Budgeting for teens?

[havaneselover]

another thing I didn't see mentioned, or maybe missed, but I'm pretty sure as a high school senior you will not be able to rent a car, most places require you to be either 21 or 25.

The op said the car will be driven by his/her parents.

 

[MrsPete]

We have a basic budget and with flights are expecting anywhere from $500 to $800 depending on the number of days we will spend in parks. Most of us have money saved from summer jobs or babysitting but we are trying to figure out how to minimize our costs

Problem is, Disney is the kind of place where you can cut pennies, but not dollars. Because they own the whole place, essentially they have a monopoly on the costs.

Maximize your tickets by arriving early, having a plan for the day, and staying late.
Minimize your food costs by eating breakfast in your room, packing snacks, sharing meals at sit-down restaurants.
Consider traveling sometime other than Spring Break. Flights and accomodations will be at their highest prices, and crowds will be large. You'd get more for your money if you travel in early summer (before the big crowds arrive) or in late August just before you go back to school.

We've planned on at least one "nicer dinner" at downtown disney but hope to grocery shop or do some sort of fast food or quick service for most meals. So basically any tips to save on rental car, or tickets (if there is anything besides undercover tourist) and maybe food or souvenirs.

Fast food meals at Disney seem to be the most expensive option -- quantities are small, but prices are almost as high as a sit-down. Kids' meals are cheap, but you'll be hungry again soon. A cheaper choice is sharing meals at a sit-down restaurant; not only is it a bigger bang for the buck, it's a chance to sit down in the air conditioning and recharge. Drinking water will save $2-3 off each person's bill.

You can ask for a free cup of ice water (not a water bottle) from any food vendor in the park.

Skip the rental car altogether. Instead, stay in a budget onsite place or a nearby hotel that offers a shuttle. Remember that if you drive a rental car, you must pay to park.

You can get a small discount from a reputible online seller like TicketMania -- and a small discount is all you're going to get on tickets. Do not buy half-used tickets from eBay or other places. Here's what can happen: I have some old tickets in my scrapbook. If I were dishonest, I could sell them to you, telling you that they still have 2-3 days left on them. You'd have no way to know until you reach the ticketstile. Since tickets are not transferable, Disney would not help you, and good luck ever finding me for a refund. Do not take risks.

Souveniers? Skip them. You're on too short a budget already.

Related topic: Be sure you pack Tylenol, sunscreen, etc. Those things are terribly expensive in the parks.

People have given several great suggestions yet nothing seems to be enough for you..... There aren't really any other options

Your expectations are too high. You're not going to find a magical, "Oh, do these couple small things, and LOOK! Your budget suddenly works out . . . without making any actual changes to your plans!"

The cost is what the cost is. If you can't work in a regular job -- perhaps a seasonal job, perhaps a weekend job, or something else with creative hours -- this trip may be something you can't afford.

Recognize the truth: You have opted to take part in a rigorous theater program. When you say "yes" to that, you're saying "no" to some other things -- and a relatively high-priced spring break trip may be one of those things. I'm not saying that a theater program is bad -- not at all -- just that you only have 24 hours in a day, and if you've chosen to give your hours to that priority, other priorities may not fit in.

I hear you saying that people think you haven't done your research, are giving you advice you don't want, etc., etc., etc. I understand you've done the research, but it's obvious that you've planned "best case scenerio". That never actually happens in real life -- something will always go wrong. Someone will get hurt and need stitches. Someone will lose his ticket after Day 1. Gas prices will go up. Something will happen that will require more money; it's happened on 100% of the trips I've taken -- not just to Disney, but anywhere!

I'll give you a real-life example concerning my own super-responsible, solid-research-doing teen daugther: She went on a plane trip (alone) to visit friends last summer, and she had figured her budget to the penny. And everything went well on first leg of her trip; however, on her return trip, her flight was cancelled -- completely beyond her control. What saved her? The fact that I had insisted she take my credit card with her.

Trust people who have extensive experience. We're not trying to squelch your fun, but experience allows us to see the larger picture.