How often do us budgeteers visit disney/orlando?

[taramoz]

We do make more than the average American, but we are pretty frugal/careful with our money.
.

This describes me as well. I take my DD usually twice a year, sometimes 3 times, but we go on a budget, use miles for flights, rent points, use gift cards and so on to allow us to go more often.

I hope my DD learns how to be frugal from watching me!

 

[winterwhite]

I should add that my SO and I definitely make more than the average american family. For us, Disney IS our budget vacation, but due to the extreme costs of everything once we get there, we try very carefully to stay in a way that doesn't cost too much, since the hotel is by far the highest expense of the entire trip.

 

[Eureka]

Our first trip to Disney with the kids was in 2008. The second trip we took, with my sister and her family and my parents, was in 2011. We are going again next month and it will be our first time doing Universal and Seaworld along with Disney. After that, we would like to do some other vacations now that the kids are getting older. I am not ready to say it will be our last Disney trip, but I think it will be more than three years before we go again. We love Disney but there is so much more in the (real) world to see too.

 

[4shinystars]

last trip was 7 years ago, trip before that was 7 years before that. would love to get back someday, but with one DD just graduated from college, the other a senior in HS, it doesn't look likely until at least another year or 2.

 

[amylevan]

We vary. I think we have decided that every other year is what we are aiming for now. We like to visit other places, too, though. As much as I hang out on these boards while trying to plan a trip, I don't understand the "Disney is the only place to go" people. There is so much we want to see and do, it's not a priority for us to visit every year. The times that we've gone more often have been due to extended family going and inviting us along.

Of course, we also have an RV now, which means we save a lot in resort costs. All the benefit of staying on property in a villa without the costs.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Since we're Florida residents, Disney is often our go-to fairly reasonable vacation. No flights, no car rental. We do prefer to stay on-site, but my husband is an Army Reservist, so we've been able to get military discounts on our rooms for the last several years and take advantage of the Military Salute tickets if they fit our travel plans. We've also used FL resident hotel deals and ticket deals. If we eat mostly CS, our food costs aren't too bad - similar to what they'd be at another vacation location.

Flying is too expensive for us, so we typically drive where we can and Disney fits the bill!

 

[Doodlebug939]

If I had my way I would go every year but of course for my family that is not reasonable. When we lived in New Orleans we would drive to Disney and pretty much was able to go every year.

Now we go every other year for the most part. We do not live near family so every other year we head North to PA and see them. When we do go to Disney we stay about a week and really enjoy ourselves by knowing it was paid for in advance.

We are planning on going again is Nov of 2014. A lot of the fun in placed in planning, planning and saving. I might be the weird one here but that is a part of my trip.

 

[My3kiddos]

We went once when my older 2 were younger and they didn't enjoy themselves because it was 4th of July week, super hot, and crowded. We went back a few years ago when my youngest was 4 and they all loved it. We went back the next year and after that the 2 older wanted to go somewhere else. That's when we found Dominican Republic and have went there the last 2 years. For us it's more affordable than Disney and everyone has something to do. My youngest, myself, and my mom want to go back to Disney so us 3 might make a short trip later this fall or next Spring. We do vacation every year, but there is 6 of us that go so Disney gets expensive even staying off property.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

It's not so much the cost that keeps us from going to WDW more often. It's the fact that we can afford one big vacation a year and like to go to a variety of places. DH and I went to WDW in 1991 before we had kids. We took the kids in 2006 when they were 8 and 11. Our next trip starts in two days. We've taken the kids on cruises and to see family in other states. We live within easy driving distance to Disneyland and get our Disney fix there. We tend to go about every year to year and a half.

 

[Hoof Hearted]

We have a house in isleworth so we usually go 3/4 times a year

 

[Traveliz]

We have a house in isleworth so we usually go 3/4 times a year

Nice!

Liz

 

[BUSYMAOF4]

I am just like alot of you who put travel as a priority even with just a average income.... I have family here in CT that bought homes in the 650,000 range and never have a vacation...every dime they have goes to the house. well not me, I am quite content in my 125,000 house being able to vacation and not be so tight around the wallet with things I want in general.

 

[Ravenne]

We go about every 2-3 years, largely because we have to fly there and the cost of dog boarding. Between the 2 expenses, it's just about enough to pay for a WDW package including dining for a week.

 

[indimom]

In the 20 years my husband and I have been together, we've gone to Disney 4 times.
1994 was a one-day visit to Epcot (just DH and I).
2005 we took the kids for the first time, flew, stayed 10 days, had the dining plan, and stayed at a value.
2010 we stayed two weeks in a value, 10 day park hoppers with water parks in more, ate 1 or 2 meals a day from the cooler.
And this year we camped five days at Ft. Wilderness (tent) and had 2-day tickets with WP&M.

