[cinderbella]

The first time DBF and I went to WDW together we were both in college and neither of us had "real" jobs......or any job really.....but we wanted to go to WDW--so we came up with the "WDW Action Plan".......we wanted to go in January, so the AUg. beforehand we were both waiters and we started putting all our change from waiting tables in an old Apple Juice Bottle....when school started in Aug and we both quit waiting tables we hide the apple juice bottle in the cloest so we wouldnt touch it...and from then on we started putting 5 dollars a week each in a lockbox...in Novemeber I made the room reservations...3 nights at ASMo...we got a discount so it turned out to be about 150 total...the tickets were about 175 total..........and then we budgeted 100 for food each...
the total was about 500.........knowing this we counted our money in the lockbox..350...we rolled our change...and we mean all of it...it turned out to be 200...we were so excitied...but still no money for souvieners...so when we were there we took LOTS of pictures.....and zoomed out of every gift shop after a ride..and we'd never even heard of these fancy resturants other than counter service (it was burgers the whole week)...and honestly it was the best trip we've ever had...of course mostly bc it was DBF first time back to Disney since he was 6..but..a lot of it had to do with the fact that we really worked for it...now that i work and DBF is still in college but works 2 part time jobs,it makes a trips a little bit easier, because we have actual money...but sometimes..being cheap isnt so bad.........
but i much prefer the trips that i am about to take.......

[ddoll]

We've done some really cheap things too. Like buying bottled water in the jugs and rinsing out and refilling the sports bottles from it every night. We've never bought a rain poncho from the parks. We always get the 2/$1 ones from the dollar store too. Th ekids are limited to one souvenir each, so they tend to wait and not buyt he first thing they see.

[PrincessJill]

My family always uses as many money-saving tricks as possible. We almost always stay at a value (unless, like this next trip, a moderate turns out to be a better deal! ) and we always bring a cooler full of water, milk, and ice tea. We bring cookies, chips, and stuff for breakfast, like cereal, muffins, etc. This way we have breakfast and nighttime snacks in the room, without paying major $$ at the food court. In the parks, we do counter service for lunch and dinner with a snack in between. (mmm.. popcorn...) But we'll usually splurge once for lunch at one of our favorite places - Biergarten or 50's Prime Time. :)

Me and my brother STILL get a set amount of money to spend on souvenirs. (we're teenagers and we still have to be told how to budget.. lol) Parents give us $20 each - anything else comes out of our own pocket. When we were younger we had the "one special thing" rule, which I think subconsciously still carries over. My brother usually gets a hat or something, and I usually get one of the little glass princesses to add to my collection. Plus a few pins, of course..

Our trips don't have many frills, but we all have so much fun. As corny as it may sound, just being in Disney and being all together makes us happy. No frills needed. :)

[got2lovedisney]

I buy cheap pins for trading. We also shop at the outlet stores, on ebay or disneydeals for clothes to wear on the trip. We stay at the value resort with discount codes and bring in snacks and drinks. We bring our own ponchos. We buy kids meals and share food. Also, at the counter service restaurants...although it says "basket" which includes fries...we get the burger/dog/whatever without the fries or we'll make one a basket and one without...saves some $ over the trip not having to pay for fries each and every meal. I bought a bunch of the Q&C vouchers to use (in December...I'm glad I was too anxious to wait to buy them!). If we absolutely have to do a sit-down meal...we make it for lunch which is a little cheaper...or we just pop in for dessert. When in doubt...overpack!! It killed me 2 years ago to have to buy my DD a $48 sweatjacket when she had a few at home...even the gloves for DD and her friends cold fingers...$8/pair!! I can get those for like $1-3 at Target! UGH!!

[Disneywife]

In the days that we had annual passes to Disneyland but could not afford to eat out at ALL, we would pack our lunches and eat in the picnic area just outside the park. I'm not sure if any of the parks at WDW has one of these, but it's a nice shaded and secluded area with tables and soda machines just outside the main gate (most people don't even know it's there) with lockers. We'd leave our lunch or dinner there in a locker, go in and enjoy the park (bringing our own water of course), get our hand stamped and go over to the picnic area when it was time to eat, then re-enter the park. Even if WDW doesn't have a place like this in any of their parks (I bet they do), you could go out to your car or make your own picnic somewhere outside the gate in a nice area to sit.

A friend of mine who just went to WDW suggested that you would buy a double cheeseburger for one person, and then just buy a bun for about 20 cents, and in that extra bun, put the extra patty, and fill it with fixings from the burger bar, and you have two burgers for almost the price of one.

(We didn't do this, but she did, and says she saved a lot of money)

No we get into all the parks for free and get significant discounts on everything else, so that is my best money saving tip - work for Disney.

[karliebug]

When we eat at a place that has a fixins' bar I make my own salad from the fixins' -lettuce,tomatoes,onions. And then I make a thousand island type dressing from the ketchup,mayo. and relish. Yummy.

[FireAngel]

I used to do that a lot when I was a CM. Still do.

