mikefalcioni.com

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First off, I’m not any kind of Disney expert, this info is just stuff that works for us.  Also, we’re cheap, so all my tips are focused on saving money – getting the most fun for the least dough.

UPDATE: January 2009 – Disney has some incredible prices right now, even if you don’t plan on going for awhile, if you book now, you will save a bundle.  Check my “Saving money on Disney Hotels” section below

These have the answers to most anything Disney:
www.wdwinfo.com(categorized info on anything Disney)
www.disboards.com (huge forums dedicated to Disney)
www.allears.net (includes menus for nearly all the restaurants)

Two services I’m happy to pay a premium for because they offer excellent value for the dollar:
www.tourguidemike.com (the only way to tour!)
www.sunraytransportation.com (transport from the airport, includes grocery stop)

~ Walt Disney World is the most visited attraction in the world – in….the….world.  Wow.  In 2007, 46.9 million people visited the mouse.

~ Attendance for each park in 2007:  Magic Kingdom 17,000,000, EPCOT 11,000,000, Hollywood Studios 9,500,000, Animal Kingdom 9,500,000.

~ Luckily the place takes up nearly 40 square miles, so everyone’s not crammed together.

~ It takes 20 minutes just to drive from the Park entrance to Magic Kingdom.

~ There are about 30,000 hotel rooms on Disney Property.  Compare that to 67,000 rooms in Las Vegas.

~ There are 32 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 22 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company.

Nope.  Options are your friend at Disney.  If you do your homework, you can pick the right time to go and the right way to tour, parks can be relatively crowd free.  The trick is to know when to go and how to tour.

Disney planning can be severely overwhelming, but it’s so worth it.  If you spend a bunch of time planning, you will be guaranteed to have a relaxing, fun and cheap vacation once you get there!

Most people don’t plan.  If you do, you will be ahead of the curve.

Like a big test, students who study reap the most rewards!

Well, cheap is relative.  I guess I figure value for dollar, and in that case, yes you can have a cheap Disney vacation!  Saving on the “big four” expenditures is possible: Hotel, Park Tickets, Airline Tickets and Food.

When Mike and I go, it’s usually for 9 or 10 days.  I try to keep our total expenditure to around $2,000 for everything.  We’re not tightwads, but we do want to take more than one vacation a year, so we’re ‘minimalist’ vacationers!  We focus on the things that make us happy, and try not to fall into money traps that can ruin a budget (like buying soda and bottled water at sporting events).

WHEN:
Before you actually decide, check out http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/tickets/wonderful/index?id=ValueWeeksLandingPage The highlighted dates are Disney ‘Value’ dates.  You’ll find lower prices and smaller crowds at these times.

Any time kids are in school is best.  Slowest seasons are October/November, and again in mid January to mid February.  Busiest times are Christmas and Spring Break.  The week of Christmas/New Years and the weeks of Spring break are the BUSIEST. Don’t go there!

Slow is relative – even during the slowest season, there’s still tens of thousands of people at the parks every day!  Don’t worry, there are ways to avoid crowds (see Tour Guide Mike below)

HOW LONG:

There are 4 major parks in Disney World – Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.  There are also 2 water parks, 2 mini golf courses, multiple big golf courses, some really awesome restaurants, water activities (boat rentals, fishing, etc), other activities at the various resorts, and Downtown Disney.  It’s impossible to see everything in one trip.  To see ‘the best of the best’ and not be totally exhausted, you will want 2 days in each park, plus one day of rest. 9 days – not counting your arrival and departure day.

ONCE YOU HAVE A BASIC IDEA OF WHEN AND HOW LONG, NEXT:

1. Click and join www.tourguidemike.com (follow this specific link for $3 off!) this $20 investment will pay you back in the time and stress you save at the parks. If you have trouble navigating this HUGE site, email me and I’ll be happy to help.  No I don’t get any kickbacks here – I just really LOVE TGM.

2.  If you don’t want to join Tour Guide Mike, purchase the Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld of the thousands of Disney books out there, this one seems to have the best overall information in an easy, fun to read format.

3. Go to www.themouseforless.com and sign up for her free newsletter. It’s got all the info on discounts and specials.  She only sends it out once a month.

4. Go to www.disneyvacations.com and order the free vacation DVD.  There’s great information, is fun to watch, and will also get you on the mailing list for possible ‘special’ discounts.

