VickiVM
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
- Messages
- 2,318
Just wanted to post that this past trip (out of 8 total) has been one of the most inexpensive WDW trips for my family - we spent approx $2100 total for 9 days of vacation:
We are mom and dad w/ 3 kids...all 3 considered adults in Disney's eyes (12, 14 and 16 years old)
We drove from San Antonio, TX in my husbands CRV. Yes we were a tight fit, but the mileage on the CRV vs. my 8 year old minivan can't be beat.
Stayed in a Sleep Inn w/ rollaway bed first night in Baton Rouge, an Econolodge w/a rollaway bed our second night in Lake City, FL. (Have to add that I asked for a refund on the rollaway in Baton Rouge because it was not fit to sleep in and my son ended up sleeping on the floor - they obliged). Adding the rollaway is a tad cheaper than staying in a suite. Then on our return trip stayed in a Comfort Inn w/rollaway in Moss Point, MS...then straight home.
These 3 nights qualified us for a $50 restaurant gift card from Choice Hotels.
I contacted a Wydham resort time share owner and we stayed @ Wyndham Bonnet Creek (adjacent to Carribean Beach Resort) & we paid $110/night for a 2 bedroom resort w/full kitchen and washer/dryer, 2 baths, etc. We stayed for 5 nights ($550 - no taxes added...walk-out price). This resort is gorgeous and ranks right up there with Disney's deluxe resorts.
We also registered for our daughter to participate in one of Disney's Y.E.S classes and because of this we only paid $714 total for 5 adult tickets for 5 days (not hoppers and are for essentially length of stay).
We purchased groceries for the week. Now this is my main regret...I wished we had chosen to shop @ WalMart instead of the nearby Publix. Publix is just outrageously over-priced...and that's even choosing their private brand over national brands of products. We spent probably close to $275 in groceries and could have maybe saved $50 or so by shopping WalMart. But we did get some lovely meals out of this that my husband cooked.
We did eat 2 meals @ counter service because we wanted to continue our park touring those two days and then go back to our room in the late afternoon when we were done for the day. One afternoon, we made hearty sub sandwiches and stored them in an ice chest in the car while touring Epcot and then picked them up when we were ready to eat and took them into the park. We also had a no-soda policy all week since they don't rehydrate like water and they tend to get expensive for 5. We made ice-tea all week in our resort.
We also had one TS meal @ Liberty Tree Tavern...not as good as it used to be. Wish we hadn't spent the $120 there. We also indulged in a couple of Dole Whips and gelatto in Italy @ Epcot (OMG..sooo good). Even then, we shared these since some of us (me) should not be indulging because we have a dr's appt next month and she expects me to have lost some weight...yada, yada, yada.
Kids had their own spending money for souvenirs and we bought each one a couple of inexpensive trinkets.
Ate at a few fast food places on the road to and from Orlando...no suprises there.
Overall, I am proud that we were able to save money and not diminish our experience @ WDW in the least because of it.
We are mom and dad w/ 3 kids...all 3 considered adults in Disney's eyes (12, 14 and 16 years old)
We drove from San Antonio, TX in my husbands CRV. Yes we were a tight fit, but the mileage on the CRV vs. my 8 year old minivan can't be beat.
Stayed in a Sleep Inn w/ rollaway bed first night in Baton Rouge, an Econolodge w/a rollaway bed our second night in Lake City, FL. (Have to add that I asked for a refund on the rollaway in Baton Rouge because it was not fit to sleep in and my son ended up sleeping on the floor - they obliged). Adding the rollaway is a tad cheaper than staying in a suite. Then on our return trip stayed in a Comfort Inn w/rollaway in Moss Point, MS...then straight home.
These 3 nights qualified us for a $50 restaurant gift card from Choice Hotels.
I contacted a Wydham resort time share owner and we stayed @ Wyndham Bonnet Creek (adjacent to Carribean Beach Resort) & we paid $110/night for a 2 bedroom resort w/full kitchen and washer/dryer, 2 baths, etc. We stayed for 5 nights ($550 - no taxes added...walk-out price). This resort is gorgeous and ranks right up there with Disney's deluxe resorts.
We also registered for our daughter to participate in one of Disney's Y.E.S classes and because of this we only paid $714 total for 5 adult tickets for 5 days (not hoppers and are for essentially length of stay).
We purchased groceries for the week. Now this is my main regret...I wished we had chosen to shop @ WalMart instead of the nearby Publix. Publix is just outrageously over-priced...and that's even choosing their private brand over national brands of products. We spent probably close to $275 in groceries and could have maybe saved $50 or so by shopping WalMart. But we did get some lovely meals out of this that my husband cooked.
We did eat 2 meals @ counter service because we wanted to continue our park touring those two days and then go back to our room in the late afternoon when we were done for the day. One afternoon, we made hearty sub sandwiches and stored them in an ice chest in the car while touring Epcot and then picked them up when we were ready to eat and took them into the park. We also had a no-soda policy all week since they don't rehydrate like water and they tend to get expensive for 5. We made ice-tea all week in our resort.
We also had one TS meal @ Liberty Tree Tavern...not as good as it used to be. Wish we hadn't spent the $120 there. We also indulged in a couple of Dole Whips and gelatto in Italy @ Epcot (OMG..sooo good). Even then, we shared these since some of us (me) should not be indulging because we have a dr's appt next month and she expects me to have lost some weight...yada, yada, yada.
Kids had their own spending money for souvenirs and we bought each one a couple of inexpensive trinkets.
Ate at a few fast food places on the road to and from Orlando...no suprises there.
Overall, I am proud that we were able to save money and not diminish our experience @ WDW in the least because of it.
