Welcome to Fall, MousePlanet readers! In this week’s mailbag, contributing author Chris Barry answers mail in response to his article, “My Disney Top 5 – Top 5 Ways a Trip to Walt Disney World is a Bargain.” (September 4, 2009)
Dash O. writes:
After reading your latest article I was so excited I just had to write you. I live in California and have been a regular Disneyland visitor since forever. It has always been my dream to visit Walt Disney World and recently have been thinking of planning my first trip to the resort with my Girlfriend. As someone who’s really never been on any sort of long distance trip I have found myself quite lost when it comes to planning and organizing a trip to Walt Disney World.
I am really hoping that you will be able to at the very least point this first time traveler, student on a limited budget, Walt Disney World fan in the right direction on how to make down to the resort on a real budget and still have a nice little time. I definitely would love to visit the park some time in fall or winter as you have said. Keep up the helpful articles; it’s exactly the thing I was looking for: Helpful tips and advice without trying to sell me on something.
I think you and your girlfriend are in for a real treat for your first visit to Walt Disney World. First of all, I think you are in the right place. MousePlanet has some great planning pages on our site that should really be able to help you. You should also check out the postings on MousePad. There’s many, many discussions and threads on the Pad that will offer tips and advice for your trip. The best advice comes from the true Disney fans. They go all the time and have got this thing down to a science.
I would certainly suggest a guidebook. One of the unofficial books would be best. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and The Complete Walt Disney World are my two favorites.
There are plenty of deals to go around this fall. I know the free food has been extended and there are package and room-only discounts available right now. You’re picking a great time to go. Less crowds and less heat certainly add to the comfort level touring the parks.
I’m a big advocate of staying on Disney property. If your budget is thin, the Value Resorts are a great deal. I’ve always stayed Moderate. All things considered, I think they are a great deal, but I know plenty of people on a budget who enjoy the Value Resorts and you get all the Disney benefits; Extra Magic Hours, Disney Transportation the convenience of the Keys to the World, Package Delivery, Great Theming, and of course the outstanding service of the Cast Members.
Good luck. Planning a Disney trip is half the fun!
Louis O. writes:
Thank you for a great article in regards to the Top 5 reasons that Disney World is a bargain. My wife and I are taking our boys (ages 8, 7, and 4) to Disney World October 10-17 and are staying at the Port Orleans Riverside. It is our ten year wedding anniversary and our first time there as a family (my wife and I went there for four nights during our honeymoon, but stayed at the Best Western Lake Buena Vista). This time we are going to do it right and go Disney all the way! And no rental car!
After making our final payment last week, I started to second guess if we were making the right decision. I began to ask myself if for the amount of money we were paying to fly from Phoenix to Orlando, stay seven nights at the Port Orleans Riverside, and have seven-day park tickets, could we have used that money and have a better time somewhere else?
Your article reassured me that as a family of five, yes we were doing the right thing and I took note of the Alligator Bayou section!
Sorry to be so long winded, but after a long day of being an assistant principal in a middle school and having a parent meeting at the end of a Friday before a three day weekend, I feel rejuvenated! I printed up your article and am going to share it with my family at dinner tonite as we celebrate my wife’s birthday!
If you happen to have any more tips or advice in regards to our stay at the Port Orleans Riverside, i would greatly appreciate it! Thank you and have a great weekend!
Thanks for the kind words Louis. I think you’re making a great decision. The kids are the perfect age for this trip. The eight and seven-year-olds should have more stamina for a day in the parks, and you’ll still get a taste of that four- year-old wide-eyed look of wonder. Have a great time, and such a good time of the year to go.
As far as Riverside goes, I can’t say enough. I love it there. We’ve stayed at each of the Moderate resorts except Coronado Springs, but we’ve been there and walked around and Riverside is by far the favorite. It’s very lush and tranquil and there’s so much to do. The main pool is awesome. The quiet pools are beautiful. We love the restaurant, Boatwrights. I’m particularly fond of their jambalaya and the Bananas Foster for dessert is excellent. Try to fit in a horse and buggy ride around the grounds at night. My kids were lulled to sleep it was so relaxing.
With a family of 5, you’ll be put in the Alligator Bayou section with the trundle beds. My daughter still likes to have the trundle bed and she’s 10. Call your travel connection and try and request building 27. It’s close enough to everything, but still just a little removed for peace and quiet. It’s my favorite. Disney won’t promise a specific building, but we’ve always done well with our requests.
Also, don’t ignore The French Quarter. It’s just a few minutes down the river on the boat and it’s a beautiful resort. It’s roughly half the size of Riverside and is very tranquil. We swim at the pool there all the time and when the Riverside food court is swamped, we’ve gone over to The French Quarter and had no lines at all.
Have an amazing time. I’m sure you will. I’m in the education business also, so I know how crazy things can get.
Dana writes:
I just read your top five and you were so on the money. I actually live not too far from you in Fort Lee, NJ. I priced everything you did this summer. A week in Wildwood, just hotel, was quoted at over $1000! I love Wildwood , but it’s Wildwood, know what I mean? And don’t even get me started on Six Flags. I’ll be using this article to convince my hubby into a November vacation.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to respond. How’s things in Fort Lee? I’m happy to see that other people out there were having the same experiences that I was this summer. I hope you convince your hubby to head down in November.
Kirby B. writes:
My family of five will be leaving for Port Orleans Riverside October 2-12. You mentioned the pin code you received, for the last three years we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside because we have five. I would so love to try something new. How would I get a pin code and where is a great place for 5, 7, and 9-year-old to stay? Is it possible to get upgraded to one of the places you mentioned?