5.  Apply for the Disney Visa Card If you’re good about paying off your cards right away, this one pays you 1% in Disney dollars, plus other park perks. It also makes you eligible for room discounts.

Southwest Airlines runs deals pretty frequently for Portland to Orlando.  Seems like the best deals show up at about 3 months prior to flight date, then about 1 month prior.  We don’t have AirTran or Ted in Portland, but if they’re an option at your airport, definitely check their fares.

With Southwest to Orlando we’ve paid as much as $149 pp one way, and as little as $59 pp one way.

There are three ways to keep up with fares on Southwest, I use all three.

1. www.southwest.com choose ‘book a flight’.  Type in your dates, and airports (PDX=Portland, MCO=Orlando) and see what’s available.

2.  On the Southwest main page, click ’special offers’, and sign up for email ‘click and save’ (upper righthand corner).

3.  Download Ding! Be sure to select Portland as your home airline, then choose any other cities you’re interested in (like, say, Orlando?)

HINTS – SOUTHWEST AIRLINES:

1.  Book any flight (even non-refundable), and if the price drops later, you can easily request a travel voucher for the difference (select ‘View or Change your Flight” on the main www.southwest.com page).  Vouchers are good for another flight and must be used within a year.  Be sure to save the email with your voucher numbers.

1. Check in online 24 hours before your flight.  Southwest doesn’t do assigned seating, just assigned boarding (A group, B group, etc).  The closer you are to that 24-hour mark, the better your seat choice will be!

2. What about your return flight?  Go to the front desk at your Disney hotel 24 hours before your return flight time and ask them to check in online for you (don’t forget to bring your confirmation number!).

HINTS – OTHER AIRLINES:

Always check the companies’ website first for your ‘base’ fare pricing, then check http://www.yapta.com/ or other fare watch sites.

If you’re not as worried about what time of the day you will travel, or what airline, you can use Priceline Name your own price.  Keep in mind you will be locked into whatever flight you’re offered, no exchange or refunds!

~ If you stay on site, Disney will pick you up and take you back to Orlando Airport for free via Magical Express.

~ If you stay on site, your bus transportation anywhere on Disney property is also free.

~ We don’t use Magical Express when we arrive, we choose to pay $70 to have a limo service pick us up http://www.sunraytransportation.com/ .  This service includes a ½ hour grocery stop and gets us to the parks quicker.  It’s a nice luxury we’re willing to splurge on, since it gets us cheap food and we also arrive at our resort ahead of the Magical Express bus.

~ We do use Magical Express on our way home.

~ If you want to visit other places in Florida, you’ll need to rent a car.  Check www.Mousesavers.com for the best discounts on rentals – unfortunately rental car prices have skyrocketed recently, so major discounts are rare.  If you are staying at a Disney Resort, parking at the parks is free.

BUS SYSTEM

The free Buses at DisneyWorld are a well-designed system, and relatively easy to use.  Getting to the parks and back is extremely simple.  Out in front of each resort are 5 queue areas with signs – one to each park, and another to Downtown Disney and the waterparks.

When you get to the parks, in most cases where the bus dropped you off is where they will pick you up to return to your resort.  Each resort has its own queue at each park, find the right queue again and you’re off.

You are welcome and encouraged to check out the other Disney Resorts.  However, there are no resort-to-resort busses.  Take a bus to a park, then a bus (or monorail, or boat) to the resort.  Return by taking a bus (or monorail, or boat) to a park or to Downtown Disney, then back to your home resort.

There is no transportation to the parks from Downtown Disney.

Staying at a park resort is the ONLY way to get transportation directly to the Magic Kingdom.  If you drive yourself, or use off-site transportation, you will park at the Ticket and Transportation Center, where you will then take the Monorail or a boat over to Magic Kingdom – Walt wanted it to look and feel like Magic Kingdom was on an island, and so your ‘regular’ approach looks just like it is!

OTHER PARK TRANSPORTATION

There are TWO monorails at Disney World.  One goes from Magic Kingdom to three resorts: Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Contemporary.  The other takes you from the Ticket and Transportation Center (the ‘staging area’ for Magic Kingdom) to Epcot.

At Magic Kingdom there are Boats from Magic Kingdom to/from The Grand Floridian and Polynesian, and two other boats travel to/from The Wilderness Lodge and Ft. Wilderness.

