Need help with Disney budget!

[mishtb]

We are going to Disney World the first week of Decmeber for our WDW intimate Wedding. Since our parents are not paying for anything - our money is really tight. We have 15 guests and were planning on having dinner at L' Original Alfredo's, but now I don't think we can afford to pay everyone's dinner that night. Plus I don't know if we will have enough money for our entire trip for food/etc.
As of now we will have about $500-600 to spend at Disney (food/souveniers/etc) for 3 of us (my disney hubby to be, our 2 1/2 yr old and I). I am so afraid that is not going to be enough.. And how do I tell everyone now - sorry we can't pay for our wedding dinner for you....?

Our bridal shower is in two weeks - but since it is out of state I will have to spend estimating $150-190 just on shipping. Plus I am so afraid I will get only gift cards and no money. It would help out soooo much if we ended up getting money instead.

Is there any suggestions on how to make some quick cash????

 

[juliegirl]

Just my thoughts - You need to find a way to come up with the cash needed for dinner, or change your plans to a different venue.

Don't know much about FTWs, maybe a cocktail reception would be more in line with your budget.

There is no way (IMO) to invite 15 guests to a wedding at WDW (are they travelling?) and tell them you are not providing dinner.


I don't mean to seem harsh but a wedding is expensive, a WDW is more expensive, you need to spring for dinner. You don't say how long you will be in WDW, but $500-600 for 3 of you seems pretty lean in and of itself.

Maybe you should post this on the wedding thread, there are sure to be some suggestions over there.

Hope everything works out!

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I just wanted to say: Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I hope your family will be very happy.

I really have no advise to offer you. There is no tactful way to invite people to an event and then ask them to pay for their own meal. With only 2 weeks to go until your shower, many people may have already gone out and purchased a gift for you. You can always put the word out (thru a family member or close friend, whoever is organizing the shower) that a cash gift towards the honeymoon would be very much appreciated. However, that too is considered to be a little outside the boundaries of etiquette.

Normally, I would tell someone who is short on cash for an upcoming trip to begin eBaying like crazy. The pre-holiday season is here and many people (like me) have already begin their eBay shopping. However, a soon-to-be bride with a 2½ YO probably doesn't have the time to devote to eBaying unless she already knows the ins and outs. The same would hold true for holding a yard sale.

The best I can say is to see where you can cut spending, since there doesn't seem to be time to increase income. Perhaps you can cut back a few days from your time in WDW following the nuptuals. If you're booked for 7, stay 5. If you're booked at the Poly, start thinking about how much your child would love ASMo or even a stay offsite. Are there any parts of the wedding that can be trimmed back? the flowers? gifts for the attendants? Even switching from Alfredo's to a less expensive venue will help.

Good luck with your planning. I'm sure you'll get some very valuable suggestions from our cost-cutting experts here.

 

[mishtb]

We are only going to be there for 4 nights/ 5 days..... and its a package deal where you can only upgrade or add nights...you can't take days away....

I was hoping that when we originally booked it that I would be able to use my airline empl discount, but you can't get any discounts with this package. If we got that the hotel part would have been 50% off. It would have saved us $298.

food plan:
1st day :flying in so no breakfast lunch $30 dinner $60 toal: 90
2nd day: breakfast $30 no lunch(wedding) dinner (don't know yet?)
3rd day: breakfast $30 lunch $30 Dinner $60 total: 120
4th day: breakfast $30 lunch $30 Dinner $60 total: 120
5th day: character breakfast $50 lunch $30 fly home total: 80

so as of now preplan we will spend about $440 on meals - not including our wedding dinner or snacks. Our daughter 2 1/2 yrs old can pretty much eat off of our plates.
I know his parents said they don't mind paying their half, but still that leaves us with 8 plus us so 10 and a child to pay for. I was thinking of trying to switch restaurants like a buffet but their are no ADR's available for that night..... Things like this always happen to us....

