Have kids? Need budget help!

[kvnchapman]

Where did you get 99 cent kids' meals to T Rex? I saw the RC ones on their website but not TRex. Thanks!

Hey fellow South Carolinian! TRex honors the ones printed from the RC website. Enjoy!!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The food budget is low IMHO because you can make them share when they're your kids much easier than other people's kids. I wouldn't count on that as part of the budget, unless they routinely do that at home.

We just ran into that with one of my daughter's friends. Wife took our 2 + the friend through the drive-through at McDonalds. Our kids are used to ordering 1 hamburger each, no drinks, and sharing a large order of fries with the whole family. The friend wanted a Happy Meal. Well, my wife went ahead & bought them for all the kids so ours wouldn't feel left out. Now granted, a Happy Meal is not an expensive meal. BUT, it still more than doubled the bill compared to the original plan. If you compound that over a weeks' worth of meals, it can really add up.

 

[GraysMom]

Tickets - YES tickets for the three looked about $514. Otherwise, we're looking at over $900 through UT.

Due to the ages of the children, you'd have to buy a YES ticket too as a chaperone. You have to have a YES ticket to attend even though you have an AP. You have to attend because of their ages.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I hope it all works out. You must be the best aunt ever to take them to WDW by yourself! They're lucky!

I was checking in to the YES program for our next trip, and I know for our 7yo he would need a chaperone. I believe, at least with younger kids, they require one adult per child to attend the class, which means you would need 2 other adults if they're all doing the same class or have 2 kids unsupervised while you chaperone the student in the class. Just something to check into.

 

[Beemitchcowski]

What a sweet aunt (and sister)! What is your overall (TOTAL) budget goal? A few sugestions...
1. Stay at Bonnet Creek in a 2BR/2BA deluxe. It is directly next door to Caribbean Beach Resort and has a free shuttle to the parks. The villas have full kitchens and laundry rooms in each suite. This allows 2 things - less luggage, therefore less airline baggage costs, and very little in food costs. Amazing pools, slides, lazy river, free minigolf, etc. You can probably get this for less than $100 per night.
2. Lower food costs by using your villa kitchen for almost each meal. If you must do a character meal, make sure it is at breakfast when the cost is so much lower. If not...yea!... you just saved moolah. Buy cheap and easy food to prepare, bfast in your suite, lunch either in your suite when taking mid-day breaks or packed picnic-style for the parks and dinners again in the suite. Consider the 99cent certificates for kids meals at TRex and RC in AK.
3. Do the YES Program!!
4. Fly.
5. Either let each kid earn their spending moneyor give them each a $25 gift card to use on a souvenir (cost will be capped and equal, no haggling).
Keep us posted!

My vote is for Bonnet Creek (unless you can get a DVC unit for about the same?)

 

[HayGan]

Do you think your sister will be ok with taking the kids without her? Have you (or would you want to) considered seeing if she could come along and then she could be the one to do the YES class with her kids (since you have an AP and would have to buy an adult ticket anyway.)

A couple things

1) Transportation - $1,000 for 4 is going to be tough these days given where fuel prices are. Just taking a quick look at Southwest, you are looking at more like $1,200 for flying. I would seriously consider renting a car and driving. Even with the rental charge, gas and hotels you can do it for under $1,200. If your sister goes, you could swap driving responsibilities. We often drive from PA. It takes us ~16 hours. We found that we prefer to leave in the morning and drive straight thru to Orlando. We get in around midnight and then are ready to go the next day. I always suggest a hotel room on the way home (you don't have nearly the same energy going home!)

2) Accommodations - For your budget, I would really try and find a nice condo off-site. That way you could reduce both your lodging and food budgets. That time of the year is very hot. You can always head back to your condo in the afternoon to swim and have lunch/dinner. Then head back to the park in the evening when it is cooler and when your bellies are full! Snacks are much cheaper than full meals.

3) Food - we have easily fed 7 people for 2 weeks at WDW on $800 (including my teenage nephew who ate constantly the entire time.) Breakfast in your room/condo as well as dinner in the condo or an off-site location would be much better for your budget. This is one of the biggest places where you can save money. I think you can easily do it for less than $500 for the week (including your sister!) I think that you all would be much happier in a larger space as well. A value room is tough for a group of 4 (including 3 siblings!) Bonnet Creek is a great suggestion as well as there are lots of other places that you can get in the area. You can park for free at the parks as an AP holder so I don't see the necessity in staying on-site.

4) Misc - My kids have never been ones for lots of trinkets or souvenirs. I don't buy clothing for them there because they grow out of it so quickly. I would give them each $25 to spend for the week. If they want more then they have to bring it. Take them to the outlets or any one of the million shops in Orlando to pick out cheaper souvenirs.

