Planning a Disney vacation on a budget may seem daunting. There are lots of pieces you have to sort out and it takes time to make all of the pieces fit. One of the pieces that is helpful to sort out early in the planning process is where to stay.

The issue of where to stay can be somewhat tricky, particularly when you are trying to get the most vacation you can for your money. At the heart of the 'where to stay' issue is the question of cost versus comfort.

Let's talk cost....

When planning my honeymoon, I was trying to save as much money as possible because we were (at the time) travelling to the US from Australia. As fulltime postgraduate students we had very little money to work with, and I was trying to get the most honeymoon I could for my dollar. At this stage in my planning it seemed that cost was the key thing.

So, at first I hit the web looking for the absolute cheapest hotel/motel I could find that had a free shuttle to the parks. I found many possibilities and actually booked on. However, then I got curious and decided to see what reviewers had to say about my chosen hotel on both travelocity and hotels.com. As it turns out, all of the reviewers said the same basic thing - crime riddled, bug infested dive with a drug problem. ACK! Definitely NOT where I wanted to spend my honeymoon!!

DisneyDiva Tip #1: NEVER equate CHEAP with COMFORTABLE!

While there are a number of cheap (cheap being under $70 in my book) hotels/motels out there that are comfortable, the vast majority in my experience, are not. In many cases, the old saying 'you get what you pay for' unfortunately rings true. The cheapest motels are (if you are lucky) one step above a pay by the hour dive. Frequently they have shoddy cleanliness, uncomfortable beds, and are less than desirable from a safety perspective. All in all, not the sort of place you'd like to have your family stay.

On the other hand, some people say "I'm only going to be at the hotel/motel to sleep...so the rest doesn't really matter." As for me...I want to stay somewhere that is at the very least clean and safe -- those are my two deal breakers. The price may be 'right' in a money-sense, but if my personal safety or that of my family is compromised, then the savings are just not worth it.

So, what is a budget traveller to do? Here are my top 3 suggestions:

Use frequent flyer or other loyalty program points.
I am a loyalty club member for a major (upper end) hotel chain and a major airline. I earn points for BOTH programs at the same time when I buy either plane tickets or rooms with these companies. As a result, I earn a decent amount of points. These points are being saved for cheap accomodation on my next Disney World trip. Granted, I can't use them to stay at Disney World resorts, but there are MANY hotels in the immediate Disney World vicinity that are affiliates of the up-market chains. These hotels are comfortable, offer good ammenities AND will honor my points - saving me money on accomodation.

Take advantage of any discount programs you qualify for.
I am a teacher/government employee. Some hotels around the Disney area offer discounts for teachers, military personnel, government employees and various other professions. It never hurts to call a hotel and ask what sort of discounts they have available. For those of you in the AARP age group - make SURE you ask if your hotel offers an AARP discount. In many cases you may get a better rate with that discount than with a AAA discount! AND, some hotels will even let you double up on discounts. So you may be able to get BOTH your AARP or military discount AND the AAA discount!

Order a new Disney Vacation Planning DVD EVERY YEAR!!
Why is this important? Because Disney often sends people who order the DVD a discount code good for rooms, full packages, dining, tickets and other perks. In particular, the room discount codes range from 20 - 40% OFF the standard rate. With that sort of discount, staying on site at Disney World becomes possible, even for those of us on seriously restricted budgets. Just think - staying at a Value Disney resort during the Value Season is roughly $82 a night. With the 20% discount that drops the rate to $65.60!! That is a price that will rival most off-site motels and offers you better perks (more about staying on-site in coming articles).

So, remember... the first step in deciding where to stay is deciding what your 'deal-breakers' are in terms of cost versus comfort.

Next article: The Off-site/On-site Debate: Which Reigns Supreme?

In general, deciding how long to stay at Disney depends on how far away from Disney you live and how long you have for vacation. For example:

• DisneyDiva lives in Georgia (surprise surprise, she doesn't live in Orlando), therefore if she were going to Disney World (in Orlando for those of you new to Disney planning) a 3 day vacation is possible if she flies and only plans to visit 2-3 of the 6 parks.
• Alternately, 4-7 days is more practical if driving (2 days driving, 2-5 days at the parks). Again, this would not allow full exploration of all 6 parks.
• To drive to Orlando from Georgia and visit all of the parks, would require a 7-10 day vacation window - something that isn't practical in most cases or in this economy, as it is not as affordable as a shorter holiday.

