Criticize my vacation budget and plans! (cost breakdown included!)

[blackacex2]

This is a travel plan for a couple of 26 year olds on their second anniversary April 14-21st 2012. Dining prices are estimates for two people eating with tax and tip no alcohol. We will have a rental car.

Saturday- Arrive in Orlando at 4 PM. Check in at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Walmart for food. 8:15 O'hana Dinner- $90

Sunday- Seaworld all day. Eat seaworld counter service- $25

Monday- Magic Kingdom all day. 1 PM Lunch at the Plaza $35

Tuesday- Epcot all day. Anniversary dinner at Bistro de Paris- $146

Wednesday- Hollywood studios day. Garden View Tea room 2 PM $35.
Sci-Fi dine-in Theater $37

Thursday- Resort + Downtown Disney Day. Boma Breakfast $63 9:35 AM.
Narcoossees Dinner $100 8 PM.

Friday- Universal Studios + IOA All day. Universal Counter Service- $25
Hard Rock Cafe Dinner $50 at 9:20 PM.

Saturday: Leave disney property by 1 PM for flight back to long island.

Total Vacation Cost Breakdown-

7 Nights at 1 BR Wyndham Bonnet Creek- $0 (gift from grandma!)
8 Day rental car from Hertz- $0 (southwest rewards points)
Two Roundtrip flights from Long Island- $0 (southwest rewards points)
Two Universal + IOA one day tickets- $0 (southwest rewards points)
Two seaworld Tickets- $0 (southwest rewards points)
Two 4 Day magic your way base tickets- $490 (undercover tourist price)

Food-

Walmart- $40
Seaworld Counter Service- $25
Universal Counter Service- $25
Ohana- $90
Boma- $63
Plaza- $35
Bistro de Paris- $146
Sci-Fi Drive In Theather- $37
Garden View Tea Room- $35
Narcoosees- $100
Hard Rock Café- $50

Total Food Cost- $646

Misc. Expenses:

Parking- $14 x 5 parks= $70
Rental Car Gas= $40
Souvenirs- $50

Grand Total Vacation Cost (flight, car, dining, parks, souvenirs, parking, gas)

$1,296. Does that seem like a good deal for 7 nights in disney, universal, and sea world with 8 table service meals?

If this were your vacation where would you cut costs or spend a little more?

 

[BadgerGirl84]

This is a travel plan for a couple of 26 year olds on their second anniversary April 14-21st 2012. Dining prices are estimates for two people eating with tax and tip no alcohol. We will have a rental car.

Saturday- Arrive in Orlando at 4 PM. Check in at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Walmart for food. 8:15 O'hana Dinner- $90

Sunday- Seaworld all day. Eat seaworld counter service- $25

Monday- Magic Kingdom all day. 1 PM Lunch at the Plaza $35

Tuesday- Epcot all day. Anniversary dinner at Bistro de Paris- $146

Wednesday- Hollywood studios day. Garden View Tea room 2 PM $35.
Sci-Fi dine-in Theater $37

Thursday- Resort + Downtown Disney Day. Boma Breakfast $63 9:35 AM.
Narcoossees Dinner $100 8 PM.

Friday- Universal Studios + IOA All day. Universal Counter Service- $25
Hard Rock Cafe Dinner $50 at 9:20 PM.

Saturday: Leave disney property by 1 PM for flight back to long island.

Total Vacation Cost Breakdown-

7 Nights at 1 BR Wyndham Bonnet Creek- $0 (gift from grandma!)
8 Day rental car from Hertz- $0 (southwest rewards points)
Two Roundtrip flights from Long Island- $0 (southwest rewards points)
Two Universal + IOA one day tickets- $0 (southwest rewards points)
Two seaworld Tickets- $0 (southwest rewards points)
Two 4 Day magic your way base tickets- $490 (undercover tourist price)

Food-

Walmart- $40
Seaworld Counter Service- $25
Universal Counter Service- $25
Ohana- $90
Boma- $63
Plaza- $35
Bistro de Paris- $146
Sci-Fi Drive In Theather- $37
Garden View Tea Room- $35
Narcoosees- $100
Hard Rock Café- $50

Total Food Cost- $646

Misc. Expenses:

Parking- $14 x 5 parks= $70
Rental Car Gas= $40
Souvenirs- $50

Grand Total Vacation Cost (flight, car, dining, parks, souvenirs, parking, gas)

$1,296. Does that seem like a good deal for 7 nights in disney, universal, and sea world with 8 table service meals?

If this were your vacation where would you cut costs or spend a little more?

