Disney World - San Antonio,TX

I found this mom's comment another blog on the same subject.
I also included A. MSN article about navigating through the disney vacation without breaking the bank. Hope they help.

Michelle W. answers from Plainfield on January 24, 2010
Hi Kristen,
We just went to DW in August. I would highly recommend calling DW 800# because of all the options. They will include your meals, drinks & snacks in your package (expensive w/o DW meal plan)as well as give you fast pass for free which will allow you to do rides/activities w/o the long lines. Also, there's no additional charge for using DW services to book your trip. My husband is a Navy Vet so our vacation pacakage was 40% off ths price. We had a great time for a family of 4 for less than $550.

Have a blast!

http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/9041783210098360321
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Read no further if your Disney vacation musts include first-class meals, brand-name Mickey and Minnie souvenirs and staying in the closest hotel to the monorail. This article is for penny-pinchers only. The Big Three expense categories — food, lodging and admission fees.

Lodging: Figure out this piece of the puzzle first, since it will affect your strategy for the others.

Stay in a non-Disney property outside of Disney World.

There are hotel discounts galore, thanks to the slow economy, and you can take your pick by shopping Web sites like http://www.roomsaver.com. Simply by poking around the Web, our family of four booked five nights in a sprawling two-bedroom suite at a beautiful new resort for just over $500 — and we didn't even have to listen to a time-share presentation.

There also is a plethora of fabulous private homes, often with private pools and amenities like home theaters, available to rent at tempting prices. Many are owned by Brits and other foreigners who fly in for weeks at a time and turn their vacation homes over to management companies when they're not around. Sehlinger cites http://www.allstarvacationhomes.com as one particularly user-friendly Web site. Another site — http://www.vrbo.com — lists homes being offered directly by owners.

If you want to stay at one of the more than 20 Disney owned-and-operated resorts — and they do come with perks such as extended theme park hours, free parking, free airport shuttle and free luggage delivery service — a handful fall into the "value" category. You can even pitch a tent at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, with campsite fees starting at $43 a night.

For most stays between Aug. 16 and Oct. 3, certain Disney resorts are offering a free Disney Dining Plan when you buy a five-night room and theme park package. (The package has to be booked by June 21.) There also some specials for members of the U.S. military.

To find the latest deals, your best bet is to go to Disney World's Web site — http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/ — and click on the "special offers" tab.

Food: Your lodging decision will have a big effect on your food bill: Book a private home or a suite with a kitchen, and you can more easily avoid paying amusement-park prices for food. Even a cooler in your hotel room (or the mini-fridge at a discount hotel, where it won't be stocked with overpriced snacks) for OJ, milk and lunch meat can work wonders at cutting breakfast and lunch costs.

The bottom line from Sehlinger: "The more meals that you eat outside of Disney World, the better off you're going to be."

Eat breakfast in your room, or snag one of the many hotel deals that include a continental breakfast.

Head into the theme park with a backpack stuffed with snacks, sandwiches and drinks, and you're good till dinner.

It really can be done: We prowled five theme parks over four days, and spent exactly $8.25 for three ice cream sandwiches.

Everything else came out of the backpack — which has the side benefit of allowing you to avoid those snaking food lines.

Our kids didn't even mind, because we let them eat sugary breakfast cereals and snacks that they don't normally get at home.

One of my favorite moments at the Magic Kingdom was lunch on a picnic table under a shade tree on Tom Sawyer Island.

At dinner time, there are plenty of offsite restaurants to explore — and by then you may well be ready for a theme-park break anyway.

And if you're paying the $12 a day to park at Disney World, you can leave for dinner and come back without A. additional parking fee.

For people flying in to Orlando and debating whether to rent a car, Sehlinger says, "The savings that you'll obtain by eating outside of Walt Disney World will probably more than pay for the rental car."

If you do opt to eat at the theme parks, there are a range of restaurants that run the pricing gamut. And Sehlinger says the portions are generous enough that in some cases two people can share A. entree and not go away hungry.

Admissions: This is the toughest nut to crack: Nominal discounts are typically the best you can hope for on admission fees at Disney World.

