Would you rather...

[NancyIL]

I believe you only go through life once, and part of what makes life great is the experiences you have. Part of that, for me, is trying new things and having new experiences and trying something I might never have the chance to try again. I know, personally, that if swimming with the dolphins was within my grasp, and I really wanted to do it, and I didn't sacrifice to make it a reality, I would miss having had that experience for the rest of my life. I would also, eventually, be really really resentful while I was sitting there fishing for free.

I agree with you about valuing the experiences. I did a 3-week mother-daughter trip with my 2 adult daughters this summer. We flew to Paris for 3 nights, took the Eurostar train to London for 3 nights, then did a 12-night British Isles cruise (in the least expensive inside cabin). It wasn't an inexpensive trip, but I used every budget trick I knew! We rented an apartment in Paris for 3 nights and ate pretty inexpensively from the local market for most of our meals. Because our lodging and meals were very reasonable, I booked a 3.5-hour bike tour, a one-hour Seine river cruise, and Eiffel Tower tickets, We also had a 2-day Paris Museum Pass so we could pop into the Louvre for 20 minutes (yep - just to see the Mona Lisa!) without feeling like we just wasted big bucks on admission. In London we stayed in a small room in a budget hotel recommended by Rick Steves - but in a wonderful location. We had a few splurges, like afternoon tea, open-top bus tour, and the London Eye - which I had been unwilling to pay for on previous visits to London. However, I changed from cruise ship transfers to the airport to a local bus at half the cost, and the money saved paid for the London Eye tickets. (Nice to do once, but we don't ever have to do it again!)

Adventures By Disney does a 6-night tour in London and Paris, and their per person price is about what we spent for all 3 of us for our pre-cruise trip! ABD stays in luxury hotels, whereas we stayed in an apartment and budget hotel. However, my DH and I have stayed in the Renaissance hotel ABD uses in London (using Marriott points). While it was a beautiful hotel, it didn't make visiting London a better experience than staying in our better-located budget hotel.

Is there really a different kind of vacation than a "budget" vacation? lol

Really, I love to travel & love vacations. Overnight trips to anywhere are my idea of fun. But priceline, restaurant.com, coupons & discounts are half the fun of planning to me.

We camp alot but we also take nice vacations...but I do it as much on the cheap as possible. I'd rather take several cheaper trips than one huge expensive one.

I like nice hotels at cheap prices, and Priceline has been wonderful for that! I recently bought several Restaurant.com gift certificates for WDW-area restaurants, so I'll look forward to using those on future trips.

 

[Colleen27]

In a perfect world, I'd go for lots of cheap-to-midpriced vacations but that isn't possible for us right now. We own a small business in a seasonal industry so DH can't travel over the kids' summer break, and we can only let them miss so much school for vacation during the winter when DH can get away. So right now, we do one big expensive trip and squeeze in shorter, close-to-home, lower budget trips whenever a few days opens up between jobs.

That's actually a big part of how we came to be Disney addicts - there just aren't that many great places to take young kids when you're limited to traveling at times when the weather over most of the US is miserable cold!

 

[eliza61]

a budget vacation over no vacation, or more budget vacations over one nice expensive trip?

Lol, I will always go with vacation. I like fancy and we do fancy on occasion, but it is all about getting away and enjoying one another and seeing the world to me.

I hear people say they would never do a budget vacation, but as a kid we would not have traveled had we believed that. Instead, we cut corners and experienced so much of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Great Britain.

I confess, I confess that's me. Sorry, every once in a while we try to do budget vacations and we're always miserable. Probably because we tend to be on the frugal side of life daily that vacations tend to be when we can indulge.

I'm a huge foodie (grew up in family restaurant) so no way could I go on vacation and then have to pack food to bring into the parks. Absolutely fine if you do, just not for me.

Hate motels, so that's never going to happen again unless something goes horribly wrong. So if the only way I could do Disney was to stay in a value resort, sorry I'll wait and save up the money. I realize the object of a vacation is family time but how fun is a disney vacation if a homicide occurs due to lack of space?

Generally when we plan a vacation we go all out and then see the price tag. That usually shocks us back to reality. I do love reading about folks who can do disney on 1000 bucks for a week for a family of 4. We're lucky if we keep it under 5K

We're pretty lucky that we live close to the Jersey shore, Philly and NYC. so even the years when we don't take big vacations there is a lot of stuff for us to do within 2 hours of our house.

I'm more of a "value" person. I don't mind spending dough as long as I feel I'm getting a good value for my dollar.

