.

[robsmom]

This thread reminded me of one of the morning shows this week.
I think it was CBS that I was watching getting dressed for work and they had a segment in which they compared designed outfits to "bargain outfits". Didnt use that word exactly but something similar. They put a series of 2 outfits side by side that looked almost the same and the hosts had to guess which was which (got most of them wrong by the way).

Anyway the part that made me laugh was the last set, the designer outfit was $4000 and the bargain was $400. Hard to think of that as a bargain.

 

[Cyndiu]

$400 for a bargain outfit... bwahahahahahahaha!

I haven't spent that much for a "outfit" since my wedding dress, 15 years ago. And that was only $500 (sort of a bargain wedding dress in the late 80s).

 

[Daisimae]

I don't think that trip was very budget either. DH and I can do WDW for $900, excluding airfare, for five days and six nights including 4day PHP with no resident discounts. Adding two children would only add a little more for food and kids PHPs.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I did a little bit of checking on ticket prices.

The prices she quoted are for one day/one park ticket. If you get a UMP the minimum is a two day/one night and it costs more than two 1 day/1 park tickets, even with advance purchase and Disney Club.

She did indicate she stayed for two nights at the hotel (shown by the price).

BTW, according to AAA, it is 459 miles from downtown Atlanta to the intersection of I-4 and the Florida Turnpike; it is another 15 miles to WDW, so they drove 950 miles in two days for a one day visit to MK. That is actually seven hours on the road each day if they averaged 70MPH.

 

[maleficent1959]

Originally posted by beatnik
Haven't read the article, but as regards to getting the CM rate: my cousin is a CM and she can get some really great rates for us (usually about half off rack rate for that season). The CM does not need to be staying with you for you to get that rate. Believe me, she knows all the rules- she used to work in reservations. Its perfectly legit, although admittedly available only to those with "CM connections," so the criticisms people make of the article are well taken...

Beatnik

Is your cousin a CM at the park? TDS CMs are able to get rooms for family and friends at CM rate, but the CM must also have a room and the itinerary for guests must be the same as the CM. So I was never able to get one for friends and family unless they were traveling with me.

As for the Florida residents, we have to show our ID at check-in so don't know how the reporter got around that one.

 

[Cyndiu]

Maleficent,

I'm guessing she probably made the whole thing up.

 

[TheRatPack]

Originally posted by ceecee
Articles like that make people think Disney is out of their reach. I can't believe they could even get the FL or CM rate, weren't they checked??? Fultons.........................I'm still LOL over that. We did 8 nights for 3 (including airfare) for $1500.00 one year.

We get CM Tickets to Disney and we stay off property, since CM rates are hard to come by during peak season for their economy/moderate resorts. We always take a 7 day/6 night trip and never have taken more than 1000.00 for everything. Now we do purchase APs to Universal prior from a different budget, but that 1000.00 includes some of our hotel fees(we put a deposit before we leave on some of the hotel expenses) and gas for the trip down and back. We budget approximately 100.00-125.00 per day for food and souveniers for a family of 4 and the kids have approximately 50.00 for the trip of their own. We don't splurge on expensive sit down dinners, but we do go out maybe 2-3 times per trip for things of that nature. Otherwise we have our kitchenette stocked with snacks and our hotel offers free continental breakfast buffet and coffee. We do park meals for lunch and dinner, we keep them light so we don't end up hurling food on the rides we like to get on So we are 'cheap' but who cares.....we've always had the BEST time and made some awesome memories. We are spoiled in that we get the CM Disney passes but still, for the amount of time we spend with 1000.00 compared to her 900.00, I couldn't imagine.

 

[gm]

what a joke!!!

I did disney for 2 weeks in june for 1 adult 2 children 6 and 11 and ate at just about every disney character dinner and other disney restaurants + got an annual pass for all 3 of us+stayed at the Dolphin for 10 nights, sheraton safari for 3 nights and 1 airport stay. I didnt compromise anything and had the same fun as a family paying full fare. I had no Florida discount either.

Total $1200 for 14 days!!!.

I did a breakdown after coming back and put it on the budget board.

It took a lot of hard work and I do mean a lot!! but it payed off.

 

[mearjan]

ok granted the writers idea of a budget may not be mine but we have taken 2 adults and 4 kids each of the last 4 years to disney and the most we spent was $2200.00 with one year clocking in at $1600.00 (we got a condo on auction for 200 bucks for the week) as i dont see a point of going for fewer less than a week each of our trips were min 7 nights half that for just 4 people for 2 days, to me at least seems absurd.

 

[beatnik]

Malefecant,

My cousin is a CM in Orlando, but not in a park.

Beatnik

 

[westjones]

I love reading the break down of cost for everyone's trip. We need a 'Budget Trip Report' forum! OK, maybe not a new forum, but I do enjoy readying about how much things cost so I can get ideas from others.

DJ

 

[disneyrhap]

I found nothing wrong about the article. It's an article about planning a "budget" trip to disney, not a "cheap" trip. It's a vacation. so rewarding yourself at Fulton crabhouse is not something you do everyday. I think some of you misunderstood the points of the article.

 

[jann1033]

maybe *Technically* you can have a $??????.?? a day "budget" for WDW but I think most people look at "budget" travel as saving money or being reasonably priced which is why "budget" guide books and even the "budget" board on here are slanted at saving money. I think the article is worthless since it was obviously poorly researched ( been a long time since I took journalism but isn't is a"cardinal rule" to get your facts right btw?)and certainly not a guideline for anyone trying to save money...$210 in what amounts to a little more than day + ( figuring drive time which must have been considerable since I think she said $160.00 for gas, as much as I spend from Ohio...)for junk her kids wanted..obviously she needs to learn the word "no" as well.

However it does give me an idea on how to finance my next disney trip...I'll call it "Disney..Can We Do It On $10,000 a Day?" now if I can just find a newspaper that will take me up on it..