Anyone Done Disney on an Extremely Tight Budget?

[Princess Disney Mom]

Take a picture frame border and have the characters sign. Great way to get a disney frame for cheap.

Food is one area you can save big.

 

[Justbranches5]

Someone mentioned this list here & I found it so I thought I'd post the link!

http://www.mousesavers.com/freestuff.html

Very helpful!
Also, If anyone is going to be down there October 9th & 10th like we are, the town of Celebration is having Octoberfest on those dates with "leaf falling" 3 times nitely & a free concert by Orleans (Dance with Me, Still the One) & Jimi Jamison of Survivor (Eye of the Tiger, High on You). They are having hayrides (not sure if there's a charge) & pumpkin painting!
Here is the link:

http://celebrationtowncenter.com/events/details/oktoberfest_in_celebration/

 

[dopeysgirl01]

We just got back from a few days at Disney. We stayed off site and I made lunches to bring every day. I froze juice boxes the night before to act as ice packs and stay cold. I made PB&J for everyone and brought snacks. We put the bag in a locker and went to get it at lunch time. I also asked for a cup of ice water at any place that served fountain drinks. My kids were told they could have one ice cream treat a day so hey got to pick the time and what they wated. They had some spending money from their bdays so that's what they used for souveniers. We ate inexpensive dinners outside the park since we were ready to call it quits for the day around a late dinner time. Just have fun!

 

[Whistle]

One idea I read about is to have an autograph pillowcase. I thought that was cool! You could also take a picture and print it out on the photo paper and iron it onto the pillowcase if you really wanted it personalized.

 

[cassiez76]

we're on a tight budget too. very tight. if it weren't for free dining, we wouldn't be going. hubby bought me a gift card for xmas and my b-day (which are 2.5 weeks apart!) so that will be my spending money. i do have a change jar i haven't touched in 4 years. that will be tip money and whatever else.

i'm lucky that my son is only 9 months, so he won't be going want want want! i'll be the one doing it though!

you'll have a great time and you get a pool all to yourselves! i'm jealous of that!

 

[pointybubble]

Growing up, my family always did Disney on a budget because my father was unemployed on and off. We lived close enough by that we had annual passes and would make many short, inexpensive trips. We always stayed off property and looked for ways to cut corners so that we could go more often. We always brought our own food into the parks, and I have a few fond memories of our "picnics", such as watching the squirrels, people watching, or interacting with passing cast members. One thing I would avoid though is bringing your food from home into one of the other restaurants, Disney does not have a problem with this but your kids might! A PB&J sandwich may pale in comparison to the tempting scent of a turkey leg or fries. There are plenty of tables elsewhere around the parks to eat at, or you could do what I do, which is eat while I wait! To get the best seats for Nemo or other similar shows you have to line up about 45 min in advance, why not take advantage of this "sitting around" and have lunch? You could also eat while waiting for/watching a parade. To avoid splurging on treats, you could bring some of your own snacks that you seem to run into everywhere: pre-popped popcorn, cookies etc. If you have the time/energy, make your own rice krispies and cut them into the mickey shapes like they do in the parks. Recycle mickey ears from previous trips instead of buying new ones every time. Buying Disney merchandise for cheap before your trip is really easy with the outlet stores or a quick trip to any Walmart in Orlando. You can get authentic Disney shopping bags just about anywhere on property for free if you ask nicely so that you still have the "feel" of buying Disney items. Hand your camera to the Photo Pass CMs so that you don't have to pay for your pictures- they have never had a problem with me doing this. Write lists of things you may need- such as extra batteries for your camera or headache medicine- so that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for something forgotten. Freeze waters or gatorades from Walmart the night before, and if whoever is carrying the backpack can't fit/handle the weight, put everyone in charge of their own bottle. My mother would have my brother and I wear fanny packs or backpacks with clipped water bottles to lighten my dad's load. Send free video postcards at Epcot- at the end of Spaceship Earth, Mission Space and in Innoventions. Your teens may enjoy the free Segway trial (it is a few minutes) there if you haven't done it already, and my family is a big fan of the group game after the Mission Space ride- it amazes me how many people walk by all the free, fun entertainment. I don't know how familiar your family is with the parks, but if they haven't seen them before, secretly hunt out the talking trash cans, water fountains etc to create surprises to make your trip feel extra special by "discovering" these. Most importantly of all, relax and have fun! You're going to Disney World!