Boat from EPCOT to Hollywood Studios and back – Also stops at The Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Dolphin and Swan Resorts.  This is a slow leisurely tour, and walking can be faster, but it’s fun and relaxing anyway.

Have I completely confused you?  Our Laughing Place has a transportation wizard to help you figure out how to get from point A to point B www.ourlaughingplace.com

Two options here, most people think ‘off site’ will be cheaper than ‘on site’ (on Disneyworld property).  If you’re going during peak times, or if you have a family of 5 or more, then off site may be cheaper.  However, with discounts, a family of 4 can stay at a Disney resort in Disneyworld for $49 a night during value season!

On site resorts – Disney offers 4 value resorts, 4 moderate resorts, 8 deluxe resorts and 6 Deluxe Villa (home away from home) resorts.  Prices vary from our great $49 rate to thousands a night.  Disney loves to give you options!

Off Site options run the gamut from fleabag dives to beautiful large condo-style homes in gated communities.

ADVANTAGES:

1. No rental car needed!  Disney’s free Magical Express will pick you up at the airport, drop you off at your hotel, then Disney free transportation will take you anywhere on property.  Magical Express will take you back to the airport when your vacation is over.

2. That special Disney ‘feel’.  You’re part of the Magic all the time.

3. Room and service quality is guaranteed.

4. Even if you do get a rental car, you won’t pay for parking on Disney property.

ON SITE – DISADVANTAGES:

1. Small rooms.

2. Families of 5 or more are required to rent a suite or two rooms.

3. You are stuck at Disney unless you choose to rent a car or get a Taxi.

MONEY SAVERS – ON SITE

1. AAA members get excellent discounts on packages that include room and tickets.  If you are a member, check there first (call your AAA office and ask for their Disneyworld Specialist.)

2. Check the deals at disneyworld.disney.go.com/specialoffers

3. Use a travel agent like www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com

4.  (Great info from someone who knows!) If you have a family of 5, these are your least expensive options on-site:  One room at Port Orleans Resort Riverside Alligator Bayou with the pull out trundle.  Followed by two rooms at a value resort, a family suite at All Star Music, cabin at the campground, and then several of the deluxe hotels’ standard rooms sleep five with the Contemporary Garden Wing usually being the cheapest.

HINTS – DISNEY VALUE RESORTS:

1. There are four Value hotels at Disneyworld, Pop Century, All Star Music, All Star Sports and All Star Movies.  School groups can book rooms at the ‘All Stars’, but not at Pop Century.  So, Pop is usually quieter.

2. There is no refrigerator, microwave or coffee maker in your room.

3. You can request a refrigerator – but it costs $10 a day!

4. There are microwaves in the food court area of each resort that you are free to use for your own cooking – popcorn, soup, water.

5. These resorts are very spread out (Pop Century has 2,880 rooms in multiple 3 story buildings).  Try to request a room close to the cafeteria and bus stops, you’ll be walking enough anyway.

6. Refillable mugs are available for $13 each – choose from coffee, cocoa, tea, soda, sports drink.  These are good for your resort only, not the parks.

7. Rooms average 260 square feet, they’re tiny but well designed.

ADVANTAGES:

1. Cheaper for larger families, or if you want to cook your own food.

2. More flexibility if you want to do something besides Disney.

3. Condos in gated communities can be relatively inexpensive for large groups. Many include private pools and are very nice.

OFF SITE – DISADVANTAGES:

1. You’ll need to rent a car, and you will pay $12 a day for parking at the parks (don’t forget to factor this in to your room costs when figuring what will be cheaper).

2. Off site park shuttle services are a major hassle, and don’t provide service often enough, never count on them, no matter what the hotel tells you!

3. Transportation time can cut into your park experience.

4. Quality can be anything from wonderful to cockroach central – and it’s impossible to be sure what you’re getting unless you spend a bunch of time researching your choices – or get a travel agent.

5. Some neighborhoods are not very ‘nice’.  Be sure you’re in a safe area.

MONEY SAVERS – OFF-SITE HOTELS:

1. For the cheapest price on off-site hotels, use Priceline name your own price – choose 3 star or better and make sure you select the area closest to Disneyworld.  Start with an extreme lowball price ($30), if that’s not accepted, try again the following day for a few dollars more, keep increasing every day until it’s accepted.  We’ve used Priceline on numerous occasions and we’ve ALWAYS been overwhelmed by the quality of the hotel.  For an even better chance at your best Priceline experience, check out these sites: http://www.betterbidding.com http://www.biddingfortravel.com

2. If you’re looking for a condo, I’d recommend going through a specialty travel agent like www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com

I know it sounds backwards, but park tickets are the FINAL thing to purchase (well, okay, besides groceries!).  Because there are very few discounts on tickets, and those discounts usually occur with ‘package’ deals, you will want to have everything else in your itinerary figured out before you buy tickets.

