Looking for advice :)

[Missytara]

We have been to Disney for the last five years, not once have we ever had a pin. We did get a free waterpark code and then we had free dining once, but that was it. My question, and I hope no one is affended or feels like I have crossed a line, but how do people afford to stay in the deluxes? Anyone have any ideas?

My mom's hairdresser owns her own salon, in her home. Every year, she, her husband, two sons, and now their wives are treated to a stay at the GF. She saves her pennies, and treats her family to a trip for being so patient about having people traipse through their house for appointments.

I hear people say that they forgo eating out and brown-bag to work every day; and don't go out a lot and save specifically to take their families to Disney every year and they often stay in deluxes.

Honestly, if I didn't eat out every night, I could afford to stay in a deluxe every year. I have very little expenses and bills; no mortgage or car payment. However, I just love to eat out - at home and especially when I am at Disney.

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

I feel very blessed to be able to go as much aswe do and stay deluxe, but we don't always. We stay value and mod sometimes. We are in Fl so no flying there. We go about 5 times a year, and we are dvc, ap, and fla discounts avail. We don't go to other places as often, every other year we add a summer trip to somewhere else. A cruise every other year. We rarely eat out , don't buy designer items, pay off cars and keep driving them, color my own hair, use coupons...that's how we are able to go. This year we have Pop- 2X, AKL, BCV, BWV and 1 in Sept yet to be decided ( CR?-split stay with Nick Hotel). My husband is self employed, I am a stay at home, homeschooling mom, typical middle class. Friends ask us the same thing, but they are the same ones who are always giving the kids $40 for a movie, out to eat 2/3 times a week, kids play travel hockey, shopping every weekend at the mall...I guess it is a choice like everything else.

 

[Fizzmom]

We've gone 4 times in the past 5 years and never received a PIN. This year there were no deals for our dates in April, and we just could not justify paying rack rate, so we decided to go to Disney's Vero Beach Resort instead. We booked it on a Sunday night, and the next morning we recieved a PIN code! Of course we changed our plans and now will be at the POLY in April

 

[vettechick99]

Lots of ways to stay deluxe. I used to stay deluxe all the time. We would always wait for a public code - never got a personal pin. I didn't start getting those until 08. So if we had to pay rack rate, we just wouldn't go. No way is any deluxe worth rack rate to me. But those were the days before kids so we had more spending money.

Renting DVC points is a great way to get deluxe for much less.

Also going during value season helps.

We don't do a lot of deluxe now. I guess if I wanted just one WDW vacation a year, we could do it. Instead we do several a year and have been staying at either a moderate or off-site (Bonnet Creek).

Oh and another way some people afford deluxe - they just make a lot of money!

 

[brergnat]

What category room was that at the Poly that came back $7000 for a week long package?

First week of December is Value season (LUCKY YOU!). I know you said the dining plan saves you money, but it forces you into a package. You can almost ALWAYS get a "room only" discount of up to 40% off, especially that time of year. Skip the dining plan. Only buy park tickets you will use (like, if you won't hop, don't get the hopper option. Don't get the "no expiration" option. Don't bother with the water parks option in December. Weather can be iffy.

I just priced out a trip first week of December for a family your make up. Price was $5105.65. This was a standard (Garden) view room. You have to de-select the hopper and water parks option, as they include that automatically. Once you get it down to 7 day Base tickets, this price INCLUDES the dining plan.

Take away the dining plan and tickets (making it room only), and your room rate is $365.00 per night. This is rack rate. Total for room only would be $2874. Now, assume that Disney will offer a 40% room only public discount (like they did the past few years for this week). Your NEW room total would be $1724. Tickets will run approx $1300-1500. You can buy the tickets once you get there. Room only has a more flexible payment/deposit policy. You only pay one night upon the reservation. The rest is due when you check in, so you can have some extra time to save some money before you have to pay it. As mentioned, you can buy tickets there. Bring easy food for breakfast in the room. Then have CS meals for the most part, throwing in a few TS meals during the week. That's what we always do. We save a lot of money that way.