 

[mrsannb]

I think you'll be able to do more than you think with your budget. Just decide in advance what it's going toward.
If you're getting the small gifts for your youngest, wrap them up and have tinker bell leave one each night. This is super fun, and with a new little gift every day, who really needs other souveniers. Try to decide what your youngest will want the most--like a costume, stuffed animal, or shirt, and purchase it online or from Walmart or somewhere for cheap.
If you do a downtown disney day, you might get the make your own marshmallows at Goofy's. They are inexpensive and a huge treat!
I have friends that just stayed at one of those homes like what you're doing. Spend a fun day at the pool and watching a movie there.
Be sure to get the free souvenier after riding Pirates of the Carribean.

 

[bmobes]

Making your own bagel sandwiches work great. They don't get mushy and they are pretty filling. We have done that a few times and everyone was happy.

 

[lawsonsontour]

we always take as maney envelopes as we have days on holiday and then divide the money we have equally between them.what ever we dont spend goes in to the next days money and by the last day we would usually have a bit of a pot to spend.

if you want to go out for a meal,this may sound daft but try going for breakfast.this way the kids will still feel that they are doing somthing that they would not normaly do at home.most of the all you can eat buffets ie goldan coral,ponadarosa's etc are only $5 and you can even get money of that if you pick up the coupon booklets that they have out side.

having the hopper tickets should help aswell as you can always call back to your resort for lunch and a swim before heading back to the parks for the fireworks.

whatever you do im sure that you will have a great time and wonder what you were ever worried about when you get back...let us know how it went when you get back

 

[Lorri4915]

I have only been twice, both on very tight budgets. We handled the money issue by giving the kids spending money before we arrived. They knew that if they wanted something including extra snacks, it had to come out of their money! It was amazing, they suddenly didnt want everything they saw. In fact, they came home with money. We are planning another trip in December and I will do the same again this year.

 

[MarkyMouse]

I have to chime in here - when we started giving our kids (now 15,13,9)Disney dollars (or regular $$) when we arrived it made all the difference! In the past we have given them $20-$25 each for the week for big-purchase items and/or $3-$4 each a day for "snacks". It was amazing - they simply don't ask for things anymore and we really see the differences in their personailities. The 9-yr-old spends a certain amount each day religiously, the 13-yr-old spends all at once (near the beginning) and the 15-yr-old saves it all up waiting for just the right thing and usually ends up spending it on the last day or taking $$ home. This is a big part of why we do the CS dining plan - just to avoid the hassle of their begging for snacks.

For this Oct. trip we also bought glow stick packs ($1) and a cute bag for the parks and MNSSHP ($5) at Walmart and bought really cute flashing pumpkin necklaces in different colors for $1 at Walmart for MNSSHP.

 

[curseofcurves]

The situation is a little different since I don't have kids, but my boyfriend and I (college students) did super-budget-Disney this summer. You have the right idea bringing some of your own food; we did the same. We took granola bars, almonds, apples, and water into the parks everyday. The water alone saved us soooo much money. Sharing food is another good idea; Disney portions seem pretty huge. On top of the snacks, we would share either a CS meal and a snack or a few snacks during the day, depending on what each park had to offer.

Buying small toys ahead of time as surprises for the little one is a great idea. I would totally do this if I had kids. As well, buying glowsticks, misterfans, ponchos, etc. ahead of time saves a bunch of money.

 

[Justbranches5]

LOVE the bagel sandwich idea! They are yummy & we haven't had them in a long time so it will be a nice treat, and a little more "exciting" than a regular sandwich. A bag of Lender's bagels is only about a dollar. We'll get some deli lunchmeats (my son love's Publix Cajun Chicken) and cheeses and I think they'll all be happy with that Lunch for about $2 per person including chips & a homemade cookie (I am baking a lot this week to freeze & take with)...gotta love it!

ONE WEEK from today & we're on our WAY!!

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

LOVE the bagel sandwich idea! They are yummy & we haven't had them in a long time so it will be a nice treat, and a little more "exciting" than a regular sandwich. A bag of Lender's bagels is only about a dollar. We'll get some deli lunchmeats (my son love's Publix Cajun Chicken) and cheeses and I think they'll all be happy with that Lunch for about $2 per person including chips & a homemade cookie (I am baking a lot this week to freeze & take with)...gotta love it!

ONE WEEK from today & we're on our WAY!!

I always bake before we go on our trips. Our dds love it!! I make homemade granola bars too - great for a quick breakfast or snack. Have an awesome trip. We always do budget trips and have so much fun!!

