Advice for paid trip but everything else must be budget

[Krischaser]

Hello--- so my mother in law is taking the whole family (16 of us including s-in law, brother in law and all their kids plus us) and she paid for air, hotel, tickets. We weren't suppose to go until next year. But sis in law is pregnant and everything got bumped up by 8 months. So there has been no time to save on the side. Now I'm all depressed because we are going to Disney (first time for my 6 year old) but since we couldn't plan in advance we don't have a lot of extra funds for the extras. So any great ways to save in the park or resort would be great. Like snack ideas, food, drinks, ect. She paid for us to stay at a Disney resort plus park hoppers but it's hard to get excited because I lost all that time to save. Thanks in advance . Its been 7 years since we have been back! I forgot to add in our family it is me, DH and Ds15, ds10 and ds6.

 

[crazelion]

I would start by seeing what in the way of snacks to bring on the way down. There is nothing like paying for 3 dollars each for a bag of potatoes chips when could bought big at the grocery store. Breakfast in the room cereal and milk with fruit. I would buy a 12 pack bring with me. For lunch is easy. They sale chicken salad, tuna salad and more in cans that can be eat for lunch. Eat offsite they save a bundle of money. I take my kids to WDW every four years with the boys scouts we bring food from home on the bus with us.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

I think if you write out how much money you actually want, you might realize you won't need to save much. If we had all that covered, I would only save about $75 per adult and $50 per child per day for food and $100 for older kids souvenirs and around $50 for my husband and I to share. With a party that large, you'd probably be fine with $50 and $30 for food because you might not be doing as much table service.

 

[Krischaser]

We are flying down-- a long time ago I would ship peanut butter, granola bars ect down or pack them in an extra suitcase. Can you still do that? Anyone take a cooler in (small soft sided). We are bringing our own folding stroller that can go on our back.

 

[crisi]

Yep, you can still do that. And it is a money saver.

 

[marthachick]

Also, you can share CS meals or the adults can order Kids Meals.

 

[Judique]

If it has been 7 years since last visit, food has gone up a lot.

There are ways to do it for less. Bring breakfast food. Plan meals that can be shared. Stay away from expensive buffets.

Where are you staying? Will you have a mini fridge to store drinks?

How much will you be able to put towards your dining budget?

How many nights? Lots of questions...

If you are staying DVC, (I see DVC Gold on your avatar) this might be the trip to order from a food service such as Garden Grocer and cook your meals.

That could possibly keep you from going beyond your budget.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[Happyjen27]

BYO breakfast and snacks, definitely. You can buy milk in many resort stores. Bring refillable stainless steel or plastic water bottles, and buy water by the gallon (if you don't like the hotel water, which I don't) in the resort store.

Make your own rice crispie treats and bring those down. Run the numbers to see whether a checked bag full of groceries would be cheaper than paying for shipping to send down the food.

Also, there might be a chance to work a little bit of saving into the mix. The 15 year old might be able to get a part time job and supply his own spending money (I've been working since 14, it builds character). The 10 year old might have some older video games laying around he isn't using and can sell them. Used to be kids would walk around and offer to rake leaves or shovel snow, and you know what? If a kid in my neighborhood offered to do that, I would pay, both to support their entrepreneurial nature, and to get the work done.

Don't be downhearted, you might not need as much money as you think!! I would run the numbers on what I would spend if I had an endless supply of money, you might be surprised to see that it isn't as much as you think. You can also split meals at sit down restaurants. Probably not the big kids, but you and DH. The good thing about sit down restaurants at Disney is splitting the check is easy, and you won't end up paying extra for someone else's extravagant meal. You can look at menus and plan ahead what you should order within budget, so you have a plan.

 

[HeatherC]

A couple ideas...before you leave...

cut your grocery bill by like $20 a week...every week till you leave. Put each weeks $20 into an envelope and watch it grow.

Cut back or eliminate on eating out between now and then. Each time you want to order a pizza pr go out but don't, put that money in the envelope.

Sell some old stuff like toys, clothing, etc on Ebay or Craigslist.

