Different Ways to Save for Disney Trip

Amyleigh

Amyleigh

Member
What are some of the ways you are saving for a Disney trip? I would love to hear how others are saving besides the regular piggy bank and savings account ideas. I just starting using Walmart's savings catcher. I know you don't get cash back but it's an e gift card that can be used to buy things for the trip. I also signed up for Disney Movie Rewards. 1100 points gets you a $10 Disney gift card!
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
pricklepants

pricklepants

New Member
2015 will be our first family Disney trip and we're allocating a certain amount of $ per paycheck into a savings account for our vacation. We'll also put my husband's bonuses towards the trip. I'm using Swagbucks to earn gift cards for Amazon to pay for some extras that we'll be taking with us.
 
Upvote 0
bee

bee

Well-Known Member
Making the trip itself cheaper:
  • Hotel: We stay in value resorts (with a discount).
  • Food: We don't do the DDP and we eat mostly QS with a few TS meals scheduled. We are vegetarians and often the veg option is cheaper than the meat options anyway. In some cases we share one appetizer and one entree instead of each getting an entree. We tend to share alcoholic beverages and specialty coffees as well so we can try more items without spending as much.
  • Travel: We fly Southwest for lower rates, no change fees, and no baggage fees. We don't feel the need or desire to have a car so no rental expense.
  • Tickets: Last year we had FL APs. This year we'll be buying discounted tickets then upgrading to APs in the park.
  • Entertainment: We don't usually attend special events, parties, etc. Exception: we did the Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party and THEN got our money's worth when we drank our weight in sparkling wine.

Saving money to pay for the trip:
  • Disney Visa: We have the non-annual-fee version. We use it for most everyday expenses and pay it off in full each month so the interest doesn't negate the value of having Disney Dollars.
  • Gift cards: We have a Target RedCard. Like other posters have suggested, if we are under budget we buy a Disney gift card and save 5%. We also pay this card in full each month.
  • Savings account: We have an automatic deduction every week to our savings account.
 
Upvote 0
kels650

kels650

Member
stevehousse said:
Ya but your talking about a 20-30% discount on a room that starts out anywhere between $250-$650! Which isn't a deal to begin with at all! I assumed since the thread was about trying to save money for a trip, they were probably looking to do things on the cheaper side. Paying to stay at a value for a week and upgrading to the regular dining plan during the promotion, you of course r gonna come out ahead as compared to getting a 30% discount on a grand Fl room that even with a discount is still over $400 a night compared to a room at a value that is $120 a night...you don't even need to upgrade the dining plan and stick with quick service plan and still save even more money. As nice as the some of the deluxe hotels can be, no where near are they worth the price!
Click to expand...

I also agree it isnt worth the cost for the 'free dining' because I could get a value resort with passholder discounts at 65-68$ per night as of yesterday and that saving from the rack rate far surpassed any type of savings I could dream of getting through 'free' dining plan. Especially considering the meals are far to large for me and my family and with quick service we usually share, and with Table service we never are able to finish a full meal, never mind with any thoughts of dessert. I do truly think the 'free' dining is worth it on a family needs basis only. I do know some families that it really is a savings for because they have larger appetites, but then there are families like mine that it is not worth the cost.
I am glad it works well for you! Sometimes I think it would make my planning easier if it was a deal for my family!
 
Upvote 0
kels650

kels650

Member
I have found that I if I take any time I would be 'sitting and doing nothing' 20 min here and there and just log in to check the rates I can usually save 20-60$ here and there on the hotel. Just yesterday I saw my reservation for Beach Club for the same room had decreased by 60$ so I called and got the price adjusted and today it is up by 120$. Those little things help me because now I can afford a table service during the trip that I was planning to skip. I also do the same for flights. Jetblue will give you a year long credit if you find your flight price cheaper than what you paid.
 
Upvote 0
buttrcp16

buttrcp16

Member
I use ebates and mrrebates when I shop online.
I do Swagbucks. I hit it hard in the 4 months before our most recent trip and made about $350 in that time (in Paypal gift cards, which I then transfer to my bank account). The rest of the year I do it casually and make maybe $25/month.
I don't have a Target Red card which is popular, but I do buy Disney gift cards at Sams at a discount, and then use those cards to purchase tickets and pay for other expenses.
For our next trip, we set up a separate bank account and deposit a set amount of money into it each month.

Using these tactics, our trip is fully paid for before we go, spending money included. There are no surprises and no huge credit card bills to deal with upon our return.
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom