Testimony from Brandi
Two weeks from today my husband and I will be taking our four children to Disney World!
The Background
I am a work-at-home mom of four amazing boys ages 7, 6, 3 and 2. My husband is a sales rep for a wholesale distributing company. We have purposed to live within the means that the Lord provides for us and are so thankful for His blessings. With four boys, it requires creativity, sacrifice and sometimes plain old miracles to make that happen!
By the blessings and grace of God, we are debt-free except for our mortgage. We have six months of living expenses saved and are contributing a very modest amount to my husband’s 401K.
Our Goal
With medical expenses and just “life”, vacation has never made it to the top of our priority list. We decided at the first of the year that we would really love to be able to take our boys on a nice vacation and began to ask the Lord if He would allow us this extra but certainly not necessary blessing.
I’m so happy to say, He has allowed us to save all the cash needed without touching our savings or going into any sort of debt!
How We Did It
- We are participating in a time-share presentation in exchange for free lodging! (I told them upfront that there is no chance of us buying a timeshare but they still want to give it a shot. Bless their hearts!)
- We had a yard sale and made $500.00.
- I sold an old kitchen table on the internet for $200.00.
- I bought $250.00 worth of restaurant gift certificates for $18 on Restaurant.com.
- We will be buying groceries and eating in the condo for breakfast and lunch each day.
- I saved $600 out of our monthly budget over the last four months by couponing, searching sales, freezer cooking and just plain saying “no!” to things. That $600 was the hardest part because we only have a monthly budget of $400 for groceries, eating out, clothing, toiletries, etc.
What We Gained
This has been an awesome way for us to teach our children about delayed gratification. We explained each time we had to say no to something that even though we were sacrificing now, the blessing of our vacation was going to be much greater.
We actually saved the cash in a bag so the boys could see it and when we sacrificed something they could see us add to the cash. This has been a great character and faith-building experience!
Brandi Johnson is wife to Brandon and mom to Taylor, Luke, Caleb and Zachary.
Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
Sherri says
Here’s a thought about the timeshare presentation- practice saying “no” as you may have to repeat it often. We did one of these (not at Disney) years ago when we were first married and it was a real headache (literally- I was so hungry by the end of our session that my head started to hurt). We told the gal upfront that we weren’t interested i buying; she went through the whole schpeel anyway; we told her again that we couldn’t afford it; she told us about their easy payment plan; after another “no” she had to go get her supervisor so he could explain it all again to us (apparently we should have been convinced); finally, we were able to leave after one more “no”.
Now, not every timeshare presentation will be like our experience, but with small children along, you may want to be prepared with snacks and toys. Or, maybe a screaming toddler may be your early ticket out of there!
damien@freestuff4free says
Great work Brandi. Hopefully this will serve as an inspiration to many others out there. Even in a time of economic downturn there are things that we can still enjoy if we’re willing to put in the hard yards. 2 big thumbs up.
Jennifer says
Congratulations on your upcoming trip! Fall is an amazing time to go, and I think that your children are at great age! Be sure to take advantage of the baby swap and fastpass for when your younger children can’t ride the bigger attractions to minimize your separate time. Also, using baby swap, your older children will get to ride the ride twice in a row! Since Disney food is expensive, plan to bring snacks, lunch, and water with you. You can also look at the menus at http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining.htm so you can know where the cheaper food is before you get there. At a few places at the magic kingdom you can order a double cheeseburger and an extra bun a la carte which is pretty reasonable for feeding at least 2 people. You also don’t have to buy the meals on the menu. If you don’t want the sides, you can get every item a la carte and save money that way too.
I also agree with reading a book on Disney World before you get there so you are familiar with all of the attractions before you arrive. Besides knowing where your family wants to go first, some of the rides can be pretty scary and you don’t want to wait 20 minutes to terrorize your children unnecessarily.
Have a wonderful trip!
jen says
Just remember that the resorts are AMAZING – even the value resorts have playgrounds, multiple pools, arcades, etc. Our first trip with the kids was 4 days/3 nights. We visited 2 parks and spent 2 days at the hotel and the pool. We took the shuttle over to Downtown Disney – it is free to just walk around and plenty of FREE things to entertain you for a couple of hours. The LEGO store has a play area where you can build and race lego cars. My kids could stay there for hours. Then there are great stores and photo opportunities and an ice cream shop. We stop there every time we go to Disney (we are FL residents). Most people pack their trip with park visits but the reality is the quiet days by the pool and just hanging out together are just as fun and a great way to keep yourself and the kids from wearing out or getting overstimulated. Our trip for 4 people was $1500 including Disney value hotel, FL resident tickets, souvenirs and all our food (except for snacks). We feel like vacation is our one time to treat ourselves, so we aren’t cooking/making sandwiches on vacation! 🙂
Susan says
I’ve commented a couple times here already but wanted to add a little more regarding the financial aspects of a Disney vacation, and share my experience. It may or may not apply to the original poster, but perhaps others can benefit.
I took my daughter to Disneyland last November when she was 9. We did the entire trip for under $1000, including airfare.
– Be open with dates. Set up alerts for airlines and travel sites such as Orbitz and Travelocity, and be willing to jump on cheap tickets when you find them. In my case, I planned on going for 3 days, with a day of travel on both ends, so 4 nights in all, and I wanted to go around Thanksgiving. But I wasn’t picky about the exact dates — I looked for dates that were around Thanksgiving week, and I was able to score two airline tickets for $129/ea.
– Be willing to stay off property if you want to save money. Some folks will argue that staying at a Disney resort is an important part of the whole “Disney” experience — and it is convenient — but you can have an awesome Disney experience regardless of where you sleep. In Anaheim, there are plenty of nice, affordable hotels very close to Disneyland, some within walking distance, and most with easy access to the parks via shuttle busses that run very frequently. For past trips to Disney World in Florida, transportation was a whole ‘nother issue, but for Disneyland, it’s very convenient to just take a shuttle bus to and from the park entrances from our hotel. If you are flying, you do not need a rental car.
