Some background, I just returned from Disney 11/29-12/8/02. We stayed offgrounds for the following reasons: to save money as you can get a nicer hotel off property with amenities than staying at the value resorts on property (we had a longer length of stay this trip); we also did a few days in US and around Orlando; and some of the extra money saved allowed us to eat at some of the better rest. on Disney property (had it with fast food by day 2). I am a single female (early 30's) who went this past trip with my mom who loves Disney as well.
I do travel for my job alone on occasion (and have had to live out of hotels for weeks) but have never traveled solo for vacation, always with a family member. As I am a single female, resources are limited to what I can spend on vacations in a year. I have been wanting to do a solo trip to Disney for past 3/4 years but always managed to find another vacation (love to cruise been on many). I usually do one nice vacation with family members every year and would like to begin to do a solo vacation (long weekend) at Disney if I can manage to fit it in.
My question to all who have done it alone, how much do you usually find you spend either on grounds or off? I don't like severe crowds and would never go during a holiday or during the summer so it is usually in the off season. I have done a number of rough comparisons both on (using hotels discount codes)and off property (using priceline which is how I went this trip). I keep averaging about $800 for a 4 night trip offgrounds (keeping in mind, airfare, car rental, tickets, food (better rest.), souv., etc.). I usually buy the vacation components seperately (find hotel deals or use discount codes, but tickets from Ticketmania, etc or from Disney store) and find that I have managed to save money in some way but usually spend it elsewhere on Disney property. I have been price comparing with onsite/offsite on this issue until my brain hurts and have just concluded to get others advise. I am not a big fan of the AS but staying on prop. means I wouldn't have the added expension of a rental car but would need Mears or something else to get me to the hotel and would probably come close to what I would've paid for the rental. These are the questions which have given me brain ache.
I do travel for my job alone on occasion (and have had to live out of hotels for weeks) but have never traveled solo for vacation, always with a family member. As I am a single female, resources are limited to what I can spend on vacations in a year. I have been wanting to do a solo trip to Disney for past 3/4 years but always managed to find another vacation (love to cruise been on many). I usually do one nice vacation with family members every year and would like to begin to do a solo vacation (long weekend) at Disney if I can manage to fit it in.
My question to all who have done it alone, how much do you usually find you spend either on grounds or off? I don't like severe crowds and would never go during a holiday or during the summer so it is usually in the off season. I have done a number of rough comparisons both on (using hotels discount codes)and off property (using priceline which is how I went this trip). I keep averaging about $800 for a 4 night trip offgrounds (keeping in mind, airfare, car rental, tickets, food (better rest.), souv., etc.). I usually buy the vacation components seperately (find hotel deals or use discount codes, but tickets from Ticketmania, etc or from Disney store) and find that I have managed to save money in some way but usually spend it elsewhere on Disney property. I have been price comparing with onsite/offsite on this issue until my brain hurts and have just concluded to get others advise. I am not a big fan of the AS but staying on prop. means I wouldn't have the added expension of a rental car but would need Mears or something else to get me to the hotel and would probably come close to what I would've paid for the rental. These are the questions which have given me brain ache.