How much "extra" to take?

[WDW2002]

I have my budget all worked out for our Dec 2002 trip. But what I am curious to know is, how much above budget do you plan on? Say for something you just have to have or do that you didn't plan for or forgot to budget for or under budgeted?
As of today I have meet what I budgeted and I have a year left to save. But I want to make sure to take enough or have enough available if needed.
So how much over budget is good to take? This will be out first trip and will include a "virtually" 12yo, a 9 3/4, and me 30.

 

[tink2dw]

Well,I am a shamed to admit that we went over budget by $1000.
I Hadn't planned to buy 22 yr old Dd a 4 day hopper for 3 days,but we had AP's. that was $200.
Pizza Hut room delivery,
$60.
Tickets to IOA and US
$150.
Emergancy Perscriptions
$100.
Fantazmic Dinner Pckge
$59.
Extra Character Breakfast at MGM
$50.
Plain Extra Costs of Food and Water
$250.
Extra Belz bargains
$75.
Head phones for Movie on plane[it was Mel Gibson in What Women Want!]
$30.
Was that too,awful, I truely did not get HOW much food would cost!!

 

[DiznEeyore]

WDW2002:

I am so impressed that you're all set for next year already!

As far as going over budget, we've only done it on one trip. Dh *had* to have a Millennium suede jacket and I *had* to have a Waterford Crystal version of the Millennium Spaceship Earth LOL! Those two splurges were put on the credit card (we pay cash for all our trips).

Every other trip we've always had money left over. We always do take the credit card, only because 1) we need it for a rental car and 2) it's a good "back-up" in case some kind of emergency happens. But we usually do OK as I plan our eating with menus from wdwig.com and we break our souvenir money up into daily envelopes so we don't overspend.

Hope this helps!!

 

[kozmo]

OHhhhhhhh,where did you get the waterford spaceship earth????How much over budget,if you dont mind me asking did it take you???

 

[ducklite]

I would plan on at least 25% more than what you are thinking for food and beverage, and another 10% on sundries.

Anne

 

[BevS97]

I'm not sure I understand your question - but if it helps, we took $150/day for me, dh and dd (3.5).

We had already paid for our accomodation, car-hire, and tickets, so this was just for food, entertainment and souveniers.

We found it to be about right, we had a couple of character meals (ok, 5 is probably a lot but we love them) and had drinks/snacks in the parks as we fancied, but we also ate some breakfasts in our room, and some dinners off-site and we carried drinks and snacks in the stroller as well (mainly for immediate access, if my dd is thirsty I didn't want to have to stop and find a snack bar, I could just hand her a drink of juice straight away)

I am very bad at overspending, and we were on a long trip (14 nights), so I divided the money into 14 envelopes and took 1 envelope out of the safe each morning, this really helped us to stay on track.

Bev

 

[DiznEeyore]

Originally posted by kozmo
OHhhhhhhh,where did you get the waterford spaceship earth????How much over budget,if you dont mind me asking did it take you???

Hi, Kozmo!

No, I don't mind you asking!

Believe it or not, I save almost all of my WDW receipts (sort of obsessive/compulsive, I guess!). I first saw it at the Art of Disney store in the MK. I wanted it soooo much but just couldn't bring myself to buy it. Dh finally coaxed me into it, and I'm so glad! I bought it at the Art of Disney store at Epcot. It was $275, but I was able to save 10% with a Fall Fantasy coupon. I had it shipped home, tho, via Fed Ex and my grand total (ta da!) was $272.50. In case it helps, the item # is 15601532.

 

[Kermit]

We don't take extra money, just a credit card. We're not very detailed with our budget, so there's no way to know if we go over our budget or not.

 

[CarolA]

I hate to sound like the Orlando Police dept, but... you make me nervous. I can't imagine taking that much cash! I was reading on another travel board about a woman making a trip to Disney Land Paris who was robbed of $6,000 in the airport! Pretty much ruined her vacation.

