I'm getting concerned about bringing enough $$

[Familymoon]

As the trip inches closer, I'm really worried that we won't have enough spending money!!!

We are getting married the same day and have to pay for the church, the reception, etc. out of the next paycheck.

Sooo - we will have to pay for our resort ($517, I think)...the rental car (275.39)...and the parking ($35) each day at the parks. Plus, we have BARE BONES food spending of around $550. That's no souveniers either. <sigh> $1378ish total. I'm so nervous.

Any tips to cutting down on budget? Going to Disney on the cheap, as it were? I guess we can't really reduce our resort amount or rental car right now (and if we could, I probably wouldn't choose to make that switch)...or parking. The only variable I suppose is food, but we've already cancelled most of our PSs (aside from DD's birthday) and MVMCP and CP are prepaid events.

How hard is it to be there without much *extra*?

Thanks!

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

I guess I don't understand why you wouldn't cancel room or rental if you found something at a better deal???

In my experience that is way too high for a rental car, even a minivan, if you're doing a week's stay or so. You should be able to knock off close to $100 or so.

I would check mousesavers.com and find a better deal, get it confirmed, and then cancel.

As far as resort, where are you staying and for how many nights? There are certainly some deals out right now--from $99 at Swan/Dolphin to $59 at Downtown Disney onsite, and even less offsite if you really want to go "budget". Just get a new confirmation before you cancel your existing one. Do you have an AP???? Lots of deals right now with that.

I would schedule the ice cream social at epcot so you can still do a character "meal" but for only $6.99 per person.

Hope that helps!

 

[Local_Girl]

First of all, congratulations on your wedding! How exciting to celebrate that and DD's b-day on this trip!

I understand about finances being tight. We leave in 17 days and have had some unforseen car and medical expenses that have dipped into the Disney trip money. In your case, if the MVMCP and CP are already paid, you should be okay with the food expenses, if you are willing to do mostly counter service, or maybe venture offsite. Don't know how old your children are, but many budgeters find that sharing meals is a great way to save some $$. Some families also purchase a few Disney themed items for the kids in advance (at much lower prices than can be found in the parks) and give them out to the kids at WDW to stem some of the "I wants". I have Dollar Store glow necklaces and Disney Pez dispensers, and we have homemade autograph books (that are actually turning out to be more expensive than the regular ones...ugh!).

We could do it, but you know your family best and whether or not they'll be okay without lots of *extras*.

Good luck, and hope you have a great trip!!

 

[Familymoon]

I tried moussavers for a rental - and yes, it's a minivan...but we only have a debit card (don't use credit cards ever) and most of the special deals out there require a credit card - or they charge an extra $100 or $200 deposit (that you don't get back for several weeks after returning the car) on a debit card.

As for the resort - it is the Radisson Parkway, which has a four and a half star rating in my book and we got the room for $69/night - plus it was upgraded for free since it is our honeymoon. I wasn't sure there would be other quality options out there. I've tried to get the marriot $20/night room, but the morons at ourlaughingplace were insistant on selling me a package, yadda yadda. Then, I tried to book room-only and they gave me the regular rate...I just got sick of fighting with them.

If anyone knows of something that is a great hotel at a better price we might be willing to switch. Although, the Radisson serves Starbucks. Then again - if it will decrease our spending considerably, maybe it would be worth it to move.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

You will have a wonderful time, regardless of where you eat!! Congratulations to you!

Kudos to you on your anti-credit card policy. I don't think I could do it because of the convenience, but I certainly admire someone who can! So, I've never dealt with rental car without one--I'm sure then that you know what your talking about.

And I assume your staying for 6 nights? The radisson has free breakfast buffet--we have stayed there and it is a nice place. As far as the souvenirs, I don't know how old your kids are, but mine are thrilled to pieces by the $7.00 total flashlight/rainbow light saber looking thing. We bought those as their "parade" toys, and really that was the only souvenir they wanted.

Not to be tacky, but you may end up with some extra cash at your wedding??? I wasn't expecting it, but we ended up with at least $500 given to us at our wedding some of which we added to our honeymoon budget.

The only other thing I could see you considering is a downtown disney hotel and not rent a car--that would easily save some money, but you wouldn't be able to eat offsite, so it might even out.

Also, maybe grandparents could give early Christmas $$$ to your kids for souvenir money?? Also, don't forget the pressed penny books--cheap and my boys loved those.

My only other recommendation is to bring snacks and drink water only--if your kids aren't water drinkers, bring your own presweetened kool-aid powder. Not ordering 4 drinks will easily save you $8.00 per meal or so. And of course, share meals with the kids instead of ordering their own.

Have a GREAT time!!!

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

Also, the Radisson has a pizza hut inside--my crew could eat pizza for dinner every other nite if I let them

 

[Familymoon]

Well, under your advice I looked into some more affordable room options. Since we will only be sleeping in the room - not really spending time in it - we figured we could possibly downgrade.

