My three sisters and I (ages 56, 63, 65 & 67) are planning a trip to Disney in Florida the week of December 5th to celebrate my youngest sister's successful 5-year recovery from cancer. We are all very excited about the idea of the trip, but now it comes mostly to me (the eldest) to make the plans. We aren't wealthy, so we are looking for a cost-effective place to stay (preferably a Disney property so we don't have to rent a car) and purchase tickets. We'd love to have more than two beds for the four of us. A kitchenette would be wonderful, but I don't know if that's something available on Disney property.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

Take a look at this website: http://www.mousesavers.com/

It has a lot of good info about Disneyworld and the various lodgings.

Congrats to your sister's recovery! Enjoy your trip.

The Disney Value resorts are fine, for the price. They all have something of a whimsical design. The All-Star Music resort probably is the least popular of the three themes - which may work in your favor.

These three resorts tend to be popular with HS groups their for various competitions, etc. The sports and movie All-Star resorts likely are the first choice of these groups.

If you wanted to spend a bit more, think about their moderate resorts such as Port Orleans.

If you're fine without a car, Disney has free transportation from the airport and all around their properties.

There was a thread a few days ago about ticket prices. If you find that thread you will see where I laid out the way tickets are priced. General rule is a 4 day adult ticket costs the exact same as a 6 day ticket.

The meal plan is of questionable value. With Disney, I might suggest you price the room alone, the room with the ticket, and the room with the ticket and meal plan to understand what each piece adds.

Disney has periodically offered "free" Disney dining at low points.

In early December Disney starts having their special Holiday events at the Magic Kingdom. The park closes early and you need a separate event ticket for that. Schedules are usually posted about 6 months ahead.

Before you plan, consider a couple of things. How many days? How many parks per day? (Basic pricing is one park per day. If you want the ability to hit more than one-park, the park hopper option is extra. Adding that may or may not make much sense?)

When considering cost, consider the benefit of free Disney transportation from the airport and everywhere else when comparing their price to the price of other non-WDW resorts.

Our first trip ( as a 60ish/50ish couple ) we stayed at the Contempory . . on the monorail and very easy to get from park to park.

Our second trip we stayed at the Boardwalk . . a little more upscale, but also very easy to get to Epcot and from there to anywhere in the park.

For us, convienence and proximity to the monorail was more important than price.

On the last tri[, we used the meal plan and it worked for us, but it does not seem to for some, so be sure to do the numbers.

I would plan at least one meal at the Californian Restruant on the top of the Contemporary. Nice view of the fireworks at Magic Kingdom.

Post your question on this site:

http://www.disboards.com/

It is loaded with info on Disney World.
As far as having more than two beds for the four of you, most places would bring a roll away into the room, but I doubt any would bring two of them in.

That week of December should be very competitive pricing. Depending on attendance levels, Disney often offers specials during the fourth quarter. Those prices are often not announced until after Labor Day. The current pricing of room, tickets and meal plan is the same package offfered at the end of 2009. It might give you an idea of where prices could be next December.

If you want to make a reservation now, just confirm that the rez can be cancelled or changed to best price available if new promotions are offered after you commit to the reservation.

Disney's deposit and advance payment program is aggressive. There is no chance that Disney will be full your intended week. You could consider waiting to reserve until October 1 to avoid paying now and being sure you get the best price.

You should be able to get great rooms at the mid-price resorts like Carribean or Coronado during December. You might even find a bargain at an upscale like Beach, Yacht or Wilderness. Shop hard.

Disney has resorts in all price ranges. The villas (such as Old Key West, Boardwalk,etc.) have kitchens and multiple beds but are quite pricey. You might also consider staying at a value resort and getting two rooms.
Are any of you educators or nurses (active or retired)? The Swan and Dolphin have special discounts. Although staying there does not entitle you to the Magical Express from the airport (we take a car service) or the meal plan, that might be another option. The location is excellent. You still get park transportation.
We have stayed both on and off the property and I highly recommend staying on the property...so convenient. I have never had a dining plan. We try to save some money by bringing snacks from home and eating our big meal at a late lunch. Our car service will do a grocery stop so we pick up breakfast items - especially if we have a mini-fridge in the room. Don't worry - you can make it work! Focus on having a great time and celebrate being together. There is a wealth of information at the websites that previous posters have suggested. Best wishes for a wonderful trip!

Hi Nanafischer,
I agree with staying at the value hotels on site. I don't remember the name of the one we stayed at. It was divided into the 60s, 70s etc buildings. We paid just about $100/room for two connecting rooms with a mini fridge in each. There were two queens or doubles in each room. Worked out great.

We also had the meal plan which we thought was fantastic. Comparing the price on the menu to what we paid for the plan, we came out way ahead and had wonderful meals. We would grab a few breakfast items from the mini grocery store at the hotel and have bfast in the room before heading out.

Then you just go to the front of the hotel and stand in the correct line for the bus to go to your destination for the day. Very easy and relaxing, although if you wait until a park is closing the lines at the park are pretty long at that time of the night.

Just look up their site and call Disney with any questions you have. No high pressure salesmen on the other end. I never felt pressured by them to buy anything I didn't want. A very pleasant experience.

Have a great time,
Michele

Thanks so much for the suggestions. One of my sisters asked about buying some basic groceries while we're there. Does one have to go off the property to do this?

Yes. Basic supplies must be purchased off site.
The General Store at Lake Buena Vista Shopping Center offers a few requirements at premium prices. You should drive a few miles further and go to a chain grocery store.

I know that there is a store where you can buy groceries on the Boardwalk (because of the vacation club timeshares there)- we bought a loaf of bread there! I'm sure there are others anywhere there are timeshares with kitchens on the property. The prices were higher but not totally outrageous for the convenience. If you call the hotel you are interested in, they could help you....or check online.

We bought groceries at the COntemporary and Boardwalk . . likely paid a premium, but not enough to make me cry

We Just returned from disney world and had a blast. We did the adult approach no kids. You really can have a good time without the little ones. We hit every " kingdom" and enjoyed everyone. Some more that others. We have a full picture report at http://www.dave-lori-home.com/disneyworld.htm Loads of different types of pictures. Not your norm. Epcot and Animal kindoms were our favs. We were there during the international wine festival. That added a nice touch to Epcot would highly recommend. Ironically the 3 best rides are at the smallest venue Hollywood studios. The rockin rollercoaster, tower of terror and the toy story ride are great. For more info check out http://www.dave-lori-home.com/disneyworld.htm