Wow, way to get a great trip with so little money. What a great gift from your grandma and way to use your Southwest points.

Do you and your husband typically only eat one meal a day some days? DH and I would STARVE! I ask because on some days you only list one meal. I'm guessing you plan on eating in your room those days, but I didn't see a grocery bill other than "Walmart - $40."

Two tips for you:

1) I'd recommend leaving Sea World and going to a restaurant on Sand Creek Blvd instead of eating at Sea World. I haven't been there in years but I've heard recently that the food isn't very good.

2) Make sure you wear your Anniversary Pin and tell the Disney CM who takes your $$ for parking that you are celebrating your anniversary. Sometimes they will share some pixie dust and let you park for free that day! We got a day or two free on our honeymoon.

Have a great trip!

 

[laurafergie]

Girl, I would be jumping for joy to be able to go to Disney and Universal AND Seaworld in the same trip...between all that and the one to two reservations a day it looks exhausting, but you're younger than me.

I think maybe you're over estimating on the cost of the CS meals. They are seriously huge and I bet by the second day, you'll be sharing with maybe an extra fries. By the same token, I think you may be underestimating what you'll spend on the table service meals...Did you include tip?

Also, I would up the souvenir budget to at least $50 each. I would also up the gas expense just to be safe. I was in Tampa last month and Florida was about 30 cents more expensive than home in the tourist areas.

The only thing I see missing is the traveling in the airport snack budget.

You said you have a 4 day MYW but no day for AK, try to fit it in...I love it there! It would be a shame to miss it and you can do the main stuff in a morning if you are there by rope drop.

But it looks great! You guys have fun!!

 

[kellydizfan]

Is breakfast at Boma worth $63 for 2 people?

 

[peacelover]

The only thing I see that might not work out is garden view tea on the same day you are going to studios. I think tea is from 2-4? You should allow at least 45 min from DS to the grand floridian. If you have tea at 3, get back to DS at 5, are you going to want to sit down and eat another meal just a few hours later?
Are you planning on seeing fantasmic that evening? You might be better off grabbing a CS meal for dinner that night, or skipping tea.
The other thing is that Narcooses is expensive, depending on what you order, $100 may not be enough.

I don't think the counter service meal portions are as huge as they used to be, at least they were not last few times I was there. I'm not sure about sharing as someone else pointed out, unless you are a very light eater.
I agree Seaworld counter service isn't that good, but I don't think I would leave the park to go get something to eat.. Looks like you are planning a lot of busy days as it is.

I think I would budget just a little more for food if you are set on some of those restaurants, or maybe plan on spending a little more at walmart for your condo.
But as it is, sounds like you will have a great and inexpensive trip!

 

[elcodfish]

The only thing I would add are drinks in Epcot. There are some really great things around the world to try! I love lemoncello in Italy and Peach Snap in China.
*edited to add that you should also have a beer and sit in the rose and crown and listen to the piano player

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

I agree with the previous poster about some things around the world in Epcot. There are some yummy snacks in the various countries.

 

[dougsmom98]

I don't think the counter service meal portions are as huge as they used to be, at least they were not last few times I was there. I'm not sure about sharing as someone else pointed out, unless you are a very light eater.

I personally have never thought the counter service meal portions were ever huge. I have always read that people share these meals and I have never understood it. My family and I have never been able to share except when the kids were under 3 years old. We are not huge people with crazy appetites either.

 

[reginaastralis]

I agree that you'll probably want to have more money for CS at EPCOT. My boyfriend and I were there last week, and we spent about $190 around WS. That did include drinking around (most of) the world between the two of us, which you said you didn't include alcohol in your budget for TS meals, but if you end up trying some of the drinks, they are around $9-10 each. We tried to eat around the world too ... holy stuffed!

We also hold APs at Universal, and we pay the extra to park VIP. It's $20, I think ... but we were in line to park one time for an hour, and after that, we decided, never again. It's a personal choice, obviously, but you're trying to get a lot done at Universal in one day. Personally, I don't think it's possible to do both of the parks in one day. We can get one of the parks done in about six hours, but we're usually exhausted. Buy your butterbeer in the Hogsmeade bar, and do single rider in the Forbidden Journey ride ... seriously. Again, we waited 2 hours one time to ride the Forbidden Journey ... take the castle tour separately, and we waited 40 minutes outside in the line for butterbeer. There goes four hours of your day, lol.

I agree with the fact that I wouldn't leave SeaWorld to find food. I don't remember what we ate, but we were there in October and it obviously wasn't so horrible I remember it. We did eat right after we left at Chili's and I remember how amazing that food was. I was obviously pretty hungry at that point.

