My 2016 Vacation Budget....TRIUMPH!

[kristenrice]

We made our FP+ reservations today so I decided to review the final numbers for my budget. I must say, I am amazed! I knew I was saving money, but I had no idea how well I did. Here's the breakdown...

We are going for 8 nights (Oct 14-22) and flying in from Michigan. Our flights are on SWA and I paid "cash" for our tickets down and used points for our flight back. I actually used a combination of cash, gift cards and a $150 LUV voucher for the "cash" leg.

We are arriving late (11pm) so I booked a night at the airport Hyatt which will be paid for with gift cards and extra $13. The rest of the lodging is covered by our DVC points. We are staying 5 nights in a 1BR at BWV and the last 2 nights in a 1BR value at AKV. I had to buy 2 extra points for $30 which I paid for with a gift card.

I upgraded my 6-day park hopper to a DVC gold pass (last year) and bought 7-day park hoppers for the remaining 3 "adults" in my family using gift cards. I currently have $1300 in Disney gift cards, which will cover all of our dining and entertainment. I have already used gift cards and Visa Rewards dollars to book a culinary demo and the Parisian afternoon for me and my younger daughter.

So that's what I have so far...now let me tell you what I've SPENT...

All total, my expenses total $4350.12 which includes the gift cards for food and entertainment. After my eBates, AMEX rewards and Disney Visa Rewards are factored in, the actual, total amount of cash that I have spent is...

...drumrolll...

$1802.75!
That amount covers park tickets, airfare, lodging, food and entertainment for a family of 4 (kids are 13 and 11, so "adults" by Disney standards). I will concede that I am not factoring in the cost of our DVC purchase which covers the room because that is a calculation I am not prepared to make. Our DVC was paid for in cash back in 2008 so we've only had annual dues since then.

I managed to save almost 60% simply by taking advantage of the gift card deals that I learned about here on the DIS.

Now, it's time to start saving for the next trip in 2017...

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

Fantastic!

 

[travelbug]

Wow, nice job!

 

[disfanforlife]

Sounds great! Hope you have a fabulous trip! We are staying in a one bedroom at BWV too - a few weeks after you - can't wait!

 

[Marionnette]

We made our FP+ reservations today so I decided to review the final numbers for my budget. I must say, I am amazed! I knew I was saving money, but I had no idea how well I did. Here's the breakdown...

We are going for 8 nights (Oct 14-22) and flying in from Michigan. Our flights are on SWA and I paid "cash" for our tickets down and used points for our flight back. I actually used a combination of cash, gift cards and a $150 LUV voucher for the "cash" leg.

We are arriving late (11pm) so I booked a night at the airport Hyatt which will be paid for with gift cards and extra $13. The rest of the lodging is covered by our DVC points. We are staying 5 nights in a 1BR at BWV and the last 2 nights in a 1BR value at AKV. I had to buy 2 extra points for $30 which I paid for with a gift card.

I upgraded my 6-day park hopper to a DVC gold pass (last year) and bought 7-day park hoppers for the remaining 3 "adults" in my family using gift cards. I currently have $1300 in Disney gift cards, which will cover all of our dining and entertainment. I have already used gift cards and Visa Rewards dollars to book a culinary demo and the Parisian afternoon for me and my younger daughter.

So that's what I have so far...now let me tell you what I've SPENT...

All total, my expenses total $4350.12 which includes the gift cards for food and entertainment. After my eBates, AMEX rewards and Disney Visa Rewards are factored in, the actual, total amount of cash that I have spent is...

...drumrolll...

$1802.75!
That amount covers park tickets, airfare, lodging, food and entertainment for a family of 4 (kids are 13 and 11, so "adults" by Disney standards). I will concede that I am not factoring in the cost of our DVC purchase which covers the room because that is a calculation I am not prepared to make. Our DVC was paid for in cash back in 2008 so we've only had annual dues since then.

I managed to save almost 60% simply by taking advantage of the gift card deals that I learned about here on the DIS.

Now, it's time to start saving for the next trip in 2017...

Congratulations on an amazing job! I'm sure that your trip will be that much better, knowing that you spent so little OOP for it!

I just finished tallying what I've earned from a few rewards programs to date. Between Perk, SB and eBates, I've accrued just shy of $3500 to apply to my Disney fix. That doesn't include any eBay Bucks, 5% Target RedCard savings via churning, discounted DVC tickets, CC rewards, American Airlines FF miles or free flights using Southwest RRs and my companion pass.

