Disney Places to Stay

So you have found the perfect flight and set aside a budget for your Disney trip. Now, its time to decide where you are going to stay.

The biggest question is, should your stay on-site or off-site. Here is a list of pros and cons for both options:
PROS
On-site
*Access to extra-magic hours. If you stay at a Disney World resort you will get early or late access to one of the parks each day. This can be a huge bonus for your holiday. The biggest benefit comes for parks like Animal Kingdom. On days that AK has extra-magic hours you have a much better chance of getting on one of the new rides in Pandora. If your heart is set on riding a very popular ride and you can't get a fast past.... this is your only chance. Another bonus is that the parks tend to be much quieter during extra magic hours.
*Experience the magic all the time. At a Disney resort, you get to be part of the magic 24 hours a day. This can be a great benefit as you can still enjoy a bit of Disney even on non-park days.
* Free transport. Guests staying at a Disney resort can get free transport from the airport using Disney's Magic Express. During your stay, you can use free buses and boats around the parks and resorts.
*Enjoy all the extras such as free movies and games at the resorts.
*Free parking at the Disney Parks. That will save you $14 per day.
*If you book tickets with your hotel rooms, you can start booking fast pass reservations 60 days in advance.
*You can book your dining reservations 180 days from the start of your trip for your whole vacation.

Off-site
*Cheaper options. The biggest pro to staying off-site is the price.You can get some amazing deals for an off-site property. Search the net on websites such as Booking.com and Hotels.com for the best deals.
*Off-site properties often have small kitchens giving you the chance to cater for your family and save money.
*It's easier to get to supermarkets and cheap restaurants from an off-site hotel.

CONS
On-Site
* Price. You are going to pay for the privilege of staying at a Disney Resort. Value resorts start at about the $90 mark but can run as high as $130 for a night. Note that Disney does not charge for parking or resort fees so take that into account when looking at prices.
*Rooms in value resorts are small and can get very cramped for a large family.
*You get a small fridge in a value resort and no coffee machine
*Distance to other restaurants and the lack of cooking facilities means that you will be eating at Disney prices for most of your meals. That can get very pricey.
*Deluxe resorts can cost over $1000 per night.

Off-site
*No extra-magic hours. In the case of popular rides, extra-magic hours may be your only chance to get on the ride.
*Charge $14 per day at Disney parks for parking. That can get pricey.
*You can only book fast passes 30 days in advance.
*Distance to the parks. You might get a great price but you probably won't be able to pop back to the hotel for a nap in the middle of the day.

So those are the points that I think you should consider. For this particular vacation we are staying both on-site and off-site. The first few days will be at a Disney resort and the second week will be at a Timeshare Villa. Timeshare is great idea for large groups. In the second week we will have family meeting us in Orlando and for a group of 9, a villa is the best option.

Let me know if you can think of any other important points. Thanks for reading and please leave a comment below. Please check out my Facebook page. Like, if you like the content.

Disney World Planning - Budget tips

We are spending the first 11 days and last two days of our holiday in Orlando. This was due to an amazing flight deal that I found (more on that in another post). So we fly into Orlando on the 27th November at 9:30am.
My 8-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter are beyond excited. To a child, there is nowhere better in the world. An adult would probably prefer New York or Vegas :)

So let's break a Disney holiday down into steps.  I am ignoring flights and the other Orlando theme parks for now.

BUDGET
Disney is insanely expensive. There is no getting around that fact. Park tickets start at $99 per adult for a one day pass. Then you need to find accommodation and transport. Don't forget about food. It all gets a bit crazy but there are ways to save money. Here are my five tips:

1. Stay off-site or at a Disney Value resort
I have found some super cheap off-site deals. On Booking.com I found a hotel room that sleeps 4 for $50 per night. DON'T expect any level of luxury for that kind of money. If you plan on being in the parks all day and you are just using the room to sleep, it can be a great money saver. If you need to be in the heart of the magic - check out the Value Resorts. They are really well themed and your kids will adore them. Prices start at about $90 per room.

2. Stop at Walmart or Publix
On your way to your hotel stop at a grocery store and stock up on snacks. Water in the park costs around $2.50 and you can get 24 bottles for that price in Walmart. Buy a few snacks and easy breakfast items. Most hotel rooms in the US have at least a small fridge. Having a few small items on hand can be a great way of staying budget friendly. Disney allows you to take your own non-alcoholic drinks and snacks into the park. Great for when little people want an apple and you don't feel like spending $2 on a piece of fruit. Note: this applies to drinks and snacks. You cannot bring a full meal into the park.

3. Tickets
DON'T buy your tickets from Craigslist or any other seconds sites. The prices may be great but you will not get into the park. Disney tickets are assigned to a particular person and you can't use tickets that aren't linked to your name by Disney. In the past, I have bought tickets from the Disney website but this time I am trying UnderCover Tourist. They are official Disney Ticket sellers and slightly cheaper than the official site. If you find very cheap tickets, they are often from timeshare sales groups. You make get cheap tickets but you will need to spend one morning of your holiday at a sales presentation. I know that the pitch says that the meeting will take two hours but expect it to be closer to five hours in reality.

4. Souvenirs
Avoid the souvenir shops in Disney. If you really need to buy a few Disney themed items, try getting them outside the parks. Target, Walmart, and Publix all have awesome Disney stuff at a fraction of the price. You can always buy the items in stealth mode and have them waiting for the kids in your hotel room after a day in the park. Another option is to budget a small amount of money for each person to spend in the parks.

5. Do free things
Yes, there are free things to do at Disney. This list gives you some Disney magic without even going into the parks.
* Ride the monorail. The monorail has three different routes and smaller kids will find the trains to be a fun ride.
*Take a boat ride from Disney Springs to the Port Orleans resort. A lovely boat ride that shows some stunning scenery.
*Walk around the resorts. There is no charge for going to the Disney resorts. At Animal Kingdom Lodge you can walk around the savannah and see all the animals there. The theming at the resorts is amazing. Taking a self-guided tour around a few of the resorts is a great way to spend a non-park day.
* Watch the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian resort or Fort Wilderness. Both spots offer fantastic views of the fireworks each evening. Bring a blanket and find a nice spot on the beach for the perfect end to a magic day.
*Kids will love the Camp Fire with Chip and Dale at Fort Wilderness. Only Disney guests are supposed to join the fun but I can't find any evidence of them checking that people are staying at a Disney hotel. Take a boat ride from the Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness and spend a fun-filled evening. The resort offers a Smores pack for $10 but you are welcome to bring your own. Chip and Dale lead a campfire sing-a-long and if you are really enjoying yourself you can stay to watch a Disney movie under the stars.

I hope that you have enjoyed these tips. Tomorrow there will be a post about the different accomodation options in Orlando and how to book them. Thanks for reading and please comment below. I love hearing from you.

Welcome to Taylor Family Travels

This blog is the story of my little family and the fun trips we undertake. I hope that you will find some great ideas for your own families here. In our current plans, we are heading to the US in 32 days. So the next few blog posts will be planning posts and I will be uploading planning videos on our Youtube channel.

I happen to live in the lovely town of Ballito on the East Coast of South Africa. I know that that this is a popular holiday spot so I am planning to add a few blog posts and videos about the town before we leave.

I hope that you enjoy this blog and please feel free to leave any ideas in the comments below.