What's the MOST you've spent on a WDW vacation?

[calie_j]

I'm budgeting $6,000 for our trip (2 nights with family, 1 night offsite, 7 nights onsite split between mod/deluxe). I know we could do it alot cheaper but I'm treating this as a once in a lifetime trip and going all out. If we go back (only if DD goes with her gymnastics team) I'd go alot cheaper and stay offsite or value and not have as many PS.

Calie

 

[GRAYWIFE]

I would say the most expensive of our trips was the Sept 2003 trip. We did the "buy 4 get 3 nights free" package. We stayed at the BC Concierge level with an extra adult ($450 per night). But the real expense came from our "life is short attitude" that we had at the time. My Mother came along on that trip (with me, my DH & DD6) and her mother had just died about 3 weeks before and she was going through a rough time internally but wanted to have a great trip with us. We (my DH & me) spared no expense. We did not let mom pay for one thing. I did the spa thing, our daughter did most of the children's activities (pirate cruise, kid's clubs, etc) and my mother & my DH went parasailing. We did many character meals & I had pre-arranged to have gifts for everyone when we walked into the room. We also attended Night of Joy. It was a fabulous vacation. I would not change one thing about it even though it cost almost $9000 by the time we arrived back home. Normally we spend about $4000 (max).

Great thread...I love to hear what others spend to see if we are in the "norm" !

 

[momof2disprincesses]

I too have to let my DH see this thread. He will be shocked at how much other people spend. Friends always ask how we can afford to do big trips to Disney every year, but this is what we do:

We go every year and normally spend between $2500-$4000 per trip. We are a family of 4: me, DH and DD13 and DD9.

I have $100 per paycheck taken out of my checks all year long to help pay for Disney trips. So, we always have $2600 each year to spend.

This year, we are blessed that our price went down $650+ due to them adding the free dining. We had already booked a trip for late Aug. and we're "splurging" this time by staying onsite at WL (we normally stay off-site to save money).

This package includes 8 nights at WL with free dining and 10 day park hoppers plus with no exp. (we're using 4 park and 2 "plus" per person this trip and plan to use 3 park and 1-2 plus for 2 more trips - so tickets are paid for the next 2 trips!!!). That will be about $3300. We only bring $500 cash as we already have lots of Disney souveniors and if our kids want more, they have to bring their own spending money.

Our airfare is cheap as we cashed in frequent flier miles with Air Tran and are flying there FREE and only $75/person back (from MCO to Milwaukee).

Our first trip we thought we were spending SO much money. It cost $3500. It was back in 2002 and we did the 4 days on land/3 day cruise, which was FABULOUS!!!! That time, we stayed at CBR, but didn't really like that resort (too big). This will be our first time staying onsite since then. We fell in love with WL after eating at WCC last Oct.

We have never really eaten expensively at Disney (mostly sharing CS meals and grocery stops), so we are SO excited about the free dining this time around.

This trip is all about the food

Sit down meals - here we come!

 

[Laurajean1014]

The Magic cruise with 3 days at Vero Beach:

3 days at Vero ($800)
7 day cruise ($5600)
Spa Treatments ($1100)
Drinks ($60)
Internet ($99)
Souvies ($725)
Airfare ($600)
Excursions ($375)
Car Services ($450) = $9809

 

[mistydoodles]

Dec 2004 was our first trip and we spent about $3500 for the trip but then we got stuck in Philadelphia on the way home because of that whole USAir mess and ended up having to spend another $400 for a hotel room and then train tickets to get home in NY. That was pretty upsetting.

Our trip was for 6 days at All star Movie resort with hopper passes. We had a total of 3 character meals, 1 dinner at Prime Time Cafe and then the rest were counter service meals. This was for 2 adults and 2 kids under 9 year. Our tickets included the water parks and disney quest even though we never used those options.

This year we are planning another trip and I estimate it to be around the same amount and this time it will be for 7 days and with the Dining option. The only differance is we have $500 in travel vouchers from USAir because of that big mess last year.

I think as long as you try not to go over board it is easy to keep the price down.

Good luck on your trip.

Melissa

 

[utahkennedys]

$6k this past April, 8 nights total, me, dh & dd3. Spent 2 nights at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress (dh had a convention there), then 3 nights at Marriott Grande Vista, then 3 nights at Poly. Poly alone was $467/night...not for concierge even!!!

With tickets, food, airfare, etc. the bill was big, our biggest EVER!

We just bought into DVC by buying an OKW resale contract, so our trip in September will be very cheap b/c we have free airline tickets, 'free' 2 br villa at okw (paid cash for our DVC) and now just have to buy park tickets, food (but we'll have breakfast in the villa) and a cheap rental car. Probably under $1200 instead of $6k!!!

