This is an expensive game ;)

[joolz1910]

I'm getting very close to my 180 ADR day and event tickets should be released very soon, so I've just worked out how much my little extras are going to cost me. I have decided on MNSSHP (approximately £180) and MVMCP - about the same price, plus two middle packages at BBB (approx £75), so around £435.

I need to resist looking at the fireworks cruises and I'm still considering the Haunted Carriage Ride. I can't seem to stop!

 

[2Tiggies]

Oh I hear ya!!

I somehow ended up doing the same on our so-called 'budget trip' last year. It started with MNSSHP, which became 2 party nights (one just wasn't going to be enough), added La Nouba tickets, a resort photo session, a couple of ADRs that we "definitely weren't going to do this year " ....... And then thought oh well, that's already £xyz so may as well just add on ......

 

[joolz1910]

Oh I hear ya!!

I somehow ended up doing the same on our so-called 'budget trip' last year. It started with MNSSHP, which became 2 party nights (one just wasn't going to be enough), added La Nouba tickets, a resort photo session, a couple of ADRs that we "definitely weren't going to do this year " ....... And then thought oh well, that's already £xyz so may as well just add on ......

Lol - I am getting so cavalier about spending money, I'm starting to scare myself!

 

[2Tiggies]

Lol - I am getting so cavalier about spending money, I'm starting to scare myself!

That's ok - I'll ease your conscience .....

We are booked in for 18 days at POFQ this year. Last night I decided it would be nice to stay a few nights at the Poly. So I rang Disney to see about upgrading. Bargain! Only an extra £4000 (I didn't do it by the way). But still, the wheels were clicking over in my head ...........

 

[joolz1910]

That's ok - I'll ease your conscience .....

We are booked in for 18 days at POFQ this year. Last night I decided it would be nice to stay a few nights at the Poly. So I rang Disney to see about upgrading. Bargain! Only an extra £4000 (I didn't do it by the way). But still, the wheels were clicking over in my head ...........

That is a lot of money! It puts my £400 into perspective though.

 

[dixonsontour]

Whatever you decide to do you will have a fantastic time.

I think sometimes it is easy to get carried away on here - even without any extra's you will all have a magical trip. Remember the children don't know about the other stuff so wont feel like they are missing out in any way.

But if you want to go for it

 

[joolz1910]

Whatever you decide to do you will have a fantastic time.

I think sometimes it is easy to get carried away on here - even without any extra's you will all have a magical trip. Remember the children don't know about the other stuff so wont feel like they are missing out in any way.

But if you want to go for it

You're right. I don't want to overload the trip - it's tempting to try to do everything but then I wouldn't have an excuse for a return trip.

 

[Mummycat]

Your pics look lovely-did you do the mini or enhanced package? We got married at the Polynesian so would love to get a shoot done with the kids there.
We're going sep 2013 (old key west for the first time) and it'll be 4 years since the last trip (usually a private villa)so are vvv excited. It gives me far too much time to look and book extras aaaahhhh!

 

[2Tiggies]

Your pics look lovely-did you do the mini or enhanced package? We got married at the Polynesian so would love to get a shoot done with the kids there.
We're going sep 2013 (old key west for the first time) and it'll be 4 years since the last trip (usually a private villa)so are vvv excited. It gives me far too much time to look and book extras aaaahhhh!

I'm guessing the question was for me?

If you are looking at the pics in my signature, yes, we did the mini package. There are actually pics from two different photo shoots in there, some from the Poly in 2010 and some from the GF last year. Both were great and I felt well worth the money, but if I had to choose for theming and great background colours, the Poly was definitely our preferred location and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Not sure how old your kids are, but if you are thinking of a family session and they are quite young, I would certainly not attempt an hour's shoot with them. In 2010 we did a 30 minute session and my DD who loves the camera was getting to the stage where I think another 5 minutes would have pushed her limits so purely from a practical standpoint, I think the 20 minute mini session is more than adequate.

 

[Ciorsdah]

I'm exactly the same joolz!!

I'm poised and ready to call to get the MNSSHP tickets when I can. I've bought the photopass, I'm tempted with a resort photoshoot, I am still flirting with the Segway Tour, DBF wants a Dessert Party rolleyes1 and who am I to talk him our of it ) and I really want a haunted carridge ride.

And yet, this is a "budget" holiday.... *ahem*

On top of all the Disney spends, we have thought about going to the Universal Halloween Party (but I am really worried it'll scare the beejebus out of me) and I have planned in 2 days of hardcore shopping....

If only my salary could keep up with my plastic spending!

 

[2Tiggies]

Whatever you decide to do you will have a fantastic time.

I think sometimes it is easy to get carried away on here - even without any extra's you will all have a magical trip. Remember the children don't know about the other stuff so wont feel like they are missing out in any way.

But if you want to go for it

I think this is holds so much truth

Sometimes, for most of us, to get extras we have to make sacrifices somewhere else. Last year I splashed out on more 'experiences'. Spending money had to give way for that. Having always done plenty of shopping whilst away I expected to miss it. But I didn't - at all!