– While you’re shopping around for flights, shop around for the best hotel deals. You don’t even have to have firm dates — if you find a great deal on a hotel, go ahead and make a reservation. Make sure you can cancel it without charge — usually you can with at least 24 hours notice, but read the fine print before you book to make sure. Also, you can often change your dates but keep the rates that you booked by calling the hotel directly. This is good in case you find super cheap flights where the dates don’t correspond exactly to the hotel dates you reserved.
With my Disneyland trip (and previous DW trips), it was NOT more economical to book a hotel/flight package. We spent 4 nights in Anaheim, and I was able to find a hotel deal for only $52/night AND buy-3-get-1-free, so less than $200 for a hotel very close to Disneyland, where we were very comfortable. Package deals were a lot more expensive than booking flights and hotels separately and buying meals individually.
– As others have said, the food in parks is very expensive. I budgeted for just two Disney meals — dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney for the day we arrived and a character breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen for day 3. Great food, very fun, and definately part of the whole Disney experience.
– For other meals, what we ended up doing was eating a quick breakfast in the room, yogurt or cereal, or such. We had a refrigerator and there was a mini-mart just a block away, so easy to keep milk and yogurt on hand. We packed easy-to-eat snacks, like granola bars, into the parks in case we got hungry. We didn’t have “lunch” per se, just some snacks. I did allow some spending money for a soda or coffee & hot chocolate, ice cream, or popcorn or such in the park. I think we purchased one snack and two drinks in the park each day. They’re expensive generally speaking, but for just the two of us for three days, it wasn’t a huge expense.
– For dinner — and this wasn’t planned in advance but worked out great for us — each day we went back to the hotel mid-afternoon to swim. The pool was adjacent to the restaurant/bar. They had “happy hour” from 4:00 – 6:00, so we were able to buy an “appetizer” that was plenty enough food for both of us for under $10. We had nachos one night, and pizza the next, with enough leftover pizza for dinner the 3rd night. That was less than it costs us to eat out normally, so I very excited about that deal. In all, I spent about $100 on food.
After our swim break and early dinner, we went back to the parks again. I would highly recommend taking an afternoon break from the parks, whether for a nap for the little ones, a swim, or whatnot. It really helps to pace yourself, as being in the parks all day can be very tiring. And afternoons are the hottest time of the day plus the most busy, so it’s a good time to take a break. We spent the earlier part of the day at the parks and went on the rides that we most wanted to do, then took a swim/dinner break for a few hours, then went back in the late afternoon/evening and enjoyed the parade and fireworks and took in some more rides. It was perfect.
– Limit the souvenirs! They are expensive. I gave my daughter $25 to spend as she wanted, and planned on getting just a couple of souvenirs of my choosing. My favorite souvenir is a paper-cut silhouette of my daughter’s head profile. There’s a little shop there on main street where a woman cuts them on the spot. She is SO talented! I framed it later, back home. I also bought a Christmas ornament with the year on it, which will be fun to pull out every year. With her money, the kiddo chose a small plush Minnie Mouse doll and a Mickey flashlight that we still use quite often, which I thought were great choices.
– A souvenir that I highly recommend — get a autograph book so that you child can collect autographs from the characters. They’re great about posing for photos, so later on you can add a photo of your child with the character along side the autograph. This little book is one of my daughters most prized possessions.
– Plan for a little splurging. Our only real splurge was a costume and up-do and makeup session at Bippity Boppity Boutique. I thought the kiddo was too old for the princesses and wouldn’t be much interested in that, but once there, she really got into it. And she didn’t beg or whine — she just looked longingly at the boutique and admired the costumes she saw other girls wearing — so I treated her, and I don’t regret spending the money. It was very special for her.
My advice – take a princess (or other) costume from home. They’re the same costumes you can get at Disney stores, so you can get them for a lot less money on clearance, or possibly ebay or second-hand stores.
– Apparently there are deals to be had at Disney — with the Bippity Boppity Boutique purchase came a coupon for a blanket for only $15, which I thought was a great deal on a very nice, quality, throw-sized blanket. We ended up using it at the parades and fireworks. It got chilly on those November evenings, so the blanket came in very handy. It was lightweight and easy to carry. We still use it a lot; in fact, it’s “home” is across the back of my sofa. It’s very pretty, with a tasteful Mickey/Minnie print, and it’s a nice decor item in our home.
– Lastly, be realistic about what you will and won’t be able to do do/see in the time you have. With Disneyland and Disney World both, there is so much to see and do. We couldn’t possibly pack it all into three days, so we chose the things we most wanted to do and made them priorities, and after that, we kept it laid back and just did what we felt like.
Have fun!
jacki says
Love it! Have a wonderful time with your precious family!
Laurie says
We are leaving for Disney the first wk of Dec. I took my daughter 2yrs ago at the age of 4.5 and we had such a wonderful time. This yr I am taking my youngest who will be 3 and oldest is 6. We always stay at All start Movies resort. We are doing 2 days at Magic Kingdom and a free day for Downtown Disney. We will be there for 5 days. This time we are taking it slow and just enjoying our time. For the 3 of us we paid approx $2200 for the entire trip including airfare all paid for in cash. We are taking about $600 cash. We will then start saving for our Disney Cruise in 2yrs. We are dreaming about sailing on Disney new ocean liner for 7 days. Paying cash ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Susan says
@Laurie,
That sounds awesome Laurie.
Some families may consider this unfathomable, but I think that a one-on-one vacation with a child is awesome. I’m a single parent with just one child so it’s always one-on-one with us. But among my extended family and circle of friends, I’ve known of many instances where one parent will take one child on a special trip (Disney or elsewhere), just the two of them, and they’ve had a wonderful time. Especially with a big family (I grew up in one), it can be such a special time for a child to have mom or dad all to themselves for a few days.
My sister has 4 children, who currently range in age from 12 to 23. They started a tradition with the youngest where each child gets three special trips with just mom or just dad — around their 6th birthday, their 12th birthday, and their high school graduation. That’s 12 trips-for-two over the years, which I realize may be out of the budget for many readers here considering the audience for this blog, but the trips don’t necessarily need to be to expensive theme parks. With their oldest boy, when he graduated HS he and his dad spent a week hiking the Grand Canyon, a priceless experience for both of them.
