Planning a Trip in 2019? Let's Share Our Budgets!

Sorry I never responded! I haven't checked in here in a while and just saw this. Yes, I'm active on the I Love Credit Cards thread and have been accumulating Chase points for about 9 months now, which can be used to pay for WDW, among other things. I charge literally every bill I can to my credit card to accumulate points.

I charge everything to my Chase as well so I have quite a bit of points. How do you use them to pay for Disney?? I've only ever redeemed for flights and hotel, wasn't aware I could use them for our trip!
 
I charge everything to my Chase as well so I have quite a bit of points. How do you use them to pay for Disney?? I've only ever redeemed for flights and hotel, wasn't aware I could use them for our trip!
UR points can be used for flights, restaurant GCs, cash or statement credit (to pay for park tickets), car rental, and sometimes Disney hotels will show up on their booking portal but there are always Disney-area hotels listed.
 
I charge everything to my Chase as well so I have quite a bit of points. How do you use them to pay for Disney?? I've only ever redeemed for flights and hotel, wasn't aware I could use them for our trip!

Unfortunately, the UR booking option no longer works. The only thing you can do now is cash them out at a 1 cent value to pay for your trip, which is what I'll have to do.
 
Well our January 5th trip just got $300 cheaper. They have a special offer for pass holders.

Room only - Port Orleans Riverside (first time there) in a King guaranteed bed = $1600
Tax for room = $200
Tips for Mousekeeping = $35 ($5 a night plus $10 on the last day)
Parking = $0 - we have handicap plates
Tickets = $0 - we are Silver Pass holders (blackouts for summer and major holidays - not a problem)
Airfare = $0 - we are only 90 minutes from WDW

Meals = this will be our highest expenses

Breakfast for 8 days - $320

Lunch for 8 days - $320

Dinner for 8 nights - $800

Snacks and Beverages - $320

So,about $1500

Souveniers - $200

Miscellaneous Expenses - going to the movies, mini golf and whatever else comes up - $1000

$4795 - life is too short and it is a vacation afterall
 


We are planning to head back in 2019! We will be taking our first cruise ever, a 3-day Bahamian. Then hit the world to see all the new-to-us lands. In my spreadsheet this is listed as our "Post-Toy Story Land / Pre-Galaxy's Edge" Trip. Our last trip was April 2017 (and Aug 2017 but just for MNSSHP) so we will need to see Pandora and Toy Story Land. The trip is mainly for the cruise so we will only be going to Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and I can't miss the Magic Kingdom, so no EPCOT this trip.

Who: There are 5 of us (ages at time of trip) - me, DH, DD(13), DS(11), DS(7), so 4 Disney adults o_O and 1 child

When: Trip is tentatively planned for Jan or March over weekends when the kids have an extra day off from school. (Though I am consider Nov now too, if I new exactly when GE is going to open. I definitely want to go before it opens and I think things could be a little slow 2 months out or so.) March date might win out of FIL decides to come with us as a 80th birthday trip. If not I'll go with Jan to save $.


Costs:
Flight: $56 - Hoping to use all miles and just pay fees/taxes. (I won't be that lucky and will have to pay more for one of the flights.)
Baggage fee: $150
Park Tickets: $1508 - 3-day base ticket (though I may add a day depending on the flights we get and I can't resist another day at MK)
Room: TBD - Still undecided - Wilderness Lodge if FIL comes so we can put one of the kids in his room (with a party of 5 we never get to stay there)
Food: TBD
Cruise: $3671/4267 (depending on which date)
On board expenses: $500 - a few beverages for DH and I, a mother/daughter massage as a birthday present for DD, maybe DD and I will get our hair done one evening and souvenirs (may need to bump it up more for that)
Excursion: $200 (I plan to stay on the ship in Bahamas to get more ship time. So just something small at Castaway Cay.)


Planning this trip has taken a back seat to our BIG summer trip out west. Once air fare opens for the dates I'm considering I can move on it and book the cruise too. Hopefully that is before 2019 rates open up. Then I can compare rates and decide on a resort. After that i won't work on this trip until Sept when our other trip is over.

I haven't been back since my original estimate in June.
We are booked for Jan 15-22. 3 day base park tickets. 3 nights at YC (or AOA, I still have both ressies), 3 night cruise (Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Veranda), 1 night at CR

Costs:
Flight: $440
Baggage fee: $126
Park Tickets: $1501
Room: $1385 ($967 - 3 nights at YC + $418 1 night at Contemporary)
Food: $850 (only QS in The World we'll treat ourselves on the cruise)
Cruise: $3789
On board expenses: $525
Excursion: none
transfer to/from port: $350
souvenirs: $250

Total: $9216 :rolleyes1
 
Our trip became cheaper due to we need to decrease days. DD's BF will be home from service and he does not like theme parks. So we are going to be at home longer for everyone to visit with him.

