How much do you spend on a WDW vaca? Hoto validate/rationalize spending so much $

[Davidsmommy]

We went last month with the kids - here was our breakdown:

We were 2 adults one child (6 YO) and an "infant" (2 YO - didn't have to pay for her except for airfare).

Our package was:

$1803.65 - this included 7 nights at Pop (non preferred), 7 day Park Hopper and more (water parks) tickets, Dining plan. We got a 5% rebate check just last week from DH's Union travel agency for like $85, so our cost of the package was $1718.

Airfare: $622 for 4 seats.

So, $2340.

We apent $125 on CRT ahead of time.

But, we spent an additional $700 ish on airport food, tips, extra food at Disney, arcade, souveniers, pirate excursion, etc.

So, close to $3200. Not too bad! (That isn't counting extra clothes, stroller, crocs, etc. I bought. We would use those anyway, right? Lol)

DH and I are going to AKL in September for our anniversary. Our total package is $1695 for 4 nights at AKL savannah view (we got a code), with Dining and 5 day park hopper tickets. Airfare will likely be $300 - $350. We'll probably spend another $400 on stuff. So, $2500?

 

[kristenrice]

My "budget" for our upcoming (1/2008) trip is as follows:
6 Day hopper tickets (2 adult, 1 child) $716
5 nights @ OKW 1 BR (rented from DVC) $960
1 night at ASMo & 1 night at CSR $250
5 days of DDP $465
2 days of additional OOP food $250 (could go lower, but we're big eaters!)
4 r/t airfare from Grand Rapids to Orlando $1100
8 nights of dog boarding (for our 2 Rotties!) $400
Rental car for length of stay $250
Miscellaneous (groceries, souvenirs, etc) $400

TOTAL Budget= $4791

This is for our family of 4 (me, DH, DD4 and DD2) We don't vacation much so we that is how we justify the expense. I use the Disney Visa card and as many rewards sites as I can find. So far, we've accumulated about $1000 of our budget in rewards which is like getting a 20% discount! I told DH that we have to have the $$$ available IN FULL before the vacation. He said it is OK to splurge and take money out of the savings account if we need to, but I think that a vacation is something that should be paid for in advance. I don't want to come home and have a $4000 bill waiting for me! I think I will enjoy the vacation a lot more knowing that everything is paid for.

 

[mom2my3kids]

hmmm lets see, our up coming vacation in sept is going to cost 2950.00 for 8 nights at a moderate resort plus tickets and dining plan. This is for the family of 5, plus 966.00 for our airfare. I plan on bringing 1,000-1,500 spending money. Sou roughly around 5,000 but its so worth it and I work hard all year long to save for this vacation.

 

[BTDTGB]

Family of four all paying adult price staying at a value for 8 days 7 nights, two table service meals, rest counter service at parks or hotel, snacks, gas from western Louisiana and driving, and souvenirs was 2800.00.

 

[mamatojon]

Let's see...

Our last trip was 14 nights - me, dh, ds(6), and dd(2)

1 nt all star movies - $90.00
3 nts saratoga springs studio- dvc points
10 nts villas wilderness lodge 2BR shared with in laws - dvc points

that was 404 pts total I think and if you multiply the $4 I pay for dues per point I guess you could roughly say that it cost $1616 for the rooms at SSR and VWL. That doesn't take into account the purchase price for DVC, not sure if I should somehow factor that in or not.

Airfare from SEA - 380/person for 4 seats - $1520
Annual passes with DVC discount for 2 adults and 1 child = $970
we used magical express and didn't rent a car but did need to tip quite a bit for luggage transfers and such - tips were about $50 total I think with the two room switches.
Food, I purchased groceries in the little stores at SSR and WL, that was about $150 total I think
Souveniers and dining out I'll just put together because they were all charged to the room - about $1765 total for the whole trip.

So total spent = $6161

The next trip is going to be a lot cheaper though, we are going again in December and the APs are still valid, we have reward certificates for dh and my airfare and the room is paid for by my inlaws DVC points. All we will have is the kids airfare - $760 and our food and souveniers which I am going to budget $1500 for. so total for our next trip is $2260 for 4 nights at SSR and 8 nights at OKW.

 

[dec181981]

we (Myself, DH, DD9, and DS 6)are going for 9 nights in May and here is the breakdown

9 nights in a standard room at POP Century with 8 night hopper/+ water park and more passes (got the upgrade for free) = just over 1800.00

R/T air from Portand Or to orlando for 4 on southwest = 950.00

Rental Car: 9 days Chevy Trailblazer from Alamo = 298

Total so far is right arround 3,000, we plan on bringing about 2,000 with us for souviners and food. We aren't getting the dining plan this time because last september on the free plan we felt too scheduled, and dh will have had bariatric surgery about 6 weeks before we go and will not likely be eatting. So anticipated total is about 5,000, but i dont know if we will really spend all of the 2,000 or not. Last time I went with 3,000 and free dining and only spent 500 of the extra money.

