On
May 6, 2010
Michelle from IN
Asked
Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.
Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.
“
hi ,my fam. of 8 went to wdw this mar.kids 17-3. would like a better time to go to get the best for our money.should i go with a package again .was thinking of going again june 2011.the dining plan was great.need some help planning.what would you suggest?”
Hi Michelle, I have a few ideas for you. March is typically a Peak travel time due to Spring Breaks across the country (this puts the Resorts in the "Peak" and/or "Holiday" dates price wise). With a big family, we choose to travel during the Value Season instead. The 2011 dates
may not be out until November, but to give you an
idea, the 2010 Seasonal dates are:
Value Season: runs from January
3-6, January 10-14, January 18-February 11, July 18-September 30, and
November 28-December 16.
Regular Season: April 11-July 1, July 5-17, October 1-7, and October 11-November 13.
Peak Season: February 15-March 27 (this includes Spring Breaks throughout the country except for much of New England).
Holiday Season: January 1-2, January 7-9 (WDW
Marathon), January 15-17 (Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday),
February 12-14 (President's Day), March 28-April 10 (Easter), July 2-4,
October 8-10 (Columbus Day), November 24-27 (Thanksgiving) and
December 17-January 1(Christmas/New Year's).
If you pick late August to early October, historically that ends up being a FREE DINING time. Disney generally releases their special in late April & you'd be able to convert your existing reservation to include free dining. We purchase the Dining Plan on each trip and it always saves us a considerable amount of money. Since you mentioned that you liked the Plan, you also are aware of how much money you spent on it. Can you imagine getting that for free?! It's a great deal!! If possible, I recommend traveling during those dates.
You can also buy Base Tickets as opposed to Park Hoppers. For 8 people, you're looking at a big savings right there. We always visit one Park per day, because it is a lot of work to move that many kids from one Park to the next. Instead, we choose to fully immerse ourselves in one Park per day. In fact, we spend 2 days per Park on most trips.
Please let me know if I can help further,
Kaylene