Saving Money at WDW

I plan on saving money while were in Florida by not eating out a lot. Now I don’t plan on cooking too much, but I will make quick foods. Breakfasts will consist of cereal, French toast, scrambled eggs, hash browns etc. Quick lunches (in the parks & at home) can consist of sandwiches (bought or made), frozen pizza, or even delivery! I do want to eat at certain restaurants but if I have a day with nothing planned for lunch we’ll probably just grab sandwiches. Sandwiches are also great late night snacks! Dinner’s will probably be eaten out most of the time but we might order some pizza or stop at a local restaurant instead of eating at the parks. If we do eat at the parks around dinnertime I’m hoping to limit it to snack foods and then grab a later dinner off park property. This will help us save money but we’re planning on being flexible. I’m packing snacks and beverages for the parks each day. I’m not objecting to the snacks at the parks (I’ll probably indulge too!) but if I do it twice a day for the three of us that’s about $25-$30 a day just on snacks! By packing a bag of chips, some fruit snacks, granola bars, and some hard candy we can probably save about $15-$20 a day.

Beverages are a whole different story. Every morning everyone will have a disposable cup with liquid in it. I’m thinking, juice, coffee, or tea. In my backpack I will have a bottle of water and a bottle of pop per person. In the car in a cooler will be ice and more bottles of water and pop. In my backpack will also be the flavor packets so water doesn’t have to be water. We can refill water at the fountains and flavor the drink (I think Disney water tastes funny) so we’ll have free beverages. When we leave for naps or at the end of the day we’ll have cold water and pop waiting for us. I checked allearsnet for water prices and I’ve seen water from $2.00 per bottle to $2.50 per bottle. If my son, my boyfriend, and myself were to each have two bottles of water each day, we’d spend $96-120 for the week on water. Bringing our own is a much cheaper alternative! I have a hiking backpack that I will probably use for the extra beverages and snacks. I’ll probably invest in a locker but I can still carry around “The bag”, as it’s called, but it’s not that heavy after everyone unloads water from it!

In this magical bag of mine will also be my supplies for the park. I’m packing for each day:
Guidebook Contact case Contact solution
Nail clippers Kleenex
Sharpies & pens Nail file
Autograph books Hand sanitizer
Wet One Wipes Sunscreen
Small towels Ponchos
Umbrellas Ear plugs
Sunglasses Headache medicine
Moleskin Band-aids
Baby powder Neosporin

In an easily removable bag from the backpack will be:
My cell phone Eyeglass cleaner cloth Hand sanitizer
Money & credit cards Trivia Cards (for long lines) Playing cards
Id’s Lost child information
Chapstick Camera Reservation Info
Extra SD Card Photopass card
Notice anything with a monetary value is packed in a separate bag for convenience and safety sake. I’ll probably rent a stroller or locker to keep the book bag safe when we don’t need it but I can have my necessities close at hand whenever. I’ll probably use a drawstring book bag for this extra bag. The one I have has the big pocket and two smaller pockets where I can keep my id and such. I’m hoping this will packing will save us time and money.

Deal!

While shopping at target for various household items, I came across a super deal. They had disposable coffee cups with lids on clearance, a pack of 10 for $1.58. I grabbed the last four packs and have them sitting with my disney supplies in my room. I'll now be able to make sure everyone has a morning beverage for the parks and it's less we'll have to carry around during the day. I'm hoping I can recycle these at the parks, but if not, I'm going to make up for it by recycling more at home.

Tickets

I’m transferring the money today to pay for our Disney Park tickets. I will be able to purchase the tickets by Saturday. I’m ordering these tickets through UndercoverTourist.com. They have a great website, they are an approved ticket agency for Disney. They do give a discount off of gate prices, they include the sales tax, they offer free shipping on tickets, and if you have read The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, you will know there is an extra discount offered. I will mention you should check out Mouse Savers also, it is a great site but be sure to sign up for the monthly deals newsletter. With this great link I am able to purchase three adults and one child 6 day with park hopper tickets for $1,050.00. Gate price is $1,065 plus tax (which I think is about 13%). It’s a nice little savings.

Car Rental

We’ll probably rent our car through Enterprise. There are a couple of reasons.
We’ve dealt with them in the past and have not had any major problems. We’ve also found them to have reliable customer service.
They are not the cheapest but are one of the cheapest.
They do not charge for miles. This is very important when making a road trip, you do not want to be charged extra miles because you decided to go to the beach an extra day.
I still have some investigating to do with regards to price but there are 2 ways to get a discount. Go to the Enterprise website and sign up for their e-mails, you will get discount coupons e-mailed to you. I’ve done this and am waiting for the first one to see what it offers. I also went through Southwest Airlines. You don’t have to fly through them but I will probably fly my mom with them so it makes sense to see what else they have to offer. Enterprise was the cheapest on Southwest Airlines website that rented a minivan. As of now they do not rent through November but through October is available so I’ll just have to wait to double check the pricing for when we’re going. Enterprise also offers AARP members a 5% discount which is pretty dandy for those it applies to.