Sometimes the best deals are available as a room/ticket package (through Disney or AAA).

Don’t purchase park tickets for your arrival or departure days, unless you get in before noon, or your return flight leaves after 5pm.  If you do have energy and time on these days, use them for water parks, Downtown Disney, or visiting other resorts.

So, what sort of tickets are you going to use?

Disney offers ‘Magic Your Way’ tickets, and the options can be overwhelming!

In a nutshell, you have the following options:

All tickets must be used within 14 days of the purchase date – this means that you don’t have to go to the parks each day you are there – if you have a 10 day pass you could be at Disney 4 days, then go to Sea World one day, take a rest day, then head back to the parks on day 7 of your vacation with 6 days still left on your Disney ticket.

1. Base ticket – gets you in to ONE park (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom) each day. You cannot combine Base tickets (use two in one day for different parks), but you can leave your chosen park and return to it later the same day.

From this Base Ticket, you can purchase these options:

2.  Park Hopper – Allows you to ‘hop’ to any park each day.  Start at Magic Kingdom, hop to Hollywood, end at EPCOT.

3.  Water Parks and More (WP&M) – Entrance in to the water parks, Disney Quest, or a round of golf at Disney’s 9 hole  Oak Trail Golf Course.  You receive a specific amount of ‘tickets’ for these attractions with your Base ticket if you choose this option – for instance, a 10 Day pass with this option will include 10 passes.  This means you could go to Magic Kingdom in the morning using your regular base ticket, then go to the water park in the afternoon with one of your WP&M option virtual ‘tickets’, then go to Disney Quest in the evening with another of your WP&M ‘tickets’.  This would leave you with 8 more virtual ‘tickets’ for the remainder of your trip. Confused yet?

Okay, think of it this way – your base pass is a key to get in to the parks for a specified number of days – if you have the Base ticket that means ONE park each day.  If you have Parkhopper that means as many parks as you want each day.  The WP&M option adds a specific number of tickets to your base pass.  Hand in a virtual ‘ticket’ for admission to one activity, then hand in a second virtual ‘ticket’ for admission to another activity.  In theory, you could use up four virtual tickets in one day by going to the two water parks, playing golf, then hitting Disney Quest.

4.  No expiration option – means what it says.  Add this option and any unused days will never expire.  Usually not a cost effective option.  If you plan more trips, a season pass may be cheaper.

We get exactly the days we need, plus the ‘park hopper’ option that allows us to visit all the parks on the same day.  AAA sometimes offers a free upgrade to ‘Water Parks and More’ when you book a package.

HINT – TICKETS: Not sure if you’ll use the Park Hopper or WP&M option?  Purchase the ‘base’ ticket, you can add any of the options at any time while you’re there.  You can also upgrade your ticket to a season pass if you wish.

MONEY SAVER – TICKETS: No matter where you buy, ticket prices are usually within a few dollars of each other.  AAA will always have the cheapest price, followed by www.undercovertourist.com then Disney online (sometimes the company you work for also has discounts available).  The only way to really save on tickets is when you purchase with some sort of package deal with the room – like AAA offering the WP&M option at the base ticket price when you book a room.

First:
Decide what kind of food family you are.  Do you love to eat at restaurants, do you hate sack lunches?  Is it more of a hassle to sit down and wait to be served, or is it more of a hassle to make up sandwiches the night before?

Food in the ‘World isn’t hugely overpriced for most things, but sit-down restaurants for dinner are way more than what we like to spend (plan on $70+ for 2 people).  Counter service restaurants are much cheaper, Mike and I can eat a big meal for $14 to $20.

The cool thing?  There’s an unbelievable amount of variety in restaurants – from basic burgers to Moroccan, to African cuisine – they’ve got it all!

So, are you Foodies or Savers?

FOODIE?

1. The Disney Dining plan may save you money.  This is an add-on option for guests staying on-site. There is a tool here to help decide if it’s right for you http://www.loonbeam.com/DisneyDining.htm Don’t let your travel agent change your mind.  It’s only a deal if you plan on eating like this anyway!

