How do y'all afford it?

[lakefairy]

For us in the northeast, plane tickets are a big ticket item. I have found that booking ahead is the best way to get a good price. I always get my air tickets first and then look for hotel deals.

Don't overlook the value resorts or think they are "too cheesy". Granted they are just motel rooms, but the theming is great and they have alot of the same amenities, like food court, buses, laundry, etc. We stayed at Movies last year and I brought ear plugs because I had read so many reviews of the noisy
rooms. I never had to wear them! And the beds were really comfortable.

This year I am staying of POFQ which is a little more expensive, but I am going with a friend and only have to pay my own way. No kids! Yay!

Another thing I do at Disney is snack my way around. No big meals for me. It really cuts down on your dining expense. And the snacks are yummy! One of the best deals at breakfast is the oatmeal. You get a big bowl for like 2 bucks. Oh, and I always get the refillable mug. About lunchtime, when I am starting to get hungry, I like the turkey legs or popcorn or a Mickey bar or that shaved ice stuff at Japan in epcot. At about 4 or 5 when I am ready to faint from hunger I actually do a counter meal. They are usually under 10 dollars.
Then at night a little treat from the food court is always nice before bed.
So if you are frugal and easy to please you can eat at Disney for about 20-25 dollars a day. When my daughter and I went last we split alot of meals and I think I averaged $30 per day for the two of us!
Good luck with your planning and saving! For my trip this year I got a credit card with 0% for a year, and am paying it off monthly. I will definitely have it paid off before I go.

 

[DizneyNutz]

I don't know how you can NOT spend that much. We spent that much including hotel (rented DVC points), airfare (got discounts, watched for the lowest), park tickets (got them using Mousesaver's discount), food (brought some of our own, had one TS each day) etc. for four people (2 adults, 2 children).

Not to dispute what you're saying, but, the DH and I have flown with two teens, driven, stayed at Deluxe resorts, bought PH tickets, eaten where we wanted, gone to shows, and Universal/Sea World and we have NEVER spent 5k on a trip to Orlando/WDW, this includes the pre-DVC days, and even eating every meal on site and during the Christmas Season, we'd buy MVMCP tickets...the only explanation I can offer is that your airfare must be off the charts! I will add that a very good friend of mine told me, right before our first trip, that she, her husband and 2yr old spent 1500 to eat for a week at WDW, almost made me back out of going---not so, pushed on and found that we four ate VERY well for about 500-600!

Believe me, the DH in our pair is the planner, and I am the bean counter and I can give you the specific numbers on almost all our trips----the worst was the last one, and that's because we did a lot of heavy duty shopping, he and I were enjoying our second alone trip, we ate at some very nice places, and spent whatever we wanted, and STILL, even with the shopping didn't spend 5k!!!!

 

[poohluvr]

I'm a single mom of 3 boys. I used my tax refund in 2005 and doing the same this year. Our first Disney trip was our first real vacation together. I just feel like you only live once so you might as well enjoy it while you can. I just budget, budget, budget. Everything is paid in cash and last trip I actually budgeted so well I came home with money! We don't crazy, the kids each had a set amount to spend, and I just watch what I spend down there. This year is the first time we're staying onsite (Pop) and I can't wait! I priced some other vacations too this year and I would have wound up paying the same or more than my Disney trip.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

On top of having more taking out each pay check so we get a nice refund every Feb, I also try and book when I get a discount like this years 40% pin codes that were sent out to some of us. Getting 40% off a deluxe resort really helps out a ton.

 

[ducklite]

It's too bad Miss Anne took it upon herself to be so rude and say such a hurtful thing.

Could you tell me what I said that was rude and hurtful? All I said was to think about what you had written. If you find that hurtful, then I guess what you know as the truth hurts. And since when is asking someone to think about thier words rude?

Let me tell you, if I thought that someone on a message board had "out of control" debt, I sure wouldn't respond to them with a snotty comment.

Again, can you show me where I've been snotty? For the record, I NEVER said anything to you about your debt. "out of control" debt are your words, NOT mine!

What goes around comes around, Miss Anne. Thanks for being so compassionate.

Wow. You are really a trip. I'm out of this one before I DO say something rude, snotty, or hurtful.

Anne

 

[lookingforward]

We buy seasonal passes every other year (we live 2.5 hours away by car), and during the years we have passes we try to get up there at least four times. I don't buy art, jewelery, fancy clothes, etc. and we have three incomes (retirement/military and we both work). We don't spend a lot on fancy cars (we drive our cars for five years) and don't smoke, drink too much or gamble (except on cruises ).

Seriously, we value memories over possessions (except for home and education). I love, love, love to travel (even for a weekend) and my kids will have lots of memories of us when we are old or gone. That is my way of living great. But I work HARD too.

I also agree that paying down debt is vital...but sometimes you have to live a little too. When my husband was active duty USMC my son was critically injured at the age of four. In the ICU I promised him that we would go to disney when he got better. I am blessed to say that four months later I opened a charge card SPECIFICALLY to make that promise a reality. (we did not have much savings)> We went to disney for a week and that credit card became my vacation ticket. I paid it off, then we went on another trip, then I paid it off again. I never used it for anything else and it brought me such joy to have it, use it and then pay if off. That first trip ten years ago was incredible magical and I don't regret the debt I acquired for the memories.

 

[heatherlynn444]

wow...anne is not the snotty one...she did not say anything to me that implied anything more than a helpful and concerned tone. you are the one that got defensive. try not to jump to conclusions. most people on these boards just want to help our fellow disney lovers! enjoy your trip anyway