What dollar amount do you consider to be a budget trip?

[madelyn]

I always consider the Boardwalk to be BW but since it is offsite I have no clue. And generally the Boardwalk is not part of a budget trip!

My guess is Best Western, since it's an offsite hotel.

 

[NancyIL]

I always consider the Boardwalk to be BW but since it is offsite I have no clue. And generally the Boardwalk is not part of a budget trip!

My first thought was also Boardwalk, but there's no way they could've gotten 2 rooms for 7 nights for $500. It would be hard to get 2 rooms for 1 night for that amount!

 

[MonsterWDWmom]

You really need to check out the Transportation board on here - there is no way you will need to pay $275 for a rental car for 2 adults in September. You should be able to shave at least $100 off of that - maybe more if you are willing to rent the smaller, economy cars.

There are GREAT deals to be had on rental cars in Orlando - you just have to hunt for them!

I know I can most likely get a car for less I am just budgeting high incase. If I save up the money and don't use it all it just means that I have extra to use or continue to save for something else! This is the way I always budget for any big expense I would rather over budget than under. Thank you though I will check out the transportation board as I am not familiar with the rental places at MCO and where to get a good deal.

 

[madelyn]

True...Boardwalk would cost more like $500 for 2 rooms for 1 night!

My first thought was also Boardwalk, but there's no way they could've gotten 2 rooms for 7 nights for $500. It would be hard to get 2 rooms for 1 night for that amount!

 

[hsmamato2]

I always love it when people have APs or DVC and then say that it costs them $0 for an upcoming trip. It really isn't costing you $0. You just spent the money upfront for those things and determining the cost for a single visit is hard to calculate.

True.... a lot of pp's don't post what it truly cost them to get the 'free' things.....
anyway,I'll play! LAst year we did a 10 day trip including airfare,food,park at airport, 2 days onsite Universal,7 days onsite at POFQ w/FD,tix to WDW and Universal- 4 "adults" total cost was 2500.00-
Not bad for a true,onsite,theme parks trip!
This upcoming year I have a trip planned for 10 days- 4 "adults"
3 days sightseeing other parts of FL(hotel,car,etc) + 8 nights onsite + 7 day PHtix +oop food (mostly qs planned) incl. airfare- total is approx. 2900.00
(onsite = Dolphin this trip) The reality is we could have cut that down a little more, but I really want to try this hotel,instead of the value resort option,and my fam LOVES being onsite.

 

[hsmamato2]

also, budget means different things to different people. Disney is expensive,and 'budget' to me is cutting out all extra expenses that I can while still enjoying it! PArk tix,etc are costly. Even Ap's...you have to spread the 'cost per day out' when calculating those, but they still cost. (if only they were actually free! LOL) even my 'free' airfare costs me the 99.00 per year annual fee for credit card + 5 per flight fees.....so not truly free(though supersuper cheap)

 

[DawnM]

Family of 5, two full weeks.

We have done the YES tickets for years and years. I know it will change some this year, although if we go during Homeschool days, we will still all get the discount.

8 days, hoppers, waterparks and more option, right around $1,300.

SkyAuction 2 bedroom condo, $500 for two weeks

We eat mostly our own food, we get sick if we eat out that much, seriously.
We typically spend about $550 on food total for 2 weeks (have used Birthday deals and kids meal deals for T-Rex, etc.....to keep the cost down when eating out there too.)

But I typically spend around $200/wk. on food at home and $150/mo for eating out, so I really am not spending "extra" for vacation. I just use our regular budget if that makes sense. Nothing extra than our normal food budget.

Gas: around $350 but is typically reimbursed by DH's job as he gets sent down every year for the conference (which is why we go for two weeks.......first week he is working and the second week is his vacation.) And many haven't included the cost of transportation in their amounts......so you have to figure out exactly what people are including when they give you their totals.

$120 parking.

How many days?

Base tickets alone for my family of 4 for 8 days are 1280 from undercover tourist.

 

[disneysteve]

$0 tickets-AP holders

Please tell us where you get your free annual passes.

Sorry but this is faulty math. It is the same as folks who say their accommodations were free because they own a timeshare. Somehow they forget the thousands of dollars they paid to own that timeshare or the hundreds they pay for the annual maintenance fee.

You need to spread out the cost of your APs over the number of days that you use them.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I guess maybe the question should have been what is your budget for a budget vacation. The PP I am quoting looks like a great total but only if they don't plan on eating for the four weeks they are in Orlando.

My $4000 budget includes everything. Gas, tolls, food on the road, hotel before Disney, resort, tickets, food, extra money for Food and Wine Festival, and a small amount for souvenirs. The only thing I haven't budgeted for that will most likely get added is Photopass +.

Mine too. Start to finish.

