budget my budget will ya?

[acf_1991]

Okay so now that our 2012 trip is getting closer we finally came up with a "budget". Is anyone here willing to double check it for me and let me know if this is way too little or way too much? This is our first WDW trip and so far these are just estimated guesses so if something is off please let us know. This is for DD, DH, and myself. DD will be turning 2 and this will be a celebration for her birthday.

So far this is our plan:

$1400 plus tx for our tickets (we are getting the premiere tickets since we caculated we are better off getting those instead)

$1700 for ASMo (this will probably be a bit less because this is calculated by perferred and we don't want perferred, but it was the only way to get a guess on the official WDW website)

$1000 for food for two adults and a child under 3 with one ADR for Cindy's

$850 for spending money ($200 for DD, $150 for DH because he's not big on souvenior shopping, and $500 for my self because I go wild )

$100 for photopass

$100 for photo session

$300 for welcome package for my DM, DB14, DB9, STF, DH, and DD

$80 for DD bday cake

Now, does this sound about right? So far the only thing I am certain about is the tickets which are $700 a pop. Everything else, I am really unsure. I did check each website out to get an idea.

Also, if this helps, the souveniors I already know I'm buying are ATLEAST one piece of clothing for each of us, a snowglobe, magnets, shotglasses, photoalbums, and picture frames. Oh and most likely Christmas ornaments.



We will be visiting all four parks plus the two water parks FYI

Please work your magic fellow DISers

 

[disneymom3]

I am tired so perhaps I missed it. How long are you staying?

Your food budget seems like a lot but depends on how many days.

Are you using a ticket broker for tickets? That could save you a bit.



Eta...wait a minute! $1700 for a value??? This must be a really long trip!

 

[SandrA9810]

Sign up for every Disney World email possible. And don't be afraid to call. The first time you ask for a quote, they'll take down all your information, including email. It's one way to up your chances on getting a pin code.

The lovely thing about Disney, is there's no benefit to booking online over booking on the phone. I personally like to call to make sure all things are the way I want them to be, especially when I booked a room for when I took my brother since he's handicap.

There's also a couple cheaper options to princess dining, outside of the castle. There's the dining at the Grand Floridian for dinner or at Norway in Epcot.

Since you're in southern CA, play with your options. Remember, you can always upgrade your ticket without loosing the value (as long as you keep the original expiration date). Would it be cheaper for you in a few months to get a Resident pass on the payment plan, then at the end upgrade for your Florida trip??
The other option is to look into a 10 day base ticket for Florida through undercover tourist, get the small discount on it, then after you've entered the park once, upgrade the premiere pass you want. Not exactly sure on the total savings by buying the UCT.

If you are going to be annual pass members, don't forget to ask about the annual pass discount for the resort rooms. I've had it up to almost 30% off.

Just remember, almost all merchandise is sold as "Disney Parks" these days, it's all labeled Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. So you can probably pick up some of those items back home when you don't have to worry about luggage size or weight.

$80 does seem a bit steep for a cake from Disney. Who did you get this quote from? I know there's a bakery at the Boardwalk and for a custom Mickey cake, it's only $40. What my friend did for me for my birthday, (I love Mickey) she bought a small round cake and then placed one of the miniature mickey head cakes in the middle. The bakery then wrote Happy Birthday around Mickey. I think it cost about $25. Any custom order cakes should be placed about 3 days in advance.

Don't forget to take about $100 off your budget for the extra charge of luggage if you plan on spending $800 at the World.
Although I have found Southwest to be the overall lowest on flight prices. Usually under $200 for one way each, and as low as $140.

 

[SandrA9810]

BTW, Photopass is connected throughout the two Disney Resorts. Bring your photopass card from Disneyland, have all your pictures scanned to it, then purchase it in Disneyland. I've seen it done many times. Disneyland price of a CD is a lot cheaper than Disney World, even with the pre-order. Plus you can have pictures from both parks on the same CD. Just remember to do it within 30 days.

 

[cheap traveler]

My first *WOW* was $1700 for ASMo. Are you staying for like 18 days, or going at Christmas?

$700 per ticket?!? I guess I'm lucky I have missed this option every time I have gone to Disney. My ticket is usually $250ish. I never get the longer ticket that doesn't expire because I like to get free dining, which means I have to buy new tickets anyway, so I guess that's just a personal preference.

$1000 for food, again that will depend on how long you are staying and if you are willing to book your dining reservations 180 days in advance. We do 2-3 sit down meals and the rest quick-service, so my budget (1 adult, 2 kids) is around $500.

Spending money is again different for everyone. Just remember to plan extra to ship stuff. At the very least, you will need to ship home your snowglobes.