Jan says
I wanted to mention the free dining plan is not always the best way to go because you have to pay full price for the room to get the free dining plan- I think it depends on how long you are staying- how many adults- kids- and how much you eat and drink. We just got the room and got 25% off the list price on the room. I think Disney is one time when it is beneficial to use a travel agent to check the different deals. I also found I got a better price by calling Disney direct than what they had on their webiste.
Cricket@ A Thrifty Penny says
I wouldn’t feel bad about attending a timeshare presentation. It’s not much different than order a free sample of a product that is normally so expensive you wouldn’t buy it.
By attending the presentation you are going to sample their property. If you buy great. If you don’t buy, you are still able to share your experiences with others which could lead to a purchase. It’s all about marketing a product and getting it out there for people to try.
Amani S. says
I love it! We are in the process of teaching our (spoiled) seven year old about sacrfice, responsibility and expectations. As of this afternoon his room (suite) will be stripped to the basics and he will have to earn his rewards. He currently has 3 game systems, a Nerf arsenal, a Lego collection and more. Also as a family we are sticking to a budget and enjoying life together as a family. Parks, library and other free attractions here we come. Next year we too will be taking a vacation just like yours.
Jennifer says
I completely and totally disagree with the last comment from Anon. You will have a fantastic time!
My husband and I took our daughter to Disneyland for the first time when she was 1. I thought he was nuts. But watching the wonder on her face was just incredible. We had a stroller, and she fell asleep at her “normal” nap times twice during the day with no problem, and we used that time to have one of us rest with her whilst the other went on the adult rides. There are many, many, many things for kids of your ages, including the small ones, to enjoy. You won’t possibly be able to do it all in one day – and you’ll be dragging them away to move on to the next attraction.
Then we moved to Los Angeles (from Australia) and the first thing we did was buy annual resident passes to Disneyland and went there about every 3-4 weeks. At this point we had a 6-month old and our daughter was 2 1/2. It was fantastic. Then before we left the US to move back to Australia (just in July) we roadtripped from Houston (where we were living) to Orlando and did 5 days there. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that your youngest kids will remember their adventure – brain developmentally-wise they are able to process and remember things, and they will each take something different from the experience.
Of course you’re not going to go on every, single ride at every single park, but there aren’t many people out there who set out to do everything! And with Disney’s Fast Pass system, you can accomplish a lot. Also, don’t forget about the “parent pass”. If one of you stands in the main line with some of the kids to go on something, ask when you get in the line for a parent pass, and that’s better than a fast pass as you give it to your partner when you get off and you can go to the front of the line.
Just relax and have fun. And oh, so the kids don’t get the exact sleep they would at home. And they stay up a bit later. Whatever! They aren’t going to turn into pumpkins at midnight! Have fun!!!
Anonymous says
I do not know about taking 4 young children to Disney, especially those ages, most likely they will not remember the vacation and especially the 3 and 2 year old.
As parents, you will be more babysitting than having fun with your children on rides and activities, especially with the two younger kids not being able to go on rides with the two older kids, so someone will have to stay behind to watch them, and then in that sense you are paying to just get in the parks to take your children to Disney, but the family is not enjoying the rides and activities together. Most of the time a parent will have to sit out while others go on rides.
Also, don’t forget taking breaks for nap time. Most parks take at least a full day starting early morning to late night to experience everything and others can take even two full days. Plan for at least two days for each park. And that is on a good waiting in line time, factor in the amount of time you need to wait in line for rides.
The better age is probably older elementary children or young middle schoolers.
Are there any other families with the same thought ?
Alexis says
@Anonymous,
My youngest was 3 1/2 when we went. 2 years later, she still talks about it all the time. And she could go on almost everyride (even rides I would NEVER take a 3yo on…like Tower of Terror and Space Mtn) She did go on Matterhorn…and loved it!
As a parent, you get a totally different experience with young kids. Yes, plan to spend more time in Fantasyland on the Dumbo Ride, but learn to see Disney thru the eyes of a child….literally. The first time she saw the princesses she was nearly speachless…except when she screamed with excitement. An older child would not have the same reactions to meeting their current obsessions.
We were at Disneyland for 3 days….and the girls (ages 5 and 3) only took naps out of the park on the last day. They went from park open to close the other days, and when the 3 yo was really overloaded, she took catnaps in the strollers.
Susan says
@Anonymous,
These very good points. It depends on the individual child, of course, but there is SO much potential for sensory overload at Disney, and some youngsters just do no do well with that. I’ve been to Disney a number of times, and the parks are full of tired, cranky, crying children. Two- and three-year olds won’t remember, other than maybe snippets from the trip. They may remember indirectly, from looking at photos and reminiscing about the trip with you, but that’s about it.
I’ve been to Disney several times, and the experience is different with toddlers and preschoolers vs. older children. The rides that 2- and 3-yo’s can go on is very limited, and the older kids will be bored with them quickly and want to go on “bigger” rides. My advice would be to be prepared to split up and have one parent take the older kids somewhere while the other parent takes the younger ones someplace else.
If you want to stick together, Disney does have a good system (I think) where one parent can stay at the front of the line with a young child while the other parent rides, then the waiting parent can ride the next go-round.
I think that 6 and 7 (and older) are really great ages for Disney. We went to Disney World when my daughter was 2, with some friends with same-age kiddos. We had a great time, but we could have had just as great a time someplace that was less crowded and expensive. The kids liked the Dumbo ride and a the few others that they were allowed onto, but the best time the little ones had was playing in the fountain at Epcot. When my daughter was 6, the princesses were magical! But my kiddo had very little patience for the long time required to wait in line for rides, so we didn’t go on very many rides. Last winter when she was 9, we went to Disneyland and enjoyed the bigger, more intense rides, and she was more patient with the wait times.
Erin says
@Susan, we took my daughter when she was 3. We had a lot of people tell us to wait because she won’t remember it. I answered that we weren’t going with the intention of having memories…. we were going so that we could enjoy it. Disney at 3 is magic! If she never remembered a day, it would still have been worth it because of the fun we had that week. (btw, at 8 she still remembers… some things even better than I do!)
