Can't afford a disney trip, what to do to get to Disneyworld, please help?

[Disneyforus]

food & snacks in Spokane WA $100

7 days Food and snacks for 5 people $700

If your condo has a kitchen, you might find it more economical to cook at home, and pack a lunch for the park. We are a family of 6 and did that on an off site trip we took. I took my weekly food budget money with us, and went to the grocery store and bought our groceries with the money I would have used at home. It was much less than $700 for us for the week. We did rope drop for all the parks so were ready to come back for dinnertime anyway, and if there was something we wanted to do at the park in the evening we still could go back.

 

[quentina]

Good luck OP...I hope your dreams come true.

 

[AntePrincess]

7 day Disney tickets $921.48
Gas to drive to the nearest airport Spokane WA $120
Hotel at local airport $126.65(includes free parking for 12 days)
food & snacks in Spokane WA $100
7 days Food and snacks for 5 people $700
car rental for 12 days??????
7 day car parking at disney $70
4 day cruise already paid for. but some port fees about $200-$300.
Gas for rental car $150.
Meals and souveniors in Bahamas $250
So far $2738.13, and without the car rental, I would say just over $3000.

How did you fail to anticipate this degree of expense when you booked the condo, cruise, and flight? Most favorable interpretation is that you only just made these arrangements and realized the rest of the cost moments after it ceased to be refundable, because otherwise you a) knew about the $3k more coming down the pike before you booked the vacation and did it anyway, or b) you figured it out after booking and some time ago, but sat on your hands until now.

In any event, the solutions don't change: earn more, spend less, and be prepared to have to make both of those sacrifices on your own because it doesn't appear that your family is on board with your plans. Alternately, you can downsize, postpone, or cancel your trip. In your shoes, I'd go for a little of column a and a lot of column b.

And for what it's worth, I'd REALLY love to fly to Florida in the off season, stay somewhere nice, spend a fortune on food and souvenirs, and tack on a cruise on top of that. I'd also like to spend six months in an exclusive Old World hotel in Europe receiving massages from Sven the Swiss masseuse poolside with a martini every day. And I want a pony. Obviously, the fact that I want it is beneath consideration: it's beyond my means, I prioritize our day to day well-being, and it would stress my family out to make the attempt to fit that mess into our lives.

If you can swing it, more power to you, but do you seriously expect that there are secret tips anyone can reveal to you to make it all pan out?

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

How can you spend less than $3000 staying at the animal kingdom? Please list your expenses and how long are you staying 1 night? You cannot make a statement like that without backing up your expenses?

List your costs? HGow many people, I have 5.

I'm not the author of the post you cited but I'll give it a shot.

From a prior post of yours, I see that one of your children is 2yo and the other two are 4 & 6. You will fit in a WL room with the baby in a pack & play.

Using the current 4/3 deal for mid-Feb.:

• 7 nights @ WL std. room
• 7-day MYW base tickets for everyone
• QSDP for everyone
• free DME to/from airport to wl
• Total Cost = $2895.70

The PP is correct. You could spend a week at the WL for $3K.

 

[DanaAustinChelsea]

This isnt a money saving post, but just to let you know WDW parking for 7 days will be $98

 

[WisconsinDisneyGirl]

If you don't have the "extra" money to do Disnsy (and you have gone LOTS of time- don't fool yourself) then you should wait till the time is right. You said you have things you have to pay for in the house. Things usually get to be more expensive then we think at first when it comes to home repair. You also have to have a rainy day account just in case something in the house fails. We have stuff we need to do on the house and will not be going to WDW for quite awhile. In this economy we can't count on anything- like our jobs. You need to make the right decision for your family- even if it is difficult.

 

[madelyn]

We have friends whose husband I think sold his plasma (blood bank of some sort?) and 15 or so years ago they gave him $50 each time. I remember they said they would use that money to go out to eat that weekend. I don't know if he did it every week or not.

I sell things on Craigslist and sometimes Ebay and on-line Mom trading forums. Mainly kids stuff and I have made over $3K but it has been over about 2 years. My kids also don't like to give up their stuff but they don't care much about their outgrown clothing and shoes.

Have you priced discounted park tickets? I am assming you need to purchase 2 adults and 2 children tickets? Subscribe to the Mousesavers newsletter and purchase through the discount link to Undercovertourist.com. 7 day non-hopper/expiring tickets (2 adult/2 child) prices out at $857.80 right now.