Photopass is $150 last I saw, unless you order it in advance.

And I second the previous poster's idea of eating with the princesses someplace other than the castle. We always have breakfast at Akershus in Epcot, and Cinderella has always been there. I think their food is much better than the castle (did that one 2x), the princess interaction is the same, and my kids really enjoy it. I would like to try the Grand Floridian meal once, but I have trouble getting a decent reservation time.

Good luck nailing it all down, and give us some extra details when you can - when are you going, how long are you staying...

 

[ccgirl]

Okay so now that our 2012 trip is getting closer we finally came up with a "budget". Is anyone here willing to double check it for me and let me know if this is way too little or way too much? This is our first WDW trip and so far these are just estimated guesses so if something is off please let us know. This is for DD, DH, and myself. DD will be turning 2 and this will be a celebration for her birthday.

So far this is our plan:

$1400 plus tx for our tickets (we are getting the premiere tickets since we caculated we are better off getting those instead)

$1700 for ASMo (this will probably be a bit less because this is calculated by perferred and we don't want perferred, but it was the only way to get a guess on the official WDW website)

$1000 for food for two adults and a child under 3 with one ADR for Cindy's

$850 for spending money ($200 for DD, $150 for DH because he's not big on souvenior shopping, and $500 for my self because I go wild )

$100 for photopass

$100 for photo session

$300 for welcome package for my DM, DB14, DB9, STF, DH, and DD

$80 for DD bday cake

Now, does this sound about right? So far the only thing I am certain about is the tickets which are $700 a pop. Everything else, I am really unsure. I did check each website out to get an idea.

Also, if this helps, the souveniors I already know I'm buying are ATLEAST one piece of clothing for each of us, a snowglobe, magnets, shotglasses, photoalbums, and picture frames. Oh and most likely Christmas ornaments.



We will be visiting all four parks plus the two water parks FYI

Please work your magic fellow DISers

I would say that is way more than enough. Depending on how many table service restaurants you are going to eat at, I think your food $$ is high. Especially since your child is under 3 and can eat off your plate for free. The $1400 for tix sounds way high. Your child is under 3 so does not need a ticket.

Keep in mind, you cannot carry snowglobes on the plane. They will have to be checked or shipped home. If you are driving you don't have to worry about it.

 

[livvylivvie]

1000$ for food. I am not an expert on this, but I would look into getting the dinning plan. If you are already budgeting 1000$ it might be worth it for you to get the dinning plan. then you can do Some great Meals!! You could do a character meal every day if you wanted! Your DD would love it. You also get snacks and counter service with this. I would deffinately check it out!

 

[Marionnette]

Okay so now that our 2012 trip is getting closer we finally came up with a "budget". Is anyone here willing to double check it for me and let me know if this is way too little or way too much? This is our first WDW trip and so far these are just estimated guesses so if something is off please let us know. This is for DD, DH, and myself. DD will be turning 2 and this will be a celebration for her birthday.

So far this is our plan:

$1400 plus tx for our tickets (we are getting the premiere tickets since we caculated we are better off getting those instead)

$1700 for ASMo (this will probably be a bit less because this is calculated by perferred and we don't want perferred, but it was the only way to get a guess on the official WDW website)

$1000 for food for two adults and a child under 3 with one ADR for Cindy's

$850 for spending money ($200 for DD, $150 for DH because he's not big on souvenior shopping, and $500 for my self because I go wild )

$100 for photopass

$100 for photo session

$300 for welcome package for my DM, DB14, DB9, STF, DH, and DD

$80 for DD bday cake

Now, does this sound about right? So far the only thing I am certain about is the tickets which are $700 a pop. Everything else, I am really unsure. I did check each website out to get an idea.

Also, if this helps, the souveniors I already know I'm buying are ATLEAST one piece of clothing for each of us, a snowglobe, magnets, shotglasses, photoalbums, and picture frames. Oh and most likely Christmas ornaments.



We will be visiting all four parks plus the two water parks FYI

Please work your magic fellow DISers

Judging from your numbers and countdown, it looks like you won't be going to Disney World until July of 2012 and will be staying somewhere around 10 days.

You food budget for 10 days is okay for 2 adults. Your daughter will be able to eat for free from your plate at tableservice restaurants but you will need to pay for anything you want to feed her at counterservice meals. She's only a baby right now but you will be surprised at what a toddler can pack in! I would budget more for food.

I don't think that you need premier annual passes unless you intend to return to Disney World withing the next year. You would save a lot of money if you went with 10-day MYW hoppers with the WPF&M addon. Don't add no-expiration. The ticket will be good for 14 days from the first time it is used. Current gate price for those tickets is $394/adult with tax. The Premier AP is $670/adult.

