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Looking for Disney money saving tips for a family of 5 at the Contemporary?

umbrella stroller that is easy to collapse because you can bring these on the busses and monorail. Ones rented at Disney can't leave the parks.
chefkathy
5
Just thought we could all share what we've read on this as we research our trips.
 
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Glow bracelets/necklaces--buy them at your Dollar Store and bring them with you instead of paying $$$$ for them at the parks. I just bought a 5 pack of bracelets and a 2 pack of necklaces for $1 each Rain Ponchos--afternoon downpours are not uncommon in Florida. Bring these with you. not only is it cheaper, but you'll be able to keep on eye on your group because everyone else will be wearing the Disney ponchos that they bought at the park. I just bought two red ponchos free after rebate at Menards.
 
THANKS for this thread! Great tips already! Being a Disney Newbie... I can't wait to read more!
 
For anyone who needs a stroller....Disney rents them but they're not cheap. And they're hard plastic, so bring a blanket or put sweatshirts down on them for the kids. Or bring your own umbrella stroller that's easy to collapse because you can bring these on the busses and monorail. Ones rented at Disney can't leave the parks.

I do have to say that we actually prefer the Disney ones. My daughter is a tall 5 year and a regular umbrella stroller doesn't give her the space to fall asleep in. The leg room is pretty good on this so that's what helps it accomodate her - because her legs can rest out in front of her intead of being bent up on that strap/foot rest of an umbrella stroller if that makes sense. She can also kind of curl up sideways and actually sleep in the Disney one when she gets totally pooped out. Once my 8 year old son actually rode in it most of the day because he was feeling sick. He looked pretty funny, but he fit.
 
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A friend of mine who is a Disney veteran suggested that we bring a stroller for DS1 who is 6 yo. Walking through the parks is EXHAUSTING! We have a nicer umbrella type stroller (Maclaren) that we plan to bring for him. It will save us the rental cost.
 
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  • #6
Pack your own snacks and bring a refillable water bottle that you can refill at the drinking fountains. If you don't like the taste of tap water, I like a product called True Lemon. http://www.truelemon.com/
 
pamperedbecky said:
For anyone who needs a stroller....Disney rents them but they're not cheap. And they're hard plastic, so bring a blanket or put sweatshirts down on them for the kids. Or bring your own umbrella stroller that's easy to collapse because you can bring these on the busses and monorail. Ones rented at Disney can't leave the parks.

I do have to say that we actually prefer the Disney ones. My daughter is a tall 5 year and a regular umbrella stroller doesn't give her the space to fall asleep in. The leg room is pretty good on this so that's what helps it accomodate her - because her legs can rest out in front of her intead of being bent up on that strap/foot rest of an umbrella stroller if that makes sense. She can also kind of curl up sideways and actually sleep in the Disney one when she gets totally pooped out. Once my 8 year old son actually rode in it most of the day because he was feeling sick. He looked pretty funny, but he fit.

How much are you talking cost wise? Do they rent by the day? I don't think our dd who is a tall 6 will fit in our grandson's umbrella stroller but I'll try her out in it. There is nothing worse for the whole family than a tired child who is too heavy to carry!
 
You can rent them day by day or for the length of the trip. I can't remember off the top of my head how much they are. They have double strollers too. If you go to www.allears.net and type in "strollers" in the search or you may see it listed down the left side of the page, it'll tell you. There are also some off-site places that rent strollers too and will bring them right to your room at the resort. That info is on allears.net too. Maybe later when I have some more time, I'll search around.

It IS exhausting walking around. Even a 5, 6, 7 year old may get tired and it's nice to have the stroller. It's nice to cart stuff around in there too. If my daughter wasn't so tall, we'd bring one from home, but anything like an umbrella stroller just doesn't work for her.
 
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  • #9
Buy souveniers somewhere OTHER than inside the parks! Disney Store has great sales (especially online). Most of the WalMarts in central FL carry Disney stuff. Buy it ahead of time and bring it with you so your kids don't beg and beg and beg. Also, right now Kohl's has Toy Story stuff as their $5 items. Or, what we're doing now is giving our 6 yo opportunities to earn money by doing chores at home and it's all going in the Disney envelope. He can buy whatever he wants with that money while we're there, but we're not going to purchase one single souvenier or toy in the park for him.
 
