$300+ How do you justify the expense?

[disneymom2one]

Count me in the sahm married to a university guy too. I personally think it's a wonderful life. As to finances, we just bought into DVC after waiting ten years. That will help a lot because for us the vacation is all about the resort. Our daughter has Asperger's and life at home can be really hectic. WDW is the one place where we can truly get away and relax.

 

[Poohbear123]

to WDW, I had to save $$ for 9 months to pay for the trip. So, we always stayed at Sports or Music, and payed 104.00 a night for the room, and I never batted an eye! However, when they stopped going with me, this is when I found out I could get the SAME room for 55.00 a night! So, this is why I go, about 3-4 times a year! However, now that I am older I would LOVE to experience some of the "other" resorts, like Swan/Dolphin, Beach Club, but am waiting to win the Lottery for that!

 

[klb5]

It's been 5 years since '99 & 98, our first family trip, my last time before that was 1980?,, 98 trip was w/ one ds and 99 was w/ ds(3) & dd ( 6 mths).., Then we did it as a family b day and annv pkg, B day 9/6,9/7,9/16, annv- 9/10. Now 5 years later changed from early Nov to early Dec so we could getto MVMCP, and the whole environment,, and will then come home for our own Tree,,, Kids have been told that this is a Christmas trip.. I'm self employed, wife stays w/ the kids ( 8,5 & 3).. We don't make lots of money> 70,000, BUT It's been five years and Hopefully we'll do this sooner than another five years,, if we don't there will only be two more trips,, then ds will be 19 ( 9 in dec, )... we all go to have a good time and always watch the video tapes of 99 trip. Tis trip will be 5 n @ riverside and then 3 @ AKL DXL SAV RM.. We'll use one or 2 days w/ no park and enjoy all the scenery and pools, etc-- this helps make up for the extra cost.... Maybe when I was 20 or 30-- I didn't realize all my parents tried to do for us kids as we went every year to FLA, and other stuff, But Now I do,,, Hope my kid's feel the same way when they are my age...

HAVE a GREAT TIME-- And sometimes don't worry about the money,,,,, It will all work out...

 

[TDC Nala]

I have a different take on this. I'm single. I have no expenses for anyone but myself. I know where my money is, how much I have saved, and where it's going, and I know how much I have to spend if I want to drop in on WDW.

I have some DVC points and I'll stay in a resort on the weekends to help stretch them out. Sometimes I can split the room cost with a friend or with my parents, which would make a deluxe stay more easily affordable. I've had concierge stays at AKL and 10 days in Polynesian concierge (that was split three ways with two friends, was booked using a discount, and cost as much as it would have for the three of us to each have our own rooms at the All-Stars).

I don't pay rack rate for resort rooms, either, so it isn't necessary to stay offsite (I save some cash when I don't need to rent a car). I can take advantage of AP rates, discount codes, the government discount at the Swolphin.

 

[septbride2002]

While I haven't spent $300 a night on a hotel room yet - I will probably be doing so next year. Knowing that in advance gives me lots of time to save. I keep an eye out for discounts and I always book a standard room.

Vacations are important to us and DH and I are asked all the time - how can you afford to go so often? Well that is easy - we give up on other things we don't care about. We don't have cellular phones which from what I can figure is $25 to $60 a month in savings. I make our clothes last, we don't but a lot of major toys or spend a lot of money. We use our charge cards with 0% interest and pay them off.

There is all sorts of things that you can do.

Next year Christmas - Grand Floridian Here we come!

~Amanda

 

[westjones]

Originally posted by septbride2002

Vacations are important to us and DH and I are asked all the time - how can you afford to go so often? Well that is easy - we give up on other things we don't care about. ~Amanda

This is what we do too. My Grandfather had a saying that I try to live by:

"Watch your pennies, and the dollars will follow."

Those small things add up to SO much, and if you are willing to watch those small things, you can save for something bigger.

DJ

 

[Danauk]

We make sure we save up. DH and I have a holiday saving account where we have a direct debit set up so the same amount of money goes into it at the start of the month. We don't get to go on long haul holidays every year though (maybe every 18 months to 2 years) but we like to know that when we do get away we have the money to do what we want. As DH and I are both teachers though we have to go away in school holidays when flights are very expensive too which is why we have to save for longer (flights last year cost us $1200 each.) But as we have to save for so long we like to make sure we stay in a delux resort when we do get there.

