How Much Extra Cash? Have the Dining Plan!

[Emme]

I need your help please... We have the free dining so lunch and dinner are taken care of, breakfast will probably be a breakfast bar in the room. we aren't big breakfast eaters. So how much extra should I bring? Can you think of any "hidden" costs I should be aware of other than souvenirs and an occasional drink?

Think hard everyone and please be specific in your amounts so we can be prepared. Thank you so much!

Emmy

 

[thelionqueen]

How many are in your family..adults & Kids? That makes a difference in my opinion. Also your own personal spending habits will make other estimates off. But, all that said, here is what we budget.

We are a family of 4 (2 adults 2 DS's 4 & 8). The main considerations for extra $$ for us are.

1. Rental Car
2. Refillable Mugs (@ resort $13.00 each)
3. Souvenirs - I budget $10 per day per person some days we spend more,
some less
4. Dole Whips/Fresh Dole Pineapple Juice - These are a MUST HAVE for all
of us. If we are at MK we budget an extra $30.00 for Dole..not
incl.
5. Wal-Mart items. We always make a stop at Wal-mart before we check-in
to the room. We buy beach toys, towels, food (mostly breakfast) post
cards and other extras. Usually around $50.00
6. Photpass photos. We try to wait until we get home, but usually don't, so I
budget $30.00 on photos.
7. Extra snacks. We all tend to eat 2 snacks per day (popcorn & ice cream
since only 1 snack is included, we budget $12 per day extra.
8. Kids Clubs. My kids LOVE the kids clubs (almost more than anything else
at Disney) so we have to MAJOR budget for 2 stays during our 10 day trip.
For 2 clubs, 2 nights 5 hours each is $200.00. Much worth it, but big $$
9. Water parks if you don't have option on pass. We have it on our passes
but they are a MUST DO, if you have it or not..our family of 4 $95.00

Basically, we budge $150.00 per day above and beyond "prepaid" costs (rental car, room, tickets & food) which is not a ton, but enough for us.

Good luck!!

 

[Emme]

Thanks Lionqueen!! Anyone else have any hidden costs that you can think of? Thanks!

 

[hercamore]

Cash for tolls if you're driving from the airport.

Cash for misc at departing airport ....snacks, maybe.

herc.

 

[LisaRay]

Well I am pretty cheap and we have been so many times that we don't require alot of souvineers so here are the things I can think of.

Tolls as mentioned above
walmart trip $25 ( just some breakfast stuff and bottled water & misc.)
gas for rental car
egg roll from the cart in adventureland at MK $2.50 each. Yum!
any additional sodas or waters especially if it is hot!
arcade for kids at hotel!! we spent at least $20-$30 in here and the best time is during the day when everyone is at the parks.
something from the barkery or the candy shop as they are not snacks on the plan.
water mice rental, or surrey bike rental
ride photos or when you enter the park pics.

Basically what I do is have a food budget ( before the meal plan) and a souvie budget and anything else I just charge to the room. I keep this within reason of course and just always plan an extra $100-$200 for those misc. things. Like the pics or just small little things that I am not thinking about when planning. Gives me a little buffer. It usually is closer to $100 than not and by allowing that buffer of things not planned for it allows me to say yes to some smaller things that I hadn't thought of ahead of time.

 

[Colinsmom]

Tips for the hotel staff - bellmen, Mousekeeping (some do it, some don't) - and ME folks.

 

[becca011906]

Good thread i'm looking for our hiddend costs too! We are leaving in 2 weeks and still trying to get out budget down...
I'm thinking
$100 a day on food in parks or out of park resturants (w/ breakfast in room)
$50 as spending $ in the parks for 5 days
$250 for gas downt here and back
$25 for food at walmart once we are there (taking LOTS with us)
This is $1025 but still have $2000 saved back and already bought tics so what eles will we spend $ on???

 

[crafter23]

This is a great thread! We leave Tuesday .. flying down but my husband is already down there with the car. We're sort of on a budget, and I was trying to figure out what extras we needed money for.

Quick question though -- what is the kids club and where does it take place? Our daughter is 5, it's her first trip to Disney (and she doesn't know we're going yet!)

thanks!

