Budgetting Do's and Don't at the World

[crisi]

You can hop from BW to BC/YC.

No you can't. You can hop from Pop Pool to pop pool. You can hop from POFQ to POR. You cannot hop from BW to Y&BC or from Y&BC to BW (even DVC members cannot hop to SAB from anywhere). You cannot hop from FW to WL.


My budgeting do -the dining plan can be a good deal - IF you were going to eat table service every day anyway. In the days before the dining plan, budget boarders seldom ate sit down meals every day - over the course of a week they'd have one or two.

You CAN eat cheaper than the dining plan through a combination of counter service, sharing at sit down meals (does everyone need their own desserts) and bringing in some snacks. This may not work if your DH eats like a linebacker, but for anyone who is used to a USDA serving size to start with, sharing will provide enough food.

Budgeting DON'T - if your party is made up by one person with gastric bypass, a sixteen year old on a perpetual diet, and a seven year old who likes KRAFT mac n cheese and survives Disney on two chicken fingers and some fries every day (from the McDonald's cart - any other sort of fries are gross), don't expect the buffets to comp your meals or charge you less. If you choose to go to an all you can eat character meal or enjoy Biergarten, be aware that you aren't likely to eat enough food to justify the price - but the photo with Mickey or doing the polka might be worth it anyway. (Sometimes - infrequently - there are stories of the waitstaff taking pity on the family that has someone that doesn't eat at the buffet - but its rare and not something to be expected).

 

[crisi]

my own personal view is that ECV's are open to anyone, whether they have health related issues or are 100%. I personally wouldn't rent one for myself as I am perfectly capable of walking full time, but I don't think that there is anything wrong with renting one if I did want to. ECV's don't have any regulations requiring some level of disability to use them. just my opinion.

My opinion comes from more a Utilitarian philosophy. EVCs and strollers take up a lot of space in the park. They make traffic flow more difficult for everyone. When the park is crowded, they make capacity crowds seem stuffed. If everyone used an ECV, there would be room for a lot less of us in the parks.

I won't judge any individual in an ECV - I can't tell by looking at them if their use of an ECV would be justified in my mind. But if you are using an ECV because you'd rather not walk - than you are inconveniencing me for your own comfort, and that is rude. And if you are using an ECV to do Disney on a pregnancy where you should be on bedrest - you are being irresponsible about your pregnancy.

There is no regulation about being rude - but I still get to judge rude behavior. Nor are there any rules about endangering your own pregnancy (and I hope there never are - it is the time of life where busybodies come out of the woodwork).

 

[carj]

Budgeting DON'T - if your party is made up by one person with gastric bypass, a sixteen year old on a perpetual diet, and a seven year old who likes KRAFT mac n cheese and survives Disney on two chicken fingers and some fries every day (from the McDonald's cart - any other sort of fries are gross), don't expect the buffets to comp your meals or charge you less. If you choose to go to an all you can eat character meal or enjoy Biergarten, be aware that you aren't likely to eat enough food to justify the price - but the photo with Mickey or doing the polka might be worth it anyway. (Sometimes - infrequently - there are stories of the waitstaff taking pity on the family that has someone that doesn't eat at the buffet - but its rare and not something to be expected).[/QUOTE]

That always makes me laught when i read posts like those. There was not a single meal where my kids got "our money's worth" out of the food at WDW buffets.
I believe on a couple of occasions, we paid $13 a kid for a slice of bacon and 1/4 of a Mickey waffle. However, being able to enjoy the characters without the lines while mom and dad enjoyed the meals was definitely worth it to me!

If the meal didn't involve a mouse, then we would not be paying the costs of those meals!


Budget Do:
1.Look at a variety of dates for your trip. We were able to save quite a bit by changing our dates. We actually stayed a day longer for less overall cost.
2. Pick your must-do things and spend your money there first.
3. Come up with a spending plan for your kids. This is probably different for every family.
4. Bring some snacks and drinks to have in the room. We found that this was helpful at night when we were too tired to walk to the food court.
Budget Don't:
1. Don't buy parkhoppers until you actually need them, especially in the summer when everything is open later.

