Bummer :(

[MommyPookie]

I don't think we will go to Disney World... We added everything up, and I don't think we will be able to afford it. We could stay at an offsite hotel but I would REALLY love to stay INSIDE Disney. I dunno, just incase I have to change Isabel, or she falls asleep or one of us feels sick... And I would really love to stay at least 4 days. Or 5.

It's a real bummer now becasue as soon as my husband said yes, I was obsessed... This wont stop me from coming here though, if that's ok with everyone else... I will still plan and research for when we CAN afford to go .. I cant wait!

Thank you EVERYONE for all your advice. I wrote most of it down and even read other threads and took in some advice as well.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Remember to check out the codes board about Disney Discounts- right now there is $13 off per night at a value resort in August and September.............

 

[mrzrich]

Check out the budget boards here on the DIS. They share creative ways to save money and earn extra cash in your every day life, so that you can put it towards your vacation fund.

They also share great ways to save money at WDW.

Also mousesavers.com is also a great place to find ideas to go to WDW for less $$$$

 

[WillCAD]

You're making what I consider to be one of the most classic blunders when planning a vacation - you think you can't afford the trip, but what you really mean is that you can't affird the exact trip you've got in mind, so you're calling the whole thing off.

My advice to you is not to call it off, but to start looking at alternatives - different times of year when rates are lower, leaving off the uber-popular dining plan and eating mostly counter-service (with a few table-service meals thrown in), downgrading to a Moderate or Value resort, and yes, staying off-site.

Staying at an off-site is the easiest way to save big money on a Disney trip. Even when you add in the extra cost of a rental car (which I consider an absolute must when staying off-site), off-site hotels can be so much less expensive than Disney resorts that your overall trip can be 30% cheaper. Add in the fact that you can't get the Dining Plan when off-site, and you open up another avenue of potential savings.

Travelling with an infant or toddler makes an on-site room much more attractive, but it's certainly not a must. Plenty of people stay off-site with littles and have no difficulty managing them. Need to change her? No problem - there are changing stations all over the parks.

Nap time? This leads to another huge misconception about WDW - that "off-site" automatically means outrageous travel times between your hotel and the parks. Not so! If you factor in the tremendous time-savings from having a rental car vs. waiting for Disney busses, your travel time from a park to a nearby off-site hotel is just about the same; in fact, in a few cases, it's less. Then you also have to add in the convenience factor - you ALWAYS get a seat in your own car, your little will ALWAYS have her car seat (which I consider far safer than holding her on a Disney bus), and you can easily stop at local stores for little sundries like snacks, milk, wipes, or film.

I stay off-site on about half of my trips, strictly because of the money savings. Granted, I don't have a little one with me, but having experienced the off-site Disney vacation many times, I can tell you from experience that it will not only save you enough money to make your trip possible, but it will NOT negatively impact your enjoyment (provided that you stay at a reasonably nice hotel in the Downtown Disney, Lake Buena Vista, or Maingate areas.)

Keep researching, and keep your mind open. You may yet make it to WDW.

 

[MommyPookie]

I will keep an open mind... I just wont be as eexcited as I was just INCASE we really arent going. I'll get excited when we are leaving Texas!! I have no problem staying at an offsite hotel... I just wanted our first time to be the best in every angle... But I know... It cant.. I'm looking at the money saving stuff and discounts and I'm getting joyful again, and maybe my husband will change his mind... Thank guys.

 

[mickeysaver]

To be perfectly honest, my favorite of all of my Disney trips was back in 2001. We stayed offsite in a hotel that was $27 a night with a king bed and a fridge.....boy those were the days. We spent a long weekend in the Orlando area. We shopped a lot at DTD, and at the outlet mall. We saw a pre-season Braves game at Cracker Jack Stadium. We saw La Nouba. And we went to MGM. It was relaxing and a whole lot of fun. It was short, sweet, and cheap.

While I love our trips where we have been blessed with the ability to stay onsite, since then, it was nice to just to be able to go to WDW. I am considering an offsite stay next year. I would like to do some new things besides just WDW. Not to say that I don't love the mouse, because I most certainly do, but I would also like to vary the experience a little more and be able to bring along our dogs. We have a large budget for our upcoming trip that includes over $1500 for the boarding of our 4 Chihuahuas.

