We're saved over $3200 for Disney!!!!

[kmrobins03]

Great tip & congrats!

 

[pineappletreat]

Congrats, OP! What a fabulous accomplishment.

What is the overall target total that you want to achieve before your November 2014 departure date?

I would like at least $5000. I want this vacation to be perfect (okay, I want ALL vacations to be perfect! ). It's about $3000 to rent DVC points for 1 week in a 2 bedroom at Ft. Wilderness. Then I figure about $1000 for tickets and $1000 for the deluxe (the 1 with 1 table service a day) dining plan. I know I could probably save money without the dining plan, especially with the kitchen, but DH has a bad habit of scorning every penny we spend on vacation. This way we can do some character dining including CRT and DH won't be able to complain! The plan is to see about the villa rental in January (11 months ahead) and then once September rolls around, see how we're doing regarding tickets and food. We've been saving since January 2012 so hopefully we'll be able to make this perfect.

 

[pineappletreat]

Thank you everyone for your kind words. You are all so sweet.

 

[Marionnette]

I would like at least $5000. I want this vacation to be perfect (okay, I want ALL vacations to be perfect! ). It's about $3000 to rent DVC points for 1 week in a 2 bedroom at Ft. Wilderness. Then I figure about $1000 for tickets and $1000 for the deluxe (the 1 with 1 table service a day) dining plan. I know I could probably save money without the dining plan, especially with the kitchen, but DH has a bad habit of scorning every penny we spend on vacation. This way we can do some character dining including CRT and DH won't be able to complain! The plan is to see about the villa rental in January (11 months ahead) and then once September rolls around, see how we're doing regarding tickets and food. We've been saving since January 2012 so hopefully we'll be able to make this perfect.

Just a couple of corrections here. Not to nitpick but to help you get exactly what you're looking for when you book this trip.

1.) Ft. Wilderness is the campground. Wilderness Lodge has DVC vacation villas. There are no 2-bedroom units of any kind at the campground.

2.) Unless you have a really good discount, you are way under-budget on tickets. A 4-day base ticket (no hopping, no extras, one park per day) is currently $398 per adult and $378 per child at the gate. And prices will certainly increase between now and Nov. 2014!

3.) If you want the dining plan which gives you 1 TS, 1 CS and 1 snack per night plus refillable mugs for the length of your stay, you want the DDP (regular dining plan). The deluxe plan (DxDP) gives you 3 dining credits per night to be spent however you wish (CS or TS) plus 1 snack and refillable mugs.

 

[elgerber]

2.) Unless you have a really good discount, you are way under-budget on tickets. A 4-day base ticket (no hopping, no extras, one park per day) is currently $398 per adult and $378 per child at the gate. And prices will certainly increase between now and Nov. 2014!

.

I am looking at All Ears right now for my fall 2014 trip, and it says a 4 day base is $297.14?

 

[Marionnette]

I am looking at All Ears right now for my fall 2014 trip, and it says a 4 day base is $297.14?

I stand corrected. I was looking at the no-expiry tickets for some strange reason!

However, even at $297/adult and $277/child, you're talking $1148 for the OP's family. Even if purchased from UT with the Mousesavers' discount, you're not going to get it down to $1000. And that doesn't even take the inevitable 2014 price increases into account. I would pad the budget for tickets if I were the OP. $1000 is not going to be enough.

 

[elgerber]

I stand corrected. I was looking at the no-expiry tickets for some strange reason!

However, even at $297/adult and $277/child, you're talking $1148 for the OP's family. Even if purchased from UT with the Mousesavers' discount, you're not going to get it down to $1000. And that doesn't even take the inevitable 2014 price increases into account. I would pad the budget for tickets if I were the OP. $1000 is not going to be enough.

Ok, cool, thought I was going crazy!!! I agree, $1000 is not high enough, but I thought I was seeing the wrong prices!
Still, saving that much in a jar so far is amazing!!

 

[crisi]

I stand corrected. I was looking at the no-expiry tickets for some strange reason!

