Did you charge WDW?

[EmptyCinema]

Sadly enough, I'm one of those financially irresponsible college students... and yes, I do have some CC debt, partly incurred from Disney trips. I know it's silly, but unfortunately, it's about the only way I could go.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

We have a vacation fund that is just as important to us as any of our other bills or DS' college fund. We save enough to take a few vacations per year. Life is short!

While I use credit cards while on vacation for convenience, they are paid off immediately. I'm not going to pretend that I never ever have a credit card balance, but when I have one it is never due to a vacation.

 

[Mayra]

As an adult we've only had 5 vacations as a family out of PR. For every one of them we saved at least a year before, if we can't save the money we don't go.

Yes, i use my cc or debit card because it helps me keep track of what i spend and i don't like to walk around with more than $50 in cash. when we get back the balance is paid in full.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

We book our package (including DDP) about 9 months out - pay off a couple hundred every month. We go to the local disney store and buy Disney Dollars and gift cards for souvies. So our whole trip is paid for before we leave our house.

We always add on a week in South Florida after our WDW trip (to relax ), our kids school has a gift card-tuition credit program, so through out the year, I buy Marriott cards (we get 10% back toward our tuition), and then our hotel is paid for as well.

For spending money during South Florida - that is our change for our 4 change jars in the house. Plus since I don't cook at home and we are always take out family anyway - we still gotta eat, so its just regular day to day money for that

 

[brandi~momof3]

we charge it on our Disney Visa and pay it off within 6 months of no interest

 

[M-I-C-K-E-Y]

American Express members earn double points from now through August (if they activate the special promotion). We're charging the remaining amount when it's due and paying it off immediately. Nothing like earning those double points at WDW!

 

[GoofyTraci]

i also do not use cc. I pay the money down and make payments every pay period to pay it off. I just book far in advance.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

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.

We do the same, although we typically have a $1500 balance running at any given time on our Disney Chase. We use it for everything so it's hard to stay completely on top of keeping it paid off. That being said, just this morning, I transferred $824 onto our Rewards card to use at WDW at the end of the month!

 

[LadyGracey]

Since I'm a teacher it's virtually impossible NOT to use a credit card in the summer...that includes trips to Disney. But I never put any more on it than I know I can pay off with my first couple of paychecks when I go back to work. I also have a Disney Visa and I charge the room to it, then pay it off so I can get the points. I don't use the CC for souvenirs or food, though--for that I use cash from my "Disney fund" or my debit card.

 

[disneyfan67]

I paid for my vacation in cash by making payments each month. I use to use my credit card for big purchases, but kicked the habit almost 3 years ago and have been credit card free ever since. I got tired of paying off big balances and juggling the debt. No more for me. When we get home from our WDW trip in early August, I'm going to book another trip, one a year out and make payments on that. I feel a lot better about not having any credit card debt hanging over my head. I've shot myself in the foot by using them incorrectly in the past, and made a vow not to do so again.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

When I book (hotel, airfare, etc.) I use cc, then when the bills come dh takes $ out of our vacation account to pay them. We have enough in our vacation account to pay the cc bills when we get back from vacation. I would not go to a bank and take a loan out to go on vacation -- but I guess that is what you do when you use cc!

I wouldn't use the cc if I didn't know we had the cash to pay the entire bill if we needed to. I agree, I could not enjoy myself if I was worried about how I was going to pay for it, or I would be paying for it for the next six months. We are tracking all our vacation costs this year (not souvenirs, I mean the big stuff like airfare, tickets, etc.), so we will have a better handle on how much we do spend. I know it is less than 3% of our income, so I'm ok with that -- and I know it's small enough that we can pay off the cc when we get back without carrying a balance. But, this is why we only take what we can afford to pay for. We are "living with our vacation means".

 

[Faerie]

My BF and I slowly pay off our package by making payments to Disney. Everything else goes on his rewards credit card which he pays off in full every month. His points from that card just bought his new Digital SLR camera

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Don't think that by not using a credit card that you're somehow safe from overextending your finances. You can easily overextend yourself on a cash only basis, say, if you decide to spend $5000 on your Disney vacation using your debit card/cash on hand, saving every last penny, paying it off completely, and at the same time, leaving your bank account completely bare. I always find myself shaking my head when I read posts from people having trouble making ends meet in their day to day lives and at the same time, are saving for a 10 day Disney vacation.

 

[aimeeg]

Don't think that by not using a credit card that you're somehow safe from overextending your finances. You can easily overextend yourself on a cash only basis, say, if you decide to spend $5000 on your Disney vacation using your debit card/cash on hand, saving every last penny, paying it off completely, and at the same time, leaving your bank account completely bare. I always find myself shaking my head when I read posts from people having trouble making ends meet in their day to day lives and at the same time, are saving for a 10 day Disney vacation.

I think idealy you take a vacation you can afford and if you can't afford you do not go. When I was young my family did not go on vacation for 12 years. Other than a day trip to the beach it just was not in the cards.

 

[hansel1]

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?

How many credit cards did he have to max out? Taking out a loan against his truck?

He probably should have waited to go until he had saved the money. Loans and credit cards can be very harmful to your credit if not used properly.

There are quite a few ways to stay at disney for a reasonable amount of money.

 

[LilGMom]

We used to use the Disney Visa for mainly the lodging (pre-dvc). We'd also use the Visa during the day if we hadn't grabbed enough cash. We'd pay the Visa off as soon as we got home. For us it was a win-win. We'd have saved the cash for the trip but would use the Visa to earn Reward Points and then pay it off after the trip.

If you can't afford to pay for your vacation by the time you are supposed to take the vacation that money should probably be going elsewhere. I really can't see racking up debt just to go on vacation.

 

[Rustysmom]

Like a lot of other people I charged everything to my Disney Visa just to get the points plus I get to keep my money in my ING account an extra 6 months and earn interest on it. Then the bill will be paid in full. I pay all my bills in full every month. I've also been charging things like my DirecTV bill and things I buy in the drugstore, but DH doesn't know about that. He hates when I charge things and would have a fit, but hey, this way I can buy more souveneirs.

I would never go to WDW if I couldn't afford it or if I didn't have the money saved up first. I would never be able to enjoy myself.

 

[lpandorf]

I have in the past and paid it off over a few months. Now I am making more money and the trip I'm going leaving for this weekend is paid for. Plus I have cash in my pocket for the meals and whatever else we want while we are there.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

How many credit cards did he have to max out? Taking out a loan against his truck?

He probably should have waited to go until he had saved the money. Loans and credit cards can be very harmful to your credit if not used properly.

There are quite a few ways to stay at disney for a reasonable amount of money.

Although I've never heard of someone taking a short term loan on a truck to pay for a Disney trip (the interest rates on those kinds of loans are astronomical!!), I've read posts where people have maxed out 3-4 credit cards with $500-$1000 credit limits! Plain and simple, with so many other less expensive options, these are not the people who should be taking a Disney vacation!

 

[sunee]

DH won't buy anything on credit. NOTHING. Obviously, that would include a vacation. I do put it on a card, though, to get the points. The card is paid off, in full, the next month.

I am sure many people finance their vacations. It isn't any of business and I don't care.