New pricey offerings vs. your set budget?

[Hikergirl]

We have a budget that we are willing to spend to go to WDW. It isn't something we have to strictly stick too, its just what we feel a WDW is worth. I don't have any problems going over as long as we feel the event is worth it. The last time we did the dessert party was a few years ago and about half the price. It was an add-on to our budget but we felt it was worth it. Now there is no way I would add that to my trip.

 

[pmaurer74]

I usually do packages that include everything so I already know what I am paying. We usually spend $300 while there. We sometimes do one thing like a party or BBB but to be honest these extras are getting too high so we do without them. Now that we are DVC, I have to pay for everything ahead of time so it is harder but easier to stay on budget. Before I had 6 months to pay everything off on the Disney Visa.

 

[MrsHull]

Each trip has a different budget for us. I jot down everything we want to do and all our TS meals, add in our room and tickets, and then add pocket money to that. I make sure we have all the money saved up (in addition to our savings acct) by our travel month and we go. We travel with cash or gift cards or use a debit card specifically tied to our vacation account. And we don't go over. Period. We also haven't had difficulty staying within our set budget, even for special things. Would I add more experiences to it? Sure. If they interested us. But we aren't going to go into debt for it.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have a general budget. But if Disney were to offer something that I really thought was worth what they were charging, I would save up for that too. So far none of the added extras hold any appeal. The only one that has come close is the dessert party at Epcot, and the lack of seating has kept me away from that.

 

[TLSnell1981]

What increases are coming in July? Is it just CRT or something else?

I'm not sure and neither was she. I called to question my credit card charge...numbers didn't jive. It took a while, but she said, the fine print noted price increases in July.

 

[RachaelA]

We don't have a set budget. We just do what we want. We go 1-2 times a year so we have set stuff we do every trip and then we do some new things each trip. Still no interest in the crazy $$$$$ new stuff.

 

[Smbmoyers]

I'm really at a crossroads with all this. This trip is my "once in a lifetime trip" as in I've been wanting to return to disney since I was 13 but have never had the funds to do so until now due to a good sized inheritance.

Part of me wants to believe my little family will be back in two years, part of me is a realist and is doubtful.
With that being said I have crunched numbers and crunched numbers and crunched numbers and decided to stay deluxe, with deluxe dinning, and park hoppers and mvmcp tickets. I want to enjoy every moment because I know future trips are going to be in values, with probably qs dinning, and none of the frills.

 

[Vijoge]

I didn't start with a budget. I started by pricing out everything I wanted to do, airfare, hotel, entertainment, etc.

From there, I tried to be reasonable, lol. That is where the budget came into play. "How much can I reasonably save between now and the trip?" That was my upper budget. Next question was, "how much do I actually WANT to spend?" Then tried to plan as close to that number as possible. So I don't necessarily have a SET budget, more of a range.

I feel like that allows for a couple splurges outside of the initial plan should we decide to do that but even then, I am more likely to re evaluate the original plan and swap things out to accommodate something new rather than just spending more.

ITA. I estimated what it would probably cost for air, accommodations, park tickets, food, and misc. Then I guestimated how long it would take me to save up the money (we have no credit cards so charging a vacation is never an option - not a bad thing) and I'm constantly checking for special deals. If airfare ends up costing more than I anticipate something will get cut, but if I get a resort discount something may be added. Or maybe not added and pocket the savings for another vacation in the future.

 

[capegirl]

I will admit, when it comes to a Disney family vacation I am the designated 'budget queen'. Sure, I would love to go on a big Disney spending spree, and my family would be delighted, but I have to be the sensible one who keeps everyone in check. It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it! Throughout the year I buy enough Disney gift cards so each family member will have $100 each to spend on souveniers. I break down the estimated cost of each day's meals, tips, and snacks, and I always over estimate expenses to cover the unexpected. Whatever we don't spend, is then carried over to the next day, like the old envelope system. We have a great time, and we always have extra 'splurge' money available.
Yes, it does take a little extra work, but if you do not want to overspend it is worth the effort.

 

[AshleeH]

I know a lot of people in general have a set budget for Disney. We are a little different - my husband only gets one week of vacation a year, so we can splurge a little more because of that. Essentially it's us having a spending budget for two weeks off, used in only one week - but we don't have a set dollar amount to stay over or under. So the basics stay the same (deluxe hotel, dining plan, Halloween party) from trip to trip, but if we want to add in an additional character meal or a second Halloween party, we don't think twice about the expense. Now, if he had two weeks of vacation a year, that dollar would be stretched a little more, but because of the unique position we're in with time off, it's easy to go all out and really enjoy the experience.

 

[gorkt]

I make a rough budget based on what I think things will cost. In all honesty, I usually tend to go over by about 10-15% of my initial estimate. I only go about once every 3-4 years, and so I tend to splurge a bit. I am constantly tweaking, adding on etc.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

We just have a general number. If I need to add something, I will. If it starts to get crazy I'll look where I can move stuff around.

The only thing I'm really thinking about is the villains thing they added at HS, which would be pricey, but it's just one thing.

I try to space put our expenses so it hurts less.

That is what we do. I've already purchased our tickets. And we don't go until November.

I am now looking at meals.

 

[Happyjen27]

No budget. I do whatever I feel is "worth it" to me. I don't go hog wild, but I won't let a few bucks stand in the way of something that will make my trip more enjoyable or more convenient.