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[Alice28]

I'm not debt free. I admit it. Have a house payment, car payment, credit card payment. We're not dying in debt or anything, it's what we're comfortable with and have excellent credit ratings as well.

How do we pay for Disney? Well, the last several trips we stayed at Shades of Green or Port Orleans French Quarter. The last trip we split our stay between SOG and WL, but my parents helped us with that one by giving us some money. I usually will do this for my WDW trips- charge airfare- pay off before trip (usually not in one fell swoop as there are 5 of us- might take a couple months). Save up money by doing Sunshine Rewards for food money- I had $600 last WDW trip. Will easily have that amount this trip. Throw in whatever food money we would spend on groceries/gas while we're on vacation- so that's about $1,000.

If we stay Shades, we pay off a couple nights worth before we go, pay a couple nights worth once we're there. It's about $100 per night, so it's not bad at all. I realize we're fortunate to have this as an option, but I'm just telling you how we afford it. For a couple trips we got to stay at the Contemporary for about $70 per night while SOG was being remodeled.

Tiffany Towncar if we're staying at SOG- about $100. Pay for that out of pocket.

Tickets- we charge them. And I don't care. Pay them off in a few months or so, no big deal.

Souvenirs- my kids save their money the 5-6 months up to going, so they usually have at least $100. I kick them another $20 or so once we're there, and they have more than enough.

DH and I sometimes debit some purchases, sometimes charge. Depends how much we want to buy.

highly recommend Sunshine Rewards website for earning money for Disney. I also do mypoints.com to earn a few giftcards towards RainForest Cafe or now Yak N Yeti. Just by doing their 5 point clicks, a few skechers purchases for my boys, and a few free trial offers I now have $75 for lunch at Yak n Yeti in June. I have $425 already in Gift cards for Disney from Sunshine Rewards, and my goal is to earn another $200 before we go. It's easy, and the owner is very reputable.

 

[KorieDWnut]

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 am definitely a "real" person, a little lower than middle class even. And we manage to go to WDW if not every year, then every other year. It is a matter of saving, planning and priorities. Vacations are a big priority for us. We make sure we can go somewhere at least once a year. By make sure, I mean make sure we can afford it after everything else is paid. We don't use credit cards and I don't skip my other bills to do it. We plan for it, save for it. I don't have new furniture. I have an older computer and a 10 year old tv. I have basic cable. My kids aren't in daycare or anything else. We have 2 basic cars. Nothing with frills, no new technology type toys. I guess my money goes to bills, savings and vacations. I would rather go to WDW than to have a new tv if mine works already. Who needs a flat screen with HD if I can use that money to go on a trip? That's the way I think. We make it work. I don't know what else to say. There certainly are people who put themselves into debt and spend thousands to go away. But we don't.

 

[dvcgirl]

I don't have a Disney Visa, but we do charge our trips as well. We also pay each card off in full every month as well.

When I was a wee girl, just learning about personal finances from my mom, she told me one very important thing that I have lived by -

Never charge more than you can afford to pay off at the end of the month. And with only two exceptions in 24 years, I've done just that. And the two exceptions were were paid off in two billing cycles. It killed me to pay the interest, but there was no other option at the time.

As for those who only pay "cash", I'm thinking they must be doing the same. I don't know how they can be making car, plane and hotel reservations if they aren't using a credit card. If they are, I'd be interested in how to do it. Then I wouldn't have to use my credit cards for anything.

Of course....we use our AMEX credit cards every single day, for nearly every purchase and we pay them off each month. Not only do we get a lot of rewards this way....it's also a fabulous way to track and record spending.

I think that only reason to use cash and cash only is if you are trying to work with a budget for the first time, or if you find that you tend to overspend using CCs.

To the couple of people brave enough to admit putting their WDW trips on credit cards (and *not* paying the balance within the month), how long would it take for you to pay off the cards and save up for the next trip? I think for most people skipping just a year or two would provide enough time to pay off the cards and save up for the trip with cash. I just think I'd be nauseous paying 10, 18 or even 28% more than everyone else pays for the same trip because I couldn't really afford it at the time.....

 

[NY Disney fan]

We always stay value because I can't justify the extra money for mod or deluxe.

Me too. I always stay at value because anything else for me would be unjustifiable. Same with Disney cruise. Why pay they Disney cruise fare when you could get twice as much value and a better room on another cruise line. I mean I *wish* I could force myself to book a Disney cruise but I just can't logically commit.

 

[rockin_rep]

When the war started, my husband was called up from the reserves with less than 48 hours notice. I wasn't thinking about whether the house was paid for, but I was glad we'd just gotten back from a great family trip, in case it was the last time I ever spent with him.

It doesn't have to be something as dramatic as that to cut short our "futures." All sorts of stuff can mess with our plans. I like to think that no matter what, my daughter will able to say "we sure had some good times" instead of "someday when everything else was paid for, we were going to..."

