Is a Disney vacation possible without taking out a loan?

Question

Family of four really, really, really wants a Disney vacation in Florida. Currently living in North Carolina. Any suggestions for making like a 6 day trip (4 days at the parks) without breaking the bank?

Answer 1

Yes, it is possible and all vacations should be budgeted this way (in a way where a loan is not needed). Start saving now. Have a neighborhood yard sale or sell unwanted items on craigslist to help out with this. Start a penny fund for the kids. Whenever they find lose change, they add it to a jar to go toward Disney.

You'll want to visit during an off-peak season first of all. This would mean anytime between late January and mid March or late September through mid December. Park attendance is lower these times and resorts are cheaper state-wide.
If you really want to stay at a Disney Resort, expect to pay a minimum of $82 a night. However, Disney Resorts come with a lot of perks! You'll have free transportation from and back to the airport. And you'll have free transportation to anywhere on Disney property. You will also be able to take advantage of the Disney Dining Plan (available to Resort guests only) which comes out to about $50 a day, but allows each person to have 2 nice meals and a snack. You can also have souveniers delivered to your hotel for free if you stay on property.
If $82 a night is still out of your budget, then I recommend you stay off Disney property. I recommend the Lake Suites in Kissimmee. These are "condo-style" resorts which have full kitchens. A family suite is only $69 a night. You can purchase food at a nearby grocery store and make a lot of meals at your resort. This will save you a ton of money, rather than eating out every night.

Purchase your park tickets from a designated discount location:

AAA (membership required)
your local Disney Store
Costco (membership required - travel services)
Sam's Club (membership required - travel services)

and book flights through http://www.bookingbuddy.com
to save there.

Also visit http://www.orlandoinfo.com and request a free vacation planning kit. They will send you a booklet that is just filled with coupons for theme parks, restaurants, rental cars, and a lot more.

If you would like help planning for your next trip or if you would just like to read up on some fun tips and ideas that are updated monthly, visit my Disney Vacation Services My space page, at:

http://www.myspace.com/disneymickeyvacation

Have a great time!

Answer 2

yes, very possible. first off if you plan it far enough in advance you can buy your park tickets online once a paycheck. a 60.00 ticket here this week another two weeks from now. disney tickets dont expire, you can use them anytime. so just buy all your tickets in advance.my wife and three girls usually rent a fully furnished home for about 700.00 a week. there is a 10% deposit and then you just make payments on the balance up until 4 weeks prior to arrival. by staying at a home, we usually make out a grocery list/menu for when we are there. we will pick up can goods, cereals and any thing else that wont spoil weeks and months in advance to leaving. then once in town, we shop at a local grocery for meats, chicken,milk and so fourth. dont get me wrong, we do eat out at least a couple of times during the vacation, but we much rather eat home cooked meals. also, disney is one of the few parks that allow ice chests and outside food and drinks into the parks, we will usually pack a few sandwiches and waters and juices and and a few snacks. it makes things so much more enjoyable knowing that you have everything completely paid off upon arrival and the only money you'll need is for parking, souvenoirs and any other disney goodies you desire. it's really easy as long as you commit to buying everything you can before you arrive. it's not that we are stretched for money, but it sure makes the vacation a whole lot more enjoyable than to worry about how much youv'e spent during a weeks vacation compared to that weeks vacation paid out over 6 or 7 months withouit taking out a loan. try this and i gurantee you and your family will have a very enjoyable and memorable vacation.

Answer 3

My family has been to Disney 6 times and have gone budget all the way to deluxe. Remember when going to Disney a few important facts. We can always save money up front by staying outside the park, but remember the 2 important things about staying at a Disney resort. Number 1 is the travel time. Using Disney transportation saves you rent a car money and delivers you to the front door of every park. Number 2 may be the most important and that is the early and late admission to the parks. Every day 1 park opens 1 hour early and stays open up to 3 hours late for hotel guests only. My family on one night alone at epcot got on Soarin, Mission to Mars, and test track in 2 hours when during the day the wait at Test track alone was 2 hours (july). You can stay at the Sports,Music, or pop century hoteld for the price of a Comfort Inn with all the extras.

