Anyone go with NO BUDGET!!

[engle]

I hear so much on these boards about money and trying to save and not spend on luxuries, etc. And in these tough economic times, I wonder if there is anyone out there that goes to WDW with NO budget in mind and just spends. Now, I don't mean buys thousand dollar art works or anything but like...not look at menu prices and eats and drinks when, what and where they wish??

BECAUSE I DO THAT!!! DH and I are not wealthy by any means but we go to WDW to enjoy, get away from work, have an escape, etc. So, we eat at V&A every trip, we eat when, what and where we want with no care for $$, we have drinks....sometimes I have several grey goose slushies. Oh, no, they are $9 and sometimes I have 4 or 5!! In a day!!!

And I can pay for it. I pay the credit card bill off when I get home and I bring a lot of cash too. And then, I go back to real life....I cut coupons, I buy generic at the grocery store, carry our lunch to work, we don't eat out alot because it is too expensive!!

So, please tell me I am not alone and that I am not crazy!!

 

[Stitch2244314]

Haha... no you're not crazy.. My family and I always go down there saying "oh we're only going to spend this much" but we always end up going over... Obviously, we don't go too overboard, but once we're down there we just seem to lose track though.. But hey, it's vacation, once a year.. I don't want to waste it sweating over every dime I spend.

 

[Mary976]

Well, I have a general idea of what we're going to spend, but that's about it. I will say that it's only DD and myself, and we're not huge eaters. Plus I think it's a lot easier to get away without a budget if you have only 2 people, as opposed to a family with lots of people.

 

[cogero]

Nope that is us. When I call for ADRs I get the you aren't on the dining plan.

We are lucky enough to have enough disposable income to enjoy WDW without a real budget and we do the same thing put on the CC and pay when we get home. We also bring the cash.

So you aren't the only crazy one.

 

[vs1023]

We don't have a specific budget either. We got the DDP for convenience, but even if we go out to dinner at home, we order what we want.

We'll likely bring a little cash but charge everything and pay in full (as usual) when we return. We don't vacation often so when we do we just do what we want to do and not worry so much about it. We don't typically make extravagent purchases either.

 

[dizzneebabe]

Well, if you are crazy, then we're right there with you!!!!

I handle all the bills at home and even though I have an idea of what we'll spend, I don't obsess with it while we're on vacation. In fact--I do the opposite. I don't even want to think about what we're spending!!! We're there to have a good time and although we're not making HUGE purchases, we allow ourselves the freedom to be on vacation! I always say to myself..."I'll deal with the bill when I get home."

And when we do get home my jaw drops, then I pay it off and start planning the next one!

 

[goofy4prez]

So, please tell me I am not alone and that I am not crazy!!

Your not alone and your not crazy.

When I go to WDW we do have somewhat of a budget but we are still free spenders when we go. I prefer the deluxe resorts and using CL at those resorts. In just a few days we will be staying at the YC with club level.

Also, when we are there we will be on the dining plan. We enjoy a good meal to relax from our running around at the parks. Eating all of our meals at a cs is not an option for us. We will also watch some shows, use one of the kid's clubs for an evening so that the DW and myself can enjoy some adult beverages and fun. And I will also be doing the Richard Petty Driving Experience as well.

We usually travel one time only a year(09 will be the exception with 2 vacations to WDW) and we tend to live it up and have a good time.

However, this in no way is a slight to those who have to budget and often timies save for years to just afford a few nights at a budget resort and use cs when there. I've been there. Our vacations for the longest time were jumping in a car and going somewhere regional for a few days and downing Big Mac's and fries the whole time we were there.

 

[dkrause19]

My trip WDW is the one thing I look forward to each year. For 8 days I will have $1200 which should be more than enough money. I am willing to buy anything myself or my wife wants. I work my butt off all year to save for my trip so I can enjoy the time there without any worries of money. I do enough of that the rest of the year. There are too may people who do not enjoy themselves when they have the opportinity. You never know when your time will come.

 

[Booyakasha]

I think going on vacation should be fun and as worry free as possible. That includes what stuff costs (within reason) I don't think about it too much. Just have a good time.

B.

 

[Justsyd2]

I am so glad that there are others out there like me! This is our vacation. I do not want to "watch the budget," or worry about what I'm spending.

We have the deluxe dining plan so that we can prepay our meals, and have reservations made so that we can enjoy nice meals on our trip. However, we will purchase what we want, when we want it. I save all year when I'm at home. I'm not going to save when I'm on vacation.

 

[ambgoph]

I save all year when I'm at home. I'm not going to save when I'm on vacation.

AMEN!!!