 

[lizziepooh]

Would your parents (or his) be able to help out if they knew you were in a bind? (maybe a loan?) Since this is a once in a lifetime thing and you are in a crunch, could you put it on a credit card then pay it off as soon as possible? Other than cutting expenses somewhere else or finding a cheaper restaurant, I don't know what else to suggest. I wouldn't count on cash for wedding gifts to pay for it with only 15 guests. I would definitely not want guests to have to pay for their own dinner.

 

[staci]

Change your ressie to a late lunch for your wedding dinner- it will be much cheaper. If you cant get ressies anywhere else, is looking at a restuarant off-site an option for you? That may be much cheaper.
I dont know if they could do anything like this for you, but I know at our rehearsal dinner we didnt let people get whatever they wanted, they had to choose between ham or chicken. Maybe the restuarant would work with you to offer 2-3 choices to your wedding party, and that way you could pick some of the less expensive options?

Donate some plasma Ive never done it but one of our close friends does it to buy what his wife wont let him purchase with 'their' money!


also, you can easily eliminate your breakfast expense. We brought bananas, apple juice boxes and cereal bars for breakfast. That is what ds would eat at home, so it worked for him there too.

counter service food runs between 7-8 bucks, not including drink. DRINK WATER IT IS MUCH CHEAPER, NOT BOTTLED BUT TAP. If you share with your dd, you can easily eat for $20 not $30 for counter service.

 

[mishtb]

I didn't have such a great child hood with my father. Even though he was in our lives and did live with us, he never treated us right or acted like a father - so its best that he is not there at the wedding. So now my mother is refusing to go... so neither one of them is going nor would they be able to help out, cuz of their own budget issues. Plus even when I was planning on having a large wedding back home they were not going to help with anything at all - so there is no point in asking them.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

When my younger sister was married, they were on a very tight budget, and she asked all her guests to pay for their own dinners at the restaurant they went to in lieu of a wedding gift. I suspect some people didn't like it, but most of us didn't mind, and in fact we all had a lot of fun and a great time at the party. Because she was my sister, I did get her a wedding gift, too, but it was less expensive than I would have otherwise. (I do think we tend to go overboard on weddings these days - too many couples start off their married lives already with huge debt problems from their wedding bills...)

So perhaps you could consider making this offer/suggestion to your guests?

Also, I do agree with the others about ways you could save on meals. Have breakfast in your room, bring your own snacks, and eat counter-service the rest of the time (except for your wedding dinner).

Teresa

 

[umaangel00]

Maybe I am the only one that thinks this but if your parents are not going and if you are really having a hard time with money. Maybe you should just get married at home (small intimate affair) and have a Disneymoon. Then in the future, have Disney Vow Renewal. That is what we did and I will never regret it. We went to Disney in March and it cost us 2000 for just gas, food, hotel and tickets. I really do not think you have enough money to do what you want.

 

[leight]

I was planning a WDW wedding for a trip we were planning w/ our best friends- but many of our close family members invited themselves so we were priced out of a disney wedding- we went w/ a Swan wedding instead. Is there anyway that you can change your plans to be an add- on rather than the package? Or can you change the time of day to a morning wedding - Breakfast is always a lot cheaper than dinner! If you can do an add on- that would give you availability of going to a value/mod and cutting back on the tickets-which may give you some room to pay for a breakfast.

 

[HayGan]

Are you driving to your bridal shower? If you are, why would you have shipping? If you have a smaller vehicle, either borrow/rent a larger vehicle or a small uhaul to bring things home. Or return items in that area for store credit and then re-purchase the items when you return home. Close to $200 for shipping is a complete waste of $$$. (if you can't do any of the above, wait till after the wedding to have them shipped to you.)

