Save or Splurge?

[moray26]

I read a lot of tips on these boards about how to save money when going to Disney. My question is: would you rather go on an extensive trip (or multiple trips) and pinch pennies OR would you rather splurge on a no-worries vacation (maybe not as often or for not so many days)?

Being a FL resident and annual passholder, I go to Disney about once a week for a day trip. Right there, I'm saving money. However, once I get to the parks, I don't budget myself- I simply buy what I need/want. It seems to all even out in the end. Last trip I went solo and had a late lunch at Tony's in MK- cost me $11.76+tip for 1/2 a panini, a salad, and a bowl of soup. When I get great deals like that, I feel like I can splurge on that extra snack or another souvenir.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

We do both.

December is a penny pinching trip, and our 2009 extravaganza is a throw caution to the wind, throw money into the fireplace and watch it burn trip.

I will say we don't take trips we can't pay for. After 2009 we will slow the vacationing down, and pay off the house. After that who knows? I might be waiting in a gas line, and trying to avoid the soup line. Buried mason jars are looking better and better as an investment vehicle.

 

[TinkRBel_In_Training]

We don't pinch pennies while we're at WDW, but we also don't spend money like water either. We try to save money here and there on things that are not necessary to us, such as bringing in our own lunches and only buying a few snacks here and there. Saves lots of money on the overpriced food. We tend to buy the souvenirs we want, but we try not to go overboard and spend too much either. This past trip we splurged on an OOP $100+ dinner at Boma since we don't do the DDP. Its not something we can find at home, and we really loved the food and the whole experience of being in the AKL. We're not penny pinchers exactly, but we try to stay within reason as well :

 

[tndisneyfan]

I guess to me a little bit of both. We pinch pennies by staying in a value resort, if we stayed in a mod or deluxe we'd have to cut our days at WDW short. But we don't go as far as staying off site. We also just buy food and snacks in the parks or at the resort instead of trying to save money by packing lunch and toting water/drinks to the parks.

 

[SnowWtch]

We've done it both ways before. We like to do little trips. We only splurge on maybe a meal or two. For our anniversary we saved a year and splurged on a big trip but that's a once in a blue moon thing for us. We're about 2 hours away and have AP so the more we go the happier we are.

 

[rt2dz]

We're somewhere in the middle. We stay in Deluxe hotels, but I've yet to pay rack rate, even in value season. We go every year, but buy APs and do two vacations on them. We buy plenty of souveniers, but nothing I could buy at WalMart for less. We eat nicely, but we do breakfast in the room and use the DDE card or AP. We tend to combine meals (late lunch/early dinner). We bring in our own bottled water. We buy snacks there, but we're not huge snackers. Our food costs at WDW are equal to any week at home. We drive because cheaper (and more convienent) than flying our entire family, even with the higher gas costs, and saves us a rental car. I don't rent a stroller, even before the cost increase. I make sure that we have plenty of batteries, diapers, suncreen, etc so I'm not robbed by having to buy there.

ETA--We may put everything on a credit card, but the bill is paid in full when it comes in, so we have to do some compromise here and there.

 

[nessz79]

Mostly pinching pennies. We try to live within our means, and our "means" don't generally include a lot of vacations...so we try to go more often or longer, but on less money.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

I say go but have a wonderful time and stay within the means. I know I want to be on vacation and have a magical time. So I find ways to earn extra money like belonging to sunshine rewards. Right now I have about $120 and my goal is to have $300 by the time we go in September.

Lucky you to go on day trips!

 

[Maverick Mike]

We like to take a trip every year, so we stay at a Value Resort, but we do "splurge" on a few nice things there each trip! (We've done things like the Luau, CRT, etc. Those are pretty big "splurges" for us! )

Actually, our podcast last Friday was all about our Disney splurges, if money were no object. This Frnday's show will be about how to save money on a trip to WDW!

Please give us a listen! You might enjoy it!

Just click on the link in my signature!

 

[christa112]

I consider going to Disney a Splurge. We have to fly there so that is around $2000.00 to fly, plus staying on property, park tickets, food, etc.

WDW vacation is a Splurge to our family.

 

[Crisgw]

If we don't have the cash, we don't go We're def. more of a "splurge" family, but again, if the money isn't there (cash) we wait until it is. We like to do WDW once a year but we take it "one trip at at time"

 

[jimmalru80]

We go once a year and we splurge.

 

[Tink888]

Probably a little of both - we drive and bring our own water, etc. We always try to go during value season or when there's a deal going on. I do look for ways to save money but at the same, we try to stay at the resorts we really want to (our goal is to stay at every resort at Disney at least once). We have nice meals and if there is something extra we want to do, we do it. Overall though, given the choice I would rather take a longer trip or even two trips staying at a mod or value as opposed to one trip staying at GF or the Boardwalk. We just love being at Disney in general and like to spend as much time there as we can afford to.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We decided that the travel expense was quite alot so we ruled out the short trips and just do an extended stay, 10-12 nights. that gives us alot of time to do the touring at a moderate pace, relax alot and not come home tired and worn out. We've got it down to location of the resort and many days on property, and the grocery stop is a money saver.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

We live within a day's drive (actually about 6-7 hours) so I like to go on several trips but we go during Value season and don't eat many TS meals (unless we're on free dining - that's a real treat). We have Resident Seasonal Passes so I don't consider park admission as part of the cost. We went last Sept for free dining for 6 nights, then my husband and I took a couple's weekend in January for 3 nights, we're going back in Aug/Sept before our passes expire for another 7 nights with free dining again.

We don't buy a lot of souvenirs, our main splurge is staying at a mod instead of a value. Our Florida resident rate in January was $115 for a moderate king room - I thought that was quite reasonable.

We save by bringing our own water and stuff for breakfast and stock the fridge (I save half-gallon juice bottles, fill with water and freeze to keep stuff cold in the cooler on the trip). We eat cereal and pop-tarts and nutrigrain bars for most breakfasts, have cookies and milk for snacks. We bring our own stroller.

I'm dying to splurge on an upgrade to WL for our Sept trip, but we'll probably stick with the mod. I told my son we can stay longer at the mod and I'm trying to keep my own advice!

 

[jeffbear]

Now that my kids are at an age where they can actually appreciate travelling first class (14 and 17) I'm finding myself a little more willing to blow it out on nicer accomodations and such. You only have your kids at an age where they'll actually go places with the whole family for so long ... live now.

Of course I never, ever spend a dime more than I dead flat have to on airline tickets or rental cars. Some things are just hardwired in your DNA.