 

[billybobblockhead]

Also a newbie, but some successes of ours:

Do: We bought 2-32 ounce water bottles. Filled them with ice each night before bed and let it melt overnight. Then we refilled each bottle the next morning with ice/water that we put in the ice container that is in each room. That gives us 64 ounces of water daily that doesn't cost a dime.

Do: DW and I split lunch (or a big breakfast). We would usually buy the "double cheeseburger" (or a Western omlet) and cut it in half. We would split the fries and either drink water or purchase a small Coke. Big cost saving and if you are on the meal plan it saves a CS meal for later on.

Do: The right thing, or something that is a feel good. Last year, we got to MK late in the day. It was dark and all of the fast passes for SM were gone, so we got in the 90 minute line. A lady came up to us and said, hey, is this your first day here, and have you ridden this today? We said yes, and no, we haven't ridden this yet. She gave us 4 FP and said enjoy. We repaid the favor this past January when we gave 4 FP to Rockin Roller Coaster to a family of 4 as we were leaving the park.

Don't: I'm fortunate that we ride everything in the park as a family. However, my sister's kids won't ride a lot of things. So, I agree with the part about not forcing folks onto rides they don't want to ride (even though they would probably love it if they would try it).

 

[camdensmom]

You cannot hop from BW to Y&BC or from Y&BC to BW

Actually, while this is true in general...you CAN pool hop from Y&BC to BW while SAB is under refurb. We received notice that SAB will be closed off and on throughout mid-April, but that we were welcome to use the Boardwalk pool. This is not true all the time, but is OK do do from now through mid-April.

 

[camdensmom]

• Bring breakfast foods from home. It not only saves money, but time.
• Take advantage of the inroom coffee pot. We actually always made it the night before and would put it in the fridge to enjoy iced coffee in the morning. We also brought it from home.
• Rent a car. I know this may seem like it goes against the idea of budgeting since there is transportation available, but I am a true believer that "time is money" and our vacations are MUCH more enjoyable with the ease of having a car to get to ADRs at other resorts, DTD, the Boardwalk, water parks, etc.
• Bring Crystal Lite packets and add them to the free cups of water at counter service. This will give you a little variety from H20 all the time without needing to drink soda.

 

[mousehouselover]

You no longer get wristbands but don't expect to walk onto attractions during EMH if you don't have a room key. They check for them just like they would check for FastPasses at the FP Return Entrance. I was at WDW in early Jan. and there wasn't a single time that I was not asked to show resort ID.

This is correct. We got back last week and had to show our keys everytime we rode, until park closing. No key; no ride.

I'm glad about this, but it will be a PITA for me...my lanyard/ticket carrier is a struggle to get cards in and out of. Wish I could just flash a wristband. But then I was always trying to find the place where they issued them. Can't win.

We didn't have to take them out of the holder, just turn it to face the CM at the entrance.

 

[d1gitman]

My opinion comes from more a Utilitarian philosophy. EVCs and strollers take up a lot of space in the park. They make traffic flow more difficult for everyone. When the park is crowded, they make capacity crowds seem stuffed. If everyone used an ECV, there would be room for a lot less of us in the parks. OH, I agree 100%. Could you imagine if every guest had an ECV, there would be massive road rage, rush hour traffic, accidents, etc.. the very element of everyday life i wish to escape by going on vacation .

keeping this post on topic, it would also be an expensive add to the cost of one's trip if an ECV weren't needed, just wanted.

 

[Kevenswife2]

I agree with a few other posters about the Dining Plan. It works great! That is, until your child turns 10, eats like a 10 year old (nuggets and fries), but is charged as an adult...and now expected to order from the adult menu. Food they don't care for, in HUGE portions, and much left over. And you're expected to tip for the adult priced item. That's when it stops being a good value.

 

[crisi]

Actually, while this is true in general...you CAN pool hop from Y&BC to BW while SAB is under refurb. We received notice that SAB will be closed off and on throughout mid-April, but that we were welcome to use the Boardwalk pool. This is not true all the time, but is OK do do from now through mid-April.