My love of Target

The Target Dollar section is a great way to save money on any vacation. Just yesterday I found rain poncho's for a dollar each. I've also found Nemo themed pens for the trip. I struck gold a few months back and picked up Disney themed goodies for 25 cents each. Target's dollar section has clearance items regularly so you can pick up trip needs for garage sale prices! Check out your local target and save!

Housing

I’ve been asked by many people “How did you manage to find a house so cheap?” My answer is simple, research. I knew a general area of where we wanted to stay, nearby Walt Disney World. I also knew our price range, how many people were going, what our needs were, what our wants were. When I started planning this trip we were staying on Walt Disney World property. We ended up staying offsite because of a few reasons. When the thought of staying offsite came around, I ordered an Orlando Vacation Guide. This book came with many good starting points. The place I rented the house from is FloridaSunshine.com. I searched through a lot of listings to find the perfect house and I found it. It is 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, with a pool and spa. The house ended up costing $1,575.00. This amount was a little over our budget but it’s better to spend a little more to have what you need and have a smooth trip than to spend less and have obstacles to overcome on your vacation.

Lost Child Pack

I'm sort of a paranoid parent. I admit it's not a great thing, but as I'm usually prepared for the worst, I can sort of not be a paranoid parent when it's time to have fun. Being lost is not only terrifying as a parent but also for a child! Imagine being lost in a sea of 30,000 people, pretty scary! I am taking a Lost Child Pack to Disney World. My LCP contains: recent photos of Jake, a full description including height, weight, eye color, etc., fingerprints, DNA sample (both of the last two were provided for free at a saftey fair, and all our contact information for who is in our party. This will easily fit into a small plastic baggie to stay dry and will provide moments of peace just in case something horrible happens while were at the World. I've heard WDW has some of the best security and cast members who are specifically trained to handle these matters but being prepared makes handling this situation easier. I suggest also talking to your children about what to do in case they get separated from you or your party. Jake has been and will be instructed to find the closest attraction/store and find a cast member and tell him he is lost and give them his phone number (my cell number). Some great tips I've read, heard, and discussed are:
Find a cast member when you walk in and point out their name tags, tell your child to find the closest person with one of the name tags and ask for help.
Stay in one spot and call for help, people will help him.
Tell him to find a mom with a stroller and ask her for help. (we tell this to Jake when we go to the mall in case he gets separated)
Write your phone number on the inside of your child's shirt, shoes, or have them carry a tag of some sort with your information.
Dress your child in a bright and noticeable color, or dress yourself in the same color shirt so you can relay what they are wearing.
Take a digital picture of your child every day so you know what they are wearing.

Knowing your child can be separated from you is quite terrifying, but it's best to be prepared. Prep your child, and be prepared and you should be able to keep a clear head until your child is found.

Camera

I want to buy a new camera for the trip. Not a very frugal choice, but I want one nonetheless. I have a camera in mind but it's $400.00. Some of the reasons I want a new camera are:
Bigger viewing screens than the one I use
Borrowing camera's gets frustrating
I would be forced to learn to download the pictures and video's
Better quality photos

Some of the reasons I shouldn't buy one:
Expensive
Don't NEED one
May inhibit the ability to meet other needs

I really really want one, I may ask for gift cards for my birthday and save some money to purchase it, if I can pay cash there is no interest to worry about. I'll also be able to prove to myself I have self discipline when it comes to something NON-Disney!

Anticipation 198 Days To Go!

There are 198 days until we leave for Disney. I'm SUPER excited, but realize there is plenty of time to gather supplies, plan our days, and purchase what we need. I just can't believe we're under the 200 day mark. In the next month or two I'm hoping to have everyone's plans finalized, as in what day are they flying down, when are they leaving, etc. It's a tough job to be the mother hen of 8 other people, 7 of whom are adults! The excitement mounts each day and I can't wait! I just want to jump in the car and go except I can't. So far the plan is to leave Friday night about 8 or 9, arrive on Saturday in the evening (we're driving straight through), spend the week exploring Disney World, Universal Studios, and 1/2 a day at Daytona Beach visiting the Nascar Stadium, visit with family, and then leave the following Sunday. In the next 198 days I have to figure out what I want to buy my son and my boyfriend for their birthdays. I'm thinking a Nintendo DS for each of them. I'll have to scrimp and save or save mypoints and cash in for gamestop giftcards.

Another Money Making Opportunity

I have recently discovered YouData. YouData is another ad viewing site. They pay about 5-10 cents per ad, but you can pick the ad! If you dont' want to view the ad, you don't click on it. Pretty simple. They pay weekly via PayPal.

