GF just diagnosed with cancer, planning a surprise trip to Orlando. PLZ GIVE BUDGET TIPS!!

[stazmatic]

Life is short. Take the trip!
Do you have anything you can sell to raise more money?
I also agree with no timeshare presentations! I also agree that you should do two days at Universal, or two days at Disney, whichever will make her happier. Universal has more extreme rides, so personally I would go to Disney. At either park, go to Guest Relations and get a Disability Access Pass to help with waiting in line for your GF. There are quite a few hotels on Expedia that are around $40 a night. With taxes that would be under $200. If you already budget for groceries during the week, use that money and bring groceries with you to save on food.

 

[firefly_ris]

You got a lot of advice already but I'm going to throw my ideas into the pot...

- Pick Universal OR Disney, don't try to do both on this tight schedule and budget. I'd go with Disney because of the variety of experiences.

- Don't buy tickets on Craigslist, too much of a gamble. eBay is OK depending on who you're buying from but you'll still save the most money and have the most reliable tickets buying through a re-seller. I like Boardwalk Ticketing and Undercover Tourist. Buying multi-day tickets will save you money instead of buying single day tickets. Add the Hopper option and you can hit more than 1 park a day -- like go to Magic Kingdom, take an afternoon break, then head over to Epcot for dinner or drinks.

- Try for cheaper hotel, non-timeshare. Look around on hotels.com or expedia.com, you can usually find some deals. Either that or try a value resort on Disney property. Since it's just 2 of you, easy to accomodate 2 people in a value room, and you can then save some money by not needing to get a rental car or Uber by relying on Disney Magical Express and Disney bus transportation which is included in your value room fee.

- Try to raise some additional funds as this will still be really really tight. My DH and I did a trip last October -- I bought 3 day hopper passes, stayed at a moderate Disney resort that I booked for 20% off with Orbitz, no rental car, ate breakfast in our room with food we had packed in luggage, ate mostly quick service meals, had free flights, and it was still about $1800. We aren't big income earners so we "earn" vacations by selling things on eBay year-round (I scrounge yard sales for items I know I can turn around), using savings apps to earn a few bucks (Ibotta for example), and using credit card points to accumulate free flights, and are generally just frugal.

- I think you can pull this off but A.) I think you need at least a couple hundred more bucks to give yourself some wiggle room -- you want to ENJOY the trip, eat some good food, have a drink -- and B.) Re-arrange your thought process on where to stay that can benefit you the most in terms of time value (not wasting time on timeshare presentation) as well as saving money on things you can skip (rental car). I wish you all the best and prayers for your GF's quick recovery...

 

[DreamIsaWish]

Groupon has a deal on Universal tickets. Not sure how much of a savings it is but worth a look. Best wishes to you and your gf!

I know Universal is on Groupon, but I'm pretty sure it's absolutely no discount at all vs. the Universal website. It's cheaper than "gate price" but it's also exactly the same amount cheaper to buy in advance direct from Universal. I don't know if the Groupon "coupon codes" or other rewards programs might work on this, but at listed price it's no bargain. Unfortunately.

 

[4kids4karen]

Please look up the information on who is ELIGIBLE for the timeshare presentations. In Florida they are targeting married couples and both have to be present. I stayed at the Wyndham OceanWalk in Daytona many times and once our friends did the timeshare presentations so my friend wanted to (she wanted the gift card and gift) and we were told no because we were not married to each other, we were not eligible.