However, even at $297/adult and $277/child, you're talking $1148 for the OP's family. Even if purchased from UT with the Mousesavers' discount, you're not going to get it down to $1000. And that doesn't even take the inevitable 2014 price increases into account. I would pad the budget for tickets if I were the OP. $1000 is not going to be enough.

She's talking about a two bedroom for a trip with two little kids - an easy cut if she doesn't manage to save enough is to do a one bedroom and put the kids on the living room pull out. That's what we did with our kids until they were into double digits - and while it meant a quiet hour locked in the master bedroom at their bedtime (one of us would read, the other would sneak down to the hot tub, then we'd SNEAK back in and switch), that isn't the worst thing.

OP, You will want to make that reservation AT LEAST seven months out and realize that it is PROBABLY not refundable OR changeable - if you book a two bedroom, you'll have a two bedroom, if you book a one bedroom, you'll have a one bedroom. If you need to move your trip by a week, or want to add a day, or need to cancel because the kids got sick - you probably can't. DVC rentals can be a great savings, and the rooms are really nice for families, but it IS a commitment.

 

[elgerber]

She's talking about a two bedroom for a trip with two little kids - an easy cut if she doesn't manage to save enough is to do a one bedroom and put the kids on the living room pull out. That's what we did with our kids until they were into double digits - and while it meant a quiet hour locked in the master bedroom at their bedtime (one of us would read, the other would sneak down to the hot tub, then we'd SNEAK back in and switch), that isn't the worst thing.

OP, You will want to make that reservation AT LEAST seven months out and realize that it is PROBABLY not refundable OR changeable - if you book a two bedroom, you'll have a two bedroom, if you book a one bedroom, you'll have a one bedroom. If you need to move your trip by a week, or want to add a day, or need to cancel because the kids got sick - you probably can't. DVC rentals can be a great savings, and the rooms are really nice for families, but it IS a commitment.

We have 2 kids, teenagers (actually 20 and 17) and we always get a 1 bedroom. We bring an air mattress so they don't have to share. The biggest problem is getting 4 showers in to make rope drop, but with 2 little kids, it wasn't an issue at all back then, because they could have a bath after the pool or before bed.

 

[crisi]

We have 2 kids, teenagers (actually 20 and 17) and we always get a 1 bedroom. We bring an air mattress so they don't have to share. The biggest problem is getting 4 showers in to make rope drop, but with 2 little kids, it wasn't an issue at all back then, because they could have a bath after the pool or before bed.

We barely bathed ours - they were clean enough from the pool when they were little - and little kids don't get the greasy hair that came with puberty.

I've never gotten the "beds for everyone" obsession that a lot of DVCers have. Did no one but me ever spend Christmas at Grandma's with 14 cousins all camped out on every bit of floor space you could find - with the adults - if they were lucky, getting beds, pull outs, couches and barcoloungers? (Not a lot of showering there either).

 

[Marionnette]

She's talking about a two bedroom for a trip with two little kids - an easy cut if she doesn't manage to save enough is to do a one bedroom and put the kids on the living room pull out. That's what we did with our kids until they were into double digits - and while it meant a quiet hour locked in the master bedroom at their bedtime (one of us would read, the other would sneak down to the hot tub, then we'd SNEAK back in and switch), that isn't the worst thing.

OP, You will want to make that reservation AT LEAST seven months out and realize that it is PROBABLY not refundable OR changeable - if you book a two bedroom, you'll have a two bedroom, if you book a one bedroom, you'll have a one bedroom. If you need to move your trip by a week, or want to add a day, or need to cancel because the kids got sick - you probably can't. DVC rentals can be a great savings, and the rooms are really nice for families, but it IS a commitment.

I agree that a 1-bedroom would be sufficient for a family with 2 small children. But the OP was going to wait until Sept. 2014 to evaluate her tickets and food budget. At that point, it would be too late to scale back the DVC rental. I'm just suggesting that she make an adjustment to her budget now, since she is already under-budget with her estimate for tickets. In fact, she may also be under-budget on her estimate for her food costs, depending on how many nights she intends to stay and if she wants the DDP.