Great News

My mother’s disability claim finally went through. OH Happy Day! What this means for our trip is my life has just been made easier! My mother will fly to Florida, we will be traveling by rented mini-van, and we might even have some extra money here and there to buy some unnecessary but fun items and experiences. It means for my life that I know my mom will need a little help but she will be taken care of. I love it!

Purchasing Tickets

When I went to Disney World for the first time as an adult, I only knew about purchasing tickets at the gate. My mother had said she purchased ours as a child at the hotel we were staying at. I later learned about purchasing packages, either online or through a travel agent, purchasing through e-bay, and several ticket brokers. My main goal for this trip was to save money so we could enjoy more for less. My conundrum for the moment is how to purchase our tickets.
I refuse to purchase tickets through e-bay for several reasons. One, Disney may not honor these tickets, you may get ripped off, and you can’t validate the tickets to make sure what you bought is what you get. Disney may not honor the tickets because they have implemented a finger scan. They scan your ticket and your finger and if the tickets don’t match the fingerprint they can refuse you entry to the parks.
I’m considering purchasing through Under Cover Tourist. They received a thumbs-up from The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and their website is legit. I’m also considering purchasing the tickets at the gate and using my Disney Visa Reward Dollars to purchase the tickets instead of Birthday celebration meals. The difference is $27, which isn’t a lot of money at Disney World but at home it’s more than a weeks worth of gas, a trip to the fruit market or a matinee at the movies for the three of us. I’m probably going to order our tickets through Under Cover Tourist but it’s tempting to just wait and purchase at the gate. I remember my experience purchasing tickets as an adult and I loved it! Our ticket seller was so kind, very funny and overall made it a nice experience. I’m sure I’ll figure it out by the time I have to purchase tickets but for now the money is sitting safely in an ING online account earning 1.49% interest. (Still more than my brick and mortar bank but less than I was earning a year ago.)

Driving to the World

We're going to Disney World the old family way, driving. Most of the details are still unplanned but we know we're driving to the World. My ideal trip would involve a mini-van and my sister and her boyfriend joining us but we're not sure if that is what we're going to do just yet. We may just take our own vehicles. I'd have liked to make it a fun roadtrip with stops along the way but we're just going to drive straight through and have a couple of longer stops on the trip.

Pro's for renting a minivan-
I'd like a minivan for space sake. I'm taking most of my mom's luggage with us depending on what company she's flying with. That means I'm taking at least four suitcases/bags plus food and supplies, I'd really like a minivan! We'd also have room to taxi everyone around to the parks so we could save on parking also. My mom's wheelchair would also be easier to load and unload for the parks. We'd have some special family time and be able to create some fun lasting memories too. The cost would be split between the four of us too. I'm willing to pay a little extra to help my sister out, so I may be able to convince her of this option.

Con's-
We'd be spending A LOT of family time together unless we optioned for taxi's and other transportation. My sister and her boyfriend want to go to Universal Studios, we do too but it's not in the budget this trip, so we'll have to arrange for transportation for them. Either a taxi or arranging our schedule. I have no problem arranging anything for anybody, but if I'm cranky I may think differently.

As you can see I really want to rent a minivan!

The trip down will take anywhere from 16 to 19 hours. I'm estimating about 19 hours since I want to have a couple of stops that last at least 45 minutes. We'll be able to stretch our legs and have some non-car time. I'd also like this time estimate to include any emergency stops; bathroom, car sickness, etc.

I don't know exactly when we're leaving. We have two options to choose from. Leave Friday night, late but not too late so we can arrive sometime Saturday afternoon or early evening. Or we can leave really early Saturday morning and arrive Saturday night. I'm leaning towards Friday night so we can have some breathing room on our travel time. I'd vote to arrive home from work at normal time, which is 5pm, to cook and eat dinner. After dinner is eaten and cleaned up, Brian would go to bed and take a nap so he's able to drive without a problem. Since he could arrive home earlier than me he (in theory) could already be sleeping when I arrive home. I would then finish packing the suitcases, the food, the supplies, and drive to the gas station to pick up ice for the cooler. I could then pack the car, make sure everything is good to go and relax (yeah, right) until it's time to wake Brian and get everyone in the car. I'd like to leave at night so my son could sleep on a normal schedule. This would also mean less stops because we could be sleeping instead of being bored or wanting to get out of the car.

I still need to plan our route to Florida but I'll do that once it gets a little closer so I can check for construction updates and have time to plan a different route if needed. Only 33 weeks to go!