We are staying at the Beach Club, in a Club Level room the week BEFORE Easter. We were able to take advantage of the 40% military discount. Our room rate is $381/night, and this is during PEAK SEASON. Our room total is exactly $3000. We bought tickets for $1200 for the four of us. We are not doing dining plan, but will probably spend around $1000-1500 over the week on food (we have some signature dining planned). Our total spent should be around $5500, excluding airfare. This seems EXTREMELY reasonable to us, considering we are going over spring break.

You can do this rather inexpensively. Keep in mind, the Poly tends to be very pricey. You can stay at YC/BC, or BWI for less. These resorts tend to have more rooms offered at a discount. If you can score a Garden Wing room at the Contemporary, that's even cheaper!

As for "how do people afford it". Simple: Some people just make more money than others, and prioritize their lives differently. For us, I am a SAHM. DH is in the military. We are far from rich, but we live a very modest lifestyle. Vacation time together is priceless for us, as DH is away from home about half the time. My DH said to me the other day "Money is no object on this vacation." And, this is coming from a major cheapskate! This vacation will come about two weeks before DH leaves for a 7 month deployment to the middle east. So, for us, it's not about cost.

 

[buzyanne]

I have been going for several years and just found out this year that Coranado has Suites. They offer a Jr Suite that will sleep 6. This is at a Mod. It is not as expensive as a deluxe. I found when I was looking for a room for 5. I was surprised to see a mod with suites. They also have different suites. 1 bedroom suite, 2 bedroom and deluxe.

This may be an option to a deluxe for you. I hope you find a good code or get a good deal. Good luck.

 

[thumbalyna]

last year they offered great deals for rooms in december we spent 3 nights at all stars for 200.00 total i know the other resorts were discounted also but this was a spur of the moment trip and 200 was right in my budget - we booked it one week out

 

[jemgumby]

There should be some public codes out for your travel time of first of December. That is one of the slower times of year and historically there has been some pretty good deals offered that time of year. We can stay deluxe because we are within driving distance so no airfare. Also we only take one vacation a year and we save for our trip all year long. As far as the price you got for $7000 we have NEVER paid that as a matter of fact not even half. We go during value season and have gotten the free dining and some other times we got a great room discount. We also don't buy souveniers and we do a package and get the dining plan as well as that helps us save $$$. Hope this helps and good luck to ya!

 

[Minniemom00]

We afford it by going on vacation to WDW every other year (not every year) as well as by scrimping and saving and sacrificing.

 

[kymom99]

I do not go to Disney every year. I have received numerous PIN codes but they usually aren't during a time I can travel. However, this year I got one I could actually use, if only it would stop snowing! We weren't planning to go this year but I thought we could go relatively cheaply. We also got the Give a Day vouchers to help with ticket costs. I decided to get back there this year before my son gets too old to enjoy Disney and starts pushing for other places.

 

[quinnc19]

My daughter and I do our Disney vacations with my parents - we usually stay in a 1-bedroom Villa and split the cost. Otherwise, it would be moderates for me!

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

Thanks to all of you for your help. We are looking at leaving the day after thanksgiving, which I know that weekend will be bad but every since I changed jobs a year ago and this is about the only time of the year I can go anywhere. I liked having the park hopper option, we don't use it much, but there are usually a couple of days that we would use when kids just can't agree on what they want to do. For us the dining plan really comes in handy, with 3 boys and a husband we go through the food. I am really hoping for something to come out, it seems like Disney has been putting out public codes but nothing for that time of year, does anyone have any idea when a code may come out? Also with that would you book now or would you wait on a code. I priced the mod suites and it was up there right with the deluxes, but there was two bathrooms so maybe I should rethink that option. My husband is too worried over POR being to big and thinks we would be to cramped, and he said no values....we are spoiled. So I think thats everything in a nut shell. I am going to really try and to watch our money, we have plenty of time and there is no reason we can't get it together. I really hate to say it but I am the mom that gives into the kids...alot/too much, so if we want disney time to cut some corners. Again thanks to all of you.