The View from Scopa Towers

So here I am in Walt Disney World and I thought I'd share my trip experiences with you for the main purpose of helping you plan your next trip to Walt Disney World.

I'll reflect on some things that work for me that save me money, time, and stress. Call them tips if you like.

I'll also mention a few interesting things I have noticed on this trip that you may want to look for or experience on your next trip.

The Early Bird

Yes I am an early bird. I take the ealiest flight I can. Why? Well if I plan on taking a later flight there is a better chance of that flight being delayed simply because of the domino effect that occurs when flights are delayed.

Also, for some reason early morning flights seem to make better time than the later ones.

Join the Club

If you rent a car while in Orlando always try to join that car agencies club or whatever allows you to bypass the counter.

As we rolled along with our luggage Carol saw the line at the National Car counter and said, "Yikes! Look at that line!" She forgot i was an Emerald Aisle member. We went right up and grabbed our car and was off.

How much time did this save? Well we were rolling our luggage into our room at Pop Century approxiamately 75 minutes after our plane touched down in Orlando.

It is well worth it to do whatever you can to save time.

As an Annual Passholder (and I realize not everyone is) I always try to get AP rates for the room. This vacation has me spliting my time between Pop Century (I know...blasphemy...but Pop Century should not complain...i'm approaching my 100th night there) and Port Orleans French Quarter...both with AP rates.

Another AP advantage is the Disney Dining Experience card which offers me a 20% discount at most of the sit-down restaurants and also Everything Pop (Pop Century's foodcourt).

When we got to the TTC we took the Admiral Joe Fowler Ferry to The Magic Kingdom

Here's a few topiaries for you to look for on your next trip to the Magic Kingdom.

The Haunted Mansion

Now look at this photo...tells you that Haunted Mansion is really closed for refurbishing erh?

However, Master Gracey left us this note...

...which informs us that he's traveling the netherworld in search of new spirits.

Here's another picture of the Haunted Mansion "under wraps" and going through a face change.

Keep yer fingers crossed that this attraction will be up and running in 6-8 weeks.

Be on the Lookout for...

Here's something for you to look for the next time you ride the Magic Kingdom riverboat. Look for the dog standing in this boat and watching this fish jump out of the water...and I mean this fish does jump out of the water.

I have two other bits of information to share with you before I end this very long day.

The next time you visit the Carrousel of Progress you may want to check out each scene very carefully. One of them includes an image of Mickey as the Sorceror's Apprentice...but which one? And where in the scene is this image?

Finally, the next time you are in The Magic Kingdom and you see this sign in front of the City Hall...

...please take it with a grain of salt.

I suggest that you both call Disney Dining and also take a chance and walk up to the restaurant's podium and check for an opening. It actually works more often that you would think.

That's it for now. See you next time everyone.

When folks plan their WDW vacation and drop me an email I am often asked for advice on one or more aspects of their upcoming tripp.

While I usually enjoy offering suggestions, I must admit that sometimes when someone asks for certain advice on an upcoming Walt Disney World trip I get a bit nervous..

The demographics for Walt Disney World’s guests are all over the map…young, old, wealthy, not so wealthy, Dole Whip fans, non Dole Whip fans, yadda yadda ya.

So due to this demographic diversification (I love alliteration) it’s obvious that one size does not fit all and what may work for me and my family may not work for Mr. John Traveler and his family.

It comes down to the basic rule of thumb that says each one of us knows what works best for us and our family and we should use that knowledge to craft the best possible trip…for us. No one should make that decision for us…except us.

This philosophy really comes into play when I’m asked the dreaded school question.

Hide your children, lock your doors and windows and draw the shades…better light a candle too…this is BIG….are you ready for the question?

“Mike, do you think it would be okay if I took my children out of school for a few days for a trip to Walt Disney World?”

(Shudder)

I’ve been able to handle this question better in recent years…there is no longer need to secure a smelling salt tablet to my forehead for my friends to revive me after fainting from being asked this question.

Having a background in education and training, as well as a deep love and appreciation for all things Disney, I have always had mixed feelings about this issue.

It really depends upon the child…and a few other things.

For the sake of this blog entry I will take the “Nevermore!” position and suggest some reasons for not taking the child out of school. I don’t think I will be successful. I sense I will end up walking the fence, so to speak.