Enjoying Disney Without Spending Much Money

The last time I was at WDW was March 2007. I wish I could go every year but right now in my life, I cannot. Some of the ways I'm planning to save when I'm in WDW are:

Not buying many souveniers. I really want to go to experience rides, attractions and my family. I don't need a hundred new doo dads, do I want them? Sort of. I do want to increase my Belle Snowglobe collection but I don't need to. I do want some new souveniers but I plan on taking an immense amount of pictures. My family may hate me for making them pose and smile so much, but I will have not spent much on getting my digital prints. This is something I can do when we arrive home and I can order them online to save some cash. Come on you doubters, what's better, a picture of you and Mickey Mouse or a t-shirt of Mickey Mouse? I totally vote for the picture.

I plan on eating at least one meal at the house daily. I'm not a huge breakfast person but I would like to have something in my stomach before venturing out. We can cook a quick meal of eggs and toast or just grab a pop tart for the road. Cereal is always easy and cheap too. We can also pick up a couple of frozen pizza's for lunch before or after our nap or even for an early evening. We also plan on bringing snacks and bottled beverages to the parks. This will be a nice savings.

I plan on purchasing discounted tickets through an authorized agency. I'll blog more about them later.

I'm also going to the parks prepared. I will make sure I have enough digital camera memory and enough disposable camera's for my son so we will not have to purchase these in the park. I'm also going to remember to charge my camera every night! I'm going to carry headache medicine, sunscreen, tissues, etc. so I don't have to pay for anything unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm not going to carry a 50 pound book bag but I plan on not having to buy necessities in the parks. I'm also packing clothes for everyone but keeping them in the car. Just in case we need to change we won't have to be uncomfortable for too long and we don't have to buy unnecessary clothing.

By saving on some expenses I can have some additional fun. I plan on surprising my son with Breakfast with Mickey at Chef Mickey's and going on a tour at Daytona Nascar Stadium. If I were to blow money on every knick knack I thought was adorable, we'd never be able to experience these.

Making it to The World

My sister and her boyfriend are accompanying us to Walt Disney World this year. I'm super excited about it. The last time my sister and I took a vacation together was high school and it was to Kansas to visit family. The last time we were at WDW together, we were around my sons age. My sister and her boyfriend both work full time, but alas, with our economy they are hurting like everyone else. This post is about some ideas I have to trick yourself into saving money. Some of my ideas are

1. Save spare change. Find a jar, keep it on your dresser and throw all coins in there. In 3 months I've had $37 saved.
2. Tax yourself. Tax yourself when you perform a daily habit. For instance if you have a habit of eating out, put $1 in an envelope every time you eat out. If you smoke, every time you buy a pack of cigarette's put $1 in an envelope. If you have a daily latte habit, tax yourself $1 every time you pay $4 for a daily cup of joe. Better yet, make your own coffee to go and save that $4 a day. If you can save $1 each time on a daily habit that's 365 dollars in a year. It's tricky but you can do it!
3. Pay yourself to do chores. Remember when mom and dad paid you to vacuum? Pay yourself! Whenever you do the dishes, drop a quarter in a jar. Whenever you vacuum, sweep, do laundry, or clean the cat box pay yourself!
4. Better yet, pay your kids! (if you have them, if not use nieces & nephews) Set up a vacation jar in a central location in your home. Make a list of chores that must be done, when they are done pay your kids and promise them they can take the money to spend on vacation. I do this with my son and he's saved more than $10 already. This way you can teach your children to budget for special occasions and you can teach them to budget for souveniers on your vacation. It's a geat way to make something boring fun.
5. Saving money at the grocery store by clipping coupons, shopping sales, and using store loyalty cards? Save it! Most major chain grocery stores total your savings at the bottom of your receipt. When you get home from shopping, set up a transfer from your checking to savings account for the amount on your receipt. Just don't forget to put the grocery's away!
6. Still keep a check register? Round down deposits to the nearest 10 dollars (i.e. $255.00 would be rounded down to $250) and transfer the $5 to savings. Make purchases using debit cards or checks? Round up! A purchase for $17.35 can be rounded up to $18.00 and the difference of $0.65 can be saved. It's like saving spare change without handling cash.
7. Set up an automatic transfer every pay day. If you don't see the money come in, how can you miss it?
8. Sell your stuff. Ok not everything, just the stuff you don't use. Have DVD's you haven't watched in a while? Take them to a used media store and sell them for cash. Have a garage sale. Sell books to a used book store. Deposit those funds in your high-yield online savings account.
9. Sell your services. Like kids? Babysit. This can be your vacation money. If you get enough clients you can take a vacation every year! Know how to fix computers? Fix them on the side and pocket the cash. Just follow all tax laws!
10. Increase your income by working more. Like to write? Start a blog. Like to work with the public? Work at your local mall. In addition to some discounts (save those dollars!) you might meet some really cool people.
11. Remember when gas was nearing $4 a gallon? Pretend it's still is and save the difference when you fill up.
12. Make dinner at home and take leftovers to work. If you spend $5 a day on lunch ($5 footlong anyone?) and instead take leftovers you'll save substantially. Eat ice cream at home and not at the local ice cream parlor. I know it's delicious, it's one of my downfalls but make it a special treat (for reaching a savings goal!) and you won't be missing much, especially if you buy ice cream at the store instead.
13. Don't spoil your kids. I fail miserably at this. Instead of buying your kids "stuff" or junk they don't need, play a boardgame with them instead. My son loves playing Monopoly jr. and we even play Wii games when I can stand the humiliation. It's cheaper than going to Chuck E. Cheese or the toy store (or Walmart!) and much more fun. We are finding fun stuff to do around the house instead of spending money. I have noticed a HUGE impact in my checking account.

