WHAT DO YOU DO TO AFFORD 7+ days at DISNEY??

[GOOFYFREEK]

Yes I know this is a personal question. But I see so many of you saying your going for 7 days 10 days 15 days and a couple ,a month.

Me and DW go 2-4 times a year and barely save enought to stay at the Value resorts. And only there 2 nights.

Just wondering what some of you do to be able to afford to stay so long?? AND BETTER YET ARE YOU HIRING??

HELP A POOR DISNEY FREEK OUT PLEASE!!!!!!<~~~~~ON KNEES BEGGING.

DOUG

 

[Danauk]

We save up like crazy and don't go as often (maybe every 2 years.) However then we are able to stay for 2 weeks.

 

[goofy4tink]

We wait for some great airfare. There are only 3 of us traveling, so that helps. We bought DVC, so it doesn't really feel like we are spending anything for our room. We buy APs. We try not to eat too much. Made that mistake on our first two trips. Spent too much money and too much time feeling bloated!!! Since we normally would have spent about $2000 for a cottage on Cape Cod for a vacation, we feel we get our money's worth at WDW instead. Yes, it's more to go to WDW but my dh actually prefers it to Cape Cod since he is type A in a big way and has to be always going. So, BWV were a good match for him/us.

 

[kelscross]

We go on my tax return, otherwise we wouldn't be able to go at all. However (and this is your business) if you are able to stay 2-4 times a year for a couple of nights, why don't you just save all year and go one time for a week or so?

 

[laurabelle]

Hang out at the Budget Board, you'll learn tons for ideas to make more Disney magic happen. I just got back from 9 days in WDW, shooting for 2 weeks next year.

 

[StuartMI]

We go once a year, if that. We have no kids (yet) so that is a huge savings for us. In addition we typically went in February and this year we're going in November so we could save up extra money for our Land & Sea package.

 

[mickeycw]

When you have to fly in you may only go once a year but stay longer!!

 

[GOOFYFREEK]

Originally posted by kelscross
We go on my tax return, otherwise we wouldn't be able to go at all. However (and this is your business) if you are able to stay 2-4 times a year for a couple of nights, why don't you just save all year and go one time for a week or so?

Cause I cant stay away that long. I really think I have a problem. Is there such thing as DISNEYADDICTION?? If so I think I have it.
Besides its only a 2 hour drive for me. And all that good food makes it so worth it.

Doug

 

[WeLoveThePoly]

We make our reservations at least a year in advance and make payments on it each month. We treat like another bill.

We watch the boards for discounts. Since 2001 I have gotten great discounts, a different one each time (AP discount, general public discount, Fairytale Package, 5+2 Package).

We used to drive but now we fly. Last year was the first year and I haven't perfected the 'got the lowest airfare possible' routine yet. But, we're paying $680 for the 3 of us this year (non-stop). Not the best but not too bad I think.

I agree with some of the other posts ..... why don't you take those 4-8 nights you spread over the year and stay for a week?

Good Luck!

Debbie

 

[liznboys]

We save money and don't go nearly as often as you do. We last went in March 2003, and our next trip is February 2005!! We'll be staying 6 nights at POFQ and 6 nights at AKL!

 

[gilld]

We don't go to WDW every year as we like other holidays as well, but as we live in the UK when we do go we go for at least 2 weeks. Flights from the UK are pricey so it isn't worth the money or the jet-lag to go for less time. We always take 2 long haul holidays every year, for 2 weeks each time ... maybe we're just lucky but we think holidays are important.

 

[cobbler]

I always go during the value season not only for the cheaper rates but also less crowded.

I figure out how much I would like to do and how long I would like to stay and kind of figure out total cost. Then I try to do a budget based on that cost and see if I can actually do it. If so, great, if not then I modify with fewer sit down meals or nights or something.

I buy AP's and hope for discounts but still make sure I book a room I can afford without them. If I get the discount then I can add some of the things back that I took out or I can add nights or whatever.

I also go twice during my one year AP pass to get the most bang for my buck. Like this year I activate AP's at the end of Nov and then we will go end Sept/early Oct next year so that saves on us having to buy a pass again, plus if they offer room discounts for both periods then that is even better.

Once I have my budget. I put money aside each month towards the vacation + I pay on my room. I find out how much the room will be and make monthly equal payments so that it is paid for once I get there. The money I put aside I accumulate until I have enough to buy passes that I need, after that, I just stash it for the vacation itself.

Hope that helps some!

 

[summersfam4]

We do it because it's budget friendly. I can imagine that if we went for 2-3 day quite a few times a year that I wouldn't be as thoughtful about stretching my budget to the max , as I would be able to cover sit down meals for most meals and only counter service/fast food a few times. As it is, we eat breakfast in our timeshare (offsite), we pack snacks, light lunches, and bottled water. Our kids get the change jar for their special purchase $$ (which I know DH and I will pad their budget here and there : but they have most of what they are getting), and then dinner most nights is a pricey sit down meal for 4 but on a couple of nights we order pizza or pick up Blimpie sandwiches. We can have a great time no matter what we spend Combine that with the fact that we drive instead of flying (6 hour drive in the middle of the night), and we plan/budget all year at home we are good to go, in fact I am adding another night to our 10 day trip next week because we decided that DH and I could pack the car on Sunday and leave after he gets home from work on Monday instead of leaving Tuesday night (he has Tuesday off already it was supposed to be a last minute packing day). If we can do it, you can do it!

Kelly

 

[vettechick99]

I used to live in Gainesville, FL and we had annual passes (huge money saver there...we bought them for each other as Christmas gifts). Instead of normal people vacations, we always just went to Disney when he had a weekend off. So about once a month, we would call the week before and see what AP codes were out and where we could get a room. We preferred certain hotels, but we stayed everywhere from the Poly to All Stars. We really didn't care, since we were going so often.

