How do you do it? Disney every year?

[talulabelle]

We are a family of 6 and have never spent more than $2500 for a trip for all of us to Disney with travel included. And we need a cabin,suite, or 2 rooms. Disney is special even when you do it on a budget. We also don't go every year, and sometimes not even every other. When we were the OP's ages, we had never gone. We could have afforded it if we didn't save for having kids and retirement, but that would have been stupid.

I don't enjoy spending alot of money on something that I don't have anythign to show for it when it is done. I do enjoy taking vacations, just not spending alot of money on them. Even when I have the money, there is no way I would put $3600 into a vacation for just Dh and I. I don't even spend that for all 6 of us.

I guess the answer to the OP's question, is that the people who can afford a deluxe vacation every year (and aren't stretching their finances or financial future at retirement age) do it because the make alot more money than you, or have inherited alot more money than you. If you can't afford it, you don't buy it.

 

[tloveswdw]

Our family of six goes for a week, and it is a lot less than 3500. We live in Chicago, so we drive or get cheap tickets. We watch for deals... we stay on property. And, we can only go in the summer... as DH is a teacher. We save. It is that simple. We also have no mortgage, (we live in paid off home below our means), and two older paid off vans... so we are lucky, but, we don't go out really ever, (we don't ever go anywhere without our children- no lost money to sitters), and we live frugally, (but we eat organic and are vegetarians)... it is all about choices.

 

[NotUrsula]

Because DH uses an electric wheelchair, he prefers the Polynesian/monorail resorts. I don't care for the buses all that much, so I also prefer the Poly. How in the world do you afford $3,500+ each year to go to Disney (approx. cost for 2 people, DxDP, Park Hopper, 7 days/6 nights)?

The simple answer is that we don't. If we spent like that we couldn't afford it every year, let alone the 2-3 times per year that we normally visit now. While you do have some special circumstances, you are going to have to accept that you won't manage exactly that vacation every year unless you somehow come into some serious disposable income. Our family of 4 normally does not spend more than $2,700/year on WDW trips, and sometimes far less.

We never stay more than 5 nights at WDW. The only "deluxe" resorts that we stay at are the S/D. We do that for free at Xmas every other year by staying on points, and sometimes in between when we can qualify for a points/cash bargain. Normally our family of four stays at a moderate these days, though when we were your age we always stayed in Downtown Disney (that was back when all those hotels were e-nite eligible.) We don't pay for the dining plan; if it is free that's a bonus, otherwise we just pay out of pocket and pay attention to costs.
(Example: the top of the menu at Narcoosee's is $180 for two, including appetizer and dessert, but not including wine. The bottom of the menu is $70 for two if you skip the appetizer and share a dessert.) We buy 10 day park hoppers with waterparks (bonus if you can pick up the waterparks for free with a promotion), and we stretch each one over at least 3 trips. We like to rent a car, but we always work a discount on that, AND pick up FF points while we are at it.

The most important thing is that we only go when there is an airfare sale; the airlines give us the dates, and we work from that in terms of getting a discounted resort rate when possible. If the airfare is too high, there is no trip.

We didn't start going every year until we were 37 with a child in tow. (We didn't start travelling anywhere with real regularity until our student loans were paid off, which was when we were in our early 30's.) We put travel into our budget as a line-item; it is currently our single biggest expense other than school/daycare fees. Our home is paid-for, but it's tiny: just under 1200 sq. feet. We do buy new cars, but we keep them for 10 years, and we never pay more than $20K for a car. We don't smoke, we don't gamble, and we don't drink liquor in restaurants. We buy a lot of our groceries in bulk and we have a chest freezer that is always stocked. We do eat out, but not too often, and except on birthdays, we don't do white-tablecloth establishments when we are at home.

 

[aclov]

I purchased DVC, that's the only way I could afford to go every year. Although Poly is not a DVC resort, the Contemporary is which I have yet to stay there. I've been able to trade to go to Hawaii, on a cruise and take family and friends. It was a good choice for me and I purchased when I was 27 and not married at the time.

