Brand new here-- question about Disney visits

[SeminoleTom]

Hello all,

This is my first post on the board- I've been reading for a while now. My family just came back from a trip to WDW. There is me, my wife and our 3 (13, 11, 9) kids. My in-laws paid for this past trip-- we stayed a week and had a great time.

The problem is now I don't know when we will go again-- we have averaged every 4 years. I don't think my in-laws can take us again as they age (and rightfully so I shouldn't be banking on them taking us again). Anyway, the dilemma part--- I look at what they spent for our trip and I wonder if it's worth it to go again. I do love Disney but would also like to visit other areas of the world (particularly the New England area and Western Europe).

Does anyone else have this problem of conflicting vacations? And when to go to Disney? How have you solved this?

One thing I was thinking is we could save money on trips to Disney by doing things differently going forward: 1) Driving from Atlanta 2) Going for only a few days (instead of a week) 3) staying at a less than pricey place (we stayed at Polynesian this time)and begin saving monthly for it 4) begin saving for it monthly

The challenging part is combining this with the hope of the other two vacations sometime before I die (lol). We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination but I guess need to start saving.... how have you all dealt with wanting to go to multiple locations?

Thanks for any insight!

 

[LJSquishy]

It's really about prioritizing the trips that are most important to you as well as determining if Disney trips are a better fit for your family or if going overseas will interest them. In a few years your kids could "outgrow" Disney World...or not. I'm an adult with no kids and my husband and I have taken two trips to WDW (2012 and 2015) and had an amazing time both times. In fact, our 2015 trip was even better because my parents joined us and we all had so much fun!

A 3 day Disney trip wouldn't interest me...I feel like it takes a lot of planning and there is so much to do there that are few days isn't even long enough to sit back and relax. So for me, if my choices were to take a short Disney trip or save longer and go abroad I would choose to save longer. Disney World is expensive but what I love about it is that once you're there you're full immersed in the magic...no worrying about driving, cooking, etc. It's a wonderful escape from the daily grind and many other destinations offer a similar escape but not in a magical fun way like Disney World. I have the itch to go back already but my husband may veto that next time around. There are other great places to see as well...just nothing as magical.

I should also add that we don't really specifically save for a vacation...we just save. Once we decide to actually go somewhere we create a realistic budget for it and make it happen. Our last trip was planned a year out and paid for 11 months before going. We don't go on yearly vacations like most people we know nor do we take little weekend getaways. We vacationed in 2012 and 2015 and that's it aside from our honeymoon in 2006.

 

[kathy884]

I'm all about the budget Orlando trip. Staying at the Polynesian and doing a long trip while fantastic would never be where I would put my vacation dollars (just would be too expensive and not worth it to me with my limited vacation budget), despite being someone who loves WDW. When I go to Orlando I stay offsite, only do three or four nights, cook in at a condo or if at parks do counter service meals or bring our own food in. What is still expensive are the theme park tickets and do note with fewer days that the cost per day for these are higher. I personally get as much pleasure if not more from the short trip than the long trip. I'm not into doing more than two or three theme park days a year, but love doing two or three days.

Oh and other places get more of my vacation dollar than Disney.

Although I did send my son to Western Europe for a travel abroad summer in college quite recently (it was a priority for me financially to fund this for him) it's not on the bucket list for me and DH (too far and too expensive and not of interest to us), but do note that I was an exchange student in France as a kid (high school), DH and I have been to the UK, and that DH and I have been to Russia (actually we went there to adopt DS), so it might be different if we had never traveled anywhere in Europe. Also everyone and what they like and value are different. We like to go somewhere every year and happen to love the western US and that fits in our budget quite easily. We can do a full week to the West which we love plus a mini Orlando trip in the same year for our vacation budget and really like that.

If it works for your budget, though, figure out the trip you want to do, how much it would cost, and build a vacation fund by putting aside monies monthly for that. That will too, determine the date to go. That, of course, would need to fit in with other financial goals and your budget. I, for example, put aside $300 a pay or $600 a month for vacation and that lets us do the modest vacations that we enjoy annually.

