Is this normal for a $9,000?

[mrsabbott]

Wow! Good for you at such a young age to budget your money and save for something like this! To even take on such a plan wasn't even on my radar when I was 14 yrs old!! And how generous of you to want to treat your family to a vacation! Most kids I know your age wouldn't even consider saving and planning such a generous endeavor! Kudos to you!!

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Ditto what mrsabbott said. Kudos to you for being a hard worker and responsible with your money.

You said you would be going in August. Not sure when in August you are planning, but usually Disney offers free dining at the very end of August. That would save you a lot of money if you could book 2 rooms at a value resort and get the QS dining for free, then add on a couple of table service meals. You will have to watch next year, see what Disney does in the way of discounts to get an idea of what they might offer in a couple of years.

As someone else mentioned, Wyndham Bonnet Creek is a great resort right in the middle of it all and would be a lot cheaper and a lot more comfortable for your group. Lots to do on your off time as well there and easy to go back for a mid day break if needed.

Enjoy the planning!

 

[Jajone]

If the youngest is 12, I think you guys will be cramped in the cabins. It is a full size bed (smaller than a queen), 2 bunk beds and a murphy bed that sleeps like a sofa sleeper. We have done thins before with little kids and would never stay there with all adults. I second the idea of 2 value rooms. You will get 2 bathrooms and room for 8 to sleep. In August, you can probably get a discount or free dining. I am curious what kind of work you do that you can make that much? I have a 16 y.o. but what she earns could never save just 20% of her income and afford a trip this expensive.

 

[mjkacmom]

Ha! I can tell you most 14 year olds are not taking their money and putting it in a savings account for college. Perhaps a few do, but most spend it on whatever they please. For a lot of middle school/early high school aged kids, college savings isn't even on the radar then.

Dd19 and ds17 definitely have several thousand saved to put towards college. With five kids, we've only saved around $150,000 for college, and tuition with room and board for a public in state college runs around $25,000 a year here. There is no way I'd allow any of my kids to drop $9000 on a vacation.

 

[chartle]

If the youngest is 12, I think you guys will be cramped in the cabins. It is a full size bed (smaller than a queen), 2 bunk beds and a murphy bed that sleeps like a sofa sleeper. We have done thins before with little kids and would never stay there with all adults. I second the idea of 2 value rooms. You will get 2 bathrooms and room for 8 to sleep. In August, you can probably get a discount or free dining. I am curious what kind of work you do that you can make that much? I have a 16 y.o. but what she earns could never save just 20% of her income and afford a trip this expensive.

I second that 6 adult size people in a cabin is pretty tight but its doable.

One tip thats been suggested is getting a golf cart. I think FW has 6 person carts but not sure. You can rent from outside but lately there have been restrictions on how that works. It used to be an outside vendor would drop off your cart at your site, now I think you have to meet them outside FW and get it in the resort yourself. Also if you have your car a cart really isn't necessary unless you are visiting places inside FW. Most would drive to all the parks except the MK and don't think you need a cart for just getting to the dock.

I would ask about the availability of 6 person carts and any other question about the cabins in the Camping Forum.

Oh and good idea dumping the DxDP. One big issue staying at FW is you have very few dining options. And staying in a cabin gives you a full kitchen.

 

[JenLanDisney]

One thing that I notice right away is that you may not be budgeting money for tips. The Deluxe Dining Plan was wonderful for us, but what most people forget is that the tips will be very expensive. With 6 people you will be automatically charged 18% for tips. I left more than than. This will not be covered by the dining plan. When you are looking at the menus think about how much extra the tips will cost. Just as a wild example, it is not at all unusual to spend $50 per person at a table service meal. Additionally, people on the Deluxe Dining Plan will have an appetizer, entree, dessert and they tend to choose more expensive items because they are "free". Six people at $50 dollars each would be $300 for one table service meal. Figuring the baseline 18%, you would need a minimum of $54 tip for every meal. Alcohol would be extra also.

This is an excellent point.