I've got a trip coming up with my sister and her daughters. It's a short visit (4 nights/5 days), but I paid for all of it with my rewards earning. I had to. I told my husband that it wouldn't cost us anything OOP in order for him to greenlight it.

• We're flying to MCO on SWA on RR/Companion Pass and all I paid for was the 9/11 fee and EBCI. And I used my PayPal funds (transferred into my bank account) to pay the Southwest CC off when the bill came.
• I rented a car from National using my CSP CC and paying with UR points. Additional charges for tolls and gasoline will be paid using UR points when the charges hit my CSP statement.
  
• One night in a studio at BLT using my DVC points.
• 3 nights *free* dining at CSR business class (free continental breakfast each morning) paid for with the Disney GCs I got through the churning process. We upgraded to 5-day park hoppers and will pick up the tickets a day early.
  
• Almost $100 in Starburcks GC thanks to Kellogg's Family Rewards, Groupon and Visa Checkout. I paid less than $50 OOP for them but don't plan to use the entire $100 during this trip due to *free* dining credits.
• $75 in Landry's GCs courtesy of Amazon (used Amazon GCs from Perk to buy the Landry's GCs) to be used at Y&Y.
  
• 4 reservations for Star Wars Galactic Dessert Party, reserved with my Disney Visa, which will be paid off with my PayPal funds when the bill comes.
  
• Extra charges (souvenirs, gratuities, etc.) to be paid using a $500 Disney GC reserved from my churning efforts for just this purpose.
• Return trip on American Airlines paid for with FF points. 9/11 fee and seat selection fees paid using those PayPal funds. No baggage fee because I have the American Airlines platinum card.

So, this will be a totally free trip for me thanks to rewards programs. To be fair, my sister and nieces reimbursed me in cash for their share of the *free* dining package and the MNSSHP tickets but the original form of payment was using my Disney GCs and Rewards dollars. I'll be using the 5-day hopper to renew my AP (DVC Gold), which expires later in September. I chose to renew so that we would get the AP Photopass privilege. I could do without it but my sister really wanted it. Cost to upgrade would be $61 compared to buying MM now at $149 (advance purchase price). And of course, I'll use a Disney GC from my churning to pay for the difference.

 

[hsmamato2]

great travel stories,budgets,and breakdowns! Even if you add in the actual cost of DVC ownership to your numbers, it's still a FANTASTIC bargain! I always feel like trips are just a little better if you can save money while having fun! I'm currently planning a Southern Cali/Disneyland vacation that will end up costing much,much,much less than average,using the same basic ideas you put to use here! (I haven't even done the cost breakdown yet)

 

[TwoMisfits]

Excellent! I'm feeling really happy b/c I again have planned uber-fun vacation entertainment for way under the cost of a 4 day Disney ticket. In a few weeks, we'll be doing Universal and IOA for 4-5 days (1/2 of last year's power pass + last year's one annual pass = $125/person), we'll be going to the Blue Man Group show ($36/person - 1st time - right behind the "splash zone" in great seats) and the Wonderworks Dinner and Comedy Show ($16/person + tip), we'll be doing the Merlin 3-pack (Orlando Eye, Sealife, and Madame Tussauds - all 1st time again) ($20/person), the Orlando Science Center (free from our personal science membership - I go so often to my own, this is free), and either Legoland ($20/person - this is my only "special" discount, since we homeschool) or another dinner show (Cirque Magique or Three Musketeers) ($23/person + tip - both would be new). And we'll use our resort's free minigolf and water facilities. So I'm at $220/person + a few tips for our entertainment costs, so about $230/person - I think I might let the kids splurge somewhere...maybe...

And thanks to some posters, I also have a Hash Hash a Go Go $80 cert for $29 (travelzoo) and a Shogun $50 cert (free with old restaurant.com purchases that I still have), we'll be doing date night at Deep Blu (Orlando Magical Dining Month - $33/menu), and Universal is offering buy 1 get 1 half off counter service meal plans for passholders (so 2 eat for $35 - meal, 2 drinks, and snack each - frozen butterbeer, here I come), so my meal costs will also be much cheaper.

I have champagne tastes that I like to meet on a beer budget...and I think I did really well this time...

 

[jhoannam]

Where did you get the Hyatt gift cards? Were they gifts? I need to book one night there.

 

[kristenrice]

Where did you get the Hyatt gift cards? Were they gifts? I need to book one night there.

I bought them on eBay. One $100 was a digital card from PayPal Digital gifts ant the other is a physical card from SVM. I got both of them by redeeming eBucks.