Not sure if you have a phone land line still but I was able to cut $30 off our monthly bill (AT & T) by cutting out services like in-line plus and call waiting that we never used. I also changed our line to a basic line that limits the outgoing calls to 20/month and then charges something like .20 for each call after that. Incoming calls don't count. We mainly use our cell phones. Some people eliminate their land lines altogether.

I haven't checked it out but a friend recommended changing home and auto insurance over to AAA. She said she saved about $1K (for the year) that way.

Find a credit card with a good rewards program. We don't keep a balance so don't care about the interest rate but our credit union - Pentagon Federal, has a Visa credit card that credits back on each statement 1.5% (percentage is higher in some categories like groceries, gas, drugstores). We get a credit of about $25 $50 per month automatically. My husband has a Costco American Express account that gives 2.5% back on travel and he uses it for most of his work travel expenses and that rebate/reward adds up too.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

7 day Disney tickets $921.48
Cheaper by going thru a ticket reseller rather than buying from Disney. It could save you $70-$80.

Gas to drive to the nearest airport Spokane WA $120
You mentioned in a previous post that you get your gas from your employer at no cost to you. Couldn't you just fill your tank at work?

Hotel at local airport $126.65(includes free parking for 12 days)
Try skipping the hotel and just flying out the same day as you drive to the airport.

food & snacks in Spokane WA $100
Pack sandwiches and beverages to bring in the car instead.

7 days Food and snacks for 5 people $700
Eat most of your meals in the condo. The grocery bill for 7 days should be about half that amount even with convenience foods.

car rental for 12 days??????o.
Why do you need a car for 12 days when you will be cruising for 4 of them? You would also need to pay for parking at the port. Turn the car in when you get to the port and then rent for a single day when you return so that you can drive to the airport.

7 day car parking at disney $70
It's actually $14/day to park at the WDW parks.

4 day cruise already paid for. but some port fees about $200-$300.
Make sure that you know exactly how much those port fees will be. It could be a deal breaker. Some these cheap cuiselines will rock you mightily on the port fees. And since they are per-person and not per-cabin, you could be in for a real sticker shock.

Gas for rental car $150.
How many miles do you plan to put on the car? At 20 mpg and $3/gal (high estimate), that comes to 1000 miles in 12 days when 4 of those days are going to be spent sitting in a parking lot!

Meals and souveniors in Bahamas $250
Food can be very expensive in the Bahamas, especially in the port area. I recommend eating on the ship before you visit the islands and then save your appetite for when you get back on. For souvenirs, check the area that used to be the Straw Market. Most vendors there will haggle with you on price.

So far $2738.13, and without the car rental, I would say just over $3000.
You might not need that much if you really bargain shop and cut back on some of the expenses. However, I still feel that saving $3K by the end of February is an unrealistic goal. You're talking about trying to find an extra $600+ per month in the budget and that just doesn't happen too easily.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

BTW - you could book 10 nights at the a value resort (preferred location) with 10-day MYW base tickets and QSDP for about $3000. No need for a rental car or to pay for parking. Check the 5/2 deal on the Disney website!

 

[luvsJack]

Is there some reason that you can't reschedule the trip? I mean, that's a lot of money coming out each month.

I don't like to skimp on my trips either. We want to stay on property, we want park hoppers and we want the dining plan and we want to stay for a certain amount of time. Those things my family refuses to skimp on. BUT, we wait until we can comfortably pay for it; and like for things to be paid for well in advance.

I don't understand not putting the trip off at least for a few months.

 

[2binak]

OP - why do you have to spend 7 days at WDW? If you own the condo, why not just spend most of those days relaxing by the pool? I'm sure you'll be busy on the cruise and your family might welcome the downtime. I can't imagine dragging a 2, 4 & 6 yr old through WDW for 7 days and then on a cruise for 4 or 5 more days. That sounds like a recipe for exhausted, cranky kids and parents who are so stressed about how they are going to pay for everything that they can't enjoy their vacation.

 

[ceecee]

I agree with the above poster, don't go for 7 days use some time to just relax. I also don't see why you need a car rental for 12 days. Too much with the ages of the kids...a cruise AND 7 days will be exhausting for everyone concerned. Bottom line is if you can't afford it, don't go or do some cutbacks.

 

[dzorn]

7 day Disney tickets $921.48

Gas to drive to the nearest airport Spokane WA $120

Hotel at local airport $126.65(includes free parking for 12 days)

food & snacks in Spokane WA $100

7 days Food and snacks for 5 people $700

car rental for 12 days??????

7 day car parking at disney $70

4 day cruise already paid for. but some port fees about $200-$300.

