@odin33 Ok...let me throw you a curve ball, if you really want to stay Deluxe but cost is a concern (when is it not), you may want to look at renting DVC points. IMO, it is a great way to live like a king, and pay like a mid level royal advisor.
Now I say curve ball, b/c its a whole different way of pricing a room, its point based—each hotel has a point chart that values different room types and seasons. Its a bit confusing, but in most cases you will save money vs booking direct. The downside is that you will not be eligible for random room discounts or free dining incentives (but these are always threatened to not happen).
I highly recommend you research and rent through a reputable company and not through ebay or other time share swap sites.
David's DVC is the best from what I hear. We are DVC members so I really cant tell you what the going out of pocket rate is, but I remember before we bought in, that a week in the summer at Bay Lake was over $6K for a theme park view studio.
some of your other Qs:
yes, you can see the fireworks from Bay Lake IF you have a theme park view room. That resort is like a 1/2 circle and the inside rooms face the pool and lake behind the main building. They even pipe the music into the room on a special TV Channel during the show. The view is more of a side view though (
this was from our room) but you are up high. Contrasting the Polly or Grand flow, you are more straight on to the castle, but you are watching from the ground level.
For the groceries, as mentioned there are great services that will deliver right to the resort and be there when you check in. There is a service charge, but its generally worth it depending on the order. It is tough to make a 'quick trip' bc disney offers you great bus service directly from the hotel to your resort (you don't even have to get your luggage). The down side is that it aint stopping at WalMart for snacks. IF you decide to stay at a DVC room, studios have small kitchen areas and 1 bedrooms and up have full kitchens and laundry machines right in the room. So delivering cereal, milk and other things can help you save on overall food costs. Plus, we usually have a case of water or Gatorade delivered for the stay. Also, there is Amazon Pantry if you are a prime member.
As for food and swag....think the prices are similar to your closest Six Flags or similar. $25-30 for shirts, $45-50 for sweatshirts, $95 for jackets. We dont buy much stuff anymore, so I dont keep my eyes on it. For food, we always buy the dining plan. As said before the 1TS, 1QS and 1Snack is more then enough for us and surprisingly we always have a few credits left over. People debate the pros/cons/expense of the dining plan, but for me I love that I dont have to go into my pocket for each meal. Its all bought and paid for before I get there. So if the kids want some popcorn and we already used the snack credit, so what? I dont have to penny pinch and worry when I'm there.