Large family trip on a budget help

We did our last trip almost 6 years ago and are planning one this December. Last trip we used Villa Direct to rent a house off property. It had 4 br, 3 baths. Small private pool and community pool/arcade. We ate at the house and brought food into the parks. (Major food allergy so that limits what we can do meal wise). We also took the auto train down. Me and the kids flew home, while DH drove the truck home after the trip. That trip was total $5k for 7 people for 10 days total.


This trip we are staying at 3 BR Wyndham Bonnet Creek through Vacation Strategy (@$1800 total for 9 nights). We will cook most of our meals/prep again in the kitchen. LOVE having a W/D. We choose the resort over the house just because of the resort offerings - my oldest is now 23 and will be bringing her boyfriend, my younger kids - 10, 14, 14 at the time of trip will have more things to do on off days. For the flights, I got a Southwest credit card and if I charged $1k in the first 30 days, we got 40k points. I have been using it for almost every day things (Just make sure to pay it off every month). My husband is driving the truck down (MD to FL) with my son. My boy will fly back home with me though. We drive the car down because with 7 of us it's easier to get around and my oldest will be able to drive it if she decides they want to go out for the evenign or do something different. This trip I estimate will cost about $8k total but that is also because we are doing the Christmas Party and the kids are older.

Tickets are the most expensive part - we get from Undercover Tourist.

So the lowdown,
Stay off property, cook you own food as often as possible, pack food for the parks.
 
I need advice for larger families visiting Disney World on a super budget. My coworker and his family have been wanting to do Disney for years. They are a family of 9, so a regular resort room is out of the question. Can you give me any ideas of what camping is like there, and any other large family tips? I'll be googling too, but really curious about your personal experiences.

Your coworker could consider Dreams Villas --> https://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/DreamsVillas/. It sleeps up to 10. It's owned by 2 of the people who run Dreams Unlimited Travel. The 3 br units sleep up to 8. The 4 br units sleep up to 10.
 
The campground at Disney is nice. If they do not have their own camper/RV, one can be rented from an off-site vendor.

The campsites are expensive, but they do allow up to 10 on the reservation. Also, there is a boat that will take you to the MK from the campground.

We plan to stay at the Fort Wilderness Campground next time we go.
 
Never camped at Disney although I'd probably enjoy self if I did. It's the man who stopped me from booking Fort Wilderness our first and all subsequent trips.
Guess he thinks 10 summers of camping in the NE was enough, LOL.

Since we did a "bit" of tent camping through the years we already have all the equipment needed which can be a large part of a newbies' camping experience.
Unless your friends already have camping gear or can borrow they should budget a good....$2000.00 for everything needed to enjoy their stay. I'm not including the A/C that many camp with in humid areas.
This amt includes two 8 person cabin sized tents w/ high ceilings (floor space is your friend); 2 sets of bunk bed cots, a few well made coolers if they plan to cook onsite and at least one 25-30 qt for breakfast, snacks and leftovers from outside eating at the parks, plus lighting. Sleeping bags aren't needed unless they are already owned since this is FL camping. Just grab some sheets and quilts from the house. Should your friends decide to camp instead of renting off site I'm more than happy to give further info on best bang for buck gear should they need further advice.
 
The campground at Disney is nice. If they do not have their own camper/RV, one can be rented from an off-site vendor.

The campsites are expensive, but they do allow up to 10 on the reservation. Also, there is a boat that will take you to the MK from the campground.

We plan to stay at the Fort Wilderness Campground next time we go.


I would recommend this. It is so much easier for a such a large family to get around on Disney property. No rental van necessary. And if some want to head back for a break, just hop on a boat or bus. And if they rent an RV they can do some cooking if they want to to save money.
 

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