Gas for rental car $150.

Meals and souveniors in Bahamas $250

So far $2738.13, and without the car rental, I would say just over $3000.

You forgot the tips for the cruise, which I would just cancel.

Denise in MI

 

[faindrops27]

7 day Disney tickets $921.48
Cheaper by going thru a ticket reseller rather than buying from Disney. It could save you $70-$80.

Gas to drive to the nearest airport Spokane WA $120
You mentioned in a previous post that you get your gas from your employer at no cost to you. Couldn't you just fill your tank at work?

Hotel at local airport $126.65(includes free parking for 12 days)
Try skipping the hotel and just flying out the same day as you drive to the airport.

food & snacks in Spokane WA $100
Pack sandwiches and beverages to bring in the car instead.

7 days Food and snacks for 5 people $700
Eat most of your meals in the condo. The grocery bill for 7 days should be about half that amount even with convenience foods.

car rental for 12 days??????o.
Why do you need a car for 12 days when you will be cruising for 4 of them? You would also need to pay for parking at the port. Turn the car in when you get to the port and then rent for a single day when you return so that you can drive to the airport.

7 day car parking at disney $70
It's actually $14/day to park at the WDW parks.

4 day cruise already paid for. but some port fees about $200-$300.
Make sure that you know exactly how much those port fees will be. It could be a deal breaker. Some these cheap cuiselines will rock you mightily on the port fees. And since they are per-person and not per-cabin, you could be in for a real sticker shock.

Gas for rental car $150.
How many miles do you plan to put on the car? At 20 mpg and $3/gal (high estimate), that comes to 1000 miles in 12 days when 4 of those days are going to be spent sitting in a parking lot!

Meals and souveniors in Bahamas $250
Food can be very expensive in the Bahamas, especially in the port area. I recommend eating on the ship before you visit the islands and then save your appetite for when you get back on. For souvenirs, check the area that used to be the Straw Market. Most vendors there will haggle with you on price.

So far $2738.13, and without the car rental, I would say just over $3000.
You might not need that much if you really bargain shop and cut back on some of the expenses. However, I still feel that saving $3K by the end of February is an unrealistic goal. You're talking about trying to find an extra $600+ per month in the budget and that just doesn't happen too easily.

I see there were a lot of different things said.. On different posts. From the same person.. I never understand why people come up with such craziness for what purpose?? What is it called trolls?? All, I have to say is why? Is there nothing better to do. Than fathom up some bogus stories?

 

[nelson84]

I see there were a lot of different things said.. On different posts. From the same person.. I never understand why people come up with such craziness for what purpose?? What is it called trolls?? All, I have to say is why? Is there nothing better to do. Than fathom up some bogus stories?

bogus stories??????

 

[nelson84]

7 day Disney tickets $921.48
Cheaper by going thru a ticket reseller rather than buying from Disney. It could save you $70-$80.

Gas to drive to the nearest airport Spokane WA $120
You mentioned in a previous post that you get your gas from your employer at no cost to you. Couldn't you just fill your tank at work?

Hotel at local airport $126.65(includes free parking for 12 days)
Try skipping the hotel and just flying out the same day as you drive to the airport.

food & snacks in Spokane WA $100
Pack sandwiches and beverages to bring in the car instead.

7 days Food and snacks for 5 people $700
Eat most of your meals in the condo. The grocery bill for 7 days should be about half that amount even with convenience foods.

car rental for 12 days??????o.
Why do you need a car for 12 days when you will be cruising for 4 of them? You would also need to pay for parking at the port. Turn the car in when you get to the port and then rent for a single day when you return so that you can drive to the airport.

7 day car parking at disney $70
It's actually $14/day to park at the WDW parks.

4 day cruise already paid for. but some port fees about $200-$300.
Make sure that you know exactly how much those port fees will be. It could be a deal breaker. Some these cheap cuiselines will rock you mightily on the port fees. And since they are per-person and not per-cabin, you could be in for a real sticker shock.

Gas for rental car $150.
How many miles do you plan to put on the car? At 20 mpg and $3/gal (high estimate), that comes to 1000 miles in 12 days when 4 of those days are going to be spent sitting in a parking lot!

Meals and souveniors in Bahamas $250
Food can be very expensive in the Bahamas, especially in the port area. I recommend eating on the ship before you visit the islands and then save your appetite for when you get back on. For souvenirs, check the area that used to be the Straw Market. Most vendors there will haggle with you on price.

