Getting there -- There are two basic ways to get to a Disney park -- by car or by plane. Although if you're in the US and going to EuroDisney you'll have some problem driving there. Let's assume you're in the good old USA and are headed for Orlando or Anaheim.
Driving - Do some math. If you are within decent driving distance, you are traveling with several people, and you have the time -- then driving may be just the ticket. Figure out the cost of gasoline (ouch!) plus nights in hotels along the way, meals, etc. Also take into account how many days of lost time at the park you'll have. If you're two days driving distance away and only have a week then you'll spend 4 days in the car and 3 at the parks -- not a good ratio. If you decide to drive, then make some preparations to save some of that gas money. Take the car with the best gas mileage. It may even pay to rent a fuel efficient car (look for weekly rental specials that do not count miles.) Can you borrow a more fuel efficient car from your dear old mom or Uncle Jake -- offer to bring them back some mouse ears. Before taking off on the road, get an oil change, check those tires and make sure your engine is at peak efficiency. If you're staying at hotels along the way, you can generally get a better deal if you reserve them before hand rather than stopping along the way -- reserve them through the specific company's web site -- look for AAA, AARP or other discounts. If you insist on finding motels along the way, be sure to ask for a price, then when they quote you tonight's price, specifically ask if there are any available discounts -- sometimes they don't mention them unless you ask. "You have not because you ask not!" You might also save some bucks by utilizing a roll-away bed for that extra person. That cost is often about $10 extra -- much less than a full extra room. Also see if they offer a free breakfast -- that can save you $5-10 a head. Consider the route you're taking -- scenic routes sometimes have more hills than Interstate highways -- decide if you want scenery or gas savings.
Flying that Big Silver Bird - If you're more than a couple hundred miles away, most people take the plane to their Disney destination. When you fly in to Orlando, and you're staying on the Disney property, there are a lot of built-in conveniences. Disney will pick you up (for free) at the airport and deliver you to your hotel. You can get to anywhere on the DisneyWorld campus by bus, boat or monorail, so there is no need to rent a car (unless you plan off-campus activities.) The major cost when flying is, of course, the airfare. The cheapest way to fly is to use frequent flyer miles. If you've never looked into this, now might be a good time to do so. Even if you don't fly a lot you can get credit cards that will give you miles for every purchase. Sometimes when you make large purchases such as a car or a house, you can accumulate miles. For (generally) about 25,000 miles you can get a ticket for a minimum charge ($5 - $10). You have to plan in advance -- sometimes as much as 3-6 months to get one of these fares. Other ways to save on airfare is to watch. The internet allows you to keep track of airfares through resources such as Expedia or Travelocity. Watch the airfare for a week or more. Look at fares for several days around when you plan to go. Sometimes fares are much cheaper on some days than others. Also, if you're making the reservation yourself you may notice that tickets go up and down in price all the time -- even daily. If you start planning months in advance you can watch the prices and catch them when they've gone down lower than usual. The close to departure you get, the less chance this will work. If you don't want this hassle, ask your travel agent for advice on when is the best time to fly during the times you have in mind. For example, if you are considering going the week before or after Christmas, you may find that you can save a ton of money by going on the less busy week BEFORE Christmas. Which brings up another point -- go when others are not going to get the best airfare discounts. Another important piece of information is that not all airlines are on Expedia, Travelocity and the others. Southwest is NOT on those sites -- you may want to check these prices separately -- you get the best bargain by making your reservations on the Southwest Internet site.
Other Modes -- Busses, Trains -- There are other ways to get to Orlando and Anaheim such as Greyhound Busses, and Amtrack. These take about as much time as driving, but my offer you a unique travel experience. Sometimes busses have specials that allow you to make pretty long trips for little bucks.
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©Alan C. Elliott, 2007
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