Taking off these nights from our trip; dec 29, dec 30, dec 31 and Jan 1- and we had great ADs and FPs.
 
We are going in May 2019.
DD is a CM so we can get into park 2 or 3 days for free but we don’t get ticket until that day so I can’t do fast passes or anything.
We rented a home with a pool and plan to visit and attend a graduation during the week.
We had enough points for one free Jet Blue ticket so airfare is $425.
Car rental $158 for 8 days
Gas and tolls $75-100
Parking $100
FL Sprit home rental for 8 days $860
Food budget Publix $130-150
Dining out $500 estimates we have reservations for The Columbia, Paradiso and trying to decide about park dining ADR. I don’t like that you have to pay if you need to change it.
This visit is me and my husband but taking the adult kids out for meals.
 


trying to decide about park dining ADR. I don’t like that you have to pay if you need to change it.

Are you referring to something specific? I have edited and cancelled about a million ADRs for my upcoming trip, you don't have to pay to change them.
 
UPDATE...

TOTAL Cash Earned: $1376.29 (out of $1650 needed, 83.4%)
FREE Cash Earned: $289.25 (21%)
Gift Cards Earned: $628.94 (out of $1750 needed, 35.9% )

TOTAL Earned towards goal: $2005.23 / $3400.00 (58.9%)
Total of those funds that were FREE: $918.19
...45.8% of what I have earned towards my trip budget is FREE money
...27% of the TOTAL budget has been accumulated so far for FREE

I anticipate that I will have my entire cash budget acquired by the end of the year. I haven't been doing very good with my Swagbucks but I have earned a LOT of bonuses with my Best Buy Visa. I earned over $100 last month with bonus offers alone. Thanks to those here who turned me on to Dosh...I am now also earning 3-5% at Sam's Club and Exxon/Mobil. It's not a lot, but it's at least another $5 a month that I wasn't getting before.
 
UPDATE...

TOTAL Cash Earned: $1376.29 (out of $1650 needed, 83.4%)
FREE Cash Earned: $289.25 (21%)
Gift Cards Earned: $628.94 (out of $1750 needed, 35.9% )

TOTAL Earned towards goal: $2005.23 / $3400.00 (58.9%)
Total of those funds that were FREE: $918.19
...45.8% of what I have earned towards my trip budget is FREE money
...27% of the TOTAL budget has been accumulated so far for FREE

I anticipate that I will have my entire cash budget acquired by the end of the year. I haven't been doing very good with my Swagbucks but I have earned a LOT of bonuses with my Best Buy Visa. I earned over $100 last month with bonus offers alone. Thanks to those here who turned me on to Dosh...I am now also earning 3-5% at Sam's Club and Exxon/Mobil. It's not a lot, but it's at least another $5 a month that I wasn't getting before.

Just so you know with Dosh at the end of the year if you get back $600 or more per the year it will need to be taxed. You'll get an email from Dosh saying you made over $600 and will need to fill out a form when you file taxes.
 
Just so you know with Dosh at the end of the year if you get back $600 or more per the year it will need to be taxed. You'll get an email from Dosh saying you made over $600 and will need to fill out a form when you file taxes.
Thanks! That's good to know. It's something to shoot for, but I've made only $38 so far so I don't think I will need to worry about it this year.
 
We are planning on going 1/26-2/5 2019. Me, husband, son(12) & son(6).
Here is our budget breakdown:
Flight - $845
Room- $1004 - offsite 3bed/2bath vrbo
Tickets - $1600 4day +2 free undercover tourist
Car rental - $600 current rate for suv will probably be lower
Parking- $132 ($22 a day)

Total budget including food & gas $5000

Budget update:
Flight: $864 southwest
Offsite Room 1/26-2/2 $775 - including the insurance
1 night at POP 1/25 $145
Tickets - 7day $1630 undercover tourist
Car rental - $220 intermediate suv from auto slash with enterprise
Parking - $132
Gift cards from BJ's $600 for only $552

Total trip cost : $4318 still under budget!!
So excited for our trip counting down days to our fastpass window
 
Are you referring to something specific? I have edited and cancelled about a million ADRs for my upcoming trip, you don't have to pay to change them.
When I tried to reserve Crystal palace and Boma I was asked for my credit card to charge me $10 pp if we cancel or reschedule under 24 hours. In the past I e changed ADR if we got stuck in line, traffic or kids got sick or something else unplanned happened. I don’t want to book if there is a chance I’ll be charged $50 for any last minute changes. I discovered I can book at Dis springs without the fee so maybe we will take what we can get in parks or do counter service.
 