Once you get there you become so immersed in what you DO have that the only time you obsess or dream about what you wish you had, is before you go.

Anyway, Dixonsontour's comments in the above quoted post actually sat in my mind for a while last night. It reminded me not to get so caught up in what I wish I could do and what we already have (and have experenced over past trips).

 

[Ciorsdah]

I think this is holds so much truth

Sometimes, for most of us, to get extras we have to make sacrifices somewhere else. Last year I splashed out on more 'experiences'. Spending money had to give way for that. Having always done plenty of shopping whilst away I expected to miss it. But I didn't - at all!

Once you get there you become so immersed in what you DO have that the only time you obsess or dream about what you wish you had, is before you go.

Anyway, Dixonsontour's comments in the above quoted post actually sat in my mind for a while last night. It reminded me not to get so caught up in what I wish I could do and what we already have (and have experenced over past trips).

That is very true. I'm so guilty of making "wish lists" for this holiday, What I should do is write a list of everything that we will do and focus on the amazing experiences of those, not wishing I could do XY and Z

 

[dixonsontour]

I think this is holds so much truth

Sometimes, for most of us, to get extras we have to make sacrifices somewhere else. Last year I splashed out on more 'experiences'. Spending money had to give way for that. Having always done plenty of shopping whilst away I expected to miss it. But I didn't - at all!

Once you get there you become so immersed in what you DO have that the only time you obsess or dream about what you wish you had, is before you go.

Anyway, Dixonsontour's comments in the above quoted post actually sat in my mind for a while last night. It reminded me not to get so caught up in what I wish I could do and what we already have (and have experenced over past trips).

Yes you've got exactly where I am coming from.

There is nothing wrong with booking extra's (there are some fantastic options) but sometimes I think it is good to step back and realise how lucky we and our children are to get to go at all.

 

[joolz1910]

Yes you've got exactly where I am coming from.

There is nothing wrong with booking extra's (there are some fantastic options) but sometimes I think it is good to step back and realise how lucky we and our children are to get to go at all.

True.
I want us to get the most out of the holiday but I don't want to start feeling that it is sub-standard if we don't do X, Y and Z. I have to really step back and resist trying to do EVERYTHING! I'm pretty sure that the girls' most precious memories will arise from unplanned moments or moments that couldn't have been planned in the first place.

 

[Mummycat]

I'm guessing the question was for me?

If you are looking at the pics in my signature, yes, we did the mini package. There are actually pics from two different photo shoots in there, some from the Poly in 2010 and some from the GF last year. Both were great and I felt well worth the money, but if I had to choose for theming and great background colours, the Poly was definitely our preferred location and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Not sure how old your kids are, but if you are thinking of a family session and they are quite young, I would certainly not attempt an hour's shoot with them. In 2010 we did a 30 minute session and my DD who loves the camera was getting to the stage where I think another 5 minutes would have pushed her limits so purely from a practical standpoint, I think the 20 minute mini session is more than adequate.

Hi yes sorry new to the forums and just about working my way thought it all. Fab the mini package is certainly cheaper and with a 7 & 9 year old (+grumpy husband!) 30 mins of posing is probably enough! Tah for the advise x

 

[beautifullily]

I think being a newbie to WDW my ignorance is working in my favour at the moment as there are lots of extras I haven't explored or even heard about before - Segway Tours, Dessert Party, Photoshoots etc. So am managing to not rack up many extra costs. Also luckily there's no special events on whilst we are there like MNSSHP and MVMCP!

The only thing I'm umming and erring about is upgrading to Photopass Plus when we get there.

 

[flortlebap]

I was soooo tempted by a Wishes cruise, but they were booked up. Blessing in disguise, I think!!

 

[2Tiggies]

I think being a newbie to WDW my ignorance is working in my favour at the moment as there are lots of extras I haven't explored or even heard about before - Segway Tours, Dessert Party, Photoshoots etc. So am managing to not rack up many extra costs. Also luckily there's no special events on whilst we are there like MNSSHP and MVMCP!

The only thing I'm umming and erring about is upgrading to Photopass Plus when we get there.

If anyone asks me for my top tips for a first visit, this is always in the top five:

Don't try do everything - or you'll miss half of what you do! It's great to do as much as possible but if you don't take or make some time out to just enjoy being there and soaking it in, I think you lose a big part of the magic. It's something that those of us who have been multiple times often have to remind ourselves.

One trip we went on we spent 16 days onsite - when we got back I realized I never had one picture of our resort or our room - not one! We jammed our days so full that all we did was collapse when we got to our room and spent no time at the resort at all. Now while we like our trips to be crammed to the brim with activity, it is so easy to overdo it.

Whatever you have planned, just enjoy all of it. You'll never see everything in one - or even two or three - trips anyway. So just make the most of everything you can do this time