 

[KKB]

Good for you--please ignore the negative comments here. At about your age I paid for a 3 week vacation to France. One of my greatest memories.
I agree that you should look at some other accommodation choices that would be better prices. There are many vacation rentals near the parks & you can get several bedrooms, full kitchen, often a pool, for maybe $100/night! Lots more room, far less $. We do enjoy staying onsite but we are beginning to wonder if it is worth THAT much more.
We have loved the Dining plan. Glad you dropped the deluxe one--WAY WAY too much food. When the regular plan first came out, the one TS/day had appy, entree & dessert and THAT was too much--we usually took dessert back to the room for breakfast the next day!
Since you are giving up so much of your own $ for a trip that includes others, keep looking for ways to cut costs without cutting the experience. Obviously park passes are a must & honestly THAT is the biggest experience. Is there a restaurant or 2 you REALLY want to eat at? Go for it, then bring snacks, eat in your room, etc.
Have a wonderful time!

 

[virge]

I want to say how impressed I am with the OP's planning, budgeting, & saving skills. When I was a teenager (many moons ago) I worked & saved my money for 3 separate trips to Disney (went with friends). I feel like the skills I developed saving & budgeting for those trips influenced my financial skills in a positive manner. What a testament to this young lady's parents & herself that she has set a long-range saving goal of taking her whole family to Disney while also putting some aside for college! I hope my own children develop similar goal setting strategies & the ability to develop a budget like this young lady.

I hope she will brush off & ignore the adults who question her or her parents.

 

[ariel71]

Without knowing her and her family's financial situation, all of the "kudos" and "good for you"s are irresponsible. For someone who said her parents contribute the money they can "spare" to her college fund, this could (operative word "could") be a bad financial decision. I'd say the same about a 14-year-old planning to spend thousands of dollars on a designer handbag. I wonder if OP has done the same amount of budgeting and analysis of college costs or considered other things she may need or want to spend her money on in high school. Will she need to buy or contribute to a car? School trips to foreign countries?

I'm not saying that the above applies to OP. The thing is we don't know, and yes, on the surface I'm surprised that someone's parents would allow their child to blow $9k on a Disney trip unless they were well-off. I don't think it's unreasonable for people to ask some questions about a pretty unusual situation instead of just having a thread full of Disney cheerleaders (actually no pun intended).

 

[disneycheerleader]

To anyone who still cares, the cost is now $5,000 not $9,000.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It is absolutely the OP's right to spend her money as she pleases, as long as her parents approve. That said, I would never allow my minor child to pay for a family vacation. That money could be used for better purposes, such as a car or college.

OP sounds like a responsible young lady, although she might want to work on not using bad language when posting here. Everyone should stop getting upset; this trip is proposed for two years from now. As we "old people" know, anything could happen between now and then. A few months from now, she may want to spend it on something else.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I have a 14-year-old daughter who wants to return to Disney when she's 16. I have to show her this thread - if she'll pay for it, that would sure make my life easier

In all seriousness, it's not our place to tell OP what to do or not do with her money, much less her dreams & ambitions. So, we should probably stick to answering her budget questions.

My thought is that with your family driving from Tampa, Disney transportation isn't a must. Maybe you can consider staying offsite to save some $$.

 

[disneycheerleader]

My thought is that with your family driving from Tampa, Disney transportation isn't a must. Maybe you can consider staying offsite to save some $$.

What do you mean by Disney transportation?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

What do you mean by Disney transportation?

Assuming you're driving from Tampa, so you'll have access to your own car(s) while there. So, you could drive to the parks from wherever you stay.

People who fly to Orlando, then use ME to get to the resort are dependent on the buses/boats/monorail to get to the parks.

 

[disneycheerleader]

Assuming you're driving from Tampa, so you'll have access to your own car(s) while there. So, you could drive to the parks from wherever you stay.

People who fly to Orlando, then use ME to get to the resort are dependent on the buses/boats/monorail to get to the parks.

Ok thank you for the clarification.

 

[Marionnette]

I have a 14-year-old daughter who wants to return to Disney when she's 16. I have to show her this thread - if she'll pay for it, that would sure make my life easier

In all seriousness, it's not our place to tell OP what to do or not do with her money, much less her dreams & ambitions. So, we should probably stick to answering her budget questions.

My thought is that with your family driving from Tampa, Disney transportation isn't a must. Maybe you can consider staying offsite to save some $$.

LOLing at having one of my kids pay for their own Disney trip, and they're all in the 20's! Somehow, Mom & Dad always seems to shoulder a good portion of the costs.