When I tried to reserve Crystal palace and Boma I was asked for my credit card to charge me $10 pp if we cancel or reschedule under 24 hours. In the past I e changed ADR if we got stuck in line, traffic or kids got sick or something else unplanned happened. I don’t want to book if there is a chance I’ll be charged $50 for any last minute changes. I discovered I can book at Dis springs without the fee so maybe we will take what we can get in parks or do counter service.
If you find yourself unable to keep an ADR and you are less than 24 hours out, you do not get charged if you reschedule the reservation using the MDE app. I've done it plenty of times when our plans changed at the last minute, most recently in October when my brother-in-law tore his meniscus the first day in Disney and ended up in the ER.
 
If you find yourself unable to keep an ADR and you are less than 24 hours out, you do not get charged if you reschedule the reservation using the MDE app. I've done it plenty of times when our plans changed at the last minute, most recently in October when my brother-in-law tore his meniscus the first day in Disney and ended up in the ER.
Oh ok. My daughter is a CM but not in dining. She thought I would be charged for last minute or day of changes. I can’t use the app as far as I know because we will be staying off site and using her family pass so I won’t have tickets until we arrive at park.
 
Oh ok. My daughter is a CM but not in dining. She thought I would be charged for last minute or day of changes. I can’t use the app as far as I know because we will be staying off site and using her family pass so I won’t have tickets until we arrive at park.
You can still use the app, even if you are staying offsite. You don't have to have tickets added to MDE to use it for ADR management, checking wait times or looking up entertainment schedules.
 
You can still use the app, even if you are staying offsite. You don't have to have tickets added to MDE to use it for ADR management, checking wait times or looking up entertainment schedules.
Awesome! We have not been in a few years. The last time we went The Beauty and the Beast area was just opened.
I’m sure there are a lot of changes!
 
4 night Disney cruise & 1 night at Port Orleans Riverside. 2 adults, no children.

Fixed Expenses
Southwest flights: paid with points
Cruise fare: 2386
1 night Hyatt MCO: 230
prepaid tips: 96
ground transfers: 140
1 night at Port Orleans: 206

total: 3058 (first $3000 paid with disney gift cards purchased for 8% off) so $2818

Variable Expenses
Excursions: 182
Drinks/Tasting Classes: 300
Additional food: 175
$657 (using disney gift cards purchased for 10% off, less $100 onboard credit) $501

total: $3319
 
We made our room reservation and I put down our deposit today, so I can begin forming up my budget...

Who & When:
June 2019 trip with my family (4 Disney adults), my sister’s family, & my parents. Each family is paying for their own portion of the trip so my budget amounts only reflect my family’s amount.

Where:
POFQ 7 nights/8 days $2041 (room & parking). This went up from my original estimate, since we added a night.

Tickets: 6 day Park hopper tickets $2190 This went up from my original estimate, since we added a day.

Food/Souvenirs/Memory Maker: $1700 (This is much higher than we spent on our last few trips, but it will be the 1st trip for my sister’s family and I don’t know if we’ll have more sit down meals.)

Transportation:
$200 (driving)

Looks like my updated budget goal is $6131.:scared:

$6131 - $200 (deposit) = $5931 - $3379 (current amount in vacation savings account) = $2552 to save before June.

Budget changed again. We went back to 6 nights at POFQ, reducing our resort costs to $1770.

I’m going to wait to reduce the ticket budget until we purchase tickets, so I have a small buffer.

Updated budget goal is $5860

Added $250 (52 week savings challenge, Ibotta, Savings Catcher, Achievement, etc.) to my vacation savings account. I now have $3630 in the account & have paid the $200 room deposit. I need $2030 to reach my current goal of $5860. I’m crossing my fingers I get some Disney money for Christmas, since I will need to average saving $340 a month to make my goal.
 
We will be there April 11-20, Port Orleans-French Quarter, 5 adults, 1 child-9 yrs old
I have reserved a 10 person Illuminations Cruise on Monday evening, April 15
Since there are only 6 in our party, would anyone (party of 4 or less) like to join us?
Cost is $37.17 per person. The cruise departs from the Yacht Club Resort, so no entry into
Epcot is needed.
Email is katgar8955@att.net
 

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