28 days possible???

[SlightlyGoofy]

It just occurred to me that now that you can book for 14 days at a time we COULD book 28 days of Free Dining instead of JUST 21 days like we did last year.:)

Thought I would ask some of you expert budget planners here. Am I right about this AND can you think of any other 'tweaks" I could add to this trip that I might not have thought of yet?:confused3

Slightly Goofy-who is old and slow and NEEDS more days!!

[cmwade77]

I don't see why not, as long as the start dates of both trips fall within the time frame and you don't mind the possibility of having to move rooms.

[SlightlyGoofy]

In all of our trips we have only had to change rooms once HOWEVER after two weeks in the same room a change of scenery might not be bad. :lmao: Besides, by this time we know most of the staff at Sports and they are mighty kind to us.

If we manage to stay for a whole 28 days I will have to send more BD and Xmas cards to the staff than I already do though. :love:

Slightly Goofy (not entirely nuts)

[Pooh Friend]

I would change resorts every week if I could -- that would be so much fun!!! A pain to keep repacking, but a definitely agree that a change of scenery would do a body good!

[disneyjunkie]

Sounds like fun. I wish I could do it.

[Microcell]

I know this is rude, but I don't care... How much is that going to set you back???? That is alot of days!

[sumrmist]

oh man to be able to afford 28 days....if you can swing it I say go for it ! Id give almost anything to be able to take that kind of time to see WDW and not have to feel like I have to cram it all into 6 days.

[tigger536]

Wow...28 days...very very :cool2:

I would second the others and say to def change resorts..that much time take advantage of the different places WDW has to offer. You could do sports but also add pop or movies too maybe.

not your orig question, i know, but just a thought.

[SlightlyGoofy]

We are old retired folks with a whole lot more time than money so we just look for a great deal and then go for it. That is the secret to how we can afford to spend so much time at DW. That and the fact that I socked away money for retirement in spite of a husband who preferred to 'live for today'. :rotfl2:

I know people who switch resorts even when staying for a few days. I do not even want to switch rooms if I do not have to. We know pretty much everyone at our favorite resort and they treat us so well. My favorite room has a view of the trash containers (if you look to the far left) BUT it is also steps away from the food court, bus stop and parking lot. :thumbsup2

The DIS boards are a place to swap informations so ask any questions you want. Might answer, might not. :) However my proposed budget for this proposed trip would be sort of like this.

$90 a day for room AND food
$70 for each one day ticket that we HAVE to buy (to be used toward future tickets as we buy AP's)
We need to buy new AP's this year but by using two of last years Free Dining tickets AND our Citi Bank rewards (downgraded to 2% from last years 5%) of about $400 we will have to spend about $400 OP for this trip and at least TWO more. It costs us about $300 for gas, motel and food to go down and back for each trip so by making fewer and longer trips we keep that cost under control. Rough estimate would be about $3,000 for room, food, trip back and forth and buying 4 one day tickets and then prorating the AP ticket costs per trip would bring it to about $3200 for all 28 days plus our trip back and forth. Might do a few extras like La Nouba since we have such a good deal and that would bring the budget to $3500 or so for those extras.

Not bad for nearly a month's worth of vacation. I figure it costs us easily $100 a day to live in our own home and while some of those costs have to be paid whether we are there or not there are many that can be applied toward this trip.

I once read an article about some folks from Indiana who spent the entire winter at DW on a budget. I think they stayed at the campgrounds and in earlier days though.

Slightly Goofy who is mulling the whole idea over

[dizkids]

Hi Slightly Goofy~LOVE YOUR PLAN. I am in awe of the 28 day trip and wish you all the luck with getting the Free Dining. My kids are 10/8/5 but someday I see my husband and I sharing Disney like the couple on the commercial ....without the kids : )

I also bet someone is very happy you were smart enough to sock it away! Good for you.

I have a ? about the AP that you buy with your "have to buy" tickets. Is this the one day base that you have to buy when you get a package? And, how much money is it worth towards AP?

I currently have a Magic Your Way package plus dining with the Free Hopper and Free Water park upgrades...and I purchased the no expire option so we can have extra days for another trip. Wondering if your way would work better since we go to Disney 2x per year.