Some tips from my reading of personal finance blogs and articles.

• Track your spending and cut back in areas that aren't necessary
• Save automatically
• Eat at home
• Drive less (walk more and train for Disney!)
• Keep your tires properly inflated and your car maintained. Change your oil when you're supposed to, and change your air filter according to your car's maintence schedule. This will increase your fuel efficiency. You must also not lead foot it. I know in my neighborhood there are a ton of people who slam on the gas when leaving a green light only to stop 500 feet away at a red light. Slow it down when leaving the red lights, you'll notice a difference.
• Life frugally, not cheaply. Need clothes? Don't buy jeans that will last 4 washes before they fall apart. Find clothes that fit, you're comfortable in, and that will last more than 3 months. If you spend $20 on a pair of jeans that last 3 months, you are spending $80 a year on 1 pair of jeans since you must replace them often. If you spend $60 on a pair of jeans that last longer than a year, you've already saved $20+.
• Shop at consignment stores. I have to admit, I'm a clothes snob. I won't wear used clothes unless they're my boyfriends. I don't buy myself clothes like I used to but I do steal his clothes. Afterall, they're free. I may purchase used jeans for my son since he's in a growth spurt. He's got enough t-shirts to last him until next school year. You'd be surprised at how much you can save.
• Increase your income.
• Build an Emergency Fund. Pay off all debt. Get all your financial documents in order. In other words, work hard to get your financial house in order.

Saving does take hard work and dedication but it can be done. Even with those lacking self discipline such as myself. The one key point is you must make sure everyone is on board that has access to your money. I tell my son why we will purchase some items and not others. He's completely on board with me about saving more money for Florida. It's easier to work as a team instead of fighting a losing battle. If you have any more suggestions leave a comment!

Epcot's The Great Piggy Bank Adventure

Epcot has a new exhibit. The Great Piggy Bank Adventure is an interactive exhibit that teaches money management. You can read about it here. I am excited that Disney has done this. Considering how the economy has been, this is something that can make money fun! I'll be sure to add this to my list of must see's and post a review in November!

Ways To Make Extra Money

Vacations are expensive. When planning for a vacation most people just whip out a credit card and pay for their trip, regardless of the repercussions. We’re trying our best to pay for our vacation in cash. There are several ways to pay for a vacation in cash; saving a certain amount each week or month (budgeting), using a tax refund, saving every penny possible or making extra money. I use a combination of the above. I make extra money by taking online surveys, using “point sites” such as Inbox Dollars and MyPoints, Swagbucks, and requesting free samples.



The following on-line survey sites are ones I’ve had success with.



Opinion Outpost has paid me the most. You can cash out at $5 and most surveys pay about $1 or $2 so it accumulates pretty quickly.



Your2cents has paid me a bunch too. Most surveys are for $1-$3 and sometimes more.


Mysurvey has taken a little longer for me but I enjoy their surveys more. The surveys are usually short, come often and are fun to take.


Survey Savvy doesn’t pay me that well but I like their surveys.They also have a referral program so please sign up with me as a referral by clicking here!


ZoomPanel doesn’t pay cash but they have cool rewards like luggage or movies, you can even donate your points to a charity. I’m saving my points to get a new piece of luggage for my son.

Surveys come often and since I won’t have to purchase a piece of luggage for my son, it’s money in my pocket!


The only downfall to some of the survey sites is they take a while to get your check. Planning is key with these!

Swagbucks is a search engine that is sort of like a lottery. You complete a search and every so often you get swagbucks. These bucks can be cashed in for gift cards to various retailers. I’ve used them for a while and have received $10 for amazon.com. I managed to get two Christmas gifts for $2.14!

MyPoints is a neat site. You sign up, preferably with a second e-mail account, open e-mails for 5 points each, shop through their site, take surveys, and in return you get points. After a while you’ll be able to cash in for gift cards. I’ve used this site’s rewards for Christmas gifts. Again, money in your pocket! I’ve done this site for a while and have redeemed for a $25 gamestop giftcard (which I used to purchase my son a used gameboy) and a couple of $10 Olive Garden gift cards. Right now I’m banking my points to pay for Christmas gifts this year. I have enough for a $10 gift card but I’m hoping to have at least two $25 gift cards this year. That’s at least one person crossed off my list and it didn’t cost me anything, which means more money for my trip!