2. Make reservations for the table service restaurants before you go (call 407-WDW-DINE) — note, the reservation setup is moving online soon!.  But read Tour Guide Mike’s information about the best times to eat before you make reservations.

3. Character meals.  These are special restaurants that will give your kids guaranteed time with certain Disney characters.  If your kids really love Princesses or can’t leave without seeing Mickey, this may be the best way to do it.

SAVER?

1. Bring a backpack (carry it all day) or small soft side cooler (rent a locker and store it).  Pack protein-rich foods like pb&j sandwiches, powerbars, nuts, etc.  Also crackers, something sweet, and something to drink.

2. Have basic breakfast food in the room.  You can heat water for oatmeal, or do Pop Tarts or breakfast bars.  Fresh fruit and bagels are good too.  This saves time and money.

3. You can bring food from home in your suitcase (use the extra space for souvenirs on the way back), you can order it from www.wegoshop.com, or you can use a limo service that includes a grocery stop (see transportation).

4. If you don’t want to purchase soda, bring Crystal Light singles and add to the flat-tasting Florida water to make it more palatable.  You can get a free cup of ice water at any counter service restaurant, just pour it into your bottle and add the Crystal Light.  You can also order a case of water from Costco or Amazon and have it delivered to your resort.

5. It’s all Coke products on Disney property, if you have a Pepsi fetish, you’ll have to bring your own!

HINTS – DINING

~ Find reviews and other information at http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining.htm, and check out menus and prices at www.allears.net

~ RESERVATIONS – To make a dining reservation call 407-WDW-DINE.  The reservation system is changing, in the future you should be able to make a reservation online!

~ CINDERELLA CASTLE – Do you dream of Breakfast with the Princesses in Cinderella’s Castle?  You’ll have to plan early.  You MUST make reservations as soon as possible for this restaurant, it books months in advance.  Plan to pay; cost is nearly $50 pp for adults, and more than $30 pp for kids.  Even if you’re not dining, nothing is stopping you from just going in to the castle to see the beautiful restaurant.  Go ahead and walk upstairs, it’s worth the trip!

HINT – TREATS NOT TO BE MISSED – Whether you’re a Foodie or a Saver!

~ EPCOT counter service restaurants have some excellent ethnic foods you don’t get every day.  Be sure to try the platters at Morocco’s Tangerine Café and don’t miss the baked goods in Norway (Mike says he just goes for the baked goods, I think the Norwegian blonde beauties behind the counter are part of the draw!).

~ MAGIC KINGDOM, don’t miss the Dole Whip booth across from Jungle Cruise.  This fruity-good stuff is only available at Disney parks and in Hawaii – try the float, it’s excellent!

~ Mickey Bars – Ice Cream bars similar to Dove bars – thick dark chocolate, rich creamy vanilla ice cream.  Available at carts all over the ‘World.

~ MAGIC KINGDOM Main Street Ice Cream Parlor – fresh-made Waffle Ice Cream Cones or Sundae bowls.

~ Raspberry white chocolate cookies – available at many candy stores throughout the ‘World.  These are huge and a meal unto themselves.

DO USE TOUR GUIDE MIKE – My biggest tip – I can’t stress how much tourguidemike helped us.  I’ll never do Disney without using their advice.  Pay your $20, read and follow Mike’s advice and you will have the best Disney experience possible.

DO TURN PARK TICKETS INTO YOUR KEY TO THE KINGDOM! – If you are staying on-site, you will receive one plastic card for each family member that is your ‘Key to the Kingdom’  This can be your park ticket, your room key, even your charge card all in one!

DO TAKE A PICTURE – take a digital photo of the back of everyone’s park ticket so the number can be clearly read (or write down the numbers).  Do the same with your Photopass card (see below).  This way if the cards get lost, replacements aren’t a hassle!

DO BRING YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE – Many stores ask for a drivers license when you charge items to a credit card or your park key.  Don’t forget to have it with you!

DO USE FASTPASS – Research and use it! www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/fastpass

DON’T HAVE FREAKED OUT KIDS – Will your kids be scared?  If you’re not sure about a specific ride, check www.youtube.com for video of the ride and have the kids watch!

DON’T GET MOTION SICKNESS – Mike’s got it bad, and we still have a great time with lots of rides. Check out this list http://allears.net/pl/motion.htm for hints on what you can do safely.

