I have to ask...how do all these people afford...

[kimsuenew]

I really think this is an awful thread....it really isn't any of our business how any of us afford our WDW vacations. Is it? And 10 pages? unbelievable.

I think most of the posts (I admit I skimmed and did not read all) were giving pointers as to how they personally work it, to be able to go to WDW. I do not feel as the intention was to "get into someone else's business", it was only to understand how perhaps they can afford to go as well. I love these boards, as there are some practical stratagies and suggestions that help others out!

 

[disneygal2007]

I think most of the posts (I admit I skimmed and did not read all) were giving pointers as to how they personally work it, to be able to go to WDW. I do not feel as the intention was to "get into someone else's business", it was only to understand how perhaps they can afford to go as well. I love these boards, as there are some practical stratagies and suggestions that help others out!

I agree. I didn't read all either. But to put my 2 cents in. There are more people on the dis that makes more money then others. We on the other hand are military and we all know the military the military is underpaid BUt we go with our taxes every year. Disney or other vacations. Disney is something we don't mind blowing our taxes on. Can't put a price on memories with the kids. Plus my husband and I made a vow that we will give our kids everything we didn't have when we were dislings so what not.

 

[disneygal2007]

i dont think its awful at all.... in fact im glad someone asked the question...

its nice to see how folks do what it takes to get to WDW. we worked hard to get there in august.... and purchased AP's so we COULD go back again in the calander year. and it looks like we will pull it off in january....hopefully some great AP codes will come out and make it even cheaper.

we will be staying at Pop again (the disney housing project ) and we couldnt be happier. and will more than likely do it again in june...but for a longer stay.

we just save and save. i put my budget in writing and i stick to it!!! i put back what i need every month in order to pay for our trips. its hard....i would love to have the fancy car or the fancy curtains or even brand new furniture..... but to me family time is way more important...so we work for vacations instead...

Amen I agree. The disney housing project I about wet myself.

 

[MEM]

In my family's case its DVC, APs, SW and ME. Buying into DVC wasn't cheap but we viewed it as a long-term investment and I include our monthly DVC dues in our household budget. At my house I am the breadwinner and DH is the SAHD to DS13 (PDD-NOS although I hate labeling him) and DD11. My salary is considered very modest for Greater Boston but I have great benefits at work including free orthodontia for both kids. Also, DH was a confirmed bachelor until he met me at 45 and he had already paid off the mortgage on his house. Therefore, we have no mortgage in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.

WDW trips are a line item in our budget and money is direct-deposited from my paycheck into a distant credit union every two weeks.

I have to agree with what a PP said about not needing to do everything in a big way with each trip because we know another one is coming up.

 

[nowellsl]

I really think this is an awful thread....it really isn't any of our business how any of us afford our WDW vacations. Is it? And 10 pages? unbelievable.

I don't think it's awful either - I haven't seen where anyone gave out anything really personal, such as their income or debt level or anything. The OP was just wondering how some Disers manage so many trips (such as the ones in your signature) when others struggle to afford one every few years. Some people feel like offering their stories or tips, some don't. Who does it hurt? Why read something that offends you, much less respond to it?

 

[crisi]

There are more people on the dis that makes more money then others. We on the other hand are military and we all know the military the military is underpaid BUt we go with our taxes every year.

Well, that depends - my husband's grandfather was a Brigadier General. He was perhaps underpaid given what a job with that responsibility would pay in corporate America - but his family was not hurting.

It doesn't matter what you do - some people always make more money than others. In many cases people choose their jobs knowing it isn't necessarily well paid, but they are doing it for other reasons - teachers don't expect to get rich, but they do it because its rewarding. Other people choose their jobs specifically because they expect a high salary. And some people have expectations that aren't met for their entire careers (the past couple of years - pilots come to mind).

What this comes down to is

1) How much do you make. If you make mid-six figures, getting to Disney a few times a year may not be difficult. Getting a family of four to Disney on $22k a year is going to be tough.

2) What you do with that money. Some people choose to make vacations a priority - some of the corner cutting can be - in my mind - fairly extreme. Other people really don't care to vacation - they'd rather drive nice cars or send their kids to private schools.

3) What you choose to (and need to) spend to do Disney. Disney is never "cheap" but it doesn't have to involve $300 a night hotel rooms and a $500 minivan rental or $100 a plate dinners. On the other hand, getting from Seattle to Orlando is going to be more expensive than driving from Atlanta.

 

[canwegosoon]

Crisi...ITA and one more thing...What a Disney vacation means to the individual seems to have a lot with dictating a "Vacation" is. Some people view a vacation as 10 days with all the bells and whistles, while others view it as 3 days eating CS only. (I know people that could get 3 trips in on my 3K budget for my 8 day trip)
For me Transportation is a huge piece of my budget, but I really don't need 4 days of travel to have 3 days at WDW...I want 7 at WDW and 2-3 hours flying and 1-2 hrs getting to an airport. Now that might change in the future-if I can get DH to take more than 8/9 days off.

