Your best tips for saving money on your vacation

[ead79]

What are your best tips for saving money on your vacation? Thanks for your help and expertise!

Offsite: 82, 88, 95, 99
All Star Music: 98
Grand Floridian/Board Walk Inn: May 00
Day Trip: Oct 27, 00
Wilderness Lodge: Dec. 16-20, 00
Grand Floridian/Animal Kingdom Lodge: Dec. 16-21, 2001

 

[Kitty 34]

I've saved a lot of money just by reading these Boards all the time!!

 

[Disneyfun1]

I read the boards of course!!....and every week when i get paid i take out $60 and put it in an envelope. I save for about 1 year before i go and then i have over $3000 just in spending money and I dont even miss over the year!

1999 All-Star Music 9/6-9/11
2000 Wilderness Lodge 9/4-9/10
2001 Grand Floridian 9/9-9/12
2001 Wilderness Lodge 9/12-9/16

WDW...Been There, Done That, GOING BACK!

 

[jay-nee]

Buy those refillable mugs and use them every year!
Have fun!

88 - FW
92 - Offsite (Holiday Inn Main Gate East)
93 - Dixie Landings
96 - CBR
97 - All Star Sports (Basketball)
98 - All Star Sports (Surfing)
99 - Disneyland!!!
99 - All Star Music (Calypso)
00 - All Star Movies (Love Bug)

 

[PrincessKay]

I save change in a jar all year long and a few days before leaving I cash in my change. I've had as much as $750.00 and as little as $400.00 it shows helps.

 

[beth9111]

Don't over-order at mealtime! We always find potions to be very large and have never had a problem asking for another plate so we can share. Always ask for childrens menus or portions. Sometimes they are willing to offer a smaller portion at a reduced price even if they don't have a printed menu for children.

 

[Alice Jean]

I always pack snacks and drinks to bring with us. You'd be surprised how much $$ you can save in a week by bringing along breakfast items like coffee cakes, pop tarts, donuts, granola bars etc.. Then we don't have to eat out for breakfast and we get to the parks earlier!! Also a few sip ups and cans of soda work real well with ice from the hotel machines. Other munchies to snack on in between meals are cheaper than the snacks in the parks too!

off site- 1978
DXL- 1997
CBR & wonder cruise- 1999
OKW- Nov. 2001

 

[DisneyMom]

If you want to experience the atmosphere at one of the more expensive sit-down restaurants, just order an appetizer or dessert or two and share - we've done this a number of times and they staff has always been wonderful, we were never made to feel like we weren't "real" guests and we were able to fit more into our budget this way.

Offsite 9/81
Offsite 5/92
Offsite 6/94
Y&BC 9/95
CS 12/97
CBR 12/98
DxL 12/99
DxL 12/00
DxL & Cruise 7/01 - Can't WAIT!!

 

[Golter]

The best money saving tip I can offer anyone is DONT CHARGE ANYTHING ON A CREDIT CARD, that you can't pay off immediately. Nothing can ruin a WDW trip like coming home to credit card debt that you will be paying on for a long, long, time. Find out what everything is going to cost and take that total and divided by the amount you can put towards a WDW vacation. That will give you how many months you will need to save in order to go. It may be 6 months, it may be 3 years. It is so gratifying to go when its all paid in cash!

Darryl G.

Golter Family Trips
March 98, February 00, Sept 00 (No Kids)

 

[Gillian]

save up cash or change & then get travellers checks. I budget a certain amount per day, like one $100 check, cashed at breakfast.

Buy snacks at Sam's club. Fill your own water bottles & freeze them. Refill at water fountains.

Make a few trips to the dollar store. Sometimes you can get snacks there too.

 

[LisaRay]

We save change
We also have a garage sale and that is usually about $300.
Since we go in Nov. we add a little extra to our x-mas club acct. and then when we get that check about $200 of it goes into our vacation fund.

Since I'm not good at saving too far in advance about 2 months ahead we really cut back on eating out. This isn't so bad as the trip gets closer since we know we'll be eating out alot on the trip. We can usually save $75 a month doing this.

Then theres always the hot dog and grilled cheese dinners the week we actually leave. This might sound bad to some but I'd rather eat these foods at home so that I can have a few more good meals at disney. plus the kids never complain about this one. It enables me to take a huge chunk of our grocery money with us!!