Budgetting Do's and Don't at the World

[mom2faith]

I want to start a positive thread based on the recently closed thread started by rudetreehill.

My reasoning is this: as a newbie, I did not know the "Do's" and "Don'ts" of Disney Budgetting. I thinks this is a great opportunity to let all newbies know which budget tricks are acceptable and which are not and why.

For Example: Reusing Mugs - I did not know that reusing mugs was wrong. Before we went, I thought "Why not?", now I see. For $12.50 you get a great souvenier and you get all the refills you want throughout your trip (at your home resort). Since we went in hot and humid September, we easily got our monies worth within the first 3 days!! We even got DD one (even though we probably didn't have to) just so she could have the souvenier. I have already scoped out the new design and cannot wait to get the current one!

Another Example: Pool Hopping - seriously, I am not joking, in the book " The Everything Disneyworld" book (a very popular series of books - but the Disney one is not that great), the author (who states she is a former CM) say it is OK to pool hop, just do not get caught. I personally could not do this, I would feel so guilty. But aside from the guilt, I would not do this because that is simply not what we paid for.

So, my point of this thread is not to accuse people of stealing, not to judge people for what they do, but instead give example and reasons why you think this is wrong. This will allow all "newbies" and some veterans to make an educated and informed decision on what they are going to do.

So, that being said, here is my list of Budget Do's and Don'ts (some of this I already posted on the closed thread):

DO'S

• We like the freedom of renting a car and think this expense is worth while as we can freely move throughout the park, and see other sides of Orlando.
• We will always pay to stay on site as we like the closeness and convenience. We like that "Disney" feeling.
• We loved the dining plan and will continue to get this. It made eating out mindless and we got a lot for our money. For example we were able to have a character meal everyday - something we could not have afforded without the dining plan. We did share meals, but this was only because the portions were a lot larger than what we are used to here. And, in that same sense we did leave some CS meals behind. We could've gotten sandwiches, etc for the trip home, but we truly felt that we had gotten our money's worth and did not want to take advantage and order the remaining 6 meals at once.
• We will bring water and small snacks into the park. However, we always show them during bag checks and realize that someday this rule may change.

DON'Ts

• We will not celebrate a birthday if it is not why we are there. For our upcoming trip we are celbrating Faith starting Kindergarden and that is the truth. If we were to go at the end of November, I would then choose ONE day that we would consider Faith's Birthday party (no different then at home when her birthday is a Tuesday, but we have the party on Saturday.
• I will not ask my child to lie about their age, height, etc. Faith is proud of being 4 and to ask her to say she is not would not be teaching her anything. As for height - those restrictions (as frustrating as they are sometimes) are there for the safety of everyone on the ride - not just you and your child.
• We will not reuse mugs - think about the actual value of the mug, $12.50 for unlimited refils vs. $2.00 per drink, and you get to keep the mug. It only takes 6 drinks to make this worthwhile (and you get to keep the mug).
• We will not participate in things we did not pay for. Again I want Faith to grow up knowing that we did not "cheat" the system, so we will not pool hop, etc, or take advantage of resort offerings that are not at our home resort. If however we can pay to participate we will (say there was a $2 per person charge to check out another resort pool, hey why not, we may even stay there one day as a result).
• We will not photopass share, but it is not because of Disney rules (I did not even know that there was rules). It is because I would not want to share photos of my child with complete strangers who will have access to printing and posting those photos freely. This just does not sit well with me.

Questions

On my previous post in the closed thread, I had 2 questions. Thank you to d1gitman who said I was being to hard on myself, but I am interested in what others think of this.

• Fridge Swapping - is this taking money, etc away from Disney as they provide fridges for a charge? And, is this perhaps hindering what people are allowed to store in the future as us swappers are taking up storage in the resorts when the fridges are not in use? (FYI - I am in a swap, but I had never thought of it this way before and look forward to opinions).
• Renting ECV while pregnant - this is just for curiousity. If I get pregnant, I may not "need" one, but it would make my trip more enjoyable (especially at AK). Is this politically incorrect? Again, just looking for honest opinions.

Ok guys - lets keep this clean. What are your Do's and Don'ts with reasons? rememebr this is for educational purposes only, not for debate.

Thank you, and looking forward to the answers!!

 

[oldbay]

DO:
Bring a few snacks to keep in your resort room like soda or pop tarts. It saves you a walk to the food court late at night, especially at some of the larger resorts. Plus, the mugs can be kind of small to hold enough drink to get you through a night.

Take advantage of the free water all the disney kiosks offer if you get thirsty at the part.

