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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Suburban Detroit, MI
    Posts
    2,233
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    Cool

    We are always looking for great ideas to save some $$ on our Disney trips. What are your favorite ways to cut monetary corners?

    I'll share mine....

    We go to the outlets the day we check in (time permitting) and do our souviner shopping. We also stop on our last day or on our way home to pick up the stuff that we didn't buy and changed our mind about!!! Many things at the parks are found at the outlets in different colors or are very similar. We love this part of our trip!!!

    We also purchase 1 meal and 1 appetizer and split it.
    Jennifer - Proud DVC Owner
    DW of MyDisneyWorld; Mom of DDs (8) and (6)
    04/00 - 03 = off property
    09/03 ASMu, 09/04 POP, 12/05, 09/06 SSR
    10/07 VWL, 10/09 - THV, 10/10, 10/11 - AKL, 10/12 -THV, 02/13- CBR/CSR, 9/13 - BWV/BLT
    Next Up: Spring Break 4/'14 - BLT and Star Wars Weekend 5/'14 - BCV

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Waukesha, WI
    Posts
    4,510
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    Eat breakfast in your room. Not only a time-saver, all family members can eat at their own pace. We bring granola bars, cereal bars, breakfast cakes, etc . . . we do however sign up for a character breakfast. The money we save not having a huge and expensive breakfast allows us to eat more table service & to buy more souvenirs.
    Amanda
    Wishes. Dreams. Magic.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    CT
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    161
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    We do a big breakfast and a late lunch. We find lunch rates are cheaper than dinner rates. In the evening we do a desert. My son loves this - he thinks it's great to eat ice cream for "dinner". [img]graemlins/tasty.gif[/img]

    We limit our purchases to just one thing per adult and our son uses his spending money on his own stuff. This year we want new Bass mugs from England (Epcot) for us. We'll buy a thank you gift for my in-laws for cat/house watching. That's it.

    We tend to save at home - putting the money aside - skipping dinners out and not buying morning coffee for months so that we can splurge on vacation. I figure that we we can relax a bit and not worry.

    52 days [img]graemlins/muscles.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/muscles.gif[/img] Can you say "excited"???
    It's JUNE!!!<br /><br />Is it Saturday yet???

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    3,364
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    Originally posted by nell:
    We do a big breakfast and a late lunch. We find lunch rates are cheaper than dinner rates. In the evening we do a desert. My son loves this - he thinks it's great to eat ice cream for "dinner". [img]graemlins/tasty.gif[/img]

    This is what I do too! We have a good sized breakfast in the room, and then get the last PS at one of the sit-down places in the parks for lunch. That way we can just have a snack later in the day when we get hungry. Lunch is less expensive, and you can get much of the same selection!

    We also belong to AAA. While the discount on rooms isn't huge, it has been all we have been able to get the last 2 trips, and it has saved us enough to be able to stay a bit longer!
    Meg

    40 trips (plus two to Disneyland, and one to Disneyland Paris) and counting!

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    florida
    Posts
    6
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    Talking

    We definately bring groceries. eat breakfast in the room (cereal, pop tarts, etc.) and it saves time as someone said. I also make sandwiches and pack snacks for the day. we still may buy a snack. Then for dinner we got out.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    44
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    Much as the breakfast in the room - I purchase snacks for the rooms as well.

    Mostly things like, goldfish, apples, pringles, snack packs (things that wont get smooshed in my luggage) Some I buy at the grocery stop on the way to the hotel, and others I pack.

    This is a great thing - when we are in the room late evening and the kids want a snack. Definately a $$ saver.

    We also only allow 2 snacks per person per day in the parks. 1 morning snack, and 1 afternoon snack. It definately gets expensive we find we could snack all day long.. and that gets expensive: pretzel, ice cream, slush, fried dough thing (beaver tail..? is that what its called)... but - the kids know - only 2. So, they choose wisely. It works for us anyways.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Lafayette, la
    Posts
    103
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    Post

    1. dont buy breakfast
    2. Stay in a moderate resort.
    3. Don't waste money on impulse souveniers

  9. #8
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    1,508
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    Dont waste a whole day's park ticket on your arrival and departure dates, unless youre arriving really early or departing really late. We can find enough to do at WDW without going into the parks every single day, and it saves a lot. I spend the first day exploring the resorts and enjoying our own hotel's amenities, and spend the last day at DTD. This also works well because DTD carries almost every item you may have seen over the course of the trip, and you know exactly what items you really want, how much space is left in the luggage, and how much you have left to spend.
    I'm finally going back! Next trip: July 16-22, 2006!

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Rhode Island
    Posts
    419
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    We give the kids Disney Dollars prior to our trip so that they can buy anything they want with them. When their money is gone, it's gone... We found that it saves on those impulse/emotional purchases! (And you would be surprised how thrifty they are when they buy something with their own money.)
    Poly 3/97, Poly 1/98, Poly 2/99, Poly 2/00, Poly 9/03,
    POR & Poly 9/05, POR & Poly 9/06
    , Poly 9/07
    Poly 9/08, POR & Poly 8/10, POR & Poly 8/13, Heading back POR & Poly Concierge 8/15

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Burank, IL
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    1,515
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    I've heard about this but have not actually done it yet...

    Schedule lunch at buffets (if that is your thing) late and you will pay the lunch price but they will change over the buffet at the alotted time and if planned correctly, you can get the dinner menu also with your lunch prices/choices.