And with photos and stories, we can help them remember! 🙂
Sherri says
@Susan, Baby swap rocks! We had an 18-mo-old and twin 10-year-olds when we went to Disney. One of us would get a Baby Swap pass and wait outside while the others rode. Then the waiting parent could go back with the kids for a 2nd ride- at the front of the line, or in the fast pass line. The kids loved getting to go again!
jen says
@Anonymous, We took our kids when they were toddler/preschool age and again as young elementary. Totally different experiences! Both magical. Don’t wait so long that the kids are old enough to be robbed of simple imagination. It is when they are so little that they “believe” and you can see it light up their hearts. My boys enjoy it now that they are older too but now it is often more about rides and thrill and not so much about the magic. There are challenges when the kids are younger but for me it is worth the inconvenience.
Chrissy says
Awesome! Does she give couseling…lol…no really…
tonya says
Congrats! We went to disney in june and paid cash as well. It was so nice not to have disney follow us home! I can promise you that all the hard work will be worth it! We made some wonderful memories on our trip and our children learned an important lesson of working hard to make things happen. Have a wonderful time.
Jaynee says
I did a similar thing a few years ago when we went, except we weren’t as frugal as you. We have a timeshare that was gifted to us by my parents, so we paid $150 for a week at a really nice resort about 10 minutes from the Disney. We got discounted park tickets for my family of four through my father’s company. I spent a year setting aside money for the trip. In the end, for the entire week, we spent less than $1600 for four people to have lodging, food, park tickets and gas money to drive there and back (8 hour trip each way). We used cash the entire time and brought money home with us – which was used to splurge on a Wii console. I had told the kids when we left that any money left over at the end of the week would go towards a Wii, and so they helped us be frugal during the week. So basically we got a vacation AND a Wii out of it! It was so awesome that we’ve committed to ONLY do cash-only vacations from now on!
Debi says
Awesome, Brandi!!! What a blessing and good for you for sticking to your goal! Here’s a thrifty thread on the disboards on a bargain vacation, it’s a few years old, but it’s still has lots of valuable information and ways to save while your on vacation!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1618376
Laura says
We’ve been to Disney several times and made wonderful memories. Couple of tips: check out the Disney guide books from your library. They are filled with tips to make your trip more enjoyable and also save money. We also enjoyed SeaWorld immensely. They used to have a “get the second day free” ticket. There was a kiosk you had to go to to exchange your ticket at the end of the day and then you could come back free. I don’t know if they still have this or not??? My last tip is our best: be early and do remember where your car is parked (not a happy story and I can’t believe it really happened to us). Enjoy!!!
Heather@Family Friendly Frugality says
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I love the cash in the bag. I’m all about teaching moments! Congrats and have fun on your fabulous vacation! Say hi to Mickey for me! 😉
Lynn Oyama says
What a testimony! I love these stories – have an absolutely wonderful time on your vacation.
Mandy says
So I was reading this story and thinking how awesome it was, and how much it sounds like something I would do (and have done) for our family!! And then I realized that it was written by a very dear friend of mine!! 🙂 Yay! Great job, Brandi! Can’t wait to see pics from your trip!
tricia says
Also, be sure to check out mousesavers.com. She has tons of ways to save big bucks on a Disney vacation. Saved us tons when we went!
jill says
We saved and paid cash for Disney trips two yrs in a row. My husband worked off duty a bunch of extra hours and we cut things out of our budget to make it happen. We stayed at one of the resorts and did the meal plan. We were a child-free couple at the time and both working full-time, so had a decent income. It was so nice to have the trip paid for ahead of time and my husband just took a bunch of cash with him for any extras and locked the majority of it in the safe in our room and carried a bit each day for any extras we might want or need. We ended up coming home with most of it. Not sure how future vacations will go now that we have 1 yo twins and a baby on the way, other than we wont go into debt to go on vacation EVER!
Kristy says
Have an amazing tripto Disney!
We are now saving for a big trip next summer, to Italy. My brother-in-law lives there and will be getting married next summer. I am already stressed a bit thinking about this trip. It is not something really in our budget, but it is very important for us to go. We want to save and pay cash for the trip!!! That is a huge priority to us. We have two girls so that will be four plane tickets plus everything else$$$$. If anyone has any tips on traveling overseas with little ones (they will be 2 and 3) I would love to hear them. Every frugal tip helps a ton!
Janice says
We traveled to Europe when our son was 1, and it was great. We traveled with a lightweight stroller that had a carry strap for hoping on trains, etc. We booked our trip through a consolidator and got a great package deal on airfare and hotel…We ate simple meals by stopping by the many markets that we saw and maybe ate in a restaurant once a day??? OR back in the hotel if we were exhausted?? Even though we aren’t big credit card fans, we did travel with one to avoid the stress (for me) of worrying about being able to get cash if we needed it, but make sure you are aware of the oversees transaction fee that your card will charge. It might be 2-5% per transaction!! Of course, we had cash in our bank account to pay off our card as soon as the bill came in for this special trip! You will enjoy the trip with the small kids! I wish we had done it more!!
Heather says
@Janice, Yes, I know some of you prefer debit to credit, but I think credit is better overseas. I haven’t been in a few years, so maybe things have changed. At any rate, on my last trip, someone I was with was not able to get cash out of ATMs with his debit card.
CJ says
@Kristy, I travel frequently to Europe with my daughter. She was 6 months old the first time and the most recent she was 2. Do not over pack a carry-on with toys, etc. She was not interested in any of her toys, she just wanted to watch and play with the entertainment console at each seat. The airline should cater to children’s meals. SAS has always served our daughter at the beginning of meal service. Take snacks like lollipops for the kids to suck on during take off and landing. In fact, take lots of “low crumb” snacks! I wouldn’t mess with taking car seats on the plane. We tried it on our last flight and the problem was that my daughter had no place to put her legs when the person in front of her leaned back. He got upset that she was kicking his seat! Try and book your seats on the flight wisely – try and get an empty seat somewhere in between. (Also beware that you cannot sit on an exit row with children.) Strollers are wonderful to have in the airport – especially when it’s late at night and your delayed flight is now cancelled and you are trying to re-book! Buy a large bag and gate check it. If they make pullups small enough for your youngest use them on the plane instead of diapers – much easier to change (well if just wet). Also, use cloth diaper covers over top of diapers / pullups just as an added precaution! Children seem to adjust to time changes very easily. You’ll have a wonderful time!