DO USE PHOTOPASS – You know all those tourist traps where they’ve got the annoying phalanx of photographers ready to snap your photo and charge you $30 for the results? That’s not the Disney way!  Okay, when you first walk in to Magic Kingdom on your first morning, you will see photographers – but they won’t accost you. Don’t ignore them – walk right up and tell them you need a Photopass card. They will take pics, as many as you wish, then scan a plastic card and hand it to you – this is your personal photopass card which you will hand to all the Disney photographers anywhere in the ‘World.

Once you get home, you will enter your photopass numbers online and then decide if you want to purchase any of the photos – you can also buy a CD with all the pictures.

Photopass photographers will also take pictures with your camera.  Is that cool or what!

For a definitive guide on Photopass, go here www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/

DO BRING GOOD SHOES – Bring at least 2 pairs of very comfortable walking shoes.  Bring Blister Block https://www.bandaid.com/couponBlisterBlock.jsp and New Skin http://www.newskinproducts.com/ . Use Blister Block every day before you put your shoes on.  New Skin is great to cover cuts and blisters in wear areas (like feet!).  Visiting EPCOT most people walk an average of 8 miles a day.  Your feet will be tired.

DO BRING A STROLLER – If your\ kids have outgrown a stroller recently, you may want to bring it along ‘just in case’.  They’ll be happy you have it by the second day!  Stroller rental prices at Disney have gone through the roof, better to bring your own.

DON’T LUG THAT PACKAGE AROUND – Have purchases sent from the store directly to your resort if you’re staying on-site!

There is some mis-information out there regarding bringing food into the parks.  You are welcome to bring in anything except alcohol and glass containers. You can carry ANY soft-sided bag into the parks, as long as it is small enough to fit into a locker (17″H x 9″W x 16″), and doesn’t have wheels.  This includes softsider or backpack coolers.

Locker rentals do cost money, but it’s usually a small price to pay compared to eating at restaurants.

Lugging around everything in a backpack is an option, but can be very tiring and a hassle when getting in and out of rides.

Large Locker (size varies, but smallest is 17″H x 9″W x 16″): $7.00 per day plus a $5.00 key deposit which is refunded when the key is returned.  There are also small lockers for $5 a day.

Lockers can be accessed as often as you like.

When visiting more than one theme park on the same day:  Return the key for the $5.00 deposit and get a receipt.  Present the receipt at the next park, pay the $5.00 key deposit and you’ll have a locker for the remainder of the day.

WEATHER:  Our last trip started with a 27 degree evening, and ended with 87 degree days.  Save money by being prepared for anything (purchasing a winter coat at Disneyworld will definitely break your budget!). Florida can have wet and wild weather, so layers are your best bet.  We bring a waterproof raincoat (not water resistant, you’ll get soaked), a polar fleece shirt and polar fleece gloves and hat. Layering these can keep you warm in the coldest nights or dry in wet weather.

COFFEE: Okay, I have to bring up Disney Worlds dark ugly secret.  They don’t serve ‘real’ coffee!  Most locations have Sanka, a coffee-like substance.  It’s not horrible, but it’s not that great either.  You can get ‘real’ coffee at the Espresso stands, and a few table service restaurants.  Some people actually bring their own coffee makers (we have a cup-sized Starbucks French press that we’ll bring).

EXTRA SPACE FOR YOUR RETURN FLIGHT: Walmart sells a duffel bag for under $7 that zips into itself and folds flat. Bring it with you and stuff it with dirty clothes on the way home, use the extra space in your regular luggage for the stuff you bought.

Go during off season. Southwest Airlines.  Value Resort.  AAA room and ticket package (I always check everyone else first too!).  No rental car.  Bring our own food and drinks for breakfast, lunch and some dinners.  Keep souvenir purchases to aminimum (like one shirt each, or for real cheap – let every one pick out one item at the Disney $10 store in Downtown Disney.  Or if you have a car, shop at the Disney-owned Character Premier at the Orlando Premium Outlet mall).  Plan ahead – bring meds for colds and flu, have the right clothes, bring hard alcohol if you want
it, have food needs taken care of – doing this means you won’t be buying expensive stuff at you could have avoided.

The more you plan, the better time you will all have and the more money you will save.  At minimum, spend 5 or more hours studying Tour Guide Mike.com and/or Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld.

Oh, yea, and HAVE A GREAT TIME!!!