This is a very nice gesture. Keep in mind that they don't have to have everything to make it a special trip. I'm sure that they will love it no matter where you stay, what you eat or what trinket they come home with.

Good luck with your planning

 

[ZehnJahren]

Tickets - YES tickets for the three looked about $514. Otherwise, we're looking at over $900 through UT.

Due to the ages of the children, you'd have to buy a YES ticket too as a chaperone. You have to have a YES ticket to attend even though you have an AP. You have to attend because of their ages.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I hope it all works out. You must be the best aunt ever to take them to WDW by yourself! They're lucky!

Hi! Yes, I knew about the YES tickets; I thought the age was 12 that they could go without a chaperone - looking now I see I'm wrong. I thought the oldest could go by himself and the other two and I could go to another class, but I see that won't be possible. Hmm, something more to think over. Thank you!

I'm not the best aunt YET, I'm just trying to figure things out! The best aunt would actually TAKE them, so we'll see how great I am.

 

[ZehnJahren]

Honestly, I would NOT be comfortable with borrowing a car from someone and using it to drive that far. I'd be such a nervous wreck about it that I wouldn't be able to enjoy

Once you factor in the cost of two nights hotel, gas, tolls, and the time involved, etc. you'll probably be better off flying.

Have you priced out staying offsite? It might save you enough extra money to make the whole thing do-able (and then if you eat dinner in the room a couple of times and breakfast in the room each morning, you can save some of the food budget).

And maybe their mother could give you at least some money toward food. If she's not feeding 3 kids for five days, she will be saving a bunch on her grocery bill that week. If she can't do that, maybe she could at least have them pack snack foods like peanut butter crackers, pop tarts, granola bars and crystal lite tubes to bring and save some money on breakfast/snacks.

When DH and I go to WDW, we share counter service meals (we'll usually eat one meal plus a water and then buy a snack, so $20 will more than over a lunch or dinner for the two of us).

And of course, maybe it would be worthwhile to ask the kids to forego the souvenier alltogether? You could make some mickey head tie dye shirts ahead of time and collect some pressed pennies instead. I'd personally rather scrimp on this stuff than not have enough money for the rest of the park tickets/travel, and I would suspect that most kids would agree with that.

You've got a great point about the extra night and costs. DBF has actually agreed to try and get the SW Card with the 50k points from that link on the other thread (wonderful, wonderful DBF), so flying might work out! That would take care of three RT tickets (making my costs much less for transport, if he's accepted).

I did price out Bonnet Creek, but it was a lot more than the other places I looked at - even with my AAA discount it was over $1000. They didn't have any 1 bedrooms, only 2 bedrooms left.

I know my sister doesn't have anything extra - I really wouldn't ask. I'd see that week as a bit of a bonus for her and a chance for her to have a little extra cash in her pocket.

 

[ZehnJahren]

BUT, I would definately have upfront conversations with the kids about the "rules" for the trip - that way when you tell them "no", they'll be more accepting of it - or maybe they wont even ask!

We'd definitely have a talk ahead of time. They are very understanding and while they are by no means poor they do understand that there's not much money to go around. They don't go without, but they don't have much, if that makes sense.

Personally, I think there would be little-to-no begging for anything. They just know better.

 

[Beemitchcowski]

I did price out Bonnet Creek, but it was a lot more than the other places I looked at - even with my AAA discount it was over $1000. They didn't have any 1 bedrooms, only 2 bedrooms left.



Did you check the rates with Vacation Upgrades..Vacation Strategy...Ebay..

If you were looking on sites like hotels.com and such..there prices are much higher and they have a limited amount.

 

[ZehnJahren]

I can't believe all the responses; so many ideas that I hadn't thought of and a few posts setting me straight - which I love.

DBF was approved for the 50k points on the SW card. So, we can fly. Holy crap, I may be able to pull this off! I checked the flights from their city - RT for the 4 of us would be 60,000 points, so I'd be paying for 10k points essentially. I wonder how much that is.....

HayGan, you're right that this is a special trip and they would understand that to go on it we can't have a lot of expensive things.

I need to look more into off-site; I just really wanted to give them the whole Disney experience. AND I wanted those early-morning EMHs so that we could get in and at least beat SOME of the crowds. Because I have a feeling the place would be SWAMPED that time of year. But they wouldn't care, and I wouldn't care, so we'd all have a great time together!

I'm really not some "great aunt" or anything; I just know that I LOVED WDW as a child and these guys aren't going to get the chance to go if I don't take them. There's not a single family member in the position to pay for them to go, and that won't change unless something big happens. These kids are my theme park buddies; I'd love to take them to my favorite one!

