Disney Budget Anxiety

[MDTerrapin]

We are leaving for Disney on Sunday and I am experiencing major budget anxiety. We are driving from Maryland and I have allotted 500.00 for travel expenses. This includes gas both ways, food and lodging for one night in Savannah. Does this seem to low? I also have allotted 500.00 for trip money. This includes dinner tips, kids spending money (10.00/day), housekeeping tips etc.. We are going on the dining plan so I am hoping not to spend alot on food while we are there. Does this sound to low? We are trying to go cash only and NO credit but I have this know in my stomach that it is not enough.
Can someone talk me off the ledge? LOL.

Thanks,
Karen

 

[tlh0726]

You do not say how many kids or their ages.

Giving them the 10 each day is not going to give them much of a choice on what they want, I would give them the total amount and once they spend it that is it, nothing more.

We also packed a bunch of small items (glow necklaces, light up whirly things, etc) to give the kids each day really helped cut down on the I wants.

What about driving straight through and saving the hotel expense?

I would try to pack food and snacks for the way down to save money there also.

Have a great trip.

 

[Chelley00]

Try using this to calculate your gas cost

http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/TripGasprice.aspx

Make sure and add in a fill up if you plan to drive to the parks from your hotel.



Have you booked a hotel near Savannah yet? It would probably be cheaper to do that online, and you would know exactly how much you needed.

As for food, you haven't said how many people you are feeding. Do you do fast food or sit down restaurants? We usually pack a cooler with sandwiches, drinks etc and eat one meal at a rest area on the way down to save the fast food costs.

 

[Justsyd2]

It does seem low. As with the PP, I would pack as much food and snacks as I could for the trip, and find a hotel that's as inexpensive as possible. I also agree that $10 per day will not buy much -- the kids will be better off saving up and making a larger purchase.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

We are leaving for Disney on Sunday and I am experiencing major budget anxiety. We are driving from Maryland and I have allotted 500.00 for travel expenses. This includes gas both ways, food and lodging for one night in Savannah. Does this seem to low? I also have allotted 500.00 for trip money. This includes dinner tips, kids spending money (10.00/day), housekeeping tips etc.. We are going on the dining plan so I am hoping not to spend alot on food while we are there. Does this sound to low? We are trying to go cash only and NO credit but I have this know in my stomach that it is not enough.
Can someone talk me off the ledge? LOL.

Thanks,
Karen

Five hundred for travel back and forth from Maryland is more than enough. (In fact you are so close, why don't you just drive straight through and save $$$?)

How many days will you be at WDW and what are the ages of your kids?

 

[Darcy03231]

Since you're driving I would pack a small collapsible cooler with you. When you get to WDW go to the nearest grocery store and get breakfast items (milk, cereal, yogurt, etc.). This way you can eat breakfast in the room every day very inexpensively. We saved a lot when we did it on our trip to US/IOA in April.

Last fall I went to WDW with my niece (she was four, almost 5 at the time). We were there for 7 days/6 nights and were on the dining plan. I spent an additional $800 while we were there. I will say that $200 of that went for BBB, $100 went for a watch for me and another $100 was for tickets for MNSSHP. All she bought for souvenirs were a Tinkerbelle and Ariel polly pocket type doll with the rubber clothes (I think they were about $12 each). She also did the pick a pearl in Japan for herself and her two sisters (3 pearls @ $14.95). The rest was spent on tips (airport, ME, mousekeeping, waiters), and extra food/drinks.

 

[mom2cookies]

We've driven to WDW a few times from Philadelphia. We stayed at South of the Border though. We spent $200 each way for gas. You can get hotel rooms in Savanna for $75. And figure $30 a day per person to eat ( $10 per meal eatting on the cheap).

In WDW we have discovered that $5 per person is the average for table service tips. That usually falls between the 18 and 20% they suggest.
I also agree with PP's that $10 a day for kids is not going to get them much, much better to give them an amount and let them decide how much to spend.
Also, you can get tubes of glow necklaces& bracellets at Micheals and AC Moores for around a dollar. They don't make annoying noises either!

 

[mom2twinz3]

The best thing to do for a hotel, if you need to stop, is to get those coupon books from the Rest Stops/Welcome Centers. This is what we do and have always gotten a room very cheaply at our first choice. Things should be wide open this time of year. You can also print some of the coupons from Roomsavers.com as well as get an idea of where you might like to stay.

I always target hotels with free breakfast and hopefully an indoor pool.

I can't do the drive from MD without stopping, but that is just me. We did drive home once taking turns and found it miserable. But you may be different.

Anyway, I have always had good luck with the travel coupons. I would use them again in a minute.

 

[loveysbydesign]

We've driven to WDW a few times from Philadelphia. We stayed at South of the Border though. We spent $200 each way for gas. You can get hotel rooms in Savanna for $75. And figure $30 a day per person to eat ( $10 per meal eatting on the cheap).

In WDW we have discovered that $5 per person is the average for table service tips. That usually falls between the 18 and 20% they suggest.
I also agree with PP's that $10 a day for kids is not going to get them much, much better to give them an amount and let them decide how much to spend.
Also, you can get tubes of glow necklaces& bracellets at Micheals and AC Moores for around a dollar. They don't make annoying noises either!

