What has been your cheapest trip to Disney?

[etwinchester]

but we were lucky money wise. We went with 10 other family members (won't do that again) and rented a house. Grandmother wanted to pay for most of it, so we (each couple) paid $250 for two weeks. I bought 4 day PH for DH and myself for like $500. My mom bought my DD tickets for her xmas gift and we got Sea World tickets for our xmas gifts.

Also, our grandmother bought the groceries for the house. We just paid for meals when we wanted to eat out. Used remaining money for souvenirs, park snacks, etc...

It ended up being around $1000 (maybe a little less) for 2 weeks. Couldn't pass that up since it was my DD first trip and DH as well...

We also did 2 time share visits to earn money to buy our Nextel phones that we wanted when we returned home. Made $200 doing that.

Our next trip won't be that cheap at all. I want to stay at a moderate or deluxe for 2 weeks. I can't go to Disney for less than 2 weeks. Too much to do and see. Also want to take some days to relax. DH doesn't get to do that very often and he deserves it.

 

[kathyclownfish]

Golter, I'm with you. I couldn't figure out how that vacation cost $900 either. Our first trip was $4700 for a family of 4 (DD 14, DS 12) We flew from NJ, stayed at the CBR and had UPH. We ate pretty well and bought a few gifts and stuff....nothing really that expensive. This was before I found this site.

This time around our trip will be $3100.00 including a rental car and free airline tickets. I mean tickets to get into the parks for a family of 4 are $1200 alone for a 7 day trip w/o AP.

I don't understand how people can budget a disney vacation for 4 people under $3000 when the tickets to get into the parks are $1200 alone! You need to eat.....that has to be at least $700 even if you prepare the food in your condo. And who wants to go food shopping and cook during a vacation....yuck!!! This takes valuable time away from the parks. Why bother.

Budget accomdations are at least $75.00 a night for any kind of a decent place. With taxes this brings you to at least $600 for lodging. So far:

1200 tickets
700 food
600 lodging
150 car rental
750 cheap airfare
= 3400.00 for a budget disney vacation

This doesn't include any nice dinners (CG, FF etc....), dog sitting costs, presents, eating in the airport, or any extras. If you are planning on going to Disney 1 or 2 times in your lifetime it doesn't pay to buy into the disney vacation club or AP's. So in reality....Disney is definately not a budget vacation IMHO. Am I not budgeting this correctly??

 

[threeboysmom]

My cheapest trip ever was in September 2001 with my 4 year old son. My dad & my sister came along too. I spent a grand total of about $600 for everything!!

Airfare for 2 = $200 (Southwest)

Towncar = $40 ($120 split 3 ways)

All-Stars $49 x 5 = $250 (split cost of room w/ sister = $125)

Food $20/day x 6 = $120 (breakfast in room) (Son & I shared lunch & dinner or he ate pb&j made in room)

No souvies - we go so often there's no need for more.....

Tickets $100 - bought 1-day pass for each of us, plus we used leftover 3 days from our park hoppers

It was our cheapest trip, but our most memorable!!

 

[LovesDoomBuggies]

JacqueK, how do you rent DVC points?

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by Golter
Cindy B posted

"1999

Our first trip

Me, DH, two kids, (one under three)

MKC club rate at All Stars
Three hoppers
Driving costs
tolls
meals
everything

5 day vacation

less than $900"


I just dont see how this is possible, 900 for 5 days. Im assuming 4 day hoppers would have been $500 or so, 5 nights at AS would be approx 200 or more. That leaves $200 or roughly $40 a day for gas, food, tolls, and souviniers(sp?). I guess it would work if you didnt eat. Check my numbers, but I dont see how it would be possible. We drive from Houston and do a 8day/7night trip to WDW and USIOA. Gas runs $200, Snacks and food on the way to and from $50. 5 4 day hoppers - $1000 5 Universal Passes $500. Lodging (which I dont pay for - its a gift from my dad at his timeshare) $350. Food each day $100 and $100 or so on Souveniers. Total about 2300.

This was 1999. My daughter did not need a hopper since she was under 3. We got a code for All Star Sports which was about $68 per night. Gas was only 2 tanks at $15 per tank. Snack and food on the way was about $20. This was a WDW only trip.