 

[rt2dz]

We always stay at a deluxe hotel and have spent $2500-$3500 per trip (12 days), including travel to and from. We have always had a very comfortable and enjoyable trip without watching every dime while there. There are many cost saving ways to let you have a longer and better trip. Example, driving yourself, breakfast in the rooms, going in value season.

 

[isla bonita]

We spent ove 300,00.00 for our vacation. We loved staying in the pool homes and ended up buying one. It is the only souvenior we can't take home. Now we also visit our home as much as we can. Its the bomb!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[michvin]

We're planning our first family vacation for this October...so excited...almost down to 90 day mark! Anyway, we are only going this year, as opposed to saving up for 2 years to go next year is that he is getting a hiring bonus for helping his company hire an employee. He works in global consulting and does lots of international work , so we are pretty lucky that we do try to take as many vacations/long weekends/day trips as we can. I have to say I agree with some of the other posters is that it is about choices. We live in a relatively pricey real estate tax area (for the schools...) and I am a stay at home mom. We are "self made" meaning come from blue collar families and we married young (21!) before we finished college, which we paid for, and are still paying for, ourselves. We try to save as much in the 401 k as we can, but are not big spenders in the least. We always joke that we have a nice new house, with our old stuff in it from when we first got married 10 years ago. Plus, staying at home can sometimes drive you crazy...and he gets hotel and plane points for traveling so I tell him that's my paycheck! I love to 'go places'...even just somewhere 2 hours away. Anyway, for the five of us, 2 adults, kids ages 6, 4 and 1 its going to be around $5000 when all is said and done.
8 nights at wilderness lodge
MYW dining package (missing the freebie by 3 days!)
plane tickets free with points
spending $700
"tink" stuff I've prepurchased $120
7 day park hopper passes
Perfectly Princess tea party (hoping anyway) $200
Can't remember other stuff right now...but I have it listed and its about $5000

I told my dh that we could save $500 staying at a moderate, but he's wanted to go to Wilderness since we were last at Disney 10 years ago for our honeymoon so, I figured we should go for it, right?

 

[Cass]

michvin, you sounds like such a sweet, loving Mom with a wonderful family. I hope you have a great holiday

 

[MOMOFMNM]

mine is 2500 for poly, tickets and free dining

and 1000 for plane tickets

and about 500 spending money...and NO I am not budging on that number either, we won't eat over our credits and the kids will get only a few small souvies...and we are doing nothing "Extra" we might buy a few adult beverages at the pool but we are not big drinkers either. We plan to do bkfst in room, and maybe buy mugs. We'll see. I might add another night before this is all said and done, we'll see. I am hoping air will go down but I am prepared for 1000 dollars!!!

 

[TinkABoutIt]

People spending the kind of $ I see here should consider joining the DVC!

 

[Brina]

I honestly don't know. We have only gone once so far. We stayed at the CR during value season, flew down on ff miles and had length of stay park hoppers, and for souveniers, let the kids pick one pin a day plus one teeshirt and one pair of ears for the trip. We did three character meals and ate at the California Grill one night. Other than that we ate counter service meals. it was kind of a strange combo of splurging (deluxe resort and a few very nice meals) and frugality (free flights and limited souveniers)

I haven't added things up for this fall's trip yet.

 

[bubba73]

I just came back Friday night and we spent the most that we ever have since I have been paying for the trips. In the past, we have stayed in condo's offsite with my parents so I didn't have to pay for a room but this time we stayed onsite at the Pop Century. Total trip cost was $2500. Now, there was another added cost factor that I didn't add into this total. We ended up having to buy a new car before we went so that added another $12,000. So I guess you could say this trip cost me about $14,500. Man, that is an expensive vacation!!






If I could, I would head back today. I already miss Mickey!!

 

[NYMomof4]

I'm paying about the same this year as last 2300$ for POR for 8 nights but this year that includes the FREE dining! I don't make a lot of money but I save $40 week for our vacation. Airfare will be about $800 extra for us. We have my mom, me, and 3 of my 4 kids going.
The kids are on their own for spending $ (7,9, & 12) but I want them to appreciate the trip and not think that everything comes easy so all their extras (souveniers etc...) come from their earnings, bdays, etc...

 

[MOMOFMNM]

I'm paying about the same this year as last 2300$ for POR for 8 nights but this year that includes the FREE dining! I don't make a lot of money but I save $40 week for our vacation. Airfare will be about $800 extra for us. We have my mom, me, and 3 of my 4 kids going.
The kids are on their own for spending $ (7,9, & 12) but I want them to appreciate the trip and not think that everything comes easy so all their extras (souveniers etc...) come from their earnings, bdays, etc...

that is great! my kids get a t shirt (from disney deals delivered from Mickey when we return to park) plus autograph books with pens...I am prebuying the souvies and they won't get anything unless they are taking their piggy bank money!! They always get soooo much junk...this time NO.