 

[luvthatdisney]

The only other things we spent money on (just returned on 08/13) was our trip to Universal Studios/IOA. We did only have to buy 1 adult 1 day 2 park ticket and upgrade an old 1 day 2 park child ticket to an adult ticket. Then we had to buy food for 5 adults (lunch and dinner) about $200 for the day as DD got a hair wrap done there. Oh, we also bought the pictures made at the Spirit of Aloha dinner show was about $26 (get 2 big pictures a few wallet size and a keychain picture).

We didnt get alot of souviners (sp???) but did buy myself and DH a mickey watch (both of us had our birthdays while we were there) so that was about $150 for both. We also gave many extra tips over the amount of the dining plan tip. We had excellent service everywhere we went. The only place we didnt tip extra was at Hollywood and Vine as it was a buffet and she only brought us drinks twice. She did get a tip from the plan! We also tipped our Wishes Cruise driver $30 (had the birthday cruise $220). He was excellent! We spent about $1500 for the week.

Oh, that $1500 does include a $65 pair of school shoes for my DS (age 15). We went to a skateboard shop (Galactic G - if anyone is interested very reasonable prices) one day for the boys and we ahead and got his shoes as I could not get them that cheap at home or on the internet.

Gosh,

 

[ziggystardust]

We also have the dining plan. The major extra that we are alloting for is alcohol. We are 2- 20 somethings with no kids and plan on having fun. So that is a big budget killer for us, but hey its a vacation. We've also been a few times in the recent years so we don't go as crazy with the souvies, but we aren't going to stop ourselves from buying something we love.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

We having Dining Plan too:

We budget about $300 for spending for 4 days. But we plan to bring home so stuff for DD and have an evening out at Pleasure Island. We also spend $$ on photos in the park, tips, and may want to buy an extra snack/drink.

 

[Goobergal99]

In the end we are going to bring $950 for misc spending (we have the MYW with free dining too) I figure this will covers mousekeeping, bellman tips, a lil extra tip at the resturaunts, breakfast, refillable mugs,locker rentals at the water parks and any other lil souvenir we may want to buy. We will definently be hitting the everything under $10 store

Oh BTW, we are four ppl (me, Dh, dd and dsil) DH and I are paying for everyones mug and breakfast as well as tips and all that jazz. DD has her own $150 of disney dollars and dsil is bringing her own spending money

 

[disgram]

don't know if you have people at home that you want to check in with but I would also include a calling card if you don't have a cell phone. Cannot beleive how many times we called to check on the house and pets while we were in the World.

 

[marcyinPA]

Also on the dining plan here...the only extra money I'm bringing along is $100 in cash for tips and stuff like that, and the nearly $300 I have in rewards points from my Disney Visa.

We'll use the rewards for souvies, and "adult beverages", and an occassional snack that is not on the included list.

There are 4 of us...2 adults and 2 kids. Both kids will probably have $30 of their own money to spend too.

 

[pamouselover]

We also are on the dining plan and I have budget $ 500.00 and the kids both have $100.00 disney dollars for our six night stay.
We plan on eating breakfast or dinner with the dinning plan and snacking on snacks from home and fruit for lunch.
I cant waite ONE MORE MONTH!

 

[powellrj]

parking for your car at your home airport. We use to travel every year with a couple that would be counting loose change every year to get their car out of airport parking! Also make sure you have enough gas in your car when you leave it to get it home from the airport (yes it happened to the same couple)

 

[Kira G.]

I don't think anyone has mentioned renting a stroller. I would recommend a stroller for anyone with kids 5 or 6 & under - SO much walking!

If you prepay for all the days you will be there the first time you rent the stroller you save a bit of money, 10% or something. You also time because you don't have to stand in the line every morning.

 

[sabrinadv1]

Does anyone know what the stroller prices are? We have a 6, 2, and 1 year old. I am thinking umbrella stroller for the oldest and rent a double stroller for the other two. Do ya'll know how much that would be for four days?

 

[Emme]

We also are on the dining plan and I have budget $ 500.00 and the kids both have $100.00 disney dollars for our six night stay.
We plan on eating breakfast or dinner with the dinning plan and snacking on snacks from home and fruit for lunch.
I cant waite ONE MORE MONTH!

Just a reminder you get a counter service lunch with the dining plan and a snack everyday is included as well.

 

[pamouselover]

Just a reminder you get a counter service lunch with the dining plan and a snack everyday is included as well.

Thanks! Yes, we are going to use the counter service for breakfast or dinner, depending on were we eat.
We either have a TS for breakfast or dinner, and then use the counter service for the other meal that day.