How did it get to be so much? (My trip)

[JEANMR1]

I am leaving for Disney in a couple of weeks (yay) and tallied up the expected expenses. Here they are:
(this is for 2 adults)

2 tickets from Hartford, CT $300
2 Annual Passes (going for 10 days) $800
Compact car rental $200
10 Nights Moderate Hotel $875
Party for the Senses $200
Segway Tour $160
Disney Dollars (meals souvineers) $1200
Cash (this is what is set aside so far)$250
Disney Quest $50

This totals $4,035 for 2 people!

I have all of this paid for/set aside except for the car rental. I also expect to spend some additional cash - I will probably leave with $500 instead so add another $250 to those figures.

Paying for it over time I hadn't realize exactly how much it added up! Now I know why my savings account hasn't increased this year. I think I need to budget the trip a little more in the future. The problem is that eating is much of the fun for us. I don't think the $1200 disney dollars is going to cut it for both food and souvineers (minus the one prepaid dinner).

 

[Dagny]

Hey there!

Meals are always our biggest expense too... we try to save a few dollars by having our big meal at lunch, rather than dinner. We usually grab a late lunch (3-4:00 pm) and then just "graze" on snacks afterwards.... this especially works when we are in Epcot

Since you are renting a car, you should try purchasing your souvenirs at one of the outlet stores (there are three - two at Belz and one at the Premier outlets on I-4). I walked away with two huge bags full of stuff for only $200 or so. This included stuff for me and my two kids so everyone got lots of stuff! Most of the items in the store are 50% off or more. They have tons of clothes, housewares, frames, etc. Also, each store usually carries different merchandise so we usually plan a shopping day and go to all three

I bet you could stretch your $1200 Disney Dollars quite well. If you had one "big" meal per day, lets say you spent $60.00 for the two of you. That would only be $600 (10*60), if you add in another $25 a day for snacks that would be another $200 or $800.00 total for the 10 full days you are there. DH and I have had plenty of great meals without spending $60 too so that number could be less as well, depending on where you dine. I think you will be fine!!!!

Have an awesome time!!!

 

[HM]

That does seem like a lot. Glad you mostly have it paid for.

-HM

 

[HeatherC]

You may also want to double check your airfare. If the rates have dropped, you may be able to get issued a credit.

Have a great trip!
HeatherC

 

[momxx5]

Congrats on getting is almost completely paid for before your trip. You have planned very well and it looks like you are going to have a great trip. You do have some special events planned and you are staying for 8 nights.


We did the pay for 5 stay for 7 deal this past summer....a family of 7(5 kiddies, ages 2-10), stayed for a week at the Ft. W cabins, did all the parks, Chef Mickeys and PSB Breakfast, and DQ, thankfully UPH were included in our package.

We did a few sitdown meals, bought souvenoirs, treats(Mickey's bars) and had the best time for a total of.......$5,000. We did everything we wanted and did not "watch our pennies". I thought we did quite well and had a great vacation.

Have a wonderful trip and say Hi to Mickey for us.

 

[tinkerbell13]

Some AP discounts too! I know my DH is doing the Segway with friends and there is discount that makes it $68. Make sure you are getting the cheapest prices you can.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Since you have a car--it would be advisable to stop at a grocery--especially if you like fruit and such. Buy a styrofoam cooler--and ice, and get some canned soda (if you drink it) and yogurt (if you eat it) and such.

Fruit would be much better bought at the store as well as they charge sooo much for it over at Disney.

Good luck on your trip--I think the same sticker shock applies to most any large ticket adventure that is sold a la carte. Happened with our wedding, our trip to Europe, et cetera.

 

[CarolA]

OK you are going on vacation with $1, 700 in CASH!

Please reconsider this. I hate that you already have $1,200 in Disney Dollars. If this cash is lost and/or stolen your vacation could be over before it begins.

(Personally I would skip DQ, I did not find it worth $25 each)

 

[JEANMR1]

Of that cash, I will put $1000 on room credit immediately. Except for the trip down, I won't be holding much cash at once. If you see someone paniky in the airport clutching their backpack for dear life - that will be me.
Thanks everyone for your responses. I wanted to demonstrate that by paying in advance for everything, I am spending tons of money almost without realizing it.
Food is so much part of the vacation for us that $100/day probably won't cut 2 sitdown meals possibly with drinks for us. We also go into a souvineer frenzy when we are there.
However, I am hopeful the souviner thing will be much better this time. Last time we each had like one disney shirt from the DS and ended up buying a shirt each day we were there. We now have TONS of disney shirts. Also - we had the Good Souviner - Bad Souviner discussion. For example: 1 christmas ornament is a good souviner - 5 christmas ornaments is a bad souviner.
Thanks again

 

[TheDuckMan]

WOW I thought my trip with family members was expensive....lol.

