I know it's been asked before

[mkstlowe]

I know that it's seen often about how much money is needed for Disney.
We are leaving in about 4 weeks. I'm a family of 4. We have the dining plan, tickets etc. So here is the deal. Saturday we will arrive around 2pm. This day we do not have park tickets or dining. Then Sunday our package starts up. We do have some dinning being used as 2 meals for some of our sit downs. So right now we have 2 sit downs left, all of our quick service and snacks. One night we are going to Artist point and that is out of pocket. So here is the question now that I have given my information. I"m bring about $3100 for the 8 days. Do you think this is good enough? Would it be plenty for the extra food and souvenirs for me, DH, DS and DD? Everything extra I already paid for. the only dinner not paid for is Artist Point.
Do you think I will have enough or even bring some home?

 

[LoriABil]

So you have to pay for Saturday's meal. I am having trouble understanding your other meals. If you have 2 sit-downs (TS credits?) left, why is Artist's Point OOP?

If it helps, we are a family of 3. We do the DxDP, and bring $200 per day. In May we paid for bottled water, tips and souvenirs plus one day at the water park, and still had plenty left over!

Without knowing your spending habits, I would recommend $1600 to $2000, assuming you have a credit card for emergencies.

 

[mkstlowe]

So you have to pay for Saturday's meal. I am having trouble understanding your other meals. If you have 2 sit-downs (TS credits?) left, why is Artist's Point OOP?

.

We have other meals scheduled out of the 7, so that leaves us 2 sit downs. We could use them for Artist point if we want I guess. I'm sure other meals would be cheaper?? Artist point is 2 sit down meals. We are scheduled for this meal on Wednesday as that is our 15 year anniversary.

So sounds like my figure is good. I could bring less and have the CC for an emergencies if needed. I also will have my debit card.

 

[Kellydelly]

You plan to spend $400 a day when your meals are for the most part paid for? Way too much, unless you have money to burn. I think I would bring less than $1,000 cash and just use your credit card or debit card. We have a family of 6 and have never spent more than $200 a day, and that's with paying for meals, no meal plan.

 

[RedneckPrincess]

I agree that is way too much money. Honestly you won't need much cash at all - you can have almost everything charged to your room. I would say you can be comfortable with about 1000 - 1200 depending on spending habits and just for the heck of it you can send me the diff of what you were gonna take

 

[mkstlowe]

Not saying I plan to spend $400. I just don't want to run low and I have not been to Disney in a long time. Everything else has gone up in price. Why not Disney? My last trip my DS was also a baby and was free. CC sounds easy, but we paid for this trip all in cash, I really want to continue this method. CC's have gotten us into so much trouble in the past. So we are stricly cash/debit card family. If we use the CC on file, can we pay cash at the end?

Thanks

 

[ReneeA]

I charge everything back to the room and bring less than $200 cash in my pocket (tips & snacks at the airport, coffee not covered on the DDP). I also buy my kids each a $25 gift card before we leave for them to pick out a souveneir. We went for a 10 day trip last year and I still had over $100 cash left and only charged $350 back to the room. That's for a family of 4 on the regular DDP...of course, we had no meals OOP, but that should only run you about $150 for Artist Point if you don't go crazy with the wine.

 

[PrincessDadx2]

Not saying I plan to spend $400. I just don't want to run low and I have not been to Disney in a long time. Everything else has gone up in price. Why not Disney? My last trip my DS was also a baby and was free. CC sounds easy, but we paid for this trip all in cash, I really want to continue this method. CC's have gotten us into so much trouble in the past. So we are stricly cash/debit card family. If we use the CC on file, can we pay cash at the end?

Thanks

I think that is great but no way I would personally wander around Disney World with 3 grand in my pocket. Too much excitement, distractions, etc. I have left cameras, bags, kids, you name it

I have been fortunate to get everything back (except my hat from Splash Mountain ) but losing $1,000 in the bathroom would ruin my trip for sure

The rooms have safes, but don't trust that either. Maybe you can make a prepayment onto your account of what you think you'll spend and then just bring a few hundred plus debit card?

Just thinking worst case for me.

 

[clutter]

Way too much cash. I never bring more than $500, and I usually go home with at least half of that. Put the money in your account and charge your room on your debit card. Or buy some gift cards. But I think your budget is too high, too. I can't imagine that you'll actually spend more than $1200 - $1500.

 

[nicolepitts]

for our family of 7, we allotted $1000 for spending from the time we left our house til we returned. This included gas to get there ( about $150 round trip) we had the dining plan, so we paid for tips, extra drinks/snacks/souvenirs. We left with money.