Wow....$200 each way for gas??? Flying is cheaper for us!

 

[krisnchris]

I am in MD and we are flying for our trip this month. But as a child, we drove all the time, and we stopped once, in Savannah. I wouldn't do it straight through, either.

 

[All American]

The only thing I can speak to is the $10.00/day for the kids spending money. Is that for souvenirs? $10.00 alone won't buy much, but just remind them that they can save it for something bigger. Have a great trip, and try not to get too anxious about it (ETA: I understand not wanting to use the credit card and think it's a great goal, but if something does come up and you do end up needing to use it, don't feel bad either. Sometimes, it happens.)

 

[kawing123]

I think if you are super frugal you can do it with 2/3 of your estimated allowance. Lower if you drive straight through. You do not say for how long you are staying but it would just give the kids 25.00. Shirts, toys or whatever something can be found for that amount. On the ddp, everyone gets one snack per day so that in and of itself is sufficient as there are many choices that can be brought back and enjoyed at home. I personally feel that telling a child they can buy one thing everyday is impulsive. Let them look and at the end of the trip buy one thing even this is not necessary since going to Disney is enough. Do not get caught up in that nonsense of souveniers are necessary.

 

[hgharvey]

Karen,

I completely understand your budget anxiety. We are flying down next weekend and the closer it gets, the more anxious I get wanting to make sure we have enough money. We are staying offsite and not on the dining plan so most of our money will be for food. We went a couple of years ago and our kids now ages 8 and 5 only chose a couple of small items as souvenirs. We let them look but they didn't have to have something all the time. I am just hoping it will be the same this time. Good luck with the drive! Keep us posted.

Holly

 

[MDTerrapin]

Thanks for all the tips. I feel a bit better now. I think I am freaking out because I have been out of work the past 5 weeks due to emergency surgery, so our income has definitly been lower.

To answer some questions my boys are 10 & 8. They will each get 10.00/per day or they can choose to save it and use it for something big. I am very anti-souvenir so I try to make sure what they choose is something practical and not junk. We do not need another stuffed animal collecting dust, LOL.

Karen

 

[minnie1928]

We've driven from both York PA and northern NJ straight on thru to WDW, it can definitely be done, especially if you share the driving. I think a lot depends on when you're leaving, so you can avoid the DC & Richmond traffic.

 

[GoodFairies]

If you are having that serious of budget anxiety you are not going to enjoy this trip. Take the credit card and know you have it "just in case."

There is no way I'd allot $500 for travelling and not fly. With Southwest's fares you could have gotten direct flights for the four of you for that price out of BWI.

I don't know how many days you will be there so I can't comment on whether $500 is enough for the trip. It sounds like you will just need money for your TS tips, housekeeping, and incidentals like extra snacks/drinks. You can estimate your tips based on viewing the menus of the places you've made reservations.

 

[Febe]

We drove from CNY and back a couple of weeks ago. Our total travelling costs were about $350 and that included food, gas and two nights in a hotel (round trip was almost 2400 miles). I packed snacks and sandwiches for in the car so that we didn't have to purchase a lot for lunches. We bought one dinner. We stayed at hotels that offered a free continental breakfast in the price.

At Disney I had all my meal tips planned and enveloped before we left so that was set aside. For three people it was about $80 and that included tips for the hotel housekeeping each day. I had $200 allocated for food and stuff in park. I came home with a portion of that. We didn't really need snacks as we had so much food on the dining plan. We also ended up using some counter service meals on our last day to get lunches for the trip home at the french patissere. My DD4 had her spending money saved up and got quite a number of things. I ended up buying her a couple of things as well. All in I don't think we spent more than $300 total during our week at the park.

 

[MDTerrapin]

If you are having that serious of budget anxiety you are not going to enjoy this trip. Take the credit card and know you have it "just in case."

There is no way I'd allot $500 for travelling and not fly. With Southwest's fares you could have gotten direct flights for the four of you for that price out of BWI.

I don't know how many days you will be there so I can't comment on whether $500 is enough for the trip. It sounds like you will just need money for your TS tips, housekeeping, and incidentals like extra snacks/drinks. You can estimate your tips based on viewing the menus of the places you've made reservations.

I wish we could fly but DH refuses and only wants to drive. We will be in Disney Monday - Friday.

 

[purpletiger]

In July we drove from Texas to Disney which is a little further. We spent $300 round trip for gas and stayed in a hotel half way down on the way there for around $50 and on the way back drove straight through.

As far as the spending money for your kiddos I would suggest as PP have; give them X amount for the entire trip (maybe purchase a visa gift card for X amount) and that is it. You can get these at any grocery or convenient store. If you do the gift card you get a receipt with the balance with each purchase, which they can keep up with easier.

Have fun.

 

[DawnM]

Really? You can fly 5 people down and get to the hotel and back to the airport for $200?

Dawn

Wow....$200 each way for gas??? Flying is cheaper for us!