 

[rt2dz]

Just wanted to add, a six figure salary doesn't necessarily mean anything depending on where you live. A 80K salary in TX is about the same as a 300K salary in CA. At one point, DH was offered a job in CA for 350K plus commission (probably another 75K-100K), but it would have seriously lowered our lifestyle. Afterall, housing alone would have bankrupted us. A 1500 sq. foot home cost 3x what a 5000 sq. ft. home here would cost, and utilities and all that other stuff costs more too. And, yes, it also depends on exactly what part of TX and CA you're talking about.

 

[DawnM]

I would go back to CA in a heartbeat if DH would agree to it. I didn't want to move away, DH did. I miss it terribly. We found ways to make it work. Yes, our house was much smaller, but what good is our 4200 sq. ft. house in NC if I am don't want to be here?

For 350K I would most certainly have moved, BUT, CA is home to me and I miss it terribly.

Dawn

Just wanted to add, a six figure salary doesn't necessarily mean anything depending on where you live. A 80K salary in TX is about the same as a 300K salary in CA. At one point, DH was offered a job in CA for 350K plus commission (probably another 75K-100K), but it would have seriously lowered our lifestyle. Afterall, housing alone would have bankrupted us. A 1500 sq. foot home cost 3x what a 5000 sq. ft. home here would cost, and utilities and all that other stuff costs more too. And, yes, it also depends on exactly what part of TX and CA you're talking about.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I have to ask!!

I keep seeing posts on these various boards about people making their 3rd and 4th trips THIS YEAR to DW. How in the world can they afford to do that? I know what our six night trip cost and I know we saved up for quite awhile for it (ok, YEARS!!).

So what's the secret? How do they do it?


Lily

Normally a 5 day trip for us costs us about 1500. We stay in our DVC or value with an AP rate, have the AP's, eat counter service or off property, only one character meal, don't ever buy souveniers onsite (hit the outlets instead). The 1500 includes everything like gas to get down there, dog boarding, etc.

I have a part time job when the kids are in school and this pays for the trips.

We are debt free except for the house, and when unexpected things have come up we often will cancel and do 2 a year and allocate that money towards whatever we need it to. We don't live lavishly, don't spend much that's not on Disney, and it's our priority to be there so we make it work with our budget

Now I have to go back and read the other 10 pages to see what everyone else said!

 

[disneysteve]

I really think this is an awful thread....it really isn't any of our business how any of us afford our WDW vacations. Is it?

I think threads like this give folks a very important reality check. Keeping up with the Joneses is fine and dandy if your circumstances and income are similar to the Joneses. But if you earn 30K and the Joneses earn 130K, you need to forget about keeping up with them.

Read the sigs. Some of us have been to Disney dozens of times. I'm one of them. But we live well below our means, earn a relatively high income, take budget trips and don't have many perks and luxuries that those around us have. We're thrilled to take a $2,000 trip annually. Others prefer to take a $6,000 trip every 3 or 4 years. Still others need 5 or more years to save up for even a bare bones trip. Just because we all hang out here at DIS doesn't mean we're all the same.

 

[crisi]

Just wanted to add, a six figure salary doesn't necessarily mean anything depending on where you live. A 80K salary in TX is about the same as a 300K salary in CA. At one point, DH was offered a job in CA for 350K plus commission (probably another 75K-100K), but it would have seriously lowered our lifestyle. Afterall, housing alone would have bankrupted us. A 1500 sq. foot home cost 3x what a 5000 sq. ft. home here would cost, and utilities and all that other stuff costs more too. And, yes, it also depends on exactly what part of TX and CA you're talking about.

No.

San Francisco has a composite cost of living index of 177. El Paso has one of 91.5. This means what what a $100,000 salary can afford as an average in the U.S. only takes $91k in El Paso. But it only takes $177k in SF. Housing is almost off that much, but there is more to the cost of living than just housing - and people in the Bay Area compensate for the cost of housing by buying less house than people in El Paso.

The median income in SF is $59k, El Paso is only $32k. Salaries (even minimum wage) is higher.

That doesn't mean it doesn't cost more to live in San Franscisco, it just doesn't cost nearly three times as much and salaries are higher.

 

[DawnM]

You know, I can also add that we used to live in Los Angeles and had APs and went at least monthly, but we only drove down for the day, no hotels or added expenses. VERY cheap.

After we moved to NC we went 4 times the first year (got APs and stayed off site and ate only 1 meal in the parks).

Since then, we haven't gone.

We adopted a child last year and between saving for that and the actual adoption, we just haven't had the time or money to go. To me, that was far more important than a trip to Disney.

It is all about priorities. Right now, DH wants all our extra $$ to go to fixing up the house. I am still trying to work out a Disney trip in the mix, but so far, it isn't working out.

We don't owe any money other than our housepayment, so thankfully, that isn't an issue.