Kristy says
@CJ, Thank you so much for the tips. I am writing them down in a journal to start keeping all the tips and ideas together.
Kristy says
@CJ, Thank you so much for the tips and ideas. I am starting to write them in a journal to keep all my information together to streamline this trip as much as possible. I am known to procastinate and definitely do not want to do that regarding this big trip. Thanks again.
Megan says
As a frequent Disney visitor (gone twice as a mom and a bunch before that)….I agree about staying in the park to eat lunch….do you really want to load everybody up, drive 20 minutes to your condo, eat lunch for 20 minutes then repeat to get them back there? It would be worth your while to eat breakfast and dinner in the condo. The kids will be exhausted by dinner time anyway. Please rethink your plan about that. Also–my husband, mom and I frequently purchase the kids meals for ourselves inside Disney…..you get a good portion amount for a much better price.
Also–been to Disney twice and had no problem with stroller. I visited a consignment sale on half off day and intentionally bought a faded, but in good shape, Graco Metrolite very cheaply and used it when my DS#1 was 5 months old and again at 2.5 years old. I had no problems…nobody wanted it because it was faded/ugly and it held a ton so it was great. I sold it last year at our garage sale for $8 and wish I had kept it to use in the future. We have a sit and stand now with 2 kids so hoping that will do the trick in 2012 when we are planning our next trip…..the older one may not even want the stroller then since he will be 5.
I didn’t read all the posts but please take ponchos with you in case of rain. You will not want to get stuck in a gift shop for an hour like we did one time during a downpour.
Trina says
Wonderful story! Have a fabulous trip. I especially like the idea of saving the money in cash so that the kids could see it…great idea for kids (and some adults:).
Trina
Stephanie says
I lived in Orlando and my neighbors worked for Disney and they always told their friends to either rent or bring cheap strollers they would not be upset to lose. Not close to everyone gets a stroller stolen but it will ruin your day.
Erica @ eeendeavors says
That’s so encouraging, and do-able! Thanks!
Nony (A Slob Comes Clean) says
That’s so awesome! We’re saving for a Disney vacation next summer. We talked so much about the sacrifices that came with saving money for our emergency fund, that we want to show the positive and fun side of saving now!
Kristine says
Congrats and HAVE FUN!!
We just took our trip in September – first time for my kids and first time back for DH and me since our honeymoon. We also were able to save and pay cash!
One of the best things we did to save while there was pack the “on the go” drink mixes like crystal light, country time, etc. (I actually collected all the freebies and great sales over the summer). You can get FREE cups of ice water at any food stand. We would then add a drink mix and have a yummy beverage if we didn’t want just water (sometimes the FL water can taste a little funny). We stayed hydrated b/c we weren’t worried about buying “another” drink or using a snack credit. Plus we didn’t have to lug around actual water bottles or thermoses.
Jodi says
@Kristine, I was going to post this, too! My fave tip! It was so easy to pack drink mixes in your handbag and we didn’t feel like we were suffering with plain water!
Kristine says
Great minds think alike 🙂
Cathy says
Congratulations. We are going to Disney also in 2 weeks on November 12. Mabye we will see you there!
Leslie says
We are also planning to go to Disney world. Any advice on how to save? We want to stay at the park. Is it worthwhile to buy the dining plan?
Emily says
@Leslie, If you can go during Disney’s “value season” (which I think is late summer to mid fall-ish), they have been offering the dining plan free when you book a non-discounted Disney vacation. I don’t know that I’d pay for the dining plan, but for free, I think it’s a great deal. This year they happened to extend the free dining offer pretty much through the end of the year, with select dates that did not qualify. I also think that they are offering quite a few dates for the free dining in 2011.
Catherine says
@Leslie, The dining plan is ABSOLUTELY worth it! I am a former cast member, and a frequent visitor to WDW, and I think the dining plan is the best! It won’t save you money if you were planning on never buying any food in the parks (cooking it all yourself or taking boxed lunches), but if you were planning on eating even a few meals in the parks, you should definitely check it out.
BUT!!!!!!
Make sure you have reservations for any sit down restaurants you want to visit! If you’re not sure about your plans, just make reservations at 2 or 3 places or for 2 or 3 times. You can call and cancel later when your plans are finalized. The restaurant I worked at (at EPCOT) booked up weeks and sometimes months in advance. It was so sad to turn away family after family and send them to a cheaper place where they would get less out of their dining plan meals.
Chris says
@Leslie, Leslie, I don’t think the dining plan is a good deal for most people. If you look at the numbers, it only works to your advantage if you would normally plan on eating at a sit-down restaurant once a day while you’re at Disney World and you often order the most expensive item on the menu. I like the convenience factor of having the dining plan because your meals are pre-paid, but you can also add money to a gift card and use that as a way of pre-paying.
I don’t know if you have kids, but I found being tied to a daily table service meal was difficult for my 3 kids. I hated dropping everything and rushing across the park to sit down to eat. I probably won’t do it again.
Disney has been running room discounts or free dining now for several years due to the bad economy. In many cases, a room discount is a better deal for a family of four than free dining. I’m not a travel agent, but I would advise anyone planning a trip to talk to a Disney certified agent and then compare. There are lots of them out there and they can all get you the same deal (and they do not charge a fee), so it’s just a matter of finding one that works for you. In the end, if you find you want to book on your own, you’re out nothing but time, but chances are an agent will get you a better deal than you can get on your own.
