How much is too much to spend on a disney vacation?

[dizagain]

This is our second trip to WDW (last one 2003)...first on site. We're budget-minded and we SAVE, SAVE, SAVE for this. Got a pin for our POFQ room for 8 nights, used Ticketmania for 6-day hoppers, had two free air tickets, and plan to eat some sit-down meals, but lots of counter... Girls have their spending money saved in Disney Dollars and I'll buy one t-shirt and a couple of Christmas ornaments.

Hopefully if all goes well we'll spend around $3,000 total...a lot for us, but we are definitely paying cash. If we couldn't, we wouldn't go!!! We most definitely can't do this every year, so we'll ENJOY making memories.

Leaving in 3 days...can't wait!!

 

[marcbelt]

Let me put it this way: I live in Cancun, Mexico. If you see Xcaret or Xel-Ha prices (or watersports, fishing, etc.), along with car rentals, drinks and food, WDW is an extremely cheap vacation in comparison. The prices here for tourists are thru the roof, and hence I have vacationed at least twice a year in WDW since 1995 and SAVED $$$.

 

[kirbsam]

Whatever you spend to go to disney and enjoy it is the exact right amount. For a family of four, that means 1000 to 10000, depending how long you stay and where you stay. If you stay and all stars or concierge at grand floridian(i am partial to deluxes, my self), it is disney.

 

[WeLoveThePoly]

After we got home from our Disney trip last October I added up everything just to see how much the trip cost us. For airfare, ground transportation, airport parking, resort, tickets, meals, souvenirs our total was around $7,000 for the 3 of us for a week.

It doesn't seem like much as you are purchasing and paying for things in advance. We bought our airfare ..... ok, there's $600 but we paid that in April. Also, as the months are passing by I'm paying off the resort and buying tickets. Then when we get there we put all our food and purchases on our Disney Visa and pay that off when the bill comes. We weren't hit with $7,000 all at once so you don't really notice how much it is costing.

We are not going back to WDW this year because once DH heard the "grand total" he thought we should go every other year instead of every year. It's not that we can't afford it, it's just that spending that much money on a vacation every year seemed extravagant. Yes, we could go cheaper but we like our WDW vacations the way we've done them.

So, we wait .....

Debbie

 

[mgkkgdm]

Three Letters... DVC Still expensive but worth every penny of it.

 

[LoriMistress]

For our trip, we spent about $2000 for our trip (airlines, hotel, and tickets.) Though we brought over $700 with us. We barely had any suvineers. We bought very little things for our trip, and picked up MANY MANY MANY tips from message boards (including this one), and was able to stretch out our budget. We bought our suvineers at Houston, TX airport at the Disney Store. They had Disney stuffed animals for 40% off.

We are planning a trip for September to go t DLR. This time, we'll stay on property and stay at the Disneyland Hotel. That will be so much fun, since I've always wanted to stay there.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Let me put it this way: I live in Cancun, Mexico. If you see Xcaret or Xel-Ha prices (or watersports, fishing, etc.), along with car rentals, drinks and food, WDW is an extremely cheap vacation in comparison. The prices here for tourists are thru the roof, and hence I have vacationed at least twice a year in WDW since 1995 and SAVED $$$.

That's interesting you say that. I always heard that Cancun was one of the cheapest places to vacation. Guess they were wrong.

 

[Tiffa]

OK, what we spend is realtive to what we want out of our vacation - we used ticketmania and got 10 days tickets for the price of day tickets, found a house to rent for $139 a night for 10 nights we are driving down and plan for about $200 a days for food and souviners and parking - its all about the kids our dd who is going to be 6 and ds who is 11 we have only 7 vacations left with him so we make the most of them! We all love Disney and usually cant get enough this will be our longest stay but we are going "Hakuna Matata" , no tour plans just see what we want when we want - we did make plans for Fantasmic and breakfast at the Castle which we got an "Advanced Reservation" - and with the house rental a first also has 2 master suites and a pool and hottub and laundry facilities I was thinking why didn't we do this last time??!!

 

[catwub]

Wow! I was really feeling like I spent less than most...now I realize we go out of control!! It is just myself and my 7 yr old dd and I think we are looking at about 6,000 when it is said and done. I see families doing better than we are!!! I think I better check out my planning

Catwub

 

[marcbelt]

That's interesting you say that. I always heard that Cancun was one of the cheapest places to vacation. Guess they were wrong.

