Holy Smokes!!

[Darcy03231]

We decided to take a family vacation in 2017. There are 10 adults. There is no particular destination and I priced out a cruise and an all-inclusive. One of the adult kids suggested WDW since we haven't been since 2013 and there should be some new things open by then (we're looking at October 2017). Wow, prices have sure risen.

In pricing out the cruise it comes to about $15,000. This includes the cruise, tips, alcoholic drinks, airfare, and shore excursions.

All-inclusive comes to about $13,000 for everything, also including excursions.

Based on 2016 pricing WDW comes to about $24,000 for everything. This is for 5 rooms at a value resort, park hopper tickets, meal plan (DDxP) and airfare! It doesn't even include any alcoholic beverages while we're there (everyone is over 21).

I think I can rule out WDW!

 

[SarahSlink]

If you really want WDW to be an option, check into renting DVC points to get into some of the multi-bedroom villas, then you'll have a kitchen and multiple bathrooms. Then I'd drop the DDxP - that's a TON of food and, granted, for 10 adults you may be ok with spending that much time eating, but unless you're big foodies you can save some $$ by dropping the DP or at least going down the the regular plan. If you like the idea of having food paid for ahead of time, buy a specific $$ of Disney gift cards that you only use for meals.

Just my 2 cents on keeping that cost down. The other two are good options as well - you can never go wrong with a big vacation!

 

[ldo]

Agree with PP. You could easily do 2 2BR and a studio, if no one want to sleep on a pull out sofa. Or, you could rent a close-by, but offsite, 5 bedroom villa with its own pool and eat breakfast in the room, lunch in the parks at a quick service and a nice dinner out. Also, you might consider renting a 4 BR Presidential suite at Bonnet Creek, which is right at WDW. you could rent privately via an owner for a lot of savings.

 

[jo-jo]

Another vote for DVC. Order some breakfast food and snacks. If no one wants to cook, get some bagels, frozen sandwiches, yogurt, fruit tray for each room. Also get a veggie tray, a cheese/sausage type tray, some other nibble nibble type thing. Just something to start the day and some munchies during pool time.

 

[tzeitel]

We did the DDxP with 11 ppl and it was a disaster. Too much time spent in restaurants, and most ppl had credits left over since in the middle of the trip they decided to skip a bunch of the meals.

 

[runwad]

You need to rent a house offsite and your costs will come down exponentially!

 

[robinb]

Frankly, I think 10 adults will have more fun on a cruise anyway.

 

[mjmgsssp]

If you're going in October, I agree you may want to cut back from the DDxP to the basic plan. I can almost guarantee you'll want to spend quite a bit of time sampling all the Food & Wine festival has to offer.

I've also found, over multiple trips, that booking airfare separately saves me money vs. buying it as part of a package.

 

[ellie05]

I for one don't think you are comparing apples to apples. Crusing is one of the cheapest vacations you can get. And an all inclusive is probably out of the country were everything is much cheaper. Park tickets give you entertainment for a whole day not just part like activities. I am thinking adult drinks weren't included in the cruise either and the DDP rarely more economical.

Are you checking rack rate prices ? I seen rates of $190 for moderates with free dinning that hardly comes near your price estimate.

Just wanted to add Feb 15 our family did Disney there was 16 of us just one kid and 2 teenagers. The price didn't come near you estimate and it was peak season.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

You can't just do a quick search and rule something out. Disney can be affordable too. Rent a car, rent a house and then you have saved money right there. Add in the fact you can make breakfast at the house and bring in your own lunch or snacks and just eat one meal in the parks. You get park tickets for half the amount of days and add in the hoppers and waterparks and then you have just extended those tickets because of the waterpark or minigolf options you have (we use it all on waterparks and just 1 day for minigolf). Do your research and it can be done. Stay away from Columbus day, Halloween and go during the week.

 

[js]

Ten adults and a cruise sounds like fun. What line did you look at? October rates should be good. NCL is giving fre beverage package, which includes alcohol, and specialty dining for three nights or you can choose gratuties paid and dining or beverage package.

Im on my phone so cant see where you live but you can also leave from where you live if you can drive to the port.

Let us lnow what you decide.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

$24,000?! Holy cow. Our most recent trip in November for 4 adults and 2 children was all of $6,500 for 2 deluxe hotel rooms, airfare from L.A., food and tickets for 5 nights. I couldn't imagine spending more than $15,000 for 10 adults for even 6 nights. (You didn't say how many nights each trip would be)

If the adult kids (as well as everyone else) REALLY want to go to WDW, take the advice of others - the are MANY more options. I would absolutely skip the dining plan, reevaluate the Park Hoppers and reconsider your hotel options.

Is everyone getting separate cabins on the cruise as well? And at the AI? It certainly isn't apples to apples as far as comparing the 3 as far as entertainment and excursions go. But if you're all adults maybe WDW is not the destination for you all anyway.

 

[Tinkerbelllove]

Free dining would make it a lot cheaper

 

[LovesTimone]

With 10 adults, you might want to look at renting one of the grand villas, Treehouse villas or 2 -2 bedrooms DVC from David's which come highly recommend.

With the DDXDP - the 3 TS( appetizer, entrée, dessert) and 2 snacks & a resort mug per person per day... Its a lot of food, but it being all adults you might enjoy some of the signature dinning options, which would be nice, then you could use your other meals for characters breakfast, or stops like Sci-Fi or lunch in France. Then keep some fruit, chips and dip, and a few adult beverages in at the resort for pool time or whatever.

the DDP - is 1 TS( entrée and dessert) 1 QS ( entrée & drink ) 2 snacks, and a resort mug per person per day. - which you could easily shave some cost off right here, then keep some breakfast options, or light lunch offering in the DVC.

