Multiple Trips per year how do you afford it?

[UTgirl]

This may belong on the budget board I'm not certain.

I've been reading several different places where people are taking multiple vacations per year to Disney.

Although we are not rich - we do okay - but HOW do you guys do it?

I mean let's face it - Disney is not cheap!

 

[jodifla]

Well, as FL residents, we often used seasonal passes. Those are good for most of the year for a couple hundred bucks, although the price has gone up.

Then it's an easy drive there, and there are tons of places to stay. Some times we did Days Inn, sometimes on property with specials.

10 years ago, we bought in at DVC, so now we stay in GREAT places with a complete kitchen. Cuts down on the food expense a great deal.

 

[AlleyKat]

There are so many variables, for everyone.

My DF and I are going to "the world" in May, it will be our third trip within a year.

For us, it's a matter of available time and great income.

Having APP sure helps!

 

[tarheel618]

We live in Florida and we go a lot. We are 77 miles from Disney. We stay at values for weekends and we get the annual passholder discount. One trip a year is consider our family vacation-this is when we do table service dining and spend money on keepstakes. On our weekend visits we pack lunches and buy no toys. We went this pass Saturday and spent 20 dollars all day and that was in the evening at Downtown Disney at Earl of Sandwitches. We go just to be at Disney for the day but we don't let our spending get out of hand.

It is more important for us to go as a family then to eat a TS meal everytime we go. It works for us.

 

[daisyduck123]

We joined DVC this past fall!!
It was the best decision ever.

That is the only way we would be able to go to WDW 3 times this year...and a full week each trip. The vacation tickers below are counting them down! We can't wait.

Our only regret is not joining DVC earlier...last year we spent a lot of money on 2 WDW trips...too bad we weren't already in DVC then.

 

[dzneelvr]

Since we live in Northern Illinois, we want to make use of our APs so try to go twice in a 12 month period and so far the airfare has cooperated. How do we do it? 1) Annual Passes 2) Dining Card 3)Values Resort--our fave is the ASMo 4) we don't spend crazy and try to buy everything we see because we know we'll be back!!

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Disney is very cheap if you do it right.

We did just a beach trip to OC in 04 and it was more total for what we spent in both WDW in 03 and DL in 05 as we really kept track of it.

Now with that said we have done 3 trips this year ,2 with DVC one on an AP rate. Flights are cheap from here at around $125 RT nand we do a grocery run with our small rental cars as well.

We also do a 1 week main trip then a few 4 or 5 day trips.

Now i will also say that we are no wear near well off but our time together is priceless and why we both work 40 hours a week.Dd is 13 so it's important to take her places before she decides she wants some friend or alone time.

We always are doing local things as well but I always find free or cheap things to do.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Most of my hints have been mentioned all ready.

1st and foremost. DVC. Stay in studios. Get some food from garden grocer or stop at a store.

Annual Passes (again DVC helps with a $100 discount.)

When you go often you do not feel the need to "do it all" or go all out. We reuse our souvenirs. We bring back the kids ones the most. Hat's, light spinners, T. Shirts,pins, the whole thing. We normally get something new for each person each trip. We look like we spent a lot, but many of these things we have been collecting for years. If we have a car we love to go to the outlet store too.

If the girls want to wear costumes they bring ones I bought on clearance from the Disney store after Halloween. We have lots. No $175 per child at Bibbity Boppity for us.

The dinning plan with DVC is great. you can get it, with out having to pay rack rates or buy tickets. If you don't get it, you can spilt meals and that counts down on the price of things.

This past trip was about $700 in food and souvenirs and $500 for airfare for a family of 4. We had about $300 of reward points on our Disney Visa too. The tickets were AP and DVC was the room.

We are taking 3 trips to WDW this year. After that we have to cut down, we can't keep taking the kids out of school so much.

Cheap airfare. We keep looking, and get deals. We almost always pay less then $100 per ticket each way. Sometimes much less. It helps that going to Detroit to Orlando are popular flights and there are a lot. Right now there are 3 airlines that do non stop (maybe 4 if you fly out of flint.) This keeps the prices competitive. Both SW and Spirit can have some great internet deals if you keep your eyes open.

Not renting a car can save a lot. Even then sometimes we can find some good deals online too.

 

[NotUrsula]

Flights: Dings and earned flight credits from business travel.
Car rental: Coupons, codes and earned free days.
Hotel: Starwood points.
Tickets: Getting at least 3 trips out of a 10-day hopper pass.
Food: Sharing and eating light; we very seldom snack and we drink water from the fountains using filter bottles. Unless it is a very special occasion, we don't do desserts.
Souvenirs: We simply don't buy them -- anywhere.

The most important factor, for all our travel (not just WDW), is that we deliberately budget for it. To us, travel is as necessary as food, and we budget accordingly.

 

[Lady V]

This may belong on the budget board I'm not certain.

I've been reading several different places where people are taking multiple vacations per year to Disney.

Although we are not rich - we do okay - but HOW do you guys do it?

