Need to do a budget Vacation. Will this work?

[chrisn]

We do a very nice extensive vacation every year. We usually do 9 or 10 days at Disney and then top it off with a cruise or a trip to the Caribbean. DH is SICK of Disney and wants to give Mickey a rest. My dad called and invited us with them to WDW next February as they are going down to his condo. I started hyperventilation and the brain started spinning and plans went into OCD mode. I casually mentioned this to DH and he agreed that if I could do the WDW portion cheaper then usual then it would be ok. I am planning 7 full days in the parks and have gotten the trip expenses down to $4000. I am alotting $100 per person for suviniers (that way it's more controlled), but my biggest concern is food money. Will $1000 be enough for 4 of us (3 adults 1 child) for 7 full days? I've only planned 3 sitdowns and the rest counter service. Is this doable? Or am I dreaming?!

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

For how many people?

Our food budget is $1353 and that includes 6 days at the park for our group (4 adults, 4 kids). We are treating to all sit-down and character meals, and they will pay their counter service and we will pay ours.

Our budget includes California Grill for 8, Prime Time Cafe for 8, Cinderella's Royal Table for 6, Liberty Tree Tavern for 8, Mama Melrose's Fantasmic Dinner package for 8, the Princess Storybook Breakfast for 6, LeCellier for 8, and the Breakfastosaurus for 8.

If you're only doing three sit-downs, that should be more than enough based on my budget. We figured around $40 per counter service meal, based on last years' experience, and the sit down meals varied widely (but we used www.wdwig.com to get prices and aimed high with a couple appetizers to be sure)

 

[Perlla55]

I always say that you need at least $50/day/each for food and drinks

 

[disneymom3]

I always say that you need at least $50/day/each for food and drinks

Holy buckets--that would be $250 per day for my family! Phew--DH would croak and never agree to go back.

Can you do it on $1000, sure why not? Just decide that is all you are going to spend and don't spend anymore. You said you are staying in a condo so you can do some meals at the condo to help with expenses adn some offsite restaurant meals too. My record cheap trip was an average of $35 per day for our family of 5. We had 3 character meals adn several counter service as well as all the popcorn and Mickey bars anyone asked for. Oh, and those littlle bags of Mickey pretzels--my kids love those. No one felt deprived and we had a great trip.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I thnk that it certainly is doable, especially since you'll have the use of the condo's kitchen. Eat breakfast at the condo, packs drinks and snacks for the parks. Plan some dinners for the condo as well. You should be able to manage on $1000 for the 7 days. We're a family of 2 adults and 2 juniors. I budget $125 per day for food and it works out just fine.

 

[dthogue]

We just returned from 8 days at WDW. For our family of 5 (me, DH, DD15, DD13, DD6) our daily food budget was $80/ per day ( not person). We did eat brekafast in our room every morning. We did counter service meals for lunch and ice cream for snacks - average $40.00. We did however take our own sodas and juice boxes in, granola bars for mid morning snack and fruit cups to go along with lunch. We did not buy one drink at any park - that was a HUGE money saver. We left the parks around 2pm, returned to our timeshare unit, then had dinner offsite at a nice restaurant before returning to the park for the evening. So doing Disney cheap is definitely doable. If trying to save money, stay away from the sit down dinners.

We also give a specific amount for souvenirs to our DD's and they can spend it any way they want. Makes them think about their purchases.

Good luck - it can be done!

 

[gigi1313]

i would think $1000 is about right for 7 days... if you went w/a myw dining pkg it would be $115/day (3A1C) and when i was doing my calculations, i found that w/a sitdown every day we would barely exceed that $115/day... so, that being said, even if you spent $140/day you still would not hit the thousand dollar mark in 7 days...

now, may i ask where the rest of your $4000 in vacation expense is going? if you are staying at dad's condo, is your lodging free? park tix for four for 7 days should run about a thousand dollars... souvies $400... i guess transport is your big expense?

 

[chrisn]

Our expenses include airfare from Salt Lake City, 4 Day WDW, 2 Day Universal Escape, Bush Gardens, 1 Hotel Night and Rental Car (We do an SUV), Parking and the $1000 Spending Money. I have read that some people do WDW for much less.