 

[Woth2982]

That is fantastic! What a great way to get the kids involved too so they can help in paying for their very first Disney trip. They will probably enjoy it more!

 

[crisi]

I agree that a 1-bedroom would be sufficient for a family with 2 small children. But the OP was going to wait until Sept. 2014 to evaluate her tickets and food budget. At that point, it would be too late to scale back the DVC rental. I'm just suggesting that she make an adjustment to her budget now, since she is already under-budget with her estimate for tickets. In fact, she may also be under-budget on her estimate for her food costs, depending on how many nights she intends to stay and if she wants the DDP.

Yeah, and I'm just saying if she thinks money might be tight, scaling back the rental now before she pulls the trigger is something to consider. She'll have to decide one way or the other - once she decides she's done - but a two bedroom is a lot of space for a family with two little kids - she probably won't even miss the second bedroom.

(Plus, once you start doing multiple bedrooms, it becomes harder and harder to downsize for future vacations - you start thinking two cabins for a cruise, or a two bedroom for a trip to Hawaii - I'd rather stick my kids on the hideabed in the living room on Maui or share a cabin with them on a ship and travel more )

 

[Marionnette]

Yeah, and I'm just saying if she thinks money might be tight, scaling back the rental now before she pulls the trigger is something to consider. She'll have to decide one way or the other - once she decides she's done - but a two bedroom is a lot of space for a family with two little kids - she probably won't even miss the second bedroom.

(Plus, once you start doing multiple bedrooms, it becomes harder and harder to downsize for future vacations - you start thinking two cabins for a cruise, or a two bedroom for a trip to Hawaii - I'd rather stick my kids on the hideabed in the living room on Maui or share a cabin with them on a ship and travel more )

I think we're in agreement here! The OP should evaluate her accommodations based on her projected costs for food and tickets. It would be a shame to book a villa with more space than they need and then not have enough cash to cover tickets and some character meals. I'm not the type to squish 5 people and a pack-n-play into a POR room, but I don't see the need for so much space for a family of 4 with young children unless someone has special needs for medical equipment.

 

[pineappletreat]

I stand corrected. I was looking at the no-expiry tickets for some strange reason!

However, even at $297/adult and $277/child, you're talking $1148 for the OP's family. Even if purchased from UT with the Mousesavers' discount, you're not going to get it down to $1000. And that doesn't even take the inevitable 2014 price increases into account. I would pad the budget for tickets if I were the OP. $1000 is not going to be enough.

Thanks! I hadn't sat down to look at the ticket prices yet. Good thing I'm in a "Fall Cleaning" mode and cleaning things out and getting rid of them on craigslist!

 

[pineappletreat]

Yeah, and I'm just saying if she thinks money might be tight, scaling back the rental now before she pulls the trigger is something to consider. She'll have to decide one way or the other - once she decides she's done - but a two bedroom is a lot of space for a family with two little kids - she probably won't even miss the second bedroom.

(Plus, once you start doing multiple bedrooms, it becomes harder and harder to downsize for future vacations - you start thinking two cabins for a cruise, or a two bedroom for a trip to Hawaii - I'd rather stick my kids on the hideabed in the living room on Maui or share a cabin with them on a ship and travel more )

Heh! Where were you 2 years ago?! We did a 3 bedroom condo in Hawaii with the kids and both my mother and mother-in-law. One mom had her own room and one mom shared with my kids.

With their being so little and so close in age, right now it's nice to be able to do one bed per child. When we've tried them in a bed together they end up fighting all night. I also guess I need to figure that in a year, they will be a year older. We've always tried to put them in their own room because they go to bed at 7:30 so it's nice to not have to hide in my room. We're in a 1 bedroom in Las Vegas in a month, I'll have a chance to see how they do there before we have to make any commitment. Right now I figure the trip will be the kids and I on the sofa bed with me in the middle having to go to bed at 7:30 like it's been before when we've only had a one bedroom.

We are driving so the air mattress is an option too.

Thanks for all your tips!

