Our Disney Trip Budget Just Got Tighter

[agavegirl1]

Just a quick note to add the Yak and Yeti in AK is also a Landry's restaurant.

 

[tzeitel]

Check restaurants in the area and then check out Gift Card Granny. They show discounted gift cards you can buy from different sites. Check often since sometimes there are really good sales.

If you are a member of Costco they have $100 Wolfgang Puck cards for $80. We used one last trip and will use the other in May.

Starbucks cards are usually found heavily discounted on giftcardgranny. You can use them at MK and Epcot for more than just coffee. They have sodas, snacks, pastries, breakfast sandwiches etc.

The only way to save at T-Rex is to join the Landry's Select Club. You can use the membership card to save 10% off at T-rex, Rainforest and Yaki and Yeti. And you will get $25 birthday funds added to your card on your birthday

The discount is on merchandise, not food. The Landry's card is great if you use it enough during the year. You pay $25 to sign up but they give you the $25 back as a welcome reward so the card is free. On your birthday they give you $25. You earn rewards at all Landry's restaurants and also on gift cards purchased on their site - I was $10 short of a reward and some points were about to expire so I just got a gc that I will use at Y&Y this May.

They are having a deal right now if you buy a $50 gc they give you $10.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

So if I join the Club, will they let me use the $25 Welcome Rewards on my food bill if I use some McCormick gift cards purchased at Costco as well? If not, could I still use the gift cards on my food bill and the Welcome Reward on merchandise purchases, plus get 10% off?

 

[frenzy70]

Is the Landrys giftcard the same one Mypoints has on their website for Landrys seafood ?

 

[seashoreCM]

Parking privileges with your resort stay start when you do preliminary check in and get the paper for your dashboard, and go all the way to the end of check out day (might be as late as 26:59 when the park closes for extra magic hours plus the time to exit the park and ride the bus back to your resort if you left the car back there.

There are some nice inexpensive restaurants for dinner on Irlo Bronson (Rte. 192). Those I have frequented are the Golden Corral, Shoneys, and two Chinese buffets.

 

[Marionnette]

Is the Landrys giftcard the same one Mypoints has on their website for Landrys seafood ?

The one's on Raise .com are electronic vouchers. MyPoints sends plastic GCs.

 

[frenzy70]

The one's on Raise .com are electronic vouchers. MyPoints sends plastic GCs.

I was trying to find out if the my points Landry seafood giftcards we're good at T. rex ?

 

[Marionnette]

I was trying to find out if the my points Landry seafood giftcards we're good at T. rex ?

T-Rex is a Landry's Restaurant.

 

[tina.tina]

I'm not sure how low you want your budget to be.

To save money and be very low budget, eat at your hotel if you will be there for an afternoon break anyhow. As a kid on vacation, I always liked special cookies or chips that we didn't usually have at home so I do those same things for my kids now. Breakfast and sandwich stuff will cover 2 meals a day for you. Cici's pizza is a cheap buffet that a lot of people recommend.

Eating out while on vacation may be a big part of vacation to you but if you focus on what you are able to do like H&V, GG, TRex, Dessert Party (rather than what you're not), you'll be happier and make better memories. For a date night in Epcot, rather than "wasting" time with a long sit down meal, you'll be able to explore the countries and have time for rides. Planning a few special snacks to share should fill you up!

 

[ajwolfe]

While I commend you for trying to make changes to your budget on your trip to save money, I think you would be better served to try to save money at home. If you are traveling all over town to find cheap pizza/buffets/sandwiches you are going to be missing a lot of park time. Also, I know you are saying your DS will need to leave the park for a rest mid day but are you really sure you are going to want to do that everyday - by the time you leave the park and drive back to your rental, eat, rest and drive back it seems you would be losing 4 or 5 hours of park time easily.

I'm not saying every family is like this but for me to be stressing about the food and all that would cause me to not have as good of a time. Don't get me wrong we do take some snacks into the parks with us (pb crackers, granola bars, etc) and usually eat breakfast in our room (not big breakfast people) but we don't stress about it either.