So far $2738.13, and without the car rental, I would say just over $3000.
You might not need that much if you really bargain shop and cut back on some of the expenses. However, I still feel that saving $3K by the end of February is an unrealistic goal. You're talking about trying to find an extra $600+ per month in the budget and that just doesn't happen too easily.

ticket reseller, what is that sounds good.
Parking for 12 days is $14.95 times 12=179.40 plus taxes. cheaper to get hotel and get well rested.
I could fill up at work and I would need about $60 to get home.look at me I'm cutting corners
If I drop my car off I will have to drag all my stuff on the boat, not fun. I would rather leave most stuff in minivan at the port.

I could sell some stocks and go right now but I'm trying to do this without dipping into savings and stocks. I bought a casino stock and it has gone from $1.80 to $18.00. If I sell it now I will miss out on major profit. They will be releasing their IPO in hong kong in November and it will go up and in January they are opening up casinos in Asia and it will go up even more. It should be in the 30-40 dollar range by March. It is Las Vegas Sands symbol LVS if any of you want to get in on this and it will help it go up if you buy it. Just a little stock tip for you, if your interested.

Back to Disney, I like your suggestion about the cheaper tickets

 

[KristiKelly]

I see you've had a lot of negative responses so I'm going to try to be positive, sounds like you're determined to make this trip so....

Christmas is coming:
- give park tix as gifts to kids
- or let g'parents give them tix or maybe Santa (b/c that's always free according to my kids)

Might not be what they want but it's kinda killing 2 birds w/ 1 stone since I'm sure you're still planning on doing Christmas.

Eating at the airport hotel - pack food & drinks, if kids complain - let them swim in the pool

Food at the airport - eat continental b'fast at hotel before going to airport.

If your family is too embarassed to do a yard sale - send things to a consignment shop, Craigslist, ebay, etc.

Cut back on eating out if you haven't done so. I let our kids each pick one meal for the week and I make that for them, that takes up 3 nights so no one is asking to go out to eat. Also, breakfast foods make a great cheap supper that our kids love.

Plan groceries & meals around sales, save coupons, and look for double & triple coupon grocery deals.

Also, find the grocery store you plan on shopping @in Orlando and see what kind of sales that have & shop accordingly.

This might not get you $3,000 but might help.

Good luck

 

[Vacation Lover]

I'm with the others who think you should trim your trip budget.
I'll give this a try, using some suggestions from previous posters.

4 day Disney tickets $834
2 adults, 2 kids (your 3rd child is free, I think)

Gas to drive to the nearest airport Spokane WA $60
Your new estimate

Hotel at local airport $126.65
Includes free parking for 12 days so no airport parking fees

food & snacks in Spokane WA $50
Eat fast food and bring your own snacks

7 days Food and snacks for 5 people $400
Stop at the grocery store on the way to the condo
Breakfasts: cereal, frozen waffles in condo. $20 should take care of the week
Lunch: pack lunch in parks or return to the condo for lunch: Sandwich fixings, Lunchables & Uncrustables for the kids, etc. $70
Dinner: 2 dinners made in condo (spaghetti, etc.) $30; 2 fast food/pizza carryout on the way back to the condo $50; 1 TS dinner: $100; 2 CS dinners $80; (To keep TS and CS costs down--drink free water & bring single flavor Kool-aid packs if the kids don't want water. Share meals, especially with the kids--you might not need to buy them a meal at all if they're light eaters and will eat what you eat.)
Snacks: bring them into the park $25; A couple of snacks in the parks $25

car rental for 12 days $180
I googled Orlando car rental and it advertises rentals on Hotwire.com for $15/day

4 day car parking at disney $56

4 day cruise already paid for. but some port fees about $300.

Gas for rental car $60.
Airport to condo, Condo to parks, restaurants & grocery store, to Port Canaveral and back. Should take no more than 2 tanks of gas.

Meals and souveniors in Bahamas $50
Eat on the ship and limit souvenirs

TOTAL 2,116.65

 

[disneyhand]

I know you said the cruise is paid for, but did you factor in dollars to pay your on ship tab, for all the extras? Those charges can really sneak up on you.

 

[hsmamato2]

this thread started out a bit sad and pitiful...and has now reached the level of just plain entertaining...... are we still talking saving pennies on a trip Op can't afford? I'm not sure any of this is for real anymore- stocks and bonds in the same sentence with pennies for parking and tips for cruise staff and garage sales and selling blood...... Am I the only one that notices the glaring absurdities here? I don't get it,but it's amusing!