 

[dvcgirl]

Well, you asked...."how do you all do it? Disney every year?" I'm more of a big picture person I guess, because my first thought was not to come up with lots of ideas of how to cut costs at Disney, but rather to look at it from a different angle.

You got a slew of people telling you their personal experiences of how they can afford to go to Disney year in and year out, sometimes multiple times a year.

I would caution you though, that budgeting for vacations is a part of a person's *personal* finances. And so you're not seeing the whole picture. For one thing there's likely a very wide range of incomes on this board. Age is also a factor.

I would venture to say that there are people on this thread who can absolutely afford a trip or two per year, are debt-free or at least consumer debt-free and are saving and investing satisfactorily for their future. And I would also say that they are likely in the minority.

There's likely a group of folks who "make vacations a priority", carry little debt besides the mortgage, but aren't saving quite enough for retirement, if anything at all.

Another group may be carrying a little bit of consumer debt, saving essentially nothing, but cutting everything they can to get in that one trip a year.

And yet another group who make the yearly journey while carrying all sorts of consumer debt, but can't pass up that 40% off deal at the Beach Club, or feel that "free dining" is too good of a deal to let slip by...

My point is that only *you* really know what you can and can not afford....

I think that people sharing how they are able to cut costs is great. But I'm under no illusion that this means that every of them can afford the trip.

I've heard many people say things like, "boy, you'd never know that there was a recession by looking at the crowds at Disney". And I always think....."you don't actually think that all of those people can *afford* to take that trip."

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Well, you asked...."how do you all do it? Disney every year?" I'm more of a big picture person I guess, because my first thought was not to come up with lots of ideas of how to cut costs at Disney, but rather to look at it from a different angle.

You got a slew of people telling you their personal experiences of how they can afford to go to Disney year in and year out, sometimes multiple times a year.

I would caution you though, that budgeting for vacations is a part of a person's *personal* finances. And so you're not seeing the whole picture. For one thing there's likely a very wide range of incomes on this board. Age is also a factor.

I would venture to say that there are people on this thread who can absolutely afford a trip or two per year, are debt-free or at least consumer debt-free and are saving and investing satisfactorily for their future. And I would also say that they are likely in the minority.

There's likely a group of folks who "make vacations a priority", carry little debt besides the mortgage, but aren't saving quite enough for retirement, if anything at all.

Another group may be carrying a little bit of consumer debt, saving essentially nothing, but cutting everything they can to get in that one trip a year.

And yet another group who make the yearly journey while carrying all sorts of consumer debt, but can't pass up that 40% off deal at the Beach Club, or feel that "free dining" is too good of a deal to let slip by...

My point is that only *you* really know what you can and can not afford....

I think that people sharing how they are able to cut costs is great. But I'm under no illusion that this means that every of them can afford the trip.

I've heard many people say things like, "boy, you'd never know that there was a recession by looking at the crowds at Disney". And I always think....."you don't actually think that all of those people can *afford* to take that trip."

As always, your post is right on.

 

[transnet87]

Going to Disney is not very difficult for me because I live in the state of Florida so I use the Florida resident discounts (tickets for four days to park at 40 a day and major discounts on hotels) also, living where I do, I can drive to the park so no air fare. Even with that, I had to postpone this year because I really need to be firm with my 20+ year old sons that live with me and drive me bonkers every day, one works about 10 hours per week, the other not at all Plus I contribute everything for my GD who is 3 and the biggest joy ever. She and I are determined to make it back to Disney in Sept though. I work really, really hard all the time 7 days a week numerous hours a day, getting up at 5 am every morning to take care of everyone, I really have cut back on so much just to make sure I can do special things with her.

 

[robsmom]

I've heard many people say things like, "boy, you'd never know that there was a recession by looking at the crowds at Disney". And I always think....."you don't actually think that all of those people can *afford* to take that trip."

