Budget and plan - what do you think?

[kayleighnik]

Hi guys,

My DF and I were thinking of going all out for a holiday in a few years, but we've since decided to get married at WDW and so are scaling back quite a lot. We'd like to go on a trip next year (end of August) as it'll be the end of my first year at uni, and also just past my 21st birthday...not to mention DF's first trip to the World!

I've tried working out a budget, based on brochures, past trips etc...can I just ask how it looks please, and if there's anything else anyone can think of...or ways of scaling it down!

It would be for a fortnight, staying in Pop Century. If there is free dining, we will take advantage of that, but if there isn't then we will probably pay for food OOP. The three table service's we would like to eat at are: Nine Dragons, Teppan Edo and Yak and Yeti...If no free dining, we would book with Virgin and use twilight check in, staying overnight at a hotel.

Budget

Booking (with Virgin Atlantic) approx £2800
including 14 day Ultimate Disney ticket and 2 park Universal ticket, as well as National Express vouchers

Food (if no free dining) £500

Insurance £20

Wheelchair £50

Premier Inn £70

Luggage £50

Tipping £50

Transfers £50

Suncream £20

Toiletries £20

Swimwear £50

Clothing (before going) £100

Refillable mug (GOT to have one!) £15

Alcoholic drinks (we wouldn't have many) £50

Shopping trip £40

Spending money £500

Taxis £25


Any opinions?

Thanks!

Kayleigh

 

[paulh]

why have to pay for a transfer if flying into mco.ME is free to anyone staying onsite
Saved you some money
Paulh

 

[paulh]

then again seen your booz budget,way toooo low
Paulh

 

[kayleighnik]

the transfers would be to universal and islands of adventure - and we'd get a free transfer from mco to pc with mears from virgin.

and the alcohol - neither of us are big drinkers -we'd only have one or two with our table service meals i should think i shouldn't even be drinking any with my medication but

 

[paulh]

are you in the aa,if so you can use it to get an AAA discount of up to 20% on room rates.but if free ddp comes out you will have to pay full price
This year we have paid for pop £36.50 for a room with the AAA discount in aug
Paulh

 

[madmumof2]

For two weeks I think your spending limit is very low! lol And I've been trawling the net for months and you can most definitely get cheaper flights and tickets package than that.

My lowest quote is £2300 so far for flights an Disney/universal tickets for me and two children, so I'd search around more for those. I think Virgin is one of the most expensive at the minute. Correct me if Im wrong but that's what I've found. x

 

[kayleighnik]

£500 is really our lowest amount of spending money we'd like to take with us. Anything else will be a bonus.

Anything we can do to save money will be great, as we'll be trying to save up on one full time salary and one part time...

Maybe I'll get lucky and one - or both - of my parents will want to help pay for the trip for my 21st! But I doubt it....no harm in wishing though

We won't use a car, so we don't have to factor that cost into it, thank goodness!

The cost - at the moment - using the initial budget is just over £4400. To save that in, say, 12 months, is around about £375 total per month...

And we're not members of the AA Paul...

 

[Shooby doo]

2 things stand out: Free DDp for the UK is moderate & some Deluxe so that would rule out Pop but would be worth working out the difference to look at a Mod with Free DDP compared to Pop & paying OOP.Secondly your tipping is not enough on that figure,your £50 is 10% ,the recommended rate for this year is 18%scared1: ) which takes that to £90.I think that £2800 for 2 of you sounds alot,if you are willing to pay OOP why do you have to stay on-site?You are paying a higher rack rate & an extra premium to eat?
I also think that your spending limit is too low but we have done it,although swore that we would never go again without having enough to not worry about spending!
Kayleigh are you being realistic?£375 a month I have to say that there is absolutely no way that we could save anywhere near that with the way the cost of living is rising!
HTH SD

 

[kayleighnik]

Kayleigh are you being realistic?£375 a month I have to say that there is absolutely no way that we could save anywhere near that with the way the cost of living is rising!

My DF and I have saved almost £500 a month between us in the not so distant past. We both live, at the moment, with my Mom and brother, and she only charges us £100 rent each Starting September, looking at my uni budget, most of what I earn from my part time job will be surplus to requirement, as my loans and grants are high enough to be paying for the majority of things, and so can be saved. Also, the £375 is between us, so thats £187.50 each a month, though my DF is paying for most of it. So, saving that much is possible for us, as we have VERY few outgoings. Neither of us have any debt to pay off, no mortgage, no cars to pay for, no bills other than ones than total under £100 between us for a month i.e. mobiles, subscriptions etc. On top of that, I have a very large and extended family whom are all very generous, especially when it comes to birthdays and christmas. We normally receive money, and would save it all up for the holiday. For me alone, that normally is somewhere around the £500 for birthday and christmas.

I think that £2800 for 2 of you sounds alot,if you are willing to pay OOP why do you have to stay on-site?You are paying a higher rack rate & an extra premium to eat?

I want to stay onsite for a few reasons:

- I love it there
- DF's first WDW trip
- Magic Hours
- Key to the World
- transportation (neither of us want to drive)

If there is free dining, that would free up enough money to upgrade to POFQ which is where I really want to stay. So, yes, it would rule out Pop Century, but it would be perfect really.

We've always paid oop in the past, with probably the same amount of adr's (3) I'm thinking about having. We would stick to counter service the rest of the time, as neither of us have a problem with doing that, and it takes less time out of park trekking

Okay, so I would bump the tipping up to £100...thanks for that. I just took a stab in the dark re that, as its always been my Mom or Nan whos taken care of it.

I also think that your spending limit is too low but we have done it,although swore that we would never go again without having enough to not worry about spending!

The £500 would be pure spending money...no tipping, fees etc would come out of that *fingers crossed*. It might be a relatively small amount, but I've been in the past with £150 and had a great time!! Obviously, if we could save more for spending, then we will, but £500 is the absolute minimum. Thinking about it, birthday and christmas money would probably mostly go towards spending, so it would go up maybe to £750 - £1000.

Thanks for your input!

Kayleigh

 

[Shooby doo]

Kayleigh sounds like you have a plan! DW & myself had a conversation the other night along the lines of that had we not already booked,changed our money etc we wouldn't be going!Don't get me wrong we love the place but all in we will be close to £7000-£8000! But the economy wasn't as bad when it was all arranged.
If you can fly from Manchester BMI had some really good prices for Aug/Sept this year,obviously you will have to change stateside but it can save you alot in airfare.
SD