Michelle says
Hi Brandi,
Thanks for your post filled with great ideas for Disney! It is ridiculous too see how much people spend unnecessarily, even worse if they are using credit cards and can’t really afford it. We have gone there frequently in the past & here are a few more ideas that we’ve used to keep our budget “in check”:
-We bring our own stroller & car seats so we don’t have to rent either of these items (never had a problem with theft, although our well-used stroller was a hand-me-down from my sister’s kids). We fly from VA so the stroller helps us get the kids around the airport and we pack the car seats (in rolling bags) with lightweight food so it’s less we have to buy when we get there. Both stroller & car seats get checked right before we board the plane so that is easy.
-Go to Wal-Mart/Sam’s for groceries (we cook in our room for breakfast & dinner) and souvenirs (a lot cheaper than the parks!). There are even a few Dollar Trees/Aldi’s so they are a good resource for cheap items.
-Epcot has free (unlimited) soda for all at “Club Cool”-it is a good break from the heat to try a few of the international varieties (of course you can’t go filling up a thermos or anything :-).
-For Disney Visa holders, Epcot offers a free photo/character greeting from 1-4 p.m.
-Downtown Disney is free & has Lego land where the kids can play with tons of legos, there are elaborate Lego creations, and Ghirardelli gives out free candy samples.
-Sign up for the Orlando area McDonald’s & get worthwhile coupons emailed to you monthly. The World’s largest McDonald’s playground is in Orlando & is free, though we usually buy a drink or cone for the kids. This one has healthier options than the typical menu. And, don’t forget the Halloween “treat coupons” which are available now at some McDonald’s-12 coupons for free food for $1.
-You can bring water bottles in the parks but the fountain water doesn’t taste that great so we always bring along those individual kool-aid or Crystal light packets to add once we refill at the water fountains.
-We pay off our credit card balance each month & then redeem the points for restaurant gift cards.
-For lunch, it is easier to stay at the parks than go back to our room, so we pack non-perishable items such as: PB & J, beef jerky, crackers, smoked turkey sausage, cheese stickes, pickles, bananas, cookies, carrots, crackers and have a feast in the shade. Not the healthiest food but at least we’re not paying $8 for a chicken nuggets kid’s meal. And we eat healthy in our room.
-Be sure to take a camera & lots of pictures. Disney offers a photo pass which their castmembers load photos they take onto but the price is super expensive. Remember, castmembers will take a picture with your own camera if you ask (unlike some other them parks).
-I love it also b/c I usually lose 5 lbs or more due to all the walking!
-Have fun!
Kjwander9 says
I wanted to second the DownTown Disney area!!!
Free to Park and they have busses if your staying on property. This is a great “down” day. No money spent but the kids and you still feel like they are in Disney and having lots of fun.
Free to walk around. Largest “air-conditioned” Disney store for the kids to walk around =my kids could spend hours in there playing. Lego store with lots of playable area’s.
Ghiradeli store with free samples.
RainForest cafe and new T-Rex that is awesome to walk around and see the ceilings/walls -almost like a mini show.
Usually free entertainment at the middle area stadium and sometimes they have the characters!!
I think they have a smaller sand park for the younger kids.
Parking is up to $16 a day at parks so ad that into on site/off site cost.
Have Fun and at the gate ask for a sticker to put cell #/name on your kids in the event you get seperated.
Amanda says
That is so awesome…good for you!! We also are planning to go to Disney and paying cash(in a few years!!). So far we have $100 or so saved up…but since we have a few more years to go hopefully we can make it happen. If someoone doesn’t mind answering this: How much do you think it would cost a family of 5 to stay for a week at Disney on average???
Lisa says
@Amanda,
My sisters and nephew and I went in August, for 4 adults it was $2,040 ($510 per person) for a value resort with 6 day park tickets and free quick service dining plan (2 quick service meals 2 snacks) upgraded to regular dining plan (1 quick service and 1 table service meal 1 snack per day).
Charity says
Congratulations! I am SO excited for you guys! We are sitting down this weekend to devise a plan to save for our trip to Disney. We went for our honeymoon, almost 6years ago. After our fourth child is born this coming spring we were hoping to be able to go that fall (year from now or so). Have a great time!!
CRYSTAL says
We paid cash for our Disney Wolrd trip last month. I used Mypoints.com and earned free gift cards to Rainforest cafe and used one Animal Kingdom and also T-Rex cafe at down town disney. (Landry’s owns both) also if you go to the Rainforest cafe website they have print out calenders that you can use and get kid meals for $0.99 . I do rebates and surveys to earn a little extra cash for the trip. Take our own water and strollers!
I love the site couponingtodisney.com, she shares ways that she saves for her yearly trips. I hope you have agreat time!!!!
marie says
We took our twins to Disney last Christmas and had a wonderful time. One HUGE way we saved was by camping. We have a pop-up camper. We did not stay on Disney’s campground because that was over $100 a night. We found a campground literally 10 minutes from the entrance to Disney and paid $110 for the WEEK. We’d have breakfast in the camper, pack lunches, drinks and snacks and then use gift cards for dinner outside the park. We maybe bought 2 meals at the park the whole time.
We also found that we could get money back for our used tickets at the discount ticket places. We first checked with Disney to make sure this was legit and it was. I believe we got $5 for each ticket so a total of $20. My husband also found discount tickets online for the park. Our biggest expense was gas to get there. It was a great vacation. Oh, also there was a Walmart nearby and we bought our souveneirs there. It’s the same manufactuer for Disney but sold to Walmart. And because it was next to Disney they had a whole section of souveneirs not just a few things.
For those who are staying at a resort connected to Disney how did you save for that? We’d love to go again but I’d only stay in a resort if the price was right.
Corinne says
@marie, You state “We also found that we could get money back for our used tickets at the discount ticket places.” What “used tickets” are you talking about? Thanks!
marie says
@Corinne,
I was referring to our park tickets. Once they were done we were able to sell them back to the discount tickets places. They reload them and sell them again. Like I said we checked everything out to make sure it was legal and it is. It cuts the costs of having to keep printing more. But in case you like to keep them for scrapbooking etc. they did give us ones in place of it so i have them for our memories.
Shauna says
@marie,
I am really interested in knowing where you stayed? I was just discussing with my sister and father if there was an option for camping instead of staying in a hotel. We also have a pop up camper.
marie says
@Shauna,
I believe it was called Sherwood Forest. It’s really nice because they have alot of permanent sites so it’s well kept. There’s a pool, mini golf, recreational hall, laundry facilities, bath house.
