WALT DISNEY WORLD - ON A BUDGET - YOU CAN DO IT!
Oct 27 '00 (Updated Feb 28 '03)
The Bottom Line Disney is a Great Family Vacation spot and you can enjoy it on any salary if you Budget like we do!
I hope I can give you plenty of tips on how to afford to go to Disney World and stay in one of their own property resorts at the same time? I just returned from a one week stay at Disney World today with my wife Dorothy and my In-laws and we all had a great time. First I want to explain how you prepare for a trip like this so you bring everything you may need and not have to spend extra money because you might have forgot something. Then I want to talk about the Hotels/Resorts available to you on Disney property. I want to go into detail on the resort we stayed at to show you everything the room and the resort has to offer. I then will cover a few other things like park ticket prices, hours and what to do or look for.
GETTING STARTED (WHAT TO BRING AND WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE):
I would like to start by providing the list below of items we bring whenever we go on a trip. I have put a list of things to bring on an excel spreadsheet for the past 4 years now. I learned the hard way that no matter how hard you plan and think of things to bring or do you always forget something. I update the list every year a week or two before we leave and add or change things on the list as I think of them.
THINGS TO TAKE THINGS TO DO PRIOR
BATTERIES ASK NEIGHBOR TO WATCH HOUSE
BIBLE, BOOKS & MAGAZINES HAVE SOMEONE FEED PETS
BOTTLED/CAN WATER & SODAS CHECK CAR - TIRES/WATER/OIL ETC.
BREAD/COLD MEAT & CHEESE DO ALL LAUNDRY AND DISHES
CAMCORDER, CAMERA & FILM FILL CAR WITH GAS
CAPS, HATS & PILLOWS HAVE MAIL & PAPERS STOPPED
CIGARETTES & LIGHTER LOCK ALL DOORS & WINDOWS
COFFEE, CREAMER & SUGAR MOW GRASS
CREDIT CARDS & CHECKBOOK PUT SODAS/WATER & ICE IN CHESTS
COMBS/BRUSHES & SHAMPOO TURN OFF ALARM CLOCK RADIO
FIRST AID KIT & MEDICINES UNPLUG TV’s/COMPUTER ETC.
FRUIT & VEGETABLES
GARBAGE BAG FOR DIRTY LAUNDRY
GLASSES/ SUNGLASSES & SUNBLOCK
HAND HELD GAMES & CARDS
ICE CHESTS LARGE & SMALL
JACKETS/COATS/SWEATERS
PORTABLE RADIO/CD PLAYER
RAIN PONCHOS/UMBRELLAS
SANDWICH BAGS
SILVERWARE & PAPER PLATES
SNACKS, COOKIES, CANDY
SNEAKERS/SHOES/SANDALS
TOOTHPASTE & BRUSHES
HOTELS/RESORTS (NAMES/RANGES/PRICES ETC.):
Disney Hotels/Resorts are categorized based on price rages into 5 different groups. When I was there I asked a few different “Cast Members” (DISNEY’S name for their Employees no matter what they do or their job is) how many different Hotels/Resorts their were and I got different answers. I got anywhere from 17 to 26. I was also told that 17 are Disney owned and 9 are non-Disney owned. The list follows and is separated by category from the cheapest range to the most expensive range as of this week.
VALUE RESORTS DATES RANGES
DISNEY'S ALL STAR MOVIES RESORT TODAY - 10/28 $94.00
DISNEY'S ALL STAR MUSIC RESORT 10/29 - 12/20 $74.00
DISNEY'S ALL STAR SPORTS RESORT
MODERATE RESORTS
CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT TODAY - 10/28 $139 - $159
CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT 10/29 - 12/20 $124 - $144
DIXIE LANDINGS RESORT
PORT ORLEANS RESORT
DELUXE RESORTS
ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE TODAY - 10/28 $239 - $395
BEACH CLUB RESORT 10/29 - 12/20 $219 - $365
BOARDWALK INN
CONTEMPORARY RESORT
GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA
POLYNESIAN RESORT
WILDERNESS LODGE
YACHT CLUB RESORT
HOME AWAY FROM HOME RESORTS
BOARDWALK VILLAS TODAY - 10/28 $294 - $1,375
FORT WILDERNESS RESORT & CAMPGROUND10/29 - 12/20 $269 - $1,210
OLD KEY WEST RESORT
VILLAS AT DISNEY INSTITUTE
VILLA AT DISNEY WILDERNESS LODGE
HOTELS ALL YEAR ROUND $295 - $3,100
DOLPHIN HOTEL
SWAN HOTEL
WHERE WE STAY EVERY YEAR & ALL IT OFFERS:
We stayed at the “ALL STAR MOVIES RESORT” this time. We have stayed at one of the 3 All Star Resorts for the past 4 years. This was the first time we had tried the Movies Resort having stayed at the other 2 a few times each. All 3 of these resorts are located very near each other on the same street. As you turn down the street they are located you find a very large McDonalds Restraurant then the entrance to the 3 resorts. All Star Sports is first followed by All Star Music and then All Star Movies. At All Star Movies where we stayed it is exactly a 17 minute walk to the McDonalds Restaurant as I timed it when I walked there for Dinner one night. Each of the 3 “ALL STAR RESORTS” are set up the same way with the same number or rooms, prices, pools, snack bars, game rooms etc. The only difference between the 3 other than the names are based on the themes. Each building in each resort is named after a character or Movie from Disney. There is usually two of each in every resort complex. We stayed in one of “The Mighty Ducks” buildings.
