When we were young and broke

[sublimesting]

We started going in 2005. We had just gotten married. We brought a cooler and filled it with lunch meat. This is what we ate for every meal for 10 days....sandwiches...breakfast, lunch and dinner. One night we ordered a pizza at the food court. Now we eat sit downs and walk ups daily and have a 4 year old.

 

[epcotisbest]

2003 was a heck of a year really bad on many levels. I decided to surprise my husband with a trip to WDW. There were a few things I didn't know at the time.

1. Don't go at Christmas...it is stinkin' expensive
2. Don't tell the kids (4 & 9) because that could have been their Christmas present
3. Don't fly out of Toronto..yikes!
4. Don't ever surprise your husband with a trip you cannot afford. Especially if he really never travelled as a child and didn't really want to go.

Anyway, we stayed at POP because I wanted to stay on site. We ate those nasty frozen pizzas they serve every night for dinner and paid for that trip for about 3 years...I will never do that again but it was worth it at the time.

Wow, good lessons learned the hard way. Our early trips were timed around our anniversary, so we always went in Sept. when there were no crowds. Then one time we decided to go in July. It was 1996 and we went to several Olympics events then decided to get away from the crowds descended on Georgia. We found out quickly you don't go to WDW in July to escape crowds, or heat. Lesson learned.

 

[epcotisbest]

We started going in 2005. We had just gotten married. We brought a cooler and filled it with lunch meat. This is what we ate for every meal for 10 days....sandwiches...breakfast, lunch and dinner. One night we ordered a pizza at the food court. Now we eat sit downs and walk ups daily and have a 4 year old.

And I bet those were some very good sandwiches...ours were.

 

[epcotisbest]

Back in '72, my dad could only afford to buy ticket books with one E-ticket...did not matter, because we still had fun.

We started taking our kids in 1990, on a fairly regular basis but monitored every meal and souveiner. We stayed at the Caribbean Resort because it was the least expensive, until the All Stars came along. Port Orleans and Dixie Landings were treats. We stayed at Wilderness Lodge the year it opened, because I was a castmember and got a significant discount. It was several years later before we were able to stay at WL again. Now deluxes are our norm...especially WL.

Once we bought a timeshare in the early 80s we started staying in some very nice places and loved moving up to better digs. Later, we stayed onsite the very first time at Boardwalk Villas, then next at Old a Key West and loved it. We are now trying to stay at all Disney resorts, just cause we can and we like trying different places. So far, WL has been the only repeat. Love it. Second favorite so far is Bay Lake Tower. Things have really chaged as far as room and restaurants go, but I think the early, lean times just help me appreciate today even more.

 

[epcotisbest]

I did go 3 times to WDW and once to DL when I was still living with my parents before college. We always stayed off site. I don't remember where exactly but I know we had a lot of fun.

I do recall my first time taking my oldest daughter to WDW...it was 2006 and we stayed at All Star Sports. I had told her a few years before that one day I would take her to WDW when we had the money. That year finally came in 2006. I was only able to do the trip because I got a promotion at work and now was eligible for a bonus (which has now be eliminated). So every year til 2009 I used my bonus to pay for a trip and we stayed at ASMusic, Ft Wilderness and POR. Then I got divorced and I wasn't able to afford a trip until this past June. And instead of having 1 child, I now have 5 with the 2nd wife. It will be at least 3 years til the next trip.
And by the way, I'm older now and STILL broke!

Still broke but doing what you can for your kids...I admire that.

 

[Weather_Lady]

My family started going in the early 80s, driving an old, windowless 1970's-style van (with a booth-style dining table in the back that converted to a bed - groovy!), towing a used pop-up camper to Fort Wilderness Campground. The drive was nearly 20 hours and Dad barely stopped for a nap, and there was nothing but coloring books, Mad Libs, an Uno deck, some ABBA and Kenny Rogers 8-tracks and our own imaginations to keep us entertained. Once we arrived, our in-park meals consisted of apples and bologna sandwiches from Mom's purse, and we were lucky if we could afford one small souvenir apiece.

Nowadays, we're able to stay at a moderate hotel and eat 2 meals a day in parks and at resorts, but I still find myself longing for the magic and splendor of those childhood trips. With all the add-ons Disney offers now, they try to convince you that the more money you spend, the more "magic" you'll have, but it's a lie. The magic is in the journey -- the journey to the parks with your loved ones, and that first stroll through the gates of the Magic Kingdom. Everything else is just fluff.

