Personal? I've been pricing vac packages to WDW?How much does your average trip cost?

[dimoe]

I was wondeirng if you could explain to me about how getting a visa got you such a great rate at corondos springs???
thanks I am still just learning .
Diane

 

[Disney Debbie]

There's a code for Disney Visa holder's. It has to be the DISNEY Visa - not just any Visa. Go to www.mousesavers.com to get the code. If you are a DV holder AND a FL resident it's another $20.00 cheaper per night! My folks live in FL and are going with us so if my mom's DV will hurry up and get here we hope we'll be able to get it for $69.00/night.

Now that the Disney Club is really and truly gone, I guess they are FINALLY giving some decent perks to DV holders!

You've come to the right place to learn! Welcome to the DIS.

 

[pinsonneedles]

Hey guys! The first year we did Disney (02) it costs us right at 2000. Last year, 2900. Here is our budget for this July 15-25. We are also going with another family (there's 3 of them) this trip so we have decided since they are our guests we would help them out as much as possible. This is what we've got so far.

Gasoline-$200. We drive down so we can have everything we need, like toe-nail clippers and the fridge, extra pillows etc. Plus I love to drive and the trip never bothers me. Thank God for the tv/vcr! Love those Golden Girls videos!!

Tolls-$6.

Hotel for the drive down-$70. We've never paid that yet for one night but just in case...

Hotel in Kissimmee-$327.1 at Days Inn. We booked through hotelwiz.com (always have) and knock on wood, never any problems.

Meals-$1277. I know that's alot but we like RFC, ESPN Club, Wolfgang Puck and are doing Chef Mickeys and the AK meal certificates this year. Also includes breakfasts each morning, lunches, dinners and snacks. Love those beaver-tails and dole whips!! And the bakery in France rules!!

Wal-Mart-$50. I put $5 each DH payday towards this. This pays for groceries we do need while down there, beer, juice, milk, etc.

Gifts-$458. This includes pictures we need from MK and MGM, Pal Mickey (we should have bought him last year!), hats, shirts and gifts from each WS country. Plus the penny presses add up! Yikes!

Outlets-$200. Gotta go school shopping while we're down there!

Laundry-$10. Do it while the kids are sleeping in and I won't have to do as much when I get back!

Parking-$28. Love the freedom of coming and going whenever we want.

Miniature golf at Fantasia Gardens-$50.

Waterpark mugs-$22. Best deal at the World!

DQ tickets-$140. Never been , but always promised.

Park tickets-$1057.16 for me, DH37, DD15, DS13.

Grand total-$3893.26

Not too bad, I don't think, for 4 people and 11 days. I budget high and if we have money left over, yippee ! I just put it back and use for the next year! We always use cash and the envelope system. This works best for us. We are a one-income family but after bills are paid we make our trip a priority. The kids know this and are never disappointed if we don't go out to eat or go watch the latest movie. They are Disney freaks like us so we never feel deprived of anything. There's no place like World! Thanks for letting me ramble on. Excited to be going again!!

 

[tboss]

That is a great budget for 11 days! How do you eat on $116 a day for 4 people. We were figuring at least $150 with meals, snacks, drinks. I'd love to hear how you do it since you go often. We haven't been in 10 years.

Also, where do you get your tickets for that price?

 

[pinsonneedles]

Thank you for your reply!

About our food budget this is what we are doing and how much we are spending. The first thing I do is print out the menus from allearsnet.com. I have a 3-ring binder that I separate into each day that we will be gone. If I think that we will going to MGM on Friday I put those menus under that day. I printed off all sit-down and counter-service rests. I go over each one and figure out what each of us would probably order. If there is one item that costs the most I multiply that by the four of us, add the tax and the tip and round up to the nearest ten dollar. This gives me lots of leeway in case someones decides to order more or less. I'd rather have too much budgeted for that meal than not enough. Some days we won't eat a breakfast and others we skip lunch.

Day 1- no eating-out. we leave in the afternoon so we do coolers at the rest-stops.