THE ROOM
The rooms basically all offer the same items with a very few exceptions. The exceptions are there are designated NON-SMOKING rooms and also some rooms have special bathrooms for Wheelchair access to the shower area. All rooms have 2 Double Beds and each have two very small pillows and the mattress on both beds is very, very firm. Between the Beds is a nightstand with an alarm clock radio and Speaker Telephone with many auto dial buttons for instant information. The bathrooms have a Tub/Shower with a small caddie on the wall filled with hair shampoo and body wash soap. Also a Toilet and a full length Mirror and plenty of towel racks and towels. Just outside the Bathroom is a small sink with a mirror and then a open clothes closet is next to the sink. There is a 6 Drawer clothing cabinet with a 20 inch Color Sony TV sitting on top with a remote control. Lastly you will also get a small table and 2 chairs. You can control the Air Conditioning/Heater unit yourself. There is daily Maid Service to make the beds and bring clean towels. If you have to use the phone in your room there is a .75 charge for any call not inside the Resort. This includes local calls as well as Toll Free 800 and 888 calls. The TV offers over 30 different channels to watch and a dozen or so are duplicated with Closed Caption. Some of the choices are ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, PAX, CNBC, CNN, LIFETIME, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN NEWS, ESPN CLASSIC, DISNEY CHANNEL and TOON DISNEY.
Channels not available are USA, TNN, TNT, TBS, etc. just to name a few.
THE RESORT
Each resort has a Main large pool with a small kiddie pool near the main complex. There is also a second small pool near the rear of each area of buildings. They have a separate Laundry facility and restrooms near the small pools. The main complex houses the Offices, Check-in Lobby, Cafeteria/Snack Room area, Magazine/Gift Shop and a large Game Room with pinball machines, Air Hockey etc. Parking is available all the way around each hotel building. Each floor has a Elevator and has several stair cases on both ends. Each floor also has an Ice Machine and a soda machine. Sodas are $1.00 for a 12 oz. can, $2.25 for a 20 oz bottle and $2.00 for a 24 oz. bottle of water. There are a total of 10 buildings in each complex area that have rooms and all are only 3 stories high. There is almost 2000 rooms to each Resort complex area.
Our Resort area consisted of 2 each of the following named buildings. 𣺝 DALMATIANS”, “FANTASIA”, “LOVE BUG”, “MIGHTY DUCKS” and “TOY STORY”. The main pool was called “FANTASIA POOL” and the second small pool was “THE DUCK POND POOL”. The Main pools have Life guards on duty during regular pool hours 10AM to 10 PM. Each resort area also has one playground area with swings, monkey bars etc. To the front side of each Resort main complex area Disney Buses stop every 15 to 20 minutes to take you to different parks. The buses run from 1 hour prior to the particular park opening until 2 hours after it closes.
Check in time is no earlier than 4PM and check out time is by 11AM. You can arrange for other times if needed. The Game room is open from 8AM to 1AM every day. Most of the games cost a quarter to play and most also will give you little tickets whenever you win that you can turn in for prizes. Each Resort also has ATM Machines and Postage Stamp Machines.
THE CAFETERIA
The Cafeteria area offers many choices for meals or snacking. You can purchase a Disney insulated drinking Mug for $8.99 and refill it as often as you like with soda, or coffee. The breakfast choices pretty much stay the same every day but the lunch and dinner choices do change daily. Each Cafeteria offers at least 3 different lines to choose from to enter as each offers a different type of category selection. For Breakfast one line offers waffles and pancakes. A second line offers stuffed French Toast, sausage, eggs, bacon and potatoes. The last line offers a combination type meal as well as grits and oatmeal or biscuit and gravy. There is also a line for pasties and desserts only. There is a section that has cold beer, wine, sodas, water, milk, fruits, vegetables, salads etc. After the morning meal the Pastry line adds ice cream sodas, banana splits, smoothies and a few other delicacies. I have provided a partial list of current prices below.
