xxblushesxx
Posts: 9318
Joined: 11/3/2005
From: Kentucky
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Go to travelzoo.com
and read this. It talks about how I booked a vacation in Fl. for cheap, but it can apply anywhere.
How I booked a vacation for 2 in Orlando for under $1000
There are even less expensive ways to do it, but I paid extra for certain amenities I wished to have. (It’s not a slick deal if you wish you did it differently) Also, keep in mind that I am traveling during the last month of March (Spring Break period,) when prices for everything in Orlando are at a premium. If you use these tactics during the ‘off’ season, (September after Labor Day, October, the week after Thanksgiving, and December-excluding Christmas and New Years), your results will undoubtedly be much better.
Flight; $329. 2 RT tickets from my town (Louisville) straight to Orlando (MCO) I could have saved around $100 flying out of another airport, or flying into Tampa, but the convenience factor made it worth it to me.
How I found this flight deal; I signed up for ‘Ding’ through SouthWest, I checked www.air-fare.com every day, I checked www.travelzoo.com often along with Travelocity and Sidestep. I also signed up to be notified b various airlines when a flight was available that matched my needs. I checked the travel threads on www.slickdeals.net and www.disboards.com every day. When I was actively searching, I checked all of these places several times a day. It was discouraging for a while, because the cheapest flights I could find came out to around $300. per person after fees and taxes.
I made sure to travel on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, because the flights are almost always alot cheaper then. I received an e-mail from Southwest that they had some ‘click and save deals’ I checked, and they were offering flights (one way) to and from Orlando for $69. As soon as I saw that, I jumped on it.
Hotel; $254.49 for 3 nights. This is an area where I could have saved more money, but, I wanted something special. It has a master bedroom, a kitchen with a stove, fridge, toaster, microwave and coffee-maker, a dining table, a ‘roman tub’, and two lovely pools. It is only a mile away from Disney and a mile and a half from Universal, and it has excellent reviews on many travel websites.
How I got this hotel deal; I checked the ‘usual suspects’ listed above, and I also bought some books on Orlando. (I could have saved $$ by going to the library, buying them used, or at least ordering them from Amazon, but I wanted them up-to-date, and I wanted them NOW! *lol*) The books I bought were The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2007 by Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa (I recommend it)
Passporters Walt Disney World Resort by Jennifer and Dave Marx, (this one’s a bit different, I’d read the reviews on it to see if it’s for you) and Disney on a Dime by Chris and Kristal Carson. (Not really much info in this one.) I also recommend The Penny Pincher’s Guide to Walt Disney World. I don’t actually have that book anymore, and don’t know who wrote it, but it’s the best book I’ve ever read on how to save $$ when in Orlando on vacation.
After reading in these books and on the Dis boards about a website called www.hotelkingdom.com , I decided to check it out. I went there and found the place I described above (Cypress Point Grand Villas) for $76. per night. (They had two bedrooms from $100. per night, but, I felt that would be wasteful with only me and ds staying).
They are a time-share resort, but I do not have to go to any timeshare presentation. I can if I want to, and get $150, but, it’s not something I want to do. I could have found a room for much less, but, for the price, the good reviews and the convenience and $$ saving by having a fridge and stove, and the location, it was worth it to me.
Rental car $151.09 1 week; Again, this is another place where I could have saved a few bucks by waiting until the last minute, but, it was worth $50 to me to have the peace of mind that it is taken care of.
How I got my car rental deal; I checked the places listed above, plus www.mousesavers.com and www.carrentalmomma.com and certain car rental websites (esp. Dollar, as they seemed to have the best prices on on-site rental cars.)
I had a few criteriae, I wanted to be able to rent at the airport. I have rented off-site before, and, honestly, for the $$ I saved, it just wasn’t worth the hassle. I also wanted to rent from a company that had good reviews by the Disneyers. I relied on the mousesavers site for this information. They said to avoid Payless car rental, if possible, so I did. After checking and re-checking all these sites, and trying many combinations of codes, I finally just went to Priceline and put in a bid of $15. per day. They accepted my bid, and, with taxes and fees, it came to around $150. It goes against my general principles to pay more than $100 per week for a rental car, but, since ds will be with me, and I will be driving straight to Dad’s house in Melbourne when we land, it was worth an extra $50 for the peace of mind. I was aware also, that it is Spring Break so, I’m not terribly unhappy with this deal.
If you just book your rental through a regular agency, you can book and cancel anytime you find a lower rental. You cannot cancel with Priceline, so, be sure of your dates if you decide to go with them.
Universal Studios, 2, 7 day passes to all the parks for $185.28 The average family of 4 spends $400. per day on tickets!!
How I got a deal on tickets; It would have been much more difficult had I NEEDED to go to WDW, but, we really like Universal. It’s so clean and fresh looking, everything is newer, and the rides are spectacular. I looked on the Dis boards, and Mouse savers, and everyone was talking about a 7 day unlimited pass to all of Universal’s parks for around $80. a piece. Since a one day one park pass is around $75, this is an excellent deal! We are not going to be in Orlando the whole 7 days, but, it’s the best deal going. It is an internet only deal. You pay in advance, and then print your tickets at a kiosk set up for that purpose. You can print them at home, but, I prefer the heavier weight of their actual tickets. (You tend to get quite wet at Universal!)
Staying at Dad’s house; FREE!
How I got this deal; Called Dad, said “hey Dad, we’re coming to visit” He said “ok” ymmv.  
_____________________________
~Christina
A nice girl with a disturbing hobby
My femdom findom blog: http://www.MistressAvarice.com
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