 

[ajk912]

I am sure some will disagree, but for me a dining plan DO is to utilize your credits to the fullest. So before you checkout, make sure you used all your credits..especially for us we may have snack credits left over. Go to the gift shop and buy a bunch of mickey cookies/rice krispie treats to use them up!

And a time budget one: Utilize fast pass as much as possible..it's a free feature and it saves you SOO much time. So is being a rope dropper. You pay the same whether you go to the park at 11am or 9am, get more for your money by getting there at 9am.

Another food do: Portion sizes are HUGE, they are easily splitable. Some of those meals have 1000 calories, easy. Split them in two, drink a huge glass of water (you probably need the water anyway with all the walking you are doing)- you shouldn't be hungry.

 

[Lisa_M]

DO:
-ask the photopass photographers to take your picture and forget about buying Disney's photopass.
-pack quick easy breakfast stuff in your luggage-oatmeal, microwavable mug, granola bars, etc. Disney breakfast is great, but crazy expensive.
-prebuy Disney sovenoirs (sp?) and surprise your kids during the trip with something from Mickey or Tinkerbell (someone on here once suggested it and I thought it was an awesome idea)
-spend some time at the Boardwalk and DTD. Free and such a nice day or evening out

DON'T
-I would say don't rent an ECV if your pregnant...JMO
-don't rent a wheelchair, unless you truly need it
-It's been a while since I've been to disney, so I'm out of don't for now. I reserve the right to edit this post later

 

[dimimi]

DO: use all of your meal credits.They let you be creative with your leftover meals. We bought snacks with our CS meals that we did not use.

Use fastpass

Enjoy a day at the resort...this allows you to relax a day!

Bring snacks and food for breakfast.

Visit other resorts...no, you can't use the pool, but it's nice to check out the resort.


Don't:

I can't imagine needing a wheelchair or scooter if you were pregnant...I guess if you were sick or had medical issues, but I can't imagine any other reason, I walked all of the time when I was pregnant. I would add that I wouldn't visit Disney pregnant in August or when I was over 7 months along.

 

[DisTwix]

HI!

First... at times when I have gone back during the same "season" of a mug, I absolutely bring the mug and reuse it. The old system was based on resorts --- buying a mug at that resort basically bought lifetime useage. Since the new system is based on a theme - basically a marketing package - I see no issue with using my same exact mug, bought just a couple month's previously.

I order kid's meals @ CS most everywhere. The portion is much more what I need AND two healthy sides.

I take my own tea bags! We were just there in the cold, and having hot tea every day was the biggest treat - and it was FREE. Every place that sells coffee has hot water and will give you a cup with no problem (although I did have one CM run hot TAP water for me... which was fine with me... it was actually hot enough to brew the tea).

I think Fridge swapping is fine... from my experience, it seems most of the resorts have large storage areas for packages/luggage on site, or easy access to larger spaces. Personally, I think Disney should just have mini-fridges @ all the resorts, and stop the madness.

Also - I would also discourage against renting a scooter/wheelchair while pregnant, unless you have an actual medical need. There are plenty of people there in scooters and wheelchairs who have no other choice in the matter - it just doesn't seem cool to do it for convenience. Plus, I've been when we've had someone in a wheelchair and it is NOT easy to crowd manuever - much, much harder than with a stroller.

 

[disneybridetobe]

I can't imagine needing a wheelchair or scooter if you were pregnant...I guess if you were sick or had medical issues, but I can't imagine any other reason, I walked all of the time when I was pregnant. I would add that I wouldn't visit Disney pregnant in August or when I was over 7 months along.

I was on bedrest with my DD, and I needed a wheelchair/ECV when I was out doing things I needed to do, because my placenta would start bleeding if I was walking too far. I'm sure some people thought I was a lazy slob, but I had a legitimate problem that wasn't obvious on the outside. Granted, I dont think I'd be at WDW with this problem, but sometimes pregnancies aren't all peachy keen, kwim?

 

[mom2faith]

Sorry - I just wanted to clarify that I meant pregnant and in my 7th or 8th month. Just had to say that

Also, great tips!! Thank you!!

Amy

 

[sarahk0204]

I was also on bedrest (for 3 months) when I was pregnant with my twins. I did use the ECV at Target at least once. No, I wouldn't have been at Disney either, but as the PP said, not all pregnancies are smooth sailing.

