nt

[adkkev]

We are not Disney regulars ... we have been to WDW several times over the course of 20+ years, the most recent in the fall of 2004. We've gone with our kids when they were younger, and for the '04 trip we met my sister there (she is a Disney nut). This year we will be going with our younger son and his girlfriend, and we'll be sharing expenses with them. We're flying cheap (SWA) and staying off site at a condo (much cheaper than staying on site ... two separate rooms at Disney for a week is pretty steep). We won't be borrowing money for the trip ... although we've used credit cards to secure tickets, reservations, etc., everything will be paid off by the time we go.

Many of our vacations are closer to home, maybe up to Maine, Nova Scotia, and they're usually outdoorsy type adventures (canoeing, hiking, kayaking, and the like). We've taken long weekends to DC or up to Lake Placid as well. Our major trips are up to Alaska to visit our son and DIL ... and even those trips are outdoorsy adventures (never been on a cruise, and quite honestly, you're missing the REAL Alaska on a cruise, but that's just our opinion), like going out on my son's trap line during the winter, or soaking in the hot springs when it's -10 outside, or canoeing down the Chena River, or exploring Denali, hiking near Homer, halibut fishing, and on and on.

Even when the kids were home we went on a lot of adventures across the country, like the Tetons and Yellowstone, Maine, Ontario, etc. Vacations don't have to be expensive ... they are what you make them, no matter what the cost might be!

 

[GothTink]

St. Louis for under $500..

Oh heck yeah! St. Louis is the "free city".

 

[starwarsdisney]

My wife and I try to take one long distance vacation a year. Last year we went to LA (6 days/5 nights) to sight see and attend the Star Wars convention. The hotel was the most expensive thing at $200 a night (we were right across the street from the convention center). This year were doing Disney for our 5 year anniversary. Now I must point out we don't have kids, nor do we want any so that helps. As of right now we are booked at rack rates for 10 days/9 nights on property with the dining plan. Now I will admit that this is an expensive vacation, but we are using part of our tax return to pay for it. We've also been planning this for 5 years, so we knew it was coming. Funny thing is when you add it all together, flights, hotel, dining plan, tickets, etc. (not including spending money) it is only a little more then we spent on our Los Angeles trip and our Disney trip is twice as long.

 

[Lovin' Lorne]

My wife and I try to take one long distance vacation a year. Last year we went to LA (6 days/5 nights) to sight see and attend the Star Wars convention.

Hey, we were there too! C4 baby!!

 

[ssmerdel]

My wife and I have been married for 12 years with 2 wonderful children. Our vacations we have taken in the past consisted of weekend getaways until we went to WDW in June 2006. That was the very first vacation we could afford. We are going back again this year because of the awesome budgeting job my wife does. We eat out less, and save as much as we can, so we can see the Mouse. I work and she is a home engineer . We are about as "real" as anyone.

 

[starwarsdisney]

Hey, we were there too! C4 baby!!

It's suprising how many people on these forums are also Star Wars fans. C4 was a blast. I'm not sure about C5 if it happens but we loved LA and C4.

I'm the big Star Wars fan (I love Disney too, but it's in second place behind Star Wars). My wife is the big Disney fan! It was priceless to see the look on her face when she saw the castle for the first time in person on our honeymoon.

 

[HelenePA]

We are a real family too! We are a family of 5 going to be a family of 6 in Oct. (making about 42k a year which is a 10k jump from last year!) this will be the last trip for at least 2 years. We did it with income tax money, in total last year we spent about 3k for a week. Which was the most expensive trip we've ever taken! We got great airfare rates 49$ each way per/person! This year airfare is down right scary! We'll be driving to save money. We are staying at a value resort with the 40% off code. We were going to do the dinning plan but I think me and dh talked ourself's out of it, our kids are not big eaters and bascially we were just doing the meals to eat with mickey and friends. Plus with us having a car we can take snacks and bring bottles of water paying 2.50 each is disgusting!

 

[starwarsdisney]

While were talking about "real" people I figured I would meantion that I work about 30 hours a week for Target and am a full time student right now (better late then never right). My wife (she already has her degree) works for a small company in customer service/collections. We maybe make 55,000 to 60,000 a year. We drove around in older paid off cars for awhile. We had to buy 1 new car last year (Hyundai Elantra), but still own 1 paid off car. We bought our first home in 2006, but had to search for a home in the area we wanted that was what we wanted within our price range. We bought a townhouse instead of a single family home. We don't have a plasma TV or super fancy furniture, but we have a nice townhouse and we each have a collection (Star Wars for me and Disney Cinderella and Mickey for her). We use tax returns to help pay for vacations, but we also plan ahead for them. Like I said not having kids helps, but we both have student loans and a mortgage and a car note and can still manage to plan 1 big vacation a year. We do take smaller weekend trips, but always try to get one big vacation in a year. By the way we also just paid off one of our 2 credit cards and are working on getting the 2nd paid off. We will not be using any credit for this trip and continue to put money into various retirement accounts. It's all about choices.