Answer 4

Absolutely. I have a family of four as well, and we are by no means wealthy. We have taken our kids to Disney multiple times, and we are on our way back again in April (for my 11 yr old this will be her 4th trip, my 7 yr old son his 3rd.) If you budget and plan, a Disney vacation is not impossible.

My first suggestion is to plan the trip yourself. Paying someone else to plan my vacation is someting I would rather not do. I have always made all of our reservations and never had a problem. I have two sources that I always use. First is the Birnbaum's guide to WDW. There are a ton of books out there, but we have always found this one to work the best for us. Second, the Disney website (www.disneyworld.com) has TONS of info on it, right down to an estimate on what your particular package will cost. Sure, you may be able to get deals just about anywhere, but buyer beware! If a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is. I have had people that I know go with a deal they got and get burned. They stayed on the grounds, but the trip was did not include things that they wanted to do. I have never run into a problem.

Make the reservations as far in advance as possible. Disney takes reservations up to 18 months in advance, I believe. You will not get the final price of the vacation that far in advance, because the prices for the following year usually don't come out until the fall. However, you can make payments to your vacation, either monthly, quarterly, whatever. When you are ready to go, your entire trip will be paid for, except for spending money.

STAY ON THE GROUNDS. Disney has value and moderate resorts that are very competitve in terms of price and the service is outstanding. You can get a package through Disney that includes room and tickets for everyone to the parks for a great price. I always book my airfare separately, just because I am weird, but Disney can do that for you too. By staying on the grounds, you get to take advantage of the perks reserved for resort guests only. They have extra magic hours where one of the parks is open early and one stays open late. We always take advantage of the park staying open late. The most popular rides stay open, and the lines are very short. Also, the park is never closed to resort guests, even if they temporarily close admission due to the size of the crowd. You also get unlimited use of the Disney transportation system. They pick you up and take you to the park, then bring you back. My kids love riding the monorail.

Get the park hopper option on your tickets. Many people don't want to spend the extra money for the park hopper option, but it is essential to have a good experience. It gives you the flexiblility to pretty much come and go as you please. You can go to one park in the morning, go back in the afternoon for a rest, then hit a different park in the evening. I truly think that is the best way to go when going to Disney.

For the future you may want to get some info on the Disney Vacation Club. My wife and I joined the vacation club in 2005, and it is the best thing we ever did. Being in the club gives us even more options and flexibility and it is affordable. The whole thing is not like a true "timeshare", but they give you points to spend. You can bank points, borrow points from the upcoming year, and use what you need to go. The points are also usable at around 500 or so other non-disney hotels, so you are not stuck using points to only go to Disney. For example, my wife and I purchased 160 points. I would never be able to get a room for the period of time that we are going to be there for what I am paying for my points. What it does is I am basically saving up for vacation all of the time, and even when the payments are done, I still have the points to use. For the vacation that I am taking in April, we are staying at the Saratoga Springs resort. I used the 160 points from last year, 160 from this year, and a few from next year for a 9 day stay. My room is completely paid for. I get discounted park passes, and discounts all over WDW with my membership card. I only have to pay for my transportation, park passes (discounted), and spending cash, which I saved up for. What this also does is give me the opportunity to stay at some of the resorts that I could never afford otherwise. My kids are begging to stay at the Animal Kingdom lodge. They want to be in the Savanah rooms where you can look out and see the animals. Without the points, I probably could never swing that.

No matter what you do or spend, a Disney trip is worth every penny. The look on my kids faces the first time they stood there and saw Cinderella's castle was worth the cost. The looks on their faces when I told them I made reservations this time was even better. Do your research and plan, and you can give the kids an experience they will never forget.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

The biggest expense will be lodging! They do have a campground area and even some cabins that are relatively cheap on the Disney grounds- Good luck I hope to go in Dec, it will be expensive but well worth it I am sure!

Answer 7

of course it's possible

don't you hear those commercials promoting that weeklong vacation for $1600? I don't know all the details but that sounds like a good deal. Look into it.

Answer 8

The cheapest trip ive had to Disney was when my family and i (five of us) stayed off property, rented a van and drove. I packed non perishable foods to eat on the road. It can be done- that trip cost me about 3,200.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

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