Some resort activities are open to all WDW guests (the campfire at FW comes to mind). Visiting other resorts to take a look at the decor is ok, too (just don't pool hop)

DO -Check out menus for restaurants before you go. Even if you are on the DP, you can have an idea of where you might want to eat. It is so much easier to plan a little and try to eat lunch a little early or a little late, rather than being caught in the crowd and being hungry at the same time!
-Make a little Disney Magic for someone else. If you have FP you aren't going to use or rain ponchos you are done with, pass them on to someone else and spread the magic.

DON'T -Try to bully the CM into doing something against policy. That's just rude.

 

[akayek31]

I agree with OP on the photo share. I am over protective enough with my kids. There is no way I will trust strangers with pictures of my kids. I would rather pay the $99 and have peace of mind.

I am not sure if I would do the fridge swap. I did take water into the park last year but never drank it

 

[mousehouselover]

I do have one caveat to the pool hopping; DVC members staying on points are allowed to pool hop at other DVC resorts per the DVC member perks book. They have to show ID and may be asked to leave if the pool becomes full. There are also blackout dates.

Regarding meal sharing and DDP or DXDP; I've paid for the meals for everyone in my party. If we want to share a couple of CS meals so we can have a signature meal or two or have enough to last us through the end of our stay, how is that wrong? Since we check in before noon our first day and leave after 2 on our last day, we have more meal times than meal credits. We split meals and supplement with fruit or side salad (snack plan.) I'm not sharing with anyone outside my group and I would never go to a TS and share a meal, even if we aren't very hungry and there is enough food on each plate for two people.

When it comes to mugs, fridge or stroller and photopass shares; let your conscience be your guide. If it will bother you to take part, just don't do it.

I already give Disney several thousand dollars every year. Even if I find a way to save $150, you can bet I'm going to be spending it on souviners. Disney gets theirs one way or another and I have more stuff to enjoy when I get home. My personal rules are: don't bring your own food into the park and it's not a souviner if it's not purchased at the park. (Park includes DTD where I get AP, DVC and a Disney Visa discounts. Like I said, Disney gets theirs and then some........)

 

[mommyofknl]

Hi everyone! I'm really new, (longtime lurker, sorry) but I just wanted to point out that on the disney website, in the mom's panel, it has been stated several times by the panel "moms" that it is perfectly fine to bring your own food and drinks into the park. Just that large coolers are not allowed.

 

[Aliceacc]

Do:
-purchase ponchos at your local Walmart or dollar store if you're going in the summer. (Last August it rained almost every day during our trip-- part of that may have been the approach of TS Faye. ) Don't forget a brightly colored poncho or tablecloth and some clothespins for your stroller.

- pre-buy the kids some sort of fannypack or something to hold their stuff. I got the kids fannypacks for about $6 at www.beltoutlet.com (warning: the "kids" fannypacks are TINY! Go up a size if your child is 5 or up.)

- pre-buy or make an autograph book for each of your kids. Ours were $6 at www.laughingplacestore.com Bring along a sharpie.

-Another fan of the meal plan. We were able to enjoy family time together over a dinner table-- it's just not the same with counterservice. And with 2 kids under 10, it was a bargain!!! Where else can you feed your 8 year old for $10 per day, including a restaurant meal???

- I did a photoshare with my sister and my friend. I'm another mom who won't let strangers have pictures of my kids. But we ended up paying only $33 a piece for our CD.

- a real trip saver in August: misters. We got mistymate ones at BJs at 3/$15 last summer. They would have been a bargain at triple the price. We used 2 or 3 at a time for our family of 5, and refilled them at water fountains. They kept all 5 of us comfortable in the sticky August heat.

Don't:
- feel as though you have to buy into everything that everyone here raves about. Many people here hit WDW every year or so. So maybe their kids need something extra to spice it up. For our family at least, an Illuminations cruise, a trip to the Bibbidy bobbity boutique-- those things are unnecessary expenses. Would I take them if offered for free? Sure. But my kids will never miss them

- Please don't feel that any one event or parade or ride is a trip-maker. Be willing to walk away from anything if it will cost your family happiness. Case in point: last year, Spectromagic went on hiatus on day 2 of our trip. So day 1 was our only chance to see it. But the kids were out of bed at 4:30 am to catch the flight. There was no way they could stay awake long enough to make it to Spectro. That's OK-- they never knew what they missed, and neither did we. Seeing that would have been at the cost of 3 cranky kids and 2 cranky adults--- way too high a price.

 

[Bren's Mom]

I disagree with op's 'don't' about not taking advantage of offerings at other resorts. (Pools excepted.) Fort Wilderness' Campfire is open to any Disney resort guest. It's posted in Allears FAQs and the CM at Pop when we asked directions for how to get there easiest didn't have any problem with it.