I'm looking forward to our Disney vacation. Even if it is going to cost us about $4000 (not including spending money), it will be money well spent!

 

[JPN4265]

I just start laughing at people who think they have gotten a "great" deal with the 40 percent off rate, but the rooms are between 400 and 500 dollars with a rack rate!!! If we stay in a hotel, I rarely pay more than a hundred dollars. I guess I am just cheap. I got back from a doctor's meeting with my husband and they wanted us to pay 350 dollars a night at the hotel. Instead I found a great condo for us to stay at for 80 dollars a night that was a 5 minutes free shuttle from the meeting/ski slopes. We payed 1600 total for the two of us to fly, stay and get a rental car. We would have paid more that that for just the hotel if we had stayed there. So I look at all these people and think....who is paying this much money to stay there???? Are there houses paid off, kids colleges saved for, etc. The money could go to a much better use!!!! That said, I am thinking we are going to stay at the All-Music Suites but at 111 it is more than I usually pay to stay anywhere. I guess it just worries me that "real" people are mortgaging their futures for a trip. This will be our one and only trip and I am really trying to keep us under 3000 for the 5 of us for the week, which still seems REALLY expensive for a vacation!!!

Christine

How a real person spends the money they have earn is none of your business. If you don't pay the morgage for them or pay the bills, then let them spend the money the way they want to. Let me think, you probably smoke, drink, spend your money on boats, etc. If you budget your money, you can do alot with it. In my budget, spending $400 to $500 a night for a hotel room is not much at all. But then I work very hard for it.

 

[torinsmom]

I'm a real person, single mom and teacher, which equals little $$, LOL. It's just me and DS13. I don't have a lot in savings, and plan to pay for my son's college the same way my parents paid for mine, loans and work study. We have gone to Disney for the last few years and are going again in August. It's about making memories to me. DS is growing up fast and I want us to have these special times. I earn rewards on my Disney Visa, do some after school classes and summer camps, use tax refunds, etc. to go to Disney. We go during value season and/or use a discount. This year we are staying at Pop for $65/night with AAA, maybe cheaper if I get a code. We'll probably drive, which is 9 hours, and eat CS, share some meals, as well as bringing some food with us. Big cost this year will be new tickets, since we finally used up the days on our 10 day NE tickets.

If noone else is paying my bills, I don't think they should question how I manage to go to Disney. I don't have any other vices, so I have to get my Disney fix, LOL!

Marsha

 

[mjy]

$3000 is really not too much to save for a vacation. It's only a few paychecks when you really think about it.

Yeah. For me it would be a few paychecks for sure. My only problem is that I am only paid once a month.

I'm not a real person -- I'm a Catholic priest and lots of people sure don't consider us real people! -- and I have a very limited income. But I still go to Disney regularly.

The only way I am able to do it is with the "pre-paid vacation" theory of the Disney Vacation Club. It has kept my costs down and afforded me the opportunity to get away.

Vacationing -- wherever a person can afford to do so -- is very important. It is restorative and helps us to do the things we do in our day to day lives. I certainly hope that everyone finds some chance to vacation at least once a year. It may not be at Disney, just make sure that it is somewhere!

 

[ChicagoMommy2Two]

We are "real" people as well and Disney is a HUGE deal for us. Life is short and I want to be able to look back on my kid's childhood and think about the moment when they walked into the WL (my dream) and couldn't believe their eyes or the moment when they met Mickey Mouse. Sure we are saving every penny extra we have and all of our "extra" bonus money is put into our Disney savings but it is sooo worth it to us. It is a personal choice and one that we are very happy to make.

I am hoping for the best "deal" I can find for Disney, but even if we end up spending a little more than we wanted, honestly it is a PRICELESS experience.

 

[choirfarm]

nt

 

[choirfarm]

nt

 

[choirfarm]

nt

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Sorry guys if I offended you with the "real" people sentence. We have been incredibly blessed and I thought it seemed like a lot to spend on a vacation, but am willing to do it because we have more disposable income than let us say two school teachers do. It just seems like Disney is geared toward being very expensive and I wish it were cheaper so that more people could enjoy it...does that make sense? I did not mean to come across the wrong way. Like I said, on the codes and rates people have been getting so excited about getting 40 percent off the deluxe accomodations and that just makes me shake my head. I guess I'm not sure what it says about our society that people are willing to throw away 300 dollars or more on a hotel room. And no, to the poster we do not drink or smoke. In fact, we don't even drink soft drinks. It is mostly water around here.. It is healthier..and cheaper, too!!! Thanks for all of you "real" people putting in your two cents. I didn't mean to offend.