 

[Trixie15]

For a 7 night stay at a Value resort, 7 day hopper, Dining Plan vacation for me, DH and DD8, we usually end up spending around $2500. We drive down from NC (about 8 1/2 hrs) and budget about $250 for spending money.

Similar here - for our family of 6 (5 paying guests) we were able to book a 5 night stay at a moderate resort with park hopper passes (the May upgrade special!) and the dining plan for a bit less than $2500. We'll drive from IL over two days so we had to also budget for gas and hotels. I think when it's all said and done we'll be in the $3500 range.

We justify this trip by 1) paying cash for the whole thing and 2) not doing it every year. This will be our first real family vacation ever.

 

[overburnzz]

we have a timeshare with II that we exchange for 2 weeks a year(march & oct)
so our yearly fee for our TS is $650 for 2 weeks

we drive to FL from NC so we can usuallu make it on 2 tanks of gas
filling up in SC where gas is cheap and we drive a Honda Civic so it gets 35/40+ mpg

we exchanged for Mystic Resort this March (Very Nice)

tickets for 2 of us $420 Undercover Tourist FTW

Food $60 a day average

we dont buy souvenirs just trade pins so maybe 20-30$

so 1 trip is
325+420+420+50 gas = $1215

 

[Disneyanajc]

Family of 5, DH, DW, DS, DDIL and 5yr. Grandson.

We are staying a total of 11 nights, doing a split stay:
3 nights AKL, 2 rooms, standard, concierge,
8 nights Poly, 2 rooms, garden view concierge, one room on dining plan.

AKL package has 2 day tickets, with parkhoppers and fun (waterparks,etc.)
Poly package has 8 day tickets, with parkhoppers and fun.

total for package $14,305.11

Airfare: Delta roundtrip tickets for 5, $1585.50

total: $15,890.61

we have put aside for out of pocket expenses; food, tours, souvenirs around $2,500.00

Our total is $18,390.61

Fun and Excitement; PRICELESS!
JC

 

[Ms Marigny]

I am budgeting around $2700 (hopefully less if a discount code comes out) for our next trip.

We are going in May for 8 nights and have 7 day park hoppers (with free water park upgrade), and are staying at POP the night we arrive, and the remainder at CBR.
We are a family of two adults and one infant, so she is free.
We are driving, so no cost for airfare or car rental, just gas and snacks for the road trip.
We are doing the Dining Plan and will just share our meals with DD (13 months old) and bring her some snacks. We are going to the Rainforest Cafe one night, so we will be paying OOP for that.
We don't buy many few souveniers, so I don't budget too much for that- maybe $200 for that and misc extras which always seem to come up (like rain ponchos, which I always seem to forget to pack).

You only live once, that's how I justify the cost! And a nice tax refund paid for the trip this year. We only go every other year, occasionally once a year, so it's nice to splurge if we have the means to do it.

 

[crisi]

I'm free for adoption, LOL! Let me guess, you don't live on either coast, right??

Twin Cities, but that's part of the problem. It's $2000 by the time we fly four of us down (and neither of us can spare the time for the drive). Plus the $1000+ in park tickets for a week, hotel, food. So a budget trip for us would be $4000+ easily (air, hotel, car, food).

We go less often than a lot of Disboarders (every other year instead of yearly - or even twice a year!). So we probably spend about the same per year as a lot of other people - we just do one extravagent trip instead of two budget minded ones.

 

[lmcdo02]

went at end of January
Family of 5
8 days, seven nights
rented a 4 bd house 10 min away
6 day park hopper passes (3ad, 2ch) w/expiration
went to Pirate and Princess party
flew from Chicago

total spent: $4500

 

[Grendalynn]

WOW! I never imagined my thread would ever get this many reads or posts! I am glad to see I aksed a relavant question that others also were interested in knowing... I was worried that i was being rude by asking who spent how much and on what...