 

[CarolA]

Budget tip...

Don't buy your kids everything they see they want.
Don't buy yourself everything you see you want.

Wait until the END of the trip and see if you even remember what it was.

Seriously I see folks hauling home bags of "stuff" and how much do you want to bet that 90% of it just gets put in a closet within 6 months! Disney makes it all look very appealing but....Do you really need 10 Disney t-shirts, four light up spinners, a complete collection of stuffed characters etc.....??? Your vaction should be about memories NOT STUFF LOL!

 

[hsmamato2]

Do- bring snacks etc for your family into parks- there's nothing wrong with this- most don't bother,but it saves us some $$$ and we still buy food anyway-
We don't bother with bringing water with us anymore- we use fountains or ask for a cup for free-
take advantage of any and all free offerings that Disney has set up- most of it is available to ALL guests visiting,and if it isn't it's usally clear it's restricted-
Rent a car for more enjoyment,freedom to go where/when you need to go-
DON'T- force unwilling kids onto rides they hate or are scared of....it makes it uncomfortable for EVERYONE around you....like a pp said, it's fine to just skip some things,you'll still have fun!
Don't steal from buffets- though last time we went to Chef Mickeys-the very kind server gave each of my kids a paper cup and told them to fill it with gummy bears for the road....just a bit of magic for them- but she offered,we didn't steal.....

 

[gillenkl]

Do
buy a book that has all the Hidden Mickey's - this is a fun activity and will keep kids busy.

watch the nightly water parade - come to the campfire at Fort Wilderness and then watch the parade from the beach

take some park down-time and visit other resorts and their gift shops.

pack every conceivable medical supply you might need - some things you might not find on property or if you do they will be $$$$$

rent a watercraft for a little park down time

go over to Animal Kingdom Lodge to see the animals

if you're staying at Fort Wilderness - splurge (if you can) and rent a golf cart - they're so much fun and save walking.


DON'T
force your toddler to spend the entire day nonstop in the parks - if your child is hot or cranky please take them back to your room for a rest and cool off. This goes for adults too - if you're tired, it's ok to rest.

 

[verlee]

The only don't that I feel strongly about is don't use extra magic hours if you are not staying on property.

Here are my dos..... Why not bring a lunch in? Disney does not care.
Why not go in with others for a fridg? The $ disney charges is a convience fee, not a money maker. They don't care if you have one. (I also think it should be standard, it is everywhere else).
Why not take advantage of other resort programs? Disney does not care and it may result in future stays.

There seems to be a little bit of classism here. But disney does not care if you are rich or not. They just want your money. If you can only go by eating packed lunches disney will be happy to take your just your ticket and room $, instead of having you go else where with it.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

DO ask for a courtesy cup of water with your CS meal. This is free, no need for bottled water at $2/bottle, better for you than soft drinks. If you must have a soft drink, buy the XL and get 4 straws. And the cups of water. Split/share everything that is allowed. The portions are way too much for the average person, so you will either eat too much and be uncomfortable, or walk away from very expensive leftovers.

DO take advantage of allowable things to do at other resorts. Take a boat ride from Epcot to visit 5 beautiful resorts and shopping at BW, Swan, Dolphin, BC, and YC. You may be tempted to revisit as a paying guest.

DO bring non cooking food items into your room. Cereal, poptarts, donuts, while not the most nutritious breakfast (throw in a banana if it makes you feel better!) is a great money saver, and even better for us, a HUGE time saver when we are trying to fly out the door for the rope drop. My family (not me, I am up before the wake up call, showered, made up and dressed..) is slllllooooowwww starting out, even at WDW. The more time saved, the better. To me TIME is the biggest cost at WDW. Please for the sake of other guests safety and smell factor, don't cook in a crockpot or other method unless you are in a Villa that is equipped with a stove.

DO bring late night snacks from home. Use the microwave in the food court to pop micro popcorn. Bring corn chips and salsa.

DO bring your own alcoholic beverages. Wait until you are safe and sound back in your room for your night cap. We have brought beer, hard liquor w/mixers, and my favorite-Mike's Hard Lemonade. We cannot spend $15 for a mixed drink. Yes, we are on vacation and we are worth it. Just can't bring ourselves to do it.

DO maximize your time. Time is your most expensive component of your WDW trip. Get up early..ride the best rides first, but get your FP before you get in the line. As soon as your next "window" opens up for another FP, get new ones. We don't ever do the tour plans that are laid out in the Unofficial Guide, I think we would pass out by the first 2 hours. We have a laid back plan of getting in early, going on the popular rides, then chilling out and seeing what catches our fancy. I don't want a vacation with a schedule, that is why I go on vacation-to avoid one.