Staying offsite is not the end of the world. Yes, it's convenient to be able to stay onsite, but it's not a necessity. Don't give up. There are ways to make it happen. It just takes planning. And if you can't go this year, it's not the end of the world. You can delay your plans until next year. It's possible, maybe just not under your initial time table. Don't give up hope! Maggie

 

[bytheblood]

You should figure out how much you can logically spend and plan based upon that budget.

Staying in a value onsite is less expensive than staying offsite and having to pay for a rental and gas. Disney transportation is bundled in with your price to stay in Disney per se, so you are only paying for airfare.

Don't go hog wild and try to stay for 8 nights if your budget only allows 4 or 5.

Consider the dining plan for your lunches and dinners and take breakfast with you. Pop tarts, granola bars, etc in addition to a snack credit. You can also take flavor packets for water so that during the day, you can refill your water bottle and make it taste better with those.

I agree with WillCAD, a lot of it is in your approach. If you walk into it thinking you cannot go, then you will never go. If you start with a budget you can afford and work with that, you will be seeing Mickey soon.

Additionally, planning early makes it easier as well. It gives you more time to save and make payments towards your trip.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . You're making what I consider to be one of the most classic blunders when planning a vacation - you think you can't afford the trip, but what you really mean is that you can't affird the exact trip you've got in mind, so you're calling the whole thing off . . .

1) Yep.
2) What he said.

3) People think that their trip has to be "The Perfect Trip".
4) This takes in a lot of territory.
5) One has to ask one's self
. . . is the fun and magic in the parks?
. . . is the fun and magic in the resort?
6) Sure, the resort can ADD magic, but it isn't THE magic.

7) I'd rather stay in an off-site el-cheapo, and do Disney, than forego the trip.

 

[disneykate28]

Remember to check out the codes board about Disney Discounts- right now there is $13 off per night at a value resort in August and September.............

Where do I find the codes board!? That sounds fantastic!

 

[Mkrop]

I don't think we will go to Disney World... We added everything up, and I don't think we will be able to afford it. We could stay at an offsite hotel but I would REALLY love to stay INSIDE Disney. I dunno, just incase I have to change Isabel, or she falls asleep or one of us feels sick... And I would really love to stay at least 4 days. Or 5.

It's a real bummer now becasue as soon as my husband said yes, I was obsessed... This wont stop me from coming here though, if that's ok with everyone else... I will still plan and research for when we CAN afford to go .. I cant wait!

Thank you EVERYONE for all your advice. I wrote most of it down and even read other threads and took in some advice as well.

why dont you post some of your specifics and see if they can get your costs down over on the budget board?

have you tried a gargae sale to raise money, the coin jar.

going during value season, driving vs flying, not staying as long etc,

dont give up!

 

[bytheblood]

Where do I find the codes board!? That sounds fantastic!

http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=12

 

[danny1649]

If you can dream it,you can do it

 

[scanne]

Keep this in mind as well....

All the theme parks have Baby Care Centers. These are GREAT, especially the one at AK and MK. They have places where you can change the baby, feed the baby, heat up formula/food, a place for the kids to unwind, run around a bit and watch Disney Cartoons. There is no charge to use the facilities (unless you're purchasing something like diapers or baby food). My kids are 2 (almost 3) and 4 (almost 5) and I still use these centers. I also used them when my DD was 3 months old on her first trip.

These centers are AWESOME!!!

Some other ways to save money - if you're a AAA member you can get 10-15% off your hotel room and buy Disney park passes at a AAA location. You can use www.gardengrocer.com to order some breakfast items for quick and inexpensive breakfasts/snacks in the room. If Southwest airlines flies out of an airport close to you, sign up for their DING promotion. I've gotten roundtrip airfare for 4 people for around $400. Total.

So, do your research and you'll be surprised just how much you can save and just how affordable a WDW vacation CAN be!

 

[bluehen]

Play this game...

Imagine you are in the Magic Kindom. You are engulfed by tons of happy people in the happiest place on earth. Now guess which ones are staying on site.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We have stayed both & really staying off site can be just as easy. If you have a condo you can eat breakfast in (saving money), do your washing (great with kids) & if you really want to - make dinner when you get back!