BREAKFASTPRICESLUNCH/DINNER PRICES
BACON - 3 $1.79 BANANA SPLIT $4.99
BISCUIT $0.89 BBQ RIB PLATTER $8.99
BREAD/TOAST, SLICE $0.49 BURRITO PLATTER $8.99
CAPPUCCINO $2.79 CHEESE STEAK SUB $5.99
CEREAL $1.29 CHICKEN STRIPS & FRIES $5.29
CINNAMON ROLL $2.19 COLE SLAW $1.99
COOKIE $1.89 FRIED SHRIMP PLATTER $8.99
ESPRESSO $2.29 ICE CREAM SUNDAE $3.79
GRITS $1.29 INDIV. PAN PIZZA $4.79
MILK, WHITE $0.89 MEATBALL SUB $5.79
MUFFIN $1.99 PASTA SALAD $1.99
OATMEAL $1.49 RIBEYE STEAK MEAL $9.99
PECAN ROLL $2.49 ROASTED CHICKEN $8.99
SAUSAGE - 2 $1.79 TACO SALAD $7.99
The Cafeteria also has a Pizza Delivery service to your room that operates from 4PM to Midnight. A Large 2 Topping Pizza with 6 Breadsticks, 2 Tossed Salads and 4 Drinks is $27.99 plus delivery and tax. They also deliver Salads, Desserts, Beer, Wine, Milk, Juices and Sub Sandwiches. Delivery fee is $1.00 and minimum order is $10.00 with a 30 minute delivery time.
PRICES, HOURS OF OPERATION & OTHER TIDBITS:
If you decide to drive to one or more of the parks the parking rates start at $6.00 and go up to $12.00 a day depending on the size of your vehicle. Cars are $6.00 and then they go up for Trucks, Vans, RV’s, Buses etc. The names of the parks are ”THE MAGIC KINGDOM”, “EPCOT”, “ANIMAL KINGDOM”, “MGM STUDIOS”, “BLIZZARD BEACH”, “TYPHOON LAGOON” and “RIVER COUNTRY”. The last 3 are Water Parks and River Country is currently closed. The current prices and hours are shown in the following list:
PARK HOURS TYPE TICKETS PRICES
ANIMAL KINGDOM 8AM - 5PM 1DAY 1PARK ONLY A - $46.00
C - $37.00
BLIZZARD BEACH 1030AM - 2AM 4DAY ALL 4 MAIN PARKS A - $176.00
C - $142.00
EPCOT 9AM - 9PM 5 DAY ALL 4 MAIN PARKS A - $206.00
C - $167.00
MAGIC KINGDOM 8AM - 830PM 5 DAY PARK HOPPER PLUS A - $236.00
(2 DAYS AT ANY WATER PARK) C - $192.00
MGM STUDIOS 9AM - 730PM 6 DAY PARK HOPPER PLUS A - $266.00
(2 DAYS AT ANY WATER PARK) C - $217.00
RIVER COUNTRY CLOSED 7 DAY PARK HOPPER PLUS A - $296.00
(2 DAYS AT ANY WATER PARK) C - $242.00
TYPHOON LAGOON 1030AM - 2AM ANNUAL PASSPORT FOR ALL A - $324.00
4 MAIN PARKS GOOD 365 DAYS C - $275.00
Some prices of items in the parks are Regular size Popcorn - $2.50, Large Popcorn is $4.00. A 20 oz. Bottle of Soda is $2.50 and a 24 oz. Bottle of Water is $2.50. Beer is $2.00 for a 6 oz. Cup and $4.00 for a 12 oz. Cup. You can buy good meals for around $6.00 each without the drink. Some of those include a Hamburger or Hot-dog and fries or a Sandwich and chips. Always bring your own drinks and you will save a lot there. You can rent a Baby Stroller or Wheelchair for $7.00 a day. A Double Baby Stroller is $13.00 a day and a Electric Wheelchair can be rented for $40.00 a day. All items returned at the end of the day net you a $1.00 refund in Disney dollars.
SPEED UP YOUR TIME AT EACH PARK:
Here is a neat way to save a little time at each main park. In 1999 Disney came up with a new idea called the “FASTPASS” system. This system is used on selected very popular rides in each park. It is a machine on a turnstile that allows you to put in your ticket and it returns your ticket and a second ticket. On the second FASTPASS ticket is a time one hour in length for you to return to that ride and get into a shorter faster line. The wait time in this line is usually less than half of what the current wait time is.