 

[TaraPA]

I am super thrifty when it comes to Disney - the only way we can afford to go every year! First & foremost - sign up for every awards point club that you can - AND the Disney VISA Rewards card. We fly free every time on frequent flyer miles AND get free Park Hopper Plus passes by cashing in Marriott, Hilton or American Express Points. They add up much quicker than you think! This Dec. I'm taking both DS's by myself & we are all flying free & getting free Park Hopper Plus passes - and we still have $150 Disney Reward Dollars from the Disney VISA card that I will apply towards the room - which of course will be a reduced rate with the codes!! Love them codes!!!! So for 6 days/5 nights I'm expecting to only have to put out a little over $500 for the room balance & food! We never spend a lot on souvenirs - my kids love the pressed pennies - so for 50 cents each I let them collect a bunch. The Magic Towels at $3.50 are also really nice souvenirs. I re-use my refillable mugs even at different resorts (oh Lord I hope I haven't started a whole thread on that topic again!) - I'll just say we have reused them for years in a row have never been questioned. We take snacks & quick breakfast foods - Pop Tarts, instant oatmeal, cereal bars - my kids are so excited to get to the park in the morning they don't want to sit thru breakfast anyway - they eat in the room while I get ready for the day. The only thing we splurge on is Tiffany Town Cars - and it's well worth it!!

 

[disneymom3]

WEll, other than the cost of tickets, we always go pretty cheap. Of course, we stay offsite in a condo, so that helps A LOT.

Let's look at 2002-2003:

DD and I went in June of 2002. Roundtrip tix for $99 each, Priceline hotel for $35 per night x 4, compact rental car for $100. Bought annual passes we intended to get for our upcoming trip in Dec when we would be there for more than 10 days, so can I count that as $0 ? (Okay, so it was around $600) Spent around $120 on food. We are masters at bringing our own snacks and breakfast stuff. Had some counter service lunches, ate a couple of IHOP dinners. (Her fav restaurant) So that was $560 plus the $600 on our tickets.

Dec 2002--ME. DH, DD, and two DSs under three. Drove down for a 2wk+ trip. First week timeshare exchange into Vistana Villages from the in laws timeshare--$180 for the week. Second week was a SkyAuction win for $240 for Westgate Vacation Villas (okay, NOT a good thing) Boys did not need tickets, DD andI have ours, DH is $360. When we came home I figured out we spent an average of $37 per day on food. This includes groceries from the store which I would have bought anyway. Yes, we eat in our villa--for the poster who wonders what the point of that is, the point for us is that we got to go for two weeks and it was a lot cheaper than eating out all of the time. Besides, it was way more pleasant to eat at "home" than to eat out all of the time with two toddlers. THAT is not a vacation! When we did eat out, we went to places like Uno where you pay a penny per pound for the kids. Did two character meals which were free for the boys.

Drove down--total cost including one night hotel $300 RT

May 2003--Drove again,($300) all tickets paid for, stayed 6 nights at CP($530) and one night at Vistana $150. Even cheaper on the food, I think. I know we only ate in the parks like 4 times and once was at AK where we do the kids meal deal and that is all the food we have for the day. Granted we spent a lot of time at the pool etc, no full days in the parks, which we never do as our kids are little and get wiped out.

So, three trips in just under a year total of 24+ days=$3685

And what a good year it was! Sadly, next trip both of the boys will be over three so those costs are going UP!

 

[brack]

My DW and I have gone many times on different budgets.

Our cheapest (per day) was two weeks long. I found a nice hotel for $25 per night, we drove from Oklahoma City (22 hours straight thru), we ate at IHOP for breakfast ($2 special), other meals were very frugal and we had our Annual Passes from a previous visit. It was way less than $1,000.

