Disney on a Budget

Hi everyone- this is my Disney post relating to cost-cutting and affording a family trip on a fraction of the 'norm' for most families. My more sentimental and family-oriented post will follow in a day or so.

I know that pride is not a good thing. I really do know this. Ah, I sense a but... coming. That's right - you do. I know pride is not a good thing...BUT I am so proud of the way we were able to pull off this trip without dropping a small fortune and then regretting the money side of it. More importantly, and in all seriousness, I am grateful and thankful for the circumstances God orchestrated to allow us to take Drew on this very special trip while we could still focus on him as our only child.

GREAT DEAL #1
So, we all know how expensive it is to get into Disney. We planned this trip to coincide with Dave's birthday, because, this calendar year, Disney allows free admission on your birthday. And, since Drew is still under 3, he was able to get in free. We only had to pay admission for me ($79).

GREAT DEAL #2
We researched all the hotel rates, Disney and non-Disney. We were amazed at how pricey simple hotel rooms are. We didn't need anything fancy, but because of Drew's allergies, we did need a kitchen so we wouldn't have to eat every meal out. My parents were also going to join us, so we needed two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Not easily done on a budget at a hotel. We searched and searched until we found a great deal at a condo resort for two nights. Split with my parents, our share for both nights was $107. And, we were only about 6 miles from Disney.

GREAT DEAL #3
We packed many groceries from home that I already had on hand with our trip in mind. However, there was a Super Wal-Mart about 2.5 miles from our resort, and I purchased the remaining items we needed for dinner, sandwiches, breakfasts and snacks for about $45 after coupons (yes, I took my coupon organizer with me and I used it!). Side note: this Wal-Mart is THE place to buy your Disney souvenirs- I did not buy any, but don't waste your money on shirts and other licensed stuff at the park. They have about 1/3 of the store dedicated to Disney merchandise. Also, this Wal-Mart had several grocery items cheaper than our Wal-Mart at home. This made my coupons go way farther at check-out time!

GREAT DEAL #4
We ate one dinner and two breakfasts in our condo, thanks to the groceries we brought and purchased. We packed a cooler full of waters, sandwiches, and snacks for all five of us the day we visited the Magic Kingdom. We only purchased $9 worth of food from the actual park, and it was not because we ran out of food. Drew just wanted some french fries at one point, and in the late morning, while Papa and I waited for Drew, Daddy and Nana to finish a ride, we split a strawberry-banana smoothie. We also had plenty of sandwiches and snacks packed for the ride home the next day.

GREAT DEAL #5
We had planned to spend a little money on some things for Drew. But, as grandparents true to form, Nana and Papa splurged to buy Drew two special souvenirs: a long-armed Mickey (that has velcro to close his hands as he hugs your neck) and a super-oversized Mickey balloon on the way out of the park.

GREAT DEAL #6
Very unexpected, but our last day was spent with a couple hours at Downtown Disney. As we were watching Drew enjoy his little train ride, a sweet woman and her son walked up to me and gave us two of the large squirt bottle/fan things they sell at the Disney parks. I don't know exactly how much they cost, but I imagine they are at least $12 a piece. This family was flying home and didn't have any more room to pack stuff in their luggage.

With a little creativity, Disney can be done on a budget. I hope if you go, you are able to find some great deals like we did!