Gas: $4/gal. What changes are made to afford Disney?

I am interested in any cost-saving tips people might have discovered to continue to enjoy a vacation in Orlando with the devastating things happening to our economy.

We rent a villa, and prepare many of our meals there. We have stopped purchasing trinkets at the park, and I have given up those expensive chocolate-covered peanuts at Epcot Center. We have also given up Starbucks, but I guess we are not alone because they are closing 600 stores. We carry some of our own water into the park. When we eat out we have eliminated more expensive restaurants.

What are some money-saving tips others of you have initiated to make Disney ';affordable';?

Gas: $4/gal. What changes are made to afford Disney?

Hello Busy,

We enjoy visiting Disney during the Christmas period but unfortunately airfare from Chicago to Orlando is $1,000!!!!!!!! per person. Even though we are use to paying higher fares during the Chrismas holiday we have never paid over $300.00 so unfortunately we won%26#39;t be going this year. And I%26#39;m sure even Disney will find a decline in visitors in the coming year or so. It%26#39;ll be interesting to see if they do find declining crowd levels and if so what they will do to help offset the airfare and traveling costs to get there.

Gas: $4/gal. What changes are made to afford Disney?

Wow! That is a staggering amount of money! We spend the fall in Europe, and our tickets there were only $800 (purchased last week). I told my husband today that we needed to purchase plane tickets for any traveling we might want to do between now and the end of the year. I guess I have waited too long.

I am also very curious about what is going to happen. I think that European visitors will still find Disney World a bargain, but suspect that there will be far fewer people from the US enjoying the parks in the coming months. I wonder if that will result in bargains, or will Disney increase their prices to cover the loss of revenue?

You are mostly right Busy Retired, to us Florida is still a massive bargain. We%26#39;re feeling the pinch though, petrol is $10 per gallon, food prices are going through the roof and our general standard of living in the UK under this government has plummeted. We will always find a way of paying for a holiday though if only to escape for 2 weeks somewhere nice.

Air fares are not as cheap now but once we get to Florida the exchange rate means we fill up on bargains like clothes for a fraction of the UK prices. Eating out is so much cheaper and despite what you think, we happily joyride in your cars at a smile-inducing $4 per gallon!

The other big factor for us in the UK is that Europe isn%26#39;t as cheap as it was. The strengthening Euro against the Pound has meant that Spain, Greece and France are as expensive, if not more, than the UK.

We are looking to come back again in March but we won%26#39;t be making any sacrifices. Disney and Florida are still immensely affordable to us.

Hi

I agree we are a family of six and a holiday in Orlando is less expensive than going to europe. Firstly because accomodation in europe isn%26#39;t geared towards large parties and if it is we are all crammed into a small apartment (doesn%26#39;t make for a happy holiday!).

Secondly we need nowhere near as much spending money while we are there. Most things in Orlando are at least half the price.

I think people will be going at less expwensive times of year, the airfares hike up and down dependent when you go and this is always the main cost.

I think given the economic situation worldwide there are always people who will feel the pinch greatly and those who will ride the storm.

Milly

We will still go to France this summer (we go every year) but with the high Euro we will eat out less I think.

The best way to save cash is to do a monthly spend diary or at least go over your bank/ CC statments and work out what you can do without. Most people spend money on things they don%26#39;t realise (like the cost of coffee at Starbucks etc) like all the magazine and newspaper subscriptions that half the time you don%26#39;t have time to read. Cut things like that out, and the savings will mount quickly.

hi busy-retired,

yes it is getting expensive here at home and i am sure where you live at home.

the main being our dependence on petrol and if that goes up everything goes up

i gave my car more than 10 years ago and i found it expensive than and now it is worse

i tried to come to orlando this year but is is so expensive so i gave up and i am saving up for next year

yes it would be easy to put it on a credit card or get a loan but it would be impossible to pay it and i will be stuck woth the debt for years

so i am saving and fingers crossed and if nothing major comes up i will be there next june

i know people say that we get more for the pound but we have to save that the pound first and taking everthing in it is still expensive to holiday and next year is going to be on a very tight budget if i am going to come next year

alisha

alisha

The main expense for us here in the UK regarding a Florida trip is the cost of the airfare. Once we are there things are inexpensive compared to here. Bargains are harder to find for air tracel but sometimes they can be found making a trip over the pond possible. I do think that less people will be able to afford the trip in the future unless the cost of oil reduces dramatically and I`m not sure that will happen.

