Just back - Total cost of trip $2,270

[disneysteve]

I'll post this over at the Budget Board too but I thought it would fit in here as well.

We got home on Sunday. It was me, DW and DD-10. We drove down from New Jersey. We left 11/4 and arrived 11/5. Headed for home 11/12 and arrived 11/13. I just finished adding up all the receipts (and there were lots of them). Here is the breakdown of what we spent. I rounded off the numbers.

$260 - 7 nites at Orbit One Villas via SkyAuction - 2 bed, 2 bath condo
$84 - 1 nite at Fairfield Inn, Emporia, VA
$37 - 1 nite at Rodeway Inn, Battleboro, NC
$210 - gas roundtrip from NJ
$550 - food (includes all meals, snacks and beverages)
$598 - souvenirs and gifts
$530 - park admission (This is 1/2 of what we actually spent. Bought 10-days and used 5. Will use other 5 next year)

And BTW, that souvenir total includes buying DW a $300 necklace. Knock that off and the trip actually came in under $2,000.

As always, I think this shows that a trip to Disney need not be a budget buster. There are lots of places that cost just as much or more to vacation. Heck, I know people who spend that much just to rent a shore house for a week not including all their expenses once they get there.

Just wanted to share

 

[DISFANSHAN]

Thanks for sharing! I just have one question, how did you keep your meals to $550.00? IF you are not including what it cost to eat on your trip down and back, that works out to about $26 per person, per day. (and if that $550 DOES include meals during your travel to/from Disney, WOW!!!) I'm assuming no character meals, maybe most or all counter service??!!
Please share!!!!!

 

[disneysteve]

I just have one question, how did you keep your meals to $550.00? IF you are not including what it cost to eat on your trip down and back, that works out to about $26 per person, per day. (and if that $550 DOES include meals during your travel to/from Disney, WOW!!!) I'm assuming no character meals, maybe most or all counter service??!!
Please share!!!!!

Sure. That total DOES include all food eaten on the trip, including the travel days. How do we keep it so low? Biggest tip is we eat breakfast in our room. Second biggest tip is we primarily drink water (tap, not bottled). When we do get a soda, we usually get one and share it.

And breakfast on the two travel days was included at the hotels where we spent the nite.

So our actual total is about $20 per person per day. And this is not a fluke. Last year our total was almost exactly the same and the year before it was closer to $17.

Here's a quick rundown of where we ate. First place listed is lunch, second is dinner. There was one day when we ate four meals due to the timing of our ADR's, so that day is lunch #1, lunch #2 and dinner.

11/4: Dinner only: Popeye's chicken
11/5: Wendy's; Deli sandwiches from Publix
11/6: Cosmic Rays; Crystal Palace; Flippers Pizza
11/7: Land foodcourt; San Angel counter service
11/8: Wolfgang Puck Express; Beaches and Cream
11/9: Tusker House; Fantasmic concessions (hot dogs)
11/10: Prime Time Cafe; BOMA
11/11: Tomorrowland Noodle Shop; Electric Umbrella
11/12: Wendy's; Pizza shop
11/13: Lunch only: KFC; home for dinner

So a couple of Disney buffets, a couple of Disney sit-downs and mainly what we consider to be the better quality counter service spots. And also a couple of offsite meals.

 

[roque]

BRAVO!!!

 

[dandee00]

Great info! Thanks for sharing.

 

[we3disneygo]

thanks for posting! great info. glad you had a good time!

 

[2diamonds&a~gem]

$210 - gas roundtrip from NJ

Please share what you were driving....
Last year when we drove from Indianapolis to Disney I think it was higher than this onw way!

Yes I know that driving a SUV takes more gas and the cost of gas during your trip was likely different from the cost of gas during mine, but I still gotta know what kind of super gas saver you are driving.
I will be in the market for a new car in October, not to soon to start checking.

Always interested to see others do it so affordably, the whole trip I mean. Way to go!

 

[disneysteve]

Please share what you were driving....
Last year when we drove from Indianapolis to Disney I think it was higher than this onw way!

Yes I know that driving a SUV takes more gas and the cost of gas during your trip was likely different from the cost of gas during mine, but I still gotta know what kind of super gas saver you are driving.

We have a 2000 Toyota Sienna. The drive is 1025 miles each way plus about another 200 miles logged while in the Disney area. I don't think of a minivan as a "super gas saver" but I guess it depends what you are comparing it to.

 

[kimisabella]

Wow, that's great, good for you!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Wow, that's great, good for you!

Wow kimisabella, what a great picture! Don't know when I have seen such a nice shot with nobody in it but one family!

And to the OP, that sounds like a great trip. I agree, eating breakfast on your own most days and not drinking expensive sodas really helps with the old budget.

 

[kimisabella]

Thanks, we took that before the park opened - we had an early adr for crystal palace and took advantage of the fact that no one else was around!