  • #10
Great idea about the chores. We already have chore stuff in place, but reminding them that it could be Disney money may motivate them more to do it consistently!!

Speaking of that.....if you don't want your kids bugging you every 5 minutes to buy something in the park, here's what we did over Christmas. We gave them each a $25 Disney gift card and they could choose to buy what they wanted but we had to remind them that once it was gone, it was gone. That worked pretty well and they actually put some thought into their purchases.
 
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DebbieJ said:
Buy souveniers somewhere OTHER than inside the parks! Disney Store has great sales (especially online). Most of the WalMarts in central FL carry Disney stuff. Buy it ahead of time and bring it with you so your kids don't beg and beg and beg. Also, right now Kohl's has Toy Story stuff as their $5 items. Or, what we're doing now is giving our 6 yo opportunities to earn money by doing chores at home and it's all going in the Disney envelope. He can buy whatever he wants with that money while we're there, but we're not going to purchase one single souvenier or toy in the park for him.
Thank you! This is what we have been doing. I am saving certain items to pull out during the trip. Disneystore online has great prices on pajamas and nightgowns, plus $4.00 character flip flops. And I can almost always find Disney loot at Big Lots. Oh yeah.
 
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do any of you know if there is a WM close to Disney? we are coming in early & would like to get some snacks for our room so I'm just trying to plan.....another Director friend of mine found a grocery store that will deliver right to the hotel.
 
  • #13
Just thought of another one! I just redeemed the points on our debit cards and credit cards. I was able to get $65 to Starbucks, we are driving the 16 hours thru the night with the four kids, this will be a necessity to get us there. I also got $150 in gift cards to gas stations!!
 
  • #14
I can tell you how to get to the walmart that is near disney but near is relative. There are plenty of grocery stores that are closer. Don't go to the grocery store in the Crossings as it is a tourist grocery store and way more expensive. This might be the one that delivers. If you have a car I can give you directions to various locations near by including outlet store mall and resturants.
 
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cheftiffany said:
I can tell you how to get to the walmart that is near disney but near is relative. There are plenty of grocery stores that are closer. Don't go to the grocery store in the Crossings as it is a tourist grocery store and way more expensive. This might be the one that delivers. If you have a car I can give you directions to various locations near by including outlet store mall and resturants.

Tiffany,
We're driving up from Broward County - where do you recommend we shop for groceries and what-not? We're also planning to eat at restaurants off site a few times to save $ - what do you suggest?
 
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We aren't going to have a car.....but I just found out that my son's old pre-school teacher lives close to there so she might be able to help us out getting around.
 
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Caroline if you are coming up the turnpike or I-95 get off at 192--the road not the exit. from the turnpike you will head west and go through st. cloud and then get into kississimmee. That Walmart I was talking about is the one you will pass--makes sense for you but not most anyone else. I'm pretty sure there will also be a Publix a little ways further down on the right hand side on the corner of 192 and 535. If you continue down 192 you will see just about every resturant you want including the buffets and chains places. A fun place right there for maybe an extra night is Old Town. You'll see it as it has a big farris wheel and some other rides. But it is a nice stroll by some pretty neat shops. There is also a couple of bars right there and I think a "haunted house" attraction. They do car shows on the weekends in there. Just follow 192 west to get to Disney. There are signs everywhere that you can follow once you are within like a mile or 2.

For those of you already on Property--if you are at Downtown Disney take Hotel Plaza blvd out to 535. take a right at the light and go under 1-4. Then you want to take a left at the next light. which I think is called Vineland Ave. There is Bahama Mama, Golden Corral and a Lonestar on the corner there. follow this road back a bit past the Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine and on the right is an Outlet Mall and on the left a little further down is a new publix. There are a few other things on that road too but it's a smaller road.

If you google map Kississimmee and reference some of the roads I was just talking about you can get a visual. Hope this helps. Sucks that I didn't get my rear into gear to earn this trip. :( Sorry pitty party over.