DisneyDiva's Key Tip#2: Just because money is tight, doesn't mean you can't have a Disney holiday...it just means you have to pick and choose when you go and may need to shorten your trip!

Considering the current economy, the first thing I advise is to try and vacation during the value seasons (click here for the Disney Seasons chart). However, while the value seasons for the Disney 'value resports' and many other 'affordable', motel-style accomodations around the Disney parks is in the fall (September through early December), value season for some Disney deluxe resorts (and other more 'pricy' resorts/hotels in the area) goes from July through September. This means that if you plan carefully, you could upgrade your accomodation to a deluxe resort, by reducing other expenses.

Working out how long to stay at Disney can be tricky, especially when you are juggling work and school schedules. As a teacher who likes to avoid Disney during the crazy summer months, I prefer to take two shorter (3-4) day trips a year. The 3-4 day vacation works great as it is long enough to allow me to relax and see the things I really want to see, while allowing me to take advantage of the cheaper accomodation rates in fall and early spring.

However, if I were travelling to Disney World from Colorado, the more expensive transportation costs would probably reduce any savings I might gain from only going for 3-4 days. So in this case I would shoot for a 5-9 day holiday.

When working out how long to stay, you also need to consider your own circumstances. For instance, if this is a first trip to Disney with kids, you may need to miss some more adult aspects of the parks (like Epcot's World Showcase), in favor of more 'kid-friendly' experiences (like spending more time in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom). Remember that while there are 6 parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon) you don't NEED to see everything at all of them in one single trip. To manage that feat, even in the lower seasons, would take upwards of 10 days!

For a 3-4 day trip, I suggest working to hit 2-3 parks and cover everything you want to do at them. In 5-6 days it is possible to see most everything at 4 parks. I have tried to cram 5 parks into 5 days and can say honestly that I was MISERABLE by the end of day two, thanks to rushing from one site/ride to the next without taking the time to really appreciate or enjoy anything. This is especially true if you have small children - remember they will need to rest, as will you. There is no point to trying to cram too much into too little time, you will go away frustrated and tired, rather than rest, relaxed and happy.

In the end, when planning a Disney vacation on a tight budget, how long you stay is directly related to your budget, what season you are travelling in (and consequently how expensive accomodation is) AND lastly, whether you are staying on site or off. Where you stay is a key part of the planning puzzle.

Next article....Balancing Cost versus Comfort - The Accomodation Puzzle

Actually, once you have decided to head to Disney, working out 'what' to do is less important than working out when to go.

Disney (as well as other resorts) charge different rates for different seasons based upon park/resort attendance and booking. If you want to go at Christmas, you can expect to pay more for transportation and hotels (both on Disney property and off) because this is a high attendance period due to school holidays. For example here are the 2008 seasons and rates for the DisneyWorld value class resorts:

• Value Season (from $82 per night for a family of 4): 1/1-2/13; 8/3-10/1; 11/30-12/18
• Regular Season (from $99): 3/30-5/21; 10/2-11/29
• Summer Season (from $109): 5/22- 8/2
• Peak Season (from $119): 2/14-3/29
• Holiday Season (from $129): 12/19-12/31
  

DisneyDiva Key #1: As a general rule, you will pay more during any time period when there is a school holiday this includes: Summer months (no surprise there), but also Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, New Years Day and Easter/Spring Break.

Being a teacher in my other life, I can sympathise with those of you who look at that list and immediately think "it is impossible, we can never go!" If you are limiting yourself to going only during a school holiday, then yes, finding a 'cheap' time of year to go will be difficult. However, if your children are younger (elementary school age), you might consider taking them out of school on a Monday and Friday to plan a 4 day trip. In particular, taking them out in late August or early September means they would only be missing the 'review' part of the curriculum.