If you stay at an all-inclusive hotel and never leave it, it's a bargain. If you really want to get to know the place, including all the tourist traps, you're gonna spend a lot.

 

[Blueberry]

As long as you spend what you have to spend and do not over charge or spend more than you should, that is great....I know someone who went overboard and could NOT pay their bills or mortagage when they got home... . Saving is the name of the game, save a long time and you will have enough for a great vacation. Expensive vacations normally are not last minute decisions, unless you have resources saved to pay for it...

 

[lacy1101]

Here's our tentative budge for this, our 4th trip to WDW (family of 4):

8 nights at POP - $544
Refrigerator - $80
Bell Hop Tip - $10
Air Fare - $368
Airport Parking - $54
Sky Cap Tip - $10
Limo driver tip - $40 (no cost for the limo itself as it is complimentary - driver failed to pick us up for our return flight on our last trip - everything's cool, though - he made it right!)
Grocery stop - $75
Resort mugs - $40
Mousekeeping - $32
Mini golf - $33.50
8-day Park Hoppers - $924
Spending money - $1,440
Pal Mickey (?) - $70

TOTAL: $3,728.50

Still haven't decided if we'll be attending MNSSHP. If we do, add another $148.92!

We only go to Disney every 3 years and try to keep the cost as reasonable as possible while still enjoying the magic!

 

[WDWOKW92]

I budget $200 a day for room (value resort), board, plus snacks for 2 of us. LOS passes were around $500-$600 for the two of us. I was able to get air fare from Philly direct to Orlando for $158 each. We budgeted $300 for other incidentals. So, our 7 day vacation set us back just over $2600 and we had a blast. Now, if you have younger kids, add a couple hundred for each of them. Disney is not cheap but the FUN value is enormous. Now, 2 years ago my wife and I took an 11 day Eastern Carribean cruise out of Baltimore (window cabin) for $750 each, $1500 total, and that included all meals, snacks, etc.. Excursions and incidental ran us an additional $400. Because of this value, we now go to Disney every 2-3 years instead of every year.

 

[Crankyshank]

How much is too much? If you need to charge it and it takes more than a year to pay it off - it's way too much.

DH are planning a trip in Oct. We were going to not go anywhere and go on a Baltic Cruise next year, but decided to push the cruise back to 07 and go nowhere next year. So far our expenses are:

$356 plane tickets for 2
$1980 - AKL Savannah view for 4nights with 5 day park hoppers with MYW dining.
$180 - 3 nights at the Comfort Inn Port Richey (no way am I staying with the in-laws)
$250 pet boarding or sitter fees (this is just an approximation)
$500 spending/miscellaneous expense
$200 food while visiting the in-laws
$150 rental car

 

[disneysteve]

If you need to charge it and it takes more than a year to pay it off - it's way too much.

I think it makes a lot more sense to save up for a year and take a trip you can afford, than to take a trip you can't afford and spend a year paying for it.

 

[Crankyshank]

Sure it makes more sense, but some people charge it and then budget to pay it off to rack up FF miles or some sort of credits associated with the card. If you're paying it off within a fiscal year, I don't think you're overextending yourself. jmho

I'm charging our trip because the cash is currently tied up in our very expensive yard project, but it will be paid off before we leave. Actually it will be paid off 2 days after we arrive in FL.

 

[hgmom]

This is our total costs for a 12 day vacation with 2 adults and 2 kids ages 6 and 4. Driving from Dallas:

6 day park hoppers for 2 ad, 2 ch : approx $900

7 nights at the Hyatt Grand Cypress -- I am a Hyatt employee so I get this at a great rate of $385 for all nights including tax!

Gas and travel costs: approx $225

Spending money for dining, sourvenirs etc.: approx $1350

Hitting Clearwater Beach on the way back: $175 for 2 nights

so total around $3300

 

[Ladybugsy]

I think it makes a lot more sense to save up for a year and take a trip you can afford, than to take a trip you can't afford and spend a year paying for it.

Well said! I whole heartedly agree.

 

[leighe]

I agree also. I'd be all kinds of stressed during my trip if I knew I hadn't paid for it yet.

 

[disneysteve]

some people charge it and then budget to pay it off to rack up FF miles or some sort of credits associated with the card.

Most likely any rewards earned by using a credit card are wiped out if you don't pay the balance in full each month. The interest you would pay taking a year to pay off the balance would probably eat up the value of the reward earned.