Also, you never know about your inlaws. My parent just turned 80 and still treat the whole family on occasion to a really great vacation and pay for everything. They just a couple of years ago took us all to Kauai, HI. But I totally get not counting on that.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Being in Atlanta, you're so close. Drive! (We drive all the way from Chicago 2-3x a year). And stay offsite. We stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek in 2-3 bedroom condos with a full kitchen and a full size washer and dryer for $500-$800 a week depending on when we go. We buy annual passes every other year and then use them as much as we can. We also put aside a set amount each month for vacations and save all year for them.

 

[Lvsdisney]

I agree with PP about driving. My in-laws drove last year from Jefferson, GA. They left around 6 am and met us at our hotel around 1. Very doable. That'll save you money right there.
If you like the deluxe hotel, you could always rent DVC points. We did that this year and were able to stay at AKL studio for less than $500 for 4 nights. We had a kitchenette and made breakfast in our room every morning. That saved us some money right there. Plus we ordered groceries and brought lunch for the kids, drinks and snacks for us and didn't have to pay Disney prices.
You could also save money by staying offsite, especially if you drive. That will also save money.
If going back to Disney is something you REALLY want to do (as opposed to other vacations) than there are ways to make it a budget (for Disney) trip.

ETA: We are a family who love going away, even for a few days. We don't take LONG vacations (5 days max). Usually we're too tired, or are just missing the comfort of our own home to stay longer. So this year, we went to Disney in January and were able to do a long weekend in Williamsburg this past weekend. I also visit my parents off Cape Cod, but I don't necessarily count that, because we stay for free.

 

[tzeitel]

The Poly is my dream resort. Will I stay there any time soon? Nope. We stay at Pop or AoA, stayed at POR only when my in-laws took us a few years ago. I rather stay longer at a value than have a short stay at a mod or deluxe. Some people have a line on their budget for vacations. You can direct deposit a set amount from your paycheck to a vacation amount, or just have an envelope set aside for vacations.

Have you looked at reward card or sites? Reward sites is how I save the most for our vacations - we take 2 vacations a year and not just Disney. In the past 5 years we have gone to San Diego, taken a couple of cruises, PR, MA...but mostly Disney I make around $200 a month from just reward sites, this and whatever I can make on Ebay is the bulk of our vacation budget. I plan way in advance to get the best deal.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I would say that the best way to make your vacation dreams a reality is to set money aside every single month. Make it a regular budget line item. As with anything, if you don't make it a priority, it will be hard to make it happen. This is especially true with something that costs thousands of dollars. And when you have money set aside, it is that much easier to take advantage of deals when they come along.

 

[QueenIsabella]

As the PP said, at this point, I'd worry more about budgeting for a vacation--any vacation--rather than WDW specifically. Set aside some money each month, whatever you think is reasonable, and don't worry about the "where" at this point. That will fall into place later on.

One thing you should consider is, as your children get older, their idea of a great vacation might change. Right now my youngest is 10, and while he'd take a WDW vacation in a heartbeat, he really would rather visit the boy wizard across town. Also, as your kids age, it can get trickier to work a family vacation of any sort into schedules--a lot of sports and activities have summer requirements (football training, band camp, etc.). Taking kids out of school MIGHT be possible, but it really depends on the school and the student in question. So, your family's vacation needs might look very different in 3-4 years.

That said, there are also ways to do a less-pricey WDW vacation, if your family really wants to go. Shorter time on property, staying off-site, driving--all are good options. My family loves the Poly and the Beach Club--they have expensive tastes! But, they also love staying off-site in a 4BR/4BA house with a private pool. There's no one right way to do a Disney vacation.

For now, though, just start the saving part. Even $20 a week will put you $1000 closer by this time next year. Good luck!