Inbox Dollars is a site I only recommend because they pay cash. If I would’ve researched further to know they charge you $3 to cash out (you must have $30 to cash out) I’d have never signed up. It’s similar to MyPoints, you open e-mails, take surveys, and sign up for offers to receive money. Each e-mail is $0.02, these take a while to accumulate to $30 but every little bit helps. I’m only at $18 but I hope to have $30 or more by September so I can cash out for the trip.

Free samples abound on the ‘net. My favorite is shampoo samples. Why? Because I don’t have to bother with all those pesky bottles on our trip! I can distribute these samples to anyone who needs them without worrying about getting them back the next day. It also gives me a chance to try out a brand before I buy. Nothing worse than a brand new bottle of shampoo or conditioner that leaves your hair greasy. You can also find food samples, laundry detergent/softener, baby products and more!

Creating Special Memories

When taking a vacation many people are trying to create special memories. I will be doing the same on our WDW trip. I will be taking lots of pictures but I want something just a little extra. Disney’s new promotion is perfect for this. We will in fact be celebrating two birthdays and family. To celebrate the two birthdays we will be eating special meals and enjoying special activities. One way that we will be celebrating Jake’s birthday is by wearing special t-shirts around the park. We will be announcing to The World that Jake is turning 7. This will give him a little more special attention but also give us a unique memory. Since we will be visiting the Magic Kingdom that day, we’ll have a special picture of our family in unique matching t-shirts and the reason we’re visiting the park. I’m hoping to get a few of these pictures that day. Another day I’m hoping to get pictures of us all in matching “family” shirts. I’m thinking something like a baseball t-shirt, with 09 on the back with our last names and Disney World on the front, maybe with a special character for each person. It’s my newest idea so it’s still in the thought process.

Budgeting

I have saved money for WDW by budgeting. I like to think I can transfer money from each paycheck but we all know this is hard for some, especially me. Some of the ways I like to save money is by saving my tax refund, saving my spare change, purchasing Disney Dollars, and sending $10 a paycheck to my vacation fund. I save all my spare change as well as my boyfriends. We put it in a jar on my dresser or we put it into my son’s Florida jar. Whenever my son gets money he puts some in one of his four jars, Florida, Spend, Charity, and Save (for college). I’m starting to buy Disney Dollars for the trip for purchasing souvenirs and possibly some treats for myself. I also buy Disney Dollars for my son for celebrations. We gave him three Disney Dollars and a new NASCAR for Valentine’s Day and he’ll receive golf clubs (bought on clearance) and two more Disney Dollars for Easter instead of candy. He’ll also have to find some eggs filled with quarters. My tax refund, which is also my vacation fund, is sitting in an online bank account earning 1.63% interest. This money is for the majority of our vacation. With my spare change I’m hoping to pay for tolls, gas, and our food on the trip down. I can roll this a few weeks before our trip and cash it in at my bank for dollar bills. I’m also saving quarters and shiny pennies for the penny and quarter press machines. We have some at our zoo so we will use them there also. With a lot of planning and creative thinking I’m hoping to pay for our trip with cash, as in not accruing any more debt. I don’t want to carry all that cash around so we’re going to have to figure out how to spend that money. I’m thinking a pre-paid Visa gift card, depositing that money into my bank account and just using my debit card, or just finding an ATM and paying a fee to withdraw money as I need it. I hate paying fees so that last one doesn’t sound so good to me.
Another trick, but takes lots of self-discipline, is the Disney Visa Credit Card. For every hundred dollars you spend, you earn 1 point. 1 point is equal to 1 dollar on a gift card, after 20 points you can request a gift card and use these to purchase items at WDW or even your park tickets. You can also use them at The Disney Store. I have found that unless I pay each and every bill by myself I can probably do this but with other people in my household paying bills and me not having access to the bills consistently I am unable to use this without over spending. Let’s do some math to show how easy it is to spend $100 and earn points. My car payment can be auto billed to my credit card, my car payment is $337.00 per month (well until June it is!), my electric bill is about $80 a month, my gasoline is about $100 a month, my cell phone bill (for two phones) is $82 a month and my satellite bundle is $137 a month. Just by using these simple recurring bills my total spent is $736.00 per month x 12 months in a year and that is $8,832 divided by $100 (equals 1 point) that is 88 points per year. Since I didn’t include the other household bills I could put on the credit card (food, oil changes, medications, memberships etc) I would estimate at least 100 points per year. The trick is to pay that card off in full each month. This way finance charges are avoided and your points are free. The best part is under the terms I have the points do not expire for 60 months, so if I knew we were going to WDW in 2 years I could easily earn $200 free dollars to use to pay for part of my vacation. I do not endorse applying for credit when it cannot be used responsibly. I am a testament to that. I did not use credit responsibly until recently. I do sometimes slip up and abuse it but I’m doing my best to pay off all my debt in the next 24 months. It may take me longer but at least I can say I should have a bunch of it paid off soon!

