How do you save money for your WDW trip

[abbyndrewmom]

I wanted to get a CDN perspective on saving for WDW vacation. We have just decided to go for DD 5th birthday. We will stay for 4 days then stay with family for 5 more days in Tampa. We are driving from Ontario. I am racking my brain thinking of ways to save, cut corners. I want to stay onsite at a moderate hotel and we want to eat good food. We already have our passes so that is covered. We had a great vacation last september where the sky was the limit this time we need to be a little more pratical. Traveling will be DH, me and 2 children (2&5.) part of the rush for the trip is to get there before DS turns 3 in Sept. I have decided no more dinners out till we get to WDW (this is a big sacrfice) and to try to cut our down our grocery bill by using what is in the freezer and not buying so many ready made products.

i need some other suggestions,

 

[grover]

We also have to be very diligent about saving and there are a few things I do that makes a difference, I go to the library now instead of buying books,magazines, they even rent out movies- we are big on reading and watching movies so this helps alot! I have restricted myself to one or two bought lunches at work at month- we brown bag it. I have also tried to cut out a lot of the pricey prepackaged processed food-it makes a huge difference in the food bill and is healthier. I have a budget every payday and do my very best to stick to it. We save all our change. Save my child tax credit- only 40.00 but it adds up. I have also just decided to find a part time job, working a few additional hours per week will also add up-shopping $$$. I already work full time so I don't want to over do it in this area! Dh can also work overtime when he wants so this can add up as well.
Any other ideas out there?
Grover in Winnipeg

 

[eleanor]

It is tough to save right now,but a few ways are to put all your change each day in a jar and leave it till you are ready to go. It is amazing how much it grows.Also when you drive down, pick up the motel discount books at every welcome centre. we had some with free breakfasts. I always pack enough lunches for 2 days,plus snacks and drinks.You can take breakfast cereal into the rooms
.at disney

 

[SandraC]

We do the library thing too. We rent excellent movies from the library, that saves $5.00 a shot!

Check out www.disney.com they have a $94.00 Summer Time Rate at moderates right now as well as checking out www.mousesavers.com We are going in 8 days and we saved a bundle with mousesavers:
$199 USF per week for a mini-van at Dollar Car Rental
$94.00 USF per night at CSR for 10 nights
$100 CDN saved from splitting the difference with another DISer for dd's CDN hopper ticket.
$250 CDN saved from dh and my CDN hopper tickets
$75.00 CDN saved due to breakfast included with the hopper passes
$75.00 CDN saved due to a FREE character meal invitation (Make a Wish thing for dd)
We got a good seat sale thru Air Canada too!

We have 6 character meals booked. Breakfasts that are not a character meal will be eaten in room. We did that last year and I can't believe the huge savings in money and time. Lunches are picnics or snacks (with big character meals we won't need lunch). Dinners are counter service or food courts ~ it's easier to do this little kids.

As far as saving money. I work PT and just about every penny goes into the DISNEY ACCT which will soon be the BUYING A BIG VAN ACCT SO WE CAN DRIVE TO WDW SUMMER 2004.

I also do a couple of POINT things that yield good bucks. With Air Miles, I cash them miles in for Dominion money and then put the equivlant in cash into the DISNEY ACCT. I usually do about $300 - $400 a year. So I just transfer $300-$400 per year from the grocery acct to the DISNEY ACCT.

I changed my DISNEY ACCT to a higher interest acct at the bank.

Dominion also has a BABY CLUB. When I buy baby items I get points that turn into money. I get about $150.00 annually that way.

Anytime I can a significant coupon $10 or more off an item, I put have the coupon worth into the DISNEY ACCT.

Those things alone add to about $1000 a year. I also shop a lot at second had shops and I am a bargain hunter. Put that together with all the DISNEY deals and VOILA! Two trip to Disney 12 months apart!

S

 

[Debbie]

Good ideas for saving, everyone. Abbyndrewmom, if the passes are covered, you're off to the races! That's the biggest holdup for our next trip.

For souvenirs, we always hit Belz outlet (and next time I'll add the other outlets) before going onto property. The kids have "stuff", and then the need to buy "stuff" is pretty much eliminated. Any of their spending then goes to the treats that they want (popcorn, Mickey bars etc).

As to the Disney account. We have one of those, too, but I have an account with ING (internet banking). Interest on it is higher than your bank on the corner, you move your money in and out of that regular account, and you can access your money at Canadian Tire Stores. Like any bank it is secured, and if you're lucky, they pay you to open an account! P.C. Financial (Loblaws, Zehrs) etc. have the same sort of deal, with machines at their grocery stores. While I don't have the account with them, I do have the PC Mastercard. Since it's a regular MasterCard, I put everything- including my groceries- on it to rack up the points for free groceries!

Hope this helps! Have a great trip!

 

[Suzanne in Canada]

We had great service from them (ask for Louise) and they got us a really great rate at the Crowne Plaza resort.

We also packed a lot of our own snacks etc before we went down. Saved on buying treats and paid in Cdn dollars.

I also picked up nifty Disney things here and gave the girls something every day - this took away the "can we buy" cries while we were in the parks

Hope some of these ideas help!!

(PS: See you at the next crop!)

 

[tmli]

Welcome Suzanne!!!I'm in New Hamburg, just 10 minutes down the expressway. I lived in Kitchener myself until a few years ago.

When we are driving we also pack our own snacks and bring our own bottled water and pop.
Also I go to price club to buy my film prior to leaving. I also buy my son the 3pack of disposable cameras so he can take his own pictures. Then we buy photo albums at home in Disney themes, much cheaper then in the parks.