This is so true!! There is a post on another part of the boards. I won't reference it as my intention is not to pick on the OP of it. The real question was around what if you can't make your final payment on time, will they give you more time. As the thread progressed, someone suggested that maybe the poster could not afford the trip. Poster was animate that he/she could in fact afford it, just needed to get the next paycheck and he/she would have the money. I thought it was a bit sad, because I think the OP honestly thought that as long as there was cash to pay for the trip, they could afford it. The fact that they were living paycheck to paycheck and seemed to have zero savings was not a concern.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

This is so true!! There is a post on another part of the boards. I won't reference it as my intention is not to pick on the OP of it. The real question was around what if you can't make your final payment on time, will they give you more time. As the thread progressed, someone suggested that maybe the poster could not afford the trip. Poster was animate that he/she could in fact afford it, just needed to get the next paycheck and he/she would have the money. I thought it was a bit sad, because I think the OP honestly thought that as long as there was cash to pay for the trip, they could afford it. The fact that they were living paycheck to paycheck and seemed to have zero savings was not a concern.

I think many people believe that it's normal to be that way, and that a lot of people on the budget board (I just had to scroll up and make sure this thread WAS a budget board thread!) are weird.

I grew up with parents who were definitely carpe diem, live today for tomorrow we may get hit by a bus, grasshopper kinda folks. It works for them (they say), because they believe that "stuff always works out" and "something always shows up."

While it's not how I choose to live, having seen it in action, I can't really condemn them, either, because they've managed...

 

[Kteacher]

I work a second job to pay for our trips. It's pretty simple-if I want to take another trip I work more hours at my second job. My paychecks from that job go directly in to a savings account. Yes it's hard not having a day off, but that's the trade off I make for affording WDW every year.

 

[crisi]

I would caution you though, that budgeting for vacations is a part of a person's *personal* finances. And so you're not seeing the whole picture. For one thing there's likely a very wide range of incomes on this board. Age is also a factor.

I have a friend who is poor as a churchmouse. I've mentioned him before. He and his wife both work for non-profits - neither makes much money. They live in a small house in a not great neighborhood.

They've also traveled the world - pretty extensively.

Some of it is choices - they don't live in a bigger house. They don't spend much or collect many possessions. They live a very modest life. But their salaries wouldn't permit the travel even with the modest life.

But then there is the "whole picture" - he is the great grandson of one of the richest men in America at the turn of the century. Trust fund income is what funds their travels. They live off their small salaries. They travel well off his great grandfather's wealth. The wealth - divided by four generations with his inheritance yet to actually occur - isn't enough to live in splendor, but it isn't like they need to put money into 401ks.

The thing is that most people who know him really don't know about the family. Great grandpa was a robber baron doesn't tend to come up in casual conversation (and it isn't necessarily something he is proud of - grandpa was also a monopolist and a union buster). If you ask them about how they afford Italy, you get the same "frugal living....choices" discussion you are hearing here. And most people make a leap that they probably have a lot of debt.

 

[dvcgirl]

I have a friend who is poor as a churchmouse. I've mentioned him before. He and his wife both work for non-profits - neither makes much money. They live in a small house in a not great neighborhood.

They've also traveled the world - pretty extensively.

Some of it is choices - they don't live in a bigger house. They don't spend much or collect many possessions. They live a very modest life. But their salaries wouldn't permit the travel even with the modest life.

But then there is the "whole picture" - he is the great grandson of one of the richest men in America at the turn of the century. Trust fund income is what funds their travels. They live off their small salaries. They travel well off his great grandfather's wealth. The wealth - divided by four generations with his inheritance yet to actually occur - isn't enough to live in splendor, but it isn't like they need to put money into 401ks.

The thing is that most people who know him really don't know about the family. Great grandpa was a robber baron doesn't tend to come up in casual conversation (and it isn't necessarily something he is proud of - grandpa was also a monopolist and a union buster). If you ask them about how they afford Italy, you get the same "frugal living....choices" discussion you are hearing here. And most people make a leap that they probably have a lot of debt.