Check whether you get a free admission if your visit to coincide with someone's birthday.

There also is a generous deal running for current and retired members of the U.S. military and their families and friends. Check out http://www.disneyworld.com/military.

If you're planning to hit some non-Disney attractions in the area, such as SeaWorld or Universal Orlando studios, discounts may be more plentiful.

The independent Web site http://www.mousesavers.com compiles one of the best lists around for reputable deals — at Disney and elsewhere.

Because Disney offers all sorts of ticket options — one- to 10-day passes, no-expiration upgrades, annual passes, etc. — it's best to plot out how you plan to spend your time so you don't buy more than you need. In general, the longer you stay, the cheaper the tickets.

The Web site http://www.touringplans.com, affiliated with Sehlinger's guide book, has a free "least expensive ticket calculator" that will help you figure out the cheapest route.

Not-so-little extras: You can make all the right moves on the big-ticket items and still spend a small fortune at Disney World if you don't watch the extras.

Rides tend to dump you out in the middle of shops overflowing with tantalizing souvenirs.

There's that pricey stroller rental fee. Unless you want to spend $8 to $15 a day ($57-$105 a week) on renting a stroller, bring your own. A simple umbrella stroller will cost around $12 and is compact enough to not get in the way. If you don't want to worry about traveling with a stroller, the area grocery stores have plenty on stock for around $15. Stroller rentals are only available in the parks- you'll have to carry your children in all other places if you don't bring your own stroller.

The refrigerator rental fee at Disney resorts. The locker fee at the water parks. Think it all through in advance, and you can hold down the add-ons.

At http://www.DisneyWorldMoms.com, a panel of Disney-wise parents offers tips about budgeting and other matters.

The unofficial Disney online guide at http://www.wdwinfo.com/ has good discussion boards for planning every aspect of your trip, including a "budget board" where you can get tips on everything from where to buy Disney souvenirs to deals on airfare. You can even orchestrate a "stroller swap" with other families — a stroller is donated and passed from one vacation family to the next.

We went in September. We did not go to the waterparks because there are pools at the hotel and there are waterparks closer to home that we go to all the time so decided to skip that part. I don't believe we would have had time for that anyway.
We did not stay on disney property- went to comfort suites- royale park (parc maybe?) just off site. Very short drive. Much cheaper. Was supposed to have shuttel service but the times were very inconvient for us so we drove and parked ($12) daily. But I had a little kitchen in the hotel so we cooked and ate there every evening- free breakfast at hotel. So that saved alot of money. The disney website is really wonderful about getting all info you need. Take some time and plan everything out. I looked up hours of each park- planned where we were going each day of our visit. The park hopper option is a must I think. When we were there animal kingdom closed at 5 most days so you have time to go eat then head to another park. There was one day it was open late. Magic kingdom is gonna take at least 2 days. My husband loved epcot- me and the kids not as much. Also if your daughter has a favorite character- ask at one of the guest relations desks- on your first day- where and when they will be out. We missed Snow White and my youngest was crushed- that is her favorite princess (she wasn't with the other princesses and fairies). Carry a backpack with snacks and drinks- it will be HOT. Make sure you have your military ID to get discounts (5 day pass option is AMAZING- that is the only way we could afford to go). Mark your ID cards when you get them (bring marker)- they scan your thumb or finger print and it saves time not having to figure out whose card is whose. They all look alike!
Brought some food with us- found a grocery store close for the rest. My kids (10, 5, & 3) loved seeing the characters and getting pictures and autographs so that takes alot of time. They have great 3D rides and shows. Bugs life at Animal kingdom was my husbands favorite- youngest didn't like it at all. Toy story mania is really cool. We all loved the tower of terror (that was a favorite of the 3 year old). Hollywood studios is probably my personal favorite place there. Use the fast passes (I think that is what they are called) they are free to everyone -we didn't realize what they were until our 3rd or 4th day- could have saved us a ton of time in line. The great movie ride was really "great" but we are a family who LOVES movies- and it gave us a chance to cool off. Fireworks at Magic Kingdom are better viewed from back away from the castle- we were up real close the first night and back farther the 2nd time- much better the 2nd time. Bring your own autograph book (our whatever you want to have signed) for characters and pen or marker. You can buy them there - we did- but don't have to. Bring your own camera- the photographers will take pictures with your camera too if you ask them. The photopass photos are great though- they sometimes get an angle or something you missed and have fun extras you can put on your pictures. I wasn't planning on buying anything from photopass because thought I had all the same on my own camera- until I saw the picture of my daughter nose to nose with mickey mouse. She LOVES mickey. My camera didn't have the same angle so the shot was not as cute. Had to have it.
We mostly ate outside of disney- there was a golden coral not far that was very reasonably prices. I had budgetted in for lunch inside the park but we brought snacks with us so didn't get hungry much while going throughout our day- usually took a break for dinner in the late afternoon/ early evening then went back. Sometimes kids were just tired and needed a break anyway, so we went back to hotel to swim for a bit, ate dinner etc. before heading back.Most off site places were reasonably priced but Dennys was expensive compared to home! It did rain- although most things keep right on going- so bring poncho or rain coat- or just plan on being wet. If you plan of doing water rides- you will need to either rent locker to keep your stuff (camera) dry or just get some ziplock baggies- double bag it and take it all with you on the ride.
Oh- one more thing if time and your budget allows I recommend Sea World as well. Free one day admission for military! My kids loved SeaWorld (me too) and wanted to go back before heading for home after Disney- but time didn't allow- needed them back for school.
Sorry this is kind of all over the place- I love Disney-, excited for you- wish I was going with you!!! LOL Hope this helps, have fun :)