Day 2-no bf, we eat what we packed from yesterday. lunch in Ocala (after we visit the Welcome Center of course!) Burger King $20. we've eaten there each trip and has averaged $17. dinner at KFC in Kissimmee $22. (again, like a ritual after W-M)

Day 3-bf in the room. lunch @ Cheesecake Express in DQ $40. Dinner @ Pizza Hut on I-92 $40.

Day 4-bf @ Denny's. I've budgeted $25 for this cause you can only eat so much 2.99 grand slam. lunch-$55 with the AK meal certificates. dinner-$75 for RFC. for 15. we joined the Safari Club. with it we get 10% off our meal, plus a $10 gift certificate for being a new member and $5 off for DH birthday, so I know we won't spend all 75. there but just in case we want the volcano!!

Day 5-bf @ McD's-$20. lunch-$40, dessert in France-$25 and $40 for dinner.

Day 6-bf @ Sizzler-$25. lunch with cooler at TL. $25 for snacks. $60 ESPN Club for dinner. $14 mug refills at TL.

Day 7-bf @ Bob Evans-$25. lunch $40, dinner $40 and snacks $20.

Day 8-no bf cause we're sleeping in, lunch @ fast-food-$20., dinner @W'Puck Xpress-$50. $25 for Ghirardelli's and $20 for the candy shoppe.

Day 9-bf @ Waffle House 25., lunch 40., dinner 40. and snacks 15.

Day 10-bf @ Denny's 25, snacks 25., again the cooler @ TL, dinner @ Chef Mickeys $150 and 14. for TL refills

Day 11-no bf cause we leave @ 5:30 am. we piece with what's left in the cooler till we stop @ Cracker Barrel in Chattanooga-40. no dinner cause we're almost home!

Hope this helped. Sorry this is long! I just get excited about Disney and could go on forever!! I love to plan!!

 

[NeverEnufWDW]

My .02 :

#1 - Do your research (you can save BIG $$$)
#2 - Stay away from "packages" - buy each piece separately and $ave.
#3 - If you plan on going at least twice in a calendar year, seriously consider Annual Passes.
#4 - If you go to WDW a lot, seriously consider DVC.
#6 - If you can - go during value season
#7 - If want a relaxing vacation - don't stay at the All Stars resorts. It does not always pay to be thrifty.
#8 - "Home away from Home"-type on-site accomodation provides you at kitchen. Make one quick grocery store trip on your way in - and you'll get lots of cheap meals.

Remember, if you got hit by a bus tomorrow, you could not take your money with you anyway.....

 

[beautybelle]

When we go to WDW, which is every 2 years, we on average, end up spending between 3500.00 and 4000.00. And thats staying offsite. Like another poster said our biggest expense is our tickets (they're 2 adults and 1 child in our family) and then our airline tickets and then comes the food. We ALWAYS end up spending more than we budget for on souvieners.

 

[skiwee1]

Our trips usually range around $5000. That includes hotel, food, and souveniers. We have APs so that isn't part of that price. We also drive most of the time and spend 2 nights in hotels each way getting there. With gas that probably is about $5700. This trip in April will be pricier as I couldn't get a dscount on the Poly. Our hotel alone will be $3500. Include food and the other stuff and we are looking at $6500 or more. That is for 2 adults and one 5 y/o.

 

[bobcat]

I always find it interesting how everyone budgets for their vacation since I spend so much time tweeking mine.

Here's our summer budget for July for 1 adult 2 kids-

Travel: Hotel both ways $80
Gas Roundtrip $125
Food in route $40 (two fast food meals and snacks)
Car maintainance $50
Hotel: POP 10 nights $700 (hoping for a summer AP rate)
Refillable mugs $36
POP souvineer $30
Food: $70/day x 11 days $770
Souvineers: Pal Mickey $60
Outlet shopping $100
Kids spending money $50 each $100
Pins $50
Tickets: 3 APs 2 adult 1child $1176
Water Park w/AP discount $81.22
E-night $37

Total $3435.22

This budget is based on our past trips. Some items may go up, such as gas since prices just seem to be rising, but it has been pretty sucessful so far. Of course with APs then the budget for next year will be less by about $1000. We make our APs really work for us.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by bobcat
Food: $70/day x 11 days $770

How can you eat for $70 per day? In looking at the budgets posted here, I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. We always end up spending like $200 per day in food. Breakfast(food court) is at least $20, Lunch (counter service) is usually at least $35 and then dinner at a sit down place will run about $100. Ok, that's not $200 but add in a couple of Mickey Bars and a couple of drinks....I don't know how you guys eat so cheaply.

