What's your Disney Trip Budget?

[dgkjh]

For our trip coming up - almost here!

Dec 7-17, POP Century, Free Dining
2 adults, 2 kids

Buffalo Park and Fly (Sleep Inn) - 128
Air - Southwest - 581
Resort/Tickets/Dining - 1866

Misc (Tips, Other food, Souvenirs and Shopping) - 400

TOTAL = 2975 (USD)

Don't really know about the Misc expenses as that is still to come, but I am hoping it won't get too high. We will have our own food along for breakfast and will hope to take advantage of a fridge swap, though has proven to be challenging. Since we went just one year ago, and we weren't really expecting another trip to come so soon again, I don't expect we will be purchasing too much for souvenirs and shopping as we did that last year. When we got the free dining PIN we investigated flights and they were too good to pass up, so here we go.

Our kids still don't know, but tonight we will tell them that we will be going on vacation next week and that we will be visiting friends (you know, our friends Mickey and Donald). They will fully know either at the border (where are you going) or at the airport the next morning - putting our DME tags on. Should be fun!

If I can find the numbers, I will update this post with our costs from last year, though that may only happen upon our return.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Here's my Budget for March 2010

March 16 to march 29th - 2 adults 2 kids
Current Costs
Airfare from Halifax to MCO 1315 CDN
13 Nights POP with QSP and 10 days Magic with Hopper 3846 USD

So approx 5300 CDN



My 6 year old wants these emoticons added

 

[mollyseven]

wow ted that is great airfare from halifax!!
I couldn't get anything out of Toronto for under 2500.00 for my family of 2 adults and 2 kids, and that is why we fly from buffalo.
Good deal for you!
We'll see you around the world in March!!
I am definitely taking some lime green mickey heads and a canadian flag of some sort with me..maybe I'll put a small canadian flag inside my lime green mickey heads!!
smile and wave, smile and wave

 

[dvcdisney]

Airfare from Halifax to MCO 1315 CDN

We've never gotten a price that great. The lowest we have had during March break was $2300 (and that was taking a connecting flight and not so great flight times ).

May I ask - which airline?

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Continental is the airline. That's why I jumped at it. $223 CDN before taxes ... for March Break too! Worked out to less than $329 per person taxes in. NOTE that I just did a search on Continental.com for March 17th to March 24th from Toronto that came in for less than my fare ....

 

[Ted in Halifax]

This is a connecting flight though .... but only a 2 hours stop over (for each way). The departure from Halifax is 6:30am (arrive in MCO at 12:53pm)and we don't leave Orlando until 3:15pm (home at 11:30pm .. this equates to 10:30pm Disney time). Couldn't ask for better times!

I used Continentals flexible search ... and converted the fare to report in CDN dollars so my Charge card wouldn't get me for buying in US funds!

 

[fan1080]

We've never gotten a price that great. The lowest we have had during March break was $2300 (and that was taking a connecting flight and not so great flight times ).

May I ask - which airline?

I was lucky too, and booked a similar, if not the same, deal ted was talking about. We are actually going Feb 17-24, but the same deal was also available for Mar 17-24 when I booked. Unfortunately, I don't think it's still available. I checked it earlier today and it had gone up to $440/person.

We payed $329CAD/person, return, 1 stop each way (Newark), with Continental. It came to $1645CAD, for 5.

As for Budget, we have always managed to get a week's vacation at disney for no more than $1200/person. That inlcudes everything, flights, Disney for 7 nights, 8 day hoppers, meals, spending money, etc.

 

[explorer1977]

Well I will post our last trip and our upcoming trip in March 2010 which includes 2 adults and a 2 year old child.