 

[pineappletreat]

She's talking about a two bedroom for a trip with two little kids - an easy cut if she doesn't manage to save enough is to do a one bedroom and put the kids on the living room pull out. That's what we did with our kids until they were into double digits - and while it meant a quiet hour locked in the master bedroom at their bedtime (one of us would read, the other would sneak down to the hot tub, then we'd SNEAK back in and switch), that isn't the worst thing.

OP, You will want to make that reservation AT LEAST seven months out and realize that it is PROBABLY not refundable OR changeable - if you book a two bedroom, you'll have a two bedroom, if you book a one bedroom, you'll have a one bedroom. If you need to move your trip by a week, or want to add a day, or need to cancel because the kids got sick - you probably can't. DVC rentals can be a great savings, and the rooms are really nice for families, but it IS a commitment.

I might need to pay attention here more, but how common is it to have to change vacations? We've been to Chicago 3 times to visit GGA, St. Louis yearly and Hawaii once, these were all booked and arranged ahead of time with no rescheduling.

 

[pineappletreat]

Just a couple of corrections here. Not to nitpick but to help you get exactly what you're looking for when you book this trip.

1.) Ft. Wilderness is the campground. Wilderness Lodge has DVC vacation villas. There are no 2-bedroom units of any kind at the campground.

2.) Unless you have a really good discount, you are way under-budget on tickets. A 4-day base ticket (no hopping, no extras, one park per day) is currently $398 per adult and $378 per child at the gate. And prices will certainly increase between now and Nov. 2014!

3.) If you want the dining plan which gives you 1 TS, 1 CS and 1 snack per night plus refillable mugs for the length of your stay, you want the DDP (regular dining plan). The deluxe plan (DxDP) gives you 3 dining credits per night to be spent however you wish (CS or TS) plus 1 snack and refillable mugs.

Thanks! I don't know why I can't keep Ft. Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge separate!

Wow! I should therefore plan a bit more than $100 per person/per day (or look up the tickets and figure out what we want to do what day and then calculate the number of days and tickets). That would be 4x6 or 4x7 for $2600 to $2800 for tickets. Minimum.

Okay, more planning, more selling stuff!

 

[elgerber]

I might need to pay attention here more, but how common is it to have to change vacations? We've been to Chicago 3 times to visit GGA, St. Louis yearly and Hawaii once, these were all booked and arranged ahead of time with no rescheduling.

I have never changed a vacation, when we plan one, we stick to it. But I do know of a lot of people who do shuffle them around. That would be your personal choice, if you don't think you will change anything,then you are good! The poster was just stating with DVC, you need to pick your room type and stick to it.

 

[crisi]

I might need to pay attention here more, but how common is it to have to change vacations? We've been to Chicago 3 times to visit GGA, St. Louis yearly and Hawaii once, these were all booked and arranged ahead of time with no rescheduling.

We've changed two pretty drastically in the past ten years - we are DVC members, so we have a little more flexibility with our points than if we'd rent.

About ten years ago my extended family was supposed to take a trip with us. My sister got pregnant, so we pushed that trip back, then when her son was six months old, she got a breast cancer diagnosis, and we pushed it back again. We ended up going when her baby was two. (She is still fine and the baby is in second grade). During the waiting years, we ended up bringing friends on a vacation to use the points.

Last year we were supposed to have a Grand Villa with my brother in law in and his girlfriend in August. He passed away that June from bladder cancer. The kids and I still took the trip, my husband joined us midway through. Three people in a Grand Villa is REALLY overkill, but this time we didn't have the heart to find a substitute guest.

We got "lucky" with my grandmother, who passed away two weeks before a trip instead of holding on. However, since spoiling my life was what she did best, ruining my vacation would have been a fitting end. (Didn't like her, but would have stayed behind for my father's sake - my mother was saying "if she holds on, you are going, she will not keep spoiling my children's lives." Mom didn't like her either).

Most commonly around here, what we hear is that people don't cancel for such tragic reasons - they cancel because they get laid off, or have a financial emergency - then again, this is the budget board, so that is the sort of thing that comes up.