$150 (for me) for hotel room
$200 for food while Im there
$120 for souvenirs
$92 for one way plane ticket (gonna catch a ride back with family)
$300 for video camera....cant go to disney without it....lol.
$400 for my year pass....which I have only paid half of....cough cough thx to my sister....hehe

$1062 plus the 200 I still owe her

 

[Disney4me04]

It does add up doesn't it. I too am looking to cut my costs.

 

[yecats]

Let's see, we are two adults going for a week in Nov. (I have a round about figure in my head but am putting it to paper now).

2 Tickets using Hotwire (7day PHP) $302 ea. = $604
1 night stay at CSR = $88
6 night stay renting DVC points = $700
Gas for vehicle/tolls (driving down) = $150 (could be more)
Food ??? (have several dinners planned, most lunches will be counter service and eating breakfast before parks)=$750
Souvenirs = $150 (will also use Disney reward card)
Locker rental and other tips = $75
cash = $300
3 dogs kennelled for 9 days = $400

Grand total = $3,217.00

I am hoping to return with at least $150 in cash. I am also using a Disney Visa Reward card for a few puchases while there and will be charging most of my dinners and souvenirs to my card so I can start rebuilding my points up for future trip. I am used to keeping my trips to around the $2,500 mark (splurged on DVC this time) and am doing a few more expensive dinners this go round which is driving up the cost.

Funny thing is, if I would change my thinking up a bit I could've gone to Disney twice (2 or more weeks) if I would stay offsite at a condo, bought an AP and be more willing to not only eat breakfast but cook a few dinners for the exact same price that I am paying. This may be my next trip sometime in the future.

 

[patsal]

Since you are only going for 10 days I would rethink the AP's unless you plan to squeeze another trip out of them. Yes you break even at 8 days, but will you be going to the parks for all 10 days? Have you ever been to DQ--I would not pay "extra" to go especially after the experience we had in July--most stuff was broken and the CM's seemed really disinterested. (Hopefully that was an isolated incident). Hoppers with plusses may be a better choice unless you plan to be in the parks everyday and/or do not do any of the "plus" places. Play around withthe car rental a bit--you may be able to get that down some more--are you combining codes and coupons? Are you planning on going off site for groceries and dining/shopping? If you are not perhaps you should consider a tewn car it should knock that down by 50% and many will do a quick grocery stop. A sothers have mentioned your food budget will vary, but large meals at lunch can save $$, and balancing fast food with fine dining can really enhance the food budget. Good luck and enjoy--another way to look at it is $200 per person per day!

 

[Chicago526]

Well, for 10 days, that really not too bad, actually!

BF and I are going for 8 nights, here's our break down:

Transfer from my house to airport $80
Airfare from Chicago $200 (we got 1 ticket free).
Transfer from Airport to Disney $110
8 nights at the Polynesian, Lagoon View with tax $1717.12
2 Five day Park Hoper Passes (non-plus) $490.00
Meals, including HDDR estimated at $1050 for whole trip.
1 park tour and horseback riding at Ft. W, $180
Soveneers $400

Total $4327.12

Week with BF at the happiest place on Earth? Priceless!

This does not include the $400 Richard Petty Driving Experiance I'm surprising BF with, since it's his Christmas present. We will have saved the full amount by the time we leave, so we are paying for the whole trip in cash.

 

[tweetylori]

You can purchase DisneyQuest tix at a discount rate on line if you want, then pick them up down there. We did it and it saved some bucks.

 

[JEANMR1]

I rounded up and down a little on my budget. I think my DQ tickets were actually 21 each through the Mousesavers link to Ticketmania. The airline tickets were probably a bit more - its hard to tell since I have been able to adjust the prices with Southwest. I don't think the car is unreasonable for under $200 including taxes with Dollar for 10 days. We will be having dinner one night at Emerils Tchop Chop house. Also, I really prefer driving to the parks rather than Disney Transportation.
Also, I decided on the AP's in the hopes of killing myself with disney this year and being able to break out of its claws and go somewhere else the following year. I'm not sure it that will work though. I have a 5 day sister only trip scheduled in January which should be relatively cheap since she is rather cheap. More counter service and I only have to pay for 1/2 of the ap rate at pop centurey.
I also have a conference in Jacksonville that I will piggyback a couple of days at Disney with in June.
finally i'll try and SQUEEZE another short trip before they expire in November.
AFter that I know I won't be allowed to go for a couple of years.

 

[summerrluvv]

It all adds up!! Our second trip to WDW we spent a little over $5,000 for two adults and a child that was free for most things! That was with using codes too! Of course now I'm more budget wise since I don't have a husband paying for the trip now

 

[Geebs]

There are many discounts with the annual passes. There is a list of restuarants in the little book. Most of the them are for lunch, so make lunch your big meal. 10% here and there will add up. Also, you can get a discount at the World of disney store in the market place so that can save a little for the souvies!
Keep checking the car rental..sometimes the prices keep dropping!