None of my business question about how people afford WDW

[missypie]

When I was a kid, we always went on a vacation every summer, but accomodations were strictly Motel 6 and my mom cooked meals in an electric skillet in the room! As I've gotten older, I've been a bit spoiled by nice hotels and now I have it in my mind that for our WDW trip, we have to stay in a Deluxe. The prices for Deluxe rooms boggle the mind! We recently took our family on a 9 day trip to Paris (including 2 days at DLP!) and the cost was well under $6000. (We rented a nice two bedroom apartment for $200 a night.) Even with a great code I figure that next year's trip to WDW will cost a couple of thousand dollars more than that.

 

[Melora]

I almost hate to say it.. We afford our vacations because of one word... Inheritance.

But if it weren't for that money, I guess I would be saving monthly. but I WOULD find a way to go.

 

[HANDYMOM]

Originally posted by Melora
I almost hate to say it.. We afford our vacations because of one word... Inheritance.

But if it weren't for that money, I guess I would be saving monthly. but I WOULD find a way to go.

Good for you, you shouldn't feel bad saying it! Someone who loved you must have worked and saved hard and long for it! I'm glad you have it to enjoy and I'm sure your benefactor is too!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We don't specifically save for vacations, because we expect to take them every year. When we bought DVC, it was to make WDW vacations a bit more affordable. Of course, we forgot to figure in the fact that we would travel more often with DVC. The only thing we really "save" for is our annual passes. We try to plan 2-3 trips per AP and then wait a couple weeks longer than a year before purchasing the next ones. That means we buy APs every other year. We save change in a change bank for those. In the two years, we have about $800 in change, and that is what we use for the APs.

 

[zeke11]

OK -

I started my own business -- the money I earn goes towards our vacations.

Take a look, but only if you love dolls!

http://www.buttercupbabiesnursery.tk

Kris

 

[Danauk]

We put a set amount of our wage into a holiday account. Any trips or holidays we make come out of that fund. When we are getting nearer to a holiday that we think will be more expensive we try to put extra money aside. Plus we only have one more expensive holiday every 2 years so we have longer to save up.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by zeke11
OK -

I started my own business -- the money I earn goes towards our vacations.

Take a look, but only if you love dolls!

http://www.buttercupbabiesnursery.tk

Kris

Wow Kris! Your dolls are gorgeous! You create a real looking baby. What a wonderful talent!

 

[lindajo]

I am a "skimmer". If I worked for a company, I would be fired for embezzling funds. Whenever I get "found" money, (rebates, loose change, brand new bills, a $100 bill, whatever!) I put it into either our HUGE coin bank, or into a "vacation Account" I opened a couple of years ago. So what if it is making zero interest?? The coin bank finally filled this year, after 6 years of collecting-it is taking me forever with one of those "automatic" counters to roll it. I figure I had about $3000 in it. At least I have our vacations covered for a few years. (I have over $10,000 in the account now-my husband saw the statement-which I usually hide-and had a hissy fit about earning interest, blah,blah, blah...) But some day when our DS4 and DS6 are old enough, we are going on a WDW cruise!! Right now, we just go to WDW and stay when we can get deals, but even that is expensive.

I remember even when I was young, wondering why Mr. Disney made WDW so expensive that most families can't afford to go. Felt bad. But now I know that WDW is an expensive place to run! I am glad that they opened up the Value Resorts so that people can afford it better.

 

[zeke11]

Thank you Terry!

I love what I do

Hugs, Kris

 

[BarryHom]

Well, I live in Florida and I'm 4 hours away, but I still have to save some $ for trips to Orlando (not to WDW, but "the other place" ). I tend to travel cheaply. I hit Priceline for $20/night hotels. I eat at the park, but I tend to hit the cheap offsite restaurants for lunch and dinners (Wendy's salads...yum!). I can either stay at a luxurous hotel and go once a year or I can go to a cheap place and go several times a year. I was considering moving closer to Orlando or even to Orlando so the journey is not too great.

I take out of state trips too. I fund them with savings, eBay auctions, and tax refunds. I eBayed my way once to a 5 day Texas trip. Even during that trip, I Pricelined all my hotels and got a Priceline car too. I think my total for the hotels, rental car, and airline ticket was around $677 for 5 days. Gas and spending money were around $400. I really needed that trip too since I was getting so stressed!

 

[huey duey & luey]

When we both worked it was no problem, now that I am a sahm and we are a family of five things are definately different. We bought into dvc so that part is taken care of. I will use our tax refund for the plane tickets and I think I will ask my parents for park passes as a xmas gift.
Tara

 

[disdreams]

Now i'm curious....

For those who save up, is it worth it to get a deluxe resort? Or, do you stay at a less expensive place and use your extra money for other things? I think it is worth it to splurge to stay on site, but we love the moderates, and I would rather take that extra money (that we would have saved from not getting a deluxe) and spend it on souveniers and character meals, etc.... Although, if it was my honeymoon, or a real special occasion, that's a different story. I might want to splurge then. I haven't been to a deluxe, yet, but will pay extra one of these days, just for the experience. We are a family of five so everything costs so much. We wanted to go on a Disney cruise this year, but it's going to have to be next year, because of the price. We use our taxes and save money, as we take several trips a year.

 

[kdibattista]

DH and I SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!!! He bartends 2 nights a week and one of those goes into our Disney fund. We go once a year and have been spoiled by AKL.... I don't think I could stay anywhere else although we have discussed buying a DVC resale. I also pick up Disney Dollars throughout the year and that adds up rather quickly.

 

[arminnie]

Originally posted by disdreams
Now i'm curious....

For those who save up, is it worth it to get a deluxe resort? Or, do you stay at a less expensive place and use your extra money for other things?

I think it really, really depends on how you vacation. I've stayed at Deluxe hotels and I've stayed at $25 Hotwire motels.

I always have a car and drive so I don't use Disney transportation so being on property is not all that important to me. If I am really going to see the parks - clean and cheap is all that I need. I will be in the room very little.

But if I am planning a more relaxing type of vacation that's when the deluxe is what I want. If I'm going to spend more time actually at the hotel then it is nice to have the balcony, the room service, the nice pool.

I have an annual pass and am now retired so I have the luxury of going several times a year. To me it's fun to experiment with the Hotwire and Priceline. I've gotten some great Downtown Disney hotels for under $40.

One of my best trips was with a really good friend that I don't see that often - we stayed in a $25 a night Priceline hotel (Clarion maingate) and that was one of my favorite trips. We had so much fun - spent very little time in the room.

 

[Maleficent2]

but

may I suggest you visit the rewards board
Several of us over there have had FREE or virtually FREE WDW vacations Come give us a look and maybe you will stay awhile and earn a FREE WDW vacation also. Not as easy as it used to be but it can be done!


http://130.94.75.33/forumdisplay.php?forumid=35



Mal


__________________

 

[Banshee]

Originally posted by auntpolly
There's another thing I forgot about -- that tax refund!

The government wanted more blood from us this year -- no refund for us!

Us too We are getting $125 ohh whoopee! Oh well but if we can we put 50 to a 100 dollars a week aside for vacation so by the end of december we will have 3000 to take to disney (which is more than enough!)

 

[Banshee]

Originally posted by skiwee1
Wow Kris! Your dolls are gorgeous! You create a real looking baby. What a wonderful talent!

I have to agree! Those babies are AMAZING!!!