How much spending money?

[Miss Mo]

Hi all!

Heading off from Sunny (not!) Scotland to visit the big mouse in 7 weeks time!!

It is 9 years since I went to Orlando and to be honest have no idea at all how much spending money I took back then and things are bound to have changed.

How much spending money would you take for two weeks? Hotel and park tickets paid for already! Also just two adults going.

Cheers

mo x

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Its rather like "how long is a piece of string?"

Each person will have different choices in what they want to eat, what they want to buy, how much shopping they want to do etc etc,

Its really how much can you afford and how much do you want to spend?

 

[wilma-bride]

Its rather like "how long is a piece of string?"

Just what I was going to post.

There are several factors, I think, involved here. Are you planning to eat many meals in parks/on site? Do you want to buy lots of souvenirs? Are you planning to do much shopping?

In the broadest possible sense, I can tell you that the first year we went (2004) we took £2000 for 2 weeks for 2 adults (came back with about £200 but did lots of 'extras' such as trips and balloon ride etc.), in 2005 we took £1000 for 1 week for 2 adults, last year we took £2500 for 2 adults, 2 teens and in Feb we took £1000 for 2 adults (came back with about £100).

If you are planning to eat off site (places like Bennigans, Chillis, Dennys etc.) you can probably manage food-wise with about $100 per day. Then extras like drinks and snacks, postcards, souvenirs, taxis or other transport.

Sorry not being much help am I It's just such a hard question to answer.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I agree with Obi, it is a good question you ask but a difficult one to answer accuratley.
Are you taking credit cards?

Most people for 2 weeks I would imagine take roughly $3000 or so, but can depend on how much you are eating out, how much shopping you will do etc

 

[Goofey's Girl]

Hi
I was just discussing this the other night with DH. Last year we spent about £100 a day. Never felt like we were scrimping or anything and we have 2 kids.
We stayed in a villa and always had breakfast in as none of us have big appetites in a morning.....we would then get the usual snack type thing at lunch at a park and then went out most evenings to a restaurant.
Only extra's were a bit on the credit card when we did some clothes shopping etc before we returned home. We never felt we were watching a budget and always had a beer or too and a few ice creams.
Everyone's different but I would expect about the same when we go next year. As long as you have a credit card for back up you should be fine.
Hope you have a lovely time.

 

[wayneg]

I just got my Visa statement from Easter, I put everything on it so know exactly what we spent. For 3 adults we spent £1000 approx £25pp/day. We do not eat breakfast so 2 meals a day, always lunch in a park then evening meal offsite, Orlando Ale House, Sweet tomatoes, Olive Garden etc.
I always print vouchers before we leave like 2 for 1 at Sweet toms, 2 for 1 on Ice cream sundaes at Ghiridellis, 20% off Reebok etc.

 

[Miss Mo]

Thanks guys - that confirms pretty much what I was thinking. I know it's a how long is a piece of string question, just wanted a rough idea. We are planning on taking around £2000 for the two of us and good to know that should be plenty. Will be taking credit cards and will use them if we have to but trying to make this trip debt free as I have just managed to properly clear my feet after years having taken time of work to go back to uni.

We are staying in Disney so likely that our meals will be onsight a lot of the time so i know that makes things a bit dearer but if Florida portions are still what they were 9 years ago I can't imagine wanting 3 proper meals everyday. I also remembered being so knackered half the time that takeaway pizza was what we did for dinner and crashed out! Don't plan to get mega souveniers though I'll probably get sucked into buying stuff for my nephew and my friends and I do enjoy clothes shopping but will try and keep that within the budget!?!

Thanks for your help.

mo x

 

[Goofyish]

To give you an idea of food costs in the parks check out the DIS menus section:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningmain.cfm

Food outside the parks is usually cheaper.

 

[lorapinky]

Hello,

When we go to WDW its just me and the DH, we tend to take around $3000.00 with us, though we do go for 18 days rather then 14.

This is about £1600-1700 (dependent on the exchange rate) UK money.

This year we maybe taking slightly less depending on how much we can save in the next 3 months.

We ate very simply each day, we had out breakfast in our resort, burger etc with fries for dinner and then on a night either the same again or go for a meal.

My DH is an accountant and looks after money really well, what we do is divide all our spending money up by the number of days we are there and stick to that. We tend to find near the end of the holiday we have a small fortune built up. We use this to get all the treats that we have had our eye on over the holiday.