 

[GPC0321]

I'm a weirdo that doesn't really care to vacation anywhere else, LOL. I keep trying to think of places I want to go, but I just don't want to go anywhere else all that much, and Disney is my ultimate escape from the "real world" so I guess that's why it fits for me. But I don't travel that much in general, so I'm different.
If I DID want to travel other places, as you do, I'd definitely skip Disney and go elsewhere. Disney will always be there when you get the urge to go back, and I think going too often could really take the shine off the place. It's an expensive place to vacation, though there are certainly ways to cut costs.

1. From Atlanta, definitely drive! Or if you've got credit cards that accumulate miles, use those. But if you plan to stay off-property, definitely drive.
2. If you want to stay on property at a deluxe, as another poster said, consider renting DVC points. We're doing this for next year's trip, and it's amazing that we get to stay at a resort we never thought we'd be able to afford. Some of the villas are very reasonably priced during the "value" season, and as mentioned, even the studios have kitchenettes that can shave some more off your total vacation because you can fix breakfast there and eat in the room. For that matter, you could have lunch stuff there too. Eat two meals in the room and splurge on a decent dinner. And if you do a 1-bedroom, it'll cost you more, but you get a full kitchen and could eat most of your meals there, maybe saving a couple of special meals for eating out.
3. There are a lot of great off-property choices too, especially at Disney Springs, that are so much more reasonably priced than the Disney resorts, and very convenient. They have shuttles to the parks, some have character breakfasts, etc. Definitely look into those.
4. I think I'd almost rather do more frequent short trips. We went this past Easter for 5 nights, and we'll be back next December for only 3 nights. The Easter trip was our return to WDW after a 17 year hiatus, so naturally we wanted to see and do as much as we could. We also didn't know if or when we'd ever go back, so we made the most of it. The trip in December is more focused on Christmastime activities and enjoying the resort and some good dining, so even though it's only 3 nights, it'll be less frantic. I think going in each of the "seasons" to sort of have a purpose for being there beyond the usual rides and such is a good way to keep the visits fresh. So, for instance, going in spring to experience Flower and Garden, in summer to focus on water parks and pool time at the resort, fall to do Food and Wine and MNSSHP, and then Christmastime. Oh, and maybe Jan/Feb to experience the park at one of its slower times (though many will say there is no such thing)
5. Credit card sign-up bonuses. Our (3) round-trip tickets with Southwest will be covered by the sign-up bonus for getting their Premier credit card. I've also got a $200 gift card coming from the Disney Visa's sign-up bonus, and combined with the $150 cash back from yet another card's sign-up bonus, our MVMCP tickets are paid for and then some. There are some great travel cards out there with dynamite bonuses, be sure to read up on the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards.
6. Save a little every month. This can go a long way if you start a year out from when you think you'll go. Set up a vacation account (either with Disney or your own bank/credit union), and just toss whatever "found" or extra money you have at the end of the month in there. Earn cash back on a credit card? Put it in the vacation account. Save a bunch of money when shopping at a sale or using coupons? Put the amount you saved in the vacation account. Can you afford to set aside $50/month to the vacation? $25? It'll add up over time.

But definitely go other places if that's what you want to do! It's not a requirement to visit Disney every so often. And like I said, it's not going anywhere. Wait to go again when you're really yearning to go. You'll know it's time when you cannot think of another destination that will fulfill what you want out of your vacation. Sometimes Disney is just the only place that can scratch that itch. That's when it's time to go back.

 

[HeatherC]

We are a family of five who had one income when the kids were little and still managed to go almost every year. We used to buy the 10 day non expiring tickets and they usually got us like two and a half trips.

We always stay offsite ...our favorite is Bonnet Creek...basically $100-$140 a night including all taxes for a two or three bedroom villa. It is literally next door to the Caribbean beach resort so the location can't be beat. Gorgeous resort and in my mind the amenities with the pools and lazy rivers are better than the pools at the Disney Deluxe resorts.

