So since$4000 is insane...need to re-plan UPDATE: WE SWITCHED AND ADDED AN "S"

[FINFAN]

Well, we have to fly for our hopeful August trip, was meant to celebrate our 20th and also DD's 16th, and what the heck toss DS's 12th in there too! Anyway...even with budget rates, I cannot get the total below $4000.

100 cab to/from O'Hare
615 airfare on UAL (1 tic FF miles/ 3 OOP)
0 first 2 nights prior to DDP promo...(using another set of miles)
0 Water park day(s) leftover plusses
160 food expense for 2 days prior to DDP starting
2688 moderate for 8 nights...actually cheaper overall to stay 8 than 6
based on increase in airfare on shorter days.
Have to go moderate..kids too
old to share a bed anymore
150 roll a way bed... ( 15 per nitee)may buy an air mattress for less but
so stinkin' heavy to
bring on the plane! How do you guys do this?
23 2 refil mugs
50 mousekeeping tips
10 Bell tips
50 msc...not sure what , but you can bet it's there!
250 kennel the dog...ANYONE want a dog?
40 souvees, however kids are using own $$$, but is still part of overall
cost.
TOTAL: $ 4136

And that is really not leaving any room for if the DDP does not get us thru all 3 meals each day...I am planning on it, but it may not work out. To me, if we still owe OOP for food on top of plan, we may as well stay at the Dolphin for 129 (144 incl tax) and budget our food anyway..if we have to be sharing CS meals at lunch to cover shared meals at breakfast... still not as eaasy and care free, but I am still leaning toward it.
It is sad that we have the break of the miles to help us here and it is still that much. I know, divide 4000 over 10 days, by 4 people, $100 bucks a day to play and dine and sleep and fly...but too rich for our middle class blood. OTHER PLAN
100 cab
615 A/F
1050 We could stay at the Dolphin the whole time,( using miles/ OOP for
balance
1400 We would eat more budget minded...allowing 1400 for the 10 days
960 stay with same ticket cost
90 rent a car 1 day each arrival/departure about 45 each day
23 refil mugs
200 rol- a- way bed (25 p nite)
50 mousekeping
10 bell services
50 msc
250 dog
40 souvees
TOTAL $4838 !!!!!!!!!!!!! no way!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just keep seeing 250 for the kennel....Again...anyone want a dog?

Just needed to vent about the reality check ob =n this trip...AND I need to see my folks too, who can travel anymore? We have gone for 8,9 and 10 days before...and it was less $$$. Just Dec '04...WL/DOLPHIN split w/7 day hoppers was under 3500...it's the dog, I tell ya...


Pam

 

[polkadotladybug]

Got a friend who is vacationing a different week this summer who wants to doggy swap? That's what we are doing. They will keep ours the week we are gone, then we keep theirs the week they are gone. Works for me. and if it's a major PITA - at least I'll still have the 240 bucks. LOL!

 

[Pluto's Honey]

Is that the correct price on your moderate stay? I thought during that time it is value and it would be less? I think they moved the mods to value when they did the promotion...

 

[sskem96]

Take a cheap inflatable pool raft (the kind that's about a buck at walmart) as an air mattress to skip the roll-a-way cost. Have the kids take turns on who gets the bed and who gets the floor.

Offer a neighbor kid (who's parents will make sure they do it) $50, $100-or whatever amt. you think appropriate, to feed you dog and let it out 3 or 4 times a day.

You can do a park-stay-fly deal cheaper than your $100 cab fare-we did this last year when flying out of O'Hare and it was a great deal.

If you're going to end up renting a car on arrival and departure days, you may be better off to rent one for the whole time. We pd. $135 for 7 days for a mid-size (Chevy Cobalt), so that's only $45 more than your estimated $90. (Of course I realize you're staying 10 days, not 7). You would have more freedom on where to eat, and would probably more than make up the extra cost in meal savings. Also, if you realize you forgot something, you can get it at Walmart or Target if you have a car, rather than paying WDW prices for film and stuff like that.

You're allowing $140/day for food. That seems pretty high. You should be able to eat for $100/day unless you're planning on a sit down on most days. Some days we had an $80 sit down meal, but the next day all counter service, so it averaged out to less than $100/day, but we generally ate only 2 meals a day (mainly counter service) and just a snack in the room for b-fast. It's at least one area that you have some wiggle room if you really want to cut back the cost.

I hope you have a great time! Wish I could come with! We're hoping for late 2007 or early 2008. DH wants to stay 2 wks, so we have LOTS of saving to do!

 

[tar heel]

DH and I always slept with kids since a double bed was smaller than we wanted any way. You could sleep with your daughter and him with your son.
If you're not willing to do that, you can bring an air mattress or even just a sleeping bag. If you bring your own bedding, you can move to a value resort.

 

[Ozymoe]

Just wondering...wouldn't two value resort rooms be cheaper (by a third) than one moderate...and then wouldn't you have the DDP, more room, another bathroom and no hassle about bringing an air bed...or am I missing something? Book one adult and one child each room...you might try for adjoining rooms, but even if you had to split up, a guys room and a girls room might work.

...probably missing something. Sigh. My whole week has been like that...just call me Eeyore...ohhhh wellll...