Dawn

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I really think this is an awful thread....it really isn't any of our business how any of us afford our WDW vacations. Is it? And 10 pages? unbelievable.

"I watched every filthy frame of that movie. Twice."

 

[DVC Sadie]

I think threads like this give folks a very important reality check. Keeping up with the Joneses is fine and dandy if your circumstances and income are similar to the Joneses. But if you earn 30K and the Joneses earn 130K, you need to forget about keeping up with them.

Read the sigs. Some of us have been to Disney dozens of times. I'm one of them. But we live well below our means, earn a relatively high income, take budget trips and don't have many perks and luxuries that those around us have. We're thrilled to take a $2,000 trip annually. Others prefer to take a $6,000 trip every 3 or 4 years. Still others need 5 or more years to save up for even a bare bones trip. Just because we all hang out here at DIS doesn't mean we're all the same.

So true!

Reality checks are very important and if dh and I were just starting out in life and I had found a "disboard" (or computer) I would have had to ask the same question. Now we are so much older and have a lot more income then we did when we first started out.

In regards to the Jones, I have yet met any of the Jones who I wish to emulate.

I just want to add that the years that dh and I could only afford the bare bone vacation was some of the best vacations of our lives and we both still reminisce and laugh at how enjoyable those vacations were.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Hi!

I didn't read through the whole thread but have an idea that it is different for everyone.

I can only tell you why WE can afford to go to WDW so many times.

In a nutshell - Priorities, circumstances, and sacrifices.

Priorities:
We will chose travel over eating out, clothes, cars, and most importantly a HOUSE.

Circumstances:
I have a very low paying job but it affords us medical insurance, subsidized housing, and flexible hours. DH has been lucky in the last 18 months in a job he enjoys and opportunites for salary increases. We are VERY lucky in our circumstances that we have lower financial obligations than most folks, have more disposal income, and can use more of it on travel.

Sacrifices:
One of our big sacrifices is house ownership. I get subsidized housing with my job but no matter what we don't own it and it is an apartment not a house. We thought about getting a house anyways. But the costs of such are too prohibitive. The annual real estate taxes alone on any house within 50 miles of where we work would be MORE than what I would pay on an apartment in my building even if we had to pay the full rent. We decided that that if we bought a house, our quality of life in terms of travel and financial flexibility and savings would suffer greatly. So, it is a sacrifice we have made with our eyes wide open. Bringing everything back to priorites...

 

[Robinrs]

We live in Georgia so it's easy for us. I drive, we have Universal (not Disney) annual passes that renew for $99 a year and I always rent a house or condo. We go 2 to 6 times a year.

 

[mtblujeans]

We live in Georgia so it's easy for us. I drive, we have Universal (not Disney) annual passes that renew for $99 a year and I always rent a house or condo. We go 2 to 6 times a year.

This is the type of circumstance that I expect families to go to Orlando often....they can drive and live close enough to the area to be more familiar. I count on these families to give me info on the DIS that I can utilize to make my trip more affordable so I can go more often than once every ten years (because I live very, very far away and getting there is as expensive as vacationing there). So, I am gaining information from their experiences and they are happy to share it. Beyond that, I am not concerned.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Hi!

I didn't read through the whole thread but have an idea that it is different for everyone.

I can only tell you why WE can afford to go to WDW so many times.

In a nutshell - Priorities, circumstances, and sacrifices.

Priorities:
We will chose travel over eating out, clothes, cars, and most importantly a HOUSE.

Circumstances:
I have a very low paying job but it affords us medical insurance, subsidized housing, and flexible hours. DH has been lucky in the last 18 months in a job he enjoys and opportunites for salary increases. We are VERY lucky in our circumstances that we have lower financial obligations than most folks, have more disposal income, and can use more of it on travel.

Sacrifices:
One of our big sacrifices is house ownership. I get subsidized housing with my job but no matter what we don't own it and it is an apartment not a house. We thought about getting a house anyways. But the costs of such are too prohibitive. The annual real estate taxes alone on any house within 50 miles of where we work would be MORE than what I would pay on an apartment in my building even if we had to pay the full rent. We decided that that if we bought a house, our quality of life in terms of travel and financial flexibility and savings would suffer greatly. So, it is a sacrifice we have made with our eyes wide open. Bringing everything back to priorites...

Well said!

While I can't afford to go as often as some, my circumstances and the choices I make allow me to go once and
sometimes twice a year, but not without sacrifices, because right or wrong, going to Disney is a priority
for me.

 

[JodiR]

For me, giving my kids what they want is more important than a trip to Disney every year or several times a year. There are some things I won't sacrifice on to travel. My one dd is a teenager and I am not going to dress her in rags or make her drive a junk car so I can go to Disney.

With that being said, we have only gone twice and the trips were 4 years apart. I hope to go again this summer. I have a regular job plus a home business and that pays for the trip.

I am sure some people would agree with me (maybe not on a Disney board LOL), that there are some things more important than traveling every year. But if I had tons of money I would go.