As for your meals on vacation, definately bring along some things that you can eat in the room for breakfast/snacks or make a grocery stop. You can definately eliminate that $30 a morning for breakfast. You can also reduce the amounts you have listed for lunch and dinner by eating at counter service restaurants vs any sit down meals. Eating off-site can also save you a great dealof money. Order pizza one or two nights. Go to restaurant.com and get a voucher or two to save some $$$.

I personally that it is very inconsiderate to ask people to come to your wedding and then pay for their own food (especially if they aren't from the immediate area and are travelling to get to your wedding.) I would seriously consider selling some things on ebay or amazon to make some quick money. If you have some dvds/video games around your house that aren't getting much use, list them on amazon (which takes less than a minute) and go from there. Have you made any recent purchases that you can return? Do you know anyone who could use babysitting? Garage sales/yard sales/flea markets can be a great way to make some quick cash. Does your local area have a newspaper or publication where you can sell things for free? We have a Pennysaver here where you can put a free ad in for item selling for under $25. Cut your current food budget back by $25 a week from now till then. That right there is almost $150!

Finally, if you can't raise cash any other way, is there anyone you can get a small loan from (future in-laws, maybe) who can loan you a few hundred $ for a few months to pay for the dinner.

Honestly, if you can't come up with the cash then I would reconsider the entire event! I really hope that you find a way to make it work and that you have a beautiful wedding and a wonderful Disneymoon!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I think what type of relationship you have with your wedding guests would depend on whether you should consider asking them to pay for their own meal. If it's close relatives, they may not mind. On the other hand, I wouldn't consider asking friends. The suggestions for cutting back on breakfast & lunch are good ones. You should be able to share all your meals with your daughter. I'm sorry you are faced with this situation. I hope everything works out & you have a magical wedding & honeymoon.

 

[minnie1928]

That will save you about $90 less the cost of food. Buy some milk, pop tarts, or cereal. I'm not sure where you are staying, but you could pack pop tarts/cereal and then buy milk or OJ at the hotel. We've borrowed silverware and bowls from room service. Not only does it save you money, it saves you time! Quick in room meal while everyone is getting ready in the morning.

You could also try moving your character breakfast to a brunch time, then you could really lowball lunch to a snack. Change some of your dinners to counter service and you'll be able to easily beat that $60 price tag.

Most importantly, congratulations on your wedding!

 

[pearlieq]

Congrats on your upcoming marriage!

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but you simply cannot ask your guests to pay for their own meal at your wedding supper. After spending all of your money on a WDW wedding, you really can't cry poverty.

The three of you shouldn't really need more than $40 per day for food, tops. You'll need to bring some granola bars, cereal, and small snacks from home. Breakfast will be in your room, and you should be able to get 2 decent counter service meals (1 combo, 1 sandwich, 1 large drink to split, one kids meal) and a snack to share for $40 per day.

That should free up about $200 or so from your food budget.

Dinner at Alfredo's is going to run at least $50 per person. If you have your heart set on eating there, consider working with the chef to offer one appetizer/soup/salad of your choosing, 2 entrees for guests to choose, and either dessert or your wedding cake. If you can work that out with them ahead of time, you won't have to worry about the guest who orders the most expensive appetizer, salad, a $40 steak, and dessert!

Did you check the Cape May Cafe dinner buffet at the Beach Club? That would be about $30 per adult after tax and tip. Other less expensive but nicer options: Mangino's at Shades of Green (you do not have to be in the military to eat there), Boma at AKL, or 'Ohana at the Polynesian Resort.

It might be easier to get an ADR for a late lunch/early dinner. You might even be able to luck into getting the lunch menu instead of the dinner menu. Even if there are no ADRs now, keep calling. People change their plans all the time. See if the wedding coordinators can help at all.

Good luck!

