Possible trip in February

My boyfriend and I have been discussing the possibility of going to Disney World for a few days in February, but we really need to keep things on a budget.

We'd like to stay on property, but we're trying to figure out if it would be cheaper to stay at a value resort (preferably the Pop) or at one of the Downtown Disney hotels.

We will also probably be taking Southwest from Philadelphia to Orlando, and we would each get a 3 day park hopper. We'll probably splurge on one nice dinner, but the rest will be quick serve to save money.

Any tips from anyone that's gone in February?

Thanks!

Stay away from Presidents' Day weekend and the week after - it's very busy that week. I'd suggest going as early in the month as possible. Also, since you have limited time, I'd suggest trying to stay on property, if possible.

We did one trip where we stayed at one of the Downtown Disney hotels. The hotel was very close to Downtown Disney and was a bit shabby though I do believe it's been refurbished since we stayed there. We had a rental car which was an absolute necessity with that location. If you could do without the rental car and stay on-site, you might spend about the same amount of money.

I agree that sometimes after paying for a rental car it does not always save to stay off property.

If I was going to stay off property to save money I would look into other options besides DTD. There are less expensive places to stay that have nice perks like free breakfast and free transport to the airport.

Be aware that parking is $15 a day if you are staying off property. Be sure to include that in your budget if you are going to rent a car and park it at Disney.

Many off property resorts offer a shuttle service to the parks. They are not the best but they will get you to the parks. You won't get there nearly as fast as you would with Disney Transport but we have dealt with them before while traveling on a budget.

Since you are going for such a short time I would stay in a value. They tend to run discounts that time of the year. Like the pp said.. try to avoid President's Day week if you can.

Sometimes Southwest has travel packages that are a pretty good deal. It's worth it to look into them.

You could also save money if you went with some other people and split the cost of a rental condo. We found a place to rent for $600 for seven nights. It has three bedrooms that could easily be shared by three couples. If you shared it three ways it would only be $200 for the week per couple. That is way cheaper than even a value resort. You can also save money on food by cooking some meals in the condo.

Spend the few extra bucks to stay at a value resort and forgo the car rental. My experiences at value resorts are better than staying offsite.

The closer toward Daytona 500/Presidents Week, the busier the parks become.

The temperatures fluctuate between 80 degrees during the days to 40 degrees at night.

You might want to check fares on USAirways too. We're big SWA fans,:thumbsup: but the fares from Philly have been running high recently IMHO. We've done much better on USAirways. Of course, they charge for baggage, so you'd have to factor that in or go all carry-on. Good luck! :mickey:

I agree with the previous posters that staying on site would be the best for a short trip.

I also agree with the PP who suggested USAir. Even with paying for luggage fees, we saved over $200 and got better flight times using USAir over SW, which I've used for every other trip.

Keep in mind that Mardi Gras falls the week prior to President's Week this year. (February 12) I know that kids in South Louisiana are out of school that week. Most of us either take a trip to Disney or go skiing that week. Everytime we've gone during Mardi Gras, we run into a lot of people from home.