Marla Yeatts says
How awesome for you Brandi! So inspirational to us all!
Carrie says
We too are saving cash for our Disney vacation. We began this January, selling items on ebay and putting all of the earnings into a PayPal account. We have booked our trip for 8 days/7 nights for our family of 5 (three boys ages 15, 13 and 2) for $2,400.00. Not a penny has come from our savings and since I am currently unemployed and my husband underemployed, that has been a huge blessing. We also were able to get a free dining plan included with our trip so we do not need to worry about the cost of groceries or meals. We are truly excited and our trip is going to be given to our kids on Christmas as their Christmas gift (we also plan to give them each three smaller gifts; if it was good enough for baby Jesus…).
Hope you have a great time and congratulations on your hard work!
Julie says
@Carrie, Carrie,
What all does the $2,400.00 include? Is air fare included? I would be interested in the details, if you are willing to share them. We were looking to go and just a very rough check for a family of 6 + airfare was going to be about $5000.00 and that didn’t even include most of the food which we would have to get after we get down there. 5 of the 6 of us are on special diets and it would just be safer to purchase the food. Now, I didn’t search extensively for deals so that might be why, but if I am wrong that would be wonderful!!
Carrie says
@Julie, Hey Julie,
Of course I don’t mind (no secrets on good deals ’round here!).
The $2400 includes the following: we’re staying on property (a *MUST* I feel – I worked in Disney World and the amount of time saved and total experience is truly more magical on property) from 2/17/11 – 2/24/11, at the Pop Century resort. In the past, I have always stayed at a moderate resort, but we decided this time to save the extra money due to our current job situations.
Since we arrive on a free dining day, we get to have the free dining (quick service, which is 2 counter service meals, 2 snacks, 1 refillable mug per person – PLENTY of food) for the length of our vacation, even though most of it is not a free dining period; something most people don’t know. For us, this was huge because my two older sons count (and eat) as adults; the baby being under three is free all around.
We are driving from NY, so airfare is not included.
We decided to get 6-day Magic your Way Park Hopper passes because the way we have always “worked” our Disney vacations involves hopping around (plus with the baby maybe napping, it might be nice to start the day in the Magic Kingdom then go to a different park after nap/lunch).
There are a bunch of free vouchers included as well, but nothing that truly makes or breaks this deal. We went through a reputable, well-received travel agent that specializes in Disney trips – Tom at MouseUnlimited dot com (hope that’s okay to share). He’s awesome, patient and will rework your specs as many times as you want. He also stays on top of the deals, so if he finds a better rate after you book, he’ll adjust your price down, which we had done once the free dining days were announced (that saved us nearly $1000). We are also able to pay in installments up until 6 weeks before our trip, so that has been a little easier for me to swallow 🙂
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any luck getting your price down; there are a lot of great deals out there right now, but a lot of them depend on you being flexible with your travel dates. Good luck!
Jan says
@Carrie,
We just got back from 3night/4 days at Pop Century (it was wonderful) 10/24-10/27 our room was $90 a night including tax. We flew Airtran and our flight for 3 people was $700 with all the fees. We did not get the dining deal or the multi-day park passes- so we payed a little more for food. No car rental- we just took disney buses, I brought my own stroller and we had free passes to Magic Kingdom one-day for volunteering. It was the perfect intro to Disney for our 5 yr old.
Catherine says
@Julie, Just to let you know, DisneyWorld is really, really good at accommodating special diets. I’m a former cast member, and I know how seriously they take allergies and dietary restrictions. I’ve even seen the hotel chefs pack special boxed lunches for kids with severe allergies to take to the parks, so they don’t have to worry about eating the wrong thing while they are in the parks. The restaurants at Disney will bend over backward to accommodate you, don’t be afraid to ask.
jen says
@Catherine, I agree with Catherine! My mother is on a very restricted special diet and she RAVES about how every Disney restaurant (even the little fast food snack bars) accommodate her requests with a smile and even check back to make sure everything was fine. I wouldn’t hesitate to use the dining plan if diet is a concern. They really are great about that!
Lisa says
@Julie,
If you have AAA check with them. They offer discounts on Disney vacations.
Rachel says
The picture of your boys is adorable! The background looks like where I went to college at EWU!
Christy says
Just an added way to save money on the actual vacation: Disney parks allow you to bring food and drinks into the park. It’s a good thing too- their food is *way* overpriced!
sharon says
That’s awesome! Hope you all have a blast. 🙂
Jen says
We have a coin jar for our “one day” Hawaii vacation and the kids LOVE to put it in there and watch it grow, one day soon we will take it to the bank so open an account.
We have been to Disney often, we went last summer with 4 children and every time we have gone we have brought our own stroller, nothing has EVER happened to them…. the thought of paying $16 a DAY for a stroller, ummm no thanks! Just thought I would put in my 2 cents there!
Alexis says
@Jen,
I got a Chase Disney credit card just for taking to Disneyland (2 years ago)….not to spend $$ on credit, but because when you showed your Chase Disney credit card at the stroller rentals, you got 1 free stroller rental every day. Also got 1 free 8×10 everyday, and entrance into some “specials”….just by showing the card!!!
Look in strange places for extra Disney perks….they are WORTH IT!!
Emily says
@Alexis, Is that free stroller per day with a Disney Visa also good at Disney World, do you know? We are contemplating renting one from OrlandoStrollerRentals.com because it is considerably less than renting one at Disney, but if I get a free rental every day, that would change things!!
Alexis says
@Emily,
It doesn’t look like it is offered at Disney World, but you could call and ask. These are the current “perks” with the credit card, at Walt Disney World: http://disneyrewards.disney.go.com/pdf/WDW_Credit_Park_Perks.pdf
Catherine says
@Emily, Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just buy a cheap stroller at Walmart? I know people do that all the time at Disney World.
Emily says
@Emily, Thanks for the link Alexsis. I’ll check it out.
