I Can't Balance My Home Budget, Disney I Can
Apr 23 '00
Sometimes planning takes all the fun out of going to Disney World, there are people who plan there schedules down to the minute. This is not my idea of a vacation. There are things you can do to save time and money but don't let them consume you.
The number one money saver for us has always been the Magic Kingdom Club (MKC from now on)card. The "Free One" not the one you have to pay for. Beware of buying the Gold Magic Kingdom Club Card. I know friends who have purchased the card specifically to get room discounts and the rooms were never available, when they had their vacations planned. The MKC is available from most major companies if you are an employee.
I received mine from my credit union. My credit union gives you the brochure and the card, gee they didn't ask me to sign anything, my names not printed on the card, oh it says non-transferable, good thing my sister needed one. The MKC gives you 10%-20% off room rates at certain times of the year, so you need to be flexible. You also need to be persistent, I called 4 months before we were planning to go and nothing was available except the Polynesian at a discounted rate of 270.00 a night, not a discount in my budget. I called twice a week for the next month and finally got a discounted rate of 99.00 at Caribbean Beach, that worked for me. People will make reservations and not send in their deposits, so just keep calling. Disney Reservations is famous for not directly answering your questions, they are not allowed to express opinions, they also won't tell you of any discounted rates, so always ask if there are any specials, we once got three nights at the Contemporary Resort for 139.00 a night, regular rate 225.00. We stayed for three nights then moved to Dixie Landings for 119.00. If you hop from hotel to hotel, Disney will transfer all your luggage for you.
MKC discounts are available at selected park restaurants and at the shops in Disney Market Place, so buy all that Mickey Mouse Stuff you just have to take home there. MKC give discounts on park admissions also.
The other biggest budget saver ( mind you I'm not saying money saver)is buying Disney Dollars at the Disney Store, if you have one near you. I would buy ten or twenty dollars every couple of weeks, it was money I wasn't keeping track of anyway ( you know that money that mysteriously disappears every week). We told my son we would match whatever Disney dollars he bought with his allowance, paper route money etc. this gave him an incentive to spend his money on Disney dollars, this would be his only spending money when we got there. I would also purchase 1 - 5 day park hopper pass at a time, I bought the first one a year before we were going.
I will not stay offsite, it's not worth it to me and I will not go to Disney World during the summer or any holiday period. My son is 12 and he has been to Disney 5 times, I have always taken him out of school to go and it has not hurt his grades. For families trying to keep their sanity, take the kids out of school and don't fight the crowds and/or the heat. The summer and holidays are always going to cost more too.
Disney is a great place and you can go without spending tons of money, just remember to have fun and be a kid.
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Epinions.com ID:
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Reviews written: 9
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