I was self-employed for most of those years and our income varied quite a bit. We took trips when we could afford them and the budget for the trips varied considerably.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Not sure what the "average $" is that keeps getting referred to here??? But we've been to Disney over 25 times on property and its mostly once a year, sometimes twice a few times. My ds now 19 has been going since he was a toddler and has grown up with Disney
We used to take Atleast two bigger vacations a year but generally don't anymore.. Do to rising costs overall. I personally have found that our Disney trips, planned in advanced run the same as a week beach vacation, so the cost seems comparable. I also think the "sticker shock" of Disney is felt less as I'm in ny and the prices for meals/restaurants is also comparable.
It's my escape, I like to be fully immersed! I blame this all on my parents....)))... 5 kids in the back of a station wagon headed to Disney each year for vacation and then off to visit with grandma up in silver springs fla.. Is how it all started for me. We've been blessed to be able to get to my favorite place each year ... But like I said earlier, we don't choose to do multi vacations as in past years... Just much more aware of the rising costs of daily living overall....

 

[Colleen27]

Not sure what the "average $" is that keeps getting referred to here???

I don't know about others, but to me "average" is somewhere in the neighborhood of the national median household income which right now is around 50K.

 

[Choozee]

I get only 10 days vacation a year. Our income is sparse at best. But I put back $100 to $200 a month for a vacation and due to my job I can only take vacation in the fall. So....one year about 7 years ago, I was determined to take my girls to Orlando! We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pizza, and purchased one cartoon portrait in the park. Stayed at a cheap hotel and spent 2 days at 2 parks all for under $500! Lol (we drive there too of course) but my pay increased-a little lol and since then I have my vacation fund set aside. I usually go on a cheap cruise. But about every 2 or 3 years I have to back to Orlando. now I'm getting wiser. Reading these boards, researching deals and can pull off a pretty good vacation for about $1500.

 

[sweetdana]

Dh income would be average. Maybe a drop under.

We are slightly above average due to I work too. I keep working to pay for vk and pay the house off early and save for retirement. I would not call us rich financially. Only rich due to the family we have. I would call us budget-ee

We go 3-4 times in 12 months them off for 18 + months. Use AP DVC disc transfer in extra needed points. I budgeted 14k for everything for 4 trips in 12 months . Then we will skip going for 23 months and with banked points will be resort paid for 3 trips in 2015. -2016 if we plan a 4th ill rent points, or use FD.

Note we drive old beat up cars i just bought a "new " used car, cause i could not justify 6-8 Disney trips more $$ for a new car. We spend peanuts on our home repairs. No new furniture, no fancy finished basement, no kitchen remodels. , We under bought in our home and squeeze by with a smaller home than most if our coworkers. We also don't finance anything but our home. We bring most lunches to work, and if we don't have the $$ we don't touch saving, or credit we just don't buy it.

Beside Disney we do not live a 2 income norm life style.

 

[mrssmith06]

We would be "above average" income but still "middle class" I guess? We live on one income right now, and we are on a tight budget.
We have been to WDW twice and it was within the same year. The first time we went in June 2011. And then we went back again in March 2012. We haven't went back yet even though we really want to! It just hasn't been in the budget since. And we just bought a new house this year so any big vacation will be out next year as well. I am hoping we can save up and go back in 2015. We'll see... !!!

 

[pigletto]

Vacation is a huge priority to us.
We agreed to put enough in the vacation account that it would cover 2 reasonable trips a year. Usually to a moderate with free dining, and paying careful attention to the best airfare prices. So since 2006 we have been 8 or 9 times. We cancelled our trip this summer in favor of a puppy (family decision).

I have to be honest, the bloom is falling off the rose a little bit. It's a whole combination of things.. not any one thing, that include fastpass+, what I consider to be unacceptable customer service re: the Canadian website and that whole mess, the costs rising much faster than our income, and most of all a strong desire to start doing other things and seeing other places. My kids are now at the perfect age to go to D.C., NYC, The Rockies, Alaska, California, Yellowstone.. the list is endless. The vacation budget hasn't increased but we could do one fantastic trip a year to destinations we've been dreaming about, spend another week and several long weekends at the family cottage and still come out ahead.

We do have a surprise Christmas trip planned in December as I've always wanted to go that time of year.
After that I (the Disney fanatic of the family), want to plan a trip to one of the other places on our list for next time. Disney will likely become an every other year place, if that.