 

[bigmoonmullen]

Hi:

I agree with the other posters... there are ways to save.

As others have said, we have stayed off-site (rented a condo 3 miles away) and on-site (POP & BC). While my preference is to stay on-site I would never hesitate to stay off-site if it really is that much cheaper... you will really have to crunch the numbers to see if it is... cost of rental car and parking will add up... We really enjoyed staying at POP (Value) back in 2004 value season... it has excellent bus service. As mentioned previously, while the DDP is nice, you can save money eating at mostly food courts, counter service and getting breakfast items/snack/drinks from the various grocery delivery services. Yes... the food maybe not as nice but the real goal is being able to afford the WDW experience and when you really think about it $38.99 each for adults a day for food is a lot...

Even though I have stayed at a WDW deluxe resort in the past and will do so again this November/December with a family Grand Gathering I actually prefer the Value resorts (I was out-voted for this upcoming trip). WHY??? Most people base their Disney trip around visiting the various Parks not spending lots of time at the resort... while they do add to the excitement and pleasure it's not what the trip is all about. When my wife & I travel outside the country we look for small intimate luxury resorts where our time is mostly based revolving around the resort. So... don't hesitate to stay at a Value resort if that's what allows you to achieve your GOAL... WDW... You won't be sorry...

IF however, even after looking at all the various options you really can't afford it don't BREAK the Bank... I would never finance a trip to anywhere... who knows what the true cost would end up then.

Good luck!!!


Mark

 

[Ms.Grumpy]

I purchase my Disney vacation using my Disney Visa. It allows me six months to pay off a $1500 vacation instead of paying it all at once.

 

[starbox]

We've taken Disney trips since the kids were little, I was a SAHM, and we were on a very, very limited budget. Our first trip was when the kids were 4 and 2 years old. We stayed 5 nights that were paid for by doing a timeshare preview (3 nights) and pricelining a hotel (2 nights). We ate at McDonalds Perkins after we left the park, with the exception of one late lunch at Cinderella's Castle. I had a yard sale and used birthday money to pay for the tickets. We only spent four days in the park, and did not buy park-hoppers.

Fast forward 7 years and we've taken a number of trips, slowly upgrading our accomodations and length of stay. Our first on-site trip happened when I finished grad school and got a job - we stayed a whole week and had the dining plan.

Now, we own DVC, have annual passes, and are very grateful for the level of Disney vacations we get to take.

BUT - you want to know my secret? No trip I've taken beats that first super-budget trip, even with the moving of hotels with the tiny kids, and eating off-site. That's the trip I have the best memories of. I think back on it now and wonder how we did it! No Disney transportation, we were off-site, we had to watch every penny of our dining cost, we did not park-hop, and all that with two teeny little kids - but, at the time, it was just all great. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world just to be there with the kids. It was such a treat.

 

[Iott Family]

We are a family of six, four kids ages 15 months, 3 yrs, 9 yrs, and 11yrs. We cant afford to stay onsite anymore with all of us. So we are renting a vacation home offsite at Windsor Hills (windsorhillsrent dot com). Its a 3bed/3bath with a splash pool for less than 700 w/ tax for 7days. We will eat in breakfast, pack a small cooler with snacks and water bottles, make good use of the baby care centers for down time and diaper changes. We will be driving so we have a vehicle and will leave the parks every day by 1 or 2pm and grab food(lunch) at the villa, swim and nap and go back in to the parks in the evenings(after a light dinner at the villa) for fireworks and rides. We can do all of this for 3000. That includes gas in our truck driving from Indiana to Florida, two nights lodging in a mod hotel on the way to and from, 7 days in a villa, groceries, tickets(our largest expense) and souvies.

We thought we werent going to do Disney again for awhile after baby 4 arrived because Disney is $$ for large families but we just figured our way around all that to a different ay to do Disney thanks to my thousands of friends here on the Dis!

This is your family vacation at Disney. Not Disneys vacation so make it what works for your budget and dont stress!

Good luck!

 

[Chuck65]

Don't throw in the towel just yet. Mousesavers.com just sent out an e-mail that you can use for a DTD area hotel at a really good rate. You would be 5 - 10 minutes walking from DTD from which you can pick up the busses.