Do you incur debt to go to Disney?

[thej]

I'm just curious how many people incur debt to visit Disney World or Disneyland?

And if you don't, how does your Disney trip get prioritized in your budget? After your other financial goals are met, or as part of your yearly budget regardless of your other goals?

I know I might get different answers on this based on which board it is posted on...but I'm curious what people do to get to Disney.

Umm... No. I don't like to carry debt if I don't have to. Paying interest is just like throwing money away to me. Granted like most folks I can't pay cash for a house, but that's very different from typical credit card rates. I just can't stomach the idea of going into debt to take a vacation. Even financing DVC would be too much for me.

I set aside money in our vacation fund every month. Enough over the course of a year accumulates to fund our yearly WDW trip. To prevent temptation, the money goes via direct deposit from paycheck to a separate account. That keeps it totally out of sight. So I guess you could say after health insurance and retirement (both come out of the paycheck first) our Disney vacation is the next most important budget item

 

[taaren]

I'm just curious how many people incur debt to visit Disney World or Disneyland?

And if you don't, how does your Disney trip get prioritized in your budget? After your other financial goals are met, or as part of your yearly budget regardless of your other goals?

I know I might get different answers on this based on which board it is posted on...but I'm curious what people do to get to Disney.

If using debt works for people, great! I do believe that a vacation is a necessary thing, because if you can't have a good time, what are you working for? I was raised on the only debt you should carry should be a mortgage philosophy, and DH spent his 20's in a solely cash-based system (involving lots of tuna sandwiches right before payday) bc his parents are debt junkies, so I had to convert him to using credit wisely (ie, pay off everything every month, reap the cashback bonuses/DDRs back).

That being said, we've been fortunate to use what I consider 'extra' money on our Disney vacations. We saved up several years worth of fed tax returns for the expensive wedding of DH's dreams, then ended up spending it on DVC membership instead and having a very small informal wedding with just a handful of friends and family at a restaurant, so now our hotel is paid for in advance for the next 50 years. For our other expenses we use gift money - usually about half of whatever we get from Xmas and birthdays, plus the state tax returns. But if we didn't have that I'm sure I would just set aside a portion of our budget each month to cover our trips.

Should I be putting more towards additional principle on our mortgage? Probably. But on the other hand DS is only going to be 4 once, and our relationships with each other and with the close friends we vacation with would not be as strong if we didn't have DLR to just relax and enjoy each other's company. I guess the question should be - when you put together your photo albums (my New Year's tradition), can you always say it was worth it? I can. Mental health should be as high of a priority as being debt-free, and for many of us, vacationing is a way of getting into tip-top stress-free shape.

 

[JennCa]

I am not going into any debt or all or adding to any debt we currently have in order to go to Disney. I feel this way about all fun travel. If I had to go in debt temporaily to attend a family wedding or funeral I would, but vacation, no!

Just my 2 cents.

Jenn

 

[nunzia]

We have a set amount we put into trip savings each month and if we are going to do more than I've budgeted for we add more. However, when the kids were little there were times we went into debt for vacations and I have no regrets about that. Yes, debt is evil but it can also be a tool and if you are willing and able to pay some interest and it doesn't drive you crazy, then it isn't, in my opinion, the biggest sin in the world.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I would totally go into a little debt for a vacation. I see it as an essential, not a want. Travel has changed me as a person and I like who I am now because of it.

I don't believe you need to work every single day of your life to not enjoy it, even if you have to fudge the bottom line for a few extra months.

However, we don't do that any longer but we do put a set amount aside each week for vacations. But, if anything changed in our income, you better believe my friend Visa would be floating me for a short time.

 

[Planogirl]

We've had a some old medical debt for quite a while and I've continued to take trips. However they are budget trips nowadays and we add no new debt.

The largest debt we've been dealing with will be paid off in February and then I can get rid of smaller stuff. I'm excited to be almost done!

 

[lisajl]

We did back in the day---1986. Now, no way! We save and I make sure we have the money. We buy our tickets as we can afford them and we don't stay onsite. We rent a lovely home about 5 min. from Disney and that is how we do Disney.

 

[1hero2princesses]

Well I am guessing on this board the overwhelming response you get will be no. My answer is yes we have, and yes I am afraid we will again. My DH works full time, I work part time. We didn't take a vaca for 7 years. No trip or visit of any kind. But time moves on and the children are only young once. We do not get to go back in time and do it again. So we are trying really hard to not do it but if we cannot find a way to pay for it in the next year or two then my guess is we will put a trip on a credit card. I grew up "poor" (we weren't starving just wore crappy clothes, didn't do anything, drove old cars extra) in a rich town. I never did an activity, joined a team or went to a school event. We missed out on a lot of things. After I grew up my parents retired (they were old when they had me) and lo and behold it turns out they had money. Bought a nicer house than we had, new cars, took trips. Yes, I am glad they enjoyed themselves, but it is hard not to be resentful about what we missed as kids. I am trying to find a balance but it is not always easy. I want my children to respect money and understand you have to be careful with it, but also to live. It is not easy.

 

[taymorel]

This trip we will use part of our tax returns and $ out of savings to pay for our trip. Also, I booked through Disney and have until 45 days before the trip to pay it off, so I am paying on the trip from each paycheck.



caroline

May 2010 Contemporary
May 2011 AKL