All I can say is that it takes AT LEAST 2 days each to do everything at Magic Kingdom and Epcot so plan your trip accordingly. We didn't do any water parks on a 6 day trip and still didn't make it thru everything. I feel that SA / NB offers really great- in fact one of the best water parks around so we opted out of the water parks because we wanted to see everything the other parks had to offer. But it does get pretty hot there!

Definitely get the dining packages they offer. It's very expensive to eat there! Those dining packages are worth it. And you should get your daughter a character dining experience. We did breakfast with the princesses (breakfast is cheaper than lunch or dinner). They book up fast though so the earlier you make reservations the better. We made reservations for the dining 1 mth in advance and had a hard time finding something open.

It's pretty crowded in most of the parks so just take your time and have fun!

All of the hotels on Disney is kid friendly. Don't put too much thought in the hotel you will not be there but to sleep. The parks are always open late. There is too much to do there and not enough time in a day to get it all done. You will not be getting very much sleep the whole trip! I would definately stay on Disney though. They are great! They shuttle you to and from the airport for free. They pick up your luggage from the airport and deliver it to your room (so make sure you have a carry on with everything you need for your first day),about 1 hr later you don't have to get them yourself! They also check you in for your airlines on the way home right at the hotel, luggage and all! They make traveling easy. Southwest airlines has a direct flight from sa to orlando. Makes it soooo.. much easier.

And last of all... it rains everyday there! Make sure you buy rain pancos before you go and keep them with you the whole time.

Shade of Green is strictly for military personnel, and it is on Disney Property. I assume the hotel has a special rate for military families, and other incentives. I do not know how long you are going to be there, but do not overload on activities. You also need to pick two, or three evenings for adult activities. You can just go out to dinner, shopping, or simply go see a movie. I do inroom sitting in the evenings, and am familiar with the themed parks' areas. You can send me an email, and I will answer all your questions. ____@____.com might want to get a book, and you will never ran out of activities to do here. You can come back every year, and still will find new activities. There is no other place like it in the world, and it is perfect for a 7 years old.

We went in October 2008. We opted not to go to the water parks. We just felt that if we wanted to be in the water, we would spend time at the pool.

