Ways to save for a Disney trip?

[Mrsjvb]

It kind of feels like you need to take out a loan to visit Disney, these days!

My hubby and I would like to visit Disney one more time. We wanted to try to do it in the next 2-3 years. We also wanted to stop by Harry Potter world, since we're big HP dorks.

We're not planning to get first class plane tickets are luxury hotel rooms.

How do you save the thousands of dollars needed for a Disney trip? Tips? Tricks?

even though we do have a cash reserves account for (officially) vacation expenses, we have not touched it in years.. we raided it 6 years ago to buy our first house and put down a hefty down payment.

I book early enough that I can pay it off in installments.

 

[kidd_freeper]

1. Stay offsite. Just got back and we rented an immaculate home (3000 sq ft 5BR, 3.5BA, 100% furnished, screened in pool) for $100/night. See VRBO.com. We rented in the High Grove complex.

2. If you have school-aged kids, look into the YES program. Nearly 50% off kids tickets, adult tickets are a little better than Undercover Tourist.

3. Consider driving there. Flying is very expensive right now.

4. Try to eat at least 2 of your meals from your hotel. Disney food is expensive. Bring your own water into the parks. You can also ask for icewater from nearly every quick service counter (without waiting in line)

 

[themommy]

Disney has a vacation savings account that they started I believe at the end of last year. If you decide you have to take it back out you can do that and get 100% back with no penalty. The only catch is that they put the money back to where ever it came from. If it comes from your checking acct. it goes back there...if it comes from a gift card it goes back there. You just have to read all of the fine print. You can set it up to pull money from your bank account or do one time payments. Right now (I guess it's because it's new?) they will give you a $20 gift card for every $1000 you spend on your vacation (this special runs through Dec. 2015 at the moment but it says it may be extended. You can use your account for DW, DL, cruises, ect. There is even a budget calculator. I know $20 isn't much but, that's an extra $100 on a $5000 vacation. Also, I have been buying Disney gift cards from Sam's Club and entering them into the account. $150 in gift cards at Sam's costs $142. Once again $8 is not much but, that is $267 on the $5000. I also buy these with my Delta Skymiles card so I would get 5000 miles on that. All in all it is not much but that comes to a total savings of $367 (including the gift cards) and 5000 skymiles. If I have to pay for the trip anyway I might as well save all that money! $367 is $367 in my pocket. You might also keep in mind that Disney hotels always cost more on Friday and Saturday nights. The time of year you go can save you tons of money as well. Also, keep your eye on the specials...percentages off and free dining can save loads!

 

[ZoZo]

Have you checked out the Budget Board here on the DIS? They have a whole forum dedicated to saving money, both while on your actual Disney vacation, and also how to save money before your trip (more general "how to save" tips for your lifestyle). Great info there.

 

[Tonyz]

http://www.amazon.com/Ways-Save-Mon...8&qid=1405359151&sr=1-1&keywords=lou+mongello

Enjoy!

 

[whitney37354]

1. Change bucket
2. Recycling aluminum cans
3. Yard Sale
4. Disney Gift Cards
5. Yearly bonus @ work
6. tax return

 

[ForeDisney]

My wife and I both put $100 a week from our pay and put into our holiday account. Typically works out to be $400 per month.

We then do an exercise where we each begin with $1 the first Friday of the year and double that every Friday until we leave for our trip.

This year for example we leave in October and there are 40 Friday before we go. The most we will ever have to put in extra is $40. Though if you look at the exercise, putting $1 each Friday and doubling every Friday you end up with $820 after 40 Fridays. Multiply that times two (wife & I) that's another $1,640 to add to our holiday money we already set aside with each week's pay.

In the end we have $400 per month times eight months = $3,200
Plus the $1,640 from the dollar per week exercise and we have a total of $4,840 ... Which is more than enough for us as we do not find the need to pay $400 per night for a hotel room at a "Premium Resort". We instead take advantage of all my reward points at other properties and get a bigger and better suite at a fraction of the cost.

We will be there for seven nights so after AP renewals and hotel cost, we are left with around $3,500 for seven nights or about $500 per day for a budget.

An FYI, we also do the $1 every Friday exercise throughout the entire year as a force savings account allowing us to have $1,378 at the end of the year as well.

 

[BAMLuvMickey]

For us, we have several different things we do.

*All change in the "Disney Fund" jar
*I do swagbucks. I just got a $50 southwest gift card
*I try to take out some money every week of my hubby's paycheck(I'm a SAHM)
if we can't afford it, I don't sweat it.
*We return our bottles as soon as the bag is full(every couples weeks)
that money goes into the "Disney Fund" jar
*Also, any extra money we get goes into the jar. Holidays/Birthdays we request if you want to give us a gift, just give us the cash.(Does not apply to our kids, any money they get is theirs and theirs alone)
*Sometimes, I help my mom with her housekeeping job. That money goes into the jar too
*Lastly, the 52 week savings. At the end of the year, its only $1378 but that's still a good chunk of change!

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I have a chase Disney card, plus another card that gives cash back. I usually alternate between the two, so I have both money for Disney and cash, just in case I want something at the airport or off site. I agree that, if you do not pay your credit card off every month, it is not worth getting the points. You end up paying more back in interest.

I also never use change to pay a bill. I get the change back and throw it in a jar at home. Then I cash it in right before our trip. WE usually have at least $500 in change accumulate, but we don't go yearly, so that is why.

Plus I have a budget, anything that I go over on the budget with. Like if I set aside $150 for an electric bill and the bill only turns out to be $125 for the month, the other $25 goes right to the Disney account.

We also have a set amount go right into our Disney/vacation account every pay. Right now it is $100, but I tend to change the amount from time to time, depending on the circumstances. It goes right in, so we don't even miss it. But you have to have an employee who will deposit into multiple accounts to do that trick. My DH's pay can be split into up to 3 different accounts.

 

[Toadlover]

We are saving a little late, but what with not eating out and not going to movies, we are saving a LOT to go to Disney this Christmas. The kids hate to hear me keep saying, "no" to everything, but they'll get used to it and it will be worth it when we're in Disney World!