Budgeting your trips....

[ryanshana]

Hi I have a question about budgeting your Disney Trips. Usually I have more time to save between trips. We just bought DVC and now it seems like we are going to be going 2 trips a year about 6 months apart. This Sept is going to be our expensive trip....w/ Feb and next Sept being our less expensive trip (we will be buying annual passes on this trip and doing Deluxe dining, where as the other trips we'll have the passes and probably just do QSDP)

Do you find that you spend less money on things down there cause you go more often now?

Also how much to do you budget to have spending down there (this does not include park tickets, transportation, and food...well maybe a few snacks for the boys but i doubt it since we are doing deluxe dining)

TIA!

 

[FindTheMickeys]

Since I have purchased DVC, I do find myself spending less on souveniers and the like. I also bought (2) 10 day no expiration park hoppers 4 years ago and am still using them. They work better for me since I only do 2-3 park days a year and have gotten alot of use out of them. I am not a fan of the DDP just because I eat a lot more in my room and less in the restaurants, so I can't speak for that. So, I usually budget $15 a day for one and usually come home with money in my pocket

 

[starbox]

Well - enjoy having young kids while it lasts!!! Once one hits the magical age of ten, your costs will skyrocket. Renewal-price APs for our family of four (two kids over 10) are right at 1,500. Deluxe dining would cost us around 300$ a day plus tips (easily another 40-50$ per day)!!!! Yikes!!!!!

I don't factor in AP cost to trip costs - that's like an annual due-type expense that is paid every year.

Our biggest expense is dining. We've done DDP, QSDP, TIW - anyway I do it I end up spending about 200$ a day on dining.

 

[rentayenta]

Hi I have a question about budgeting your Disney Trips. Usually I have more time to save between trips. We just bought DVC and now it seems like we are going to be going 2 trips a year about 6 months apart. This Sept is going to be our expensive trip....w/ Feb and next Sept being our less expensive trip (we will be buying annual passes on this trip and doing Deluxe dining, where as the other trips we'll have the passes and probably just do QSDP)






Do you find that you spend less money on things down there cause you go more often now?

No. Not at all. We just find new stuff to buy. I always tell DH we'll spend less and I believe it until we get there.

Also how much to do you budget to have spending down there (this does not include park tickets, transportation, and food...well maybe a few snacks for the boys but i doubt it since we are doing deluxe dining)

TIA!

Without the dining plan, on average, $100 a day for 5 people. That's just what it seems to equal. We don't skimp on drinks or desserts but we do share a lot. Most portions are HUGE.

 

[islandtimect]

Yes, we spend less on our DVC trips. We don't go in the parks as many days per trip as we used to because we know we'll be back within the year. We still buy souvenirs, but not as much and not for family members back home. We spend less on food because we eat breakfast most days in the villa. Having the Disney Chase Visa card is huge too because you receive 1% cash back. So we start off each vacation with hundreds of dollars of free money!

 

[Pixieflip]

I think you can make it what you need it to be. There have been trips when we did DP and for the 6 of us that really adds up! Add in our AP's and . Times are tighter right now for us and so we've been able to keep DVC by doing it cheaper. No DP at all, making a huge breakfast in the villa, taking snacks and water in our bags and eating fewer meals in the parks. Sometimes we can snack our way through the day, and who does't love that anyway, and only eat one meal in the park, probably not a table service either. Now, I know there are those who wouldn't cook in their villa or pack snacks and water or miss their table service...I know you're out there! But if you have to, you can, and if you're like me, you're just so glad to be there it's worth the extra effort.

And yes, the more often you go the less you feel the need to spend on so many souvenirs.

 

[corpcomp]

Budget? Disney? Are you kidding? The only thing we control is our eating. We try and go out to at least one nice restaurant each vacation (twice a year at DVC), and also try and get in a light dinner at Beaches & Cream, ESPN and Prime Time Diner (we stay at BCV so these are relative close to us) . This year we have evening reservations at Rose & Crown, which we have never been to. Want to try their Bangers and Mash.

