Should you do a package?
When I travel to Walt Disney World (WDW) this December, I will be doing a package for the first time.
Previous trips have included any combination of staying off property, going to work and having an annual pass.
Dining Plans
This trip I choose to do a package mostly because I want to see how the Disney Dining Plan works. On this trip, we will each have one (1) table service (sit down), one (1) counter-service (fast-food like) and one (1) snack credit for each day we are staying in the hotel. This of course requires some planning in order to use all the credits so I’m very interested to see how it works out.
One thing to think about with the dining plan is how much you and your family eat in a typical day. Will you bring some of your own food and what are your dining preferences. You can do dining plans where you get two (2) counter service or two (2) table service a day. For me, the 1 table service and 1 counter service will work best. We can either have a late breakfast or early lunch at one of the counter service restraints and then have dinner at the table service. If you don’t think you’ll eat more than one meal at Disney in a day, the dining plan is probably not for you.
Staying off Property
Most trips to Orlando have me staying in a timeshare. My parents have owned a timeshare for 10+ years. This is probably the cheapest option in the long run as you pay in the beginning and then yearly you just pay a maintenance fee. This means you can get a week in a 2 bed room condo for less than $1000 a week.
I’ve also stayed in hotels. The problem is they are sterile. Disney hotels are part of the Disney magic.
If you stay off property you only experience the magic for maybe 12 hours a day. Plus you pay for parking. Last I saw it was $11 a day and I know it’s gone up since then. So if you are thinking of staying off property, make sure you figure in the cost of parking.
Buying your ticket separately.
I have read a few places say that if you plan on being at WDW for more than (eleven) 11 days in one year than the annual pass is the way to go. As I was planning a trip to WDW for work in December 2008 I thought about what my next year would be like. I already knew another trip to Orlando was in the works so the annual pass made the most sense financially for me. This also gets your discounts on dining, rooms and special experiences. I would recommend if you are staying on Disney property and don’t have an annual pass that you buy your ticket as part of your room.
Another nice thing about doing a package I think is that your room key is your park ticket, dining payment and of course your room key. It is also what gets you into Extra Magic Hours. Word to the wise….DON’T LOSE YOUR ROOM KEY.
As of right now I can’t recommend either way, going with a package or everything individually. I do know on this upcoming trip I want to be totally taken over by the Disney Magic so a package works best for me on this trip.