Anticipation-35 weeks away

I get excited whenever I think about our family trip to WDW. I want to start packing even though our trip is 35 weeks away and I still don’t have some details nailed down. I even need to purchase some stuff before our trip, which I will do periodically throughout the year, but I still want to go early! I watched the new Disney DVD we received in the mail on Friday, this helps with the anticipation but also makes me want to start planning our next trip already! I did purchase some goodies for my son, Jake, for the car trip down and have packed those into my Disney Box in my room. I went to Target and they had some Disney merchandise in their dollar section on clearance for 25 cents each. I put all of that in a gallon size baggie and that can be added to and used for special treats on the car ride to and from FL. I even bought myself some good walking shoes this weekend. I plan to walk daily when the weather turns to bearable spring in Cleveland instead of the 22 degrees we have now. I am going to start walking with Jake every day, just starting off with a block or two a day to get a feel for how well he’ll do but gradually moving to a mile a day then boosting that up throughout the summer. I want to be walking a steady 2 miles a day by the time he starts the first grade in August. This will also benefit his soccer and t-ball skills as he’ll be able to endure a little more action.

Packing for Disney

I am a planner. "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Packing for a trip can be very intimidating to some people, and others just throw stuff in a bag and hope for the best. Since our budget is so tight, I'm hoping to save some money by slowly stockpiling what we'll need for the trip throughout the year and not have to buy it right before we leave or while we're in Florida. Since I like to think that I'm organized, I have my list split up into categories/suitcases and the final part of the list is for food and beverages needed for the trip. I'm not packing for everyone involved but I am packing for two adults and a child. My method is packing per suitcase. I can fit my clothes in one suitcase, my son's in another, and my boyfriends can fit into another. That's 3 suitcases, plus an "everything else" suitcase, and then food & beverages. I'm also packing "carry-ons" even though we are driving. Following is my list.
Kymm’s Bag-In Front Seat
Map Lysol Wipes Tums Band aids
Toll Money Dramamine Toilet Seat Covers Mouthwash
Food Money Tylenol Kleenex Hand Sanitizer
Sunglasses Meds Ibuprofen Excedrin
Id’s Cell Phone Camera Earplugs
Credit Card Cell Phone Charger Reading Material Disney Information
Pens Guidebooks Camera Charger Toiletries
Small Notebook Jake’s Meds Lost child Pack Napkins
Wet Ones Sinus Meds Neosporin TP
Chap Stick Contact Case Contact Solution Blanket
Ipod Car Charger

In Back Seat (easy access)
Camera SD Cards Kleenex Playing Cards
Batteries Wet Ones Lysol Wipes Trivia Cards
Handheld Games Sunglasses Umbrella Small Towels
Paper Towels

Packed In Luggage-Small Bag
Straightner Extension cord Hair Bands
Moisturizer Clothespins Address Labels
Acne Cream Bug spray Ponchos/Raincoats
Lotion Trash bags Shampoo
Razors Kleenex (travel size only) Conditioner
Lysol Wipes Baby Wipes Face Wash
Laundry Soap Sunscreen Soap
Softener/Dryer Sheets Nail Clippers Brush & Comb
Q-Tips Large Ziploc Bags Highlighters
Sharpies Hair Spray Make-up
Stamps Toothbrushes Toothpaste
Deodorant Tweezers

Jake’s Amusement Bag
Game boy Charger Blanket Travel Pillow
Movies Portable DVD Player Games
Small Toys
Cars Action Figures 1 Stuffed animal to sleep with
Crayons Note book Books
Coloring Books Pencils
Camera
4 Double-a batteries
Eye Glasses CaseJake’s Luggage-Small Bag
Clothes
2 Pants Ears
3 Shorts Mickey Mouse Pen
4 T-Shirts Swimming Trunks
3 Long Sleeved Shirts Beach Towel
6 Socks 6 Underwear
3 Pajama’s 2 Sweatshirts
Light Jacket

Brian’s Luggage
2 Pants Swimming Trunks
3 Shorts Beach Towel
4 T-shirts Poncho/Umbrella
2 Long sleeved shirts Sweater/sweatshirt/Jacket
4 Underwear 4 Socks

Kymm’s Luggage
3 Pants 2 Capri’s Bathing Suit
4 T-shirts 4 Long sleeved shirts Beach Towel
2 Sweatshirts 4 Socks Birthday Presents
4 Underwear 3 Bra’s Inflatable pillows (to sit on)

Snacks to pack for Disney
In Cooler
Bottled Water Pudding Butter
Pop Applesauce
Juice Boxes Ranch Dressing (dip)
Tea Fruit Cups