We always go for ten days which leaves us time to also come home relaxed. We tour parks on some days, some days we hang out at the resort, go outlet shopping, eat our lunches in the parks and usually most dinners offsite. After so many years, we find the Disney restaurants are very over priced for sit down dinners. There are so many offsite choices, that we never feel like we are sacrificing anything.

We love having the space of a villa and being able to watch the fireworks from our balcony with a glass of wine while the kids are in their own bedrooms, etc..

We also utilize credit card rewards. We fly free on Southwest and use points for gift cards to restaurants we like. I also save all our change which is extra spending money when we go.

There are so many ways to do Disney affordably. The trick is finding how to make it happen for your family. Lots of great ideas on all these boards.

 

[DisMommyTX]

Realistically, a fabulous week long Disney trip can probably be done for about 1/3 what that trip cost. 8 day tickets only cost about 15% more than 4 day tickets, so long, leisurely trips can be very cost effective. For longer trips, we love staying off site at Windsor Hills. We can usually get a 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo for about $600 per week. The extra space is great, and we save a lot by having a kitchen as well. I rarely cook full meals there, but we always have breakfast and late night snacks at the condo, and sometimes we'll pack sandwiches or snacks to get us through the first couple hours in the parks (especially with teens!). One meal per day in the parks cost us a lot less than we usually spend on food when staying on property. Driving from Atlanta seems very doable, but since we are in south Texas, free flights on Southwest points have saved us a fortune as well.

Putting aside money each month is a lovely plan, but we are bad about spending it on other things (like new tires, broken fridge, medical bills, etc.) Our best 'savings' plan is having the maximum amount pulled out of our paychecks every month. Then, when we file taxes, I get a huge check back which is used for either vacations or other big expenses. I know that Uncle Sam is earning interest on my money, and theoretically there are more cost effective ways, but it is still the best thing that has worked for us over the past 17 years. I have also seen savings accounts that can have a certain amount moved directly from your checking to savings with every paycheck. If we don't see the money, we don't spend it

Fwiw, I would probably plan on visiting in 5 years instead of 4, so you can enjoy the new Star Wars land and highlights of their 50th celebration.

 

[crazymomof4]

Thinking long-term here (bc you said "2 more trips before I die"... made me chuckle but also got me thinking about our current situation)
You said your kids are 13, 11, 9. The years pass by though! If they continue to LOVE wdw as adults they can help chip in! I originally thought of this kind of tongue-in-cheek but then I thought, it IS reality for us! Three of our 4 kids are huge wdw fans. Two are aged 24 and 19. They have jobs and are more than willing to pay for their tix and food and chip in for the room. It makes a "almost" whole-family visit much more affordable for all. For example, just this morning I was speaking with DS24 about staying at a value for next visit or a moderate resort. He said he'd pay the difference between the value rate and the mod rate bc he'd rather stay at the mod.
For our Sept trip we stayed at Beach Club. When the kids were little and we stayed off-site I never DREAMED of staying at a deluxe! But thanks to free dining promo, free airline points, me doing swagbucks and perk, and 2 of the kids chipping in, we were able to swing it w/o going into debt!
The Budget Board is a great resource for saving/earning for a WDW vaca.

 

[karly101]

I budget a certain percentage of each paycheck towards a vacation fund. Then I try and take 1 vacation per year, this year I did Japan and went to Disney there because we found some friends who wanted to go, got cheap airfares and rented a house over there so accommodation was very cheap. Previously I went to Disney the year before because was heading over to the states anyway for a wedding. Again bought cheap airfares, like to stay at POFQ and luckily was a quiet time so got cheaper room rate. I think if I did just Disney every year it would get old, its nice to mix it up and see different places and your kids will appreciate that too (as they get older they may not want to do Disney as well).