When you get there...

save on drinks by asking for free water and using mix ins..Can carry the little envelopes in to the parks.

when ordering counter service meals, remember you can tell them you don't want a side and save some money. If no one will eat the carrots that come with a kids meal, just have them take it off your order. Can add up over the course of time.

If you are planning any character meals or fancy dinners, switch them to a late lunch. Menu prices are cheaper for lunch.

And finally, remember that when you are there you still have to eat so just consider that weeks grocery $ as part of your Disney $. If you were home you would have to use it for food shopping anyway. To me that is like bonus cash.


Have a blast!

 

[Marionnette]

Hello--- so my mother in law is taking the whole family (16 of us including s-in law, brother in law and all their kids plus us) and she paid for air, hotel, tickets. We weren't suppose to go until next year. But sis in law is pregnant and everything got bumped up by 8 months. So there has been no time to save on the side. Now I'm all depressed because we are going to Disney (first time for my 6 year old) but since we couldn't plan in advance we don't have a lot of extra funds for the extras. So any great ways to save in the park or resort would be great. Like snack ideas, food, drinks, ect. She paid for us to stay at a Disney resort plus park hoppers but it's hard to get excited because I lost all that time to save. Thanks in advance . Its been 7 years since we have been back! I forgot to add in our family it is me, DH and Ds15, ds10 and ds6.

Get excited! You're going to Disney! It may not be a lavish vacation, but it's still going to be fun!

Take a hard look at your spending money and think about where you want to allocate the money. Are you more interested in food, experiences or souvenirs? Prioritize them and then set a budget for each.

Shipping a package to yourself is still an option. Amazon Prime Pantry seems to be the current favorite merchant for a lot of people. Don't go overboard but make sure that you ship things that your family will eat. Placing an order with Garden Grocer or WeGoShop is another option, especially if you want perishables.

Your room will have a refrigerator but no freezer (unless you're in a 1- or 2-bedroom villa). You'll need to fill Ziploc bags with ice from the hotel machine to keep your food cold if you bring a cooler into the parks. Make sure that you bring extras because they tend to develop leaks after a few uses. Small, collapsible coolers are permitted in all of the parks. No glass is allowed and straws are banned from AK (even the ones on juice boxes).

Buy Disney GCs at Target, using your REDCard and you will get 5% off the face value of the GCs. It's not a big savings, but it helps. Don't forget to ask for your DVC discount wherever you go (make sure you carry your DVC card and photo ID).

Consider buying a TiW card if you're still DVC and plan to dine in some Disney restaurants. If you're staying at a Value Resort or POFQ, you'll save 20% at the food courts. It's also good at most TS locations, with an automatic 18% gratuity added to the bill. For a group as large as yours, the card will pay for itself in no time. Ask family to split the cost with you.

As others have pointed out, you can buy a child's meal for an adult at the QS locations. And don't forget that anything that is on a "platter' can be ordered a la carte, so if you just want the burger but not the fries and slaw, ask about ordering just the burger. You can also save by ordering one platter and then another sandwich. Two people can share those side dishes.

Limit souvenirs to one per person. Give a dollar limit as to how much they can spend. Wait until the last day to make your purchases. Use the Shop Disney Parks app to see where items can be found within Disney World, just in case the item that you want is only found at a location that you will not be returning to.

 

[scrapquitler]

Hello--- so my mother in law is taking the whole family (16 of us including s-in law, brother in law and all their kids plus us) and she paid for air, hotel, tickets. We weren't suppose to go until next year. But sis in law is pregnant and everything got bumped up by 8 months. So there has been no time to save on the side. Now I'm all depressed because we are going to Disney (first time for my 6 year old) but since we couldn't plan in advance we don't have a lot of extra funds for the extras. So any great ways to save in the park or resort would be great. Like snack ideas, food, drinks, ect. She paid for us to stay at a Disney resort plus park hoppers but it's hard to get excited because I lost all that time to save. Thanks in advance . Its been 7 years since we have been back! I forgot to add in our family it is me, DH and Ds15, ds10 and ds6.

Keep in mind that any groceries that you would normally buy that week at home won't be needed, so however much $$ you spend on groceries you can apply to your trip. So if you'd spend $200 at the grocery store, you've already got $200 toward your food budget.

 

[indimom]

Most of our trips have been budget trips.