I used a FASTPASS on the new ride at EPCOT called “TEST TRACK”. I picked up my ticket at 3PM and it had a return time of 5:35 to 6:35. I returned at 5:40 and the wait time was 120 minutes but my wait time in the FASTPASS line was only 30 minutes. It was the first time in 5 tries over the past two years I was ever able to get on that one and it was well worth the wait. I’ll be taking my Granddaughter on it next year. Some of the other rides you want to insure to get a FASTPASS for as soon as you can after entering each park as listed next.
ANIMAL KINGDOM - “KALI RIVER RAPIDS” & “DINOSAUR”
EPCOT – “TEST TRACK”
MAGIC KINGDOM – “SPACE MOUNTAIN” & “SPLASH MOUNTAIN”
MGM STUDIOS – “ROCKIN’ ROLLER COASTER” & “TOWER OF TERROR”
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST?
Next to Blizzard Beach is a double 18 Hole Miniature Golf Course. It cost $9.25 for Adults and $7.50 for Children to play one 18 hole course. If you play the other course the same day you get a 50% discount on the second game. Disney advertises the use of the “AMERICAN EXPRESS” card and if you have one you can get discounts at selected places. You can get 15% off of Merchandise purchases of $50.00 or more at selected locations. You get 15% off of selected Disney tours and 10% off of Lunch at 2 selected Restaurants at Downtown Disney.
Downtown Disney is another place you can visit that has tons of shops with merchandise as well as great Restaurants, candy stores and more. There is also Pleasure island that has shops, bars, dance clubs and some carnival type games. At night you must pay a fee to enter this area because of the big name Bands that they have nightly perform and due to the many parties. Next to Pleasure island is Planet Hollywood Orlando and Pleasure Island AMC 24 Theaters. Beyond this area is Disney’s newest area called Disney Westside. More shops, Restaurants, Skating rink, Disney Quest, Virgin Records, The House of Blues and Cirque de Soleil.
JAG’S FINAL THOUGHTS:
I mentioned earlier that McDonalds down the road from the “ALL STAR RESORTS” was only a 17 minute walk from the furthest one. I cheated coming back and only walked to the first Resort then took the first Bus heading toward the other two so I could ride back. The prices were a little above average for a McDonalds in Florida. There is a very large Big Screen inside that was showing a Disney Movie and they have a self serve drink section. Sodas were $1.39 small, $1.59 medium, $1.89 large and $1.99 super size. They also serve individual size pizzas and a deluxe was $5.25 each. Their hours are 5:30 AM to Midnight, Sunday through Thursday and until 1 AM on Friday and Saturday.
The entire Disney World Complex is 47 Square Miles and has 55,000 employees. There are 210 Buses of which 185 are on the road at one time during peak hours. They just broke ground for a new series of Resorts like the “ALL STARS” . They will be the same design and hold the same amount about 6,000 total called the “POP CENTURY”. They will have one group as a 50’s theme, the second will be a 60’s theme and the 3rd will be a 70’s theme. All prices above for Rooms, Food, Parks etc. do not include Tax. Disney's age for Child rates is ages 3 - 9. That age group sounds a little strange to me as I can't see a 10 year old being called an Adult.
Well that about finishes my longest review I’ve ever done. I took a week of notes and it took me over 6 hours to type this up. I probably could have done this in 2 or 3 parts because it is so long but I didn’t want anyone to think I was trying to squeeze some extra hits or pennies out of anyone. I do apologize to those of you who hate to read really long reviews, I admit I hate to read them myself. I am hoping maybe that you at least read the parts above that interest you the most or maybe you might print this out the next time you decide to go to Disney and use something? If I helped even one person save some money here that makes me happy. I would also like to apologize to the experts in this Travel category, I am by no means trying to take away any of your great reviews or readers.
Please let me know if I can provide anything else you may need and I will try to give you an answer if I have one in my comment response back to you? I know making it shorter will be one suggestion but I mean besides that. I tried to provide nice straight looking lists with 2 or more rows of information but it seems you see it one way but after you look at the preview all the spacing is gone. I do not know how to fix this problem? I would also like to provide Disney’s website here which is a simple one WWW.DISNEY.COM. Thanks for taking time to drop by today and God Bless You All Ron.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
JAGUARDOG
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: Ron Drain
Location: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Reviews written: 235
Trusted by: 493 members
About Me:
I LOVE Music/TV/Movies & sports like Football - NFL/College, Baseball, Olympics - Summer/Winter and Wrestling.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.