 

[happy2go2wdwmom]

Getting the hopper and water park passes and DDP for 3 for 6 n 7 d--at POP, and w/SW airline tickies/vacation package--total cost $2,198.00. NOT BAD, but still---I can't justify it, except to promise that we will never, ever, EVER regret it in the long run, and that life is way too short and scary ('cept at WDW), and that NOW is the time to go before our child loses all of his magical beliefs... ---I do justify the costs of food as, "We'd have to eat anyway if we were home---so let's just call it an eat out every night w/ 'friends' week." Also, can only tell hubby I'll try selling my hair as Brittany's on ebay ...can't even promise that upon our return I won't start planning the next trip, so, I just say----WDW represents all that is good, right, and just about this world---have also reached step one---I am a WDW addict---in hopes of sympathy--as in, just let us go (agaon) this one time (this year) and this will carry all of us over through otut he rest of the year (works so far!)---then I end w/ telling DH I will work off our trip debts by becoming a CM one day! ...if all els e fails, I hold my breath and cry.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

This year it is going to be our cheapest trip yet! We are going for 11 days, plus 2 days driving.

$845 - 8 days at POP, 3 1-day MYW base tickets, FREE DINING
$0 - 3 days at my timeshare prior to my POP visit
$125-$150? - Food for 4 days prior to my POP visit...this is approximate
$180 - cost to drive our economy car to Orlando and Home, with a FULL tank of gas!
Approx $25 for tolls
$40 for hotel on the way down...we will probably drive straight through on the way home
$40 for food on the road there and back...we will have snacks and sodas in the car
We already have a bunch of tickets so we don't have to buy any

Under $1300 for 13 days TOTAL...including the drive down! DH is REALLY happy about that!!!!

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

We spent roughly $4400 for a week in the orlando area, which icluded 5 nights at WDW and 2 nights with dear old Mom and Dad. Here is our breakdown for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children - ages 5 and 2)

1) Lodging - $1600 (rented 1 bedroom villa for 5 nights from DVC member)*
2) Airfare - $1086 (4 people)
3) Rental Car - $250 (minivan from budget)
4) Theme Park Tickets - $667 (5 day park hoppers for 2 Adults, 1 child)
5) Food - $540.27 TOTAL
($60.56 @ Publix)
($140.59 counter service and snacks)
($339.12 for table service)**
6) Souveniers - $155.29
7) Stroller rental - $36.00 (double stroller for 2 days)
8) Msc. - $100 (I think we are missing a couple counter service receipts and we had to buy a tank of gas)

* This was at VWL and we stayed over a Sat night, which is about double the price of Sun-Thur.
**Dinner at Boma for 4 adults, 1 child and 1 under 3. Dinner at CP and Breakfast at CRT for 2 adults, 1 child and 1 under 3. Price includes tip,taxes,etc.

 

[Grendalynn]

We spent roughly $4400 for a week in the orlando area, which icluded 5 nights at WDW and 2 nights with dear old Mom and Dad. Here is our breakdown for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children - ages 5 and 2)

1) Lodging - $1600 (rented 1 bedroom villa for 5 nights from DVC member)*
2) Airfare - $1086 (4 people)
3) Rental Car - $250 (minivan from budget)
4) Theme Park Tickets - $667 (5 day park hoppers for 2 Adults, 1 child)
5) Food - $540.27 TOTAL
($60.56 @ Publix)
($140.59 counter service and snacks)
($339.12 for table service)**
6) Souveniers - $155.29
7) Stroller rental - $36.00 (double stroller for 2 days)
8) Msc. - $100 (I think we are missing a couple counter service receipts and we had to buy a tank of gas)

* This was at VWL and we stayed over a Sat night, which is about double the price of Sun-Thur.
**Dinner at Boma for 4 adults, 1 child and 1 under 3. Dinner at CP and Breakfast at CRT for 2 adults, 1 child and 1 under 3. Price includes tip,taxes,etc.

This sounds about like what our Dusney budget is or was. Minus the Rental car add another night at WDW. We payed a bit more to do the land and sea thing - thinking that this would be our one and only Disney Vacatiob for a long time. But needless to say - I am hooked and we will be visiting again just 3 years later!!

 

[Grendalynn]

So I just ran a little resevation thing on the Disney website... We are wanting to book in March 08, but they are only booking into December at this point... So I ran a Sept trip instead just for giggles.... And of the three Deluxe (Poly, CR and GF) The Grand Floridian came up cheapest - CR was at $5900 and change, Poly at $6600 and change and a Garden View room at the GF at $5000 and change. This was for 7 nights, with dining and 7 days parkhoppers with no expiration!! Still a lot of money but it really surprised me that the GF was less expenzive. It denotes "Special Rate Type: Annual Product" on the top. Is this the AP rate that everyone is always talking about ??? Is this offer valid during a certain month - for a certain month while making a reservations - with stipulations.....?? How does it work exactly??

I also posted this under the Resorts Thread.