How much $ do you bring with?

[Rapunzel]

We've booked our stay from Oct 3rd - 10th. With Hoppers & Dining. Staying at ASMo.

Now the real question is, how much do you bring/budget for 'extras'?

Everytime I go to the mall I put 20-30 on a disney gift card, and pick up some disney dollars.

I'm up to $50 in disney dollars and $50 on my Gift card. I don't want to get too much in the way of disney $ and not spend it all and be stuck with disney dollars/gift card credit, but I'd also like to have most of what we'll be buying "paid for" already when we arrive.

Just some basics to maybe help with calculations. On the trip will be me (the mom), my husband and our 5 yr old son, and 2 yr old daughter.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[latexscooter]

Is this your first trip, or the first trip for your kids? I found that first time trips end up being spend more trips. We go often enough now we bring some stuff from previous trips like the light up toys and a stuffed animal. We've moved into the "collecting" phase and pick up a coffee mug, etc.

So, not knowing your family or your habits I'm going to make a completely uneducated suggestion of things you may want to think about - a menu of possible expenditures.

$24.00 - You'll probably still want at least two refillable mugs (even though you're on the dining plan.) We've found them great for poolside and for the morning commute.

$80 ($40 each kid) - for the light up toys, the t-shirt that'll look oh so cute, autograph books, and those darned pressed pennies that seemed to add up to the gazillions.

$60 for you and hubby for whatever.

$25 for the ride picture that you just have to have and later on will try to explain away the cost.

And then whatever $ amount for little things you may need to get for the family, dog-sitter, friends, etc.

You don't have to spend that much. Like I said, we're lucky if we spend $100 on that sort of thing since the advent of the dining plan and we pay for the package in advance. But maybe this will help.

 

[SummersMom]

I have a savings account that I put all my extra money into. Then when it's time to go, I transfer about $300 over to my checking account and use my debit card. Or I charge everything and just make the credit card payment from my savings. Then if I have any extra money, it isn't tied up on a gift card, it's sitting in my savings waiting for my next trip. I usually end up spending a lot less because I say to myself "Do I really want this $40 coffee mug, when I don't drink coffee? Or would I rather have $40 towards my next trip?"