For $80 that had better be some awesome birthday cake! I'm not sure that I would spend that kind of money for a cake when I would have no place to store the leftovers. The value resort rooms are not very roomy. Babies take up a lot of space with their extra stuff. There is no refrigerator in the room unless you pay extra for one.

I don't see anything budgeted for transportation. I know that you aren't walking from CA! You need to think about airfare and ground transportation. Will you be renting a car in Florida? Will you be renting any baby equipment like a crib, stroller, car seat, etc? You need to budget for that.

Welcome packages are a nice touch and if you really want them, then go for it. But keep in mind that stuff has to be brought home somehow. You will either need to have luggage that is big enough to hold it (and pay the bag fee for the airline) or ship it home. So don't forget to budget for packaging and shipping costs.

Spending money is always subjective. You might very well spend that amount. Just remember that you have to get it all home somehow. More bags fees or shipping costs.

In all, it's a good start for your budget but it needs to be tweaked. The good news is that you have plenty of time to work on it since room rates and package prices will not come out for 2012 until August of this year.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

The Premier Pass is the Annual Pass that is good at both WDW and Disneyland, and it looks like she ay live near Disneyland and may get a good bit of use out of it. If you are going to be at WDW for 10 days or more, I don't see that as a bad investment, especially if I am right about you frequently visiting Disneyland

Food budget may be a bit high, especially if you are only eating at CS restaurants. DH and I are going to be eating at quite a few TS restaurants around Christmas and that is about what our food budget is for 7 nights.

I think the rest of your budget looks fine. There are things you have budgeted for that we don't do, but everything else looks good.

Suzanne

 

[SandrA9810]

The Premier Pass is the Annual Pass that is good at both WDW and Disneyland, and it looks like she ay live near Disneyland and may get a good bit of use out of it. If you are going to be at WDW for 10 days or more, I don't see that as a bad investment, especially if I am right about you frequently visiting Disneyland

It took me a few minutes to realize it too. That particular ticket has only been around for about a year now, so not many people really know about it. The overall best option for that ticket would include 2 trips to Disney World on it. So if they bought it for their trip next year, to use it once more the following year before it expires. Since their child is still young, it would make more sense to go in March-April for Flower and Garden Festival, and avoid the summer heat and crowds.

Flight prices with Southwest from MCO to LAX are usually under $200 a piece one way. Watch it like a hawk though, and if you do get credit, you can use it for a following trip to Disney World. Since like your annual pass, it has to be used up within one year.

You could really make a second, very low budget to the World without all the need for the "first time experience" such as spending $800 on things you can easily get at Disneyland.

Just a way to feel like your dollar is stretching a bit more.

Depending on what they plan on doing for the baby when sleeping, I find a king room to give a little extra space over two doubles. And would probably be a lot more comfortable than scrunch together on a little bed. Although these rooms are more limited than the others at a value.

Just remember if you're going to stay at a value resort, the bus line for those get to a mile long at park closing. So you better have a comfortable stroller or bring a couple blankets if you're going to use a rental. Drag your feet and browse for as long as you'd like after the park closing so you don't wait in a massive line. On top of that, people get really grumpy when they see big strollers getting on the bus. Take advantage of the free resort delivery to your room.

The higher up you go in resort accommodations, the slightly less of a line you get. Although some parks have one bus for all 5 Epcot resorts... not fun either. Port Orleans seems to have good reliable bus transportation from all the parks.

Almost any Disneyland veteran I've met at Disney World has usually underestimated how BIG the World really is. And vise versa for WDW veteran, they're usually surprised at how tiny Disneyland is. So don't think you can breeze on through the Magic Kingdom like you would back home. Of course you can always skip some of the duplicate attractions to save time.

Check out allears.net for current food menus and prices. It would be a good starting point to see where you need to be in your food budget.

Ohh and sometimes, but not always, one value resort will be cheaper than another. So don't forget about POP (love it way more than All-Stars), and the other All-Stars resorts.

 

[LookinUp]

I would budget for tips, if you haven't already included them in your estimated amounts for dining and room total, etc. We like to make up pretty envelopes for Mousekeeping for our thank-you each morning. It's a fun way to bring out pre-trip Disney magic. I budget $1 per person per night, plus an extra dollar or two for special services. Also tips for bell services, luggage services, cabbies, etc.

Which reminds me: Plan on a cab ride or two anyway, even if you're going to use Disney buses on property most of the time. There will be toddler melt-downs, early ADRs or other occasions that call for sanity-saving spending.