 

[jenpals]

windsor hills is so close you can take a break at home for lupper (late lunch/ early supper..kind of like brunch only later) and head back to the parks for the night. Of course you can squeeze in a little r&r while you are there too!

 

[lorihannahgwen]

I agree with those that said to buy things ahead of time. I do that with my family. I buy disney t-shirts and pajamas (Disney outlet.com) whenever I see a good sale. I also buy the glow sticks and some disney stickers ahead of time. My girls are excited about getting new clothes that they don't ask to buy anything in the parks. It also helps that we don't go into the stores. The last day that we are at WDW we go to DTD. We know how much money we have left to spend and buy something at the World of Disney (w/ the AAA discount). Sometimes we just browse and not buy anything.
Lori

 

[mickeymousepuppy]

I went on a very last minute trip with my stepson and nephew, both age 12, to Universal. I just graduated from grad school, so I had no income for two years. They knew before we left that we were not buying anything in the parks or we could not go. I packed water and snacks from Sam's club and we brought in our lunches. We even walked the mile to the park vs. paying for transportation. They had a wonderful time and the only thing they remember about tight budget was the walk. We all still have a good laugh about that! We later did Disney on a tight budget and for my little ones, I bought the dollar store stuff and put it on there pillows before we left for the park in the morning. When they wanted to go in the stores, I said we didn't need to because I bet Mickey left a suprise for them at home. Try to relax and keep in mind that a day a Disney is a ton more fun than any day at home! Good Luck and I'm sure that it will be great!

 

[indimom]

I just skimmed the responses so if I'm repeating anything I apologize. One great idea which helps with avoiding the "I wants" at the snack kiosks is to have all the kids carry their own bag/fanny pack and let them stock it with their preferred treats (homemade cookies/rice krispies/snack packs/a little candy, whatever they prefer). I stole this from another poster on the boards and used it for trips here around home and it worked out great! Another treat idea I had was to have a "kitchen sink" sundae night at your resort. How fun would that be??
On our last trip, our youngest was 5 and we explained ahead of time that we would buy souvies on our last day in the parks (we could look all week so by the end of the week we would know what we really wanted). Everyone was allotted about $15-20, and on our last day we picked everything up at Downtown Disney. Worked out very well. You could also stock your bag with a few small Dollar Store Disney items (they have a ton) for your little one and if she seems a little dissapointed at any point during the week, surprise her with something from your bag. Most kids would be distracted and forget all about that expensive "stuff" they just saw...
Good Luck and have a great time!!!

 

[MouseloverJD]

I've always done Disney on a budget. I've taken a combination of nieces and nephews on the trips with me. I love going into the shops to look which would turn into them asking for everything they saw. When they were younger, between 5-7 yrs old, I would tell them that they could only have something that we could not find at a Disney Store at home or at some other store. This worked really well, because it became a game. They had to find something that they hadn't seen before elsewhere, that was totally unique (this was hard because Disney products are so popular). A lot of time we ended up not getting anything except snacks.

 

[WillowBelle]

Just stumbled upon this thread. So this may have already been posted.....

Did you know that there are Disney transportation cards that you can get for FREE? You can get a set of bus/monorail/water transportation cards. All you have to do is ask the driver if s/he has a set. There is 1 monorail card per color train (you get them as a complete set) there are 3 bus and, I believe, 3 water transportation cards. They're great little keepsakes. Sometimes the driver won't have a set, so you'll have to ask on your next monorail/boat/bus ride with the new driver.

You can also get a Co-Pilot's license if you ride in the nose of the monorail (4 people is max. capacity).

Also, if you go to the Sir Mickey's store in MK (off to the side of the castle). Find a CM and have them help your youngest search out Mini. After he "finds her" he will get a free certificate stating your DS's name, the date and the CM signature showing that he found her.

For breakfasts, I usually make poppy seed and/or banana muffins before we head down. They're easy to pop into your mouth when dashing out the door. The Pringles that come in individual packaging work well also, they don't get all smashed up when you're carrying them like a bag of chips would.

Also, for a cheaper snack - each of the 4 main parks have carmel popcorn that you can buy in a great plastic case. It has a lid and a handle and is a pretty sizeable amount. I got one of these at DHS for DDs and I when we were watching Fantasmic. It was only $4.50. Has a Mickey Mouse dressed in old-school director clothes. I didn't see them at EP/AK/MK, but have been told they're there. We actually brought popcorn home because there was so much in the container. We bought it from a CM who was walking through the theater selling various snacks/Cokes.