So Sad I Can't Bring Myself to Even Read the Boards!

[1hero2princesses]

I really am just venting - so if you don't want to hear it stop reading now....
For about 2 years I came to these boards regularly. I just made my first post in the last 6 months. I just couldn't come back on here. We had the opportunity to visit disney twice. Those have been our only two vacations in the last 9 years. I don't know when our next visit will be (probably years) and it just makes me so sad. I grew up going to disney. My parents moved about 2 hours away when I became an adult. I so wanted to be able to share that with my kids. It just makes me so sad to think we may never go again. My dad died 4 years ago, my mom got altzheimers and I brought her here, so no free place to stay... We have no money for another vacation. I am trying so hard to save the money to go in 2011 or 2012. I want my kids to all experience disney at different ages but I just don't see how we will ever save that up. Really the only thing left to cut out of the budget are the kids activities and they love their classes. Plus they are so good for them, and such good exercise. I can't take those away. Anyway - I am sure there are a million other people in the same boat. I am going to try to bring myself to come on here once in awhile. To read peoples comments, and hopefully to offer helpful suggestions. I will try not to feel sorry for myself. Hopefully I will make it back to disney someday. Dreams do come true, right?

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I am sorry you are sad about your situation. Try to look at in on the bright side, you have gone twice, with one vacation being last September. Some people on the boards have never been. I find it helpful to concentrate on what is good rather than what could have been! Hope your day improves.

 

[dogodisney]

I know how you feel. I didn't think I'd be able to come back on here after our last trip because I don't know when we'll be able to go back.
I have found forums on here that I have had a connection to so I tend to gravitate to those posts. I haven't spent much time in the parks, restaurant, or resort forums though. It makes me too sad.

 

[bwilcox]

I would suggest getting a Disney Visa. You get 1% of the money you spend back in Disney Dream Dollars, which are good towards a Disney vacation. We pay for all our bills, groceries, gas, etc. with our card, recording the money like you would a check that has already been spent, and then we pay the card off each month so there are no fees or interest. We average about 30 reward dollars a month. Now that is not a lot when it comes to a Disney vacation, but it will eventually add up. At that rate, we could have a week long vacation at a Disney value resort in about 4 years (as long as we drive and not fly). That would take a while, but it's a lot better than never going again!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Do what I do-- enter every Disney Vacation sweepstakes out there! You never know, right?

 

[mb_uh]

I am sorry you are not able to have the trips you desire. I would just really plan for the next one. Your kids are really little and in 2 years will probably be at great ages. I think it really depends on what you are interested in because I have seen some time share packages really cheap with tickets for 2 adults included, You could also do the GAD for 1 ticket. If you drove and ate mostly off property it would not cost anything like a package to stay onsite.

We are taking our kids at 7,5, and 1 for the first time this year. Prior to this year we have only done driving vacations of less then 4 days doing parks with the kids twice (San Antonio and Dallas) and the rest of the time we stayed home or visited family. We chose to wait and save the money for disney until our older ones would remember it. We probably will not go again until the youngest is 4-5.

We both work, I have my masters and we make okay money but given our other expenses with 3 kids large vacations are only in our budget every 3-4 years, that is just life. I never went to Disney as a child and DH and I went once 10 years ago both our first trips.

We love the idea of taking our kids to Disney but honestly I think it holds more wonder for kids who only go a few times in there childhood and the big surprise then kids who go every year or more.

Try to find other fun activities that your kids can do possibly at cheaper parks until you can Disney again.

Good luck.

 

[lathamary]

I would suggest getting a Disney Visa. You get 1% of the money you spend back in Disney Dream Dollars, which are good towards a Disney vacation. We pay for all our bills, groceries, gas, etc. with our card, recording the money like you would a check that has already been spent, and then we pay the card off each month so there are no fees or interest. We average about 30 reward dollars a month. Now that is not a lot when it comes to a Disney vacation, but it will eventually add up. At that rate, we could have a week long vacation at a Disney value resort in about 4 years (as long as we drive and not fly). That would take a while, but it's a lot better than never going again!

This is exactly what we do We checked if we could pay our mortgage with it, but we can't. Think of how fast you'd rack of the Disney Dollars that way!

