Did you charge WDW?

[aimeeg]

I was really surprised to find out that some people charge their dream vacations? A friend told me he took out a loan against his truck and maxed out all his credit cards.

We do not have a lot of disposible income but we saved for nine months for our trip and never put anything on a credit card. (We just do not use them.) I have like $33 I still owe for next week.

No offense to anyone who did just wondering?

 

[scottny]

i charged my July trip and fully have it paid off now. Credit card is empty and ready to buy souvenirs.

No offense taken, I knew I could pay it off when the bill came the next month.

I would take out a loan, i would wait an extra year.

 

[rotlex]

I always charge the whole thing - then pay it off first bill. It REALLY helps with adding those airline miles. No, I would never actually finance a trip, pay it over time or monthly. I try not to do that with anything I consider a luxury if possible.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

We do charge the cost in order to get the points on the credit card. The money to pay everything off is there and it is paid off asap. We don't keep a balance

DH could never pay for a trip with a credit card and pay for months and months for it! We went to WDW with a friend and his family once and he later said he was still paying on it...a year later If we can't pay for it right now we would not go.

 

[Princess Stitch]

I always charge the whole thing - then pay it off first bill. It REALLY helps with adding those airline miles. No, I would never actually finance a trip, pay it over time or monthly. I try not to do that with anything I consider a luxury if possible.

I agree. DBF woudln't even let me put my half of the trip on my own CC because he wanted the airmiles! The whole trip was paid off before the next billing date though. I have enough student loans to worry about to have to make montly payments on a vacation.

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

Usually I don't, but this last trip I put it on and then paid it off when I got the bill. Simply to earn points!

Otherwise no, if we don't have the cash we don't go.

 

[LaLaroo78]

I usually use my tax refund as a down payment and then pay a certain amount monthly to my travel agent. I sometimes use a credit card if absolutely necessary (buying airline tickets online) but pay it off right away.

 

[AJKMOM]

Ditto. We have a Chase Disney Visa that we use for everything. Then, when we go, we have bonus dollars to spend at the parks and DTD. We make sure we have enough to pay the whole bill so we don't have interest charges.

If you want to read a horror story about paying cash, go to the Resorts Board and read where a couple gave almost $500 in cash to a CM at an All-Stars Resort for tickets. It looks like the CM pocketed the money because the "receipt" they got was not a receipt at all. They are home and may be out the money.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

In 1999 we didn't have a major CC, so our package was paid in full before we left home. We carried about $1000 cash/debit card for food and souviners. We drove our own car, stayed on-site and didn't need anything else. I started saving at least one year in advance in order to make the week-long trip happen.

In 2006 we had one major CC, but again, spent close to a year saving to pay everything in advance, relying on the CC for emergencies only. Again, carried less than $1000 cash/debit card for food and incidentals. We flew to MCO and used Magical Express and Disney Transportation.

This year we are saving again because I don't expect to use the CC except as backup for emergencies and rental car. We have a second CC now; I just upgraded a gas card to a Visa logo with rewards. I will use this card to pay for our return airfare, pay off our package, the rental car and Univeral admisstion. I'll be transfering the allotments I had planned from checking/savings as payment on the CC.

 

[budbeerlady]

Never, it is paid in full before we go and take a limited amount of cash and disney gift cards for suvies. Since the invention of the mastercard debit card I keep nothing on my credit card!

 

[okeydokey]

If I don't have the money saved, then we don't go. I may use the credit card while we are there, but pay off the bill when it comes.

 

[AdamsPrincess]

We use our Disney Chase Credit Cards for everything, I couldn't tell you the last time I had cash or wrote a check. But we pay off our cards every month so we have no debt. We take advantage of the rewards and such too. We also have annual passes so we don't have to worry about purchasing tickets but once a year. Couldn't imagine now charging.

 

[NMAmy]

Before the trip we use the credit card for airfare and pay it off when the bill arrives. For the hotel, meals, etc., I usually send a check to the cc company with how much I estimate we'll spend so it's mostly paid for before it's even charged to the card.

We don't take vacations or buy anything on credit (except our home) unless we can afford to pay it off immediately.

 

[lorasmom]

I use my cc to pay in full, and earn rewards points. I pay the balance off immediately to avoid finance charges!

 

[Lizboo]

We have charged Disney trip in the past, but now we go through a CAA travel agent (after comparison shopping on my own) and pay for the entire trip (minus the souvineers and such) months before we get there. It helps us enjoy the trip even more knowing that we won't have to pay for it later.

 

[disneyaggie]

Nope -- if I can't pay for it in full up front then I wait to go when I am financially able.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I always charge the whole thing - then pay it off first bill. It REALLY helps with adding those airline miles. No, I would never actually finance a trip, pay it over time or monthly. I try not to do that with anything I consider a luxury if possible.

This is what we do. We charge it on the credit card to get the points then DH pays the credit card off.

We would never take a loan or keep a balance on the credit card for a luxury like a vacation. If we don't have the extra cash, we don't do it.

 

[aimeeg]

Thanks for everyones answers. My DH was insistant and right about having all of our finances in check before we go. He said he would not be able to relax if he was worring about money.

He does not know that I bought him RPDE for his birthday. Hopefully he will get over that one pretty quick. We luckily had an extra $350 in our tax refund so . . . surprise surprise! I cannot wait until Tuesday for his Birthday! It is killing me

 

[lorasmom]

I can't imagine financing a trip.... how can you really enjoy it knowing you'll have to chip away at it when you get back??

 

[Chantilly]

I always pay by credit card for big purchases. I guess I don't really see the difference in paying monthly before you go or after. Sure there are some finance charges but my cards are all low-rate so it really isn't that much and I don't buy much in the way of souvenirs anyway.

Each to his own I guess.