I'm so incredibly excited for you! I think you have a really good balance of parks, food and downtime. But you all are Orlando pros so I'd expect no less
Far from pros (we still learn something on each trip!), but we're definitely getting better on knowing what works for our family and what doesn't. Of course, the best laid plans are always subject to change.....so we will see how close the actual experience comes to the official plan!!
I'm going to commit a quick
here. I'm too lazy to start my own thread, but thought I would share some of the costs from our recent trip with everyone here. We had originally planned to go elsewhere this March but the skyrocketing US$ left us with no takers for our Orlando timeshare despite it being the Ontario March break. The dollar situation also had us decide to do this one on the cheap, so we drove down, and limited our activity a bit - 2 park days, and a day in St Augustine FL, otherwise just pool time and shopping therapy. In general, I think we were pretty successful. Our general cost breakdown is (all costs in US$):
- $304 Fuel
- $286 Hotels on road (3 nights, breakfast included at all 3)
- $1000 Sheraton Vistana Resort 7 nights, maintenance fees and property taxes for 2016
- $547 Dining (6 Dinners, 6 Lunches, and one breakfast, plus a bunch of snacking during our two park days)
- $0.00 Park tickets - 1 MK and 1 AK day on existing 10day WPFAMNE Tickets from 4 (?) years ago. Don't actually recall what we spent for these all that time ago...
- $735 Groceries and Liquor. Sounds like a LOT but we bring a lot of groceries home with us. Favorite US brands that we can't get up here in Canada. For instance I think there were 16 cases of pop (oh sorry, soda) by the end of it all (Blenheim's Ginger All and Cheerwine from the Carolinas mostly, but also some Sierra Mist and Polar Fruit Sodas). We ate/drank maybe $200 of that while there. I bought a case of beer for pool day beverages and still brought a half of that home with us.
- $525 incidentals and souvenirs.
Total US spend was $3350 for the trip (2 people, 9 days), of which about $1000 was not trip related (stuff we brought home). Our average US$ exchange paid was $1.32 Canadian (range $1.341 to $1304). Still heartily recommend the
Amazon card for our Canadian travellers. The rates tracked very closely to the Bank of Canada (no exchange fees), plus the 1% cash back that has already appeared on my statement. Overall, I think we did a pretty good job of keeping our costs down.
I always break it down to a per person, per day final cost: yours came in at $130.56 with taking out your $1000 in purchases. That's pretty good. I always consider anything under $150/pp/pd a great price. So you did really well!
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Hi Gina! We're down to one day for our mini trip!
We will drive down in the morning, hang at Harbour Lake all afternoon, go to Escape Game, eat dinner on I-Drive somewhere or maybe Tropifongo, then back to the resort. Friday is supposed to be hot, so lots of pool time, then Disney Springs for La Nouba, Raglan Road, and browsing stores. Saturday will be even more resort time, then a leisurely drive home!
I may try to squeeze in another attraction or two...
Have an AWESOME time!! Safe travels and take lots of photos!! (feel free to share some of them here if you are willing
)
You are making me want a Krispy Kreme! I cannot believe there an't any stores in Indianapolis, yet back home, in a smaller town, we have one.
They are one of my favourite American indulgences. It's probably a very good thing that I can't get them here at home, I don't think I'd ever tire of them!! Those cookie dough ones, though, just made me swoon. Oh. My. Gosh.
I'm so excited that you can say "we leave for Florida in just a few weeks". I'm still pouting with "we haven't even made our reservations yet since our trip isn't for 9 more months"!!! The new itinerary looks fantastic. And there are just no words for those donuts. Well, maybe yummy-licious.
9 months will slide in pretty quick. And just think....in a few weeks, we'll be solely focusing on our October trip....so we can be enjoying the planning process together!
Our totally cost was around $3000 for the 2 of us 10 days. We brought home around $500 worth of stuff that included grocery items and clothes/shoes.
You're right on that $150 pp/pd target, which is excellent when you stayed onsite. I think you did really well!
I guess I'm glad I live in the US. I can't imagine being able to travel at a 40% markup.
My upcoming trip is costing the following (There is 3 of us)
Lodging - Free as my mom owns DVC
Flight - $220
Parking Split Three Ways - $15
Park Tickets - $300
Misc Expenses - Not sure yet. I have $250 in Disney Gift Cards right now that I got for free due to rewards points.
All in all I'll be spending less than $900, if not less I hope!
Holy smokes! That's fantastic....under $1000! Well done, my friend
.