 

[Kay1]

The March trip in my signature is a camping trip and it's one my favorites that we do each year. We do, though, have a small RV, so we have beds, carpet, running water, and - most important of all - air conditioning.

We go out a couple of times for dinner and almost always for lunch, but we're happy having simple breakfasts at our campsite. Dinner is either stone crabs which only need to be cracked, or lobster thrown in the campfire along with some potatoes and corn. The ocean, the moon and stars, sand beneath our feet - ah, Heaven to me, but a nightmare to some.

I like taking several less expensive trips which is probably why I'll never take the Disney Cruise I want. In that area, I am picky. I would want a verandah and I wouldn't want anything shorter than a week.

 

[DawnM]

We do budget vacations all the time. We have just as much fun, if not more (sometimes the thrill of the hunt of the bargain is a lot of the fun it itself....but maybe I am weird!)

And I honestly can't enjoy the all out expensive vacation knowing that it cost so much. Eating at Disney's all you can eat buffets cost around $150 for our family with tip and tax. That is what I can feed us on for a week. I just can't do it anymore. Or maybe I should say, I can't do it often.

This next trip I did buy Arabian Knights dinner tickets in advance when SkyAuction had them for $25 each (normally $63). So, it is a planned and pre-purchased event and was less than 50% of the cost.

So, we find ways.....but don't just go with an open ended credit card.....

Dawn

 

[luvmy3]

DISCLAIMER: I am not picking on you, and how you and your family view/feel about things/do things. You do what's right for you and I'm cool with that. Its all good.

BUT. Just theoretically, I feel like, if I were to vacation that way, eventually I would be older and my kids would be all grown and gone, and yeah we would have great memories of fishing for free, but 1) I would eventually be really really tired of fishing and 2) I would always regret that we hadn't, just once, chosen to swim with the dolphins so we had that experience together as well.

I believe you only go through life once, and part of what makes life great is the experiences you have. Part of that, for me, is trying new things and having new experiences and trying something I might never have the chance to try again. I know, personally, that if swimming with the dolphins was within my grasp, and I really wanted to do it, and I didn't sacrifice to make it a reality, I would miss having had that experience for the rest of my life. I would also, eventually, be really really resentful while I was sitting there fishing for free.

Just me though! YMMV!

I know you aren't picking on me

The reason this works for us I think is because we make sure our kids have a vote in what we do. Hopefully there will never be a time when they are resentful because they will have the memories that they chose to have growing up, and not ones they were forced to have. I was "forced" to go on the same vacation over and over growing up, and as a teen the minute I was given the choice to not go anymore I took it. As an adult, I realized what was important about those trips and I never resented not having other experiences instead, and now I treasure the memories I have of those years even though they were spent doing the same thing year after year.

Of course, it helps that we love camping (even tent) so spending a week fishing, tubing down the river, frog hunting, bug catching, hiking, bike riding, roasting marsmallows, cooking hot dogs over the fire, etc, we really don't see it as us sacrificing any other experience.

 

[DawnM]

Yes, I agree. We all find our level of comfort!

I can't tent camp. I need SLEEP! And I don't find tent camping relaxing. My boys are in scouts though and at some point I am going to have to suck it up and try it.

We have BTDT with staying on property and now that we are a family of 5, it is more "magic" for me to have a 2 bedroom condo and SPACE! Tiny hotel rooms just aren't very relaxing either. But, we can't afford the Disney condos, so we go off-site.

And I do take food in to the parks, but we never sit on a bench. We find tables. In the Land at Epcot (or over near Norway). In Cosmic Rays at MK at the tables. In Africa near Kili Safari at AK. In ABC commissary usually at HS.

We never take tables away from paying customers and only go if there are ample extra seats available. We also usually get a drink (I need my coffee!) or a dessert or something, so we are paying, but we eat our own food for the most part.

Dawn

I would rather have budget vacation over no vacation, but there are certain things I just will NOT scrimp on. I will find the money somehow, cause I know I will not enjoy myself otherwise.

Examples... when visiting family, unless there is ample room for my family to stay with them (meaning a bed for each person, a little private space, etc) I will NOT stay with family to save money. I will not enjoy my visit unless I have some space to relax.

At Disney, I will not stay off property, and I will not pack my own food into the park. For me and mine, NOTHING would spoil the magic more then hunkering down on a bench to eat our PB&J while everyone else was enjoying their meals at Crystal Palace and Ohana. That's just us though, to each their own.

Also, I will NOT tent-camp. Nothing against camping, I just can't do it. I am too old and out-of-shape to enjoy sleeping on the ground. I don't enjoy cold, or damp, or bugs, or any of the other joys of roughing-it. As Samantha Brown once said on the Travel Channel, "Some people hear the Call of the Wild, I hear the Call of the Flush Toilet."