I mean let's face it - Disney is not cheap!

I am telling you that DVC is the way to go!
We love it and I am a full time college student and mom and work full time and I tell you this is a wonderful way to just work it into your monthly budget and then when it is vacation time we use our annual passes and then all we hve to do is make sure we can miss school and work. We love it!!

 

[Darcy03231]

We live well below our income in order to travel. The only bills we have our the mortgage (6.5 years to go!) and one car payment. We rarely eat out and don't go out and buy all the latest gizmos and gadgets. We just buy what we need. This gives us the extra money to travel more.

 

[disneyfreak74]

We have done 3 in 1 year. We bought the 10 day hopper no expiration and the folowwing trips were like $200 for value (All star sports) and then whatever we ate counter service. And then we were sharing. I get the kiddos soemthing from disneyshopping.com and then give it to them when we get down there. Needless to say, Disney trips are important so we will scrimp and save to make it happen.
How many days until my birthday!!!!! Yea!!!!!

 

[bzzymom]

I have gone a few times with my parents and kids and left hubby at home, shared a hotel room and car rental with may parents and saved some money. If it is just DH, myself and the kids, we stay at value, use ME for the free transportation, and the dining plan has saved us money as well.

There are projects at home that we have not done like remodeling the kitchen we have wanted to do, and build a nice patio outside. Those haven't been done. I figure the kids are only this age once, you got to enjoy it while you can, because they grow up too fast!

 

[LaraK]

Two words....business conferences My airfare is free...after all, if you're going to be in orlando you kind of HAVE to take the kids. In addition to my plain old family vacation in April (tax return) I also have a confernce at the Marriott World Center in June (not sure if I'm going to that one or not) and a conference in Kissimmee in November (I have to go to that one)....now if I can just get my July/August conference moved there from Seattle....

 

[mareed]

Our alternative to DVC is renting an off-site condo or town home from an individual owner. We find nice, very close to Disney places for under $100 a night. I bet this is about equivalent to the annual fees on DVC! And we had no initial investment! We much prefer having multiple bedrooms/bathrooms and a kitchen and don't use Disney EMH or transportation, so we're in the minority here with just not "getting" the whole "stay at Disney" thing.

We also purchase AP's. We utilize Southwest for airfare and often have free flight award tickets. We have breakfast at our condo, typically table-service for lunch (using DDE discount), and counter-service for dinner. We definitely don't deprive ourselves on meals/treats!

Our vacations average $75/person/day for all expenses (& I do mean everything - transportation, tickets, meals, lodging, etc.) I think this is really quite reasonable compared to other types of vacations such as skiing, beach, or a cruise. This is for 4 people - 2 adults & 2 children - the price/person would be higher for just a couple.

 

[newholidayx2]

Stay at Pop on the wknds to save DVC points, Stay DVC during the week
This year I'll be at WDW for three separate weeks. Yes its airfare everytime but 2 of those vacations Im solo!
Food? I eat my TS at lunchtime, graze the rest of the day
Tickets? Have an unused 10day from this past Aug and other tickets that havent been used yet. Still thinking of getting an AP

 

[CRSNDSNY]

This may belong on the budget board I'm not certain.

I've been reading several different places where people are taking multiple vacations per year to Disney.

Although we are not rich - we do okay - but HOW do you guys do it?

I mean let's face it - Disney is not cheap!

For us it's a combination of DVC and Annual Passes. OH, and being a tight wad with the budget at home!!!!!

 

[ukwildcat]

For us, it's a combination of things.

1 - We live within a 2 hour drive. Most of our trips have been for 2-3 nights, some just for 1, and a few for 4.

2 - FL resident AP are relatively cheap, and we get a shot at both AP room rates and FL resident room rates. Really opens up the possibilities with reservations, especially during popular times.

3 - When my mother comes down (she's a WDW freak also) we get a chance to stay at SOG. We also get a chance to have overflow rates when SOG is booked. If you can believe this, we got $199/night at YC for 4 nights Wed-Sun of Thanksgiving week 2005. This was an overflow rate from SOG.

4 - We have the DDE, so that saves on TS restaurants.

5 - We have a plan to purchase DVC within the next year, so that should cut down on cost as well.

6 - We don't purchase anything from gift shops when we go.

I guess that's all.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

4 - We have the DDE, so that saves on TS restaurants.

OH YEAH! I forgot about that one....the DDE saves us a ton of $$$$.

 

[KristinU]

For us it is:
1. DVC
2. APs
3. good deals on airfare on Southwest or using frequent fliers from business travel
4. Re-using souvenirs and bringing little gifts from home
and a big one...5. Making Disney vacationing a priority for us - we have friends and family who have other priorities: boats, golfing, local vacationing, latest and greatest big toys, fancy cars, etc. etc. When we're not Disney vacationing we tent camp at state parks, so weekend get-aways in the summer are very easy on the budget and we're pretty frugal in most of our household expenses (in our modest older home).