What to include in a budget

[violentlyserene]

I'm working on a budget for our trip and have the big stuff but I'm not sure of all the little expenses I should include in this. What do you add into your budget?

Expenses:
package with hotel, tickets and QSDP
airfare
breakfast foods (how much?)
Souvenirs (how much?)

 

[Disney Lovin' Grammy]

You didn't give too much information about your trip and IMO that's key in determining the "extras" budget.

In some of the trips I have made, I've spent very little on souveniors, yet other times I wanted to buy everything I could get my hands on. My feelings are...it just depends on your financial situation and when I have a budget in need of "trimming" souveniors are the first place I look to cutback. As corny as it sounds, I always figure the memories of my trip are souvenior enough. (Stop groaning people!)

I don't know if you are traveling with children and if so do you need stroller rental. Stroller rental can be a bit pricey. I understand there are some options which are not so spendy but I am not familiar with them.

Do you plan on having any cocktails? Drinks can get a little pricey at many of the restaurants.

Another extra I always consider...TIPS. Tips for mousekeeping, I usually tip $1 per day per person. Also, tips for those transporting your bags at the airport. I did note you are doing the quick service dining so you won't need to tip for any dining unless you pay OOP.

I am sure there may be some things I have not thought to include, but those are the things that I try to budget right from the start. Hope this helps. Have a great time and lotsa luck with your planning!

 

[violentlyserene]

Yes, details would be helpful. I'm sorry.

We're planning to stay at Caribbean Beach or Port Orleans Riverside in Sept of 2010 or 2011. Just my husband and I, no children. We aren't drinkers or club people (or behind the scenes types either) so no cover charges, tours, anything like that. We're planning on QSDP but would like ts dinners at T-Rex and either Coral Reef or San Angel Inn. We're also going to Universal Studios on two days so I'll need to add transportation for that as well.

 

[Millie12591]

Yes, details would be helpful. I'm sorry.

We're planning to stay at Caribbean Beach or Port Orleans Riverside in Sept of 2010 or 2011. Just my husband and I, no children. We aren't drinkers or club people (or behind the scenes types either) so no cover charges, tours, anything like that. We're planning on QSDP but would like ts dinners at T-Rex and either Coral Reef or San Angel Inn. We're also going to Universal Studios on two days so I'll need to add transportation for that as well.

Other than your big exspenses, it sounds like you'll need extra for the TS dinners and tip of course. Highly recommend the Coral Reef over San Angel Inn, especially if you live some where where mexican food is really good, (I live in Texas) other than the the atmosphere it's a really bad place to eat-I had to send my food back and choose not to eat, if you don't really care about the food so much then by all means... the atmosphere is pretty great! Although you'll get tons of people telling you the opposite review. <Ask to sit near the water>. Your better off eating at one of the many other places there in Epcot IMO, but that's just me. (Eating in Canada, Moroco-QS, England, Japan would be better than Mexico). I put aside $100 per person for souvies, but then again I'm not a big shopper for Disney stuff in WDW UNLESS it's something that I can't get outside of WDW AND it's something I will really use/enjoy, but that's just me.
I don't know if you get snacks with your meal plan, so that's something to think about, I would check out the 2008-9 snack list if you do.
I would think about your food for the other parks of course. You can be sure 10-15 a meal, unless you aren't a big eater.
As for breakfast I would say the cheaper route is to buy groceries and have them delivered to your room, and keep the groceries cool in a styro foam cooler-you can get ice for free at any resort (cooler can be bought through grocery store as well--Garden Grocer is who we use) otherwise I would budget 10-15 a day per person for breakfast, (Magic Kingdom has great breakfast in the bakery on Main St.) If you do have groceries delivered then I would recommend to take some dollar store bowls and plastic spoons you can throw away at the end of the trip. When we groceries we buy sodas that we can't get in the park (my dh is a major Mt. Dew fan) case of water, cereal, milk, yogurt, fruit, and some snacks for the kids to get through to the next meal if needed-just to give you some ideas.

 

[cglaura]

Parking fees at airport (mine charges $8/day ) Hey mom, want to drive us to the airport at 3am

Souvenirs: dd rec'd $50 up until she was 16. Then she received $200. But that was more a sweet 16 / well done at school / helping out extra at home while I picked up job2. She was fully responsible for all of her spending except for meals and snacks 1 mug & and 1 sweatshirt, our tradition.

I usually spend around $50-$100. I'm not a big "stuff" gatherer though. A sweatshirt, refillable mug, maybe some magnets or a few pins.

If you will be purchasing water in the parks, they are $2.50ish a bottle. We bring our own or get free cups of ice water at counterservice places & add crystal light/wylers mixes.

Breakfast: 1 pkgs of the convenience size cereals, 1 box of granola bars, 2 pkgs of juice boxes (triple zip lock these!). We pack this in our carry on...so about $10.

Housekeeping/mousekeeping tips if you choose to do this. I do $1 per person + an extra $1 per day, left each day...never know if same person will be there at the end of your trip. Again this is optional, but something to remember to budget.

Tips for baggage handlers. I do $1 per bag, sometimes more if they were exceptionally wonderful.

Then after you add all you budget up, stash a couple or so hundred away for "oh crud, forgot to budget that!"

Have a great trip!

 

[happymommy]

If you don't want to take Magical Express, you can either get a rental car (which would help in getting to and from Universal) or take a towncar service (convenient, yes, and I feel it's worth the splurge). Then you can make your own stop at the Super Target or Walmart or grocery store on the way to the resort - to get breakfast snacks and such. That may end up being less $ than having it delivered, and having to get transportation to and from Universal (if you have the rental car, that is).

If you've never been to WDW or Universal, though, I would caution there is so much to see at WDW, that Universal can be an entire other trip. We went to WDW many times before trying Universal.

Also, a few $ if you're going to do laundry (we always do). And maybe a snack at the airport - we usually take an early morning flight, and I get McDonald's for the kids when we got to the terminal - it's always more expensive there but they eat some protein that way.

 

[violentlyserene]

Thanks all, this has helped a lot.

 

[cmaee]

An expense I always seem to include is the kennel fee. We have a dog, so we have to board her while we are gone. Also, I take the money that we already have budgeted for our groceries that we would have used if we were home and transfer that to our vacation money amount. We find that covers all of our last minute purchases that we didn't budget for.