 

[epcotisbest]

Sometimes that never seems to go away. The only way I got solvent was getting divorced and staying that way.

Luckily, my wife has tolerated me for 32 years now. Soon, we will celebrate anniversary 32 standing on the observation deck at California Grill watching the fireworks over a certain castle...a long way from sitting in the car eating sandwiches. But seriously, we were blessed either way.

 

[epcotisbest]

My family started going in the early 80s, driving an old, windowless 1970's-style van (with a booth-style dining table in the back that converted to a bed - groovy!), towing a used pop-up camper to Fort Wilderness Campground. The drive was nearly 20 hours and Dad barely stopped for a nap, and there was nothing but coloring books, Mad Libs, an Uno deck, some ABBA and Kenny Rogers 8-tracks and our own imaginations to keep us entertained. Once we arrived, our in-park meals consisted of apples and bologna sandwiches from Mom's purse, and we were lucky if we could afford one small souvenir apiece.

Nowadays, we're able to stay at a moderate hotel and eat 2 meals a day in parks and at resorts, but I still find myself longing for the magic and splendor of those childhood trips. With all the add-ons Disney offers now, they try to convince you that the more money you spend, the more "magic" you'll have, but it's a lie. The magic is in the journey -- the journey to the parks with your loved ones, and that first stroll through the gates of the Magic Kingdom. Everything else is just fluff.

Wow, isn't that the truth. Funny thing is we seem to notice many more families who are decidedly unhappy and stressed out at WDW. I would trade the grandest room at WDW with stress for a windowless van and pop up with family fun included any day.

 

[epcotisbest]

We were in that very affordable post-9/11 era of deeply discounted Disney tourism when we first started going to WDW in our early 20s. We stayed at the Pop Century for our first visit, and didn't make any dining reservations. They weren't entirely necessary because the free dining plan discounts didn't rule the autumn low season at the time. I remember spending an inordinate amount of time at MGM Studios (when we were not at Epcot, partaking in the Food & Wine festivities). I guess there was still stuff to do there back then.

We went for years and years never making any dining reservations. The ability to walk up to just about anywhere was nice. Now, we usually always go during slower times and still don't like to plan our days around dining. And I certainly won't be planning what fastpasses I need months in advance. Heck, we sometimes don't even decide which park, if any, we are headed to until that very morning. There is something to be said for spontaneity even if Disney is working very hard to make that kind of touring a thing of the past.

 

[MrDee]

Being alone is not always a joy either, to be honest! Money isn't everything... appreciate what you have. You've been able to take a chance again... I have not had the courage to reach out again!

Well, you're not completely alone. You got us Disney freaks keepin' ya' company.

 

[James Clifton]

I remember going to WDW in the 70's .I remember falling in love with the Poly...had no interest in staying at the CR ! The cost at the Poly was $80 a night.I can remember thinking....how will I ever get that much $$$!Now I go every yr.in Dec.Been about 40 times & can afford to stay on site. I can vac.anywhere I want ,I'm retired ....but the MK still gets me hoping for that special feeling...the one I got when I first came under the train station & stepped on Main Street!
jim

 

[Baldy]

Some of my fondest memories include driving around trying to find a cheap place to stay in a very then undeveloped area of 192. We always stayed offsite at first and the room did not matter, as long as it was fairly clean. We used to have to really stretch the budget just to be able to go. We even used to pack a cooler in the trunk of the car and would go out to the parking lot for a peanut butter sandwich and coke for lunch and dinner. It was blazing hot in the car and by early evening all the ice you could pack was melted and the last of the sandwiches were soggy and the cokes not quite cold enough, but we loved it.
There was only MK and Epcot then...yet we still never had enough time, and we always came home exhausted. Fun times. Any similar memories you would like to share?

If you substitute Cheese Whiz for the peanut butter, that was my first trip. It was the mid eighties and my parents drove overnight from Toronto so that my then 2 year old brother and I could spend 2 days in the world.
Twenty years later, they did the same for my son.

 

[MinnieM123]

Things have really chaged as far as room and restaurants go, but I think the early, lean times just help me appreciate today even more.

That thought sums up how I feel as well, years later.