By the way you can take in your own food and drinks in the park. We always take a cooler with frozen water bottles and peanut butter and jelly plus you know like bags of carrots and grapes or apples. We used to be able to go into some of the baby stations and make hotdogs but I'm pretty sure they have kind of stopped letting that happen. As long as there isn't any glass you are good. This is also something we do cause we have a stroller. might not be as good for those of you with older kids.
 
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are there any shuttles from Disney that will take you to stores nearby?
 
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annew said:
are there any shuttles from Disney that will take you to stores nearby?

No they don't. But I think the grocery service I've heard of (I think someone already mentioned it??) does deliver right to your resort. Maybe go in on this with a few people and it won't be that expensive? It's probably worth the cost with having the least amount of hassle. Some people I've heard take a cab and go to a local store, but that sounds like more hassle and expense.:)
 
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annew said:
are there any shuttles from Disney that will take you to stores nearby?

no but there are taxis that are constantly going. :)

Tiffany, you are so good with directions!! man, i've been there a thousand times too and i still wouldn't have been able to give them all that. Hey we share our strengths, right? :)
 
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  • #21
Disney beach towels just 7.99 each with FREE SHIPPING today only!http://cgi.ebay.com/Large-Disney-Beach-Towels-8-Characters-Available_W0QQitemZ190399678147QQcategoryZ20443QQvarZQQcmdZViewItemBuy them ahead of time instead of at the park!
 
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Thanks Kristi for letting me know about the taxi's!
 
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Don't the resorts give you towels to use at the pool? Do we need to bring our own towels too?
 
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Nanisu said:
Don't the resorts give you towels to use at the pool? Do we need to bring our own towels too?
I don't know, Nancy, but I'm buying trinkets in advance for my kids so I don't have to pay out the nose at the park. We are also extended our stay and going to visit family on the ocean side of Florida, so we will be going to the beach and swimming at my MIL's house.We are driving, so I have room to pack and bring such things.
 
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DebbieJ said:
Disney beach towels just 7.99 each with FREE SHIPPING today only!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Large-Disney-Beach-Towels-8-Characters-Available_W0QQitemZ190399678147QQcategoryZ20443QQvarZQQcmdZViewItem

Buy them ahead of time instead of at the park!

Thanks so much!!!
I bought one for each of my boys to put as pillow presents one of the nights we're there or the night before we leave. Of course now I'll have to contend with the battle over who gets which one b/c I was dumb and bought two different ones...LOL oy...
 
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Nanisu said:
Don't the resorts give you towels to use at the pool? Do we need to bring our own towels too?

They do give you towels at the resort.
 
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Just received this email. Haven't checked it out yet but you can customize your own Disney map. You can print it out or order it and have it shipped to your home.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/customizedMaps/index?CMP=EMC-WDWFY10Q2CMRMaps0020&id=CustomizedMapsFlashPage&bhcp=1
 
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Anyone know when we'll receive our Disney Dollars?
 
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dannyzmom said:
Anyone know when we'll receive our Disney Dollars?

The registration thingie said we would receive them at check-in. Whahoo!
I love a Disney dollar!:D
 
  • #31
We will be driving from Colorado :) We didnt earn the $1200 travel allowance so we will have a car and I will be doing a grocery run on Sunday :) We arrive Saturday and are leaving Thursday!

I am the Coronado, and am looking for other families that have a 5-7 year old and a teenager ( I have a 16 year old too) The pool at the Coronado is great :)
 
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  • #32
Gail Collins said:
We will be driving from Colorado :) We didnt earn the $1200 travel allowance so we will have a car and I will be doing a grocery run on Sunday :) We arrive Saturday and are leaving Thursday!

I am the Coronado, and am looking for other families that have a 5-7 year old and a teenager ( I have a 16 year old too) The pool at the Coronado is great :)

Hi Gail,
we're driving from IL. My oldest son is 6 yo. We are hitting the parks starting Saturday so I'm not sure how much downtime we'll have. We're going to follow our kids' lead and see how it goes! I know that I will be taking a dip in the pool, though!

See you at the Coronado!
 
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DebbieJ said:
Hi Gail,
we're driving from IL. My oldest son is 6 yo. We are hitting the parks starting Saturday so I'm not sure how much downtime we'll have. We're going to follow our kids' lead and see how it goes! I know that I will be taking a dip in the pool, though!

