How do you afford multiple trips/year?

[prncssjas]

Oh my gosh! This is what I used to think too!! I mean, DH and I both work full time and we have no kids. We could afford a nice long trip once a year but I didn't see it happening several times a year. But that's when I learned about DVC and of course, we joined!! It made sense for us financially. Now we can go more than once a year if we decide. The AP's really help too...

Of course, this year, DH and I building a house so things might get a little tight for the next year or so but I think we'll find some way to make it work!! I wouldn't give up my WDW trips for ANYTHING!

 

[Trekker]

In an effort to keep the resorts board on the topic of resorts, this thread is being moved to the budget board.

 

[jsmla]

We go a lot, it's quite the joke with our friends. Here's how we manage (on one rather modest income too)

AP's: We usually take at least one long (2 week) trip and several short trips during the year. alternating our long trips: August the first year, June the next in order to get two "big" visits on one AP. The other trips are usually one just the kids and me and one just DH and me. (Isn't it a coincidence that that me just keeps cropping up?) It usually amounts to about 35-40 days on one PAP.

We Camp: For the long trip we always bring our "vintage" Airstream trailer (purchased 10 years ago for $2000). With discounts, a premium campsite runs around $45/night even in the summer. When just the kids and I go I get the best discounts I can. This year it's the $49 rate at the All Star Music. I have done Priceline and gotten the Wyndham for the same amount at Easter.

We Rarely Eat Out: I think this factor alone is a budget buster for most families. Since I cook, freeze and bring in 90% of the food we eat, the expense over eating at home is practically zero. I have brought in hot pots, hot plates, crockpots and even a microwave when we don't have the trailer. I just purchased an electric cooler since the Disney fridges have gotten so expensive and we bring one ice chest for drinks, milk and stuff. I used to freeze a case of water bottles to keep the food cool. This works very well. At Easter we still had frozen bottles after a week. We usually have one "nice" meal out. This August it will be Boma.

I Don't Pay for Souvenirs: We have teens and they have to pay for any extras. DD usually buys a souvenir, DS blows his on junk food. When they were younger they received Disney Dollars as gifts or rewards and used these for their purchases. I know a lot of people think Disney Dollars are a rip-off but they're great for setting limits with young ones.

We Drive: As you may have guessed from all the stuff I bring. It's about 10 hours for us. DH and I will be flying in September on a Southwest special ($179 round trip for both of us) so this will be quite a treat.

I know everyone can't pull all of this off due to distance or lack of vacation time, but it can be done. We went to Disney's Magic Music Days with my daughter's dance team a couple of years back and everyone with us spent more in 5 days than we did in two weeks and kept wondering that we could afford such an "expensive" vacation so often! The difference? No discounts on tickets or hotels, airfare, and dining out at every meal.

 

[Diznut84]

OK, I'm hooked.

We went in January and June, and will go again in August and December (2 weeks).

Our secrets:
1) Annual Passes for WDW and SeaWorld
2) Timeshares (Orlando is an easy exchange: see TUG )
3) Priceline (Airfares=$139 or less). Accept any airline bumps for free trips!
4) National Car Rental Emerald Aisle with Disney Club Discounts ($142 a week for full)

We eat breakfasts in the room. When we go in the summer, we usually lounge around the pools until after lunch (which we eat in the room). Then we hit the parks, bring our Brita water bottles, eat at counter service with no drinks and adults share (total: $13). Don't need souvenirs (we own them all). Just fun at WDW and SeaWorld!

 

[Mic]

I agree with NCRedding(maybe because we are from NC,too)about trips being important. Unfortunately, since the AP's for my family of 6 was @ $2000, we can only afford to go to WDW("we don't have to buy tickets")and we joined DVC("we're using points,Dear, not dollars"). We always drive(except once when DH and I went to WDW without the 4 kids)and we eat breakfast in the room almost every morning. I have noticed that each trip costs less and less. Once we do a character meal once, we don't have to eat there again until we bring friends, and we have our favorite restaurants that we eat lunch at, and budget accordingly. My kids are too young to leave alone, so DH and I plan only 1 or 2 nice dinners per trip, and we eat dinner in the room(pizza, salads, etc.)or counter service the other nights. I budget $120 for the gas down and back(my van's selling point was not it's fuel efficiency, but rather it's 8-passenger seating capacity), $100 a day for food if just myself and the kids($150 if DH is with us), and the kids take their own spending money. I can do a 5-6 day trip for $700 or less, if I stay away from the pin carts Counting the cost of the AP's, I still manage to spend less per year than most of my friends who go once a year, and I go 5-6 times. Getting days off from work and school is getting harder, so we may not renew our AP's in October.