For our Aug/Sept 2009 trip which was 9 nights our cost where as follows
Stayed at BWV for 7 nights on our DVC points - no cost expext for dues which we paid with our trip before - no cost
Stayed 1 night at ASM with airmiles - no cost
Stayed 1 night at POFQ for $108.00
Drove down straight through $450.00
Disney Dining plan - $560.00
Other Costs (food for 2 year old, other food, purchases, tips) - $600.00
Tickets, we upgraded to AP's with some 5 days tickets we received for free on a trip a few years ago so the upgrade cost was $170.00.
Total $1,888,00 US funds

For our upcoming trip in March for 7 nights
Staying at VWL for 5 nights on out DVC points - dues cost = $360.00
Staying at WL Club Level for 2 nights - $746.00
Flights down on Jet blue there and Air Tran back - $660.00
Drive to buffalo and back - $25.00
Buffalo Airport Parking - $45.00
Tickets - Have our AP from last trip
Dining Plan for 5 nights - $420.00
Other Costs (food for 2 year old, other food, purchases, tips) - $600.00
Total $2,856.00.

This trip could be much less expensive if we give up the club level for the 2 nights but we used a pin code so we thought we would get a treat and are using it as part of our Christmas presents to each other.

 

[PrincessasMommy]

2006 trip (before baby #4) so 5 of us - booked with an agency $ 6000 (vacation home through agency) flew from Toronto 3 days Disney & 3 charatcer meals

2007 trip - 6 of us but baby #4 was 4 months old - I did via disboards and stayed offsite @ storytimeorlando townhouse and flew from Buffalo $ 3000 - 3 days Disney free (Airmiles) and 3 character meals

2009 trip - land & sea (my sister's wedding on the Disney WOnder in Bahamas) $7000 for 6 of us - 2 days @ ASM followed by 4 days on the cruise and 2 more days @ ASM Family Suites - flew from Buffalo, 1 character meal.

2010 trip - in the planning stage, hoping for June - will drive *drove by myself 44 hours round trip with my 4 daughters (3 in carseats) to PEI & back this summer without breaking a sweat - I have awesome kids* looking @ $400 roundtrip gas + 2 hotel stays = $600 + storytimeorlando townhouse $ 800 = $1400 - doing the volunteer a day, get a day Disney deal so MK is free for 1 day, want to enjoy the resort and visit the beach this time so thinking I will be able to cap it @ $2000 for 6 of us!!!!

 

[PrincessMom4]

Driving from home to Orlando (2200miles/one way)= $600 total gas
Hotels there and back......$250
Ft. Wilderness Cabins(2 adults & 4 kids)w/FREE dining......$2600
Spending/mousekeeping/tips..etc........$1600

 

[dvcdisney]

Continental is the airline. That's why I jumped at it. $223 CDN before taxes ... for March Break too! Worked out to less than $329 per person taxes in. NOTE that I just did a search on Continental.com for March 17th to March 24th from Toronto that came in for less than my fare ....

This is a connecting flight though .... but only a 2 hours stop over (for each way). The departure from Halifax is 6:30am (arrive in MCO at 12:53pm)and we don't leave Orlando until 3:15pm (home at 11:30pm .. this equates to 10:30pm Disney time). Couldn't ask for better times!

I used Continentals flexible search ... and converted the fare to report in CDN dollars so my Charge card wouldn't get me for buying in US funds!

I've booked with Continental before and they were connecting flights as well, but I've never been able to get those fares...not for August and definitely not for March. However, our flights have always been late morning to Orlando and around 1pm return. And these are usually our preference.

I pay Cdn as well since I book it with Continental.ca. I prefer this as well since our cc also charges a higher rate for foreign purchases.

 

[dvcdisney]

I was lucky too, and booked a similar, if not the same, deal ted was talking about. We are actually going Feb 17-24, but the same deal was also available for Mar 17-24 when I booked. Unfortunately, I don't think it's still available. I checked it earlier today and it had gone up to $440/person.

We payed $329CAD/person, return, 1 stop each way (Newark), with Continental. It came to $1645CAD, for 5.

Good for you!

I find that in order to get great seat sales you have to be very diligent in checking all the time or lucky.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Ok finished my planning for March 16 to 29th.