The pin code thing is a little bit of a mystery. I’ve recived about 3 in the last few years. This is the first one that I’m able to use. I’m not sure how I got on the list. I’ve been there enough. I’m a registered user on many of their websites, a Disney Movie Club member, Movie Rewards Member, Disney Visa Card holder, so perhaps the more I’ve exposed myself to the company the better my chances are of getting a pin code in the mail. Then again, we went down two years ago with our friends who have never been there before. I believe they have a Disney Visa Card but nothing else and 3 months later they received a pin code card in the mail. So, perhaps it’s just random and luck of the draw. The code numbers are linked to your name, so they can’t be published on the internet for everyone to use. One can theorize that the various websites that have published letter codes and discount codes may have pushed Disney to start using these name-specific codes.
The family of 5 thing is always a bit of a problem isn’t it? We love the Alligator Bayou section of Riverside for just that reason. I’ve constantly wished that Disney would throw some trundle beds in The French Quarter or the other Moderates to offer up some more choices. Currently with a family of 5, unless you go for a DVC villa, you can stay in The Yacht & Beach Clubs, Boardwalk, Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian Hotels. All of those resorts offer rooms with daybeds and will take 5. Granted, they are on the higher end of the price spectrum. To save a few bucks, your other two choices are the family suites at All Star Music and the log cabins at Fort Wilderness. I’ve never been to either, but I hear great things about each.
Susan S. writes:
I thoroughly enjoyed your article about seeing the World on a Budget. We, too, go to the World on a budget, but our budget is much trimmer then yours. We drive down from Virginia once a year. We do have annual passes. We stay offsite at the Ramada (1 mile outside the gates) for $49 a night, or less then $450 for our 8 nights. (I don’t understand how $200 a night for a room is on a budget? In our case that would cost $1,600.) It doesn’t matter to us if our bedspread has Mickeys on it or not. We spend all our time in the parks. Things like going to the pool or putt-putt golf we can do at home.
We allow ourselves two dining reservations (one breakfast and one dinner) for our week. We might eat counter service once in a while but mostly offsite at the end of the day. The driving allows us the freedom to come and go in and out of the parks with no waiting on busses. We also like to explore outside the gates. I agree the Disney resorts are beautiful and the landscaping is nice, though we’ve never been to one to see in person as the one time we tried, the gate told us we we’re not allowed since we were not staying there. We always come in the winter when attendance is low.
I just wanted to offer what our budget for a Walt Disney World vacation is like. It’s going without movies, no going out to eat all year, saving all our change, overtime monies earned and tax refunds, to come. Mind you we also spend a week in Memphis each summer and a week at the beach. We feel that we are blessed to be able to come once a year. I do not mean to knock your wonderful tips, but rather explain what a ‘cheap’ if you will, but well budgeted, and absolutely wonderful vacation can be trip can be. Thank you for listening.
You definitely don’t need a mouse on your bedspread to experience a magical time with your family. You’ve certainly proven that over the years.
I never meant to insinuate that $200 a night is a budget hotel. However, when a small motel on the Jersey Shore with 25 rooms, no restaurant and a tiny pool are asking $300 and higher a night for their rooms, then Disney offering a Deluxe hotel with all the amenities like The Yacht Club, for $200 a night is certainly a bargain.
You’ve proved my point exactly. Everyone says that Disney is so expensive. That can be true, but it certainly doesn’t have to be.
A good tip to check out the magic of Disney’s Deluxe hotels without staying there is to eat lunch at one of the Counter Service restaurants at the monorail resorts. They won’t stop you from walking in and eating an affordable lunch and you get to soak up the luxury while you’re there. The same can be easily done at the Boardwalk.
Keep making your own magic and thanks for reading.
Phillip S. writes:
Thank you for a well-written and well-researched article; it was a reassuring joy to read! My daughter and I tend to save up and visit Walt Disney World once a year and have done so for many years. (OK, sometimes twice a year.) And when people ask “that question,” well I did what you did (with less style and flair) and broke down a Walt Disney World week-long vacation by lodging, food, transportation… every mathmatical way possible and put it on a spreadsheet, comparing it to a week at the beach, a week in New York City, and even a week at home with rent, utilities and food. (We have even broken it down to what we’re spending per hour to be fed, sheltered and entertained…sometimes we take it a bit too far.) During value season, it’s actually cheaper for the two of us to live at Walt Disney World at Pop Century then at home! (…and that doesn’t include AAA or other such discounts.) OK, we’ve considered moving to a Walt Disney World resort, but so far the PowerBall numbers won’t cooperate. But I digress…
One of the many things I appreciated about your article was its tone. You made excellent points without direspecting the alternatives, without maligning other people’s choices. It was the way you framed it in a “What our family enjoys the most,” style. And I especially respect the way you discussed using Walt Disney World transportation. There have been a few times when we’ve driven from Pop Century to a park, but one really can’t beat the moments we choose to make with family and other guests when we’re together. Some of our most endearing (OK, and funny) moments have taken place while riding some form of Walt Disney World transportation. I could go on and on, but I’ll close by thanking you again for starting my day with a huge smile. I can’t wait to send this link to my daughter. She’s enjoying the start of her sophomore year at college and about to begin the paperwork for investing her spring semester in the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World. Please send good karma. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your kind words. As a writer, especially someone who writes about this subject, it’s great to hear that your work made someone smile. You’ve certainly done the math on a trip to Disney haven’t you? Your line about it being cheaper than being at home was great. I’ll quote that one for a long time.
I completely agree with you on Disney transportation. It’s a bonafide part of the experience. I can’t see driving myself around the “World.” The only gas pedals I want to use on my trips to Disney are in The Tomorrowland Speedway.
Best of luck to your daughter in the College Program. It sounds like she “gets” the magic and it’ll be a perfect fit.
