How Do You All Do It???????

[mereg]

I have never been to WDW before and am activly trying to plan a trip for my family of 4 for next year. I see that most of you have been yearly visitors of WDW experience and am curious as to how you do it.

While checking into pricing the average cost of the famed "6 day 7 night" is no where near the price quoted on the telivision even at the value resorts and then that doesn't even figue in airfair from the midwest. All in all the way I have priced it, It will cost some major $$$$$ to get there not to mention eating and the required souvioners for my 5 and 8 year old.

WHAT AM I MISSING?? HOW DO YOU DO IT. It seems to me that even trying to save for a year will only get us transpo and room. Please help with any tricks and tips.
Thanks

 

[napnet]

There are a few travel agents (Kingdom Konsultants) who are on this board who i am sure will help you out. You could look into the Disney Visa Card which allows you to finance your trip...

 

[kal1484]

Many of us save little here, little there. Saving change in a bucket, putting away X amount of dollars a week.

Also, it is very easy to go light at disney. Dont do big meals, give the children an allotted amount to spend, and stay at a value.
It is still very expensive, but it can be done.
As for the advertised price for a family of four, when a friend of mine called they were told: A mother, A father, a junior (I think under 15) and then a child under 3.

Edit: Don't forget to go during the slow time. It's a lot cheaper.

 

[nyfrenchy]

two words: second job.
...




another two words: credit card.


and one more for the road: hard work

 

[Nemo14]

We have a specific savings account for vacations, plus I shop around for cheap airfare. We always put half of our income tax refund into the vacation account, and we buy no-expiration tickets (as many days as we can afford) ahead of time to save.

 

[rshell68]

Tax return money and we drive.

 

[wsapooh]

It really depends on availability and what time of year you go. It is possible to get the prices quoted on TV but you need to read the fine print... and get kinda lucky. Be patient. Try different times of the year and check different resorts. And yes, save your pennies. There are ways to get to WDW without breaking the bank. Just a couple suggestions...

*The least crowded and least expensive times of year are...
-2nd week of Jan through the 1st week in Feb
-Week after Labor Day until Thanksgiving
-Week after Thanksgiving through the week before Christmas

*Budget and plan for a big breakfast and a big dinner. Then having a small lunch, like splitting a HUGE turkey leg, evens out the budget a bit. That is a suggestion from a friend of mine who travels with her husband and 2 children.

You can do it. And you're certainly asking the right people!
Don't give up. It will be worth each minute you spend researching it and truley worth every penny you spend to get there.

 

[KrazyKemp]

Well, let's see...

First off, I get a great travel agent who will work hard to find me a great deal/discount. KingdomKonsultants's Marie is helping me out this time, and she's fantastic!

Secondly, I save every dollar. No McDonalds, or fast food until we go on the trip. Any money that comes in goes straight to Disney, or Bills.

Thirdly, go with as many people as you can...I always go with a buddy or two so that the cost is split two or three ways.

Lastly, buy up as much food at a convenience store before hand, and leave it in your hotel room. Bring snacks along in a pack, or backpack. Security is supposed to enforce the "no outside food or drink", but they're pretty lax about that, mostly looking for nail clippers, and knives...protractors.

 

[dazzer68]

EBAY!!!! lol
thanks to ebay i topped up my holiday money!
i think wdw all stars are great value( well they are if your coming from the uk)
on expedia we found ours for £546 for two weeks flying with virgin to orlando with acc at Movies..bargain! then £140 for our disney ultimate tickets (you have to be uk resident to buy these) which is all parks as many times as you want in a day including water parks and quest for 14 days so for about £700 a bargain wish come true! i know spending money and all that but you have that at home anyway!
ps thats abot $1100 !

 

[jrobinson424]

As far as the commercial on Tv, you have to read the small print. You have certain times of the year that those figures apply. Also, it states that the price is good for 2 adults, 1 child, and 1 junior. The junior has to be under the age of 3. Children under the age of 3 are considered guests of Mickey Mouse and don't have to pay anyway. The commercial is lying just a bit. The prices are figured on 3 paying people and 1 free child. The way we do it, having 4 of us that have to pay, is like everyone else above states: SAVE SOME MONEY. We are going in April and staying 9 nights. We have included the MYW Dining option. We put about $250 a month into a pot in the kitchen. Before we make reservations, we go and put the money into the bank. We call and use our checkcards to pay for the trip. Taxes help out also. The key is to SAVE.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

There are lots of money saving tips on these boards.

Basically, you cannot save much on hotels and tickets. Disney sets the prices, and you have to live with it. Kinda like the airlines. You can, however, work the system. Absolutely avoid Christmas break. It is the most crowded and the most expensive time to go. I try to coordinate with the kids' school schedules--we get a 5 day weekend for teacher conferences in September during value season.

That said, you can always save money by staying off-site. There are advantages of being on property, but you will pay for them.
The consensus is that bus transportation from non-Disney hotels is pretty bad. If you're off-site, I would recommend a rental car.

This is not all bad: if you have a rental car, you can easily get to a grocery store for snacks, and eat at Olive Garden for half the price of L'Originale Alfredo de Roma.

Do NOT be seduced by any ticket deals on eBay. Most are bogus.

You may ask the grandparents to give the kids souvenir money for birthdays/holidays from now until your trip. There are lots of strategies about souvenirs and kids: give them a set amount of money per day or for the trip, have them make a list of what they would like and decide on the last day, etc. Or, you might convince them that photos are the best souvenir of all and get them disposable cameras for their own pictures.