We are pretty frugal, though and the kids really didn't need more junk. I am sure they couldn't even tell you where their souvenirs are right now. next time they will get a shirt/sweatshirt with the year on it, and maybe new ears for their make your own hats.

We just did everything that didn't cost extra. and there was plenty for a 9 day trip!

I also wanna say we put it all on our debit card/ charged to our room. We did have $100 cash.

 

[LoriABil]

I think you can pay your bill in cash before you leave. I've never had a balance, but I know that we bought tickets for the waterpark at the BC, and the CM couldn't figure out how to do it without charging it to our room (DH wanted to pay cash, but wanted the tickets on our KTTWC. They charged it to the room, then he was able to immediately pay cash toward it. I assume it would be the same way for other things.

We are a cash family, too. But I think that figure seems high. Like I said, we always come home with extra money, and DH reminded me that we brought about 200 a day in May because we were doing the cruise as well, and used it for Nassau. It was way too much money!

I would use the dining credits for Artist Point; you would probably get the best value here. Of course that's depending on what you want to order. What kind of dining plan is it?



I am planning a GG trip right now, with people who have never been. I have been doing a lot of number crunching (my dad wants to pay for the trip for all of us).

The categories I have for spending (we will do the tickets and hotel as a package, but family was unconvinced on the DDP) are:

1. Meals
I have figured $35/meal/adult at TS (sit-down) restaurants, and $15 per child. This is averaging TS, Buffets, lunches and dinners, so it might vary. Counter services I have averaged to $17/adult and $10/child. Snacks I have figures at about $10/day (It was $8, but I rounded it up. We are bringing our own water - or actually having it delivered to the hotel). i also added in one "Signature" meal, $76/adult and $24/child. Don't forget to factor in tips for sit-down meals. You can figure that by using the above numbers and factoring in 20% (again, just to be over prepared).

The dining plan works out better, so we will go with that. And as a side note, I included an appetizer or dessert with most meals, so your price may be lower. I'm like you; I'd rather be over prepared. I thought the numbers might help.

2. Souvenirs: I don't know what your spending habits are, but my DH is frugal; he will buy 1-2 T-shirts and be good. DS earns his own money throughout the year for vacation spending money and we usually buy him 1-2 t-shirts with maybe an occasional "big" item (Legos ). I am the big spender! Last year I came home with 4 5 T-shirts (I was told we weren't going back to WDW!) 2 ornaments, a scrapbook kit, crystal, etc. We still had almost $400 left over (again, that was estimating $200/day, with a cruise).
My most expensive top was $36.

3. Entertainment: Mini Golf? Renting a surrey bike? There's so much to do at Disney, this isn't a necessity, but you can find prices and plan accordingly.

4. Traveling expenses. Are you factoring in food at airports, gas for the car, a car rental? (I don't know that you can pay cash) You will need money for that!

5. Other? Are you hiring a sitter? Renting strollers?

I think that covers it, in a condensed format. Well, as condensed as I could get it. It's hard to tell how much you will need - so much depends on your spending habits. $100/day always covered our snacks, souvenirs, tips and travel with money to spare. But that was on DxDP, and we had 2 snacks/day covered. Plus, consider we aren't big drinkers. Alcohol adds to the cost of a Disney Vacation (both before and the morning after ) Also, the years we did F&WF, I had a $100 Gift card dedicated to that. And I added more to it! Did I say we weren't big drinkers...

Again, hope that helps in planning. Take what will make you comfortable - don't stress about it. But please don't take any more that you can stand to lose. Your debit card should be good at WDW, and get travelers checks. Plus divide the cash between the carry on luggage, purses, etc after you pass security. You don't want to lose anything and be out 3 grand!

 

[JamesMom]

Forgive me, but you are planning to bring $3K in literal cash? What is wrong with putting a debit card on file and charge to your room? Or a credit card that you pay off online the day you get home? Or travelers checks at a minimum. I really don't see a need to bring more than $50 cash. They have ATMs, too.

 

[mkstlowe]

Forgive me, but you are planning to bring $3K in literal cash? What is wrong with putting a debit card on file and charge to your room? Or a credit card that you pay off online the day you get home? Or travelers checks at a minimum. I really don't see a need to bring more than $50 cash. They have ATMs, too.

My full budget was $3000. Was not thinking of carrying that much with me. I just spoke with the bank. My debit is set for so much a day only. They just told me that I can call about a week prior to me leaving and they will increase that amount if i like. So I will be really using debit. I want to make sure with the OOP meals and other small stuff will I have enough. Seems from what i"m seeing. I will have more then enough and much left over. Don't get me wrong. Left over is great. I don't want to spend 3k. I just been saving since January when we planned this trip. We paid for the room weekly online like a bill. ONce paid off we started paying ourselves for spending. I still have 4 weeks before we leave. So I guess I no longer need to really save.
Thanks everyone!