Like a PP, we love our free dining stays. On a visit two years ago, we upgraded the required MYW tickets to non-expiring ten-day passes with PH & WP. This actually saved us a good bit on our next trips, when we got free dining. We used the "plain-vanilla" park tix that are required for the FD package for shorter/single-park days. Then we enjoyed PH on days we wanted take advantage of EMH in two parks, plus we had sleep-in days when we could use the extra perks like DisneyQuest or WP.

Happy planning!

 

[cseca]

How many times are you planning to go to WDW?
If you're buying premier pass would you consider getting TIW card to get discounts for your meals?
You get 20% off your check + automatic 18% tip. If you plan on spending most of your eating on table service I would consider getting the card.

Oh and your budget for the lodging might be smaller depending if you can get Annual Pass rate for the dates of your stay.
Just keep your eyes peeled for that too.

But I think overall you've done ok.
As another PP said, don't forget tips and snacks. Those things add up.

With premier pass IF they continue the current benefits to 2012, you might still get 20% off merchandise all over the parks and resorts. Which is really cool.

 

[SandrA9810]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/03/disney-premier-passport-unveiled/

For those that don't know what the premier pass is.

Disney World -
All four parks 365 days a year, except for special ticketed admission such as the Halloween Party or Christmas Party.
Park Hopping
Water Parks
Disney Quest
Oak golf course
and the Wide World of Sports complex - during the month of March (I believe), the Atlanta Braves come for spring training. If you're into baseball.

Disneyland
entrance to both parks 365 days - except for special ticketed events


Free parking at all parks as well.

 

[acf_1991]

I am tired so perhaps I missed it. How long are you staying?

Your food budget seems like a lot but depends on how many days.

Are you using a ticket broker for tickets? That could save you a bit.



Eta...wait a minute! $1700 for a value??? This must be a really long trip!

I must have been tired myself because somehow I forgot to mention it. Thank you for pointing it out. I will be staying for 10 days. July 25th-August 5th 2012

 

[SandrA9810]

It's going to be hard to budget for next year's resort rates. They usually go up about $10 a night every year. At least that's been my average.

If I plug in dates for this year, same time frame from Wednesday to Sunday, since there's a weekend premium.

POP Century - $1625
All-Stars - $1632
Port Orleans Riverside - $2400

If you do stay at All-Stars, they will always be a few dollars more than POP Century because the Osceola county tax is .5% higher than Orange County. If you were ever wondering why that was...

If you do go with the annual passes, you can probably shave another hundred or so off the total, depending on how big the discount is.

 

[acf_1991]

Sign up for every Disney World email possible. And don't be afraid to call. The first time you ask for a quote, they'll take down all your information, including email. It's one way to up your chances on getting a pin code.

The lovely thing about Disney, is there's no benefit to booking online over booking on the phone. I personally like to call to make sure all things are the way I want them to be, especially when I booked a room for when I took my brother since he's handicap.

There's also a couple cheaper options to princess dining, outside of the castle. There's the dining at the Grand Floridian for dinner or at Norway in Epcot.

Since you're in southern CA, play with your options. Remember, you can always upgrade your ticket without loosing the value (as long as you keep the original expiration date). Would it be cheaper for you in a few months to get a Resident pass on the payment plan, then at the end upgrade for your Florida trip??
The other option is to look into a 10 day base ticket for Florida through undercover tourist, get the small discount on it, then after you've entered the park once, upgrade the premiere pass you want. Not exactly sure on the total savings by buying the UCT.

If you are going to be annual pass members, don't forget to ask about the annual pass discount for the resort rooms. I've had it up to almost 30% off.

Just remember, almost all merchandise is sold as "Disney Parks" these days, it's all labeled Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. So you can probably pick up some of those items back home when you don't have to worry about luggage size or weight.

$80 does seem a bit steep for a cake from Disney. Who did you get this quote from? I know there's a bakery at the Boardwalk and for a custom Mickey cake, it's only $40. What my friend did for me for my birthday, (I love Mickey) she bought a small round cake and then placed one of the miniature mickey head cakes in the middle. The bakery then wrote Happy Birthday around Mickey. I think it cost about $25. Any custom order cakes should be placed about 3 days in advance.

Don't forget to take about $100 off your budget for the extra charge of luggage if you plan on spending $800 at the World.
Although I have found Southwest to be the overall lowest on flight prices. Usually under $200 for one way each, and as low as $140.