Remember, this is for entertainment purposes only and please keep in mind that no harm should come to this author in the aftermath of the posting of this blog entry.

Since I didn’t want to go down this road alone I‘ve invited (actually pleaded on bended knee) fellow AllEars Staffer Michelle Scribner-MacLean to help me sort out some of the issues here and also hopefully provide some counterpoint opinions to help make for a healthy discussion. I tempted her with a Dole Whip.

Okay, here we go.

Best Time of Year

The argument can be made that parents don’t like to limit themselves to school vacations for trips to Walt Disney World…especially if they would like to bring their family down during the less crowded times of year or for a special event like the International Food and Wine Festival.
Okay…I understand the point.

I had a choice and elected to stick with summer family trips. I actually gave my children a choice.

“Okay Holly and Mike, let’s see what’s behind Door #1. Oh wow, it’s a five to seven day trip to Walt Disney World during the school year. That’s nothing to sneeze at right kids? But there’s another door.”

Then I show them Door #2.

“Okay Kids let’s look at what’s waiting for us behind door #2. Holy Mickey Mouse, it’s a 10 day to 2-week trip to Walt Disney World during summer vacation. Wow…the choice is yours….sorta.”

Here is what they said.

They told me that they did not relish the idea of doing homework while on vacation or trying to catch up when they returned. There was also the feeling that not all their teachers would warm up to the notion that they were out of school on vacation and not because of illness.

They also argued that they knew that the summer months meant more things were open and for longer hours.

So their argument was…less stress and more quality fun in the summer then let’s say November or March.

Again, those were the words of my children who at the time were 12 and 10 years of age when this discussion took place.

I felt the same way. It’s easy as a parent to say, “Oh well the kids can make up the work.” Sure…parents don’t have to deal with the teacher(s) and make up work waiting for the children after the trip.

I actually believed it was more enjoyable for my children to have an extended trip in the summer than any other time of the year.

Also, there was more to miss than just school. My children were involved in school athletics and other school activities, plus dance, piano lessons, and so on.

Sure, the argument is that it’s only for a few days or just a week; but think of what’s waiting for the kids when they return.

Again, just my opinion…and it pertains to my family.

Now let’s hear Michelle’s take on this issue:

” Although there is always plenty to do while you’re there, there are many special events that happen only during specific times of the year at WDW. If you limit your visits only to school vacations times, you might miss out on some really fun events such as the Flower and Garden Show (May), the Food and Wine Festival (October and November), and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (October). For example, during the past several years we’ve visited in May and the entire family looks forward to seeing the spectacular topiaries, the butterfly garden, the ladybug release, and seeing the dozens of different types of roses during the Flower and Garden Show.

Here’s another consideration, school vacation times tend to be more crowded than other times of the year. Families may find that they are able to see more attractions, obtain Advanced Dining Reservations, and not spend their vacation standing in lines if they take their students out of school to visit WDW. Cost can also be an issue for families. School vacations are considered “peak season” at WDW, which translates to higher room charges, airfare, etc. For some families, this is a “deal-breaker.” Families traveling during the school year can often find “non-peak” prices, making a trip to WDW more feasible.”

Remember those points…Special Events….crowds….cost…all part of the equation.

Stay tuned...there's more...Part II is right around the corner!

This is a continuation of the discussion regarding the issue of taking children out of school for a Walt Disney World vacation.

I've asked fellow AllEars Staffer Michelle Scribner-MacLean to join me in discussion.

Let's move on to another angle in the discussion.

The Question of Educational Priorities

I (it’s Mike again) am the first one to recognize that life is one big educational journey and that we get life lessons from outside the classroom as well as inside those four walls.

Walt Disney World, especially EPCOT, has coined the phrase “Edutainment” which is defined as a process by which guests are simultaneously entertained and educated.

Of course I’m not sure how much education one receives while riding Soarin’ but for sure there is some merit to Ellen’s Energy and the American Adventure…no denying that.

What must also be said is that there is some education taking place regarding the fine art of traveling…security checks, safety, preparedness, yadda yadda ya.

However, let me present the argument can be made that there may not be enough “education” waiting for the children as to offset what they would be missing in the classroom.

Also, the argument can also be made to say, “This education they are receiving in March could also be realized during school vacation times.”