I do agree with you that if this were an adult to whom we were responding, the answers would be different, but only slightly. I think that most of us would be suggesting that the OP consider other options in order to bring costs down. We might also tell someone not to spend every dime that they've saved on a Disney vacation, but to take into consideration all of the other costs and expenses that life can bring. And we would also point out to them that pricing will not remain static over the next two years.

Having said all of that, I also want to point out that the OP's parents need to be on board with her plans or they just aren't going to pan out. A 16-year-old cannot book a hotel room at Disney, nor can a group of teenagers stay in a resort room without someone over the age of 18 staying in the room with them unless they are traveling as a youth group which has booked through Disney. AFAIK, her traveling party does not sound as if it qualifies under any kind of group pricing or booking.

In my house, none of the kids would have been permitted to blow that big of a wad of hard-earned cash on a Disney trip for other people, no matter how desperately they wanted it. So OP, make sure that your parents are completely on board with your plans AND your budget before you get too wrapped up with everything. DO NOT invest in buying Disney tickets before rate hikes or discounted Disney gift cards as a part of your money-saving plans. Keep your money liquid until you're closer to that 2018 vacation date. There's a lot that can change at both Disney and at home between now and then.

 

[ariel71]

I have a 14-year-old daughter who wants to return to Disney when she's 16. I have to show her this thread - if she'll pay for it, that would sure make my life easier

In all seriousness, it's not our place to tell OP what to do or not do with her money, much less her dreams & ambitions. So, we should probably stick to answering her budget questions.

My thought is that with your family driving from Tampa, Disney transportation isn't a must. Maybe you can consider staying offsite to save some $$.

Yeah, ok, I'm telling OP what her "dreams and aspirations" should be. A little hyperbolic. Say your 14yo was on a forum dedicated to luxury items. She posts about how she wants to spend $5k on a Chanel bag for her 16th birthday. You really would prefer that not one single adult say "whoa, just a minute, that's a lot of money. Think about if that's a good idea"? That they just stick with answering which store has the best deal because that's what was asked?

I am sorry if I have come off as rude or irrational. I am really sorry if I have offended anyone. I don't want to do that. I am working on being more calm and appropriate when I am speaking. I am also going to cancel the trip and come back to it in a year or so. I am probably going to leave the boards for a while.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to go to Disney, or looking at websites, or being on a forum, and I hope I haven't made you feel like there is or that you shouldn't participate here. It's just a matter of perspective and how a trip like this fits into the bigger picture for you, your family, and your future. Since you are talking about a trip three years from now, perhaps it's better to just learn what you can and consider the possibility without actively trying to plan anything right now.

If this is for your 16th bday in August 2018, wouldn't that mean you just turned 13?

 

[Marionnette]

If this is for your 16th bday in August 2018, wouldn't that mean you just turned 13?

The OP has been inconsistent in several posts.

 

[disneycheerleader]

Yeah, ok, I'm telling OP what her "dreams and aspirations" should be. A little hyperbolic. Say your 14yo was on a forum dedicated to luxury items. She posts about how she wants to spend $5k on a Chanel bag for her 16th birthday. You really would prefer that not one single adult say "whoa, just a minute, that's a lot of money. Think about if that's a good idea"? That they just stick with answering which store has the best deal because that's what was asked?



There's nothing wrong with wanting to go to Disney, or looking at websites, or being on a forum, and I hope I haven't made you feel like there is or that you shouldn't participate here. It's just a matter of perspective and how a trip like this fits into the bigger picture for you, your family, and your future. Since you are talking about a trip three years from now, perhaps it's better to just learn what you can and consider the possibility without actively trying to plan anything right now.

If this is for your 16th bday in August 2018, wouldn't that mean you just turned 13?

It is actually for August of 2017. My keyboard is very touchy lately and I cant seem to fix it. Thank you for the kind words.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

In all seriousness, how does a 13/14 year old save THAT much money? Babysitting, dog sitting, birthdays? Honest question. I think if I had NEVER spent a dime of all my birthday and babysitting money from age 6-14 (I'm 28 now) I might have saved $1500-$2000 in 8 years.

I played a lot of sports and was always involved in extracurricular school activities so didn't have too much time to babysit when I was old enough to do it.