So if you are paying avg $100/night for a room, and your tickets are "free", then you just have to pay for the food and incidentals. We rarely bought souveniers, and budgeted $100/day for food (you can really do less if you tried). So for a few hundred bucks, you have a fun Disney weekend!

Now don't get me wrong. Living so close to the Mouse was like adding another monthly expense to our budget. But if you are a smart-consumer, you can really make out well.

Also, if you have DVC, then you vacations are essentially pre-paid. You might want to look into that as well (although if you primarily go on weekends, it will cost you more points).

Happy Planning!

 

[PamNC]

Hi there. You live close enough to drive and that's a good thing. We live 9 hours away - which is really a pain in the rump to drive but to save $$$, we usually opt for driving versus flying.

We go on average twice a year - and usually for 7 nights. Once we went three times in a year. Once for 7 nights, once for a quick weekend trip - 3 nights, and again for 6 nights. We have AP's and that saves $$ on hotel and ticket media. For the past 4 years, we've been staying at Deluxe resorts. Our 7 night trips costs between $2,500 and $3,100 - depending upon whether our AP's are active. We just went in July and we actually did it for about $2,300. AP was active. We just didn't eat as much - not because we were cheap but because it was really hot and we didn't want 3 heavy meals.

It's worth it to us - we love our vacations and although they are expensive - we do it anyway.

PamNC

 

[cinamin27]

Hi Doug!

A JAX neighbor for you! I am a single mom of 1 daughter & we manage to try to get down to orlando at least once a month except in the summer when its too unbearably hot. We like to take short trips rather than 1 long one for a change of scenery. My best suggestion would be stay offsite in a condo & buy florida resident annual passes. they I think are about 1/2 the price of regular annual passes (sorry havent bought one in 2 years as we are Universal addicts now) but have black out periods, easy to work around since you live so close!

try booking back to back condo stays using skyauction.com. you should be able to get a condo for a week for around $250 during lower seasons. staying at a condo will of course help out alot on food prices since you can run to a grocery store to stock up on breakfast items, snacks & drinks. + the condo feel would be much better than being locked up in a small hotel room for weeks at a time which would drive me completely bonkers!

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

1. We rent DVC points for our resort stay
(still trying to talk DH into buying DVC)

2. Eat/cook breakfast and light lunches in our DVC kitchen
(we do character meals for our dinners)

2. Use DH's frequent flyer miles for our airfare
(4 free tickets for our November trip)

3. Buy annual passes and make return trips within 1 year
(We are going w/o kids in Jan/Feb again with free airfare)

4. I put away cash and change to use for spending money/meals months before we go.

5. We travel during Value season.

That's my strategy and I'm sticking to it!

 

[crisi]

We only go every other year for seven days.

You'll hear a lot on the budget board that its about priorities. But its also about income. You can't squeeze quarters out of dimes no matter how hard you try.

Make a list of your income. Make a list of your necessary expenses. Make a list of your discretionary expenses. See if you can cut down your "necessary" expenses (a cheaper car, a lower rate on your mortgage), prioritize your discretionary expenses (and realize that if you really do eat out rather than putting money aside for a long Disney trip, maybe WDW isn't that important to you). And see if you can't augment your income (different job, second job, eBay).

 

[got2lovedisney]

Since I'm in Miami, I drive so that saves some money. We pack the car with snacks and bring a cooler full of drinks so that saves a little too. I've had the luck that we've traveled when they either have the Play4Days promotion or we get the Florida Resident Seasonal Pass. Always keep an eye out for discount codes. Got the DisneyVisa so I have about 247 reward dollars accumulated. If push comes to shove...I have about 97000 gold points accumulated which should get me about 6 nights offsite at the Country Inns.

Whenever possible: At work, I don't call in sick so at the end of the year I cashout my unused sick time (about $700). I bank my Xmas bonus (last year about $400). I bank any IRS refund. If I need to, I might cashout some vacation hours. Plus I put aside $50 semi-monthly into my ING account.
I'm seriously considering the AK voucher, Q&C and/or Breakfast vouchers. I'm also looking at Hotwire for the Gift Certs. Even a $5 savings is a savings!
Also, have a dinning room full of stuff I have to list on eBay (unfortunately procrastination is my middle name)

 

[LMC]

This is how we have done it with two kids (this year it is up'ed to 3 because our youngest is now 3yo):
We have been 3 or 4 times in the last two years. We always bought hoppers and used the unused days on our next visit. We stayed at the campground the last two times (other times off-site to save $$ --never again!!). If you go in value season you get great rates on rooms but you should be getting some good deals anyway being a FL resident! This Christmas we are surprising the kids with AP's and will go at least 4 times in the next year staying one week each time. We'll go more if DH can get more time off work to camp; or we'll take long holiday weekends and stay at a resort so we aren't pulling the camper and using up time. We all eat a light breakfast so that is done at the camper. Since we have little ones, we always take a backpack/cooler with snacks and water and sometimes even sandwiches so that we save $$$ for a good dinner. If we are eating an inexpensive dinner (camper cooked or off-site) then we will eat at counter service for lunch that day. We don't buy many souveniers anymore. This last time my kids spent their own money (and my were they selective on their choices this time!) and I only spend $10 each on them.
So our rule is spend very little on souveniers (we're there for the rides and characters anyway right?), take in some food/drink to save $$$, get the best rate on a place to stay using AAA or check out the codes out mousesavers.com. In January we are projecting to spend about $450 on our place to stay (7 nights) w/o a discount code yet so we are hoping to cut that down a good bit when codes come out for AAA or AP's then the main expense will be the AP's but we won't have to buy tickets anymore for a whole year!
Just keep browsing the buget forum and resort forum and you'll get some ideas!