So this is another debate that takes place; “Are we sending a mixed message to children when we take them out of school to have fun?”

Something to ponder.

Michelle makes the following great points:

” No one is arguing the value of having students stay in school, but travel has a lot of educational value, as well. Students can learn about what is involved in travel planning, mapping routes, and seeing what different climates are like. In addition, parents can enhance the educational experience by having the students take digital photos and do scrap booking or journaling or by having them turn digital movies into a narrated trip report – each of which could be shared back at school as a class presentation. Also, while parents don’t tend think of WDW as a substitute for school, there are a lot of places at WDW that make learning come alive. Perhaps the student is studying predators and prey in science – Animal Kingdom can provide a chance for students to do some animal observations in the park. Maybe they are studying European culture in social studies – at EPCOT they can interview natives of many countries.”

General Considerations

If you do decide to take your child out of school to visit WDW, here are some general questions and thoughts to consider:

Will it be difficult for your child to make up the work?

Consider how well your child is doing in school. Is every week a struggle for your child to keep up with the work?

In this case, parents should think about whether their child can make up the work upon their return from vacation. If your child keeps up with schoolwork with no problems, then leaving for a vacation and doing subsequent make-up work will probably not be a problem.

Length of time students will be away from school:

Parents should consider the amount of schoolwork the student is able to make up. Depending upon the student and the workload, missing a few days to a week’s worth of work might be “do-able.” There are definitely “busy” weeks in school, just as there are “slower” weeks. Parents should check with the teachers to find out if there are any large projects being introduced, if the school will be doing standardized testing that week, or if there are any scheduled school events that would be difficult for their child to make up.

What do you expect from the teacher?

Teachers have a lot to do and, for many, pulling together a week’s worth of work ahead of time for your student can be tricky. In fact, it is more and more prevalent in school districts that teachers are not required to provide work for students who are going on vacation while school is in session. Many teachers, however, encourage students keep a travel journal and share their experiences upon a student’s return.

See…now you know why I bribed Michelle (besides the Dole Whip I had to toss in a picture of Bill Nye the Science Guy) to help me with this issue. …I knew she had put a lot of thought into this issue.

Age of the Child

I need to once again credit Michelle with a very important point when she says, “When this issue does come up, regardless of what side of the debate people fall on, there is almost total agreement that any impact from missing class time is felt more in the upper grade levels than the lower levels.

School work at all grades is important. Preschool and elementary work is equally as important as middle and high school – but at the upper grades, where students have multiple teachers, extended lab periods, and where block scheduling is prevalent, it can be more difficult to make up work for a student. For this reason, careful consideration of how feasible it is to make up work at the upper grades needs to be considered.

At the upper grades, parents might consider including their son or daughter in the decision-making process. Perhaps they are involved in a sport and don’t want to miss a week or maybe added work upon their return will stress them out. It might be, however, that they feel that they can take on the added responsibility of making up work.”

I echo Michelle’s points.

It’s not just age of the student that must be considered when making this decision but also the type of student your child has become. Some children can rebound and catch up better than others. Parents hopefully know what type of students their children are.

The Answer

Well there is no easy answer, at least not from me.

There is however, what I had said at the outset of this discussion and that is that no one can make this decision for the parent or the child EXCEPT the parent and the child…not just the parent.

Obviously no one knows children better than their parents and for the most part parents make the right choices for their families.

I think the parents need to discuss this issue with the children and make sure their children understand what may be expected of them upon their return from Walt Disney World.

Walt Disney World is an amazing place to bring children and no doubt that all guests young and old find their trips to be both entertaining and educational….consciously or subconsciously.
It’s important that we don’t allow others to influence what we feel is best for our own children.
For some of us we prefer not to interrupt the traditional educational process and take our children out of school but for others the decision is quite the opposite.

My advice is to do what’s best for you and your family…but I would also go as far as to say if some time other than the rational school vacation time is the only time you can bring your family to Walt Disney World then my gut feeling is to go for it...after all…remember…life lessons occur both outside as well as inside the classroom.

Remember, do what’s best for you and yours.

Now if you excuse me I have to catch a plane to WDW and somehow get a Dole Whip and get it to Michelle before it melts…there are such things as refrigerated planes right?