Thank you for the tip! So far I've gotten three pin codes but it's such a shame I won't be using them. I'm crossing my fingers I get the pin code for next year! I think from now on I will call to make any sort of reservation, but a quick question, can I still view my reservations online if I make them over the phone?
Thanks for the other princess options but I think DH has his heart set on Cindy's
I haven't really though about it, but maybe that's a good idea. Not necessarily cheaper, but it would give us the option to make payments. Thanks for that tip!
I was planning on buying so many souveniors because as far as I'm concerned, Florida's taxes are less than California's, but thanks for pointing out the price for bringing them back home. I'll make sure to be cautious about what souveniors I am buying.
I haven't yet gotten a quote from the actual Disney bakery, I got this "quote" from lurking around the Official Disney Cake Thread and I took some ideas from there. I think my next step will be to call. I'm also going to lower that budget to $50.

BTW, Photopass is connected throughout the two Disney Resorts. Bring your photopass card from Disneyland, have all your pictures scanned to it, then purchase it in Disneyland. I've seen it done many times. Disneyland price of a CD is a lot cheaper than Disney World, even with the pre-order. Plus you can have pictures from both parks on the same CD. Just remember to do it within 30 days.

This is such a GREAT idea! But let me restate this so I can get this clear. What you are saying for me to do is to take a picture at DL and take the photopass the CM gives me to WDW and have them load all of the pictures onto that photopass card, correct? And then bring it back home and get the photopass cd there right? If I understood this correctly, then my next question is about how much is the DL CD?

My first *WOW* was $1700 for ASMo. Are you staying for like 18 days, or going at Christmas?

$700 per ticket?!? I guess I'm lucky I have missed this option every time I have gone to Disney. My ticket is usually $250ish. I never get the longer ticket that doesn't expire because I like to get free dining, which means I have to buy new tickets anyway, so I guess that's just a personal preference.

$1000 for food, again that will depend on how long you are staying and if you are willing to book your dining reservations 180 days in advance. We do 2-3 sit down meals and the rest quick-service, so my budget (1 adult, 2 kids) is around $500.

Spending money is again different for everyone. Just remember to plan extra to ship stuff. At the very least, you will need to ship home your snowglobes.

Photopass is $150 last I saw, unless you order it in advance.

And I second the previous poster's idea of eating with the princesses someplace other than the castle. We always have breakfast at Akershus in Epcot, and Cinderella has always been there. I think their food is much better than the castle (did that one 2x), the princess interaction is the same, and my kids really enjoy it. I would like to try the Grand Floridian meal once, but I have trouble getting a decent reservation time.

Good luck nailing it all down, and give us some extra details when you can - when are you going, how long are you staying...

The quote for ASMo for $1700 is for a perferred room during a peak season (7/25-8/5) but we will not be getting perferred so we will have a slightly cheaper price. The only reason I put those digits was because I wasn't able to get the quote for next year because prices are not out yet.

It's $700 dollars a ticket because we are getting premiere tickets for DH and myself.

All of our meals will be counterservice meals with the exception of 1 so maybe I will look into that one more time.

Thanks for letting me know about the snowglobes because I didn't know that. I would have been furious if I would have found out last minute.

I would say that is way more than enough. Depending on how many table service restaurants you are going to eat at, I think your food $$ is high. Especially since your child is under 3 and can eat off your plate for free. The $1400 for tix sounds way high. Your child is under 3 so does not need a ticket.

Keep in mind, you cannot carry snowglobes on the plane. They will have to be checked or shipped home. If you are driving you don't have to worry about it.

The $700 for the tickets is for the premiere ticket
Thanks for the tip on the snowglobes! I will look into my price for food.

1000$ for food. I am not an expert on this, but I would look into getting the dinning plan. If you are already budgeting 1000$ it might be worth it for you to get the dinning plan. then you can do Some great Meals!! You could do a character meal every day if you wanted! Your DD would love it. You also get snacks and counter service with this. I would deffinately check it out!

Thank you I will check into the dining plan!!

Judging from your numbers and countdown, it looks like you won't be going to Disney World until July of 2012 and will be staying somewhere around 10 days.

You food budget for 10 days is okay for 2 adults. Your daughter will be able to eat for free from your plate at tableservice restaurants but you will need to pay for anything you want to feed her at counterservice meals. She's only a baby right now but you will be surprised at what a toddler can pack in! I would budget more for food.

I don't think that you need premier annual passes unless you intend to return to Disney World withing the next year. You would save a lot of money if you went with 10-day MYW hoppers with the WPF&M addon. Don't add no-expiration. The ticket will be good for 14 days from the first time it is used. Current gate price for those tickets is $394/adult with tax. The Premier AP is $670/adult.