 

[kirstenb1]

I like HayGan's suggestion about finding an offsite condo. We've been DVC'rs for a very long time, but if we weren't, that's exactly what I'd do.

Also, each trip, everyone eats breakfast in the room. I buy lots of groceries that I can use for multiple dinners. I.E. I buy the fixings for tacos one night, then the next night, use leftover lettuce and tomato to go with the deli meat/cheese/bread for sub sandwiches, etc. Very easy, and not a lot of cooking. The only meal we eat in the parks is a c/s lunch. We save a lot of money that way.

 

[ZehnJahren]

Do you think your sister will be ok with taking the kids without her? Have you (or would you want to) considered seeing if she could come along and then she could be the one to do the YES class with her kids (since you have an AP and would have to buy an adult ticket anyway.)

The kids take long vacations with other family members; I am not sure how she will feel about them going with me to Florida. Part of me thinks "no way" and part of me thinks she'll be 100% fine with it. I'm struggling to figure out a way for four of us, so I cannot imagine paying for 5 - and she really doesn't have the money.

A couple things

1) Transportation

2) Accommodations - For your budget, I would really try and find a nice condo off-site. That way you could reduce both your lodging and food budgets.

3) Food - we have easily fed 7 people for 2 weeks at WDW on $800 (including my teenage nephew who ate constantly the entire time.) Breakfast in your room/condo as well as dinner in the condo or an off-site location would be much better for your budget. This is one of the biggest places where you can save money. I think you can easily do it for less than $500 for the week (including your sister!) I think that you all would be much happier in a larger space as well. A value room is tough for a group of 4 (including 3 siblings!) Bonnet Creek is a great suggestion as well as there are lots of other places that you can get in the area. You can park for free at the parks as an AP holder so I don't see the necessity in staying on-site.

4) Misc - Take them to the outlets or any one of the million shops in Orlando to pick out cheaper souvenirs.

DBF has been approved for the SW 50k points; but now the points supposedly won't be part of his account until 6-8 weeks after the first use. So who knows what the flight costs will be after another two months!

I'm definitely up for recommendations for an off-site condo that's nearby. A car will be free on credit card points, so that's definitely do-able for us. For lodging, it would be nice to have more than one room so we don't all have to be awake or asleep at the same time! I'd also love a kitchen, as I don't have any problem cooking while on vacation - I love to cook, so I'd be glad to whip up anything we need.

Your idea about the outlet store is a great one as well.

 

[lsulindy]

Buena Vista Suites has 1-br suites. Bedroom has 2 queen beds and living room has a sofa and chair. Each room has a microwave and mini-fridge. It's right offsite, very close, and offers a free full breakfast every morning. We'd stuff ourselves for breakfast, then have a late lunch/early dinner cs meal. And, share snacks before and/or after. Some snacks were Disney bought special snacks, some were snacks that we brought with us. Spent less than half of what the DDP would have cost us and that included 1 character lunch and a Rainforest Cafe lunch. They have a shuttle, but it doesn't run as often as the Disney buses so we always took our car to the parks. It was very quick and easy.

The next trip we stayed with my parents in a 3br condo at Windsor Palms. Full kitchen although we never cooked a real meal. We did buy groceries, and ate breakfast at the condo. It worked really well for that trip splitting the cost with my parents, but if it were just me and 3 kids, I'd do Buena Vista Suites again. Mousesavers usually has a discount code for them.

 

[rigs32]

It's expensive to buy SW points, so don't do that. Book as many tickets as you can with the points and use cash for the rest. Remember, you can book each way on its own. You can also cancel and rebook tickets on points without penalty if the cost goes down.

As for hotels, check out skyauction.com. You can often get condos for $200-300/week. I stayed at Silver Lake once for $220 for a week. The side entrance takes you right onto Disney property. I had to rent a car, but that was only $60 for the week and it was still cheaper than a value.

In a condo, you can have breakfast before leaving. I've also packed simple lunches to carry into the parks. I had a camel-bak that also had a storage compartment. In the heat of summer, I loaded the water reserve with ice, topped it off with water, and had cold water all day. Plus it kept lunch (and my back) cool.

I would think it would be easier to deal with three kids on your own if you drove to the parks. Do AP holders get free parking? If so, then that's not a concern. Only the MK would be tough because if the ferry/monorail set up, but the other three parks are a breeze with parking a car.