I know one person who would know…Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Please…please don’t even think about denying that you have never thought about what I’m about to propose. I won’t believe you.

You know you’ve thought of it.

You know you’ve dreamed about it.

You know you would love to try it….it’s out there just screaming at you…can you hear the words?

“Try me…c’mon…try me.”

What am I talking about?

I’m talking about the idea of visiting all four Walt Disney World theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom) in just one day.

Oh if you are saying, “Yo Mike it’s a piece of cake!” then belly up to the table and put on your napkin because I welcome you to bite into this challenge…but under my conditions.

Before we put on our walking shoes and head for the parks let‘s talk a bit as to the required parameters you should follow in order to, at least in my own mind, “officially” claim this accomplishment.

Let’s first define this challenge and be crystal clear as to all the requirements.

Four Parks in less than a Day

Let’s all agree as to what we will define as a “day” in regards to this particular challenge. Sometimes the definition of “day” is quite different from person to person. Before we start looking at anything else we need to all be on the same page with a definition of a day for this challenge. So here is the deal.

Required Number of Attractions

It would be pretty simple and easy to do this challenge by just running into a theme park, visiting the least crowded attractions and then move on to the next theme park… but that’s way too easy and boring.

Well…we here at AllEars Challenge Central are not in the boring business so let’s go over the exciting requirements regarding attraction touring for this most interesting challenge.

Have you seen the recent television commercial aimed at families thinking about going to Walt Disney World?

You know, the mom is at her computer and calls to her husband with, “Honey? Look at this!”
Dad comes over and looks at the screen and asks, “For all of us?”

Then the rest of us are informed that these two were looking at a screen that had information about a vacation package for a Walt Disney World family vacation for (US) $1696....not $1700. but $1696.

Now before you pick up the phone and make that call let’s take a closer look at exactly what this $1696 really means.

According to the WDW site this package includes the following:

• 7 days and 6 nights at a Walt Disney World Value Resort
• The price ($1696) is based on a traveling party made up of two (2) adults, one (1) junior, and one (1) child.
• The quoted price includes a standard room.
• The offer is good between Jan. 11th and Feb 12th, April 19th and May 21st, and Aug. 9th and Dec 17th...all in 2009.
• According to the site the package also includes “Theme park admission to one Park per day.”

For a family who has always dreamed of going to Walt Disney World but never has due to the thought of it being too costly, this does sound appealing and if anything, at least it gets them to say to themselves, “Hmmm, this may be doable.”

So I decided to look at this offer and think about what those first time families need to realize before taking that leap..

Well, we know that you are limited to going only certain times of the year and depending upon the school year (and of course how you feel about taking your children out of school ) you may have even more limitations as to when you can go.

Keep in mind that this package includes a Value resort (All-Stars and Pop Century) and that means different type amenities than you would experience at a Moderate or Deluxe resort.

Then again, if you’ve never been to Walt Disney World or have never stayed at a Walt Disney World resort this may be a moot point.

One key point I’d like to address is the admission media included with the package. The tickets that come with this package offer each person in the travel party the ability to visit one (1) theme park per day. That means if you go to The Magic Kingdom today then that is your theme park for the day. It does not mean you can visit The Magic Kingdom in the morning and then visit Epcot later on to watch Illuminations.

So, if you want the park-hopper option then the price of this package would then go up approximately another $212 dollars.

We are now at $1908...and we have more to cover.

Let’s not forget that not included in this package is the cost of meals for the family. It’s always difficult for me to suggest to those who ask what they may expect to spend on meals at Walt Disney World. Eating habits vary from individual to individual and family to family.

Let’s assume that each member of this four person traveling party enjoys one quick-service meal, one table service meal and one snack per day as defined by the basic Disney Dining Plan.

To try and be as realistic as possible I’m going to attach a price range to each particular meal.
For the quick-service meal I’m thinking about an entree, a beverage, and a dessert and I am assuming the cost would range from $12 to $15 a person. So for the whole traveling party that would amount to between $50 and $60 per day...just for one quick service meal.

Table service meals are quite tricky and the price range can be very wide. I may be under pricing but my estimate would be that for a table service meal the range would be from $25 to $40 per person. This amounts to a range of $100 - $160 per day for one table service meal.

Snacks can also vary. I will apply a range of $2.50 - $5.00 for snacks. This translates to between $10 and $20 per day for snacks.