When a pool is under refurb, Disney will tell you which pool can be used as an alternate.

We've never stayed at the Y&BC, but were "fortunate" enough to be able to use SAB during a Boardwalk stay when the pool slide was down. Its not terribly convenient to do so however. In general (and I say this as a DVC member who has pool hopped and is entitled to) pool hopping is a pain in the back end - one of those rules people break that I don't understand why you WOULD break it.

 

[rie'smom]

Do stay home if you have a problem pregnancy. It doesn't make sense to risk your health or the health of a baby just to go to WDW. It will still be there after the baby is born.

Do walk at WDW if you don't have a problem pregnancy. You might have to take a few sit down beaks but you will feel fabulous after a nice hot bath at night.

Do not, IMO , go to WDW if you're in the last trimester. It can be so uncomfortably hot if you're not pregnant. If you are pregnant, you'll feel like you're in a blast furnace. You are also more limited in what you can ride.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

hrh_disney_queen...Is that a typo in your last post? "you can hop from BW to BC/YC" That's always been a no-no.

No, no typo. I was told by the lifeguard at BW that it was allowable. Now I am seeing by several posters, no go. So now I don't know?? During our last trip in December, we were walking around the resorts and I went up to the life guard at the BW and asked her specifically..she said "yes". Neither pool was being refurbished at the time. I had also heard this in the past, but I guess not any more. Wonder where she got her info? Now I am REALLY glad that I booked YC and not BW. My kids are DYING to get into SAB! Thanks for the info!!

Were you following me home from my last several trips?
trust me my purchases do NOT end up in the closet w/in 6 months. I have very few (actually NONE come to mind) of things I have bought for myself at WDW that I have regretted. If anything, I have regretted not breaking down and buying something I was eyeing up. That has happened more than once I'm afraid. Also, I do NOT recommend waiting until the end of the trip to shop. I say shop early and send the pkgs back to the resort using the free service at disney to do this. I can't stand wasting time going back to the stores to buy stuff I already looked at. Plus you do run the chance of something not being available any more or they're out of the size you need. This HAS happened to us. Granted, it usually happens in the smaller stores and not in the one like WOD. Although, I wanted a PM from WOD and when I went to get it, they were out of it. So I had to go the the Art of Disney. If it were the end of my trip, that's one more place I'd have to go and maybe not really have the time. I guess everyone's opinion of Souvies is unique to them. So I say go w/ your gut feeling. Do you want to revisit stores? Also, keep in mind that your resort gift shop will take a return from any Disney owned storeon WDW property. I think there are some non-Disney owned stores (i.e. Lego, virgin, etc...) at DTD that they will not take returns from, but anything bought in any of the parks is returnable at your resort gift shop. So if you have buyer's remorse, you don't have to go far.

I'm glad this works for you, but I can't tell you how many times my kids' "gut" feelings have changed from store to store. I would rather go back to a store and buy something at the end, than to have to keep buying this, no I want that, and then have to return all the stuff they decided against. Thank you though, for that info, I wasn't aware that you could return anything to the resort gift shop. That is good for everyone to know.

We don't take our shopping so seriously that if something isn't there when we go back we get upset about it. In fact, there are times when I wish the items were gone so I could not buy more crap! I also think waiting teaches my kids some discipline and care in making their choices, we don't go overboard on purchases. I did make one exception to my rule last trip. They both wanted some kind of Mouse ears, so we kept looking on our first and second day for just the right ones. We bought them then, on the condition that they were to wear them the entire remainder of the trip. And they did!

 

[eeyoresmom]

No, no typo. I was told by the lifeguard at BW that it was allowable. Now I am seeing by several posters, no go. So now I don't know?? During our last trip in December, we were walking around the resorts and I went up to the life guard at the BW and asked her specifically..she said "yes". Neither pool was being refurbished at the time. I had also heard this in the past, but I guess not any more. Wonder where she got her info? Now I am REALLY glad that I booked YC and not BW. My kids are DYING to get into SAB! Thanks for the info!!