 

[WaltD4Me]

I'm assuming since the wedding is small and at Disney, which involves travel, the guests that are going to be attending your wedding are either family or very close friends....I know I probably would not travel to the wedding of an aquaintance. If that is the case, maybe you could explain that you are unexpectedly on a tight budget and say that in lieu of gifts, you would appreciate it if everyone just paid for their own meal? -- I know I wouldn't mind doing this for someone else's wedding myself, but I don't know if I could ask anyone to this if were my wedding. You have to access your guests. You know them best. Maybe they wouldn't mind?

Perhaps you have over reached a little? I think stretching the $600 might be a little tight even if you don't pay for the dinner's.

Just curious.....why did you get the package, when you could have gotten the discount employee airfare? Couldn't you have gotten just a room/ticket package and gotten the airfare on your own?

 

[mishtb]

when I first booked the package I was told that for a disney wedding it is a set package price that includes the hotel and park tickets...and that no discounts (no hotel/airline employee/ AAA discounts can be applied). After we booked and paid the wedding off I found out that we could have gotten our hotel and tickets on our own (with our discount) & done what they call an "ADD ON" intimate wedding for about $2,000. We originally had the money for everything, but these last few weeks alot of things have happened that killed our budget. I don't mind taking from my xmas budget...and just only get for our daughter for xmas & not anyone else... that would give us over $200. but I don't think he wants to do that.... we'll just have to see.

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

We've been to WDW on a pretty tight budget a few times. Since your daughter is free, any of the ADR's you have for buffets or sit downs don't have to include her in the price. (but I'm sure you knew that, lol). I second what everone says about eating breakfast in the room. Also, a friend of mine that had a fridge in her room went off site and got a bunch of sub sandwiches from a local grocery store deli, and they ate those for lunch a few days and just ate out for dinner. Does your room have a fridge? Most of the mods and deluxes do now. Also, we usually buy a case of bottled water and bring it with us. It saves at least $2 a bottle in the parks, and you can get a case for about $5. Also, when we were trying to save for our first trip (back when our dd was almost 2) we had a garage sale and made around $350, could you do something like that? Good luck and I hope everything works out, keep us posted!

 

[disneysteve]

3rd day: breakfast $30 lunch $30 Dinner $60 total: 120
4th day: breakfast $30 lunch $30 Dinner $60 total: 120
5th day: character breakfast $50 lunch $30 fly home total: 80

You can eat way cheaper than this. We average $60/day for DW, DD-9 and me. I'm sure the average would be even lower with a 2-1/2 year old. Cut down your food costs and you'll free up a couple hundred dollars.

I also agree with possibly shifting the dinner venue. How about one of the nice buffets (not the character meals). Boma is wonderful and will only run about $30/person.

 

[disneysteve]

I am so afraid I will get only gift cards and no money.

Just a thought. Gift cards are a pain in the butt. Has anyone ever tried getting money for them? I wonder if you go in and speak to the store manager and explain your situation if they might refund the money.

Second thought. If you buy something with a gift card and then return it, how do they pay your refund? Do they give you a new gift card or do they give you cash or a credit on your CC? Maybe you can take any gift card you get, spend it at the store, then return your purchases and end up with money in your hand instead of a gift card. I don't know if that will work or not. Does anyone else?

 

[canwegosoon]

I had a shower(baby not bridal) several hours from my home, and could not fit everything in my car to get it home(I was having twins). What I did was took the items to the stores that they were purchased from. Later I rebrought what I could not fit in my car. It worked out great...so hopefully you can save the shipping costs.

I also agree with everyone about you breakfast $$$ (I would get bagels and some fruit etc at local market) Also the brunch idea at your character meal is a great savings, again you can always bring a few snacks, and water to park to tide you over till dinner.

The other thing you could so is not buy any groceries for the next 2 weeks...use what you have in the house (eat as cheeply as poss..soups, spagetti, mac and cheese for the next month or two, this way you can borrow from the Christmas account and repay it).


I really don't know of too many ways to make a couple of hundered this quick, except by having a yard sale. Wanted to wish you the best of luck, and I am sure it will all turn out fine in the end.