My 2nd trip this year just so happens to be in August too...so I am another one wishing for the Free Dining. ;)

[SlightlyGoofy]

dizkids, my husband thinks that the fact we have extra put away for our retirement and everything paid for was all HIS idea. Yep, but I led him, kicking and screaming, every step of the way. :lmao:

I would think that it is all according to how many days you will be wanting to go to the parks as to what would be a good deal for you. You might want to also figure in that AP's automatically give you park hopping and only expire in a years time when deciding. You can get one that includes the water parks also.

I am not sure of the exact amount that our one day passes that we had to buy to get the Free Dining Package cost last year. I think it was about $60. I had planned to use them toward our next passes when I got them so it is a wash price wise. Only problem was that I had to get FOUR tickets as we had to make 2 ten day ressies for our last trip so we will still have tickets AND if we have to buy more one day tickets this time we will be acquiring quite a stack of tickets. I sort of figure that some of those tickets will be part of the price of admission for Free Dining. If it costs us $140 for the two tickets this time that will add about $10 a day for our free dining and if we are giving up about a $20 discount then 'Free' Dining will actually cost us $30 a day but it is still a good deal and maybe I can use some of those extra tickets for friends to come to see the Osbourne Lights with us in December. :santa:

For those of you who might be a tad jealous it might help to know that my husband and I both have medical problems and really NEED the extra days so that we can truly enjoy ourselves. :flower3:

Slightly Goofy/Linda

[nurse.darcy]

I live in a resort town and we have snowbirds here from November to May. I am used to more crowded everything at that time of year. No issues. We welcome the crowd, the towns around here would be ghost towns by now if they didn't come for their 3 month + long vacations. . .

[bonzarella]

No jealousy here Linda, thrilled you are able to do this:hug: Enjoy the magic:wizard: :love:
your Hoosier bud
Bon

[Disney Kim]

Wow! 28 days, I would love that soo much!!!
I only get 14 vacation days from work now..

Retirment, Only 36 year away!


At least I have something to look forward to:cool1: .. LOL

[IndyJammer]

Slightly Goofy - YOU are my American Idol!

I think I may print this thread & post it on my Refridgerator as Motivation! I am very happy for you that you are able to do this. As I turn 33 Saturday, I still have a 'few' years left before I am able to retire - but sometimes it is hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel in order to save for retirement. (I am the one who "forces" DW to start saving now though!)

I never really did the math, but $3500 for a Month at WDW is not overly outrageous! I know a lot of DISers who spend more than that for a week!

The only "tweak" I even thought of would be to get a DDE card - but if you do not go over the free-dining limits, then it may not really be needed either.

Congratulations from one Hoosier to another!

[photo_chick]

Slightly Goofy.....

You have the right idea! Now if only my kids would hurry up and grow up. I want to spend a month at WDW!

[Ishy]

Actually I just wanted to point out 3000$ for a month is CHEAP - think about it, if the government puts you in "assisted living" on medicaid I belive the cost per senior per month is 4500$ *2 = 9K?

I know a few nurses that would love to escort and elderly couple on vacation room & board and theme park fun? holy moly, we could get our old people up and moving, have them enjoy their golden years and save tax payer $$$$ at the same time??

Before I get flamed - "assisted living" is different from nursing homes. And there is a pilot plan in Washington to get seniors out of costly nursing homes and into active communities :) and saving wasteful spending - and improving quality of life --- initiated by someone with common sense. Wish I had a link to the article so I could post the actual numbers on target.

You are my hero! I can only hope to be so lucky one day :)

[clkelley]

Actually I just wanted to point out 3000$ for a month is CHEAP - think about it, if the government puts you in "assisted living" on medicaid I belive the cost per senior per month is 4500$ *2 = 9K?

I know a few nurses that would love to escort and elderly couple on vacation room & board and theme park fun? holy moly, we could get our old people up and moving, have them enjoy their golden years and save tax payer $$$$ at the same time??

Before I get flamed - "assisted living" is different from nursing homes. And there is a pilot plan in Washington to get seniors out of costly nursing homes and into active communities :) and saving wasteful spending - and improving quality of life --- initiated by someone with common sense. Wish I had a link to the article so I could post the actual numbers on target.

You are my hero! I can only hope to be so lucky one day :)

Totally off topic, but I've read somewhere about seniors living on cruise ships instead of assisted living facilities.

Think about it, all meals included, housekeeping, fully accessible ship, lots of entertainment, and a doctor on board 24/7.

[DaisyD]

Wow that is a great price for 28 days! We go 30 days a year and usually spend around 10,000. That includes APs, food, and air if we are flying. Nothing like being at WDW! I'd live there if I could. Disneyworld, not Florida! LOL!