For $80 that had better be some awesome birthday cake! I'm not sure that I would spend that kind of money for a cake when I would have no place to store the leftovers. The value resort rooms are not very roomy. Babies take up a lot of space with their extra stuff. There is no refrigerator in the room unless you pay extra for one.

I don't see anything budgeted for transportation. I know that you aren't walking from CA! You need to think about airfare and ground transportation. Will you be renting a car in Florida? Will you be renting any baby equipment like a crib, stroller, car seat, etc? You need to budget for that.

Welcome packages are a nice touch and if you really want them, then go for it. But keep in mind that stuff has to be brought home somehow. You will either need to have luggage that is big enough to hold it (and pay the bag fee for the airline) or ship it home. So don't forget to budget for packaging and shipping costs.

Spending money is always subjective. You might very well spend that amount. Just remember that you have to get it all home somehow. More bags fees or shipping costs.

In all, it's a good start for your budget but it needs to be tweaked. The good news is that you have plenty of time to work on it since room rates and package prices will not come out for 2012 until August of this year.

Yes you are correct! We will be staying 10 days during 7/25/12-8/5/12

We are getting premeire passes because we will be visiting DL when we are back home frequently.

I decided to take everyones advice and I lowered my budget for DD bday cake.
Oh goodness I forgot to add transportation! We will be traveling via airplane but I can't quite figure out a budget for this?

The Premier Pass is the Annual Pass that is good at both WDW and Disneyland, and it looks like she ay live near Disneyland and may get a good bit of use out of it. If you are going to be at WDW for 10 days or more, I don't see that as a bad investment, especially if I am right about you frequently visiting Disneyland

Food budget may be a bit high, especially if you are only eating at CS restaurants. DH and I are going to be eating at quite a few TS restaurants around Christmas and that is about what our food budget is for 7 nights.

I think the rest of your budget looks fine. There are things you have budgeted for that we don't do, but everything else looks good.

Suzanne

You are right about the premiere pass being used the way you described.

It took me a few minutes to realize it too. That particular ticket has only been around for about a year now, so not many people really know about it. The overall best option for that ticket would include 2 trips to Disney World on it. So if they bought it for their trip next year, to use it once more the following year before it expires. Since their child is still young, it would make more sense to go in March-April for Flower and Garden Festival, and avoid the summer heat and crowds.

Flight prices with Southwest from MCO to LAX are usually under $200 a piece one way. Watch it like a hawk though, and if you do get credit, you can use it for a following trip to Disney World. Since like your annual pass, it has to be used up within one year.

You could really make a second, very low budget to the World without all the need for the "first time experience" such as spending $800 on things you can easily get at Disneyland.

Just a way to feel like your dollar is stretching a bit more.

Depending on what they plan on doing for the baby when sleeping, I find a king room to give a little extra space over two doubles. And would probably be a lot more comfortable than scrunch together on a little bed. Although these rooms are more limited than the others at a value.

Just remember if you're going to stay at a value resort, the bus line for those get to a mile long at park closing. So you better have a comfortable stroller or bring a couple blankets if you're going to use a rental. Drag your feet and browse for as long as you'd like after the park closing so you don't wait in a massive line. On top of that, people get really grumpy when they see big strollers getting on the bus. Take advantage of the free resort delivery to your room.

The higher up you go in resort accommodations, the slightly less of a line you get. Although some parks have one bus for all 5 Epcot resorts... not fun either. Port Orleans seems to have good reliable bus transportation from all the parks.

Almost any Disneyland veteran I've met at Disney World has usually underestimated how BIG the World really is. And vise versa for WDW veteran, they're usually surprised at how tiny Disneyland is. So don't think you can breeze on through the Magic Kingdom like you would back home. Of course you can always skip some of the duplicate attractions to save time.

Check out allears.net for current food menus and prices. It would be a good starting point to see where you need to be in your food budget.

Ohh and sometimes, but not always, one value resort will be cheaper than another. So don't forget about POP (love it way more than All-Stars), and the other All-Stars resorts.

Thanks for all the tips. I'm writing them down as we speak.

I would budget for tips, if you haven't already included them in your estimated amounts for dining and room total, etc. We like to make up pretty envelopes for Mousekeeping for our thank-you each morning. It's a fun way to bring out pre-trip Disney magic. I budget $1 per person per night, plus an extra dollar or two for special services. Also tips for bell services, luggage services, cabbies, etc.

Which reminds me: Plan on a cab ride or two anyway, even if you're going to use Disney buses on property most of the time. There will be toddler melt-downs, early ADRs or other occasions that call for sanity-saving spending.