Catherine, we are flying down and won’t have a car, so I won’t be able to get to Walmart. I’ve thought about going to a local consignment shop to get a cheaper double stroller for our 2 kids and then just leave it there when we leave, since my daughter is 5 and doesn’t normally need one. Funny thing is, last year we had a great sit-and-stand stroller……then I ran over one of the wheels with my minivan. Ooops!
Lana says
@Jen, We lost a stroller at Disney. My husband worked in the stroller rental shop when he was in college and all day long people came in to rent a stroller because theirs had been stolen. Not trying to be argumentative but you live and you learn and if you have an expensive stroller it is cheaper to rent.
Trixie says
What a wonderful testimony! I especially like your idea of adding $ to the bag so the kids get a real visual that you aren’t just saying no to something just to say no. They’ve learned when the whole family makes sacrifices, then the whole family reaps the rewards. Great job!
Jennifer says
Way to go! I want to take my kids to Disney, but my husband is not on board so i am trying to let go of that dream. But you have inspired me to start saving for another vacation (we took one a couple of years ago), so maybe if I save up enough money then he would be on board? If not, we can find a place we both want to go to – paying cash of course!
Emily says
We are leaving for our first Disney vacation as a family (and my hubby and kids first ever trip to Disney) 2 weeks from Tuesday. We also saved up and have paid everything in “cash”, but by opening a Disney Rewards Visa card and putting everything on there, then paying it off in full each time the bill came. Disney gives you 6 months financing at 0% when you book a vacation on your card, but I will just pay it off this cycle to not have the hassle, since the interest rates in banks are pretty lousy right now anyway. By opening up the card and paying for our trip this way, we have earned over $225 Disney Reward dream dollars to use just like cash on our trip (we got a bonus of $200 dream dollars just for signing up for the card).
I hope your family has an amazing time on your paid with cash vacation. Your kids must be sooooo excited. I know mine are! They keep asking every day “Are we leaving for Disney today?”
Kristy says
I also love that you put the cash in a bag for your boys to see. What an amazing lesson that I’m sure they’ll remember forever.
Lana says
Hubby and I grew up 45 miles from Disney World so we went lots of times and one thing I always did when we took our kids was to carry a pack of small paper cups to get water from fountains. Hubby and my sister worked at DW at some point in their lives and they were both sickened by the credit card use. I congratulate you on paying cash.
It is still very warm in the Orlando area so dress cool or in layers. We have been away for 16 years and I always forget and pack clothes that are hot in Florida. They had 94 degrees earlier this week-my Mom and Dad live there so she was telling me how hot it is still.
Lana says
One more tip I would give you is this-it is better to rent a stroller in Disney than use your own. They get stolen.
Nikki says
@Lana, Disagree….I’ve been twice with Baby Jogger City Elite strollers, both of which cost more than $500 and never had a problem. The first time it was my friend’s stroller that I had borrowed. I felt very safe leaving my things. One thing to note is that Disney employees will move the stroller to the appropriate stroller parking if you don’t follow the signs.
Wendy says
@Nikki,
We took our own stroller, too, and felt like it saved us a lot of money. Strollers do get moved, though.
Cricket@ A Thrifty Penny says
@Lana, I would recommend just marking your stroller well to distinguish it from others. If you had girls instead of boys I would say a large hair bow 🙂 Maybe some bright colored tape on the handles would work. You could also purchase an inexpensive umbrella stroller while you’re in Orlando and give it to another mom without a stroller on your last day in the park.
Megan says
@Lana, I’ve taken my LO to Disney 15+ times in the last 7 years, and we’ve NEVER had any issues at all with leaving our stroller unattended, and we’ve always had PRICEY strollers too. In fact, we even will leave diaper bag and/or backpack in the stroller, and never had anything taken.
Besides that, the disney strollers are just hard plastic…definitely not comfortable for the LOs, and surely not good for napping.
Beth says
We actually just came back from Disney World a week ago. Our family was able to volunteer so were able to get in for free and the extras we paid cash with! We took our double stroller and also took a bike lock. Typically you aren’t able to attach to something, but everything time we left the stroller, I wound the lock through the wheels so that it could not be pushed. I figured that would discourage anyone tempted to take it. Saved on stroller rental and no one bothered it!
jessica says
WAY TO GO!! we just got back from our 10 day disney -PAID for with cash- vacation!! what a wonderful memory and it was truly a vacation ..because when we got home NO BILLS! have a blessed time!
Missee says
That’s great Brandi! We did the same thing. We just came back from our very first, paid in cash trip to Disney World! There is no better feeling when you do get home, than knowing that your trip won’t come back to haunt you, EVERY SINGLE MONTH. You ALL will have a WONDERFUL time! We froze water bottles and capri suns or the like the night before and carried those with sandwiches and had a late lunch or early dinner to save money. Thanks to God, yes, it can be done! Have fun, enjoy making those memories!
Kristin says
Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful story of sacrifice and reward. (I love how you kept your money in a bag so there would be impact, I bet your sweet boys were excited to see progress!) Enjoy your well deserved vacation!
Felicia says
Great job! We bought a timeshare when we were younger (stupid move) but we go to Disney every year or two. We also do some of the things you mentioned like eat breakfast and lunch in the unit. We’ve also signed up online for discounts at resturants in the area (it helps if you are going around a birthday because that normally means a free entree). We take drinks and snacks into the parks as to not splurge on those extras. If the kids need souvenirs then pick them up at any souvenir shop you pass instead of purchasing in the parks & save a TON! I have a friend who paid for their whole Disney vacation with a credit card! Yikes! Disney can be expensive but it can also be a lot cheaper if you do your homework.
cat says
Love that story. This will be something the children will cherish over the years.
Bonnie says
How inspirational! Thanks for sharing!
Shannon says
What an awesome blessing! Congratulations to your family! It was great that your children got to see how your savings grew as you saved. I hope you have a great vacation!
Erin says
Great job. That’s a wonderful example and lesson for your children.
Natalie says
We paid cash for our Disney trip this summer too! Great job! We were able to volunteer in exchange for Disney park tickets and it was quite the blessing. Have a great time 🙂