[SandrA9810]

My brother's caregiver has never been to disney and has two kids. Now what would be the best budget possible, using current rates.

1. tickets purchased through AAA, Fl resident 3-day play pass for 116$.
(I remember when the play 4 pass with park hoper was only a 100$...)

2. Value resort - 59$ for 4 nights... she doesn't like driving at night

3. dining plan - 35$, and how much is it for kids??


Everytime me and Kari get back from a quick day or two trip there, she gets soo jealous, and goes on and on about how she wants to take her kids there, and that she's never been there herself.
Most the time for our quicktrips, we take a 100$ because we already has our passes, and we don't have kids with us, so we don't get a hotel room. Just gas and food. I keep trying to tell her it can be affordable if you plan for it, and it doesn't take 2,000$ to make a good disney trip. Heck we never even spend that much, even if we're renewing our passes.

[Erin]

Dining plan - 35 dollars a day for adults, 10 dollars a day for kids :c)

I hope she gets to go~!

[BESUNNYSIDEUP]

If you like to enjoy a nice sit down meal get the dining plan. We saved $300 using it! We got to enjoy the best places to eat and it really was nice to cool off and relax for a while.
Next. We took our own water in a small cooler. We kept once small cooler in the room with the water on ice so that when we needed more they would already be cold. If you are going to get a stroller anyway you can put the cooler you carry into the park on/in it so you don't have to carry it. We paid .16 per bottle from home and it cost $2 - $2.50 in the park. We took about 18 bottles. This would have cost us at least $36-$45. Also take a snack or two. Just don't overload yourself. It is hard to carry lots around and the stroller only has so much room in them. The one at MGM has a small basket under it but the other parks don't.
These were the two biggest savers for us. Also, if you don't want to buy lots of disney stuff while you are there don't go into shops. We just couldn't help ourselves once inside. I don't know why but you buy stuff you wouldn't normally buy and you pay top dollar! We know better and still bought tons.

[Ready2Go]

I knew prices were getting high at WDW when I first saw credit card slots on the coke machines. Bring your own for sure.

[Dana]

You are exactly right. It doesn't take a fortune ot have a great WDW trip. You have some great starts for her already. Value resort, meal plan.....MYW hopper ticket and she is good to go. Have her buy a little here and there instead of everything at once. It's easier on the pocketbook. If she plans now for next summer, she can have a nice little trip for herself and by putting a little away each pay check.

[robinmouse]

Watch Walmart, Target, etc for small Disney toys, tshirts, etc. Pack them secretly and take them out of hiding during your trip. It's a lot cheaper than buying similar things in the park, and your kids still get souvenirs.

[SandrA9810]

Robin: Now that's an evil trick to pull on your kids. Now the only real distinction is the tag that says "disney" on it. The ones sold outside of disney and the disney stores don't have that top tag.

Let's see here:
340 for tickets
240 for hotel
55 for meal plan
80 for gas
20 for food on the road
30 for snacks/drinks into the park

That's about $765 for the basic trip. And of course if she does leave at night of the third day it would save about 60$ on hotel, or she could get a room outside of the park, since she wouldn't need the bonus of the free parking and such.

My favorite thing for drinks, is going over to the Hess express stations, and getting our mug refilled for a 1$. We already own the Hess mugs and use it constantly here at home, and slurpee's last so much longer in those insulated mugs, and don't get that watery down taste. Since we change parks at least once in a day, we can make a pit stop there, or at our hotel. But 64 beats out 14 ounces any day.

I know most banks offer a vacation account, where you tell them when you're gonna go, and you can only add money, but cant take out until that date. That's what we're gonna do for our Christmas trip.

[E&B's Mom]

Originally Posted by SandrA9810

Robin: Now that's an evil trick to pull on your kids. Now the only real distinction is the tag that says "disney" on it. The ones sold outside of disney and the disney stores don't have that top tag.

Let's see here:
340 for tickets
240 for hotel
55 for meal plan
80 for gas
20 for food on the road
30 for snacks/drinks into the park

That's about $765 for the basic trip.

You underestimated the food. It should be $55 per day for an adult & two kids.

[SandrA9810]

oops, you're right. 55 time 3 is 165$
So about $875.

It doesn't ever seem like me and kari ever spend that much on our disney trip, even our elabrote christmas trips when we buy our seasonal passes. Then again, we probably spend about 100$ on food for the two of us for three days. We generally split our meals. It would be nice if we could only get one meal plan. Now that would be worth it.