Christine

Sometimes words get "screwed up" on here......

Before DH & I are in the place we are now we always vacationed & traveled. Would we ever take a loan...no way.
BUT I do realize that life is very short and you never knows what life will bring so just DO IT!
My DH has almost lost me 2 times and we go as many places and experience as much as life as possible.....Europe, Islands, US, Cruises, Weekends Away, Theater, Concerts...you name it.
I did state in my earlier post that I am not a "value" resort kind of gal but to each their own and I know some people who could stay at the GF & YC with us but they choose not to spend the $$$$$$$$, DH & I say you only live once it might as well be in a deluxe resort.

 

[Fudbutter]

Disney is not as expensive as you folks are making out if you consider a trip there a life experience. To qualify, it has to be a place you go that you feel different after experiencing it, whether that difference is awe, fulfillment, joy, ambition or accomplishment. After you take care of your responsibilities, it would not be a bad policy to spend every other penny you have on enjoying this great gift of life. Disney seems to do that for a lot of you folks.

Now, compare this to other life changing trips such as an African Safari ($15-25,000 to do it right), Europe (you think airfare and hotels are expensive in Disney?), Asia (check out airfare and hotels to Toyko) or western US Nat'l Parks (with the right vehicle), you might see that Disney isn't really that dear.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Disney is not as expensive as you folks are making out if you consider a trip there a life experience. To qualify, it has to be a place you go that you feel different after experiencing it, whether that difference is awe, fulfillment, joy, ambition or accomplishment. After you take care of your responsibilities, it would not be a bad policy to spend every other penny you have on enjoying this great gift of life. Disney seems to do that for a lot of you folks.

Now, compare this to other life changing trips such as an African Safari ($15-25,000 to do it right), Europe (you think airfare and hotels are expensive in Disney?), Asia (check out airfare and hotels to Toyko) or western US Nat'l Parks (with the right vehicle), you might see that Disney isn't really that dear.

IMHO Europe is also a reasonable place to travel........European Cruises are also a wonderful way to go!

 

[eliza61]

I just start laughing at people who think they have gotten a "great" deal with the 40 percent off rate, but the rooms are between 400 and 500 dollars with a rack rate!!! If we stay in a hotel, I rarely pay more than a hundred dollars. I guess I am just cheap. I got back from a doctor's meeting with my husband and they wanted us to pay 350 dollars a night at the hotel. Instead I found a great condo for us to stay at for 80 dollars a night that was a 5 minutes free shuttle from the meeting/ski slopes. We payed 1600 total for the two of us to fly, stay and get a rental car. We would have paid more that that for just the hotel if we had stayed there. So I look at all these people and think....who is paying this much money to stay there???? Are there houses paid off, kids colleges saved for, etc. The money could go to a much better use!!!! That said, I am thinking we are going to stay at the All-Music Suites but at 111 it is more than I usually pay to stay anywhere. I guess it just worries me that "real" people are mortgaging their futures for a trip. This will be our one and only trip and I am really trying to keep us under 3000 for the 5 of us for the week, which still seems REALLY expensive for a vacation!!!

Christine

I'm a real person too. First you have to realize is that what is important to you may not be important to me. Second, I just might have a salary to be able to pay that price and third many people do the old fashion way and save.
You can't decide what a better use is for me.
Part of the joy of my vacation is the place where I sleep. I like king beds and balconies. I think its a biggerwaste of money to stay in a room and hate it for 10 days. so I'll pay the cost. The object for me is more than just saving a buck, if that's all I cared about I would stay at home.

Thanks for the concern but my mortgage is fine, my kids will have the opportunity to go to college and hopefully one day I'll be able to retire. In the mean time, I'm off to my adventures by disney vacation to the west which will run us about 8 grand but worth every dime.

 

[maryt01]

you have to watch for 40% room discounts or free dining plan specials. we went in dec to pofq for 5 nights and 6 days with dining for 543.00 per person. my income is less than 19,000 but, i do not go anywhere all year. rarely do i go out to dinner. we book our trip in feb. for wdw in december. this allows us to use disney visa to make payments with 0 interest. the only money needed is for tips. i do not buy a lot of souviners. hope this helps.