Please consider travelers checks or prepaid Visa cards! You can get travelers checks for free at AAA if you are a member. While I know that Disney has safes, you still have to get there and back. Airports are famous for petty theft because the thieves know that is where the money is!

PLEASE be careful! I would hate for someone's vacation to be ruined!

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by CarolA
I hate to sound like the Orlando Police dept, but... you make me nervous. I can't imagine taking that much cash!

Who are you referring to with this post?? I don't remember any post stating they took their trip money in ca$h!

 

[CarolA]

At least one person in this post indicated they put each days money in an envelope and kept it in a safe. Since they just said money, I assume cash which may be incorrect. However, I still think it bears repeating if you lose cash you are just out of luck! I have seen people at Disney with WADS of cash that they pull out of their wallet, purse, pocket etc. Disney feels like a very safe place and crime does seem to be limited, but it is not like they do a background check on each guest to make sure they aren't a pickpocket! I have never been pickpocketed at Disney but on a recent trip to Europe we had two people who were robbed! Lucky for them that the majority of their money and valuables were in money belts which were not touched!

 

[BevS97]

That was me, and 90% of it was in travellers cheques sorry, I should have been more specific. We were there for 14 nights so it was a lot of money, even with travellers cheques I was quite nervous, so we split them between my dh & I and wore them on money pouches round our waist while we travelled.

We have had too many vacations in the past, where we have come home with massive credit card bills, so this time we were determined not to use the credit cards (although we did take one in case of emergencys).

I should also mention that on our last day when returned to the airport, I lost my wallet - could not find it anywhere, and I was getting very upset, the security guard at Sanford airport told me that it would turn up, as 'they always do' - I absolutely didn't believe him, and figured it was gone. He also pointed out that the travellers cheque's would be replaced (there was only about $10 cash, and $60 in travellers cheque's anyway - but still I didn't want to lose it).

Anyway - we contacted the car hire firm, and they found the wallet under the seat and returned it to me, intact - down to the last penny. It was a huge relief.

Bev

 

[CarolA]

Bev
I am really glad you use travelers checks. I know the feeling on your wallet. I left mine in a store in an airport a few years ago and just about had a break down. It is not just the money it is all the other stuff, Driver's License, Insurance cards etc... I try to take just the minimum in my wallet on vacation, but I still have a credit card or two and the identification. One time in an attempt to reduce my stuff I did not take my insurance card - guess which trip I wound up at the ER on! That was a mess! Now I take it and I have stayed healthy. I guess it is kind of like carrying an umbrella or poncho to prevent rain!

 

[sablair]

It depends on your spending habits really. We had everything bought before we left except meals, tips, parking and souveniers.. the kennel boarding costs and what we paid the sitter for our baby. We planned $700 for the four of us for meals and $200 souvenier money. $200 for DS and to board our puppy. We took $1500 to cover everything because I HATE to use a charge card. It was more than enough and we came home with @$200. We didnt do without anything, but didnt see anything we had to splurge on either. I took the amount of cash we were willing to spend on vacation and knew we would only break out the credit cards if we needed to. The only extra cost for us was $100 for Disney Quest tickets on a rainy day.

It really does depend on your spending habits though.. I was comfortable taking only $50 extra a day because I know we faithfully write our expenditures in a notebook and see how the budget is doing at the end of each day we are on vacation. It's the only way I can go on vacation and not worry about overspending and having buyer's remorse later. And knowing we can charge for emergencies makes a big difference. We didnt do the envelope thing, but we didnt cash traveler's checks in advance either or we would have spent them!!

Sheila

 

[vwrose14]

we family of 5 took $150 a day last year and about $800 extra it worked out well. This year we are takking about $4500 for food and souviners we are going to Us and WDW for a total of 20 days

Sheila

 

[LittleBear]

Are there any ATM's at WDW? This would really help in budgeting what to take with us.

LittleBear

 

[vwrose14]

several every park and every resort