Let’s add these all up.

We are looking at a range of between $160 and $240 per day for meals for this family of four. For the sake of argument let’s hit a “midpoint” and says the average daily food expense is $200.

Now, in the interest of trying to be as fair as possible let’s say this family replaced their one table-service meal with a second quick-service meal.

Now the daily range falls between $60 and $140 per day or an average of $100 per day.
Now let’s take the two averages...add them together and then divide by two (2) to come up with an “average” average for the cost of feeding a family of four per day at WDW.

The number I come up with is $150.

Now I realize there may be many of you who are looking at this and are saying, “Mike, that is still too high.” Or even some of you that see it as too low. Keep in mind this is an average daily cost and it amounts to about $38 a person. Ironically, that’s about the cost of the Basic Disney Dining Plan. Go figure.

Let’s see...we already added $212 for the park hopper option and now $150 per day for seven (7) days...$900.

So we’ve added $1112 to the original $1696 and we are now at $2808...again...an estimate.
Let’s assume the family is using the free Magical Express benefit. That eliminates rental car/limo costs.

What about souvenirs? Another tough line item to budget. Is $25 per person for souvenirs too little or too much? It’s a toughie ain’t it?

It’s even tougher when you think this is someone’s first WDW vacation. So for the sake of argument let’s say this family agrees to spend somewhere in the range of $100-$200 for souvenirs...that gives each person a shot at a piece of clothing and a trinket. Let’s add $150 to our sub-total....we need to add something.

We are now looking at $2958.

Do I dare even attempt to look at airfare? Nope...not going there. The cost range is too widespread.

Okay...so we are looking at a grand total of $2958 for this family of four to spend 7-days and 6-nights at Walt Disney World in a value resort with park-hopper admission, eating, and of course getting that WDW souvenir.

The only other cost which is not included is the cost of getting there.

My point in all this?

It’s simple.

I’m not here to make any snide remarks towards this marketing campaign and say it’s misleading...because it really isn’t.

The Walt Disney World resort is in fact doing whatever it can to let everyone know that there are affordable packages out there. The $1696 deal is a base that they are offering potential guests. It is that portion of the vacation which they are controlling and doing their best to let you know how affordable the vacation is.

What they cannot control is your particular needs for park–hopping, dining, and (souvenir) shopping.

It would not be wise for the resort to make assumptions in this area.

So I guess I want to say to those out there who criticize these commercials and say they are misleading...it's quite the contrary...they are not misleading you.

This commercial gives the bottom line as to an "affordable" base for a WDW vacation. These are the costs they can control to help you get there.

The commercial is saying....here is a basic package we can offer a family of four for a certain amount of time....this includes the basic room and admission.

If you want more it’s in your control.

That’s what this is all about....a vacation plan is a partnership between WDW and you...they can control some costs but for those they cannot they try to empower you to make the decisions that best suits you and your family.

It’s as simple as that.

Now you know where the “Your Way” fits in when you hear or see the phrase “Magic Your Way."

I’ve received many responses from that $1,696 commercial blog I had written a few weeks back. Thanks to everyone who took the time to write and I apologize if I have not gotten back to all of you.

I thought I would put together a mailbag blog filled with some of the notes I’ve received. Here is Part 1 of the Mailbag!

Barbie writes:

“Thanks for your entry about the Magic Your Way commercials. It's great to read a fair commentary on what is and is not included in a very non-critical presentation of facts. We love Disney and vacation there often - "we" are a family of four just as Disney defines it: 2 adults, 1 child, and 1 junior. We have found many ways to make our Disney vacations affordable, so that we can visit multiple times in a year. (We spent a weekend in February, 11 nights in May/June, and will spend 3 nights in December.) We often run into people we know when we visit - I don't know exactly how that happens, but it nearly always does - and when we compare resorts and/or vacation lengths, our friends often comment something like, "How can you afford it?" or "Wow, that's an expensive hotel, isn't it?" or "You must really take Disney World seriously." Well, we work hard to make it affordable and appreciate when all the costs of any particular element of the vacation are well-known to us. Thank you for helping other families know what they are getting into so that they, too, can enjoy and relax without the constant shock of more spending. (We usually end our vacations under budget, and that's the way we like it.)”