So I guess I just have some limits. I don't need luxury resorts, first-class airline tickets, super-fancy meals, etc, but I also have a level of budget to which I will not sink. If I can't afford a certain amount of "un-budget", I'd rather not go.

 

[eliza61]

I love to travel, and I'd rather book the cheapest cruise ship cabin/hotel room and vacation twice than book an expensive one and vacation once.

I think that's what I can't do. I booked a cheapy cabin one year on a cruise, I swear I was maybe 1 floor above Charleston Heston rowing with the rest of the prisoners. It was horrible. My dh looked at me and said "never again, if we can't afford a decent cabin we'll skip"

So I guess I have a "level" where I won't go below no matter if it's the deal of the century.

 

[DawnM]

Several "budget" vacations over the last few years:

1. Montreal: DH had a conference. Free hotel in Montreal and he ate free. Gas was paid for by his company. We already had passports.

We decided to go to Niagara Falls on the way to Montreal and through Hershey, PA on the way back. We didn't get to go to Hershey park as it was POURING down rain, but we did the tours and such.

Total OOP: $500 The rest was covered by DH's company

2. Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg

Scout trip in DC and we added Williamsburg. We stayed in a SkyAuction condo in Williamsburg and at a friend's house in DC.

Total OOP: $500 including gas, lodging, food, activities

3. Chicago: DH had a conference. We added 3 days to our hotel OOP, company paid for the rest.

4. New York: Dh had a conference. We added 3 days to our hotel and got to see all of New York City. Company paid the gas and all of dh's meals and the hotel the week of his conference.

Around $500 OOP

5. We do a lot of day trips around here.....mountains, beach, etc....

 

[danabalana]

If it were'nt for super-budget trips I wouldn't be going on my next trip to DL. I'm so looking forward to spending time with my dearest friends. We're making our lunches and staying in a motel. It's large and clean and across the steet from the parks. Yay for turkey sandwiches and snapple! More $$ for dinner and wine

 

[csharpwv]

We do both - we do budget trips where the goal is to relax and just enjoy getting away - even if for just a weekend!

BUT - we save up to do bigger vacations (Ahem - WDW)

We only stayed at Deluxe Resorts until we became DVC members - now we just stay at DVC resorts when we are at WDW.

DVC has helped us vacation differently.

I always thought that WDW was on the pricey end of vacations - however after taking a trip where everything was out of pocket - I came to appreciate the VALUE in Disney vacations. The nickel and dime method of the beach and other popular vacation destinations really adds up quickly.

We spent a week in the Gatlinburg, TN area with my wife's family last year and it was a REALLY expensive vacation. Plus - Disney takes you anywhere you want to go around the resort with no worry about driving, directions, fuel - etc etc etc.

We are going to have to stay at the Value resorts sometime just to see what they are like - I have never stayed at a Value or a Moderate Resort - But they all look pretty cool!

Port Orleans-French Quarter especially has caught my eye! It looks beautiful!

 

[punkin]

Several "budget" vacations over the last few years:

1. Montreal: DH had a conference. Free hotel in Montreal and he ate free. Gas was paid for by his company. We already had passports.

We decided to go to Niagara Falls on the way to Montreal and through Hershey, PA on the way back. We didn't get to go to Hershey park as it was POURING down rain, but we did the tours and such.

Total OOP: $500 The rest was covered by DH's company

2. Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg

Scout trip in DC and we added Williamsburg. We stayed in a SkyAuction condo in Williamsburg and at a friend's house in DC.

Total OOP: $500 including gas, lodging, food, activities

3. Chicago: DH had a conference. We added 3 days to our hotel OOP, company paid for the rest.

4. New York: Dh had a conference. We added 3 days to our hotel and got to see all of New York City. Company paid the gas and all of dh's meals and the hotel the week of his conference.

Around $500 OOP

5. We do a lot of day trips around here.....mountains, beach, etc....

I love doing vacations around conferences. Dh has a conference in October in Miami. His flight and hotel and food are paid for. I was considering going down with DD11 for a couple of days. All it will cost is plane-fare and food. If I can get a deal on Air we are definitely going to do it.

 

[DawnM]

Yeah, I know....it is great.

DH's company has cut down on quite a bit lately though!

Last year they talked about changing the conference to ORLANDO! But then decided not to. It is now in Chicago again but we can't go because they have changed it from Sun-Fri hotel stay and food to Monday-Thur. It just isn't worth it and they expect him to show up for work on Friday so no driving. I mean, I guess he could take a vacation day, but honestly, we have already done Chicago and it is going to be much more expensive. We will forgo it this year. They will pay for him to fly up and back.

