What's your trip budget?

[snoopy5386]

Working on the yearly vacation budget and trying to anticipate how much this year's disney trip is going to run as it is the last trip of the year. I need to have enough leftover to cover the bill!

Accommodations are obviously covered, this is our 3rd trip with our APs so tickets are covered, airfare has been covered, we're taking ME, so no car, I've got our dining budget mostly worked out, groceries for the villas, souvenirs, what else am I missing?

DVCers that go frequently, how much do you spend on souvenirs each trip?

Thanks!

 

[wench]

I think the least I've ever spent on souvenirs in one trip is $1500.00. Normally I spend more than that though. We just take one trip a year, so we really go big each time.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

We spent $1600 on our magic band in one trip (5 days), including our room, food, & souvenirs! We are Florida residents who go at least 4 times a year, so this answer will vary greatly! We spent probably another good $500 on gas, Publix food run, and small cash purchases on the road. Then about $220 on the rental car. Our DS5 and DS7 usually are quite happy with random pirate souvenirs and plush souvenirs. And we have a Disney Outlet in our hometown so.....sometimes we cheat there a little.

 

[com_op_2000]

For DW and I food is $50 per day except for park days we up it to $75.
For gas we just use the gas monies that are scheduled for me to use to go back forth to work that week, normally $50 - $60.
For souvenirs we have a contingency amount usually $200 but never plan on spending it.

 

[vicki_c]

On our recent trip, we bought nothing or close to it. My kids are teens now and they aren't interested in much. We have gotten out of pin collecting and didn't buy a single one this time. My daughter did get about 4 shirts, but it was more because she needed some new clothes! I looked at purses but nothing grabbed me. My husband and I didn't see any clothing that we liked very much. It had to be our cheapest trip ever in terms of souvenir spending.

 

[nalajms]

We go 3-4 times a year. My kids are 4 & 2. They want everything! I budget $200 per person, and shoot for $50. If grandparents come along, I still budget $200, but shoot for $0

 

[ldo]

my kids pin trade--it works well--they feel like they are getting "new" souvenirs. I buy a few pins on sale ($25). DD loves figurines--so she somtimes spends up to $100 of Bday $. We do spend $50 or so on crafts and ceramics at the community hall. I also allow them 2 snacks a day--like Mickey Bars--smoothies, that they can decide and get on their own.

 

[LSchrow]

approx total budget for each 10-12 trip, 2x a year:
- airfare - $10 for 2ppl, r/t fee (using SWA RR points). we get a ride t/fro local airport, so no parking or cab fees
- accommodations/passes - DVC; DME to/fro MCO - $0; we get 2-3 trips out of our APs

- tips: bell services twice (just OL upon check-in, and everything at check out): about $15-20. we tip housekeeping about $10-15 for 1 full HKing, and 1 T&T (& we keep the place very neat & clean ).
- rental car: we pick up car on-site (swolphin when we stay at the BWVs), so can only get it for part of our trip. it's usually about $250 total for 8-10 days
- groceries: usually in the $200 range for 2 adults, 10-12 days
- eating out: we have a very few on-site favorites (tangerine cafe , BRG, EoS), but most of our dining is off-site. approx $400-500 for only off-site and CS trips. significantly higher with TS added. we don't use the TIW any longer, but do use AP, DVC, or AAA discounts.

- souvenirs - i tend to spend more on souvenirs on our may trip, as i really enjoy gardening & it's the F&GF (and many F&GF items get marked 50% around may 1st ). so in april/may, about $100-250....in oct, if we spend over $30, it's unusual - the only item we get is our dated ornament. exceptions are rare, and occur only when something is new & "special" (a new BW item, glass bead (italy)).

long ago, we decided that if we weren't going to use/wear it at home, we don't buy it

 

[MoreTravels]

Air fare peak-season from Canada to Orlando, $1000 per person x 3 = $3000
DVC purchase, depreciated over 30 years, per year cost $1000
Annual dues for my points $2500
Dining plan for 10 days $1500
Park Admission ticket $1500
Souvenir $500
Travel Medical Insurance $200
Taxi to/back home airport $200
Cell phone roaming charge $100
===========================
Grand total $10,500 per year, every year.

Until my DVC contract ends, I will have spent $300,000 in Disney. With inflation (annual dues and air fare, etc), this will be closer to half a million dollars.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

You're talking after airfare, accommodations, food and admissions?

I would say we spend maybe $300 on alcohol, unplanned snacks and souvenirs in total each trip. We always feel very budget conscious but it adds up. It depends if you simply MUST have something for each person and a few people at home--make a list of anticipated 'stuff'... a woman's tee will run you $40. I didn't get myself anything this last trip, but I got my mom a fancy princess di scarf in Epcot for $60 and a tee for our babysitter for $40. We have young kids so the $7 posable Mickey and Minnie figures went over very well

Our 'unexpected' expenses included extra drinks, beers around the world for my husband and frozen lemonade for me, and a thing of sunscreen when I forgot to coat my legs one day.

 

[robinb]

Working on the yearly vacation budget and trying to anticipate how much this year's disney trip is going to run as it is the last trip of the year. I need to have enough leftover to cover the bill!