ITA, very wise words. Kids grow up so fast!

and we can always make more money but can rarely make more time.

And btw, thanks to your DH for serving!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Me too. I always stay at value because anything else for me would be unjustifiable. Same with Disney cruise. Why pay they Disney cruise fare when you could get twice as much value and a better room on another cruise line. I mean I *wish* I could force myself to book a Disney cruise but I just can't logically commit.

I know what you mean...but just once...I HAD to do the Disney Cruise. If I'm doing great with money....I'd do it again... but otherwise..I'll go with another cruise line... I'm happy we went on DCL and have NO regrets, but unless you are the DIE HARD Disney fan who wouldn't be happy elsewhere....I think any cruiseline would suffice

 

[disneysteve]

We always stay value because I can't justify the extra money for mod or deluxe.

Me too. I always stay at value because anything else for me would be unjustifiable.

I guess we are just cheap, but we can't even justify the cost of the Disney Value properties when there are so many cheaper (and better) options available offsite. Why pay $89/nite (or whatever the Values are now) to be stuck in a tiny room, when for $40/night we can get a spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with full kitchen, living/dining room and washer and dryer?

 

[NY Disney fan]

Why pay $89/nite (or whatever the Values are now) to be stuck in a tiny room, when for $40/night we can get a spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with full kitchen, living/dining room and washer and dryer?

Because we choose not to pay for Disney parking fees....

 

[eliza61]

things I do so we can afford disney...


1. Always always always cook meals at home.

I.

Great list, I couldn't do most of them but it did give me a few ideas. #1 brought back a great memory. I'm a NYC gal born & raised in Manhattan. My mom could not cook so we ate out my entire childhood. We loved it. I have 3 siblings & my dad didn't know how to cook either. When I got engaged and had my bridal shower, the women in my Dh's family gave me pots & dishes to set up my new house. The women in my family were horrified they could not understand why I would want to turn myself into a maid by cooking every day. I'm some where in the middle but I think I would seriously sell some major organs before I would cook every day.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Well, that's the thing about WDW... we're never in the room. And, at $89 a night, with free dining for 3 ($117 paper value, about $150 actual value on average per day) it actually works out for us to be 'stuck' in a room that opens up onto the bowling pin pool. I don't consider it being 'stuck' either when, should my kids choose to, they can easily hop on the bus to a park instead of waiting for me to be ready. To me, there's more freedom in that than the entire party having to travel between the condo and parks at the same time. I consider having to cook my own food (and clean it up) on vacation a bigger downer than a single hotel room...

I guess we are just cheap, but we can't even justify the cost of the Disney Value properties when there are so many cheaper (and better) options available offsite. Why pay $89/nite (or whatever the Values are now) to be stuck in a tiny room, when for $40/night we can get a spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with full kitchen, living/dining room and washer and dryer?

 

[eliza61]

I guess we are just cheap, but we can't even justify the cost of the Disney Value properties when there are so many cheaper (and better) options available offsite. Why pay $89/nite (or whatever the Values are now) to be stuck in a tiny room, when for $40/night we can get a spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with full kitchen, living/dining room and washer and dryer?

No you aren't cheap you just have a different set of likes & dislikes. I would probably raise the hair on your neck if I told you what I paid for a hotel in France, just to be able to look at the Eiffel tower from my bedroom. Was the price obscene? Yes! Was the experience worth it? Yes! I just measure my vacations in more than $$$$. to me it's a collosal waste of money to be in a 2 bedroom house if I'm constantly whining about being some where else. Why bother? Generally, I don't want to drive on vacation, how happy would my family be if I'm constantly keveching about how we should have stayed on-site?
I guess since I'm on the downhill slide to AARP ville, I've stopped measuring my life based on getting the cheapest price available.

 

[disneynewbee]

I guess we are just cheap, but we can't even justify the cost of the Disney Value properties when there are so many cheaper (and better) options available offsite. Why pay $89/nite (or whatever the Values are now) to be stuck in a tiny room, when for $40/night we can get a spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with full kitchen, living/dining room and washer and dryer?

Because we choose not to pay for Disney parking fees....

We never pay full price we always go during value season and with a discount. We stay at the Disney resorts to take advantage of the free transportation and parking also.

 

[jodifla]

No you aren't cheap you just have a different set of likes & dislikes. I would probably raise the hair on your neck if I told you what I paid for a hotel in France, just to be able to look at the Eiffel tower from my bedroom. Was the price obscene? Yes! Was the experience worth it? Yes! I just measure my vacations in more than $$$$. to me it's a collosal waste of money to be in a 2 bedroom house if I'm constantly whining about being some where else. Why bother? Generally, I don't want to drive on vacation, how happy would my family be if I'm constantly keveching about how we should have stayed on-site?
I guess since I'm on the downhill slide to AARP ville, I've stopped measuring my life based on getting the cheapest price available.[/QUOTE]



YES YES YES!

