Anyone want to share their Disney budget?

[AmyMama2AvaNtheo]

OR is their another forum I could look??

Our trip is fully paid for, I am just working out the particulars with everything else.

Tips for mousekeeping, souvenirs, alcohol (dh enjoys a drink by the pool), tips for meals, BBB, Something extra (mini golf, carriage ride, etc), spending money ....

We are a family of 4 if that helps. DH, myself, DD 4 and DS 2

 

[Carlyzmom]

Did you get the dining plan? We are a family of 4 like yours. We budgeted $200 a day for food, $600 for souvenirs (may spend more, may spend less), another $200 for snacks (including refillable mugs), plus gas money. Just ballpark figures. We haven't been to Disney in 12 years - I am probably bringing too much - but we want to have plenty.

 

[Carlyzmom]

Oh, yeah, alcohol - I probably should bump up my snack budget - because I want to try some drinks at Epcot!

 

[2disneyboys]

we are doing a budget trip this year - it's either that or wait till next year to go and It's been since 2007.. I think the withdrawls would kill me if I had to wait longer..

Pet Boarding -- Doggies are staying with Grandma for the week and all grandma wants is a nice picture of grandkids in return.. we plan on nice frame etc and gc to her favorite restaurant $150.00 WAY cheaper then actual cost if we put 2 dogs in kennel for 10 days.

Day 1 - Travel to WDW $130.00 (Gas, meals, Hotel)
Per AAA Website total round trip Gas cost is estimated $120.00 so we are budgeting $100 each way and $50 while there just to be safe.
Driving car so will pack Breakfast & Lunch & Snacks & Sodas.
Dinner Approx $30.00
Hotel - FREE- Holiday Inn reward nights and includes breakfast next morning

Day 2 -9 @ WDW $1750 + $150 + $250
We have paid right at $1750 for 8 nights @ POP, 8 myw base tickets and the QSD package -- I feel great about this price since my dsil wanted to join us and can't get the same package -- best she's getting is in the $2400 range.

Will Preorder my Photo Pass and Photo Pass Book so $150.00 for that

$250.00 for misc spending includes 5.00 per day tip to Mousekeepers & souvineers & 50 for gas (SP?)

Day 10 Travel Home from WDW $130.00
Again with the Gas, However, this time, just driving straight home.

Total Budget ? $2550.

DS's both have own spending money but doubt we'll dip into that much if any. We already have $3000 saved for the trip (well, the $1750 is paid off so we have $1250 sitting aside for the trip and I'm anxious to see how well we keep it in budget.

 

[AmyMama2AvaNtheo]

Ahh Sherry ... you are in Norfolk?? We are in Hampton, hehe

Here is what I have so far, not sure if this is enough, too much, etc...

Tips-
~mousekeeping- $35 $5/day
~luggage- $20

Meals-
~tips- $200
~snacks/extras- $100

laundry- $10

penny machines- $5 in quarters

BBB for DD -$60

Something extra- $50

alcohol- $100

spending $- $200

We are on the dining plan, so I am only budgeting for extra snacks, drinks, etc we might need plus tips. We are buying disney dollars with us for the kids, but want to bring extra incase ...

Total is at $780 and that seems like not enough, lol. I mean 8days with 2kids. I dunno maybe I am overanalyzing

 

[2disneyboys]

Ahh Sherry ... you are in Norfolk?? We are in Hampton, hehe

Hello Neighbor!

The awesome thing about disney is you can go as cheap as you like or as expensive as you like. I think what you have is plenty - not excessive but not miserly. You could get by on what you have, less, or even more. It comes down to your comfort level and what you just have to "have". I always 2nd guess myself (I set the budget and then have "extra' just in case) but so far, we end up coming home w/ extra cash, which gets stashed for the next trip!

It prob helps that since we are driving, we take plenty of snacks and breakfast things with us and I prebuy some stuff that would cost arm/leg @ WDW (lightup toys for parades etc)

Although, I am lucky it's not nearly as tempting to buy @ WDW for the boys as it is for girls.. I could lose my mind if I had a daughter there, and then of course, I'd have to find that much more stuff for my boys to buy to make it even. (DH always says that God knew what he was doing not giving me a daughter as I'd have us in the poorhouse in a flash). I hope you have a great time on your trip...

now, if it would only stop RAINING HERE!!!! I feel like it's been raining for weeks.

 

[3boymthr]

Okay, 5 people (3 Disney Adults and 2 kids) but to give you an idea.

Resort, DDP & Tickets - paid for ($3,650)

Tips - $125 (I did a spreadsheet to evaluate our costs vs. savings for DDP then used 18% for tip).

Travel - $700 - 3 rooms hotel, plus food & gas (1350 mi each way) I was very generous in my budget because I'm afraid gas prices might escalate for that summer vacation surge that seems to happen every year right about the same time as we'll be traveling .

Souvenirs (I don't drink - no tolerance but DH might have a few beers) - About $250 for DH & me but expect to spend less.

Snacks - about $250 but since we'll have our car & a fridge I'm bringing in cases soda and water from target or grocery store plus I'm going to get poptarts and other breakfast items there too.

Kids have $50/ea in Disney dollars plus another $30 in cash from DGM & DGF.

Total Cost: $5,090 I have everything saved up but the travel to WDW which I will have in 4 weeks. On top of this DH is planning on selling his scrap metal so we have a little extra just in case money.

ETA - plus I am bringing about $40 in quarters for the Frontierland Shooting Gallery (boys, just gotta go there), the Jungle boats and the penny machines and the hotel arcade. (got that saved already too.) And I'm debating about the Photopass CD & photobook. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it but not definite, also I might not do the book but get the free Snapfish one from mycokerewards, instead where I'm not limited on the number of my own photos that I can put in.