 

[westjones]

Have you looked at a Tuesday to Tuesday flight? I just discovered this (and maybe it is well known), but the price for airfare seems to be a lot less if you can travel from a Tuesday to a Tuesday. DH and I were just talking about this over the weekend and we may have to start rethinking how we schedule our vacations. We never realized how much less it was to fly Tuesday to Tuesday.

Also, I have an air mattress from Target that rolls up into a bag. It would go on the plane as carry on, I'm sure. Or just get a cheap pool float and then you can leave it there. I have seen them at Walmart for less than $5.

DJ

 

[keishashadow]

Somebody beat me to it but, why not a "girls" & "boys" bed?

Since you're not using the DP, did you think about getting "1" AP for room discount, might allow you to "upgrade" to a deluxe.

How about a "split" stay, either partial off-site (easy to find rooms in $40 range right outside the maingate) or on-site w/a few nights on DP?

Why aren't you using ME?

Totally agree w/kennel costs. In our area you have to produce a Vet certificate to verify that they have all shots, etc. A good thing but, it can't be more than 30 days old & we've learned to time our Vet appointments to coincide w/vacation time. Still, it was an unexpected additional expense the first time it arose.

Good luck.

 

[kdtwiss]

are you going when it is free dining? Why not drop the two days w/o free dining? That dining plan really is fantastic! Plan on breakfast pick ups - mods have fridges so get some milk and have cereal etc. each morning - and cs for lunch ts for dinner plus a snack - your food budget will go waaaay down!
If so, you will need way less for food budget.

Also - have you looked into renting DVC points? You could stay at OKW probably for cheaper than mod - AND have a full kitchen. I say - even if you do end up bringing an unflatable mattress AND it IS heavy - sure beats the cost of $15 a night!!

 

[sk!mom]

DH and I always slept with kids since a double bed was smaller than we wanted any way. You could sleep with your daughter and him with your son.
If you're not willing to do that, you can bring an air mattress or even just a sleeping bag. If you bring your own bedding, you can move to a value resort.

This is what we have done, also, when we HAD to share a room with the kids. DD loves it, I don't mind it for a few nights- DH and DS survived it. This summer for the first vacation that our now grown-up DS has gone on with us in two years, we are getting two rooms.

 

[DawnM]

Ok, you die hard stay on site fans, don't beat me up for saying this.....

But of your $4,000, almost $3,000 of it is hotel bill! If you stayed in a condo off-site, even for $100 per night.....you would have bedrooms for your kids, a kitchen to have at least B-fast (saving even more $$.) AND have plenty of money left over to rent a car.

We try to keep it as inexpensive but comfortable as possible because then we can take MORE trips to Disney!

Just my .02

Dawn

 

[Jon99]

Even if you are totally against carrying an air mattress on the plane, you would be better off buying one at Wal-Mart for $30 when you get down there and throwing it away when you leave..

 

[Jon99]

But of your $4,000, almost $3,000 of it is hotel bill!

That almost $3000 amount is for the package that includes park tickets and dining plan..

 

[LSchrow]

150 roll a way bed... ( 15 per nitee)may buy an air mattress for less but
so stinkin' heavy to
bring on the plane! How do you guys do this?

the aerobed comes in a duffle, which fits perfectly into our wheeled carry-on case. VERY easy to bring that way.
btw, LOVE the aerobed ~ just seconds to inflate/deflate with the built-in pump, extremelly comfy even for adults (it's just as comfy as a real mattress, & is great to keep on hand at home for overnight guests).
sorry, can't help with the pup ~ $250 doesn't sound bad for 10 nights of boarding tho (figure $250 is a VERY cheap vacation for your furry baby )

 

[DawnM]

Ah, well, then never mind. See, that is what I get for not reading closely.

Dawn

That almost $3000 amount is for the package that includes park tickets and dining plan..

 

[RadioFanatic]

Just wondering...wouldn't two value resort rooms be cheaper (by a third) than one moderate...and then wouldn't you have the DDP, more room, another bathroom and no hassle about bringing an air bed...or am I missing something? Book one adult and one child each room...you might try for adjoining rooms, but even if you had to split up, a guys room and a girls room might work.

...probably missing something. Sigh. My whole week has been like that...just call me Eeyore...ohhhh wellll...

I agree - 2 values would be cheaper - we have two rooms, 7 nights, 8 days for only $2000

 

[welovedis]

What are your dates in August?

 

[lisabarr]

We used to pay the neighorhood teen $10 a day to come and feed the dog and walk her. We did have a doogie door and fenced yard also. We never kenneled her. Always found someone to watch her.

 

[Buzzsgramma]

We stuffed the Aero bed into a small suitcase and took it with(twin) i consider it one of my best investments....also I haven done the free dining thingy as we are DVC and usually buy groceries at Albertsons or where ever..DH and I may try this for ourselves soon....Last yr we did ME because we never left DW but you can usually rent a car for less for the whole wk than a short time....Leaving for DW soon and going out of Midway so using the park-fly thingy instead of the limo...Ya 2 value rms sound good.. Good planning

 

[Rebeccapaige!]

Hi, I just read on wdw's website that transportation to and from are included, if remember correctly from my friend that this included a grocery stop. POR offers a free in room fridge, bring yogurt etc. for breakfasts, its quick to eat so it saves time and $$. also staying at POR would save you the price of the rollaway because in the bayou the beds have a trundle bed.
HTH
Becky, Paige and Hailey
POR Feb 2005
POP or CSR Feb 2007