Barbie’s point is simple….we all need to work hard to make our vacations affordable. That means always being on the lookout for deals, discounts, and ways to slice expense here and there.

From Crista…

“I will agree on the cost from the commercials. I have a family of four. When we went to WDW the commercial "cost" was $1400. We had two adults, one 7 year old and one under the age of 2. We stayed at the Pop Century for 7 days and six nights. We did get the park hopper tickets and ate at one restaurant a day. We brought snacks or ate once a day at our hotel. We packed suitcases full of food including breakfast. We only drank water at the park and spent an average of $20 a day. We bought souvenirs almost everyday. And last but not least we flew to the Park and parked our car at our airport for the week. So in the end our cost for our vacation was $3432. Even if that seems like a lot, with the right planning it can be the vacation of a lifetime and I would do it all again. This was the first WDW trip for my husband and two boys. My husband felt like a little kid again. Priceless.”

Crista and her family made choices that helped them make their vacation affordable. Young families should take note of how Crista’s family saved money. There’s a bonus here…teaching the children some lessons on how to be frugal.

I was excited to read this from Chica…

“I was really interested when this post popped up on my feed-reader, as my GF and I are planning our first trip to Disney together right now. For a while, we thought we absolutely couldn't afford it, and we're not exactly the norm (no children) for a Disney Trip, but we crunched the numbers and figured out we could do it.

We're going December 14-20th, flying from Philadelphia and spending one day at each park, with a break one day for Downtown Disney and a movie.

Here's our budgeting:

Package from Disney - $1009.82
This Includes:
- 6 nights Pop Century Standard Room
- 4 days park admission (non park hopper)
- Disney Meal Plan for 6 nights (this was a special promotion that was emailed to us after we signed up for the mailing list)

Flight Round trip from Philadelphia - $365.00 for both (including all fees)

Alcohol and Tip money for expenses not covered by Meal Plan - $150.00

Souvenir money (including our Christmas present budget for friends/family/each other) $300 ($150 each)

Now, we can always guarantee some unexpected expense, so we've built in an extra $150 cushion into our budget

Grand total comes to $1975.00

Now, we like to over budget and have extra left-over. So we doubt we'll max out all our budgeted areas. We also plan to use the envelope system. 7 days, 7 envelopes ($50 for the first and last days, $100 every other day). No credit cards, no charging to the room. Only one envelope out of the safe on any given day. At the end of the day, whatever is left can get moved to the next day or later. But once you empty an envelope, you're done.

Now, for the experienced Disney traveler, our plan might not be ideal. But for two girls going on our first 'real' vacation together post college (because spring break doesn't count...), it's a pretty good plan with a reasonable budget. It works out to just about one paycheck for each of us.

I'll definitely agree that the Disney ads are a bit misleading and that if you're serious about budgeting, double the quoted Disney price is just about what your final cost would be.”

It does come down to choices and how you choose to best afford your vacation.

Chica, please look for me when you are in WDW. It just so happens that while you are there I’ll be there for Mousefest.

Amy talks about her family’s planning process…

“I just wanted to take a moment and say that for our family we find WDW to be a great value for our vacation dollars. We are preparing for our fourth trip and once again, we are really impressed with how affordable it is.

We are staying at a moderate resort (with a discount code) this time and paying out of pocket for the DDP for 8 nights. We don't do park hoppers - just base tickets because with enough days we just don't have the need to hop. All said, including airfare, this trip cost us LESS THAN $3000. Breaking that down for our family of 4 we are spending less than $100 per day for food, entertainment, lodging and transportation.

Our last trip we were on the free dining and we stayed at POP (which we LOVED) - that trip we were spent less than $50 per person per day.

We have a very basic theme park and water park here in the Kansas City area and you can't go to either of them for that little money when you factor in food, gas and admission. When you compare the cost to a trip to a family resort destination like Beaches (which we also LOVE) - WDW is about 1/2 the cost!!

I think that given the magic you are a part of and the memories you create, WDW provides a great bang for your buck. For families that are willing to look for discount codes, don't mind the value resorts and forgo park hopper options; there are very affordable options for planning a great WDW vacation!”

Hmmm, it seems one way most people are cutting costs is to forego that park-hopper option. At $53.25 per ticket, the savings can be significant for a family of four.