 

[sk!mom]

It should get easier as your kids get a bit older.

If you don't work now then once they are in school, you can. A second income will give you more disposable income. Actually, if you don't work and really want to travel then get a job. Even a part time job can finance an annual vacation.

If you do work and therefore pay for childcare, that should end in a few years. The biggest raise I ever got was the first year that I no longer needed childcare.

 

[Ava]

We're currently saving for our DD's first trip to WDW in 2012 - we joke that we're going to fund it entirely with Disney Visa reward dollars & our change jar. We last time we went to WDW (and our only time going together) was in 2006 - that will be 6 years between trips! The last big vacation my partner and I went on at all was in February of 2008, since then the only trips we've been on are to visit family. (Partly due to money and partly due to having an infant, although they go hand-in-hand since the reason we don't have the money is that my partner quit her job to stay at home with DD.)

Start a WDW fund - put all your loose change into a jar, and once every few months or so take it to the bank & put it in a savings account. See if you can have a garage sale or sell things on eBay to make some extra cash for the Disney fund. It may take a few years to save up the money, but if you squirrel away those extra pennies they will add up. Make it a game to see how much you can save this way, and get your kids involved if they are old enough. (I am always on the lookout for change on the ground, I found a quarter on the floor of the dressing room at DD's swim class last weekend - score!)

I also agree with the PP who suggested getting a Disney Visa (if you are okay with using a credit card, I know some people aren't). I pay every bill I can with it and use it for almost all of my other purchases, then just pay it off each month. I look at it as free money for WDW, since they are purchases I would've made anyway.

Good luck OP, I hope you get to go back to Disney again in the not *too* distant future!

 

[DarlingDis]

I am sad to hear about your dilemma. But I understand because we all can use a little financial recovery. But as excited as these threads can make you about a trip, it can also give you ideas on how to save for your next trip.

Since your darling children are young, you have time. You may not be happy about it (let's face it, who doesn't want to be at the happiest place on earth everyday), but we all sacrifice for what we need and make bigger sacrifices for what we want.

We are all pulling for you. Just plan, visualize, and make it happen. It doesn't have to be tomorrow.....

And remember.... positive things happen by thinking positively.

 

[*Seanaci*]

I went to a Disney park for the first time in the Spring of 1995 (California). Got to go to Florida WDW 2 years later. After that, it wasn't till 2003 till we went again. After that, it was 2008. We're planning on going in 2011, but we have to see how our finances go this year and see if we can our CC paid off (if we can, we'll be using that the charge the trip).

I would keep your chin up and know that it may be a few more years, but you'll get to go again. And you may not get to go yearly...but you get to go when you can afford it.

I think the most special part of our 2008 trip was seeing it through our sons eyes (he was 14 months old). It doesn't matter how old the kids are when they go for the first time...it will be magical all the same!

Good luck and think positive.

 

[Hannathy]

Life is full of choices and consequences to those choices. I see in your sign. 3 little ones. You chose kids over Disney trips. Now after they are all in bed and asleep (not when they are running around driving you nuts) look at them and think would I rather be looking at these 3 babies or a photo album of Disney photos?

I think I know which you would rather be looking at!!!!

 

[disykat]

I joined the DIS when I was planning a "once in a lifetime" type trip. It's just plain not in our budget to do trips to WDW regularly. I still find the community board and the budget board enjoyable and also visit this board regularly - though not as much.

I enjoy thinking about my past trips and trips I may "one day" take. I just don't read the specific planning threads.

I posted my trips in my signature because I think it's deceiving to be on the DIS - easy to assume everyone goes every year.

 

[asktriplets]

I would suggest getting a Disney Visa. You get 1% of the money you spend back in Disney Dream Dollars, which are good towards a Disney vacation. We pay for all our bills, groceries, gas, etc. with our card, recording the money like you would a check that has already been spent, and then we pay the card off each month so there are no fees or interest. We average about 30 reward dollars a month. Now that is not a lot when it comes to a Disney vacation, but it will eventually add up. At that rate, we could have a week long vacation at a Disney value resort in about 4 years (as long as we drive and not fly). That would take a while, but it's a lot better than never going again!