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[goodfood4ursoul]

So many variables. A lot of people are including free stuff in their budget which is great for them but not realistic for a overall cost...

I guess "free" can be misleading, but when it comes to budget vacations, there are lots of truly FREE things to do in Florida.

Visit Oakland Nature Preserve http://www.oaklandnaturepreserve.org/information.php#about
Fun Antique-ing at Renningers in Mt. Dora http://oldsite.renningers.com/dora/dorahome.htm
Tons of local parks: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/?tabid=350

Watching a variety of shows at the Waterside Stage at DTD in the evenings.
Enjoying the entertainers at the Boardwalk in the evenings
Riding the water ferries around the Epcot resorts and exploring them (or the Magic Kingdom resorts)- very relaxing especially if the weather is nice in the evening.

Fort Matanzas- free boat ride (tons of dolphin) and tour of fort. http://www.nps.gov/foma/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm

Free winery tasting at San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine.
http://www.sansebastianwinery.com/information.php

Free food/dinners or discounts with coupons when you sign up at the restaurants' websites.
We have planned vacations in conjunction with birthdays (often you get free meals during birthday months) and saved a lot that way.

My experience is that food off site is just as good or better than on WDW property- for far less $$$, and on-site dining isn't really that magical.


"Budget" means different things to different people,
and for my family "free" (free parks or free experiences or free food)
means a lower cost of the overall trip- which makes it more affordable for us.

We have found that "free" does not mean "without value".
If done correctly, free means good value for the cost of gas to get there.
One simply has to be willing to do their homework and be ready to have an adventure.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I guess "free" can be misleading, but when it comes to budget vacations, there are lots of truly FREE things to do in Florida.

Visit Oakland Nature Preserve http://www.oaklandnaturepreserve.org/information.php#about
Fun Antique-ing at Renningers in Mt. Dora http://oldsite.renningers.com/dora/dorahome.htm
Tons of local parks: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/?tabid=350

Watching a variety of shows at the Waterside Stage at DTD in the evenings.
Enjoying the entertainers at the Boardwalk in the evenings
Riding the water ferries around the Epcot resorts and exploring them (or the Magic Kingdom resorts)- very relaxing especially if the weather is nice in the evening.

Fort Matanzas- free boat ride (tons of dolphin) and tour of fort. http://www.nps.gov/foma/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm

Free winery tasting at San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine.
http://www.sansebastianwinery.com/information.php

Free food/dinners or discounts with coupons when you sign up at the restaurants' websites.
We have planned vacations in conjunction with birthdays (often you get free meals during birthday months) and saved a lot that way.

My experience is that food off site is just as good or better than on WDW property- for far less $$$, and on-site dining isn't really that magical.

"Budget" means different things to different people,
and for my family "free" (free parks or free experiences or free food)
means a lower cost of the overall trip- which makes it more affordable for us.

We have found that "free" does not mean "without value".
If done correctly, free means good value for the cost of gas to get there.
One simply has to be willing to do their homework and be ready to have an adventure.

No I didnt mean free entertainment. I meant the "free" airline tickets, "free" annual pass, "free" time share.

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[goofyredraider]

But I typically spend around $200/wk. on food at home and $150/mo for eating out, so I really am not spending "extra" for vacation. I just use our regular budget if that makes sense. Nothing extra than our normal food budget.

We also count what we would normally spend at home towards our budget on trips. I specifically budget an amount for groceries weekly and do not go over it, and when on vacation. It becomes part of the "fund".

 

[goofyredraider]

No I didnt mean free entertainment. I meant the "free" airline tickets, "free" annual pass, "free" time share.

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I just did my math on my Ap and # of days we will use it over/have already used it and I came up with about $9/day.

My MVMCP tickets were paid in full using target bonus gcs from buying products I was buying anyway /needed (laundry detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, grocery items, etc). I used manufacturer coupons on most of those items too. I stockpiled them for a year, buying a $50 card when I reached that amount and tucking it away, so I do feel like that part was free.

 

[SEA333]

So many variables. A lot of people are including free stuff in their budget which is great for them but not realistic for a overall cost. We also went Spring Break for 2 years and Christmas one year. We did our cheapest trip August of 2009 and stayed value. It was cheap 1800 tickets, hotel and free dining for 3 adults 1 child. Hated everything about it but the actual parks. Flights were 160.00 pp RT from MDW. So good prices. Just wont ever stay value again.

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Well, including "free" stuff *is* part of working the budget, so I don't think it is unreasonable to include it as part of why a person thinks it is a budget trip!

OP - my idea of a budget trip is what we are paying to go for 5 days/4 nights in November for the five of us - Me, DH, DS13, DD9, and DS7:

We are paying an upfront cost of just about $2807.00 for our trip. This includes:
$628.92 - roundtrip tickets for the 5 of us, and one checked 60’ rolling suitcase. Each of us will be allowed one free 16”X12” personal item (the kids will have school-sized backpacks as their personal item, and DH and I will have bags the size of a large laptop case)

Free - car ride to and from the airport so we don’t have to pay train/cab fare or pay to park at the airport.