 

[Lisa71]

I would ditch the tea room, add the funds to a more expensive meal, or for gas as $40 is not much in gas these days. Add some money for a fun extra and to "eat around the world" at Epcot (I so agree with that). It is an anniversary so I would have more "down time", but I am old and we have kids, so we don't get much of that! Sounds like fun!!! So jealous of the rewards and gifts!

 

[stitchlovestink]

Is breakfast at Boma worth $63 for 2 people?

IMO, NO! I don't even think Boma dinner is worth $63 for 2 people but that's JMHO!

I think $90 for O'hana is rather high unless you are planning on a substanstial alcohol bill in addition to the food bill.

I think $35 is quite light for the Plaza even for Lunch. I would say more like $45.

I think $37 for Sci-fi is Very Light, esp if it is dinner time. I would say you should allow more like $50.

And Narcoossee's...I would say that should be more like $150. But that is me. Have you looked at their menu? Or I would bump that one up to at least $125. The cost of the food on that one is going to generate a substanial tip.

I have not eaten at the the Bistro De Paris but based on your high allotment, I am assuming you have researched the menu and/or are allowing for an add'l alcohol bill?

I think it is awesome how you have gotten so many things for free! that is great! I know everyone's eating habits are different, but I swear when we do the dining plan we use all of the table service credits but we end of having counter service credits left over. Even two meals w/ a snack per day is more than enough food for us. We just can't eat all of that!! We end up burning up snack credits bringing home rice krispie treats and stuff like that. So I think you will be fine if you do the smaller meals at your condo.

 

[HM]

I agree with the previous poster, that you probably haven't allotted enough money for the meals at Plaza and Narcoosees. And I don't think $40 at Walmart is going to be enough to feed you all the other meals that you don't have covered in your plan for each day (which I assume you are eating in your room), most breakfasts and some dinners. I also think $40 for gas will not be enough...

 

[hsmamato2]

I was just thinking,do you have enough time the first day to get from the airport to your room to your 8 pm. dinner> (without stressing?) you might,but it could get pretty tight if the plane is late,etc.
Also I was going to say Seaworld, why not just add on the disney tix? instead....but I see the tix for that day are free.
I was asking b/s it's so cheap to add a day toa disney ticket,then you could see all the parks......

 

[blackacex2]

IMO, NO! I don't even think Boma dinner is worth $63 for 2 people but that's JMHO!

I think $90 for O'hana is rather high unless you are planning on a substanstial alcohol bill in addition to the food bill.

I think $35 is quite light for the Plaza even for Lunch. I would say more like $45.

I think $37 for Sci-fi is Very Light, esp if it is dinner time. I would say you should allow more like $50.

And Narcoossee's...I would say that should be more like $150. But that is me. Have you looked at their menu? Or I would bump that one up to at least $125. The cost of the food on that one is going to generate a substanial tip.

I have not eaten at the the Bistro De Paris but based on your high allotment, I am assuming you have researched the menu and/or are allowing for an add'l alcohol bill?

I think it is awesome how you have gotten so many things for free! that is great! I know everyone's eating habits are different, but I swear when we do the dining plan we use all of the table service credits but we end of having counter service credits left over. Even two meals w/ a snack per day is more than enough food for us. We just can't eat all of that!! We end up burning up snack credits bringing home rice krispie treats and stuff like that. So I think you will be fine if you do the smaller meals at your condo.

Those prices are for two people eating at each restaraunt. O'hana is at least 34.99 per person so with tax and tip it will easily be $90.

Bistro de Paris has a prix fixe menu that is 59.99/person so with tax and tip it comes to around $150 total.

All the other dining I calculated by looking up the menus, choosing an entree, and adding in 6 percent for tax and 18 percent for tip

 

[AnninIowa]

Is breakfast at Boma worth $63 for 2 people?[/QUOT

In my opinion...YES!!! Best breakfast buffet, hands down!

The Afternoon Tea is wonderful. It is a lot of food; for me and my dad, it was the same as a sit-down meal. We were stuffed!

Sounds like you have a great trip planned! Can't beat the price, either. Have fun!!!

 

[budafam]

Your budget looks almost exactly like mine. Except for the meals... I purchased a TIW card since I have AP and plan to use that to maximize savings.

Someone mentioned about the Universal parking... I had no idea it would take that long to park! I will be opting to pay $5 more to get closer Thank you!

 

[stsomewhere]

I would plan on hitting a Disney Park in Thursday. You will already have a a ticket.