Accommodations are obviously covered, this is our 3rd trip with our APs so tickets are covered, airfare has been covered, we're taking ME, so no car, I've got our dining budget mostly worked out, groceries for the villas, souvenirs, what else am I missing?

DVCers that go frequently, how much do you spend on souvenirs each trip?

Thanks!

I would also budget for cocktails & snacks. We spend very little on souvenirs, maybe $50-$60 for a pin and some vinylmations.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I think the least I've ever spent on souvenirs in one trip is $1500.00. Normally I spend more than that though. We just take one trip a year, so we really go big each time.

Good grief!!! That's like 10 trip worth's in our household. We typically buy a t-shirt for me, a hat or 2, and a toy or 2 for my son. There are 3 of us, $200 max for souvenirs, and it gets less and less each time.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

I am dying to know what kind of souvenirs those who spend minimum of $1500 buy!! Are we talking visits to the Wyland gallery to collect originals? Or matching Dale's of Norway sweaters for the whole family? I swear I am not judging, I just want to live vicariously through you!

 

[Checkers]

We have gone to WDW so many times that we rarely buy souvenirs anymore. Perhaps I will buy a tee if I take a liking to it but otherwise would rather put my $$ elsewhere. With that bring said, we don't have little ones traveling with us very often and that does make a difference. When our grandchildren go with us we usually tell them they can buy one item for $25 but that is the exception.

 

[CrazyDuck]

For our upcoming trip:

Airfare 4 people HNL-MCO $5000
4 APs $2000
Food 15 days $3000
Souvenirs $1000
Other park tickets $1000
Other stuff $1000

Total... $13,000

 

[wdwchamp]

The way we budget for souvenirs is giving our sons $50 Disney Gift Cards (x2). I use the formula $10/day, and we typically stay for 5 days. As far as the adults, we may spend up to $200 on souvenirs. We also budget about $ 100 for cocktails and drinks since we like to drink a glass of wine or beer during a table service meal.

 

[MoreTravels]

For our upcoming trip:

Airfare 4 people HNL-MCO $5000
4 APs $2000
Food 15 days $3000
Souvenirs $1000
Other park tickets $1000
Other stuff $1000

Total... $13,000

Hey... so I am not alone. The thing is, you live in a city that is already known for vacations. You just need to take a bus and your Polynesian Resort (or Polynesian Cultural Center) is already there. People here in Canada spend big bucks to go to Hawaii... You spend money to get out. The grass is always greener on the other side. That is how travel industry stays in business, I guess.

 

[CrazyDuck]

Hey... so I am not alone. The thing is, you live in a city that is already known for vacations. You just need to take a bus and your Polynesian Resort (or Polynesian Cultural Center) is already there. People here in Canada spend big bucks to go to Hawaii... You spend money to get out. The grass is always greener on the other side. That is how travel industry stays in business, I guess.

Zactly... When you live in a place like we do we know half our vacation budget is going to travel expenses... It's unfortunate, but it's what what we signed up for when we decided to live here. Expensive travel costs, $750,000 houses, $8.00 milk, and Monday night football starting at 2pm.... It's ok though... We also have 85deg summers and 75deg winters!

 

[bakerworld]

We try and keep airfare below 250/pp (considering it was $120/pp when we bought DVC )
We plan 3 trips per AP: $840 / 3 = $280 (we buy our next October so using 2013 price)
Parking in the econ lot $77/88 and use MCO
Grocery delivery $130 w/tip (mainly beer w/some snack food)
Daily vaca budget for food/souv/etc. $175 x 7D = $1225

Weeks Total Budget = $2223

 

[wench]

I am dying to know what kind of souvenirs those who spend minimum of $1500 buy!! Are we talking visits to the Wyland gallery to collect originals? Or matching Dale's of Norway sweaters for the whole family? I swear I am not judging, I just want to live vicariously through you!

I'm a huge Nightmare Before Christmas fan, so I buy most of the new items they have each year. If there are any high end Nightmare collectables, I'll normally buy 1 or 2 a trip. Although we don't go to overboard with the pin collecting, I like to get the Nightmare ones & my son likes Stitch & Star Wars. So, we normally get several new pins each trip & they can add up pretty quickly. And my son just goes crazy for Star Wars, Lego & anything in the Japan store in Epcot.

I feel like I should qualify this so, my son doesn't sound too spoiled. I go big for Christmas, his birthday & our annual Disney trip. The rest of the year, he really has to earn anything he gets. And a good portion of the toys & such that he gets at Disney each year are actually with his own money that he sets aside throughout the year & then budgets out per day on the trip. Most of what I buy for him are clothes & some of his pins.

We really do go lean a lot of the year to be able to go big at Disney. But, since it's just my son & I, money stretches a lot further. We only have 2 airline tickets to buy & 2 people to feed each trip. Plus I'm DVC, so I save a lot on my room each year. I'm still making the monthly payments on the DVC purchase, but they're not nearly as much as the room would be out of pocket. Plus when I joined DVC, I received an incentive of 4 WDW 5 day park hopper tickets. So, our trip last year & this coming October, I only have to pay a small amount to add the extra days we need. And I really work my Disney Visa to get as many reward points as I can every year (I earn $500-1000 a year). If not for all this, I probably wouldn't buy nearly as much each year. Or more likely, would still go big, but only get to make a trip every other year.