QSDP - is 2 QS 2 snack and a resort mug per person per day. So you could eat wherever and then pay out of pocket for any TS meals you might want, again having food at the resort for later one.

You will be visiting during food and wine, so a lot of options.

Disney Springs has so many new restaurant which a lot are 2 TS, and with all the performers around, make for a really fun night.

Any promotions that are going to come out for the time of year you are visiting won't be out for a while.

DME - to and from the airport.

EMH - is a nice perk.

I don't think that you can really compare a cruise and all inclusive to WDW... its just not apples to apples.


On a side note for a larger crowd we have always done DDXDP, it has worked out for us, Planning is the key... Signature meals (2TS) mixed with some (1TS), meals is the best of both worlds. Having everything paid for up front, and not worrying about what everyone is ordering is for us another step to really relaxing and enjoying that vacation time.


Staying off site does have some good options, but make sure to add in car rental for 10 (2 cars), gas, food, parking cost at the parks with (2 cars X 2), double check if there is a parking fee where your staying as well as the hidden resort fee, or cleaning fees... Plus the time to get to and from... in October its hot still so heading back to swim at the resort verses off site will be a lot more considerable, and if someone forgets something....Make sure to appoint a DD (2 for both cars) if you are going to be having some adult beverages.

What ever you decided enjoy.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you are shelling out that amount of money, you could buy your very own DVC timeshare and go multiple times. I see a listing for a 240 point AKL resale contract for less than $20K

 

[jodim]

I am currently on vacation at WDW and we are a party of 9. Per WDW standards we are 7 adults, 1 child and 1 infant. I rented a 4bdrm, 3 bath house with a private pool for 12 days for $1350. We spent roughly $4000 on tickets (p.h.). We eat breakfast at the house every day (a real breakfast not just cereal) and then snack at the park (which I bring in at least 1 snack per day generally and we also bring in 1 water per person when we enter) and eat dinner out. We spend roughly $335/day for food for all of us and that is eating QS half the time and TS the other half the time

 

[tzolkin]

Based on 2016 pricing WDW comes to about $24,000 for everything. This is for 5 rooms at a value resort, park hopper tickets, meal plan (DDxP) and airfare! It doesn't even include any alcoholic beverages while we're there (everyone is over 21).

I think I can rule out WDW!

It certainly does seem like a lot for 10 people, but I think it's because you're planning to have 5 separate rooms. So essentially your price is for 5 Disney trips. ($4800 each)

Your estimate is WAY more than double what it costs my family of 5, but we all stay in one room. Your trip is actually somehow 5x what we normally spend. We have never spent $4800 and we stay at a moderate (or split stay deluxe).

 

[Darcy03231]

Thanks everyone. WDW was just an idea mentioned in passing, so I priced it out. We're going for 7 nights. I'm pretty sure we're going to do the cruise.

For the cruise it's 5 cabins, 4 inside and 1 balcony, 4 ports with an excursion in each port. Alcoholic drink package is included for all cabins (NCL promo). Prices for airfare aren't out yet, but we usually pay between $300-$350/pp. We do not live within driving distance to the ports.

For the all-inclusive its 5 rooms. It would be a new location for us, but the same chain (we've stayed in their other resorts and had a great time). We would do some excursions off the resort, but there's a lot included to do at the resort.

While I expected WDW to be more, I was just really surprised at the price difference. I tried to keep it comparable with 5 rooms, meals, same amount of days, etc. I stuck to the value resorts as neither the cruise cabins or the all-inclusive rooms were upgraded. We're longtime visitors to WDW so we don't have the need to see/do it all in one trip mentality. We've done WDW much cheaper in the past by taking advantage of some of the suggestions here (staying off-site, renting a car, making our own meals, etc.), but part of this vacation is for it to be a true vacation for all us. No driving, no meals, etc.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

We used to do WDW twice a year but now do only 1 Disney day every third Orlando vacation. Prices have gone up so much that not worth it to us anymore.

Lucky for Disney that it has new potential customers born every day.

We have moved to cruising, while the initial total is higher, it includes food, lodging, entertainment and transportation.

 

[tzolkin]

Thanks everyone. WDW was just an idea mentioned in passing, so I priced it out. We're going for 7 nights. I'm pretty sure we're going to do the cruise.

For the cruise it's 5 cabins, 4 inside and 1 balcony, 4 ports with an excursion in each port. Alcoholic drink package is included for all cabins (NCL promo). Prices for airfare aren't out yet, but we usually pay between $300-$350/pp. We do not live within driving distance to the ports.

For the all-inclusive its 5 rooms. It would be a new location for us, but the same chain (we've stayed in their other resorts and had a great time). We would do some excursions off the resort, but there's a lot included to do at the resort.

While I expected WDW to be more, I was just really surprised at the price difference. I tried to keep it comparable with 5 rooms, meals, same amount of days, etc. I stuck to the value resorts as neither the cruise cabins or the all-inclusive rooms were upgraded. We're longtime visitors to WDW so we don't have the need to see/do it all in one trip mentality. We've done WDW much cheaper in the past by taking advantage of some of the suggestions here (staying off-site, renting a car, making our own meals, etc.), but part of this vacation is for it to be a true vacation for all us. No driving, no meals, etc.

I'm not trying to convince you to do Disney (a cruise sounds lovely), but I am just curious how you came up with the $24,000 estimate. I just priced 7 nights at a value in October, 7day PHs, and dining plan and got $2796 per couple/room. (That would be $14,000 total + airfare which is comparable to your cruise and all-inclusive options) Your estimate is $4800 each. I know you included airfare, but that would have to be over $1000 per person to get that total.

Were you looking at suites instead of regular rooms or the deluxe dining plan?