Yup, you just never know how people do it. Of course, most of us don't have robber baron great grandfathers out there.....but there are some trust fund babies I suppose. That's a pretty cool story though. Wish I had a robber baron for a dead great grandfather . We saved for a year to see Italy.

And I'll admit, I'd probably be one of those people who would think that your friends were in debt. Or at least I'd probably think that they weren't saving enough towards retirement. But your friends would also be a very, very rare exception to the rule....good for them though.

 

[talulabelle]

This is so true!! There is a post on another part of the boards. I won't reference it as my intention is not to pick on the OP of it. The real question was around what if you can't make your final payment on time, will they give you more time. As the thread progressed, someone suggested that maybe the poster could not afford the trip. Poster was animate that he/she could in fact afford it, just needed to get the next paycheck and he/she would have the money. I thought it was a bit sad, because I think the OP honestly thought that as long as there was cash to pay for the trip, they could afford it. The fact that they were living paycheck to paycheck and seemed to have zero savings was not a concern.

Isn't it amazing how with something as tangible as money, different people think of it so differently? I only think I can afford a trip if I'm living in the house I want to live in , it's decorated the way I want it, I'm driving the cars that suit my family, my kids are in the schools I want them in, I'm debt free (except for morgage, which is below my means) there is plenty of food, I can afford the camps my kids want to go to, and all my childrens college accounts and my retirement account are fully funded. Only then when there is something left over, do I think I can afford a trip. So last year, there was no trip. I feel like money is too tight for something like a trip, and if we take one, it is on a huge budget. Others would pay for the Disney trip first, wouldn't never even consider saving for retirement or college, etc etc. and think that I was rich with what I have (yet I can't afford vacations some years).

To me, it so black and white with money, I am amazed by people who don't see it the way I do. Like with credit cards. I only spend on them what I know I have in the bank to pay at the end of the month. They are just a convienent way of not having to carry my cash with me and then I only need to write one check at end of month. I never spend what I don't have. I only buy what I absolutely need. I have a friend who when I invite her to go to the mall with me, she says she can't go , her ccards are maxed. I'm thinking "so you can't go to the mall, and just look or spend time with me?" I don't think of going to the mall as meaning I HAVE to spend. Then she will call me a week later and say "I can go to the mall today, I paid the minimum on my balance, so I *have* $50 I can spend on my card. "Have"? No, she doesn't have anything. She just paid the cc company $50 toward nothing but interest so she thinks there is $50 coming to her on her card. It is SO crazy to me. And as much as I try to explain it to her, she doesn't get it.

 

[crisi]

Yup, you just never know how people do it. Of course, most of us don't have robber baron great grandfathers out there.....but there are some trust fund babies I suppose. That's a pretty cool story though. Wish I had a robber baron for a dead great grandfather . We saved for a year to see Italy.

And I'll admit, I'd probably be one of those people who would think that your friends were in debt. Or at least I'd probably think that they weren't saving enough towards retirement. But your friends would also be a very, very rare exception to the rule....good for them though.

No, most people don't have robber barons for ancestors - but I've discovered that it isn't uncommon that when you wonder "how" there is often some source of income or an asset that isn't getting mentioned. An inheritance. Grandma sold the farm. Stock options. A small business that was sold.

A group of friends and I were sitting around "confessing." Turns out that sometime in the past ten to twenty years each of us had come into a fairly large sum of money that we hadn't mentioned to any of our other friends. I was wondering how homes had gotten remodeled, trips had gotten taken, children adopted. Turns out my friends aren't financially irresponsible, they just don't mention that when Grandma died and the farm got sold, they paid off the house. And for the most part these are middle class people - not another grandchild of a robber baron among them.

Or they mention they live frugally and below their means - and don't mention that he has an MBA and is a vice president at a Fortune 500 and she makes six figures as a partner at a law firm - and they don't have kids.

I suspect its more common that people have debt. But its rude to talk about how much you make, or how much you "got" when grandma died, or to gloat to your friends about your stock options. So instead financially responsible people talk about not driving the latest car and not going out to dinner all the time - which are more appropriate topics of conversation.