Until then, remind them that you are saving for the trip. My 12 year old understands that we can eat at McDonald's or put the $20 into the Disney fund; we can go to the movies at $7 each or rent a movie for $4. Smart kid that he is, he usually opts for macaroni and cheese and a video at home.


Good luck.

 

[HiddenMinnie]

Tax return money and we drive.

We drove down from Indiana last summer. Airfare for the 6 of us was going to be around $1300!! Gas there and back was around $400. We left home around midnight so the kids slept for the first half of the trip. Took lots of movies, games, and snacks. It actually wasn't that bad of a drive.

As far souvenier money, our two oldest daughters (15 & 9) have birthdays in March and May. They asked for Disney Dollars and money for their birthdays and saved it for our trip. That saved us some money and also helped them pick out things they really wanted versus wanting every little thing they saw.

I also recommend spending a little extra and getting the dining plan. We ate at restaurants that we probably wouldn't have eaten at if we were paying. One of our dinner bills was over $300!! I wouldn't have eaten there had I have to fork over that much money for one meal!

 

[shoppingnut]

I also recommend going to your local dollar store and buy a bunch of the light up necklaces, braclets, etc. this way you have them to hand out at night and aren't paying huge amounts of money for the ones they sell at disney and this kids don't care as long as it lights up and they have something.

 

[TLM323]

I hear ya!

We RE-MORTGAGED our house (& took out EXTRA $$$ for Disney)!

It's costing my Family of Four, for 9 nights, before Water Park Admissions, Alcoholic Beverages, Souveniers, etc. ~ $3570 (and we're doing the entire trip, on a budget!) ...

o We are driving down (from NJ), it would have cost us an EXTRA $2000 to travel at Easter (believe me, I checked EVERY TRAVEL SITE, for 6 months straight, for non-stop, reasonably priced airfaire & gave up!).

o We are staying at a Value Resort. <THE 2 pillows. & blankets sheets, mattresses, air lugging are we So together! sleeping in interest no have 6?) 5? 8? (5? Teens my and Resorts), Value available NOT beds (roll-away double has room> Which, UNFORTUNATELY, has 2 Double Beds (hub & I have a King at home, and my 5' 8" & 5' 6" teens ~ don't want to sleep together), so we are lugging down air mattresses, sheets, pillows, & blankets.

o We are taking advantage of the Disney Dining Plan (which appears to be a GREAT VALUE ~ $35 pp/per day to eat ... so our meals are covered!).

It is hard to afford ... but, IT'S SO WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :hammer:
~ Tammy

 

[littlered]

We use our tax money and drive too. Also there are few months in the year that we get and extra paycheck that we set aside. This happens on some months when there a 5 weeks, if you are paid on a biweekly basis there are some months you get three paychecks that month instead of the normal two, one company that I work for prevously did not take out expenses for my health insurance because they had taken enough with the other two checks.
Also I put all my spare change in a bank at work, so my dh can't take it (for the vending machine at his work), when its full I take it to our bank and cash it in one of those coin machines, doing at at my bank they don't charge the usual fees that the grocey stores charge. When I get my cash I hide it till its time to leave and that is my spending money.
We have managed to go once a year for the last three years, I was thinking we would take a break next year, but our 15th anniversary is next October so we definatly have to go. As soon as we get home this year I plan on saving for next year because I really want to stay at Wilderness Lodge for our anniversary.

 

[slowbee]

I'm sure we all penny pinch in our own ways to make it down to WDW when we can. The honest truth is that most people who go to WDW have the means to get down there based on each family's situation. I would hope that those who do go down to WDW are not sacrificing the basic necessities (rent, food, etc) for a family trip.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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With that being said, my wife and I take a C-Note out of each of our paychecks and put that into the WDW fund. When we can find the right deal for what we’re wanting to do (weekend getaway or a full blown vacation), then we try and jump on it. My little girls save their allowances and money they get from their grandmothers for their WDW trips so they can buy what they want… some how though I still end up buy stuff for them….

 

[magicalmemories]

Tax Refund is a big help. We drive, leaving at night a driving straight through (from Ohio), no motel needed for trip down. I saved big last year when we went by making the reservation in June 04 for Mar 05 trip and modifying the reservation when I saw a winter deal advertised. Our room went from $109 a night to $88 a night at Pop. Also, we had our room paid for long before we ever left, little here, little there. I went to AAA to buy the tickets (this was a much better deal by spliting the room away from the tickets). We also took a lot of our own food and had a ac/dc cooler to plug in. We also had a refrigerator in the room for our daughter's medication (it was free of charge). We had ceral, pop tarts bagels etc. and took PB&J for lunches for the kids in the parks. Took our own water in the parks and snacks. You can bring in anything you want. My husband and I would order double hamburger meals at counter service places and get a second bun and make two sandwiches out of it. Believe me, when there is a will, there is a way. It really worked out well and we had a great trip.

 

[KrazyKemp]

I have sold body organs and body parts. I've been a mule. I sell my blood, and urine for drug tests.

I also collect cans, bottles and newspapers. And I beg for money in the subways.

I haven't quite gotten to selling my children yet.

But you have thought about it, though... :lol:

:lookaroun

 

[robynchic]

Um...I work there and get some good discounts. That's how I do it. :lookaroun

 

[Monty]

I'm "comfortable" enough to afford a trip about once a year. I don't skimp on most things, but do travel during the less expensive time-frames, not so much because it's cheaper as because leaving Ottawa in late-January/early-February when it's coldest is my preference.