 

[ryanshana]

Well I am like a half and half. I don't like putting things on cards. So I OVER budget like a RIDICULOUS amount of money that in 8 days even if I bought everything in the park..ok maybe not everything but you get what I am saying....I would still come home w/ money. I do not think about it while I am there.

Someone posted that they do ADR w/o the dining plan....I am just curious...while we also don't really have a budget and have extra disposable income why not go on the dining plan? I mean it does save 30% why pay full price if they offer that discount. Does that mean that if you rec'd a 40% off code you wouldn't use it. I hope that doesn't come off as mean I didn't mean it to be just curious!

 

[Cdash]

We don't budget, or even worry about it all that much, but we don't get every last thing that we'd like to have. We order what we want and buy some things to bring home. $$ is always a consideration, so things that are riducously expensive stay at Disney.

 

[cogero]

Someone posted that they do ADR w/o the dining plan....I am just curious...while we also don't really have a budget and have extra disposable income why not go on the dining plan? I mean it does save 30% why pay full price if they offer that discount. Does that mean that if you rec'd a 40% off code you wouldn't use it. I hope that doesn't come off as mean I didn't mean it to be just curious!

I posted about not having the dining plan. the reason we don't do the dining plan is we do not eat enough to cover the cost.

We eat one big meal per day. The rest of the day is fruit and yogurt. So it doesn't pay for us. We also have DVC Villa so we eat breakfast in our room

At a later date we may decide it pays for us. Also we live in NYC and do not feel the restuarants at Disney are that expensive so we just budget a cost. Actually our cash we bring with us primarily goes toward meals because I don't like to charge food.

 

[blanq]

I do have a general budget for the cost of each trip. I pretty much know where we will eat, make ADRs for our sit-down meals, and know we are not and never will be souvenier people. Once we get to WDW our main cost is food/drinks (unless we opt to do the DDP, which we did our last two trips but are not doing this upcoming trip). We do not sweat those costs, and eat what we feel like ordering at the time.

 

[ryanshana]

So, we eat at V&A every trip

So ya wanna hear a funny story about V&A? DH and I did the Platnium Plan one year and was able to make ressies at V&A we did. Now while we don't budget on vacas we do budget at home in "normal" life So we don't normally have a billion forks and spoons ect.

Well first course was complimentary from the chef it was this AMAZING lobster Bisque. There was a flat spoon that a pitcher that contain the bisque on top of the flat spoon. Dh and I look at each other like how the heck are we supposed to eat this?!?!? cause the opening of the pitcher was smaller than any spoon would fit. Dh is like "I think you drink it" we looked around for a min to see if anyone else was on this course and they weren't so DH lifts up the pitcher and proceeds to drink it. Later we saw people pouring the bisque onto the flat spoon and using a spoon DUH...meanwhile DH ask for a draft of beer no tap at fancy places apparently and also you know how the waitress/waiter takes away the utensil you were supposed to use for that course.....not until the last course did we use the right one



Funny stuff!

 

[sue1013]

Someone posted that they do ADR w/o the dining plan....I am just curious...while we also don't really have a budget and have extra disposable income why not go on the dining plan? I mean it does save 30% why pay full price if they offer that discount. Does that mean that if you rec'd a 40% off code you wouldn't use it. I hope that doesn't come off as mean I didn't mean it to be just curious! [/QUOTE]

We don't use the dining plan because it doesn't work with the way we eat. Breakfast is not a big meal for us we will eat something small in the room. We do 2 table service meals a day. I know I always read on these boards that 2 table service meals is way too much food. Just because you are sitting down getting served doesn't mean you have to order a huge meal. Sometimes I may order just an appetizer or salad. We don't usually get an appetizer and entree. Also we hardly ever get dessert. But the biggest reason is we don't care for counter service.

 

[kevw67]

We do and do not go with a budget. We have annual passes, use our DVC points and do the dining plan. So I dont have to budget for any of that as it is all paid for, so to speak, "up front." We do however limit what we spend on souveniers(sp). We have been 4 times in the last four years and with two trips this year, the kids have plenty of Disneyana. we will get them sweatshirts or t-shirts and a few other gifts for family but thats about it.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Yes DH and I do that because it is our vacation and we have saved for it and planned for it. I do get a great discount on our room so that helps us splurge on meals and drinks and snacks and such....we have also added in fun stuff like the Epcot Segway tour and the AKL CL Sunrise Safari tour.

 

[Lynne M]

No, you're not alone. I don't worry about money while on vacation. I do look for a good deal on airfare and car rental, and I'm a DVC member so my lodging costs are very low. I generally buy an AP, since I go 2-3 times a year.

But once there, I buy whatever I want, and I eat whatever I want. No budget at all.