We are 2 adults and 2 kids(8&11). This year for a few of our breakfasts we're going to try poptarts and donuts in the room to save a few bucks. Plus, the kids never eat much at breakfast and I always feel that we wasted our money.

So, what're your secrets to eating cheaply? Assuming you do one sit down meal a day.

Thanks!

 

[bobcat]

My budget is for one adult and two kids, 9&11. Actually up until this last summer our budget was $50/day. The kids are growing up and eating me out of house and home so we actually averaged closer to $70/day last July which is why I upped our budget for this year. We eat most breakfasts in our room and usually have a couple of pool days where we will eat sandwiches or other items we brought from home. On days we only have counter service meals we average around $40 (including snacks). What is a budget killer are sit down meals. We always have to do Prime Time, Le Cellier, Boma, and two character meals. Since the kids are still young enough to order from the kids menu that helps. DD is almost 12 so sometimes she orders off the adult menu.

I plan where we would like to eat ahead of time, using the menu's on Deb's site, and then decide if all of them will fit into the budget. Some won't make the cut. I also adjust during our trip, so if we are getting over our daily average we may wait to eat until we are back at the resort in the afternoon to swim. The kids don't mind and it actually gives them more swim time, which they love.

Also if we can we will eat sit down meals at lunch which is cheaper. Getting a 3pm PS time gets us a late lunch/early dinner and then we will usually snack for dinner.

Remeber this is our average per day over our trip so some days are more expensive and some days are a lot less expensive.

 

[jcemom]

We averaged $100/day for me, DH, DS 10, DS 9, and DD 1 1/2.

Day 1: breakfast at home, lunch at airport, dinner at Burger King
Day 2: b in the room, l at Mara, d at Crystal Palace, +dole whips
Day 3: b in the room, l at Sci Fi, dinner at UK fish & chips counter
Day 4: b in the room, l at Rainforest Cafe DTD, d at Taco Bell
Day 5: b in the room, l at Flame Tree BBQ, d at Garden Grill, +fruit at AK
Day 6: b at Donald's, l at Mara, d from Boulangerie Patisserie in france
Day 7: b in the room, l at Hooters, d at Mara, +snack at Starring Rolls
Day 8: b at Boma, l at Cheesecake Factory, d at Mara, +snacks at Cirque
Day 9: b at Mara, l at Cinderella's, d at Mara
Day 10: b at Mara, l at Chili's w/GC's, home for dinner

 

[jcemom]

We averaged $100/day for food for me, DH, DS 10, DS 9, and DD 1 1/2.

Day 1: breakfast at home, lunch at airport, dinner at Burger King
Day 2: b in the room, l at Mara, d at Crystal Palace, +dole whips
Day 3: b in the room, l at Sci Fi, dinner at UK fish & chips counter
Day 4: b in the room, l at Rainforest Cafe DTD, d at Taco Bell
Day 5: b in the room, l at Flame Tree BBQ, d at Garden Grill, +fruit at AK
Day 6: b at Donald's, l at Mara, d from Boulangerie Patisserie in france
Day 7: b in the room, l at Hooters, d at Mara, +snack at Starring Rolls
Day 8: b at Boma, l at Cheesecake Factory, d at Mara, +snacks at Cirque
Day 9: b at Mara, l at Cinderella's, d at Mara
Day 10: b at Mara, l at Chili's w/GC's, home for dinner

As you can see, we kept things in the room for a quick breakfast (much more convenient IMO) but ran out before the end of the trip, lol.