 

[Nztara]

Thanks, everyone! We got good news that DH will not have to go to training the week after vacation. Work does not want him gone two weeks in a row because they lost an employee and don't want to be shorthanded for that long. He is an automotive technician, so his commission depends on what a service advisor sells and how many customers schedule appointments. I wish he had more control over the income. His work has a funky pay system for vacation and training that isn't very generous.

I have made adjustments at home that have allowed us to save for our trip. We do want to still enjoy our trip. With the thought of two weeks at half of his normal income, I wanted to cut back on vacation money to make up some of the difference at home. I have a hard time justifying dipping into regular savings for a vacation. I'm so relieved that the plan has changed and we have more time to adjust our budget for a week of training.

T-Rex is more about the experience for us. My DS enjoys dinosaurs. We'll still try some of the money saving tips offered here.

So excited that I will not have to stress as much about the budget now!

 

[tzeitel]

So if I join the Club, will they let me use the $25 Welcome Rewards on my food bill if I use some McCormick gift cards purchased at Costco as well? If not, could I still use the gift cards on my food bill and the Welcome Reward on merchandise purchases, plus get 10% off?

You can use multiple rewards/gc at the same time. You cannot use rewards for merchandise, only for food.

Is the Landrys giftcard the same one Mypoints has on their website for Landrys seafood ?

Yes, Landry's, T Rex and RFC are all the same.

I was trying to find out if the my points Landry seafood giftcards we're good at T. rex ?

Yes, Landry's cards are good at all Landry's restaurants.

The one's on Raise .com are electronic vouchers. MyPoints sends plastic GCs.

Actually MP has been doing e-certificates for a few months now. They are sent out automatically.

 

[bearzabout]

Sign up for Chevy's club just before you leave. They used to send out a free appetizer coupon after sign up. They are in Crossroads. I love their chips and salsa. They have outdoor dining if the weather is nice.

we have Cici's Pizza make a custom pizza for us so it is piping hot.

Don't forget about Earl of Sandwich in the Marketplace.

The soup in Mara at Animal Kingdom Lodge is only about $3-$4 and is very filling and tasty. At night, they will sometimes agree to get any soup off the buffet in Boma and sell it by the cup at Mara.

Refill water bottles in the parks to save loads of cash.

Does anyone have a birthday around the time of your trip? There are lots of free offers for food in a birthday month. Let me know if you want details.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

TRex entrees are huge and share-able. I would consider that or sharing an appetizer. Stick with drinking water.

I would NOT consider parking at DTD to avoid daily parking fees. Terrible logistics aside, it isn't permitted.

Based on review, I would drop the dessert party and pick up a confection at the Patisserie in France. Watch illuminations from the bridge. The dessert party has disappointed many and the experience easily replicated much more frugally (but standing elsewhere and enjoy a delicious treat for a fraction of the price. And this tip applies to anyone of any financial means.

Keep in mind you can bring food into Disney, so if you wanted to pack sandwiches or snacks, you could.

 

[mom2grace]

We usually do our sit down meal at lunch, it gets us out of the heat & we sit & it's less $$. We love Crystal Palace at MK. We are also break-takers, but it can be tricky when park hours are shorter in the evenings. We usually go in October.

Ice water is free at any food service that has a soda fountain, it eliminates the need to carry water bottles.

We share lots of meals, I share with a child or my 2 kids will share an adult entree. Our 1 MUST DO restaurant in Boma, we love love it & half of our group is not very adventurous eaters. Saana is also incredible at AKL.

If it's warm the pools at AKL are very nice.

We also don't park hop, not worth the $.

With the studio you will have a fridge & a microwave. We almost always to breakfast in the room. We also frequently do a 'fend for yourself' dinner..easy mac, pb & j, etc.

Maybe pack a cooler & leave it in the car & eat lunch on the way back to your condo on the days you are taking a break?