Gina your plans look fabulous! I am super jealous of your Aquatica day. I am hoping we will be able to squeeze it in to our October trip. And I do plan to bring my phone and get a U.S. plan on it for this trip so I will definitely exchange #'s with you and hope Dh and I could come over and say hi! one evening!
As long as we are all sharing. My line in the sand for trips for four of us has always been around $5000 Canadian. It was $4000 when we first started going in 2008 but we raised it over time. With kids that aged out of child prices and all sorts of other factors, it was getting harder and harder to meet that $5000 for the four of us and travel the way I wanted. I mean sure, I could cut days off, but I didn't want to. So we changed the way we are doing things and I am happy to report that both this years trips will be under the $5000 Canadian mark (one is in October but using the winter 2017 vacation budget). On the first trip our accommodations, and one leg of our flights were very generous gifts, and one of our Disney passes was airmiles. That's the only way we stayed under $5000 this time. The second trip I booked a ridiculously good deal for a Cabana Bay family suite and non stop flights and a car through AirTransat for a week ($2300 Canadian before seat selection). So that leaves plenty for food and tickets and will still be way under the budget.
Your October deal is particularly impressive. Nice to come in so far under budget for the necessities that you can splurge a little elsewhere. May I suggest spending some of your savings on an RIP tour for your
HHN days....its expensive but soooooo worth it!
Your plans look great Gina! Can you plan my trips for me?
As usual, I'm impressed that you plan out all of your meals ahead of time. I'm so bad at that. Do you plan so in detail for other trips too, or just Orlando?
Organization is my middle name
. I actually find it fun....of course, I'm also the type of person who gets a lot of satisfaction from cleaning out a closet. Yeah, I'm weird like that.
I have been known to plan a rather
epic vacation or two in other places.....Wisconsin Dells, Toronto and Niagara Falls come to mind. Orlando is where my heart is, though, so those are the trips I like planning the most
.
Your plans look great and busy.
I think the Simpsons couch was gone already in February. I didn't see it at all on our trip.
So, so sad about the closure of that photo opp. Sigh....it just bums me out totally.
We probably look busier in print than we really are. Not all of our days will be park opening to park close. When we've had enough, we'll pack it in and enjoy some R&R at the resort. And a couple of our days....thinking specifically of our character brunch/meal & mini golf day and our St. Petersburg day.....aren't super exhausting. Very relaxing and fun
.
Sunshine and my daughter Jenna have the same birthday!
That's awesome! What do you have planned to celebrate?
Plans look great!! Steak and Shake is my go-to "fast food" place if we get tired of Panera here in town. And, of course, I love Friday's JD sauce
I think the kids would like Aquatica too-reason to plan it into a trip next time.
DH bought season passes to....Silver Dollar City today. oh yay. I do like the park and we haven't had season passes in awhile, but I get free tickets for one day in the fall from my work and it has been enough...soooo if anyone is down into SWMO anytime let me know-I think we get guest passes to SDC throughout season! And I can introduce the REAL pineapple whip (gluten, dairy free).
Do the Disney Dole Whips have gluten and dairy in them? (not that it matters....we're not sensitive to either....but now you have me curious!)
@dancin is just as innocent & charming in person as we see here!
Charming, yes.....but innocent???
Haven't been to Universal in years and it looks like that's what we will be doing this summer. Could plan Disney with my eyes closed, but his is so different. Just read several of your trip reports. Wanted to say thanks for having such great info. Now to fit Discovery Cove into the budget!!
My DH finally got off of rotating shift about 3 years ago and it is wonderful to have him home (of course I felt like a single mother of 3 while they were young). Hope you enjoy it!
pixieprincessmom! Glad to have you along!
I don't think you would be disappointed in DC....one of the rare places that is almost always worth the splurge
. I hope you manage to fit it into your vacation budget!
I think your plan looks great! This is going to be an amazing trip! If Sunshine is not an Orlando fan after this trip....well, let's not even go down that road.
Steve fears that they kids might have such a grand time that they will want to come with us on EVERY trip
. I think he's worried that our couples-only vacations might be a thing of the past once Sunshine falls in love with "our" Orlando!
).
bye Gina and pals... we decided to bump up our departure to THIS AFTERNOON! (Instead of our usual middle of the night departure time). See you in a little over a week for the final details on your preparation! 
.
YOU ARE GOING ON VACATION THIS MONTH!
...... may traffic be light and the drive be a smooth one! Don't forget to check in here from time to time with a photo or two. We'll all be living vicariously through you for the next week! Best wishes for low crowds, sunshine, and great memories!
. 
you're lucky you're so close to you trip, It'll be a nice escape!!
. It's making the thoughts of vacation in 28 more sleeps that much sweeter!