    If anyone has done this or does try this please post on how it has worked for you.
    Sherry


    10 earlier times...
    1-08 ASMo ( MOM AND KIDS FOR 13 DAYS!!!)
    11-08 POP (Mom and Kids for 14 days!!!)
    4-21-10 thru 4-28-10 Pop Century (WE'RE GOING BACK!!!!!)
    8-13 thru 8-19-11 ASMo & 8-19 thru 8-28-11 CBR

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    4,446
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    [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img] Buy a case of water off site

    [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img] Split meals/appetizers - portions can be huge!

    [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img] Keep snacks in the room, fruit, granola bars, etc

    [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img] Have breakfast in the room

    [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img] Take laundry soap with you or buy it off-site
    Lea-Ann
    The Creative Mind that Never Rests . . .

    Dreaming of Disney.......
    Last Trip - Dec 14-21, 2012 AKL!!! Next Trip - TBA!!!

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Central Illinois
    Posts
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    Don't take your wife.

    Just kidding!!!!

    1973 - Off Site
    1979 - Contemporary Resort
    1983- Off Site
    7/1994 - Port Orleans
    6/2003 - Off Site
    3/2005 - Coronado Springs Resort (5 Nights)
    April/May 2006 - Wilderness Lodge (8 Nights)
    Nov/Dec. 2007- Boardwalk (7 Nights)
    Next Trip: Nov/Dec 2010-Yacht Club (6 Nights)

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Pennsylvania
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    [img]graemlins/rotfl.gif[/img]
    [img]graemlins/nono.gif[/img]

    Paula [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img]

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Denham Springs LA
    Posts
    633
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    Cool

    We do a lot of the things people have already mentioned (being a couple of 2 teachers, who only get to go every 3 years or so):

    *breakfast in the room (except for maybe one character breakfast)

    *byow (water)
    *Limit souveinirs (sp?) for kids to just one "big" one and maybe a t-shirt. As my kids get older, we will probably do the Disney dollars, but mine are too little to get that, yet.

    *we save loose change for the years before we go, and Katie and I roll it to use for spending money.

    *we bring snack foods, too, but always seems to break down and buy that Mickey ice cream bar or an Itzakadoozie (which we can't buy here!)

    *we usually stay at a value resort, or maybe a moderate at most. One day my dream is to stay at the Polynesian for a whole week! Maybe for our anniversary!
    Missy
    #1 LSU fan 2003 AND 2007 National Champions!

    POR Feb 1997
    ASMo Dec 1999
    POR Feb 2002
    ASMovies Feb 2004
    Pop Century May 2004
    ASMovies Feb 2006
    Offsite Jan 2007
    May 2008 Swan
    May 2011 on the Dream!
    BLT July 2013
    POFQ July 2015

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    673
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    Originally posted by pedro2112:
    Don't take your wife.

    Just kidding!!!!

    [img]graemlins/rotfl.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/silly.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/rotfl.gif[/img]
    You sound like my DH!!
    [img]graemlins/rotfl.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/silly.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/rotfl.gif[/img]
    Sarah
    "When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are,when you wish upon a star your dreams, come TRUE"

  17. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    348
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    Smile

    We drive so we bring two 24 count packs of bottled water that I have gotten on sale at home! We also bring snacks like prepackaged individual bags of teddy grahams, ritz bits ,fruit snacks,etc. for when the kids want a quick snack!
    March 1973 Contemporary<br />April 1980 Contemporary <br />June 1989 Royal Plaza <br />March 2002 Contemporary<br />Dec. 2002 Contemporary<br />June 2003 Contemporary<br />Dec. 2003 BCV<br />April 2004 Beach Club/BCV<br />June 2004 Grand Floridian<br />Aug. 2004 Hilton Head<br />Oct. 2004 Grand Floridian<br />March 2005 Grand Floridian <br />June 2005 Grand Floridian<br />July 2005 Hilton Head<br />Dec. 2005 Grand Floridian<br />Sept. 2005 Poly LV Concierge<br />Dec. 2005 Grand Floridian RPC

  18. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts
    306
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    If you live in Canada, but live close to the border, book your flight from the closest US airport, your tickets will be almost half the price. [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img]
    VMK ID: Punchcat

  19. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Houston
    Posts
    673
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    Post

    The big breakfast in your room is great as well as a late lunch. We try to budget $50 per day per person so $200 a day for food. LOTS of times it is less so there is more $$ for souviners or in my case golf!! LOL.. It takes a few months for us to get the $$ in an account so we will not spend it before we get to WDW.
    J
    3/01 1st trip -Off site with 100 kids
    Over 20 trips since 3/01
    Lot's of fun and great family memories..

    Going to be there in June 08.

  20. #19
    Join Date
    Jul 2000
    Location
    OH
    Posts
    735
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    Don't take your husband!! [img]graemlins/rotfl.gif[/img]
    I've actually done this several times!!! [img]graemlins/rotfl.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

  21. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    West of Boston, MA
    Posts
    6,480
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    Bring your own water and soda into the parks. This will save you lots of money! As long as it isn't in glass containers, you won't have any problems. You can ask for cups of ice for free too!
    ºoºKathyºoº TimeShare 12-12
    GKTW June 2011,Off site Feb/March 2011
    Dolphin and POFQ 8/10
    POFQ Sept 08
    ASMu Aug-Sept 07
    Dolphin & CS-12/05. Mousefest & Dis Cruise
    Dolphin & POR July 04,WDW-Dolphin June 02Dolphin 6/2000
    Swan 6/99 -Dolphin March 98, March 94
    +many more times offsite

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