 

[HayGan]

Glad to hear you will get the miles from the SW card Here is the price lsit if you should happen to need to buy additional points http://www.southwest.com/rapidrewar...7ECD2A778D932C550&ss=1&int=&companyName=&cid=

Since you are counting on getting the YES tickets you are going to have to buy a ticket as well. That means that the only real expense for taking your sister would be her airfare and food. Not small expenses but can certainly fit in your budget if you aren't paying over $1,000 for airfare!

I would have a REALLY hard time letting my kids go without me but that is just me. Your sister may be perfectly fine with it.

There are a number of websites where you can find great deals on condo/timeshare rentals. One I know if is skyauction.com. Lots of people around here have used it to get great deals on accommodations. I'm sure if you did a search you could find some recommendations from those who have used it (I think DisneySteve has used it a number of times.)

I can't stress enough how much you will likely save by staying off-site. We are lucky to have DVC. The reason we love it so much is the spaciousness of it as well as the kitchen. Food in the parks is expensive and typically very mediocre. Being able to go back to our villa, eating what food we want to eat and relaxing in the pool is a key ingredient in our vacations! If we didn't own DVC we would likely look into Bonnet Creek or another nearby timeshare/condo for our trips.

 

[tinkerbell423]

Can you go on August 25th? Free dining. In a value, it'll be counter service, but that would save food costs. With your sharing, that should completely cover your meals and snacks with little need to even supplement breakfasts. You could get by without a car.

Also, there is a link for the SW bonus points in the SW thread. For $99, you can either get airfare, or I know you can trade points for certain gift cards. Since they've stopped the 50,000 miles on the airline site, I wonder how much longer the link provided will work. Do they have any you can trade for where they sell Disney gift cards, like Target?

How do you get free dining on the 25th I was just pricing up a stay for my friend and didn't see free dining?

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

We'd definitely have a talk ahead of time. They are very understanding and while they are by no means poor they do understand that there's not much money to go around. They don't go without, but they don't have much, if that makes sense.

Personally, I think there would be little-to-no begging for anything. They just know better.

We took my DH's nieces when they were young and we did make it clear from the beginning that they could not beg for things. It worked! Somehow I think this always works better with someone else's kids than it does with your own.

 

[HayGan]

How do you get free dining on the 25th I was just pricing up a stay for my friend and didn't see free dining?

Free dining was just released to Disney Visa cardholders (just got my email). It will be released to the general public on March 5th. Good on stays 8/25-9/27/2012.

 

[ZehnJahren]

It's expensive to buy SW points, so don't do that. Book as many tickets as you can with the points and use cash for the rest. Remember, you can book each way on its own. You can also cancel and rebook tickets on points without penalty if the cost goes down.

As for hotels, check out skyauction.com. You can often get condos for $200-300/week. I stayed at Silver Lake once for $220 for a week. The side entrance takes you right onto Disney property. I had to rent a car, but that was only $60 for the week and it was still cheaper than a value.

I would think it would be easier to deal with three kids on your own if you drove to the parks. Do AP holders get free parking? If so, then that's not a concern. Only the MK would be tough because if the ferry/monorail set up, but the other three parks are a breeze with parking a car.

Thanks for the tip on skyauction. Seems a lot of those are for full one-week stays, whereas we're doing 5 nights; I wonder if I could just check out early? Heh, or is that just plain cheating?

I went to SW to check out how many points I'd need and what it would cost for additional points, and it actually would be a little cheaper to buy the points I need vs. getting another flight! I was surprised, but that's good news anyway.

I would have a REALLY hard time letting my kids go without me but that is just me. Your sister may be perfectly fine with it.

There are a number of websites where you can find great deals on condo/timeshare rentals. One I know if is skyauction.com.

I can't stress enough how much you will likely save by staying off-site. We are lucky to have DVC. If we didn't own DVC we would likely look into Bonnet Creek or another nearby timeshare/condo for our trips.

I'm not sure what my sister will say; the kids take a lot of vacations to my dad's houseboat in the summer, sometimes for weeks. That's quite a trip, far away from where they live. I don't know what she'll say, but I know she knows she can't afford to take them.

I don't know that she and I would travel well together; and the more money I can save, the better. If she says she doesn't want them going without her, I'll rethink it.

We took my DH's nieces when they were young and we did make it clear from the beginning that they could not beg for things. It worked! Somehow I think this always works better with someone else's kids than it does with your own.

Agreed - I don't think I'd have a problem, honestly. And two of them would have just had a birthday, so they would have more spending money! The littlest one - well, her birthday just passed but I bet her grandpa would give her a little extra to make it up to her.

 

[juliemouse]

Hey fellow South Carolinian! TRex honors the ones printed from the RC website. Enjoy!!

Yay! Good to know!