 

[loves to dive]

Agree with the driving, I live in Athens and always drive down, it's an easy drive. We have been going every other year since my son was almost 3, he is 35 now. I was a single mom so that is why the every other year, it took me 2 years to save. We always stayed in the MK resorts but that is just because at the time they were the only ones on site, I wouldn't hesitate to stay in a moderate had they been available. On the years we didn't go to Disney we always went somewhere, maybe a long weekend to the beach or up to the mountains. I lived close enough to my work that I went home for lunch and ate at home, we rarely went out to eat and when we did, we usually shared a meal. We loved going to the local park and have picnics on the weekend, which saved money as well. I love Disney and now go twice a year but it's not the only place I go, never was and never will be. We are lucky since we are divers and living in NE Georgia means we are landlocked so if we want to dive, we have to take a trip to do it. Now I don't need to pinch pennies like I used to but old habits die hard. I use my cash back credit card to buy everything and pay it off every month. I buy Disney gift cards at Sam's Club where I get a discount. I only stay in resorts that have discounts, I have been known to change a reservation 4 times before a trip because a better discount came out. I do split stays since it doesn't make sense to me to pay for a deluxe on that first night when I know I'm going directly to a park then to bed so I split a night or two at a moderate and the rest of the trip at a deluxe, usually an Epcot one. We love Epcot and HS and bonus, the Epcot resorts tend to be less than the MK ones. I have an AP but my son doesn't. When he comes with me I search places like Parksavers for discount tickets for him. I never pay full price for clothes, if they aren't on sale and the sale isn't at least 50%, I don't buy them. In most cases, I buy store brands at the grocery store, there are a few exceptions but mostly it's store brands. I bring my breakfast and lunch to work and either make a sandwich and bring carrots or buy diet TV dinners. When I buy the frozen meals, I won't spend more than $2 for a meal. I only buy coffee that is on sale for the office, at home I'm more picky but at the office nope. I re-use the ziploc bags I bring my sandwich and carrots in all week and I normally buy store brand of those. Drives my honey crazy, but like I said old habits.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I love going to Disney, but I also like traveling to other places, especially overseas. I would definitely advocate for doing budget Disney trips and also doing other non-Disney trips as well. As others have already said, you can drive, stay in a cheaper hotel (yes Poly is nice, but I've had great stays at the value hotels), and bring food so you don't have to eat expensive Disney food for every meal.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

Poly is a fabulous resort but definitely very pricey compared to a moderate onsite at WDW. So that is one way to cut the cost as you noted. Another option is eliminating the park hopper option. I like the hopper option to switch to a different park at night. But a family of 5, you are saving $350 to eliminate the hopper option.

Regardless of the trip you want to go on, it is good to set a realistic budget. Depending on how funds are then you could just sock away a certain percentage of the trip each paycheck until the vacation comes. Travel is very important to my family, so it is a line item in the budget. One of the largest categories in it. When we first got married we started doing this and have been since many years later. As our wages increased, our vacation line in the budget increased.

I agree it's about setting priorities and determining if Disney ranks high enough on the list. The reason I like Disney is because I don't have to plan once I'm there. Everything is setup 6 months in advance (dining reservations open) so I know which parks we are at each day. Then 2 months in advance I'm getting Fast Passes. When vacation times rolls around, there is no wondering how I'm getting to my destination for the day, I just hop on Disney transportation.

Yes, i think the initial price of a Disney vacation is sticker shock. But what you need to remember is when your park tickets are bought all your entertainment (unless you are adding extras) is covered for vacation. You could go to a tourist destination and shell out money all day to do activities. For example for your family of five to probably mini-golf you are looking at $60 and only giving you probably an hour of entertainment.

 

[LovesTimone]

I used to live in Buford GA, and driving is the way to go. From our house there to the resort in 7 or 8 hours, and that's stopping for lunch, gas & potty breaks. So right there that's a huge savings. A couple of hundred for gas, versus a thousand or more for airfare.

Check out when they offer play, stay and dine or free dinning.

You could rent a DVC from David's DVC rental, it gets great reviews and you would get a kitchen to have some simple meals in.

Look at AoA in a family suite, enough room for all of you, or 2 rooms at a value resort.

You will have to do a lot of homework, and run those numbers then run them again.

Go for 5 nights instead of 7.