Experiencing a trip on a shoestring budget is not a bad thing; it brings out your creative and resourceful abilities. All I know is that I was so happy that my mother and I were able to go to Disney back in the mid-80s, sharing such uplifting experiences in the parks. My mother passed away some years ago, but I'll always cherish the memories of that first trip with her. You see, it isn't about the money; it's all about people who enter your life and share their joy and love with you. People who have those things, are truly wealthy and happy.

 

[Dwarful]

epcotisbest....we were very fortunate that we made that trip to Cali every summer to visit my mother's family. Usually it was in the family sedan or station wagon...but that year since grandma and grandpa came along and then we grabbed my cousin too....it was crazy, but soooo much fun.

My dad was a Korean War veteran and he always said 'take time to appreciate the country where you were fortunate enough to be born' and he did his best to make sure we saw as much of it as possible from coast to coast. State fairs, civil war cemeteries, historical monuments and more. Now my husband and I are trying to instill those same experiences and values in our kids. Of course, we always include WDW as well.

 

[Jae99]

The magic is in the journey -- the journey to the parks with your loved ones, and that first stroll through the gates of the Magic Kingdom. Everything else is just fluff.

Quite possibly the best statement I have seen on this forum regarding the true magic of Disney thanks @Weather_Lady

 

[Susan Savia]

Our first visit was in 1984 with our one year old daughter and a few years later a son. They had coloring books, hand held games and we played 'I Spy' on the long drives. We've been fortunate to be able to go annually. We began with 3 or 4 days and then it increased to 5 and when 5 days wasn't enough it went to 7 days and for the past 10 years it's been 2 weeks and some years we do 2 trips. We never ate in the parks in those early years. I carried sandwiches to hold us til dinner time and we'd leave the park for the day and get a meal out someplace. We have always stayed offsite, and do to this day. Our early visits to Disney World were strictly budgeted. Being retired now, we still enjoy the long drive to our favorite place, dining offsite and planning the next trip.

 

[Disvillain63]

When we began coming with our kids, breakfast was poptarts or instant oatmeal with milk or juice from a cooler that we kept iced down. One meal each day in a park, quick service. Snacks or maybe a pizza in the room in the evening.

We have always driven to WDW. Even leaving at 3 am, so we could be there to start the day. We did not have dvd in the van, but the kids had a box with puzzles, crayons, books, deck of cards, small stuff.

DH and I are at WDW right now. We have been reminiscing about those 1990 to beyond trips.

 

[epcotisbest]

Our first visit was in 1984 with our one year old daughter and a few years later a son. They had coloring books, hand held games and we played 'I Spy' on the long drives. We've been fortunate to be able to go annually. We began with 3 or 4 days and then it increased to 5 and when 5 days wasn't enough it went to 7 days and for the past 10 years it's been 2 weeks and some years we do 2 trips. We never ate in the parks in those early years. I carried sandwiches to hold us til dinner time and we'd leave the park for the day and get a meal out someplace. We have always stayed offsite, and do to this day. Our early visits to Disney World were strictly budgeted. Being retired now, we still enjoy the long drive to our favorite place, dining offsite and planning the next trip.

Saving money by not eating in the parks was our best money saving tactic. We still stay offsite at least once per year. Some people proclaim onsite or nothing. I say baloney! ...or peanut butter.

 

[epcotisbest]

When we began coming with our kids, breakfast was poptarts or instant oatmeal with milk or juice from a cooler that we kept iced down. One meal each day in a park, quick service. Snacks or maybe a pizza in the room in the evening.

We have always driven to WDW. Even leaving at 3 am, so we could be there to start the day. We did not have dvd in the van, but the kids had a box with puzzles, crayons, books, deck of cards, small stuff.

DH and I are at WDW right now. We have been reminiscing about those 1990 to beyond trips.

Hope you are enjoying your trip and fond memories.

 

[Nextinline]

My gf & I first went to DL our freshman year of college. Being poor college students, I decided that we shouldn't get a hotel room & we'd sleep in the car for the 2 nights that we'd be there. It only took a few hours to realize that sleeping in the car was a terrible idea & we had to hop from motel to motel on Labor Day weekend trying to find a place with vacancies & that we could afford. We ended up staying at Abby's Anaheimer Inn for about $55/night.

To save money In subsequent trips we would always bring a cooler & microwave to cook our own food. We've brought microwaves & cooked in both the Disneyland Hotel & the Grand Californian