How much you take is honestly dependent on what you want to do.

Happy planning!

 

[BoingBoingBaggie]

We fly in September and are in WDW for 3 weeks onsite at the POR.

2 Adults, 1 child - we are on the DDP, MNSSHP and the Universal Flexiticket have already been paid for.

Basically, because the rate has been so high lately, and not wanting to take any chances on it dropping, I have already changed our money so we will be taking just over $3600. This works out to roughly around $170 a day, and even though most of our food is already paid for (we do intend to eat at other places) I feel that this for our family should be plenty......

Now if September would just hurry up and come along!

 

[Laurafoster]

Now if September would just hurry up and come along!

 

[paulh]

Hello,


My DH is an accountant and looks after money really well, what we do is divide all our spending money up by the number of days we are there and stick to that.
!

DW not an accountant but she looks after all my money, I never see it once she gets my paycheckWe budget £100 a day for food and drink 2 adults 2 teens
Paulh

 

[Miss Mo]

Thanks everyone!!

I have been noticing the exchange rate and whilst I don't quite have all my spending money til after next payday I've got most of it so think I might well get my cash (well travellers cheques) this weekend.

BoingBoingBaggie we are staying at POR too! Can't wait !

September will be here before you know it - can't believe we booked in December - doesn't seem long ago at all!!

mo x

 

[Davscotcar]

BoingBoingBaggie we are staying at POR too! Can't wait !


mo x

What date do you go as we're staying at POR too and we fly out on the 5th from Glasgow.

 

[Miss Mo]

What date do you go as we're staying at POR too and we fly out on the 5th from Glasgow.

12th July from Glasgow!! We're there for 2 weeks - you?

mo x

 

[Ali and boyz]

12th July from Glasgow!! We're there for 2 weeks - you?

mo x

we are flying our of the Glasgow on the 14th

on the spending money I reckon on $100 per day , having bought the park tickets here

 

[PoppyAnna]

I agree with Obi, it is a good question you ask but a difficult one to answer accuratley.
Are you taking credit cards?

Most people for 2 weeks I would imagine take roughly $3000 or so, but can depend on how much you are eating out, how much shopping you will do etc

We just came back and took $3000 for 2 adults and 2 children. This was for our "living" expenses. The children had another $300 each as personal spending money that family had given them, I had $400 personal spending money which I had been saving for treats to myself and DH had $200 so in total that was $4200. We bought everything cash and brought back $700.
We had five lunch adr's, we went shopping, everybody got lots of clothes/shoes, the girls got princess dresses ($60 each), shoes, bags etc. I think we bought a lot and we still came home with a decent amount.
I think this is the start of something for us and I think the more you go the less souveniers you buy, I wouldn't spend nearly that much if I went next year again. We thought food, meals, clothes and most souveniers were very well priced.
I lot of members, even on the UK boards go quite frequently and probably don't spend nearly as much on souveniers. It really is down to the individual family.
You get lots of bang for your bucks at the moment with the fab exchange rate, in fact when we were waiting for the Nemo show in AK we got talking to a family from Boston and he commented on how he thought more brits than he was used to were there at the moment and he said "you're pounding us with your pound!"

 

[fizz13]

Hi there,
i am going for a week in August, eating one table service meal a day and all meals onsite. Shopping will be minimal, just a few souvenirs, and for 2 adults are taking $1000, I reckon our food/drink bill will come in around $700 so the rest will be fun money/ souvenirs. So $2000 for 2 weeks sounds about right

 

[Miss Mo]

Well it looks like there'll be a few of us Scots out there in July!

Exchange rate is up to $2 to the £ now so I have booked to pick up travellers cheques tomorrow before it changes!!

I think we'll be able to do enough shopping!!

mo x

 

[crabbie1]

I wish I had saved £1000 to get that excellent rate Never mind.We took $2300 last year for our wedding and ended up spending another $600 on the CC.We did buy our cristmas pressies though so this year we are taking about $2800,but don't have to buy xmas pressies and as we have the dining paln and our tickets already we should have plenty (though it is DD5th birthday while we are there and you know what little sponges they are when it comes to soaking up money )
Have a fab time.People always say they are not going to buy many souvenirs etc but I said that and believe me you will