I just don't want them to charge you rack rate if they learn you are not eligible for their presentation. The eligibility has a lot to do with real estate laws in Florida and the ability to get you to sign same day.


https://orlandotouristinformationbureau.com/freetickets/discount-tickets.htm

Westgate Preview Qualifications

1. This offer is not available to Westgate owners or visitors staying at Westgate.
2. Can not have toured a Westgate resort in past 6 months.
3. This offer is available to married or cohabitating couples ages 28-70.
   Co-habitating couples must have matching addresses on state issued photo id or show proof of cohabitation.
4. Single US woman means never married, widowed or divorced aged 30-70.
   Separated women do not qualify.
   No single women from Florida or Georgia.
5. Combined income of at least $60,000 or better with a major credit card.
   All qualified parties must speak fluent English or Spanish.
6. Only one promotional offer at this price per family, group or friends vacationing with same, similar or adjoining arrival and departure dates.
   No group tours.
7. Can not tour day of arrival.
8. Must be staying in a local hotel, motel or short term vacation rental.
9. If married or cohab both must attend presentatrion.
   A driver's license or photo I.D. and one of the following will be acceptable:
   Visa, Master Card, American Express or Discover.
   Debit cards with Mastercard or Visa logo require prior resort approval.
   This offer is not available for those on student or work visas.
10. There is no obligation to purchase anything.
11. Sign(both parties if married or co-hab) the timeshare invitation emailed to you.
    Do so immediately after printing invitation and before arriving at resort.
12. Residents of Brevard, Volusia, Lake, Oseola, Orange, Polk or Seminole Counties do not qualify for this offer.
    Residents of the UK must be married or co-habitating with husband over 30 and a combined income of 35K sterling.
13. $40 reservation deposit collected at time of booking.
    Please note $40 is not refunded should you not decide to attend presentation.

 

[4kids4karen]

Here is a suggestion for a budget hotel

https://www.championsworldresort.com/

I have stayed here, very affordable, but basic hotel.

 

[robinb]

I would also look at Priceline's "Express Deals". You can set a price range and also select areas that you want to stay in. Sort by "customer rating" and don't select anything under a 7 (meaning 70% of the people were positive). You won't know EXACTLY which hotel you will get but you can narrow it down by cross referencing the express deal you selected with Priceline's direct bookings by matching star level and amenities. Watch out for "resort fees" (once you figure out which hotel it might be see if they have resort fees) and if they charge for parking.

 

[piccolopat]

I assume that you are driving and so don't forget gas and parking fees. Bring bottled water with you so you don't have to buy beverages in the parks. Pack food for in-room breakfasts and maybe even some easy to pack lunch items and a small soft sided cooler that can fit in a backpack. You might consider only going to one park and spending the rest of the time by the pool or doing free things in the area.

 

[motherof5]

My GF was recently diagnosed with cancer so I am trying to surprise her with a trip to Orlando, her favorite place ever, from (5/28-6/1) to go to Disney one day and Universal one day. She has no idea so I cannot go to her for help in scheduling this trip. I saved up 800 dollars and am ready to book a place and get tickets!

I found two “cheap” resorts under $400
-Mystic Dunes
-Westgate Town Center

Both offer timeshare presentations for cash and I plan to use that cash to craigslist the Universal tickets (hope that’s safe). Not sure the best way for Disney tickets speaking that I’ll only have about 200 dollars left. Would take any recommendations for finding cheaper Disney tickets!

Thanks for your time guys! My GF and I are 25 years old and I’m looking to try and attempt a trip for under 800 dollars to get our minds off the situation for a few days!

I stayed at a Diamond Resort (which is what Mystic Dunes is) I didn't buy into the presentation but be prepared they are rude when finding out you won't purchase. They promised me a $100 visa gift card and a $100 food vouches (which I never used) Only took 2 hours so it was worth it I guess. Rooms are nice and you can make meals instead of going out each night. Good luck to you guys.

 

[vinotinto]

Make sure that she does not have any appointments or treatments on those dates. Once you start a treatment, you can't skip a day, although weekends are usually clear of appointments or treatments.

Regarding the tickets, I would not buy them from anyone who isn't an official ticket reseller. Sadly, ther are a lot of scams out there. Look into UndercoverTourist. They are legit.

I would set the hotel budget and Priceline or Hotwire the hotel. There is some info in the resort discount and Orlando hotel forums.

My last suggestion is to pick Universal OR Disney. Your trip is not that long and the first few days for the tickets are the most expensive. After the first few days, the price per day goes down. Universal in particular has more reasonable ticket rates. Again, check out UndercoverTourist.