[tiggerfan74]

Ok, here are some of my "money saving" tips. We only live a couple of hours away so we drive. We buy water bottles the first day and save them , reusing them throughout the trip. We bring a cooler filled with juice and sodas and fill up the cooler with ice from the hotel when we get there. Then when we come back to the room for our afternoon break or even at night, we have nice cold drinks right there in our room. We also pack small snacks for DD to have in the room. Also, we buy the hotel's refillable mugs. Those are a deal!! Oh, and for breakfast, instead of buying 3 meals, my DH gets one and DD and I split one. They are so big and I could never finish it, so we share.

[MissDisney]

Here are our tips for saving money (These are top-secret, so don't tell a soul!):
-We stay off property so we can have a cheap room with a kitchen -- our kids hate restaurants for breakfast (waste of their time!), so we make inexpensive breakfast for the family -- bowls of cereal, bagels, scrambled eggs... and get out the door EARLY!

-The kids take a fanny pack with a bottle of water, a snack, and a couple of dollars in it. This way, we don't have to payrder megabucks every single time they are hungry! We can save the cash for a wonderful Mickey bar or chocolate chip cookie!

-Two on a turkey leg!

-Schedule one big meal per day, and the others are small snack-type meals.

-Order well drinks instead of call brands.

-Only buy suovenirs on the last day of vacation!

[gingles]

Wow, the response to this has been great! Really cool tips.

Ok, I wanted to say a couple of things. First, I've got a nasty cold which as had me down for a couple of days (sympathy welcome please) and I've missed all of you even though I'm a noobie.

Second, I admit being puzzled for two or three of the earlier posts, until I realized that I hadn't really made it clear what I was asking for.

Third (I did say three things didn't I?), no problem Dopey, no offense taken!!!

First, let's all agree there aren't many of us cheapskates in this forum--after all it's very easy to drop 4-8 grand in a week and a half in the World, and we happily do it. My DW convinced me a long time ago that creating memories for our children (and ourselves) that last a lifetime are well worth the $$$.

I heard once that H L Hunt, Texas oil millionaire and once the richest man in the world had his lunch fixed in a little paper bag by his wife every morning before she sent him off to work. And Sam Walton drove the same old pickup truck to work every day.

Even the guy who gave me the "buy beer in the gift shop tip" flew his family over in their private plane. Go figure! (Incidentally, I brought my couple of beers to the pool in a plastic bag--warm Heinekin is fine with me).

I do agree with Dana and others, you can carry this too far. I admit that on our first trip, I did'nt plan (budget) well, annoyed my family for a couple of days with my constant penny-pinching, then realized I was putting damper on the fun and lightened up the rest of the trip. My advice since to friends going to the world for the first time--plan your budget--then add 50 percent and you've got it. Also, the envelope trick is great--we used it with Travelers checks, putting a days allowance in separate envelopes. If we didn't spend a days allowance, we put it in the next day's envelope.

Dopey came up with a wonderful word, tacky. I thought if I asked just for budget-saving tips, I would get the same-old, same-old, so I was asking (a little tongue in cheek) for those little "cheapskate, slightly tacky" tips that we all have (but might not normally admit).

Your responses were awesome. As I read them, I realized that some one on a tight budget could save a few HUNDREDS of dollars following these over a several day trip. Also, that a family on a very tight budget still might be able to handle a few days in the world with the right information and planning.

OKAY NOW, I GUESS YOU DIDN'T KNOW THERE WOULD BE AWARDS :

SECOND RUNNERUP: Goes to Pooh Bear--fixing your own toast and food in the food court--what a trick! To you a thimble of pixie dust...

FIRST RUNNERUP: Goes to markiepooh--conning the Disney photographers to take free group pictures of you is sooooo cool--in the category of I wish I had thought of that! To you--a shot glass of pixie dust...

AND THE WINNER IS...

FIRST PRIZE: Goes to karliebug!!!--making your own free salad complete w/ dressing at the fixins bar--Jack Benny would be and I am proud!

To you goes a cup full of pixie dust--I understand that's a lot so use it wisely! Honorable mention to Fireangel on that one as well!

[Erin]

Very cute gingles :c)

[gingles]

Originally Posted by Erin

Very cute gingles :c)

Thanks

BTW, this doesn't mean to quit posting...I'm sure there's more out there!

Erin could provide the prizes this time!!!

[Erin]

LOL! I gave all my pixie dust to Tinkerbell!

[gingles]

Originally Posted by Erin

LOL! I gave all my pixie dust to Tinkerbell!

But there's Disney Dollars!

[Disney6]

We bring quite a bit of food/drinks from home and always have when we have visited with the kids. I am not sure about other DC memeber's kids but ours would rather eat cereal/pop tart for breakfast and a pb&j sandwich at another meal than "waste" time eating in a restaurant. I am not saying we haven't done all of the dinner shows and character meals but to get 4 kids to sit down for an hour or more is tough. Our last trip I estimated we saved close to $500 on meals alone. We have also found that the meals are so generous at the parks that younger kids can share and still have plenty to eat. Call us cheapskates but we use the money to let the kids buy more souvenirs and my DW loads up on more Christmas decorations on our all Disney tree.