 

[CheapMom]

DH's work has sent us to WDW twice- for conventions- once at Coronado Springs once at Hilton at DD.
The trip to Coronado all expenses paid INCLUDING souveniers- We charged all our gift shop purchases to the room and at checkout we were shocked that they paid the entire bill- We had to buy my airfare and that was pretty much all- They even got us Cirque tix.
The Hilton trip was more expensive for us- We bought airfare for me and the 2 kids and we had to use our own park passes on that trip and we paid for 3 extra nights at POFQ but it was still very cheap. (Around $1000 for 6 days/family of 5)

 

[The Sweetness]

I went through a phase in the mid '90's (for about 2 years when I was WDW obsessed. DH agreed to go 1 time durring that 2 years, but other than that I was on my own. (finances, 4 hour drive etc...) At least 1 trip was for just 2 nights, 3 days (very early start to drive first morn). We stayed at the least expensive room I could find that would give us a bagel and some juice in the morning. We ate counterservice only meals in the parks, and only brought back souveniers for me, DD, and Dh.

Hectic times and all, we loved it. Although, we DO love table service and or character meals in the middle of the day, and prefer to be able to visit each park for a full day(at least 7 hours) on each trip

 

[sln88]

I don't understand how people can budget a disney vacation for 4 people under $3000 when the tickets to get into the parks are $1200 alone! You need to eat.....that has to be at least $700 even if you prepare the food in your condo. And who wants to go food shopping and cook during a vacation....yuck!!! This takes valuable time away from the parks. Why bother.

Budget accomdations are at least $75.00 a night for any kind of a decent place. With taxes this brings you to at least $600 for lodging. So far:

1200 tickets
700 food
600 lodging
150 car rental
750 cheap airfare
= 3400.00 for a budget disney vacation

This doesn't include any nice dinners (CG, FF etc....), dog sitting costs, presents, eating in the airport, or any extras. If you are planning on going to Disney 1 or 2 times in your lifetime it doesn't pay to buy into the disney vacation club or AP's. So in reality....Disney is definately not a budget vacation IMHO. Am I not budgeting this correctly?? [/B][/QUOTE]

No, it is not a budget vacation. But some of your costs are very high.
$600 lodging- we stay in a 2 bedroom condo for $265 a week
$700 even if you prepare the food in your condo!!?? No way. I would hate to have your grocery bills! And eating your own food does not take away from park time- it ads to it because you are not waiting to be seated and served.
hoppers and airfare are what will kill the budget on a Disney vacation.
You can buy a 7 day hopper with 4 pluses for $303 adult and $243 child, so you can get park admission for less than $30 per day and save remaining days. So, for a 7 day vacation, that is
$640 for 4 passes

so- 7 days with a park visit every day for 4 people
lodging $265
passes- $640(2 ad/2 kids assuming buying a 7 day hopper and going to the park or waterpark every day)
airfare- my lowest was around $110 pp, so $440
car- my lowest was around $150
parking - 8 x 5= 40(no parking $ at waterparks)
food- I would say on top of our normal food, we maybe spent another $15 a day on food, so $105
gas- $25??

total for 4 for 7 days= $1665

I don't have a dog, so no presents needed there, I can eat my own food in the airport, I am not a souvenier person, so no $ for that.

I guess it depends on how you want to do it. Is it a once in a lifetime thing where you want to splurge or do you want to go more often and go budget? I wish we were close enough to drive so I could shave off the airfare and car rental!

 

[Goobergal99]

Here was my budget for this trip (my cheapest ever!!)

7 nights at pop with unlimited magic pass!!!
2 prefer rooms at pop century w/ dream maker 5+2 pkg= $2165!!
airfare from philly- orlando roundtrip on southwest $466.80 (4 ppl)
mears transfers for 4- $116
food budget- $1,000 for 4 for the week (tripple 4 lol)
spending budget- $1,000 for 4 for week

Total under 5,000 for family of 4! thats cheap for us LOL

 

[Cheshire Figment]

For Columbus Day weekend in 2001 we managed probably our cheapest trip ever (until we moved down here).

On Thursday morning we parked our car at Dulles Airport and flew into Orlando, picked up a rental car and stayed at a very special rate at the Courtyard by Marriott on Hotel Plaza Blvd. We took a late Monday afternoon flight back home.

Parking at Dulles, round-trip air fare (Delta Express), car rental (National) and four nights in the hotel, incldung all taxes was $513.00. We had Annual Passes so we did not have to buy tickets. All else we needed to pay for was meals.