Packed in Box/Bag
Chips Mini-Muffins Chex Mix
Powdered drink mixes Cereal Pretzels
Sugar Pop Tarts Goldfish crackers
Sweet ‘n Low Fruit Snacks/roll ups Tea bags
Granola Bars Yo go’s Sweet stuff
Donuts Cashews Popcorn
Bagels Salt & Pepper

Supplies-Packed in Box
Disposable Bowls Coffee filters
Plastic spoons & forks Garbage Bags
Napkins or Paper towels Dishwasher tabs
Collapsible cooler-for car at the parks
Large Ziploc bags (for ice) Dish Soap
Disposable cups with lids Insulated Lunch Box

Note that I'm only packing enough clothes as necessary, I'll be doing a load or two of laundry while we're there. Which is a choice I made to save on space. I'm also packing for all types of weather since predictions are usually incorrect in Cleveland. For example, we were told a light dusting of snow, we ended up with 10 inches of snow. Most of the items I'm packing could be bought while we're there but since I'd rather be prepared I'm packing them with us.

To get started just make a list of what you think you might need and add to it as necessary. Obviously we all know we need clothing, daily toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo, etc), and forms of payment. After the basics just keep adding, review your list when you feel you need to and add or subtract items as needed.

Staying At WDW

Walt Disney World is a huge complex of resorts. For this particular trip we are not staying on WDW property. My favorite resorts to look at and plan for another trip are the Contemporary (my boyfriends absolute favorite!), Pop Century, and the All-Star Movies. I'd like to look at more upscale resorts but I simply can't afford them at this time. Since we have 9 people going to WDW with us this November we opted to rent a house which is a much more budget friendly way to enjoy the trip. We rented a house through a vacation home rental company and managed to snag a 6 bedroom 5 bathroom house with a pool & spa for a little over $1500. Now that doesn't include our tickets but if you split the cost between 9 people it's not much.
I like renting a house because you get more privacy, a full kitchen (make food to save money!), our own private pool & spa, and we have more room to relax. I would like to stay at a WDW resort because of the excellent service, themed rooms and the proximity to the parks. I also think staying on site would just be a lot of fun! Each option has it's own perks and let downs. I chose a house this time based on cost and we were able to have my sister and boyfriend along for the trip. Another option we considered but quickly threw out was a hotel room with a kitchenette.
There are many options to choose from when traveling to WDW. You must figure out what your needs are before you can make the right decision. You'd have to consider the following to make an informed decision; Budget, Party size, special needs of any member of your party, proximity the parks, options you'd like to have available to you.
Our party size is 9 people. My mother will be in a wheelchair, my son is young so he will need down time throughout the trip. Our budget will be very strict, we must stick within out budget or else we may go further into debt. Obviously with the our constraints a house would be best. We can cook some meals at the house, keep snacks readily available, we have a pool & spa for relaxation and fun, and the house is large enough that my mother can sleep when she needs to and can have more room for when she decides to stay at the house while we're at the parks.

When to go

One of the many major decisions any person planning any trip will make is when to go. When planning a trip to Walt Disney World, the time you go will majorly impact your vacation. I am personally planning to attend in November, the week before Thanksgiving. Why this week? Well, my son's birthday is during that week as well as my boyfriends. A major perk for that time is WDW is less crowded. Most families will travel during school break times, making these times the most crowded at WDW. I'm sure other popular travel spots are the same way. I have gone to Magic Kingdom during Spring Break, it was fun BUT very crowded and very loud. Of course I will never forget the look on my sons face when he met Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck for the first time. I was almost in tears!
We also went to Daytona Beach in the same week, it was Bike Week and Spring Break, NEVER AGAIN. Wall to Wall intoxicated people with a 4 year old is never a fun experience. I will never forget that trip as it was my first vacation with my son. He got to see the ocean for the first time, got to visit the NASCAR Daytona Stadium, and picked up his first real sea shell. It was a great time, but when we walked further down the beach, looking for the rest of our party, my son father and myself left as soon as we found them. I wasn't comfortable exposing a four year old to Spring Break Daytona style.
These two experiences have taught me that timing is not everything but it does matter.

Why Disney World?

I love Disney World. It is my happy place. I think about going to WDW and my heart beats faster and my mood instantly lifts, and I just smile. Planning for our trip usually puts me in a good mood. Once in a while I feel overwhelmed and have to take a break but that's usually when I'm tired. I think visiting WDW is one of the events everyone should experience. I know some people dislike Disney and that's ok, but for everyone who enjoys anything Disney, they should experience the World at least once in their lifetime.
I like going because it brings a smile to my face, and it makes my son bounce with glee, which brings a smile to my heart. I'm so excited to go!

Introduction

This blog is about my Disney World vacation. I love Disney World, I love Disney, I love planning, and I love to travel. This blog is going to document my planning, my trip, and of course I'll start planning my next trip once we get back.