Like a PP, we love our free dining stays. On a visit two years ago, we upgraded the required MYW tickets to non-expiring ten-day passes with PH & WP. This actually saved us a good bit on our next trips, when we got free dining. We used the "plain-vanilla" park tix that are required for the FD package for shorter/single-park days. Then we enjoyed PH on days we wanted take advantage of EMH in two parks, plus we had sleep-in days when we could use the extra perks like DisneyQuest or WP.

Happy planning!

Thank you for the tips

How many times are you planning to go to WDW?
If you're buying premier pass would you consider getting TIW card to get discounts for your meals?
You get 20% off your check + automatic 18% tip. If you plan on spending most of your eating on table service I would consider getting the card.

Oh and your budget for the lodging might be smaller depending if you can get Annual Pass rate for the dates of your stay.
Just keep your eyes peeled for that too.

But I think overall you've done ok.
As another PP said, don't forget tips and snacks. Those things add up.

With premier pass IF they continue the current benefits to 2012, you might still get 20% off merchandise all over the parks and resorts. Which is really cool.

I'm not sure about the TIW card because we will only be eating at one table service restauarant while there.
Hopefully the merchandise discount is still active because that will make me feel like I am on

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/03/disney-premier-passport-unveiled/

For those that don't know what the premier pass is.

Disney World -
All four parks 365 days a year, except for special ticketed admission such as the Halloween Party or Christmas Party.
Park Hopping
Water Parks
Disney Quest
Oak golf course
and the Wide World of Sports complex - during the month of March (I believe), the Atlanta Braves come for spring training. If you're into baseball.

Disneyland
entrance to both parks 365 days - except for special ticketed events


Free parking at all parks as well.

 

[SandrA9810]

Thank you for the tip! So far I've gotten three pin codes but it's such a shame I won't be using them. I'm crossing my fingers I get the pin code for next year! I think from now on I will call to make any sort of reservation, but a quick question, can I still view my reservations online if I make them over the phone?
Thanks for the other princess options but I think DH has his heart set on Cindy's
I haven't really though about it, but maybe that's a good idea. Not necessarily cheaper, but it would give us the option to make payments. Thanks for that tip!
I was planning on buying so many souveniors because as far as I'm concerned, Florida's taxes are less than California's, but thanks for pointing out the price for bringing them back home. I'll make sure to be cautious about what souveniors I am buying.
I haven't yet gotten a quote from the actual Disney bakery, I got this "quote" from lurking around the Official Disney Cake Thread and I took some ideas from there. I think my next step will be to call. I'm also going to lower that budget to $50.

Reservations made over the phone can be checked online, and payments made online.

You're only talking a 2% difference in taxes, unless taxes are higher down there than they are on the northern end of the state. And that 2% savings isn't going to be savings anymore when you have to pay $50-$100 in baggage fees.

This is such a GREAT idea! But let me restate this so I can get this clear. What you are saying for me to do is to take a picture at DL and take the photopass the CM gives me to WDW and have them load all of the pictures onto that photopass card, correct? And then bring it back home and get the photopass cd there right? If I understood this correctly, then my next question is about how much is the DL CD?

Exactly correct. Last time I heard, the Disneyland CD was about 1/2 the cost of WDW. The reason for this being, DLR attracts a lot more locals, a lot more repeat visitors. They've been there, done that, and have the pictures to prove it. So why are they going to pay $150 for something they see all the time. They had to make it more price attractive. In WDW, it's a lot of first time visitors. First time reactions, first time pictures, and to those guests, those pictures are priceless. So they're more willing to hand over $150 for those priceless photos. The average WDW visitor only visits once every 3-5 years.

The quote for ASMo for $1700 is for a perferred room during a peak season (7/25-8/5) but we will not be getting perferred so we will have a slightly cheaper price. The only reason I put those digits was because I wasn't able to get the quote for next year because prices are not out yet.

Plan for the higher end. If a promotion comes out, or you get a pin code, you can always apply it to your reservation. And they will credit you back the difference. So don't be afraid to book early, rather than waiting for a price drop.

It's $700 dollars a ticket because we are getting premiere tickets for DH and myself.

All of our meals will be counterservice meals with the exception of 1 so maybe I will look into that one more time.

You'll have to think the dining plan out, and it's all going to be based on when and where you buy your annual pass from. The dining plan can only be added when you do a package. A package much include room and tickets and dining plan, for every night of your stay. If you already have your annual pass, it won't do you much good. The only way to book a room without tickets, is to rent DVC points. Members can add the dining plan to any room reservation regardless of package type.

