making dreams come

[disneymouse]

hi-
i dream about staying at the poly concierge with my family it sounds wonderful and i would love to be able to arrange to trip at the poly next march but i would have to save for that splurge! i see alot of people stay at these deluxes for weeks at a time..how do you do it! are these people just rich or do you have a special system on saving all year for these trips?

 

[BobsChick]

This year will be my first trip to Disney, so I am by no means an expert. However, I save a little out of every check and about half of my bonuses. This has helped me out alot. It's a lot easier to put back 20 bucks a week and only have to "come up with" the spending cash then to try and figure out how to get rich quick. You may have to use a more aggressive saving strategy than mine (I'm staying in AS Sports) but since you have almost a full year it won't seem that bad.

DW=20.00/week
DH=20.00/week
Tot=2080.00/year

As you can see that takes a huge chunk out of the cost of your trip.

Lissa

 

[Tess]

We do save for our vacations. We have a "Disney Account" and deposit money into it constantly. We use DH's bonus money, tax refunds, and set aside a $$$ amount each month for deposit. We budget the monthly contribution just as if it were an actual bill to pay.

I also have a "mad money" cookie jar that I holds any money left over in my wallet at week's end. Before I spend money on, for example, a fast food meal for the kids--I think about the money I could be putting away in my duck if I went home and made them something instead. Sometimes I give in to the convenience of an on the run grab & growl, but most times greed wins out!

Tip money is put aside as we have it, i.e., when DH or I have four $1 bills we put it into a Mousekeeping envelope for use on our vacation. Ditto the limo driver's tip, bell services, etc.

I purchase airline tickets about 10-11 months out and so they are paid for long before vacation. I also pre-purchase UMPs or APs in advance so that is also covered before we arrive. Basically, my goal is to have all paid but for the hotel/food/souvenirs prior to arrival.

I work hard to get discounts (although the cost is still very high) and we do lunch meals at sit downs with very little "snacking" at counter services in the park. We utilize the concierge lounge to our benefit by eating breakfast in each day and many evening meals, too. We've not been quite as good about using the lounge for evening service in the past, but it's in our plan to do so a good deal this year. We'll see how it goes.

All of that said, we don't scrimp on the vacation and pretty much do whatever we feel like doing without worrying about the money end. We do not use our charge cards (except to pay for the hotel) and ALWAYS pay those bills when they are due rather than carrying a balance.

The kids have known from a young age that they will not get a ton of stuff while at Disney. They get one reasonably priced souvenir that's purchased on our last day. They have never been the type of kids to ask for ice cream, popcorn, or other goodies in the parks. They have also known that begging for things will not be rewarded with the sought after item. Those $5/$10 purchases add up big time. By the same token, when it comes to mealtime they aren't denied the foods of choice as long as they eat what is ordered--including those pricey desserts.

I guess the bottom line is we are pretty disciplined in our money management strategies. We enjoy our money, but we know when to say no.

I hope you can fulfill your dream to stay at Polynesian--it's certainly our favorite! WELCOME TO THE DIS! If you need help or ideas--everyone here is willing to give advice!

 

[yesdisneyfool]

Each payday $$ gets put into a Disney Account. Any change at the end of each day go into a jar at home. By the time your trip is here you won't believe how much you have managed to save.

Since we go often, we've been able to estimate our Total expenses and this helps with the regular payday pmts. Good Luck with your goal.

 

[disneymouse]

thanks everyone for your helpful replies saving as early as possible will be the key to staying at the poly in march

 

[s&k'smom]

Hi Disneymouse, just wanted to offer you words of encouragement. And I totally agree with the others. When I got my bonus this year it was for an unexpected amount. I came back from a maternity leave at part time. So I took the bonus and bought our airlines ticket and put the deposit on the hotel. I also have a change jar and drop in what I can. It may not pay for the whole trip but it sure helps. And it's amazing what you'll put aside with a trip for motivation!

 

[jennymouse]

Hi disneymouse, welcome to the DIS! You'll find TONS of money saving tips and tricks to bring down the cost of you vacation here and on www.mousesavers.com .