I'm glad this works for you, but I can't tell you how many times my kids' "gut" feelings have changed from store to store. I would rather go back to a store and buy something at the end, than to have to keep buying this, no I want that, and then have to return all the stuff they decided against. Thank you though, for that info, I wasn't aware that you could return anything to the resort gift shop. That is good for everyone to know.

We don't take our shopping so seriously that if something isn't there when we go back we get upset about it. In fact, there are times when I wish the items were gone so I could not buy more crap! I also think waiting teaches my kids some discipline and care in making their choices, we don't go overboard on purchases. I did make one exception to my rule last trip. They both wanted some kind of Mouse ears, so we kept looking on our first and second day for just the right ones. We bought them then, on the condition that they were to wear them the entire remainder of the trip. And they did!

They are very strict at SAB about checking room keys. Dd ad I were literally the only people sitting by the pool last November ( it was really cold ) and we still had to show our room keys and wear a bracelet ( around our jackets!)

 

[Megs114]

This may be such a small detail, but my brother gave me this idea from when he went a few years ago. He buys snacks, water, and breakfast food (cereal, muffins, foods that won't spoil) in New Jersey a week or two before he leaves. He then mails it to the hotel, this way it is waiting for him when he checks in. You just tell the front desk you had a package sent here and they will get it for you. This saves you money on snacks in the park, water (which the boyfriend and I like to freeze a few bottles the night before as well as a Disney washcloth in a plastic bag. This helps keep us cool during those hot days.) This will help you save money in the long run.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

They are very strict at SAB about checking room keys. Dd ad I were literally the only people sitting by the pool last November ( it was really cold ) and we still had to show our room keys and wear a bracelet ( around our jackets!)

I wasn't talking about trying to do something that wasn't allowable..I was really told by the lifeguard it was allowed..Maybe she misunderstood. Anyway, we will be happy to show our key and hang out at SAB. It will be plenty for us! Thanks... This is funny, now you guys are being so nice and all, so it doesn't apply to you ...but I once ( a newbie) started a thread about pool hopping, and I got flamed so bad ( I wasn't try to do anything wrong, or tell anyone to do anything wrong..-just that folks are very protective about their pools!) I left the boards for a couple of weeks...


So lets spell this out...

Pool hopping is only allowed:

Pop Century-all pools within that resort
All Star Resorts-all pools including Movies, Music, and Sports (not from AS to PC)
POFQ and POR-both pools for both resorts

No pool hopping anywhere else..right?




I heard that WDW is going to start charging for accepting deliveries to the resorts. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

[mickaholic4077]

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!

Great advice,Carol!!!

 

[roxiehartseeyore]

We take them with us everytime and I can't imagine going without them. They are lightweight ours hold 2 liters of liquid, plus there is plenty of room for storage. We fill them up with ice then water before we leave the room and we have ice water all day, the ice never melts all the way its so well insulated. We save so much money on not buying drinks and we can stay constantly hydrated.

 

[Karlzmom]

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?

As another "lucky" preggo with problems, it seems to me that there is a difference between doing what you have to just to get through the months until baby arrives and taking a trip with fairly tough demands.....i.e. while on bedrest I would go the doctor [fortunately didn't need a wheelchair], but it would have never occured to me to do a pleasure outing....I'm sure there are those that will disagree - heck, i got cabin fever too.....but I see a difference. IMO.

 

[Karlzmom]

keeping this post on topic, it would also be an expensive add to the cost of one's trip if an ECV weren't needed, just wanted.

Why it would be just like the Axiom in Wall*E!

 

[sconnell]

We usually travel with at least another family (one family in particular) and we share a photopass with them. It's a great way to get a group shot of all of us! We usually go our own ways but meet for our TS meal every day. A lot of times we'll take a group pic while we wait for our table. Like the view of the castle from Crystal Palace. With 5 kids ages 6 and under, the Photopass photographer who is willing to take several shots is so much nicer than feeling like we're keeping someone from their vacation.