We get the Disney Visa card, but ONLY for the initial $50-100 that they offer after the first purchase (plus, I like picking out the design!). If you have decent credit, you should be able to get a card that will offer you at LEAST 2% back, and some will offer more (we've got one that gives us 3%, I think, on gas, and grocery stores).

Good luck on your saving!

 

[sshudson99]

I am sorry for the way you are feeling. Just a thought, Disney is an expensive trip, but it does not have to be. You can cut back in a lot of ways. For example, we are staying at Fort Wilderness campground, which is a lot cheaper than staying at a resort. You can have 10 people on a site, where other resorts has a limit of 4 or a max of 6. We are driving down (with our camper of course) We will prepare most meals in the camper and eat quick service meals in the parks, with the exception of a few ADR's character meals, which you could do without. Another tip, I buy gift cards all year long before a vacation. For example, I already bought 3 Disney giftcards, I have a gas card, and I will probably buy 2-3 restaurant gift cards, a WalMart card (it can be used for gas, food, etc.) You can also buy prepaid Visa's. If you do this all year long, you can in a sense prepay for your vacation. I have also paid off the fee for the campground. All I have to buy is my park tickets, I have a GAD voucher, so I will upgrade once we arrive. I hope this helps. BTW, I know how you feel about being sad, because I have planned this trip for over a year, and eventhough I could take my family every year, we always want to take our kids somewhere different for vacation. So, I have spent a lot of time on the disboards talking to folks, and I don't know how I will feel after the trip?

 

[worm761]

I am sorry you are feeling this way. Have you considered doing rewards programs? I am funding my Disney habit with my rewards programs and a company called ChaCha. If you search back in the budget boards there are some ChaCha threads. If you don't want to search, then feel free to PM me and I can explain that way. It takes a while but I know I will be getting back and I don't have to take money out of our household budget.

 

[cheshireqt]

We went to MK-only when DS was 18mo then several years later when he was 4 and DD was 1. We did not go to WDW proper until 2006, when DS was 9 and DD was 6, and neither really remembered MK. I was worried that we had missed the window of time when it would be magical for DS. Instead what I found was that their ages were PERFECT! They were both able to ride every ride and had the stamina to visit all the parks for as long as we wanted each day. Every ride at AK, DS and Epcot was a brand new experience for all of us! MK was "new" to them. It was truly a magical vacation!
I think you will find, if you really do not get to Disney for 4 years and your eldest is 9 and the others descending in age from there (using your sig block for current ages) that you will have found the perfect time to go! And just think how prepared you will be to really show them WDW, from your own experience as well as keeping up with the new attractions and changes!
I suspect that you will absolutely find a way to get there before 4 years are up using all the great tips and cost saving advice found on DIS.

 

[gillenkl]

My suggestions are get a disney visa for your regular month purchases - pay it off every month.

mypoints.com - sign up for emails to earn points - cash in for food GC like Rainforest and T-Rex

swagbucks.com for amazon GC or disneystore online.

Yesterday we watched the travel channel - all the disney park shows were on. Then last night we watched Pete's Dragon for the first time with the kids. We listen to disney music during our meals and in the car.

This is what I do to keep upbeat on our off-year.

 

[LuvMyEAR]

You know, I think it is harder for you than for those who have never been there! We promised ourselves that we would take our children to WDW but circumstance$ being what that were, our trip had to wait until they were 17 and 19 yrs old! It was totally magical, and worth the bit of a debt we brought home. It also felt like a "once in a lifetime" dream.

Happy to say, that was not the case, and we have new thrills ahead, as we are going back in Nov. This trip will be my third one with my younger daughter and her family and we enjoyed a 2008 visit with both daughters, 3 grandchildren, and my mother.

Keep your chin up and save what you can, even if it is only pennies at times. You WILL go back, and each time will be perfect and special for its own reasons.

 

[LJRJR]

We save for a vacation by putting away alittle bit of money each week, and the kids help with this. If you are able to put away even $3 a day you would save up to $1000 each year. If my kids want to go to McDonalds and get a happy meal, and I convince them not to, I go home and put some of that money in my envelope. It all adds up, just slowly save it. Good luck.