$92.00 - Rental car (full-size) from Hertz for the 5 days we are there – DH works for the Hertz corporation, so we are using his employee discount

Free – DDP plan, DD will be counted as an adult since she is almost 10, so there will be 4 “adults” and one “child” on the plan.

$2087.00 – 4 night stay at POR in the Bayou rooms to accommodate our family of 5, and 3-day park tickets

Other costs associated with the trip will be:

$150 – 3 $50 gift cards, one for each kid for spending money/souvenirs

$500 – tips and other incidentals, extra snacks/meals not on the DDP, souveniers

$200 – “pre” trip items, like a new pair of sandals or shorts/shirts if the kids happen to outgrow something. Not really counting this as part of our trip budget since they will wear/use the stuff at home, too, but I thought I’d throw it in there anyway.

$25 – paying DS13’s best friend to come over 3 days to feed the cat.

Grand total: $3682.92

 

[Marionnette]

Well, including "free" stuff *is* part of working the budget, so I don't think it is unreasonable to include it as part of why a person thinks it is a budget trip!

OP - my idea of a budget trip is what we are paying to go for 5 days/4 nights in November for the five of us - Me, DH, DS13, DD9, and DS7:

We are paying an upfront cost of just about $2807.00 for our trip. This includes:
$628.92 - roundtrip tickets for the 5 of us, and one checked 60’ rolling suitcase. Each of us will be allowed one free 16”X12” personal item (the kids will have school-sized backpacks as their personal item, and DH and I will have bags the size of a large laptop case)

Free - car ride to and from the airport so we don’t have to pay train/cab fare or pay to park at the airport.

$92.00 - Rental car (full-size) from Hertz for the 5 days we are there – DH works for the Hertz corporation, so we are using his employee discount

Free – DDP plan, DD will be counted as an adult since she is almost 10, so there will be 4 “adults” and one “child” on the plan.

$2087.00 – 4 night stay at POR in the Bayou rooms to accommodate our family of 5, and 3-day park tickets

Other costs associated with the trip will be:

$150 – 3 $50 gift cards, one for each kid for spending money/souvenirs

$500 – tips and other incidentals, extra snacks/meals not on the DDP, souveniers

$200 – “pre” trip items, like a new pair of sandals or shorts/shirts if the kids happen to outgrow something. Not really counting this as part of our trip budget since they will wear/use the stuff at home, too, but I thought I’d throw it in there anyway.

$25 – paying DS13’s best friend to come over 3 days to feed the cat.

Grand total: $3682.92

I love the way that you worked your budget but I agree with 4HppyCamprs in principle. When you ignore the amount that you spent in order to get your "free" stuff, you're misleading yourself.

Those of us who purchased DVC contracts put out $$$ upfront and we continue to pay into that commitment through our annual maintenance fees. The same goes for any timeshare owner who makes their budget look better by ignoring those costs.

If you purchased an AP, you spent a ton of money with the initial purchase. Obviously, the more you use it, the less it costs you on a per-day basis, but it still costs you something. The same holds true for people who use leftover no-expiry tickets from previous visits or unused passes they bought in order to get "free" dining. The price of admission is not $0.

That dining plan is not really free. Not when you consider that you could have gotten a room-only discount and purchased your tickets from an outside source instead. The dining plan in reality = (rack rate - discounted room rate) + (Disney's gate price for tickets - a discounter's price). It may still be a great deal, but it is not free.

There are so many variables and each person's situation is unique. When I said $2500 for 2 adults for a week, I meant paying OOP for everything including all transportation, food, tickets and accommodations. I know that it can be done more cheaply if you don't visit the parks, stay with relatives and bring a freezer full of homemade dinners with you. But to actually plan a vacation at Disney, tickets for each day and food each night, I really believe that $2500 is about the least amount that you can expect to reasonably spend in a week for 2 people.

 

[MonsterWDWmom]

There are so many variables and each person's situation is unique. When I said $2500 for 2 adults for a week, I meant paying OOP for everything including all transportation, food, tickets and accommodations. I know that it can be done more cheaply if you don't visit the parks, stay with relatives and bring a freezer full of homemade dinners with you. But to actually plan a vacation at Disney, tickets for each day and food each night, I really believe that $2500 is about the least amount that you can expect to reasonably spend in a week for 2 people.

Thank you for this because that is what I am figuring my trip will cost me next Sept. I am planning on more (just in case). My savings goal will be $3000 total for Everything!! even souvenirs.

 

[disneysteve]

When you ignore the amount that you spent in order to get your "free" stuff, you're misleading yourself.