 

[packy]

We are doing a split trip, 5 nights at Disney two at Universal with costs as follows:

Airfare from Newark, NJ - 4 tickets $960
Poly - 5 nights GV $1249 (incl taxes)
Hard Rock - 2 nights PV $320 (incl taxes)
National Intermediate Car Rental - 7 days $148 (incl taxes)
Gas and Tolls - $15
Tickets - 4 day Disney UMP, 2 days Universal Park Hoppers (3 adults - one is really a 13 year old, and one child) - $1160
Food, drinks, etc. - 6 days at $150 per day, 1 day @$50 - $950
Airport Parking at Newark, NJ Airport for 7 days - $98
Souvenirs/boat rentals, putt-putt, etc - $250

Total - $5190

You can definitely cut down on hotel costs and maybe the food costs (that was just a guess) but everything is pretty much fixed.

 

[jennwdw]

For those wanting to know about renting points for the DVC resorts on property check out the dvc rent/trade board on this website. Then you can check out the dvc board and most of the folks are really helpful w/any questions you may have....It is a good deal especially if you have a large family and could use a full kitchen and washer/dryer..good luck!

 

[HappyLawyer]

staying off property for 9 days, 2 hotel rooms, including fridge and wave in each room airline tickets for 3, 5 days at universal for the price of 2, 1 day at sea world, and 4 day disney park hopper pass, total 2100.00 all we needed was spending money.

 

[princessgirls]

the budget for my upcoming Nov. trip is as follows (2 adults, 2 children)

Airfare Boston to Orlando --- $345.60 (3 people, 1 child on lap)
3 nts ASMo --- $200.01 (tax incl.)
5nts OKW(rented DVC
points) --- $400.00 (tax incl.)
Car rental (8 days) --- $159.48 (all taxes & fees incl.)
4 day Hopper + --- $585.67 (2 adults, 1 child, 1 under 3)
(hotwire price)
Grocery Stop for
DVC studio --- $100.00 (misc. supplies)
Food budget --- $600.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
total: $2390.76

the best part of this budget is that my friend is traveling with me and my 2 DD's, so we are splitting the cost of rooms, rental car, and she is paying for her own airfare. some of the money in the food budget accounts for her share as well, so my actual cost before stepping foot in WDW is:

Airfare: $230.40
Hotel: $300.00
Passes: $376.71
Car: $ 79.74
Food: $500.00

Total: $1486.85


Not bad for 8 days!!!!

 

[chunnice]

Hi,


We are going to WDW in September.We needed a cheaper way to go this year. So we looked into camping at Fort Wilderness. My Stepson is coming over from England to visit and for 2 adults and 3 teenage boys this was the only way to go this time around. I wanted to stay on World and we love to camp so for us it works...35.00 a night. We 'll be staying 7 nights. We are also driving down to give my Step Son a chance to see some of the country...

For the amount of time you actually spend in a room while at Disney camping can save you money and give you all the benefits of staying on site. We also bought our Parkhopper tickets at our local Disney store and saved that way too. I also got a great tip tonight off the travel channel that I never thought of before...buying your parkhopper tickets now for a future trip..locking in the price ...Since the tickets don't expire and the cost does seem to go up each year..You can save doing this!

 

[CheapMom]

Princessgirl
look- our babies are the same age!!! (mine is 1 day older - born 1/14/03) Isn't this the funnest age?!
<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://lilypie.com/baby2/030114/1/1/0/-5" alt="Lilypie Baby Days" border="0" /></a>
Aren't hey lucky to have moms that are always angling for a cheap WDW trip!

 

[karemore]

My cheapest trip was in 1997. I stayed at the Magic Castle motel on 192 for $19.95 a night, including continental breakfast.

At breakfast, I made a PB&J sandwich to take into the park for lunch, along with an apple and a carton of juice.

I had two days left on an old park hopper ticket.

I toured all four parks in two days. It's much MUCH faster to tour alone. I didn't spend a single minute asking anyone what they wanted to do next........lol

I did spend some money on souveniers, and I ate counter service for dinner.

It was the cheapest WDW vacation I ever had, and one I remember fondly.

Karen