Having the Disney Chase card allows us to eat free most of the week. We usually rack up about 350 points every 6 months and that covers most food (unless we go to CA Grill and one night there can blow the whole point reserve. )

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I don't really have a "budget" per se, but last year we did see how more time could be enjoyed at AKV because the deluxe resorts have more ammenities. Until then we had only done Values. For the first time we didn't feel like the walls were closing in on us and we were glad to be going back to the resort when ready. You just don't do "commando" anymore. We did the DDP last trip and we felt it was really worth it for the way we eat. But we do not have to do this every year. When we went alone in the past we didn't.....however it is easier to travel with others I find if we use the DDP. This worked especially with my Dad who is 72. We used it so we didn't have to hear him gripe about the cost of stuff and he LOVED it!! I think you will find that DVC Disney will become a true vacation for you and your family.

It will just "feel" diiferent.

 

[BBG-BLT]

We actually spend less but then again our kids hate everything that's not carrots, lettuce, peanut butter, fluff and noodles. So we still eat a lot in our room. If we had to eat at the parks or do a DDp I'm sure we would be spending more.

We still only go once a year (airlines and just dealing with 4 little kids). I hope to go more once the kids grow up a bit.

 

[papertraveller]

We do the DDP for DH and myself, and pay cash for DD because she still doesn't eat much. We pack snacks, we stock the villa, and we try to pace ourselves. We try to do at least a few breakfasts in. We still end up over-budget, but better than if we were staying at the Poly.

In preparation for the trip, we also start a savings fund: extra coins, cash, bottle returns, anything that's sort of extra money, goes into the jar or envelope. By the time we're ready to go, it's a tidy sum for souvenirs. It never covers the total, but it's frequently close.

 

[bumbershoot]

Without the dining plan, on average, $100 a day for 5 people. That's just what it seems to equal. We don't skimp on drinks or desserts but we do share a lot. Most portions are HUGE.

Thanks for that! Good to know. We're just 3 of us, and we share quite a bit during our DLR trips...have been wondering how our habits will change with MORE walking and likely MORE heat (heat in Anaheim makes DH and I not hungry for most of the day)...

 

[katmittens]

I think we do spend less, since there is no cost for hotel rooms. We usually eat at a CS for lunch and sit down for dinner. THere is myself, DH, DS age 25 and DD age 22 so four adults, although DD eats more like a child. CHicken,hot dogs and desserts. For our trip in January we really didn't worry about cost, but now we are going in May and this trip was not planned, but came about because we felt we missed out on our Jan. trip due to the weather being so cold. For May we are planning very few expensive sit downs. We are doing Nine Dragons, and Chefs de France and maybe Olivia's for lunch. Then ESPN, T-Rex. and Mama Melrose for dinnner. The rest will be Casey, Columbia Harbor, Earl of Sandwich, Fish from England's walk up window, and probably Mara at Jambo. We are looking forward to this so we can eat more snacks and desserts from Epcot, Boardwalk Bakery, and Main St. Bakery. We do spend less on souvenirs, but more on drinks So I guess it balances out. I am planning on DH and I going next Feb and will go to just get away from the cold, so hopefully a cheap trip.

 

[noname70]

We do the DDP for DH and myself, and pay cash for DD because she still doesn't eat much..

I thought Disney required you to get the DDP for all of the people in your room?

 

[spiceycat]

most of the time - spend less - at times spend more.

cook or at least prepare most of my meals in my studio/villa.

you can do cooking before hand - just prepare enough for 2 meals instead of one. then freeze it and ship it or bring it to Disney.

when there - go to one of the local grocery stores and buy the stuff you did not bring.

florida has some wonderfully vegetables and fruits - so always buy them after you arrive. (make sure they say = that they are from Florida)

so I am not doing DDP in any version.

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

Like some others have said...we budget but we're still "stuff" collectors. Both DH and DD are avid pin collectors, and they add up quickly. We also have been known to buy a piece of art or 2 from the various galleries.

To balance this all out, we have a direct deposit vacation fund that gets funded from each paycheck, we eat breakfast in the room, and do our big meal out at a TS restaurant. Depending on the day, sometimes it's a late lunch, sometimes an early dinner. We did WeGoShop last time we went to stock the kitchen and that worked very well.

Hope this helps, and welcome home!