2 adults 2 kids

Airfare YHZ to MCO 1315 cdn plus bag fees
13 nights Room and QSP = 2500 Cdn approx (2318 US plus exc via charge card) Note this was on the AP rate (40% off room)
Annual passes = 2150 cdn approx (1961 US plus exc via charge card)

So around $6000 cdn for 13 nights, plus it opens up Feb 2011 as a less expensive trip (no disney passes required)

Very pleased!

 

[dis_guy]

Good for you!

I find that in order to get great seat sales you have to be very diligent in checking all the time or lucky.

Isn't that the truth. I found our last good (not great, though) fares from Edmonton to Orlando at 1:00 AM while just checking for the heck of it. My wife didn't even mind my waking her up to see what she thought.

 

[hockey mom]

5 adults and my grandson

6 nights in a 2 bedroom at BLT-$0
1 ticket (I have 4 already from last trip)-$270
6 airfare out of Buffalo-$660
meal plan- $1200
Buffalo parking-$45
Gas-$50
Misc-$1000

Grand total of $3225

 

[dancin Disney style]

From the time that I started going to WDW until things have changed a WHOLE lot in the cost department. It all has to do with education.

The first trip that I kept careful track of was in 2005. The total cost was $4500 for our family of 4. That trip we were there for a dance convention for my DD and we got a group rate at CSR, we got discounted park passes and we had groceries in our room for breakfast and a few lunches. We were there for 9 nights in July and flew from BUF to MCO then got a rental car.

My best so far was 2008....another dance convention. We stayed 15 nights at POP, drove from Oakville to WDW, got in on a free fridge swap, had groceries that made breakfast everyday except 2 and lunch 50% of the time and got half price park tickets through the convention . The grand total for this one was $4400 and that included a ton of shopping.

Our last trip in September 2009 was pretty good we flew from BUF to MCO, used DME, stayed at ASMu for 9 nights, got free dining, only bought the required 1 day pass, used 2 days from some old passes, rented a car for 2 days to go shopping and shopped. Total for all 4 of us was $2200. We weren't planning to go again only a year after a 2 week visit but it turned out to be much less expensive than an all inclusive which would have been only 7 nights.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Education is the key ... especially for airfare and discounts!

2007 7 days at Disney at Fort Wilderness cabins cost $8000 (5 people) DDP MYW with hopper
2009 8 days at POP (2 rooms ... 5 people) $7800 DDP MYW no hopper
2009 10 days POR (5 people) DDP Free MYW no hopper... ~$6000
2010 14 days POP (4 people) QSP plus AP less ~$5900 (exchange rate helped lower my earlier estimate of $6000)

 

[Jareds_mommy]

We are driving from Edmonton to Calgary to save almost $1500 on the flight
there are 4 of us



So park and fly $59 a week x2 and I have 20% off coupon So $105 CAN (ish)
air $1338 CAN

3 nights Pop $265US

then 12 night CSR dining plan 10 day tickets $3,978.52 US
So $5682
give or take with the exchange
then $500 for unplanned spending and tips
$6000 (ish ) for 15 nights 16 day

 

[Kazzy1548]

First trip in 2005 cost us about 3200 for 2 adults and 2 kids. We Flew
2007- cost us around 5000, stayed at Pop and had DDP and flew.
This summer we plan on staying off-site for 2 weeks, we will be driving to Lorton,virginia to take the auto-train. We will be staying in a condo at windsor hill. I was very proud to get Universal tickets for 7 days before they raised their prices. We plan to volunteer a day to get 1 day disney pass, we will buy 1 more day as well. We plan on visiting the beach and visiting the Kennedy Space center. In all we should be spending around 3500.00

 

[Greenfield1984]

October 2009:
2 adults, DD2 (paid for flight but Disney tickets are free)
Flight: $350 RT (flew Airtran out of Rochester, saved $150 in coupons)
Gas & Park & fly: $180
7 nights at POP, 8 day tickets (basic): $1100
QSDP: Free
2 TS breakfasts: $100
Souvenir: $50

total: $1780

Trying to convince DH to go back this August right before DD turns 3 as one last cheap Disney trip (next time DD would be over 3 and there'd be another baby)...but so far it's not working