 

[geishagirl81]

Travel- $140 (with projected gas summer hike, less $80 in free gas gift cards from bank rewards)

Snacks/drinks/hotel room breakfasts- All prebought, from home. $50 (I am a huge couponer

Souveniers- $350 (I have also prebought some stuff to suprise my son with from Disney Store clearance racks. Will he realize that the Mickey doll was only $2.99 from the store vs. $15 from the parks, nope

Tips and one OOP meal- $125

Mousekeeping- $12

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

With the exception of our hotel and park tickets, we are fixing our own breakfast, have a load of snacks, and will be bringing our own drinks.

We are planning $65/ day for food (gratuity not figured in, but it will be at least 12% when we actually do a TS meal).

Don't forget your Mousekeepers ~ $15.

The only souvenirs I'm planning on are: 2 silhouettes at MK, monogrammed ears, and a Disney flashlight-toy-thing.

We don't need to buy a whole lot at the parks, and we don't have a lot of extra money to buy everything in the park!

I doubt we'll be drinking on the grounds, but we'll also have our own car if we need a beerrun... =)

 

[MasterChief]

My budget is to just be reasonable...buy enough that we enjoy our trip but not so much that we regret it later.

Oh, and there is no tip budget since the maid already gets paid to do their job...I've heard over $12/hr at that.

 

[Frankiesmom]

We are also 2 adults/2 kids 7,4.
We are driving down for the 1st time.
We have the dining plan; tix are bought thru undercover tourist, and I have an AP that expires 5/10- the day we checkout.
We are bringing $2500.
That will be for everything-OOP meals, trip down and back, souveniers and booze.

Just have to add-you guys are amazing with the indepth Disney budgeting!
I always just pick a comfortable number and go with it.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I guess I should be planning this out.

Okay with the military discount I think tickets will be $500ish

What we owe on the room- $1400

gas there and back-I hope no more then $500 but I think I am over estimating

kids-$50 each for stuff they want

Food - We are at the cabins so we plan to prepare alot.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

P.S Also Hampton here

 

[denimar]

Thanks for posting this. We're paying for our trip in cash and I'm such a planner. This post helped me out so much. I've even gone as far as already knowing what I'm going to order at certain restaurants. Hopefully, when we go the item will still be available.

 

[Darcy03231]

I went in October 2007 with my niece (4 y.o.). I did the DDP. We were there for 6 days/nights. I ended up spending an additional $700. $100 of this was for tickets for MNSSHP and another $180 was for BBB and another $20 for pictures.

 

[momtomatthew]

When we went last Feb (08), we spent approx $5000 for 7 nights for 3 of us. This included: R/T airfare, 7 nights at the Poly, 7 day PH tix, DDP, dinner one night at V&A (with extras and wine flight), Neverland child club, Cali Grill (out of pocket) and lots of souvenirs.

We went in Sept 08 and spent $2800- this was R/T, air, free dining, 7 day tix (not PH), 7 nights at ASMo, and not as many souvenirs

In Feb, our cost was about $2000- however, this doesn't include the cost of the APs we bought- it does include $900 for food (with TiW card) and miscellanous (including Cali Grill), 7 nights at ASMo with AP rate, and R/T airfare.

So- as PP said, you can go and spend a lot or a little (well, being relative- it's still a lot!)

Good luck with the planning!

 

[Goofy'slady]

We're a family of 4 traveling from Maryland. Me, DH, DD10, DD3

Gas & Hotel for over night stop in Savanah GA = $150.00
Dinner that night =$25.00 (burger take away)

Next day arrive at CSR for 8 nights
room, park tixs, and dining plan for us = 3257.00 (paid in full)

Mousekeeping tips = 40.00 - $5.00 x's 8 nights

Tips for table service meals = $200.00

Drinks by the pool & Epcot = $50.00 (hubby doesn't drink and I only on occassion)

Souvi's = $200.00

Each of our girls will have some of their own spending money - DD10 $30; DD3(almost 4) $20.00 which mostly she'll forget she has and so will we so we'll wind up spending ours.

Outlet shopping for my new Coach bag = $250.00 yes, I've worked that into the budget as well.

Misc (extra snacks and what not) = $50.00

Gas and Hotel back home = $225.00 (hotel is a bit more expensive coming home)
Dinner that night $25.00

Total = $4497.00

T.

 

[bonybroad]

Wow! You people actually have a budget while you are in Disney?
This time I am TRYING to make a set dollar amount we can spend.
We'll see what happens when we get there.

 

[Liljam]

We aim for around $2500. That's for 2 park tix at roughly $580, $300 for travel/hotel down and back - back we drive the 15 hours straight through, food and snacks $800.00. $800 for souvenirs. This is a rough estimate and then we have a bit of back up too, but I hate to think we can't stay under that amount. We rarely eat a ton of food so we don't do the dining plan, and we will probably spend about $30 per day in alcoholic beverages. We enjoy beer and drinks, especially at WS, so we do spend $$ there. We buy lots of pins too. I am slowly getting a collection of sorts - Tink light up pin, flashing glow necklace, hats and some bags and other stuff that we take along now that we don't have to buy to feel "in the WDW magic."

 

[AmyMama2AvaNtheo]

Wow! You people actually have a budget while you are in Disney?
This time I am TRYING to make a set dollar amount we can spend.
We'll see what happens when we get there.

See this is me normally!!

That is why I figured this time I need to reel myself in abit!

Luckily we have paid for all the big stuff upfront. Hotel, dining plan, airline tickets, etc ... The amount I posted is a rough estimate I just wanted to see what others *budget* into their plan. And to see if I was missing a huge category I would get there and be like ohhhh SMACK how did I forget this. hehe

HEY HEY to all the VA Disers!!