There's also differences in the final clause of the contract. A package must be paid in full 45 days in advance, with an automatic $200 deposit upon reservation.
A room only reservation, only requires a 1 night deposit. The reservation can be canceled up to 7 days prior to arrival with a full refund. Within a 7 day window, you may only make changes to your reservation, if you cancel, you will loose your one night deposit made.

Thank you I will check into the dining plan!!

There are about 5 tiers to the Dining Plan. I'll go over the three basic ones. The higher tiers are aimed more for adult couples without children as it includes more "fine dining with alcohol". I know there's plenty of kids that can do fine in that kind of atmosphere, but they probably don't want to spend their entire vacation dining in that manner.

Your basic dining plan.
2 - counter service meals per day - It can be any entrée including platter meals. Plus a drink. Some platter meals, especially the breakfast ones with eggs, bacon, pancakes, and potatoes can easily feed two light eaters in the morning.
2 - snacks per day - Any single serve item up to $4 in value. People used to get away with buying a large bag of potato chips because the cost is only 3.99... but Disney got smarter.
1 resort refillable mug - You'll find an open drink station in every food court, which allows you cold and hot drinks. Milk, OJ and juice are not on the open bar, but you can use a snack credit or with your meal get a bottle of one of these. If you drink coffee in the morning, you can grab two bottled drinks with your entrée to bring with you into the park for later.

The second step up.
1 - counter service meal
1 - table service meal - It can be any entrée, but no alcohol, and you must pay an 18% tip. So there's some additional costs to this option if you choose it.
1 - snack per day

The third step up.
3 - table service meals per day. This can get costly with tip. But it works for those that like to experience the more finer dining Disney has to offer.
2 - snacks per day
1 - resort refillable mug

Some dining options, like Cindy's or California Grill will require two credits. So for those that like the two credit dining, it's easier to go with the deluxe plan, but that's also a lot of sitting and eating around the World. Not exactly the choice to make if you want to stay on the move.

Oh goodness I forgot to add transportation! We will be traveling via airplane but I can't quite figure out a budget for this?

I've been watching prices myself, I'm hoping to fly a friend out from Orlando to go with me to Disneyland. Consistently, prices have been under $200 each way on Southwest. I haven't seen a better deal on another airline, but it doesn't mean that it can't happen. I'd average about $700-$800 for the plane tickets.

I'm not sure about the TIW card because we will only be eating at one table service restauarant while there.
Hopefully the merchandise discount is still active because that will make me feel like I am on

I believe the TIW card is also good for counter service options. Although it wouldn't be needed if you are on the dining plan. But since most passholders do not book with the dining plan, this is another option for them to get a discount on their dining.

You've got a lot of homework to do. You also have about 5 months before you can get any ball rolling. Reservations for the following year usually don't open up until about late Oct/November.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

With the amount you are budgeting for food...definitely add the dining plan. As far as cake, I wouldn't even worry about it. If your DD wears wears a Birthday Pin she will get a free cupcake at just about every restaurant you eat at so that will be plenty. If you like to go a little wild with souvies, I would add more there. We spent roughing $1300 when we took our DD this past Sept/Oct for 12 days for her 3rd birthday/1st trip. I do go a little nuts but that also included the BBB Castle Package and a special trip to T-Rex for lunch and lots of souvies.

 

[SandrA9810]

The BBB is for any child 3 and up, this is mostly to ensure proper length in hair, and the ability for the child to stay seating for an extended period of time, up to 45 minutes.

If it wasn't 1am, I might be able to think of other magical "experience" that they could do, that wouldn't require packing up at the end of the trip.

 

[nchulka]

I would look into renting a home in Windsor Hills. Especially if you already get free parking with your premium passes. We stayed in a Mickey themed townhouse and LOVED it! Rates vary from around 60-125 per night depending on whether you get a condo or a townhouse and what season it is. The one we rented was Disney themed throughout, the kids loved their Mickey bedroom and bathroom. There are 2 bathrooms in condos and 3 bathrooms in the townhomes. They also have a washer/dryer so you don't have to worry about bringing quarters and hanging out in a dirty laundry room. Just throw in a load before you head to the parks in the morning. From Windsor Hills it was SUPER easy to get to the parks, faster that taking the buses from the resorts! Less than 10 minutes from our driveway till we were parked in the parking lot.

I would at least look into it. We already had reservations at All Star Music. I had had our trip planned for a year and a half when I came across Windsor Hills and just started looking for fun. I am so glad we switched! It was so nice to have so much space! The townhouses all have private pools in the back off the living room also, the kids loved that! The full kitchen was great too. We never cooked meals but it was great for snacks and breakfast. They also have a really nice pool and hot tub there, much nicer than the value resorts have