This is something that many people ignore and, honestly, it can be rather hard to calculate what those "free" things really cost.

That dining plan is not really free. Not when you consider that you could have gotten a room-only discount and purchased your tickets from an outside source instead. The dining plan in reality = (rack rate - discounted room rate) + (Disney's gate price for tickets - a discounter's price). It may still be a great deal, but it is not free.

Thanks for posting this. So many people tout the benefit of "free dining". I have trouble getting them to understand that in order to get free dining, they are spending a lot more than my family spends for our trips paying for food out of pocket. It isn't really a "budget" way to go.

I really believe that $2500 is about the least amount that you can expect to reasonably spend in a week for 2 people.

Having done it numerous times, I have to say that a family of 3 can do a week for under $2,500 quite easily.

 

[DawnM]

Yeah, that is why I did include the amounts in my post.

It throws off my monthly budget to not include it in the monthly budget and then move it over to vacation, so I just keep it there.

To ME, it makes more sense to have a "vacation budget" and a regular food budget.

If I don't go over my regular food budget, it isn't extra out of my pocket, so I don't include it.

But for reference to those looking for a budget trip, that is the amount we spend and stick to that as best we can. Anything over the regular budget is considered vacation fund budget.

Dawn

We also count what we would normally spend at home towards our budget on trips. I specifically budget an amount for groceries weekly and do not go over it, and when on vacation. It becomes part of the "fund".

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I always love it when people have APs or DVC and then say that it costs them $0 for an upcoming trip. It really isn't costing you $0. You just spent the money upfront for those things and determining the cost for a single visit is hard to calculate.

I know what you mean. To get a true cost so I can compare with current Disney promos I always break my initial purchase cost down into a per trip cost. For instance, I bought 10 day no expire hoppers with WP & more a couple of years ago to use over 3-4 trips. If I use them over 3 trips my cost breaks down to roughly $200 per person per trip. So that's the number I use in my trip estimate - not perfect math, but close enough.

ETA: I also always add in what I pay in fees for my timeshare. I get 2 weeks a year out of my lockoff so I get to split the annual maintenance fee in half, but have to add a $200 RCI trading fee each time. I have owned the place since I was a freshman in college. It cost $3000 30 years ago and has paid for itself over and over again so I no longer add in any of my original purchase price. If I don't figure up my timeshare costs I can't accurately compare offsite to the current Disney deals and choose the most economical option.

Just checked the current park ticket prices on the Undercovertourist.com and there is no way to take a "budget" trip in my eyes unless you already have tickets. For my family of 5 (only 1 still a "child"), 4 day base tickets (no hopping) are priced at $290.95/$270.95. Just the park tickets would cost $1,434.75! We used to purchase 10 day non-expiring hoppers to use over 3 trips or so but each one of those costs $723.95/$704.95! If I got 5 of those for my family, the cost would be $3,600! The true cost of the tickets could be spread out over the trips they were used on but the initial purchase would really hurt! I think the last ticket of that type I purchased was in 2009 and the cost was around $500. Then we went with a friend who was able to get military tickets and my son went on a trip with my sisters using Y.E.S. tickets. Can't believe how pricey tickets are now!

I totally agree with you! The ticket cost is the one variable that is really hard to reduce. You can stay offsite and reduce lodging costs. You can cook food in your condo and pack lunches to reduce dining costs. You can drive vs fly to reduce travel costs. But options are very limited to reduce ticket costs. After our first family trip in 2010 I was hooked, wanted to go back in the worst way. We got tickets (4 day adult base with water parks) that time from UT - $1100 for our family of 4. Total trip with timeshare condo fees, travel (gas, hotels, meals), food, souveniers, parking, free Sea World tickets (given to us by a Safeway exec who got them from Coke, a major Sea World supplier) & WDW tickets from UT was $3400. Soon after I was on a mission to find a way to reduce ticket costs. I looked into YES (kids are teens and didn't want to do classes), looked into military (kids' granddad is retired military but the grandparents don't really enjoy Disney like we do), looked into 10 day no expire tickets. I ended up forking out $2500 for the no expire tickets two price increases ago, two years before we planned to go again. So glad I bit the bullet and did it then!

 

[drgnfly30]

Depends on the trip (who's coming, length of stay) etc... but I always always try to save $! (note my < Tag )

For our trip next week (4 nights, just me & DH):

Frontier Airfare - $330.00
Dolphin Hotel - $600 (combination of cash & points)
3 Day Hopper Passes x 2- $0 (free from my employer)
Tiffany Towncar - $130 ($5 off coupon)
ECV rental - $120
$450 in Disney GC for food - $317.00 (using Mypoints; RedCARD & Shopkicks)

So by my Disney math I'm paying $1497 for a trip that is valued at $2471