I agree completely. In my teens, 20s and 30s I was budget budget budget.

Now, in my 40s, I have a young son, and I'm all about enjoying my life. For our family, DVC gives us a terrific value and luxury rooms, so that's what works for us.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I guess we are just cheap, but we can't even justify the cost of the Disney Value properties when there are so many cheaper (and better) options available offsite. Why pay $89/nite (or whatever the Values are now) to be stuck in a tiny room, when for $40/night we can get a spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with full kitchen, living/dining room and washer and dryer?

Because we choose not to pay for Disney parking fees....

I get free parking with my AP. I stay on site because we don't want to drive. DH and I drive far for work and feel a vacation is the opposite of our daily life. We eat most meals that we cook at home. We eat out on vacation. If I have to get a condo, cook all meals and deal with traffic then I am not on vacation.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I'm not sure that I understand why people worry about other people spending their (hard earned) money as long as it doesn't directly affect them. I'm paying a whopping amount to go (from Canada)...haven't been in 3 years, probably won't go again for another 3...I could have taken all that money and put it on my mortage...my SIL does that, her kids have never been anywhere, ever!! They are happy kids, great kids who beg their parents to take them somewhere. I do what is best for my family...what makes us happy, I wish that others would do the same.

Why is this in the Welcome boards anyway?? Sounds like a thread sure to stir up more controversy!

Totally agree with you!!!

 

[disneyjunkie]

I guess we are just cheap, but we can't even justify the cost of the Disney Value properties when there are so many cheaper (and better) options available offsite. Why pay $89/nite (or whatever the Values are now) to be stuck in a tiny room, when for $40/night we can get a spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with full kitchen, living/dining room and washer and dryer?

I've heard how great some of the off site resorts are, but I'd stay home before I'd stay off site. As a matter of fact, I did just that in August 2004.

A friend inviting my son and I stay in a timeshare with her family. I thanked her but turned down the offer because we wouldn't be staying on site.

I'd rather postpone a trip and pay extra, in order to have the type of trip I enjoy.

 

[adkkev]

we all do things differently, and that's a good thing!! some of us vacation at Disney all the time, some don't. some stay on-site, some off-site, and both groups would have it no other way. some budget like crazy, some don't, some pay cash, some charge it all, and it's all good!

vacations should be just that, a vacation, a time to be with those you love, and a time to enjoy yourself.

no matter where that vacation might be.

we're all "real" people. we just approach life differently.

 

[disneysteve]

I'd rather postpone a trip and pay extra, in order to have the type of trip I enjoy.

All comes down to preferences. We PREFER staying offsite. We would stay offsite even if it was more expensive. It isn't about cost, though the fact that we get nicer accomodations for less money is a nice bonus. We don't sleep with our daughter at home and don't care to do so on vacation either, so we like her having her own room. We like eating breakfast in the room, so having a kitchen and fridge is great. We always do laundry during the week so having our own washer and dryer right in the room that doesn't need quarters is a great perk. And even when we have stayed onsite, we still use our own vehicle to get around because we can't stand depending on Disney transportation.

To each his own.

 

[KorieDWnut]

I guess we are just cheap, but we can't even justify the cost of the Disney Value properties when there are so many cheaper (and better) options available offsite. Why pay $89/nite (or whatever the Values are now) to be stuck in a tiny room, when for $40/night we can get a spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with full kitchen, living/dining room and washer and dryer?

because then I would have to pay for a rental car and parking at the lots. Also, I am paying for the full package, the full magic. I have stayed outside the park and I know many many people like to stay outside and have a wonderful, amazing vacation doing it that way. But for me, I felt sort of like an outsider. I really like the whole feeling of staying within Disney walls. That is what I choose to pay for. We sleep in the room and store our things. I don't need a spacious room. We wake up, take showers, get dressed and we are out the door. I don't want to drive, I don't want to drive into the parks. I just want to hop on a Disney bus and go where I need to go. For a little extra for a value room as opposed to staying outside, I can get that and not deal with renting a car.

 

[KorieDWnut]

I've heard how great some of the off site resorts are, but I'd stay home before I'd stay off site. As a matter of fact, I did just that in August 2004.

A friend inviting my son and I stay in a timeshare with her family. I thanked her but turned down the offer because we wouldn't be staying on site.

I'd rather postpone a trip and pay extra, in order to have the type of trip I enjoy.

we won a free weeks stay in a townhouse in Kissimee through a school raffle. I gave it away and paid to stay onsite on my next vacation. Yes..it was free and I still gave it away to someone else. I don't want to cook my own meals. I don't want to rent a car. I don't want to have to drive everyday to get to the park I want to get to. I don't want to not take a break in the middle of the day because we are staying 20-30 mins away and it would be pointless to leave. It just didn't feel like the type of vacation I wanted to take. So I gave it away. We all have different likes and dislikes, things we could do without on vacation, things we must have. For me, Disney is not Disney unless I am onsite.