Disney Diva's Top Time Picks for Disney:

• End August-September 25th: Yes, school has just started and most families are at home. If you can manage it, this is a fine time to visit the World. It is still quite warm, so if you detest hot, humid weather, I'd suggest one of the other times (see below). But, if you like warm weather and reasonable crowds, this is a good time to visit. September features the 'Star Wars Weekends' at Disney's Hollywood Studios, so unless you are a real fan, I'd hit the other parks and avoid the Studios. The other plus to this time period is that for the last 3 years Disney has offered 'Free Dining' if you book a Disney resort package (hotel & tickets) - more about this later this week!
• Mid-October - Thanksgiving: Weather is cooler which is ideal for a leisurely stroll around 'the World'. Having done Disney in July on my honeymoon, I will never again go in the summer (unless I win a free trip!). Also, during October the crowds are more manageable meaning more ride time. Be warned, Canadian Thanksgiving is over Columbus Day, so crowds may pick up then - particularly as the US Dollar has declined (more out of country tourists). Also note that days which have the "Mickey's Not-So Scary Halloween Party" will have larger crowds, particularly after 4pm. I'd also avoid the "Food and Wine Festival" at Epcot during early October. BUT, one of the most enjoyable trips I've ever had to Disney World was Thanksgiving Day! Weird, but true.
• Early December: It sounds crazy, but early December (from the 1st - 15th) is a fine time to visit the World. Again, it is cooler, but the crowds are bearable. The crowds pick up on days when the 'Very Merry Christmas Party' is on, but are still manageable.

So, if you are thinking about planning a 'quick' Disney get away for October-Early December, NOW is the time to start making your arrangements. There are some great 'last minute' deals available (check out Travelocity or undercover tourist). But, even if you are thinking you might go next September, now is the time to start sorting out the details.

Next post...How Long Should You/Can You Stay?

Considering the current state of the US economy, this is the first article in a series regarding the 'art' that is planning a Disney Vacation on a budget. The articles in this series will address various planning issues relevant to both Disney World and Disneyland vacations.

When planning a Disney vacation there are many factors that need to be addressed. These factors can be overwhelming for someone who hadn't been to the parks, or planned a full Disney vacation before -- they can even overwhelm experienced Disney planners! In fact, many people start their planning, feel swamped by all of the details and give up, leaving their planning in the hands of a travel agent.

While this may remove some of the 'planning stress', it means that if there are problems, you won't know about them until the last minute or worse yet - until you arrive! And the last thing you want is to arrive at Disney to begin your holiday only to find that the travel agent got something wrong.

Additionally, although we tend to think of travel agents as experienced in getting their clients a good deal, travel agents frequently are not aware of the many discount codes and package deals available for Disney. As a result, by using a travel agent you may end up paying hundreds of dollars more than you would if you organized your own vacation! In this economy, that is hundreds of dollars that could be used for other things - like souveniers!

Planning a Disney vacation may entail a variety of details, but when done correctly, the planning can be part of the family fun, building up to your vacation. If you have older children, it is a great idea to involve them in the planning process --let them help you find out information and make decisions.

Next post... The number one question - WHEN to go?

Welcome to 'Disney Destinations', a blog devoted to providing you practical information, reviews and tips for planning a Disney vacation. I know some of you are probablying thinking...

Oh great...another Disney blog. She's probably going to try to sell me an e-book on planning a Disney vacation, or else promote some travel agency that is giving her kickbacks.

Unlike many of the Disney oriented sites out there, I have started this blog to share the information and strategies I have learned over my many years of going to Disney and planning Disney holidays for myself and others.

Yes, I could probably write an e-book and might make some money from selling it. The difference is that I don't think I should charge people to share the tips and tricks that I have learned over the years about how to plan an enjoyable and stress-free Disney holiday.

I have more than 100 trips to Disney in the past 20 years and have planned both short and long Disney vacations, learning ways to save money while maximizing my fun. Through this blog I will share what I've learned as I discuss:

• the pros and cons of staying on and off site at Disney Resorts,
• Disney restaurant, resort and ride reviews,
• touring plans and guidebooks (and why you don't need to pay for them!),
• Disney Dining Plans,
• and many more Disney vacation topics.

Given the current state of the economy, October's them will be 'Disney on a Dime'. Yes...that is the title of a Travel Channel show. But, having seen the show numerous times, I have to tell you that what they show is hardly a look at how to 'do Disney' on a budget!

If you have questions that fit this theme, or just a question or topic you'd like me to discuss, please feel free to drop me a line (my email is in my profile).

And as always....

Have a Disney Day!