Category — e. What to Budget for Walt Disney World

This is the second page on this topic.  For the first page, click here.

GOING TO HESS, ESPECIALLY FOR BEER AND SNACKS

Even well-stocked Disney stores have a very limited selection. Moreover, as noted above, beer and smokes will kill your budget.

So the answer—especially if you are looking for beer and smokes—Mickey would not approve, but Donald would—is to find your way to getting at least some of your supplies outside of your resort.

There are three Hess stores on property—one of which is accessible to all Disney World resort guests, and another to those staying at a deluxe Epcot resort.

Hess isn’t going to solve “food” problems—e.g. you can get bread there, but not butter—but is great for snacks and other convenience store items.

Note also that you can’t get hard liquor in the Hess stores noted below—for these you’ll need to find your way to one of the two grocery stores listed after them, each of which is accompanied by a liquor store. Hard liquor savings can repay the cost of a cab.

Two of these Hess stores are easily reachable to Walt Disney World resort hotel guests without cars—one near the BoardWalk Inn, best for those at one of the Epcot deluxe resorts, and one near Downtown Disney, best for everyone else. [Read more →]

(This page is part of the series The Tightwad’s Guide to Walt Disney World)

EATING ON THE CHEAP AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

This site recommends here that families following one of its itineraries purchase the Disney Dining Plan, and has other suggestions here for those who can’t, or won’t.

This page addresses a different group: those trying to spend the least possible on food at Walt Disney World.

It’s part of the The Tightwad’s Guide to Walt Disney World, a series about the most inexpensive way  to visit Walt Disney World.

BASICS OF DISNEY WORLD DINING

The basic dining plan can be quite expensive unless you were going to buy the same number of sit down meals anyway.  The quick service dining plan is much less expensive, and, particularly if your kids are younger than 10 when they visit, can be hard to beat.

But even so, neither of these plans will cover everything you eat, and some may wish to spend even less than the cheaper dining plan costs.

The only way to do that is to gather and assemble meals and snacks in your room, taking some of them into the parks with you to eat there.  This works very well for breakfasts, sandwiches—which can be either lunch or dinner—and snacks.

Doing so will cost you time, both gathering your foodstuffs, and preparing them.

The rest of this page has some suggestions on how to gather your supplies. [Read more →]

THREE NEW DISNEY DEALS FOR 2010 AND 2011

Walt Disney World has announced three new discount programs, each of which extends into 2011.

• One discount offers free dining for many nights from 10/1/2010 through the end of September 2011.  (No, that’s not a typo…)  A five night stay with four days of tickets minimum is required.  The deal needs to be booked by December 20, 2010.  See this for more on the free Disney dining deal.
• A second deal offers a Disney gift card valued from $200-$500.  Most dates from 10/3/2010 through February 16, 2011 are eligible—many more dates than are eligible for the dining plan.  A five night stay is required. The deal needs to be booked by November 21, 2010.  See this for more on the Disney gift card deal.
• The third deal offers discounts of between 25% and 40% off of regular room rates, with the same dates and “buy by” details as the gift card.  No minimum length of stay has been defined—although Disney World’s website notes that “minimum length of stay requirements may apply for Friday and Saturday arrivals.”  See this for more on the Disney room rate discount deal.

This is part of The Comfortable Guide to Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: THE MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO TRAVEL TO WALT DISNEY WORLD

This page addresses how to travel to Walt Disney World for a subset of first time visitors: those seeking the most comfortable visit.

It is part of a series about the most comfortable way to visit Walt Disney World.  Its companion series is about the most inexpensive way to visit Walt Disney World,

I am publishing both series at the same time to help those who are looking for bargains and deals on some things, so that they can spend more on others!!  Links to everything in these two series are at the bottom of the page.

THE COMFORTABLE GUIDE TO TRAVELING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD: CHARTER A PLANE

[Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD DEALS EXPIRING

Walt Disney World is currently running three promotions for the general public, and a deal for military families as well.

While travel dates for these deals extend from now until October and even December, three of these four need to be booked within the next few weeks.

KEY DATES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD PROMOTIONS

[Read more →]

FREE DINING AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Because Disney World has extended its free dining plan offer into some of the period when this site recommends first time family visitors go to Walt Disney World, this page addresses a couple of natural questions that emerge:

• Why do value resort visitors only get the quick service plan?
• If my hotel deal covers only the quick service plan, do I have to pay full price to get the recommended dining plan?
• If a period is excluded from the offer, does that mean it is going to be very crowded?
• Since the week you recommend doesn’t offer free dining, what’s the next best week?

WHY DO VALUE RESORTS GET ONLY THE QUICK-SERVICE DINING PLAN?

[Read more →]