I think Disney is a very affordable destination for people this side of the pond. Once the airfare is paid, hotels, food and entertainment are much cheaper that they are here. Take our Disney tickets last year, we paid sometyhing like 鈧?20 each for a ten day ticket, if we had used up every day on the ticket, we would have only paid 鈧?2 each per day. There was a crappy fair in my local towm recently that had a ride that shoots you up in to the air, it lasted about 30 seconds and cost 鈧?0! So you can see why we think Orlando is a cheap holiday!

As for how we afford to go there? My husband and I are not big earners, but we are not big spenders either, our one extravagance is a really good holiday every year. I hate it when people say to me, ';How can you afford such an expensive holiday every year, it%26#39;s such a waste of money'; These are the same couples who go out twice a week every week (MINIMUM spend 鈧?00 per week) and smoke 20 fags a day each (鈧?00 every week) That all adds up to an amzingly good holiday. We scrimp on luxuries throughout the year and look forward like mad to two weeks of amazing fun.

Now that there is a recession (although our government are feverently denying that we are in the middle of the %26#39;R%26#39; word!) we probably will have to sacrifice a little more to pay for our holiday, but it%26#39;s a sacrifice I am willing to make if it means getting back to Disney World!

This will sound crazy, but we bought a motorcycle. Brand new, but nothing fancy, bare bones street bike.

My husband spent over $300 in gas on his truck alone JUST GOING TO WORK in May. He drives the motorcycle now instead, and he spent $15 in gas in June. Even with the small motorcycle payment, we saved about 60%. With the gas prices still rising, our overall savings will continue to be more each month.

We are staying at the POP century this time. We have stayed at the Polynisian , Wilderness Lodge, %26amp; Port Orleans before. We will use the free disney transportation. A lot less FRILL, but it%26#39;s a disney hotel. It%26#39;ll work. (I%26#39;m trying to think positive.)

We have a 7:00 am flight and have to stay in the city the night before (Or leave home by 4:00 am). We%26#39;ll be staying in a clean but budget friendly (cheap) hotel %26amp; leaving the car in sattelite parking at the airport. We usually stay at the Embassy Suites and use their park %26amp; stay plan, or park circle at the airport. Will save about $200 by doing this. We usually go somewhere really nice for dinner that night too. We%26#39;re eating at home this time before going.....save another $50-70 (All in one day !)

We cut out a few shopping trips this summer. Even those ';let%26#39;s just go %26amp; hang out at the mall'; days really add up. Especially when you have to figure $50 in gas just to go.

We bought fireworks this week. We usually spend about $100 - spent $30 this time. (And will have plenty of bang!)

For airfare, Kansas City to anywhere is expensive. They don%26#39;t offer a lot of the sales other airports do. However, I found airfare for $192 this time. Bought it in March for July. That saved us ALOT. Just have to be on it every day. The minute it goes on sale, grab it ! Try www.sidestep.com ( I did find airfare to Chicago a couple of years ago for $70!!) Haven%26#39;t since of course....

As far as food, we did the dining plan. We have always done a dining plan and our favorite disney restaurants are part of the excitement. It%26#39;s one spot we couldn%26#39;t make cheaper. I will however, pack Hostess donuts, granola bars, etc for the days we%26#39;re using our dining plan credits on lunch %26amp; dinner. That way, we don%26#39;t have to pay $40 for donuts at disney.

I am a HUGE pepsi finatic. I am learning to drink water so at the parks I%26#39;m not constantly paying $3. (I drink a 2-ltr bottle per day, so that%26#39;s a lot of $3 throughout the day- every day) Plus, the water will be better for me in July anyway.

I made the kids save their own spending money this time. We%26#39;ve known we were going to Disney in July since March . They%26#39;ve had a yard sale %26amp; birthday money, plus son has a summer job as a lifeguard. I won%26#39;t be buying tons of souviniers this time, as they have to pay for them. (Saved about $400)

Each of our trips have cost about the same. We%26#39;ve added children, they%26#39;ve went from free to child rate to adult rate. Airfare jumps around. By downgrading the hotel each time, we can still spend about 8 days for the same money. We just have to find different methods of saving that money.

Just want to add: that most americans cannot afford to take big vacations regularly. Unfortunately, it takes most of what they make just to pay bills. The money left over pays for clothes, things at school, household upkeep %26amp; repairs, etc. What%26#39;s left AFTER ALL THAT is what can be put in savings.

If that%26#39;s not but a couple $100 at a time, it takes a LONG time to save enough to bring the family anywhere.

With our economy getting worse, incomes are not rising to compensate. I think less americans will travel at all.

I agree though, there will be some that ';weather the storm';.