So - I called the downtown disney hotels - and all the "super saver" nights are gone. But - I found a deal at the Ramada Eastgate for $39/night. It's not going to be a spectacular hotel, but it will be half the rate...so we'll deal. Staying there will save us around $250!

As long as it isn't as bad as the Days Inn we stayed at in Columbia, MO, we'll be okay!

Thanks for the tips! (And, yes, we're hoping we might get a little extra spending money at the reception - but it's *very* small - only around 30 families - so we don't want to count on that). However, my DD's birthday is the day after we leave and my Mom sent her Disney Dollars - plus we've picked up over $100 through the course of the last year. (Thank God!!!) So, maybe we'll just delegate the Disney Dollars to souvenier money.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I understand completely. We are on a strict budget and have had more problems with the car then ever anticipated. And our dog required surgery.

I would suggest maybe cutting back on any big meals you had planned. Food at Disney is so expensive. With 3 little ones, you might want to do one character meal for the kids, one romantic meal for the grown ups and do the rest at counter service places. We knocked close to 100 dollars off our budget by canceling two restraunts.

As for souvieners. Get small things. Limit yourself to one per day. I've actually called stores in WDW before from my home (in the boston area) and been able to order things with a credit card and have them shipped to me. And there's always EBAY.

Consider staying offsite. We're paying $58 a night for a small suite in Feb. The rental car might cost about that, but the good thing about driving is you don't have to wait for busses.

I think you'll be fine.

Of course, I have a moment each day where I freak out and think I won't be

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

I don't know anything about the Ramada, but I *think* I might have done the same thing in your shoes. You've added 50% to your food budget!!

That puts you over $100 per day, right??? We made it on just under $100 per day for family of 4 and certainly didn't feel deprived. As I mentioned above, not buying drinks made a big difference, and I brought snacks--goldfish, fruit snacks, cheese sticks, etc.

If you can do breakfast in your room that will add up savings fast as well--we always get cereal, fruit, and milk (you can buy a cheap foam ice chest to keep in the room)

Have a WONDERFUl trip.

 

[wdwmom2]

Friends of mine got married this past August and one thing that they asked for as far as gifts was Disney Dollars. They did the land/sea package for thier honeymoon. This really helped them with thier Disney budget.

 

[Tigger Fans!]

Have you called the Courtyard DTD? They were running that 2003 special for $20.03 per night. You have to call them directly and ask specifically for the rate (it's prepaid and non-refundable but what a great rate). When I called they were considering opening more rooms at that rate. It's probably worth a call.

Congratulations and have a great trip!

 

[Familymoon]

Thanks for the info.

I just called and the reservation agent said those rooms have been sold out for a long time. I asked about opening up more rooms at that rate and she said they probably won't.

Oh well. Ramada can't be *that* bad, can it?

Besides...DH is an attorney and *has* to have some pull if the room is TOO bad!

 

[westjones]

Try looking at the mousesavers.com website, here is the page on food:

http://www.mousesavers.com/meals.html

Thanks to this site, we were able to attend our first character 'meal', the ice cream social. It was the only one in our budget at the time.

You can get some good ideas from that site. Disney doesn't have to break your bank account. Especially is you haven't been there before, there is so much to see that you don't need to do the extras (like character meals).

We let our kids pick something to buy on the last day and we give them a certain dollar amount they can spend. The reason we day the last day is because once they buy it, if they are still at the parks the following days they are bond to want something different. This way they can 'dream' all week about their purchase!

We always eat a late lunch around 2-3:00 and that takes care of supper too. Then we get a snack in the evening. Eat a big breakfast before leaving the hotel in the mornings so that it will hold you until lunch.

Then just go, have fun! It will be magical!
DJ

 

[prncess674]

why are you budgeting $35 a day for parking. Parking is $7 a day and you don't' need to pay again if you leave the park or move to a different park.

 

[Familymoon]

Originally posted by prncess674
why are you budgeting $35 a day for parking. Parking is $7 a day and you don't' need to pay again if you leave the park or move to a different park.

um $35 for the trip!

 

[Tigger Fans!]

originally posted by Familymoon
I just called and the reservation agent said those rooms have been sold out for a long time. I asked about opening up more rooms at that rate and she said they probably won't.

Sorry you couldn't get that rate at Courtyard DTD. I know someone else mentioned the Radisson - I've seen rates there as low as $49 per night through the Mousesavers newsletter. If you haven't signed up for the newsletter then I'd highly suggest it!

 

[pjlla]

my family of 4 is staying at the Homewood Suites in Kissimmee in Jan. We have stayed there before for $59/night following the 9/11 travel slowdown and wanted to pay that again. When I originally called they quoted me $129/night. I told them that I had found the room for $99/night online and that we were returning guests and were hoping for a "repeat customer" discount. They gave us the room for $69/night! I was thrilled. But I kept looking. When I found a few comparable rooms for a lower price, I called them back and told them that I was thinking of cancelling my reservation because I found a better price somewhere else.... what could they do for me??? They then offered for $59/night!! I was really happy.... that one phone call saved me over $80 ($10/night for 8 nights plus tax). I may even call again and see if they will match the Days Suites who I saw at $55.95/night.