Jennifer also opts to not include the park hopper option…

“Mike,

Great comments on that promotion.

I think things like park hopper are not that big of a deal to leave off if you only get to the parks every few years. I know we skip the hopper option because we don't like to waste the additional travel time between parks. We get down there every 2 years or so and just set our own expectations that we'll do one a day and if we get done early (say on our second day at a park) we explore other resorts (free) or Downtown Disney, or our own resort.

The food too can be controlled if appetizers and dessert are left off. We eat almost entirely at table service for lunch and dinner as we use these times as our breaks from heat/being on our feet. We've been able to eat at table service restaurants for 25 per person or less 80% of the time and it usually works out to about the same or less than we would have spent a la carte at counter service.

Not ideal for everyone, I know, but I thought I'd concur that it can be done if people are serious about Disney AND serious about having to budget...

Keep up the great blog!! Jennifer”

Jennifer adds another great tip…forget the appetizers and desserts. They too can add up quickly. If you crave for something sweet there’s always a counter service somewhere offering a decent snack....like a Dole Whip.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of the Reader Mailbag on Disney's $1,696 Commercial!

Recently I blogged about Disney's Magic Your Way commercial.

Yesterday I shared Part 1 of the emails I received as a result of that blog.

Today I share with you Part 2 (and the final part) of your feedback. Thanks to everyone who wrote in!

Kelly draws a great analogy between putting together a WDW vacation and purchasing a car…

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for printing what I've been preaching for years. I go to Disney every other year; we usually stay for 10 nights and 11 days, park hopper/water park/more tickets for 9 days, dinning plan, at a value resort for $1249 a person. (If we're lucky, we sometimes get an upgrade for free - free dining plan or park hopper is free) I tell people how much my trip will cost and they flip out.

They can't figure out that it's like buying a car. You can get a standard car (basic ticket/value resort hotel) for around 16,000. But if you want leather interior (Deluxe hotel) it’s more. Or Satellite radio (dinning plan) a few more dollars. Chrome wheels (park hopper) its more. Lifetime extended warranty (no expiration of tickets) its more. So you can drive off the lot with a standard car for 16,000 or drive off the lot with all the extras for 36,000 or somewhere in between. Same with Disney you decide (standard - moderate - deluxe) but you will pay for your extras. You will have a great time at the standard level, so don't think you have to upgrade. You just need to sit down and decide what you can handle financially.”

Great note Kelly…wish I had thought of putting it that way.

Marc sees another car buying analogy…

“Hey Mike,

I look at the "$1696" just like the car commercials where you can buy a Honda for 15k. As they show a nice looking accord drive by the fine print at the bottom says Vehicle shown is 22k”

From Lesa…

“I never see comments on going cheap - and meaning it - from those of you experienced Disney visitors. We went last year for our first time. We drove in from Dallas (it was a beating, but a quarter of the cost to fly). Instead of spending our time standing in lines and eating in nice restaurants that would bore our children, we stopped at Wal-Mart and I bought a week's worth of groceries for $100. We stayed at Pop Century (and we didn't care - it was Disney!) where we only played in the kiddie pool and slept.

Our smartest decision was packing a microwave and ice chest, and eating in the room. There was no way, after a day of being in a park, tired, hungry and dirty, that we would have taken the kids back out for a full service meal, even if it had been free. We ate and fell into bed, every night. That $100 included food, drinks, snacks for the park, plates, bowls, utensils, and liquor for 5 days. We did eat at the Castle one evening with the Fairy Godmother. The 4 of us for $130. My kids were ages 4 & 2, so I don't think the 2 year old counted. That was our big splurge and the food wasn't that good.

We packed a soft sided cooler every day. It was juice boxes, bottled water, peanut butter crackers, grapes, bananas, and one day, microwave popcorn. We were inspected and told to have a great day. No problem bringing it in the park. We went back to the room to nap and have a late lunch.

If someone is new to Disney, they're probably happy to be over stimulated in one park per day. We certainly were. I'm not convinced that we'll do a park hopper next time either.

Please realize that you go so often that you are a bit immune to the magic. You have a great job. There's far more to be appreciated, and spend time on, than eating or being choosy about which park to attend in the morning vs. evening. Those things are all extras, and probably won't be appreciated by the first-timer anyway. Just try, once in a while, to consider those of us who mean it when we say "Budget."