See you at the Coronado!

We'll also be at the Coronado with kids 5-9 so we might be going in the pool as well. We might come in on Saturday and do Blizzard Beach. :)
 
  • #34
Gail Collins said:
We will be driving from Colorado :) We didnt earn the $1200 travel allowance so we will have a car and I will be doing a grocery run on Sunday :) We arrive Saturday and are leaving Thursday!

I am the Coronado, and am looking for other families that have a 5-7 year old and a teenager ( I have a 16 year old too) The pool at the Coronado is great :)

I will be at the Coronado as well. We will have 4 kiddos with us ages 12, 11, 6 and 4. My daughters are 6 and 4 and they love making new friends!!

Do we have a contact list started like we did for Miami?
 
  • #35
Coronado here, too! I have 2 boys, ages 7 and 4. :)
 
  • #36
Coronado as well. my daughter is 5 and my son is 8. We arrive on the 13th around noon and that will just be a hotel/pool day for us. We leave on the 17th. I can't wait!! Almost two more weeks!:D

And I ordered towels - thanks, Deb, for the heads up!
 
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Anyone at the Contemporary with boys in the 8-11 age range? Oh, and I guess I'll be needing a playmate for me 38yr old boy as well LOL (um, and much to his disappointment, I don't mean THAT kind of playmate LOL)
 
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dannyzmom said:
Anyone at the Contemporary with boys in the 8-11 age range? Oh, and I guess I'll be needing a playmate for me 38yr old boy as well LOL (um, and much to his disappointment, I don't mean THAT kind of playmate LOL)

I just WISH I was at the Contemporary! We were there over Christmas and really liked it!! It was so cool how easy it was to have the monorail come through there. :) Hope to run into you somewhere!
 
  • #39
we're @ Coronado my son is 9 & daughter is 6.
We'll be there from the 11-17th.
we plan to go to Sea World on Saturday
 
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pampmomof3 said:
We might come in on Saturday and do Blizzard Beach. :)

Kristi,
what & where is Blizzard Beach???
 
  • #41
nevermind I just found the answer
 
  • #42
dannyzmom said:
Anyone at the Contemporary with boys in the 8-11 age range? Oh, and I guess I'll be needing a playmate for me 38yr old boy as well LOL (um, and much to his disappointment, I don't mean THAT kind of playmate LOL)

Carolyn I will be at the Grand Floridian with a 14 year old boy, 4 & 5 year old girls and a 4 year old boy. Doesn't the monorail come through there as well? Anyone else?
 
  • #43
We are at the Coronado from the 11th-16th. I am trying not to hyperventilate about the cost of the food....we have 4 adults. With no car, where am I going to buy snacks and stuff? Shall I bring them? I know how much food is at Disneyland, I am totally panicked about this. As it is I am having to pay for 2 extra days at the hotel. Kinda sorry we are doing this now.
 
  • #44
Nanisu said:
We are at the Coronado from the 11th-16th. I am trying not to hyperventilate about the cost of the food....we have 4 adults. With no car, where am I going to buy snacks and stuff? Shall I bring them? I know how much food is at Disneyland, I am totally panicked about this. As it is I am having to pay for 2 extra days at the hotel. Kinda sorry we are doing this now.

I'm right there with you! I'm going to bring some snack foods w/us but then make a run to a grocery store near by for other stuff....
 
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  • #45
Garden Grocer will deliver food to your hotel.
 
  • #46
But by the time I do that is it just about the same as eating in the parks?
 
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  • #47
Nanisu said:
But by the time I do that is it just about the same as eating in the parks?

I don't know--research it and decide for yourself.
 
  • #48
Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are Disney's water parks they are on property and so you would have transportation to them but not included in the park pass you will be getting. Kristi and I live so close that we get the annual passes.

I just found this
http://www.shopathome.com/WILD/Default.aspx?refer=85817&src=TOOLXX&dc=no
and thought some of you may like it. They are disney bathing suits for like $12.
 
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  • #49
Prebuy a Disney PhotoPassCD for just $99.You can actually share it with friends/clustermates and reduce your cost.Details and info:
http://www.disneyphotopass.com/previsitoffer.aspxhttp://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/
 

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