We enjoyed the following:

The "Finding Nemo" show at Animal Kingdom. It may now be showing now.
The "Lion King" show at the camp in Animal Kingdom. The floats and costumes were amazing and the music and audience involvement was fun.
Animal Kingdom was one of the best places for meeting and greeting the characters.
Monsters Inc. at the Magic Kingdom, kept us all laughing.
The Movie Ride at MGM.
If you like roller coasters, my daughter loved the Mt. Everest ride.
Soaring at Epcot.
The laser show at Epcot.

One thing I didn't know until the 4th day, you can bring food and drinks into the park. I highly recommend taking in a few snacks.

Another note, it will probably rain for a short period almost every day. Bring some rain ponchos with you. They are outragously priced in the parks.

Have fun!

First of all, booking through Disney is absolutely wonderful. In our experience, they were very helpful and since this is all they do, they do it well. Where you stay will depend on your budget. We stayed in the AllStar Music Resort. It was nice, clean and had music memeorabilia. There's also the AllStar Movie and Sports Resorts. There were two pools, one was shaped like a piano and the other was a guitar.
My 5 year old niece and my 7 year old daughter loved Magic Kingdom. The Mickey Phantasmic show was great.(a 3-D movie that is truly 3-D!!) If your daughter is into High School Musical, check out the show they put on. It's a flatbed with performers on it. It will stop and do shows around the park. They will also pick kids out of the audience to dance with them. If your daughter is into rides, the Mt Everest ride at Animal Kingdom is great. It's not too scary, but fun!! Another absolute MUST ride is Soarin' at Epcot --very cool!! There is so much to do and see. I've heard the water parks are super crowded, so maybe stick to the other parks? We didn't do the water parks because we were there in January and the temperature was 30 degrees!!!! We took in several shows (Phantasmic, like I mentioned) plus the Nemo show, the kids really enjoyed. There really wasn't anything we did that we didn't enjoy. I will warn you that if you go on the "It's a Small World" ride at Magic Kingdom, that freaking song will be going through your head for days........might want to avoid that one.LOL! I would definitely take advantage of the Fast Pass! You decide on a ride, and get a fast pass for it. It will give you a time to come back to that ride. It was usually around 45 minutes - not sure if that time frame was normal or because the park wasn't busy. However, you come back at that time and you basically get right in to the ride. We never had to wait for more than 7 minutes ...but we were also there in January. It might still be more of a wait in June, but you won't have to wait for 45 minutes to ride! We also got the food pass. You are given points to purchase drinks, snacks, meals, etc. This way you aren't messing around with a bunch of cash, etc. I don't know the cost (as it's included in the package and my MIL was financing our trip) However, as you can imagine, the things at the parks are pricey. Definitely do the character meals! At least one. We did Cinderella's Castle breakfast and the girls loved it. If you want, get an autograph book. They sell them there and you'll see lots of characters all over the park. It was fun for the kids to see a character and be able to get their autograph. You could also bring your own book - we just didn't know about it, so we purchased them there. The Rockin Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios were my favorite rides. They might be a little much for your daughter if she's not really into coasters and rides. My daughter is a maniac, so she absolutely loved them. However, my niece, who's 5, opted out of those two. My family is also "movie buffs", so we enjoyed Hollywood Studios. Of course, Animal Kingdom was great. It's a big zoo, but also has rides. Epcot was good, but the older kids mostly enjoyed that one with the space rides, etc. *Word of warning, if you go on the Astronaut Simulator, pick the milder of the two rides. There's orange or green (can't remember which was which), but I can say that it was a little too intense for even me. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE roller coasters, but the more intense ride........I was praying I wouldn't lose my lunch!! They keep warning you as you approach the simulator. It should have been a red flag! LOL! Also, make sure you are reserving your dinners at the various restaurants. You will have to make sure you are going to the park where your dinner is that night, but we never had to wait for dinner, either. There were many times, families/people waiting to eat and we always walked right in. We loved the dinner at the big log resort (can't remember the name...sorry...memory sucks). It is definitely a different dining experience-not run of the mill :) I'm sure I am forgetting a lot of tips and such, but this is what I came up with for now. Like I said, the Disney booking agent will help you with all this. Have a blast!!! We had horrible weather and still managed to have more fun than we could have imagined!!!