As I said, we have stayed here before and been happy with it. Plus they have free breakfast buffet, which was adequate last time we were there and I have heard they have improved it to include eggs, bacon, etc. So figure I saved at least $100 for the week on breakfast if we ate out every morning and at least $25 for the week on groceries if I was forced to to cook in the room(cook on vacation?.. yuck!). And with the suite we have the option to eat other meals in the room (which we will probably do at least 4 nights).

With our rental car....I'll make this short, but the original price was to be $219 for the week (not a bad price), but after searching around a bit on this board and other places, I came up with some codes that eventually got me down to $185/week for a 4 door mid-sized car through Alamo. Saved myself the price of a counter meal for 4 !!

Anyhow, this isn't meant to be an ad for Homewood Suites.... just wanted to show you what you can get when you ask (and ask and ask!!) I know it takes TIME to check and check stuff, but give up an hour or two of sleep this week and you could save yourself some significant $$.

One last thought.... everyday between now and the trip, as you are in the grocery store, Walmart, Mcdonald's etc.... ask youself....how badly do I need this? Can you live on mac/cheese, tuna casserole, and rice and beans for the next few weeks until the trip?? Save a few $$ on the grocery bill at home to take along to WDW. Any purchases you made lately that you don't really need? Take them back for a refund!! Anything you can sell quickly through the want ads? Work a few extra hours before the trip for overtime $? I suppose this is all obvious stuff, but just trying to help!!..... I hope you have a great time! Live on pb&j for a few days if you have to so that you can relieve some of this $$ anxiety. Have a great wedding, a great holiday season, and a great magical trip/familymoon!!!

 

[Familymoon]

Thanks for all the tips - I'll reply individually to your suggestions...

Originally posted by pjlla
my family of 4 is staying at the Homewood Suites in Kissimmee in Jan.

Thanks for the info...I booked a room at the Ramada Inn Eastgate Fountain something for $39/night...and they gave us a complimentary upgrade for a kids' suite (double bed and twin bed bunks as well as a king sized bed, two tvs with a VCR, and a minifridge!) for a honeymoon present...so I think we scored big there. It's a decent hotel - I might even venture to say nice...and it will certainly suffice for the amount of time we'll be spending there. More space and definitely not as dinky as All Star, so I'm happy! (that was our onsite choice in the very beginning of the plans).

With our rental car....I'll make this short, but the original price was to be $219 for the week (not a bad price), but after searching around a bit on this board and other places, I came up with some codes that eventually got me down to $185/week for a 4 door mid-sized car through Alamo

Great job! We need a minivan, since we have several kids, and were able to hunt down a rate of $249 for a minivan for a week through Alamo. I was pretty happy!

One last thought.... everyday between now and the trip, as you are in the grocery store, Walmart, Mcdonald's etc.... ask youself....how badly do I need this? Can you live on mac/cheese, tuna casserole, and rice and beans for the next few weeks until the trip?? Save a few $$ on the grocery bill at home to take along to WDW. Any purchases you made lately that you don't really need? Take them back for a refund!! Anything you can sell quickly through the want ads? Work a few extra hours before the trip for overtime $?

We are already doing this...thank goodness. It has been LOTS of pasta, and we already eat lots of rice and beans (vegetarians). We're not spenders by nature, so we never make trips to Wal-Mart and don't eat fast food...so we're good to go. Purchases made recently? Sure - how about a wedding reception! LOL J/K
No - as a family of five we live quite frugally, but thank you for the insight. I think many of my relatives could heed this advice as well! We only have a little over a week left, but I'm thinking of selling some things on ebay, if I can scrounge up anything left around here!!! (And Dh is salary, I'm a SAHM - otherwise, yes, I'd work overtime and so would he!)

My SIL said she is pretty sure people are giving us money - several of her siblings have asked what to get us and said they'll probably just give cash. I don't want to count my chickens - but it would be a nice thing to have for souveniers and unnecessary items

We have $700 for our food budget now - because of the less expensive hotel (suite)...so I am pretty sure that will be enough for the five of us YAY!

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by Familymoon
We have $700 for our food budget now - because of the less expensive hotel (suite)...so I am pretty sure that will be enough for the five of us YAY!

That should be no problem. Keep in mind that the servings at most restaurants onsite or offsite are big enough to share. For 2 adults and 3 kids, you may only need to order 3 or at most 4 meals. My wife and I will often do one appetizer and one entree for the 2 of us.

We just got back recently and our food spending for 8-1/2 days of travel came to less than $145 per person, or under $17/person/day. We ate quite well as far as we're concerned so it can definitely be done.

Steve

 

[Familymoon]

Wow, Steve...where/what did you eat!? I'm impressed!

I'd love to hear the details.