[SlightlyGoofy]

I would love to die like the "Gambler' in that I would break even but since I do not have a crystal ball I do the best I can.:wizard:

I have never liked being in debt. If people would add up how much they spend on paying interest a year they would be appalled!! We have always lived (very well) beneath our means and it has afforded us a lot of freedom. I like 'used' things that are paid for a whole lot more than new things that keep reminding me of themselves when I get a monthly bill. :teacher:

There used to be a thing going around the Internet about how much cheaper it would be to live at a Holiday Inn rather than going into a nursing home and how much more comfortable it would be. Since I have many friends in nursing homes and assisted living I am appalled at the prices for such little in the way of 'services' they get.:sad1:

For some people who have little in the way of vacation days available and/or WANT to go for the whole shebang, going in style is fine for them. I cannot see going deep into debt (except in a few very special cases) to the point that you are still paying for the trip when it is time for the next vacation but to each its own. :grouphug:

I read a thread about people who booked in for the Free Dining with only a one day ticket and did not go to the parks any other days for a super cheap trip. I would not want to do that but if you are into lounging around the pool and such it might be just the ticket.

We do not drink alcohol (I am an easy drunk and once missed an entire day at DW @$300 a day because of drinking too much cheap beer at POR) so the DDE card would not do us much good on the FD however I am thinking of getting it to cover my other two planned trips. Will break even on the one and make out like a bandit the other.

We have been at DW with our grandkids and when that is not possible I 'adopt' other people's kids for parades and fireworks. :cheer2:

Bonz, you have far too much fun to ever be jealous of anyone, least of all me. :hug: Besides you KNOW that the FD trip is just a precursor to making sure of the best seats for us to watch the parade from WITH you!!

Indiana is in the middle of changing the way they handle elder care with more emphasis on keeping people in their own homes or at least in private homes with more freedom AND for less cost. :thumbsup2 I think it is because they know that when MY generation is in need of services they know we are going to have wheelchair races and insist on CCR instead of church socials. :dance3:

Indy Jammer, would you please go to your front door and wave hi to my bil and sil??

It is awfully hard to think of retirement when you are all so young but that dollar saved today will be worth hundreds tomorrow, if not more. Too many wait until late in life and then they do not have the advantage of decades of compound interest. :teacher: :teacher: :teacher:

There is a thread on the Budget Board about how to become Debt Free. Step by step. It is a game and one that anyone can win!

Slighlty Goofy

[DisneyMom5]

It just occurred to me that now that you can book for 14 days at a time we COULD book 28 days of Free Dining instead of JUST 21 days like we did last year.:)

Thought I would ask some of you expert budget planners here. Am I right about this AND can you think of any other 'tweaks" I could add to this trip that I might not have thought of yet?:confused3

Slightly Goofy-who is old and slow and NEEDS more days!!


Wasn't free dining limited to 10 days per ressie?
(Hmm, if it is offered 8/26-9/22, you technically could get 3-10day stays out of it! LOL)

Did you do 3-7day ressies last time?

If not, I'll book 11, instead of a room only night tacked on the end!

[Microcell]

Wow! I am glad I was rude, it gives me inspiration to be just like you when I grow up!

[bonzarella]

Hi SG:goodvibes Did I miss it? When are you planning on going? We will be there second week of Sept, booked on bounceback program. Maybe we won't have to wait til Dec to meet:thumbsup2 :banana:

[clkelley]

FYI - When we booked the bounce back free dining it was limited to 10 nights.

[IndyJammer]

Indy Jammer, would you please go to your front door and wave hi to my bil and sil??

It is awfully hard to think of retirement when you are all so young but that dollar saved today will be worth hundreds tomorrow, if not more. Too many wait until late in life and then they do not have the advantage of decades of compound interest. :teacher: :teacher: :teacher:

There is a thread on the Budget Board about how to become Debt Free. Step by step. It is a game and one that anyone can win!

Slighlty Goofy

SlightlyGoofy - Where do your BIL & SIL live?!?

We've been doing the "Dave Ramsey Plan" for about 4 months now & have really noticed a difference. CCs are GONE - except for the Disney Visa one, I'm having a hard time cutting that one up! We DON'T use it anymore, but there's an emotional attachment to that "Cardmember Since Day 1" on there! We are using Cash a LOT now & are working on becoming Debt Free. That way, we can invest (love that Compound Interest!) & spend our Golden-Age Winters at WDW!

