I keep picking up an undertone in this thread that bothers me a bit. It's the whole "If you can't afford to do everything without thinking about it, just stay home."
I have been working points programs, rolling change, and trying to stash whatever money I can for 6 years to get my children to Disney. There have been numerous set backs in this - car breaks down, new water heater, that kind of thing. But I will never give up. This is my dream.
I'm thinking at this point we'll be able to go in about 2 years, when kids are 12, 10 and 8. And we will not be able to just do whatever without thinking. We'll be doing this on a budget. Now I will never use the fixings bar to make a "free" salad. That's not what it's for. But I won't hesitate to buy 3 meals for 5 of us and split it. Once I buy the meals, they're MINE and how we use them is up to us, right?
But I really get hurt by the idea that if we have to do this on the cheap we're somehow less "Mouse-worthy" or something. Should we maybe be using this money for something else? Maybe. But I know my children won't be children for very long, and I will split meals, pal mickey swap, buy souvies at
Walmart, or whatever it takes to share this dream with them, as long as it's within the rules. (so no, no extra people snuck in the room or mug swapping)