 

[The Duchess]

Since our Honeymoon in 1997 on the Honeymoon Grand Plan we have been going every two years and staying Deluxe Resort and getting the Grand (now Platinum) Plan. The Grand Plan has Concierge access and they make all our PSs and Recreational Reservations for us. I guess we got spoiled.
Why pay so much?
We could go every year if we cut back....but I don't see much changing at Disney in a year. On the off-year we camp and take long weekends.
When DS (now 6) is older, we'll probably do more diverse vacations, we really want to do Italy and Alaska.
When we got married, we figured out that for what we paid for our Grand Plan Honeymoon we could have gone to Italy for two weeks! But it was a no contest decision....WDW was the best!

 

[mmausse]

I agree with everyone - this is a VERY interesting thread, now for my 2 cents worth:

I've been staying in WDW Deluxe resorts on CL levels for the past 6 years - with at least 1 trip a year, minimum stay 7 days, maximum stay 31 days at GF CL during peak Christmas season. I am 43 yo, single, no kids. I have never worried about what the room rate is because I always go under the Platinum or Gold Plan - I believe in no worries when I vacation. Oc course, I like getting a discount as much as the next person, and it was a LOT easier with the Magic Kingdom Club, (IMO Disney Visa stinks).

It is my belief that I have worked VERY hard to achieve what I have, so I want to PLAY even harder. I want to be pampered and treated well and I also want to "give back" something as well when I go to WDW. I do little things for people, anonymously for the most part when I do it, but things that make people brighten up a little more. It gives me SO much inner satisfaction to brighten someone else's day. What have I done - I've given away Disney dollars to kids (I print on them "A Random Act of Kindness."), or buy a family their dinner at a DIsney restaurant, I've invited others to share my limo and driver when the bus lines get too long and its too hot. Little things, but its fun.

So, for me, it isn't the money so much as it is the entire Disney experience - the strong desire to be happy and make others happy.

 

[grimp]

We all have our values, both personal and financial. Other than getting a good deal on hotwire at the Dolphin once ($109) , we have always stayed at moderates for at the most, $130 per night per room. Last trip we paid $90 per night at the POR.

It just never made sense to me to get anything more than a bargain. I guess that is my own personality. I don't think that where you stay has a lot to do with how much fun you have unless where you stay gets in your way of having fun. By that, I mean that it seems to me staying off property would get in the way of my having fun, but for others it might not. Also, I like to spend more on things like character meals and good restaurants and fun trinkets to take home. A limo to and from the hotel is fun and not all that much more than a taxi. We fly coach and look for the better deals on the internet.

It is not a matter of expense to me since last year my income was about $31 million US (after tax), which goes to show you that not all people who travel economically smart are poor and I guess that not all people who travel first class and appear to be upper class are rich.

 

[ChristyJ]

When my DH & I married 10 yrs. ago, we said we'd go to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary...well here we are, 10 years later with 2 beautiful daughters (5 & 8) and have decided that our trip will be to WDW instead (with the kids, of course).
To add a little something just for us, I split our trip to have 4 nights at the WL and 4 nights at POLY GVC. At the Poly, we'll be in the Hawaii building...so there you go, we're going to Hawaii afterall!! This trip not only celebrates our anniversary, but also DH's 37th birthday and DD's 8th birthday are while we are there (12/3-12/11).

We're pretty frugal most of the time, but this is special.

 

[westjones]

Originally posted by ChristyJ
When my DH & I married 10 yrs. ago, we said we'd go to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary...well here we are, 10 years later with 2 beautiful daughters (5 & 8) and have decided that our trip will be to WDW instead (with the kids, of course).
To add a little something just for us, I split our trip to have 4 nights at the WL and 4 nights at POLY GVC. At the Poly, we'll be in the Hawaii building...so there you go, we're going to Hawaii afterall!!

LOL! This is our "Hawaii" trip too! I have always wanted to go to Hawaii, and we have been married 22 years and it doesn't look like it is going to happen any time in the new future. So for 1 night in September, we are staying at the Poly and going to the Luau. That is my trip to Hawaii!

Right now, our travel is based a lot on our kids and what we think we will enjoy as a family (they are 10 year old twins). The 'real' Hawaii will have to wait about 15 years.

DJ

 

[ducklite]

There is no "right" or "wrong" way to vacation that fits everyone. It comes down to taking what you feel comfortable spending, and spending it in a way you feel comfortable.

There are many who wouldn't think of spending $300 a night on a hotel room, even though they could easily afford to. There are also many who go ahead and spend $300 a night on a hotel room, even though they can't afford it.

I think that it often comes to the very personal decision of how to spend your money.

We prefer to stay at the deluxe resorts at WDW, and give up other things in life to do so--we drive Saturns while most of our friends are driving BMW's, Lexus', etc. We like to spend about half our vacation just relaxing around the resort, and have found the deluxes work better for us in this regard. We certainly look for discounts, AP rates and such, and this definitely helps take the sting off the cost.

Anne