DLP on the cheap! Advice please!

[missj171]

First of all, love Disboards- was a regular visitor (though not so frequent a poster) when I went to WDW a couple of years back, you guys know EVERYTHING Disney don't you!?

Ingratiation over with, here are my questions!

Thinking of going to DLP in early September with price being the main decision maker! From my research it seems to be cheapest to book eurostar return tickets (so we can get a youth discount) and hotels/park tickets separately. We're probably going to stay in the Santa Fe and get the 2 nights 3days tickets. Cheapest I've found seems to be £197 each for 2 adults. Which seems pretty reasonable! Luckily we can go mid-week which lowers price a lot.

Anyway, just wanted advice on the cheapest way to go. The Disney Eurostar package was like £30 more expensive than doing it separately, are there any benefits to their package? Will travel agents be able to offer anything cheaper? We're situated in the Bromley/Kent area so would prefer to go by train from w/loo- is there any way flying will be cheaper?

Been to DLP twice and WDW twice but never planned trip by myself, so this is both very exciting and challenging! I just love trip planning though! Will probably drive my travel partner insane!

So any budget tips would be really appreciated! We know that staying outside the park is cheaper, but we like the idea of staying in Disney!

Last question: I checked out the 'Brits Guide to DLP' in Borders this afternoon and it looks so good! Would you definetly recommend buying it before booking/planning rather than once we know we're off!? There are some 2003 versions on ebay: here would they be drastically out of date?

Thinks thats all, any help would be appreciated! Im so excited already and its only just June - how is it that Disney does this to us!?

 

[Bonnie]

Welcome (back!) to the DIS boards!

I don't know the answers to your money-saving questions, but I would definitely recommend Simon's book! It's fantastic. Buy it before you go and read it from cover to cover... five times! (Errr, maybe that's just me though.) I have the 2003 and 2004 versions and the changes are very subtle, so no, the 2003 version is definitely not that out of date at all!

 

[missj171]

Cool,thank you! I will get bidding and then obsessively reading and re-reading (more interesting than my summer uni reading im sure!!)

 

[Renate_do]

Hi,

I can offer you a 3=2 stay at the Santa Fe arriving either 4th; 5th; or 6th September for 195 €, means around 127 pounds (each adult)

Thats without transportation but 3 nights at the Santa Fe and 4 day-hopper-tickets for the parks.

Send me an PM if you are interested.

Greets Renate

 

[Miffy2003]

Hello and welcome (back!) to the Disboards

Hope to see you on here planning!

I don't think there are that many changes since 2003 re Brit's Guide either I recommend this.

Regarding money saving tips, you can spend a little (or a lot) on food and this is an area I think you could economize on. If you stay at a Disney hotel. breakfast is included. Fill up as much as you can! I did see people taking rolls & cheese / ham, presumably for lunch. Not sure if this is allowed but I did observe it! You can have a cheap meal at McDonald's in the evening if you are watching the Euros!

 

[missj171]

Thanks for the breakfast tip, would definetly eat as much as we can then and then not have to buy too much food in the parks!! I read that there are restrictions for taking food/drink in - is this true, are they really strictly checked? Can you take bottled water in for example?

Fortunately in September it wont be so hot, so wont be so thirsty! experience of WDW proves that the heat leads to so much money spent on buckets of diet coke!

 

[Miffy2003]

I must admit I never had my bags checked at DLP (other than going into Disney Village in the night time)

 

[Renate_do]

Hi,

you can take with you everything you like and another great idea is to take the Fantasyland Breakfast...its a bit better than the one at the Santa Fe and you have the change to be at Fantasyland one hour early

Greets Renate

 

[Cyrano]

Another recommendation for Simon's book.
Santa Fe is also perfectly located for Esso garage (just outside entrance to hotel) where you can buy snacks, water, coke and wine at cheaper prices than the park.

Reid

 

[Dee8197]

Hi

I would buy the book and read through it asap, it is really good I bought it a couple of weeks ago - thats how I found out about the DIS board. Some people might say therefore that Simon has a lot to answer for !!! LOL
I agree with the point made about the breakfasts at a Disney hotel or the Good morning Fantasyland breakfast. We ate a good breakfast and then had a big mac in the evening. Not good for the diet but easier on the pocket

 

[missj171]

After so many recommendations how could I not buy the book! Ill be ebaying this afternoon to try and cut the pennies even more! I might even put some of my books up in exchange to try and make some £s!

Will consider the Fantasyland Breakfast, and visiting the garage is a handy tip!

 

[missj171]

Oooh frustrated!
I ordered a brochure from DLP website and it arrived this morning. Was leaving when saw it (live in flat in shared house) and couldnt take it with me, was all excited to read it but when I got back it had gone! Landlady had cleared the junk mail and taken it with her - so sad! Will reorder and pounce on it asap!

 

[Miffy2003]

Oh no! Fancy thinking that was junk mail

Hope you get a new copy soon

 

[missj171]

Oh no! Fancy thinking that was junk mail

I know, travesty!!

Im pretty sure it won't tell me much the website/you guys/other brochures/memories/the internet in general hasn't already but looking at the pretty pictures is so exciting! And I'm quite an obsessive fact checker (which is good for a would-be editor, I suppose!) so I like to get hold of as much information as I can!

 

[Miffy2003]

I know what you mean, it won;t give you much extra information but it's nice to look at the photos

 

[BCT]

Having just got back we saw plenty of croissants appearing out of napkins from the breakfast buffet. \also people drinking Buxton Spring water and they definitely don't sell that in Disney. we were not checked going in and you can take anything in as longs it's in a bag and they can't see it.

You can get bottled water etc. and snacks in the newsagent shop in the RER station. It's in the station foyer at the end nearest to the parks. They also have filled sandwiches and snacks etc. Thewater is 1/2 theprice it is inside.

If you need to eat in the park the Croque Monsieur at new York Deli on main Street is E5.90 . a hot sandwich with melted cheese on top and cream cheese and ham inside ( I know I can see WW and Slimming world lot throw up their hands in horror at the calories), but it's filling tasty and keeps you going till the evening.

Berwyn

 

[missj171]

Shamelessly bumping up my own thread here, sorry!

Okay so after loads and loads of searching the best deal I've come up with is £197 (per person) for 2 nights, 3 days, eurostar tickets, hotel and park tickets, staying at the Santa Fe from 6-8th Sept. Thats with eurostar's website, but the same as booking train and hotel separately.

Seasoned disneyers, I ask you, is this the best we are going to get?! Or should I keep looking. All the other websites seem at least £40-50 pricier, and Ive done a lot of searching! Will any deals come up nearer the time, or is it best to go ahead with booking asap?

I know some agents do that 'we'll beat any quote' thing, does anyone know more about that, do they actually beat it!? or just find a loophole to not have to!

Any bargain spots I'm missing online? looked at usual travel agents, online ones (opodo, ebookers, lastminute etc.) and some of the random sites that come up in Google!

 

[Cyrano]

I haven't been on Eurostar, but that looks a good price

Reid

 

[Miffy2003]

I'm stuck to going in school holidays so to me that looks like an excellent price! But I only look at pricey times of year so my opinion probably not great here I suspect

 

[missj171]

I just whipped out the school calculator and that works out at rooms for only £61 for two nights each, which seems very good!

Did their used to be a 3 for 2 nights special offer? Im sure I read that on here, its a shame that doesn't exist anymore (if it did!)