CarolA, we follow the same rule. We look at everything during our trip, then on the last day we purchase. The things that really matter are remembered, the stuff you might have purchased and later regretted is forgotten. We ALWAYS end up at the LEGO shop, so this is never a problem for us. Plus we feel that getting them a couple of LEGO sets is a better value than another stuffed Mickey or more Mr. Potato Head parts. No regrets where souvenirs are concerned. As far as our adults (me and DH) are concerned...I have enough Disney T-shirts to wear one a day for a month. I may buy a new antenna ball because my old one is ripped or faded, but I stay away from buying for myself. I don't need any more STUFF. DH wouldn't be caught dead with a Mickey anywhere near him..so I don't have to worry about him. I do buy him a new Test Track antenna ball every trip, it matches his yellow and black SUV.

I didn't know you could use EMH if you are staying off property. How do you do that, you have to show your room key to get a wrist band in order to go on the attractions?

 

[mom2faith]

I disagree with op's 'don't' about not taking advantage of offerings at other resorts. (Pools excepted.) Fort Wilderness' Campfire is open to any Disney resort guest. It's posted in Allears FAQs and the CM at Pop when we asked directions for how to get there easiest didn't have any problem with it.

I did not know this!! Thank you for this tip!! I knew we could share do's and don'ts in a positive manner and learn things!! Thank you!!

DO ask for a courtesy cup of water with your CS meal. This is free, no need for bottled water at $2/bottle, better for you than soft drinks. If you must have a soft drink, buy the XL and get 4 straws. And the cups of water. Split/share everything that is allowed. The portions are way too much for the average person, so you will either eat too much and be uncomfortable, or walk away from very expensive leftovers.

DO take advantage of allowable things to do at other resorts. Take a boat ride from Epcot to visit 5 beautiful resorts and shopping at BW, Swan, Dolphin, BC, and YC. You may be tempted to revisit as a paying guest.

This is such good reminder. We did not do this last trip and wished we had. This trip we are planning a resort hopping day to check out all of the fabulous resorts.

DO bring non cooking food items into your room. Cereal, poptarts, donuts, while not the most nutritious breakfast (throw in a banana if it makes you feel better!) is a great money saver, and even better for us, a HUGE time saver when we are trying to fly out the door for the rope drop. My family (not me, I am up before the wake up call, showered, made up and dressed..) is slllllooooowwww starting out, even at WDW. The more time saved, the better. To me TIME is the biggest cost at WDW. Please for the sake of other guests safety and smell factor, don't cook in a crockpot or other method unless you are in a Villa that is equipped with a stove.

DO bring late night snacks from home. Use the microwave in the food court to pop micro popcorn. Bring corn chips and salsa.

DO bring your own alcoholic beverages. Wait until you are safe and sound back in your room for your night cap. We have brought beer, hard liquor w/mixers, and my favorite-Mike's Hard Lemonade. We cannot spend $15 for a mixed drink. Yes, we are on vacation and we are worth it. Just can't bring ourselves to do it.

DO maximize your time. Time is your most expensive component of your WDW trip. Get up early..ride the best rides first, but get your FP before you get in the line. As soon as your next "window" opens up for another FP, get new ones. We don't ever do the tour plans that are laid out in the Unofficial Guide, I think we would pass out by the first 2 hours. We have a laid back plan of getting in early, going on the popular rides, then chilling out and seeing what catches our fancy. I don't want a vacation with a schedule, that is why I go on vacation-to avoid one.

CarolA, we follow the same rule. We look at everything during our trip, then on the last day we purchase. The things that really matter are remembered, the stuff you might have purchased and later regretted is forgotten. We ALWAYS end up at the LEGO shop, so this is never a problem for us. Plus we feel that getting them a couple of LEGO sets is a better value than another stuffed Mickey or more Mr. Potato Head parts. No regrets where souvenirs are concerned. As far as our adults (me and DH) are concerned...I have enough Disney T-shirts to wear one a day for a month. I may buy a new antenna ball because my old one is ripped or faded, but I stay away from buying for myself. I don't need any more STUFF. DH wouldn't be caught dead with a Mickey anywhere near him..so I don't have to worry about him. I do buy him a new Test Track antenna ball every trip, it matches his yellow and black SUV.

I didn't know you could use EMH if you are staying off property. How do you do that, you have to show your room key to get a wrist band in order to go on the attractions?

You no longer get wristbands, and the CMs rarely ask to see you key. So, now it is possible to take advantage of this now....