Our Budget Tips

[Anthony1971]

While I agree for the most part Disney has some great CS. And now the flames. The DP is back some of our go to places have not only made the portions smaller but also cut down on the protein to the point of…. Where is it. The Disney owned CS we ate at were the same as last year but some of the none Disney owned have cut back specially looking at the CS at Mexico where we had to buy a second meal for our 18Yo and my brother for his 16yo…. Never had that issue in the past and yes we were all still hungry after.
They were mostly off by themselves and said Japan was still good.

 

[MICKIMINI]

While I agree for the most part Disney has some great CS. And now the flames. The DP is back some of our go to places have not only made the portions smaller but also cut down on the protein to the point of…. Where is it. The Disney owned CS we ate at were the same as last year but some of the none Disney owned have cut back specially looking at the CS at Mexico where we had to buy a second meal for our 18Yo and my brother for his 16yo…. Never had that issue in the past and yes we were all still hungry after.
They were mostly off by themselves and said Japan was still good.

The DDP is practically worthless now, for sure. Some restaurants exclude certain entrees and other require 2 credits for an entree. One snack a day has been eliminated. Unless you are getting a free DDP with some type of package I don't see the value. You really have to check out your potential eateries and do the math!

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I see you were focusing on newbies. It is often a shock when people add up the necessities of a Disney vacation, or their view of necessities. When we first bought DVC in 1996, we got a 3 BR Grand Villa and treated family a few times. Even though we provided rooms and I cooked several big meals, one family in particular was not prepared financially, even though they had been several times before. We found out during the trip they were maxed out on credit cards and bought a 60K SUV right before the trip which made it quite uncomfortable for us as hosts. They complained about not having any money... That was the last time we invited anyone other than our son and DIL (they have brought friends but they get their own villa). We sometimes hear "do you still own that Disney thing" but ignore it?

People are shocked when they hear it is at least 10K for a week for four people (transportation included) and that is a REALLY tight budget. 15K-20K a week adding in ADR's and an upgraded villa...is really easy to reach.

Personally, I think a family that has a "planner" can figure out a good budget, however trips with multiple families can be a disaster. I have helped dozens of friends plan family and multi family trips and everyone came back happy because they were prepared. I'd say the best thing a newbie can do is either find a friend who enjoys Disney planning or going through a travel agent who specializes in Disney so the financial pain is exposed early on!

Over the years, one thing that comes to mind repeatedly is: If going on a WDW vacation is going to financially burden you, #1 don't go until you are very comfortable doing so or #2 Vacation elsewhere

 

[Eastern]

A lot of good money saving tips here.

Once you have a Disney 'budget', decide which things are most important to you and put your money there. Allocate less money to your less important things. Everyone has different 'musts' and there are plenty of ways to make a trip work with most budgets. You will still have a magical time.

I am old and I have been to Disney many times and my priorities are still being adjusted. Don't base your trip on anyone else's.

 

[Miffy]

Back in the day, a thousand years ago, I used to stay on I-Drive in a lousy motel and still had a great WDW experience--and that was when there was only MK or after that, MK + Epcot.

Now I prefer to stay in the bubble, but (a) now there are not just Deluxe resorts at WDW--the Contemporary and Poly were the only two resorts on-site back then--and (b) I can afford a somewhat more expensive place to stay than a motel on I-Drive.

But if a not-all-that-great motel were all I could now afford, I'd still go and I'd stay there. I love the parks and the Disney experience.

 

[Bork]

We have stayed offsite that last couple times and we drive. We like having a whole condo. But 2 things are pushing us back onsite: being unable to avoid early entry and lightning lane changes. If you're staying offsite, it's harder to avoid long lines at the bigger rides. Onsite, we'll do early entry, not pay for LL and not have to pay for parking. Those costs add up.

 

[BusterBluth]

Yeah, the parking really does add up; our 6 days cost us $180 in parking!

I was surprised by the fact that when you arrive before opening, you can get past the turnstiles. Back in the day, the turnstiles didn't start turning until the clock struck exactly at opening. It really pays to get to the parks early!!

 

[NYCgrrl]

I received a BJ credit card that gives me 5% back on purchases.
They also sell discounted Disney gift cards up to $500.00. The discount for gcs is 5% so that’s a total of 10% off. Which means one day of the hotel stay is free (whooped de doo -look I’m trying).

Also opted in for a DVC room with a full sized fridge since vacation doesn’t mean I can’t cook, in my world. Since we average $100 p/p in restaurant charges for past trips eating mostly at the DVC will mean a substantial savings.