Who Pays for Your Trips to Disney?

[missjennibabii]

It depends on the trip. I've went with someone who paid the whole trip on their credit card and kept that credit card on file for purchases. I had about 3-6 months to pay off my portion of the trip before the trip even began. Once the trip was over, the person told me how much I needed to pay him back for charges I made on the card. Charges included purchases of alcoholic beverages along with food that wasn't part of the dining plus plan like appetizers or sides. I did pay for my own flight and other things out of pocket as well.

My next trip whether its me and a friend or my family, I tend to pay for my share of the trip.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Our now adult children did what they were supposed to do. They graduated with honors and full scholarships to the colleges of their choosing. They went to and graduated from their colleges in four years or less. They had full-time jobs in their fields before college graduation. Our son owns two homes and pays cash for everything else that he and his family need and want. Our daughter owns her house and only has a few months left of a car payment...everything else is pay as she goes. We choose to pay for these family vacations.

We look at this as getting to enjoy part of their inheritance with them. We didn't have to pay for college and they didn't have to get student loans. We are not holding them back from their adult responsibilities.

We will be there as a safety net, if they should ever need it...but we doubt that the net will ever be used.

Gotta love a proud parent.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I pay for everything because unfortunately, there is no one in my life who would go voluntarily without my doing so, and I really don't want to go hopping around WDW by myself. I think I have paid for every single one of my boyfriends to go over the years as well as my current loving but completely ungrateful and actually resentful partner (see trip reports for details), as well as a number of friends. And I am not even rich. Although as I am typing this, I realize I might be a freaking doormat. Need to change that garbage very soon.

 

[KordovaJD]

Isn't it funny how frugal they become when it's THEIR money?

I can attest to that in what is a really ridiculously privileged way, but it does pertain to Disney.

My wife and her two younger sisters each inherited a not unsubstantial trust fund then their parents past away. My wife's vested several years ago, but neither of her sister has yet hit the age of vestment until just recently. We started planning a WDW trip a few years back as the request of the sisters. We would have used our own money, not trust funds as we've put that far, far away. The younger two sisters asked me, the trustee of their trusts (by some hilarious universal joke), to pay for their Disney trips at that time. Of course they insisted on a very pricey trip.

We ended up not making that trip for several reasons. However, we started planning again recently for a trip next February. Now that they're busted their trusts, they are complaining it's all too expensive.

The point I'm trying to make, although poorly, is that that never goes away. It's a matter of economics. Spending other peoples money is always easier than spending your own. I will refrain from making any political commentary on the subject here. I just wanted you to know I got a kick out of your comment.

 

[Gabe29]

I haven't had to break my WDW piggy bank yet.

I went for 10 days in Oct 2014 with a friend, it was a birthday present from him parents. They paid for everything, airfare, tickets, hotel, dining plan, MNSSHP (x2).

I just got back from an 8 day trip, May 23rd - 30th with my brother and nephew (9). My brother paid for gas (road trip from Chicago suburbs), hotel, tickets and food.

I've been lucky that my first two Disney trips were paid for by others. I'll break my WDW piggy bank for the 50th anniversary of MK. I hope to be able to pay for my parents, brother, sister, nephew and niece as well as my boyfriend to go.

 

[jloucks]

Well, my first two trips I was a teenager and my mom paid. My last 3 trips to Orlando I brought the kids (13&11 at the time) and I paid. Their chores allowance didn't cover squat.

My MIL offered to pay for a trip, but we talked her into funding a trip to Hawaii instead.

MIL is now on the nice list and gets invited (dutch) to most family vacations including the trip to Orlando this November. Brilliant politicing on her part.

When my kids are on their own I have not ruled out fully or partially funding a family vacation out. Kinda depends on how much they make I guess. I mean if they make 2x what I do, I'd let them take me on a trip. ...and vice versa.

 

[Cowboy Steve]

I will admit it. I'm spoiled rotten. My mother has been paying for our trips. It is a long story involving an auto accident insurance settlement and an income she receives from that. It was her idea to fund family vacations with a portion of those funds and that makes her happy... and as everyone knows when Mama is happy, everyone is happy! Mom sets the limits, and we spend it as frugally as we can. And I throw in some extras here and there so I don't feel like a total mooch... lol I feel guilty that we stay at a moderate resort... but she refuses to stay at the value resorts... and so far staying at the MRs hasn't broken the budget. The family vacation has been our tradition since the 70's. And Disney was the destination we vacationed at the most.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Omitting childhood trips when our parents took us, DH and I pay for WDW trips entirely by ourselves. When we've invited our parents (who are retired and on fixed incomes) to join us, they have always insisted on paying their share (e.g., ticket costs and meals), but we try to subtly subsidize their costs where we can (paying tips and gratuities, all hotel costs, etc. -- we've even told a little white lie that we had free dining when we didn't, in order to cover food costs for a travel companion).

We do all we can to minimize the price beforehand (e.g., flying on rewards points, visiting only during room discounts/free dining), and although we charge it to a credit card (to get more airline rewards points toward the next trip!), we pay it off in full immediately. This requires careful budgeting for a few months ahead of time to make sure we have enough to pay a "lump sum," but we'd rather pinch pennies ahead of time and stay out of debt.