I agree with others to save as much as you can now, in any way you can.
I assume you are going before Christmas? Maybe family who would normally buy Christmas presents might be willing to give their gift early (gift cards for souvenirs?)

We limit souvenirs, and often we have the kids bring their own money for those extras. We've always encouraged them to look throughout the trip, then we shop on one of our last days to get their favorite item. This cut down on the cost and having to tote items around the parks all day.

If you think your youngest might be interested in the after-dark glow items, you could pick up some Disney versions at Target or Dollar Tree before you go. They have these all the time.

Food is the bigger issue. With kids in your age bracket, you might be able to share meals. Like order 3-4 counter service meals for the five of you. We did this when our kids were younger, and it worked out very well.

Ask for CUPS of water and add those small drink packets. Cups of water are free, the packets are light and easy to carry, feel more like a treat than plain water, and can mask any "off" taste of the water. It saves a lot of money when you don't have to pay for drinks constantly.

We drive, so we have always brought breakfast and snack items with us. We often carry these into the parks. You didn't mention if you would be getting a rental car, but you could look into making one shopping trip at the start of your vacation, maybe even by taxi, to stock up on some groceries. Easy things like trail mix, granola bars, fresh fruit, muffins, bagels, peanut butter crackers, chips, etc. that don't require refrigeration. Buying the fun, single serve items you may not buy at home will be cheaper than the on-site snacks and will feel like a treat to kiddos.

I think we had pizza delivered one night and that was really cheap compared to on-site options. I honestly can't remember where we got it, or how it worked at pick-up, but you could ask at the front desk.

Good Luck with your planning.

 

[hsmamato2]

you have a paid in full family vacation to Disney,staying onsite,and you're depressed? I'm sorry but why???? How will your kids possibly not have a FANTASTIC time,just going to parks,playing,and swimming in the pools at the hotel? The entertainment and room is all paid for,now you just need to feed yourselves.... eat only counter service- save money. research at all ears .net for menus and prices. many items can be shared,as can drinks,if you buy them. (water is free at all cs locations) eat cereal and milk in your room for breakfast(you can bring boxes of cereal,spoons and bowls) and buy the milk at the hotel gift shop. You can bring an extra suitcase with the cereal,and snacks for each day. small bags of nuts,crackers,fruit snacks,etc should keep you all going. Free ice water, cs meals for lunch and dinner(and share when possible)(I order a kids meal when I like the option)
You can go even more discount by packing pb&j in your extra suitcase,and buy a loaf of bread at gift shop.then pack in your sandwiches for lunch daily,and eat cs for dinner. your'e in Disney world! it's ALL fun!
My advice for bigger kids who eat a lot is have them each choose and carry snacks for the day,each morning. That way there is no complaining when they are hungry. Use your grocery budget for that week to buy the snacks.
If you go into it with the mindset of fun,but careful with the $$$ then your kids will have a great time.

 

[hsmamato2]

OP it looks like you're onsite with no car, so I advise packing that extra suitcase with your own food choices to save money. cereal in the room,pack in a simple pb&j type lunch(doesn't even need to stay cold) maybe grab a few treats here and there to supplement that simple lunch (when my kids were younger, a shared ice cream,or soda,or some french fries usually did it) like a large caramel popcorn from Epcot (germany,about 6.00) a cs meal at dinner.(again,research,there are lots of good choices) and snacks for whenever your kids get hungry in between. I found that bringing snacks they didn't usually get(i.e. junkfood) to choose from made them happy,and they didn't complain.

 

[Krischaser]

Thank you so much for all the ideas . I am very excited I just wanted to be better prepared because it might take another 7 years to go again. Lol. I love all the ideas so far. We are flying Southwest so technically we can take 10 bags for free. Which we don't need that many. Lol. Marionette what is a "TiW" card? I am still DVC but we are not staying there until the last day since our flight doesn't leave until late that night. Please keep the advice coming.

 

[Marionnette]

Thank you so much for all the ideas . I am very excited I just wanted to be better prepared because it might take another 7 years to go again. Lol. I love all the ideas so far. We are flying Southwest so technically we can take 10 bags for free. Which we don't need that many. Lol. Marionette what is a "TiW" card? I am still DVC but we are not staying there until the last day since our flight doesn't leave until late that night. Please keep the advice coming.