 

[Kay1]

We take a few trips each year but adjust spending according to how much extra we have to blow. My father gives us large cash gifts from time to time, and my husband does consulting work on the side.

Our true vacation we take in July is mostly spent on renting a beachfront condo. This year we're staying 10 days, last year 7, one year two weeks, etc.

The trip mentioned in my sig costs only $28/night but we adjust restaurant meals accordingly.

Some posters here find it horrifying, but we eat in almost every night on vacation which saves us a ton. In the Keys, we open a bottle of wine then start a fire after sunset. We toss foil-wrapped seafood, corn, potatoes, etc. on the grill, then eat our little feasts there on the beach with a view of the ocean, the moon, and the stars. Next comes the key lime pie. I get that some of you think it awful, but we just love it.

You can do that sort of thing with Disney, too. It's not hard to create a fairly low budget and stick to it, unless you feel the need to go deluxe.

 

[arielmomma]

We are also in our early 30's and have 2 young children and we have done Disney nearly every year for the past 10 years. We only had to miss one year while I was in grad school. This year we are actually going twice - January and September. I am also a SAHM so we live solely off of my husband's moderate income. We are able to go every year b/c we live quite modestly and use our income tax refund. We drive 10 year old paid off vehicles. We do not have cable/satilite TV. We have 1 very cheap cell phone. We do not go out to eat often. We are also debt free. We also only stay at value resorts or off site. We do not by souveniers when we are there. We do, however, take full advantages of offers and will always enjoy a few character meals while we are there. This September we are going for 10 days during free dining. Our airfare, airport parking, hotel, gratuitiy budget, and tickets are just over $2300. That is a long vacation and covers 4 people. In January, we went for 8 days and it cost around $1700. It can be done.

 

[jodifla]

We take a few trips each year but adjust spending according to how much extra we have to blow. My father gives us large cash gifts from time to time, and my husband does consulting work on the side.

Our true vacation we take in July is mostly spent on renting a beachfront condo. This year we're staying 10 days, last year 7, one year two weeks, etc.

The trip mentioned in my sig costs only $28/night but we adjust restaurant meals accordingly.

Some posters here find it horrifying, but we eat in almost every night on vacation which saves us a ton. In the Keys, we open a bottle of wine then start a fire after sunset. We toss foil-wrapped seafood, corn, potatoes, etc. on the grill, then eat our little feasts there on the beach with a view of the ocean, the moon, and the stars. Next comes the key lime pie. I get that some of you think it awful, but we just love it.

You can do that sort of thing with Disney, too. It's not hard to create a fairly low budget and stick to it, unless you feel the need to go deluxe.

This sounds like heaven to me!

 

[Kay1]

This sounds like heaven to me!

Funny you should say heaven because that's one thing we open our wallets for in the Keys - Lobster Benedict, served among the chickens and cats at Blue Heaven.

Gotta love it.

 

[PinkRhombus]

How do you do it??

We DON'T do it every year. Don't feel bad about it. Personally....I think there are some people that are a little OCD with Disney Trips. That's me though. I have things that I like a lot, but they're not multi-thousand dollar vacations.

We were going be down there two weeks from now, but we put it off until the Harry Potter thing opens up. We had a week booked at a Moderate, with the counter service meal plan, two adults, two kids, and it was $2300 or so. That was NOT with park hoppers, or the deluxe plan (which would be great for just adults...but most kids would NOT have the patience to sit through 2-3 times per day).

So we've found something else to do where we could use the hotel points that my husband gets from his frequent travel.

 

[VAN]

How do we afford to go every year? In fact 2x this year?

We stay at values, do not do the dining plan (unless free), don't go into the parks every day (this past March we only went in 1 day), eat breakfast in the room, go when we can take advantage of discount codes, special offers, etc.

When the kids were small, we camped at Ft Wilderness and ate almost all our meals at the camper.

It's all about choices. If we visited Disney on the deluxe plan, such as you chose to do, we would only be able to go every-other year.

It's all about personal choices and priorities.