOSI. Be sure to take my card with me incase we decide to go get a few bits.

Obviously a big money saving thing is not to eat in the parks but take food with you. But the rules of Disney appear to say you can't. Do they enforce this vigorously? Really don't want to max out the CC when I'm there.

I know this is off topic a wee bit but where's the best shopping bargins in orlando?

Jude :j

vivatifosi

Hi CSI:Jude,

You can't take a full on picnic, but they won't stop you taking small snack foods in. We take things like small packs of biscuits, crisps, bottled water, muffins etc in. Just enough to stave off the hunger when your stomach is telling you its time for lunch and its only 10am (don't you just love jet lag?). This normally keeps us going until about 2-3pm when we drive off site and eat something cheaper. If you have a break in the afternoon (when the parks are busiest) you get to relax for a bit and perk up to go out again and enjoy them for the evening.

There are plenty of good shopping bargains in Orlando. I go to Orlando 2-3 times a year and have a good idea of where to buy most things, so feel free to PM me with what you're after and I'll drop you a line with where I think are the best stores for what you are looking for. Also make sure that you write down everyone's sizes for jewellery, clothes, shoes etc and find out the UK/US size equivalents before you go as pretty much everything is different. That way you don't stress out trying to find this out when you're over there (sometimes its easy to find out, sometimes its not) and you don't make expensive mistakes by buying someone something that doesn't fit.

vivatifosi

GentleGiant wrote: »

Try http://www.airline-network.co.uk/ - they use Dollar in Florida and are cheaper then dollar.co.uk

Hi Modgit,

If you do choose Dollar, the closest depot to where you are staying is probably at the Regal Sun Resort in Hotel Plaza Blvd. May be walking distance, worst case scenario relatively cheap taxi ride. Depends on where in LBV your hotel is.

diadeb

Does anyone know if there is anywhere that you can get tickets without paying but using vouchers, points etc? For example nectar points, tesco clubcard vouchers etc.

I have enough points for free flights, but would like to save even more money than this if possible! Thanks

warrennick

I returned from Orlando this morning... or was it yesterday?? Beware the journey both there and back and the affect on your body clock. Having said that it doesn't stop me going year after year after year. When you have "done" the parks, realise that not much in them changes year on year. I certainly wouldn't go back to parks without leaving a gap of 2-3 years to allow for noticeable changes. Always book a villa if you are a family. The cost is brilliant if you research and I have stayed in some crackers that we found on Ebay, subsequently dealing direct with (and negotiating down) with the owners. It is ridiculously cheap to eat in Orlando but I would recommend Maggiano's on I Drive at Pointe Orlando where the half size dishes are too big for one UK resident!