[Pooh Fan]

I am just curious. I was talking to my sister last night who will be going to WDW for her first time with us next Christmas, and she asked me why we spend so much on our vacation. I always thought we tried to be conservative when we go. We bring our own snacks and breakfast foods, but do eat out twice a day. One of those meals is always a sit down meal because I think it is good to sit down to a nice meal at least once a day and slow down and enjoy a meal together--we tour the parks like commandos. I also feel that if I am going to spend the money to get there, then I might as well stay as long as we can. Our minimum trip is 11 days. During that time, we also go to the other park in Orlando for a couple of nights. Anyhow, it usually costs us between $4000 and $5000 total for the entire trip down to the cost of parking at the airport and paying someone to care for our 2 dogs. Do I budget/spend too much or is that about the right amount? Needless to say, this is why we only go every other year. DH would have a heart attack if I spent that much each year for one trip and did not get to take any weekend trips to get away and relax. I would love to hear from others, if that is not asking too much! My sister just got me to thinking that's all.

[Dana]

I budget around $100 per day, per person and am have already paid for most of my meals using hotwire vouchers ($400) My AP's cost around $750 and my resort stay is at about $1800 without my AP discount that I am really hoping for. Airplane = $325, Towncar -$120 (with tip), Towncar to my airport (100). This is running in the $4000 range I think. If you want to factor in guidebooks, videos and planning tools...add another $150 or so. If you do this over time (I plan and pay off in a year's time), this isn't a big deal. You could spend this much a year on take-out.

[MerlinMatt]

I think that sounds about perfect and in line with what we spend.

To answer your sister: "because it's the best vacation-in-a-box anywhere."

To me, the money spent in Disney is worth every penny. I've never been anywhere where I've smiled so much and have had so many people are me smiling at the same time.

By staying on property, I never have to worry about getting "stuck" somewhere or lost. If I need something, all I have to do is find a Disney nametag. I can travel around the world in an afternoon and I can select from dozens of different menus whenever I'm hungry.

Worth every penny.

[Pooh Fan]

Originally Posted by MerlinMatt

To answer your sister: "because it's the best vacation-in-a-box anywhere."

To me, the money spent in Disney is worth every penny. I've never been anywhere where I've smiled so much and have had so many people are me smiling at the same time. Worth every penny.

Matt, that is how Dh and I feel. Our family is happy the entire time we are there. My 2 kids don't even fight once we step onto Disney property. For us, it is all worth it. My sister did have me worried that we spend more than normal, but I can't think of one thing I would want to cut out. This trip we plan to buy AP's so we can see if we can get back there the following year-even if it is not for as long as our usual trips.

[MerlinMatt]

Originally Posted by Pooh Fan

My 2 kids don't even fight once we step onto Disney property.

Man, I wish I could get that. I mean, there was less... but it wasn't gone.

I suppose it's because they love each other so much right?

[Pooh Fan]

Originally Posted by MerlinMatt

Man, I wish I could get that. I mean, there was less... but it wasn't gone.

I suppose it's because they love each other so much right?

Yeah right. As soon as we get home, the magic has worn off and it is back to normal. Since they are 5 years apart, they seem to have a lot to fight about. I guess that I am lucky that we don't have any fighting while we are at Disney World. It makes the vacation that much more magical! You know the more I think about it, it is also funny that the kids can wake up every morning at 5:00 AM happy and ready to start the day, but at home it is like pulling teeth to get them to school by 8:00 AM. Go figure!

[CaribBeachNut]

I try to budget about $235/day. That about covers my entire trip including transportation, hotels, meals, gasoline, tolls etc. for four people. (I usually drive, not fly) plus a few hundred for souvenirs and misc. This price does not include admission tickets.

[Aggie_10]

Here is my budget.
$200 a day for food for five of us.
Most days we are eating breakfast in room, waffles, bagels in toaster I will bring. Snack food I will bring. Lunch - CS in park, and one sit down dinner.
$500 for souvenirs the entire time we are there. $100 per person.
$100 for stroller rental.
$100 for tip money for someone to carry our luggage to and from our rooms, maids - I will spend more on this if I need to.
$100 hotel fees, mostly the rental of refrig. in room.
$100 parking fees - when we take rental to Univ./ IOA + Airport Parking
I have already prepaid hotel/ flight/ rental car/ and hopefully Univeral/ IOA tickets. Right before we go - I will buy park hopper tickets from the Disney store.

[disneycouple30]

That about right for a family of 4.

When my wife and I go down each year this is what were spend.

Rooms for Seven nights- $109 each night (SOG) - $763
Towncar -$120
Tickets - $620 Length of Stay Tickets

Plane Tickets - Baltimore to Orlando $250 - 300
Parking at airport is nothing since our daughter lives in the area and they drop us off.
Meals $1000 ( we eat a good breakfast, a light snack for lunch, a sitdown dinner, We stop off and pick up 2 cases of water at the gorcery store- $10)

Gifts - $500 most of the time it around $250

Tips- $100

Total - $3400

This is what we budget for. Normal it around $2500 but this allows us to really have fun and eat at some of the best resturants. We have done the trip for around $800 for eight days when we were going down 4 times a year, but I was only paying for her food and plane ticket and we had season passes and i was down there for conferences or conventions and the company paid for the room and my food and car. She got to spend the day at the parks shopping or at the pool and then at night we went to the parks. We would go down Saturaday morning and come back sunday afternoon giving me 4 full days at the parks and 4 nights also.

Of that we had paid off the room, the tickets

[Dopey]

This is our first time staying with Disney. 7 days/6 nights.
The trip = flight, limo, LOSPasses and room at the POR were 3664.00 (already paid for) I figured about $200.00 per day for food = $1400.00, give or take and then some spending money. I think that sounds about right

[tinkermommy]

Well, in all honesty when I first was reading and saw the 4-5 grand I thought wow could I plan a really great holiday with that kind of money, then I noticed that you are staying for 11 days!! Thats totally cool!! Iwould probably spend the same amount if I were staying that long to. And if you can, then I say, go for it!!!! You can't take it with ya!

[cindy1970]

yes i guess it depends how much you spend on little stuff. we usually spend about 100.00 a day for dinner for 2 people but then we only spend 10.00 on breakfast and usually just a snack for lunch. and some nights we don't eat out. we don't really buy any souvenirs but our friends who went with us spent quite a bit on that stuff.

[DisneyTeacher]

I budget $50 a day per person for food and $100 dollars a day for our family for "stuff." Some days we spend more than this and some days we spend a little less. I give my DS Disney dollars all year so he has his own money to spent once we get to WDW, usually $100-$150. We usually go for 8 days so it adds up but it is so worth it. I have found the more we go to WDW the less I spend on stuff.

[cinderbella]

dana--maybe i'm new at this but what are hotwire vouchers?

[Dana]

Originally Posted by cinderbella

dana--maybe i'm new at this but what are hotwire vouchers?

These are vouchers that you can buy on hotwire.com for meals at WDW many other theme parks. They have 3 types: Breakfast vouchers that you can use at most all character meals and some sit-down places, Quick and Casual Lunch/dinner vouchers that can be used at most counter service restaurants for lunch or dinner and there is a lunch one that I can't seem to rememeber the name for and it's good for a full sit-down meal for lunch. These vouchers included tax and tip. This is my first trip using them and so far it seems easy enough. I just like the idea of buying a few of these here and there before the trip to have some meals paid off.