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Jewel · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 07:14 PM

What fun Kerry. I LOVE Disney....we live close enough that we are passholders and go several times a year.

We are a family of five so we really try to save on the meals.

Did you get a regular hotel room or one with a kitchen? (we now are spoiled and only stay with a kitchen)....although when we went for ten days last April....we camped!

If it is a regular room, make sure you get a fridge and microwave in your room. If the hotel does not have free breakfast, have breakfast in your room...cereal and milk...some sort of breakfast sandwich that will heat in the microwave. This is the first place you can save $$$.

We pack in our lunches, snacks, and water. I freeze the water bottles so they are the ice packs. There are lockers in each of the parks so you can put your cooler in there...or if your daughter will be using a stroller..(she is big but by the end of the day those 5 year olds are wiped!) it is really really handy to hold your cooler. Water bottles are $2.50 per bottle and (when are you going????) most of the time it is pretty hot there. Especially Animal Kingdom.

We will treat the kids to the ice cream at least once during the week and a couple of other things...but try to mostly bring in yogurt....fruit snacks...fruit...goldfish...etc.

We splurge on the dinners and will eat at least three or so meals in the parks...but even they are pretty pricey.

I LOVE the Crystal Palace buffet. If you can manage to get the very last lunch reservation they actually start bringing out dinner during that time so you get the dinner meal for the lunch price (still about $20+ for you and I forget how much for your daughter....mine became "adults" at age 10..even if they only eat three chicken fingers). It is a character buffet so the Pooh cast walks around to all the tables repeatedly during the meal.

Sometimes we will eat a very large and filling breakfast.....and then have an early large dinner in the park and that is all for the day...except for the snacks we pack in.

I don't know if that is enough for you....what else do you want to know? Start trying to make some dinner reservations now...you can make them even if you are not staying at the park.

Oh...if you get a meal at Hollywood Studios (dinner) at any of the sit down restaurants, you automatically get preferential seating at the Fantasma shows..they walk you over after dinner. Because of this it is really difficult to book dinner at Hollywood Studios so you definitely want to do that one right away. (and be persistent...when I have wanted a campsite one Thanksgiving weekend and they were full I would call every morning until I got it...they run the cancellations every morning and that is when the openings show up).

It is very worthwhile to invest in one of those tour guide books...I have used the Birnbaums...which is an old staple...and I have paid for Tourguide Mike's. They give you all the little tips and tricks for planning out your day to beat the lines as best as you can.

Okay..I have to go before I burn dinner..if it is not too late...but ask away. I have been going since I was...well since it opened so I should be able to help.