Love this website!

Lesa”

For those of us who frequent WDW a lot, sometimes the ways we save money does not translate well to others.

In the first place, many of us go solo. That means we always try to stay at a value resort.

Secondly, since we are frequent visitors we all hold Annual Passports, which offer many opportunities to save money…room discounts…restaurant discounts….souvenir discounts…and so on.

Also, at least for me, I stick with the same airline and car rental agency every time and my loyalty is usually awarded with free flights and free days.

It all adds up…or I should say “adds down.”

For myself, my upcoming Mousefest trip includes a free flight to Orlando, a discounted rental car with a free day, a discounted room AP room rate at a value resort, and oh yes, through my Annual Passport I have a Disney Dining Experience discount card. All this plus I plan to use my Annual Passholder’s discount when I shop at the World of Disney in Downtown Disney.

One comment on Lesa’s note. I am not sure if guests are allowed to have microwaves in guest rooms so I would call the resort before lugging the oven to WDW.

Finally, I saved the best for last…from Tim…

“Just read your – ‘Magic your way’ article and I think if people look at a Disney vacation alone or not in comparison to other vacations, it may seem expensive. I took my family (wife, kids, 4, 2 and 9 months) in April 2008. We stayed at a moderate resort, purchased the deluxe dinning plan (which I am completely sold on by the way) and had all the bells and whistles added on. It was not a cheap trip – about $3,500 to $4,000 before flight, but what I discovered months later, was that 1) you can do it cheaper and 2) there isn’t much else out there that is even comparable!

Because we had such a great time, we began looking for other places to visit in 2009. All- inclusive resorts are extremely expensive for a family of 5, as we were looking at $8,000 to $10,000 just to ‘sit on a beach’ and eat the same food for seven days. Other family vacation spots (i.e. amusement park locations) couldn’t beat the amenities, food options, or even price! A local indoor water park up here in Canada for a one night stay was pricing at $400 a night! No food included. Even our ‘bargain’ vacation – renting a cottage for a week, although it didn’t have the transportation costs, by the time we paid the rental fee, bought groceries, rented boats and everything else, it wasn’t much cheaper than a value resort stay at Disney.

The end result… We’ve booked our Disney Vacation for November 2009. We took advantage of the ‘return trip’ discount, low attendance season and decided to stay at a value resort in a suite. We loved the Moderate resort, but having stayed at a value resort in my pre-kid days, didn’t see any deterioration to our FPM stats (fun per minute). Our kids, even at home, are much like their father – they get stir crazy if they are at home – so we don’t need the ‘luxury’ of a moderate resort, and quite frankly if the pool water is wet, then it meets our needs. We again opted for the deluxe dinning plan, park hopper etc, and even with paying for an extra kid (the ages will be 6, 4, and 2 this time) were able to keep the price under $3000. There is not a vacation out there that includes, hotel, admissions, food (and probably the largest variety of dinning experiences available in the world at any one resort) and entertainment for a family of five for that price. Disney is not only a great vacation and my personal favorite place to visit – it is also one of the cheapest. The only downside is trying to keep the plans secret for over a year – it’s especially hard when your kids ask if they can go to Disney every weekend…In about 370 days I’ll be able to say ‘sure – let’s go’.’

Basically, Tim is saying several basic things.

First, go with what works for you. Extra amenities are very nice but they should be looked at it terms of necessity. If you don’t need them then go with a different resort which may not have them but also offers a cheaper rate.

Secondly, look at all your line items for your vacation and carefully determine which of these line items can be tweaked to make the most out of your vacation dollar. For Tim and family the Disney Dining Plan makes sense…it may not for you and your family…but the point is to find what woks for you.

Lastly, and I’m glad Tim pointed this out…although everyone is quick to comment on the cost of a WDW vacation, if those same people looked closely and compared a WDW vacation to other type vacations they may find that the cost is quite comparable and that the quality of the vacation experience usually always falls in Disney’s column.

I think that the overall lesson learned here from all the folks who took the time to write is that it’s up to us to figure out how to do a WDW vacation in an affordable way.

That’s where WDW becomes our partner. We have options…we can customize our trip to fit our budget….we can create the Magic….our way.