[Alaine]

I read on another website that if you eat at a QS place and get a kids meal and tell them you don't want the kid box they put it in, you'll save $2.00. I also read that if you order a double burger with an extra roll (89 cents I think), then you can take one of the burgers off & make a second burger. You can share the fries. You save approx. $8.00. You can also fill up your water bottle for free.

[Dopey]

Originally Posted by Alaine

When we go on vacation we really don't cut costs. We save long & hard to enjoy our vacations. It's been 4 years since we've been to Disney so we are doing it up. We're taking a limo to the airport, staying 11 days at a Deluxe resort, got a luxury rental because we want to do some things outside of Disney. Because of all our extras we want..we can't go as often as other people. I have friends that go often but stay off-site or in a value resort. They bring coolers and snacks. That's just not us..it wouldn't seem like a vacation if we had to do that. But then again, if we did cut costs we would be able to go to WDW or another vacation more often. Maybe next vacation I'll stay at a moderate and forget the rental car. That alone will save me $2500.

that's about how we like to vacation. I still can't justify a deluxe, much as I want to, but I will not skimp on anything else. We eat what and where we feel like, buy what we want.
I have never seen the cooler and bringing food sort of vacations until I lived in the US. A friend one day brought all that stuff, including a coffee maker to the hotel
Ummm....I am on vacation. I want coffee, I go and get it somewhere or call room service. If I want to rough it, I camp

[mairinmaureen]

Originally Posted by Dopey

If I want to rough it, I camp

I agree with you. I simply can't justify the Deluxe for just me and DH, but other than that, sky's the limit. It is vacation after all. Now if it were up to DH, he would pack peanut butter & jelly sandwiches to eat. He did this when we went to Vegas for a week. As soon as I saw those jars come out of his bags, I was like....uh, you can eat that. I'm going to Emeril's...see ya! He threw that pb&j away faster than you could say...Bam!

[zoey9797]

Re: bringing laundry soap:

If you are flying, be cautious~ I brought powdered Tide and was stopped at security in Orlando. Apparently, the left-overs in the baggie looked like Cocaine (tucked in the luggage pocket of the bag that had a giant Tigger strapped to the top lol). I was soooo embarassed!

I would guess they would stop you with liquid nowdays too.
If you are driving that is a GREAT $ saver!
Zoey

[Alaine]

That is so funny about the Tide. I would have never thought Tide could cause a problem. It reminds me of Jamaica. I wanted to buy this totebag at a marketplace. They had tons of them. The one I liked was filled with pot...yes pot! And for only $3.00 more I could get it filled. I just wanted the empty tote bag so they dumped out the drugs. I bought the bag & never gave it another thought until I went through customs with a drug sniffing dogs all over me. I ended up going through fine but it was very scary being taken off into a room by security thinking you did something wrong when you didn't.

[tea]

I have some detergent samples saved up that will use on our trip - I don't plan on doing more than load but I am taking 2 samples just in case :)

I did see at CVS drugstore (and I am sure they have it at WM) they have travel size detergent now.

[ddoll]

Originally Posted by zoey9797

Re: bringing laundry soap:

If you are flying, be cautious~ I brought powdered Tide and was stopped at security in Orlando. Apparently, the left-overs in the baggie looked like Cocaine (tucked in the luggage pocket of the bag that had a giant Tigger strapped to the top lol). I was soooo embarassed!

I would guess they would stop you with liquid nowdays too.
If you are driving that is a GREAT $ saver!
Zoey

Remember when the laundry detergent came in those cubes of compressed powder? DH had those in his suitcase once going to WDW and he got pulled out of line while they searched him. Apparently that looks a lot like explosives on Xray.
I don't even know if they make that kind anymore.

[HappyCamper]

If cutting costs means lengthening the magic, we're in. Our first trip lasted 6 or 7 days staying at the WL (included the bells and whistles with the deluxe dining plan) Yes, it was nice. Yes, I was spoiled. But only for 7 days.

The next visit, we decided to try the cabins at FW. 9 days...Fell in love with the campground and didn't mind grilling dogs and making breakfast each morning to be able to stay the extra nights. We saved so much, we were able to purchase extra goodies at the gift shops.

Our last visit, we decided to take our camper and do a site at FW. Wowee...11 days...at Christmas time. For us Michiganders to be able to travel to sunshine and t-shirts temps for 11 days is a dream come true. And, for what we saved on the dining plan, we were able to eat like kings. (and queens!) Oh yes, and could afford to purchase our own Christmas gifts too.

We treat saving money and cutting costs as an adventure not a hassle. We'd rather take more and longer trips to WDW than save, save, save for far and few between "bells and whistles" trips. But that's how we see it....

[brebre_51]

When our kids were growing up, we cut corners any way we could. You can ask Babs or Gem if we had fun at WDW. We sure did! Cutting corners doesn't mean cutting fun.

Just like taking our travel trailer to FW doesn't mean roughing it. In fact, we have found it to be more relaxing. We cook a quick breakfast & we are off until nap time. We wake up & we are off until we are ready to come back. If we want to sit outside & drink coffee or if we decide to grill, we can. Or if we want to eat our meals inside WDW, we can. Or, we can go swimming at FW. Whatever we feel like doing, we do.

The only thing I miss is the Disney Soaps. lol

Now, that DH & I are retired, we do not cut corners as much. But, I still can not bring myself to pay for expensive things. I look at it like this, the more money I save.... that is more money I can throw away on us or our loved ones.

[pixiedust]

We usually try to eat a nice meal at lunch. (The restaurants usually offer the same meal for less money than at dinner.) Then we go to a counter service restaurant for dinner. When my kids were younger and didn't eat as much, I would sometimes share their meal with them at counter service restaurants. I hate wasting food! The kids get one souvenir. This eliminates a lot of asking and a lot of time in the gift shops. After all, the real gift is being able to go to DisneyWorld in the first place!

[heathersmom]

Well, I was looking on line this morning about what to pack to send ahead to the resort in order to assist with food cost! I'm still searching.....

[heathersmom]

Originally Posted by Alaine

I read on another website that if you eat at a QS place and get a kids meal and tell them you don't want the kid box they put it in, you'll save $2.00. I also read that if you order a double burger with an extra roll (89 cents I think), then you can take one of the burgers off & make a second burger. You can share the fries. You save approx. $8.00. You can also fill up your water bottle for free.

yes, but I heard the water was really gross??? I'll do it anyway but am thinking about flavors to add or a filtered carry bottle

[heathersmom]

Originally Posted by ddoll

Remember when the laundry detergent came in those cubes of compressed powder? DH had those in his suitcase once going to WDW and he got pulled out of line while they searched him. Apparently that looks a lot like explosives on Xray.
I don't even know if they make that kind anymore.

I was reading thorugh here and saw all the times youhave visited. What was your favorite site? You have been alot! Just curious I guess.

[hskrshawn]

We do the double burger thing all the time (with the extra bun) and split it. My wife can't eat a full meal anyway so it works for us. We've never tried telling them we would pass on the kids meal box (to save $2). I'll try that next time.

[ddoll]

Originally Posted by heathersmom

I was reading thorugh here and saw all the times youhave visited. What was your favorite site? You have been alot! Just curious I guess.

Do you mean my favorite resort? If that's what you're asking then you can see my favorite is the Swan! LOL