TiW = Tables in Wonderland
It's a discount dining card that is available to FL residents, DVC owners and AP holders. The cost is $150 and the card is valid for 13 months. Details here: http://tablesinwonderland.com/

You do not need to be staying in a DVC unit to qualify for the DVC discounts, so go ahead and ask everywhere you go. Most stores offer a 10% discount for showing your card, no minimum purchase required.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Sorry if this was mentioned but you can bring water and pop into the park. That saves $3 per drink. It would be worth while to rent a car at least for a day or two and you can go to the grocery store. You can even pick up pizza's one night and save $$$. Earl of sandwich does catering and you can get boxed lunches for $7-$9


There are several car rental locations at Disney or within walking distance from Disney Springs. We usually get a car for around $35 for a day. Then we take advantage and eat off site that day and the money we save more than pays for the car.

 

[HeatherC]

OP...forgot to mention...if you have any rewards points on your credit cards you can cash some in for gift cards a lot of times. Starbucks is at Disney and you can use their cards to pay. Even ones like McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts can be used in the airports to save you money at the airport which can then be used at Disney.

I have done this several times and we usually enjoy a dinner or two out and snacks and drinks at the airport if we have an early morning flight.

 

[worm761]

I do Perk and Swagbucks to earn Target gift cards that I use to buy Disney World gift cards. When Target has those buy 3 or 4 of "item" and get a free $5 gift card, I buy the 3 or 4 items. I'll use that deodorant anyway so why not get paid $5 to buy 3 instead of one.

Any extra money in my checking account the day before pay day get sent to my savings account. Sometimes it's $2 and sometimes it's $100 but it all adds up!

For at the parks, we brought our Camelback and Brita filter pitcher. We filled the Camelback with ice then poured in the filtered water. We carried our water bottles with us and asked for cups of ice to put in the water bottles. This worked so well that we plan on always doing this. And we're getting everyone their own Camelback to carry their own water and stuff.

I carried snacks in a backpack mostly because DD is super picky. We brought cereal for DD for breakfast and gave her the option of cereal or Mickey waffles. She only chose Mickey waffles once. I ordered a kids breakfast platter for me and got a milk for DD as my drink. I grabbed grapes for my side for later in the day. I sometimes ordered a kids meal for lunches. Sometimes you can get away with heavy snacks for lunch too. The bakery in France has several savory snacks like the tartine (French bread, tomato sauce, and cheese like a French bread pizza!) or the croissant sandwiches are filling too.

As far as "all the extras" go, you don't need all that to have a great trip. We visit fairly often and don't do the extras. My DD doesn't even know BBB exists even though we've walked right past both of them.

Look at the menus at http://www.themouseforless.com/walt-disney-world/dining/menus/ to get an idea of how much you'll need for food. Do budget for the most expensive thing each person will want to eat/drink. And budget for some Disney bought snacks.

I'd talk to the kids about the holidays and cut back the gifting. If you're family is anything like mine your kids already have a ton of stuff and don't really need more. This year I am focusing our Christmas on family fun. So I'm buying some new board games and we're giving DD a weekend at Legoland (I added it to the front of our Disney World trip she has no idea we're doing). I'll buy a few Lego sets to give that one to her.

 

[savannie]

Well, first of all, all of your normal food and gas budget money for the week can go towards the trip. The only expenses you have that your MIL didn't pay for are food, souvenirs, and any "extras" you may want to do. If I were you, I'd budget for food first, then allocate the rest to souvenirs, splitting it evenly among all your kids (and yourself and your spouse, if you want souvenirs). Before you make your food budget, though, you need to know where you'll be eating. Did your MIL plan meals for all of you to attend together? Or are you just left on your own? To save money on souvenirs, you might consider bringing some with you and surprise your kids once you get there. You could order some inexpensive trading pins on eBay and let your kids trade with Cast Members once you get there. And I definitely recommend packing a suitcase full of snacks and breakfast foods. That's one of the quickest ways to save money. I also recommend a CamelBak backpack (or something similar). You can fill it with water and snacks and carry it throughout the parks with you.