[SlightlyGoofy]

IndyJammer, my bil and sil live in a huge house on top of a hill in Pendleton near Geist. Sounds as if you are on your way to being able to Disney all your retired life. Keep the Disney card if it is near and dear to you but just do not carry it with you. Too tempting. Cash is KING!! Did ya know that you can often wrangle extra discounts by using cash as the merchant does not have to pay fees like with credit purchases? Does not hurt to ask. :cool1:

Clkelley and DisneyMom5, the old rules had it at ten days per ressie but I have read it here that it is now 14 days. I had to make two ressies last time to get the 21 days. We came in a day early and added a day before seperately.

DisneyMom5, you sly fox. 30 days possible huh? Only downside is that we would have to get THREE one day tickets instead of TWO and it is not quite worth it for an extra two days. HOWEVER, we could just add the two days seperately at the end of the trip since the Food credits are good until midnight of the day you check out. After all that free food for a month it would not hurt us to fast for ONE day. :lmao:

C'est Bon!! When (and IF) the Free Dining comes out we will decide our dates and it is well within the realm of possibility that we might see each other before December. It takes a lot of effort for me nowadays and the idea of going the end of the FD period, coming home for a few weeks, and then heading back down does not interest me. Last year we booked in toward the end to catch the F&W festival. It costs us about $300 just to get down there and back so we tend to go toward longer trips and fewer of them nowadays. One year we went 4 times in one year. I have abandoned hope for a Spring trip this year as I am having some health problems right now. Old age is not for sissies. :laughing:

Slightly Goofy/Linda

BTW, for those of you who are interested please find a 'financial calculator' on the Internet, plug in some numbers and be prepared to be in awe in how little it takes NOW to have big bucks in the FUTURE. The younger you are the better off you are if you start NOW!!! BUT, it is never too late to do something.

[Mel6197]

28 Days at Disney! :banana:


Just wanted to say how nice it is!
Have a Magical Trip!

[SlightlyGoofy]

The only thing that would make the trip better is if I could take ALL of you with me. :love:

Slightly Goofy

[cdrn1]

I know a few nurses that would love to escort an elderly couple on vacation :)

Add me to the list, please! :)

[SlightlyGoofy]

I am not elderly, yet, but I sure would like someone to accompany me. :cool1: (especially if they would pay my way)

cdrn1, sometimes I put my socks on the wrong feet. I even manage to put on ones that are mismatched. Cannot figure it out as I always have an identical pair in the drawer when I go looking later too. :lmao:

Slightly Goofy

[Lizziejane]

Slightly Goofy, I just LOVED reading your story!!! My full-time job is to educate our employees about their pension plan, why they should try to save a little extra for tomorrow, and how to build a financial plan. Your story is a prime example of what I'm trying to knock into the heads of every 20 year old who starts with our company. Could you please come to my seminars and be living proof that a little restraint today (just a little!) is worth it in the end?!

Jane

[SlightlyGoofy]

Lizziejane, I have decades of teaching such under my belt. I have given speeches at the local schools for many, many years. My first line is "If you do not have enough money you have two choices, you can work harder and earn MORE or you can spend less and the very best of both worlds is to do a bit of both". :thumbsup2

So much of what we buy is perceived NEED and is in fact WANT. I have a sister who is constantly buying 'stuff' and complains about being broke all the time. She continually cleans out her closets as they are overstuffed so that she has room to buy more 'stuff'. Much of what she discards still has the price tags on it.

A bit of sacrifice is well rewarded. Recently I bought a new car (shopped for carefully and bargained for even more so) and was able to write a check (that did not bounce) for the balance. I attempted to pay for it with my credit card to earn more reward dollars but they balked. :lmao:

I would encourage your employees to play around with the financial calculators on line to see just how much their debt is costing them, in terms of dollars and time spent working for those dollars AND how much a small amount of savings, invested early in life can grow to. Tell them it is sort of like racking up big scores in a video game. Something they can relate to.:teacher:

I grew up poor and never had any financial training, married a much older man who was deeply in debt and allergic to work AND have a tendancy to 'think small' so I had a lot to overcome. If I had gotten smarter younger we would be in much better shape than we are but it is not too bad. :)

Thank you for the compliments but many taught ME along the way. All one has to do is have a goal and then "do something about it". Step by step.:cheer2:

Slightly Goofy