 

[AmandaRG]

My full budget was $3000. Was not thinking of carrying that much with me. I just spoke with the bank. My debit is set for so much a day only. They just told me that I can call about a week prior to me leaving and they will increase that amount if i like. So I will be really using debit. I want to make sure with the OOP meals and other small stuff will I have enough. Seems from what i"m seeing. I will have more then enough and much left over. Don't get me wrong. Left over is great. I don't want to spend 3k. I just been saving since January when we planned this trip. We paid for the room weekly online like a bill. ONce paid off we started paying ourselves for spending. I still have 4 weeks before we leave. So I guess I no longer need to really save.
Thanks everyone!

Congratulations for saving in advance! One of the reasons I love Disney vacations is I can have a pretty good idea before of what I need and can save up for it, much of the $$ having to be paid in advance. It really helps us to stay on budget. Now if I can just watch my park/cruise spending!!! I think we will do much better this time as our last cruise was for our 20th anniversary and if we wanted it, we did it. I don't think we will have that mentality again, but will plan it in advance!

 

[YO's Mom]

I actually created a spread sheet of what our additional expenses will be once the room, tickets, and DDP are paid for. There are some things I'll want to have cash for (tips) and others that I just want to make sure I've got the money in my checking account (instead of in my money market account) so that I can pay with my Visa debit card. We are a family of 3, going for 7 days, and I've figured that we will spend about $550 on miscellaneous expenses. I’ll probably put more like $1000 in my checking account in case we go overboard shopping (3 females, it could happen!). Plus, I’ve got my credit card for emergencies. As far as actual cash goes, I’ll probably have about $200 (of the $550) in cash for tips and snacks or souvenirs from venders who don’t/can’t take plastic.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Not saying I plan to spend $400. I just don't want to run low and I have not been to Disney in a long time. Everything else has gone up in price. Why not Disney? My last trip my DS was also a baby and was free. CC sounds easy, but we paid for this trip all in cash, I really want to continue this method. CC's have gotten us into so much trouble in the past. So we are stricly cash/debit card family. If we use the CC on file, can we pay cash at the end?

Thanks

PLEASE tell me you are NOT carrying $3000 dollars in cash with you/

What will you do when it's lost or stolen? Cash is just "gone" there's no way to trace it, stop the spending etc....

Never carry more cash then you can comfortably live without!

As for if it's too much or too little. Just depends. Can you your kids "no" or will you buy everything they see and want. Since most of your food is paid for that's the big "spend" item IMHO, stuff!

 

[disneyfreakk]

I guess I am the only one on the budget board that thinks having $3000 is a good idea??

OP, DH and I budget $100 per person/ per day. I don't think you are out of line.

 

[mkstlowe]

Does anyone know what the ATM limits are in the parks? Was speaking with my bank. They told me my limit for Pin is $400. which is plenty. She did say that ATM can restrict an amount. Does anyone know if the ATMs will honor your bank limits. or do they have their own limits? She told me some are like $100. That also will not allow you to try again for 24 hours. This is what scares me.

 

[sukhakuli]

Do you have a credit card? I budgeted about 4,000 for "stuff" for us for our trip coming, but I wasn't going to bring it all in cash. My original plan was to bring about 400 bucks in cash, and use my credit card (I get rewards). But then there have been a lot of posts lately about Disney employees stealing cc numbers, so I am unsure what to do. I'm not using my debit, that's for sure! I at least have great fraud protection on my cc's.

I don't think 3000 is too much to budget for, depending on your spending habits. We will be gone for 2 weeks, and I have a lot of stuff I want to buy.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Does anyone know what the ATM limits are in the parks? Was speaking with my bank. They told me my limit for Pin is $400. which is plenty. She did say that ATM can restrict an amount. Does anyone know if the ATMs will honor your bank limits. or do they have their own limits? She told me some are like $100. That also will not allow you to try again for 24 hours. This is what scares me.

ATMs can restrict amounts. However, I can't recall the last one I saw that had a $100 restriction! $400 would not be unreasonable. Now if you use "bubba's" ATM in the gas station, sure you may get this low limit.... along with HIGH fees. But most "bank" ATMs are not that stingy!

Remember it's Disney, they WANT you to be able to spend money. They wouldn't let Chase be that stingy! LOL!


And there are a lot of posts about all kinds of things on here... that does not mean they are at ALL representative or reality. I have gone to Disney about 6 times in the past year and always use a credit card... not an issue! The two times in my life I had issues... a gas station in the middle of nowhere Texas and a resturant in North Carolina!