Now, I have threatened to take the kids to Orlando during that week anyway!

Dawn

I love doing vacations around conferences. Dh has a conference in October in Miami. His flight and hotel and food are paid for. I was considering going down with DD11 for a couple of days. All it will cost is plane-fare and food. If I can get a deal on Air we are definitely going to do it.

 

[punkin]

Yeah, I know....it is great.

DH's company has cut down on quite a bit lately though!

Last year they talked about changing the conference to ORLANDO! But then decided not to. It is now in Chicago again but we can't go because they have changed it from Sun-Fri hotel stay and food to Monday-Thur. It just isn't worth it and they expect him to show up for work on Friday so no driving. I mean, I guess he could take a vacation day, but honestly, we have already done Chicago and it is going to be much more expensive. We will forgo it this year. They will pay for him to fly up and back.

Now, I have threatened to take the kids to Orlando during that week anyway!

Dawn

I know you homeschool so it is even better for you. I have to deal with school absence issues.

 

[indimom]

Well our idea of an expensive vacation is more like other's budget trips, but we would prefer multiple trips to one expensive trip. We try to take one trip every year and tend to rotate between hotel stays one year and camping trips the next year. Sometimes we'll throw in an extra camping trip (usually just a long weekend within a couple hours of home).

I do have SOME standards. When we tent camp, I have to have an air mattress. And the restrooms have to be large and clean. There also has to be lots to do at the campground or nearby. I can't just sit around our campsite all day. When camping, the cooking is part of the fun. We usually only eat out once or twice during a weeklong camping trip.

At Disney, staying at a value and dining onsite IS an expensive vacation for us. We have taken some food, but just breakfast for the room, and snacks for midafternoon when we take a break. We wouldn't consider it a Disney trip if we couldn't eat at some of the restaurants. We also make these trips longer (10 and 14 days each) since we don't get there often and the per-day, per-person price makes it worthwhile to us.
With the right deal, we have stayed at Universal's on-site hotels and would do so again. We can get them much cheaper than a Disney deluxe and don't stay as long so we consider them worth it.

We've stayed with family and had great trips. We just keep them around five days so we don't overstay our welcome. (Fish and family smell after 7 days, you know).

I don't think spending more really has anything to do with how much we enjoy our trips. It has more to do with our activities and experiences, the weather, and just our overall outlook during the week. I've had a camping trip that rivaled Disney for pure FUN! (Boy am I glad you can't throw stones through a computer! )

 

[DawnM]

Yes, I fully understand.

I was a former high school counselor in my past life and we were big on attendance issues, especially once funding became tied to attendance.

It use to be, in the old days, that a school would still get funding provided the absence qualified as "excused."

Now, you must be physically present in order to receive funding.

Dawn

I know you homeschool so it is even better for you. I have to deal with school absence issues.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Well, my sister called and we are on a random daytrip into Amish country!

Eliza, I know it is difficult being a foodie and budget. I have to say
we dealt with that by finding the dives with the authentic food. We still do sometimes.

We've lived through extravagant and budget, and I wouldn't trade either!! I do wonder if extravagent is really 10's better though.

 

[TheRatPack]

I think we'd take many budget vacations, rather than one expensive vacations. But with the economy lately we've been doing 1 Disney vacation a year.....even budget it still is more expensive than most other locations. Sometimes we take weekend trips here and there, closer to home.....just to get away.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

Definitely lots of budget trips. DH is stationed in Europe right now and we've really enjoyed seeing a lot of different places when I visit. But we can't afford to go all out every weekend he has off... we do budget accomodations and the budget airlines (I love the European budget airlines, they really ARE cheap!). We also drive a lot of places.

We have 5 weeks planned at Disney in the next year. 3 weeks in a timeshare and 2 weeks at the campground. We like it and we still do dining. We own AP's and opt to go to Disney over other vacations since we already have the passes and we live local.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I would definitely fly coach twice instead of first class once, but I also agree with those that said it's not a vacation if I'm cooking.

My idea of a "budget" Disney vacation is spending a day or two at the parks when we're already visiting relatives in Florida. We have done the blowout, stay-on-property-for-a-week trip once...and it was lovely (and important to me to do once) but I generally like that we can go more often if we combine day trips (or couple-of-day minis) with visiting vacations. We can splurge a little when we're there, because we're not there as long.


P.S. I also do like short camping trips - but that's completely seperate from Disney!! Two nights, with a day of outdoor fun in between, is plenty for me.