I'll add a couple:

I've been cleaning out my attic, closets, etc to have a big yardsale June 1st.....all proceeds will go towards our trip.

Go over to the Rewards Programs Board and find out about doing rewards programs....I've done pretty well with it so far. I've earned giftcertificates to Rainforest Cafe & Planet Hollywood to cover a couple free meals, Webcertificates you can use to buy passes, make payments on your resort bill or whatever. I've got several Target & Walmart giftcertificates to buy last minute supplies. It really helps. You've got to have the patience of Job though....it's a slow process, but if you're planning way ahead, it's worth it.

Join the Disney Club for discounts on passes, meals & souvies!

Good Luck!

 

[Mic]

We (meaning "I") have a disney fund...called DVC. When I priced accomodations for a week in a deluxe for a family of 6(believe it or not, some folks just don't stop at 2 kids), I used that money as my downpayment and have not regretted it. In the past, we have spent a few cash nights at the Swan or Dolphin, the Contemporary, and Coronada Springs before checking into BWV or OKW(to both try something new and save those weekend points). The $250 per month I pay now seems like a lot, but in a few years that will be less than $100 per month for the dues, and I will have 2 weeks' worth of vacations for another 30-some years. My only regret is not buying sooner and not buying more(but I am working on buying more!).

 

[jldriscoll]

Tess.....
You have an amazingly well thought out plan! I tried something like this between our last trip and now. Put $$ every week, plus extra weekly spending money.... When we decided to move and then other family emergencies meant we had to dip into our fund. (it was after all a vacation *choak, sob*) My plan was to buy everything when the money was ALL saved up, but it sounds like buying bits at a time is a better idea. Ailine tickets first, passes... This year an inheritance is funding our trip so I can do the whole package as soon as DH's work situation works itself out (long story, but it's killing me to HAVE the money, but CAN"T plan the trip!! ) I'm going to start using all your ideas this week for our next, next trip!! Get a real head start!


When you and others say you have a disney account your money goes into, is that a really savings account? Or someplace at home? I know the banks don't have actual "disney" accounts, but you know what I mean. Hey, perhaps they should institute **Disney Saving Account Clubs*** I'd join!

 

[Gail T AGAIN]

For me it is called, CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did pay for the 5 nights of concierge but because I changed hotels, went from the swan to the BW concierge my charge got all messed up so I am going to be coming home to be BIG bill. Oh well, life is to precious and short I do things while I still can. my father sez " Gail, what an attitude, but it works for me, I pay my bills and still live life to the fullest.

 

[sharoncity]

We can only afford to go to WDW evry three or four years. Granted, we do like to stay in the deluxes, but we feel it is worth the wait. This year we stayed 7 nights at AKL. I knew I would eventually get a discount on the rooms (savannah view $205/night). I paid for the airline tickets a few months ahead. When the tax return came, that paid for the hotel. I save my change and have recently started a new method I learned here on the boards. What you do is pay for everything in whole dollars. So if a bill is $4.54, you give them $5.00 even. Then you save all the change. Even if it is $5.05, you pay in whole dollars. This way, you make the most of saving that loose pocket change. I haven't actually started counting my change yet, but the little cup on the counter is filling up faster than before when I only emptied my change purse when it got too heavy. Now I empty it every few days. I also enrolled in American Express Skymiles Credit Card. Now when I charge, I get a mile for every dollar I spend. I am very careful to pay off the bill in TOTAL every month. That way I'm not paying any interest. I am hoping to have enough miles to pay for 2 tickets for our next trip. You need 25,000 or 50,000 miles for a ticket, depending upon your flexibility. I have 30,000 miles so far because of various promotions and rewards. That is after having the card for approximately one year. Like I said, I don't charge too much to it as I have to pay it off in full every month to make it worth while. Good luck saving and it is always nice to hear everyone else's ideas.

 

[Tess]

I'm glad you gained some value from the suggestions. It does work--we're living proof. We simply refuse to dip into that account for any purpose. We have a savings account or two for other household "emergencies". The Disney Account is the sacred cow! Frankly, we just forget we have the account until the statement comes.

My husband is a banker and so I can't, personally, take all the credit--it's a joint effort. Good luck!