Just Priced Room, Tickets & Meal Plan and Almost Died

[Sharonofwindham]

If you are comfortable/Trusting of dealing with DVC members directly there are boards where folks post that they have available points. Sometimes the member has a trip booked or they will work with you to book your dates. That can be even less expensive and the member is usually happy to do it since the points at this point are use 'em or lose 'em. I did this a time or two before becoming a DVC Member myself.

that's what we always do

the biggest expense for us is always park tickets

on our last trip we paid $500 for 3 nights in a Savanna Studio at Kindani Village...and $700+ for our park tickets

Where is your home resort?

[theBIGyowski]

If you are comfortable/Trusting of dealing with DVC members directly there are boards where folks post that they have available points. Sometimes the member has a trip booked or they will work with you to book your dates. That can be even less expensive and the member is usually happy to do it since the points at this point are use 'em or lose 'em. I did this a time or two before becoming a DVC Member myself.

that's what we always do

the biggest expense for us is always park tickets

on our last trip we paid $500 for 3 nights in a Savanna Studio at Kindani Village...and $700+ for our park tickets

Where is your home resort?

Sorry...we always rent.

We wish we had the money to become DVC members...but we just don't right now. I'm glad I found out about renting points back in 2007 when it was still somewhat secret. The only reason I did it back then was to get the meal plan as my buddies and myself were running in the 2008 WDW Half Marathon and we were staying at Shades of Green the first few days. We knew of a few restaurants we wanted to eat at...and we were 3 guys in our mid twenties who could eat like Yetis...so the meal plan was actually cost-effective for us as it was cheaper back then too and included gratuity. Anyhow...we had to stay in a Disney resort to get said meal plans...and I found out that renting DVC was cheaper than staying in a moderate resort which is what I was used to. So I went online and found a message board created specifically for this and a few weeks later we had reservations for Saratoga Springs Resort. Of course we had to take a cab from SoG over to SSR since SoG isn't a Disney resort...but it wasn't all that bad. The next two trips I took to WDW (2009 Half and my honeymoon) were in moderate resorts (POFQ and PORS respectively) and while they were nice...they were nowhere near as nice as the DVC resorts I've stayed at (see my signature). The only reason I did the two moderates in 2009 and 2010 were because my parents paid for both and because I got free dining on my honeymoon trip. PORS was romantic and we got a great room upgrade for free since it was our honeymoon.

The next time we go back...hopefully December 2015...I'm not sure where we would want to stay. It would be DS' first trip and maybe DD (she'd be 13 months old by then if we decided to take her) and we'd probably be spending most of our time at MK and maybe AK if DS is still a big fan of animals. The hard part is that those parks are on opposite ends of Disney property. So staying at BLT would put us over 30 minutes from AK and staying at Kidani Village would put us 30+ minutes from MK. We could always go back to OKW which would split the difference...or we could try BWV to put us close to EPCOT and DHS. It will probably come down more to money...as OKW and BWV are much cheaper than BLT and we could use the money saved for food or transportation.

Sorry for rambling...sometimes it's nice to think out loud.

[cy1229]

The next time we go back...hopefully December 2015...I'm not sure where we would want to stay. It would be DS' first trip and maybe DD (she'd be 13 months old by then if we decided to take her) and we'd probably be spending most of our time at MK and maybe AK if DS is still a big fan of animals. The hard part is that those parks are on opposite ends of Disney property. So staying at BLT would put us over 30 minutes from AK and staying at Kidani Village would put us 30+ minutes from MK. We could always go back to OKW which would split the difference...or we could try BWV to put us close to EPCOT and DHS. It will probably come down more to money...as OKW and BWV are much cheaper than BLT and we could use the money saved for food or transportation.

Sorry for rambling...sometimes it's nice to think out loud.

I, personally, would do OKW and rent a vehicle rather than use Disney transport. If you're doing a stroller, plus two children, and all their gear, it makes sense to me. The condos at OKW are big, so you could conceivably do a studio since your kids will be small, and have what you need for breakfast in your room plus storing whatever baby stuff you need to store cold, and have a nice place to hang. Or, since you guys are reasonably close (relative to me in Indiana anyway!) you could drive. If you decide to drive, join a loyalty club for one of the major hotel chains NOW and then if you go anywhere between now and your WDW trip, accumulate points that you can use to hopefully get at least one free night at a hotel along the way to WDW if you don't do it in one shot. My favorite is Hilton HHonors, but my company sends me to a lot of higher-end hotels on business and I keep the points. All the major chains have them.

Well, that's what I would do if I was you. There you go, unsolicited advice.

[theBIGyowski]

Thanks!

I traveled to Ohio a good bit last year so I built up some Marriott and Hilton points that we actually used to stay at a super nice place the night before our latest trip to WDW. I am hoping I won't have to travel any between now and next December...but if I do I have Marriott and Hilton points. We'll more than likely drive as well since it's only about 9-10 hours between here and WDW. As long as we start at the crack of dawn (maybe earlier than dawn if it is Dec) we should get to WDW by dinner. I'd prefer if we were in a minivan...but we'll just have to see if that is affordable in the next 16 months since we want to move as well.

I also need to find a money tree I can plant in my back yard.

[cy1229]

If that money tree bears any fruit, I wouldn't mind some seeds...

College, high school.... expensive. Don't believe the nonsense that they get less expensive as they get older. It's not true at all.