Which do you prefer - A budget trip every year or a fancier trip every other year About This Page:

[krisk11]

My dd & I have gone down in 2002, 2004, 2005 (half at friends/half at disney) 2007 (my 40th bday blowout at BC), 2008 (dd's 13th bday trip) and a budget trip in 2009. I wanted to head down again this summer but really should use money I'm getting to reduce quite a bit of debt. Plus we are planning a pretty extravagant trip in August 2011. I was wondering which you go for. More budget trips or less trips but more extravagant when they happen.

[kbken]

We go every other year and do it up nicely. We try to alternate between mods and deluxe and we have instituted a "DVSP" (Disney vacation savings plan) where we have an automatic deduction to a savings account each month. Because this is the first year with the DVSP we are going to do POR in 2011 for the second time in as many trips but our future plans are WL in 2013, POR or CSR in 2015, and GF in 2017 for our 40th Anniversary. Bravo on paying off debt - we just finished paying off all of our credit cards and have less than a year on DW's car to be debt free!!

Ken

[JoJayMom]

By a budget trip, you are talking about staying in a value resort, right? If so, I would prefer going on a budget trip every year ( just so I could go to WDW every year!! ) I know the other resorts are SO beautiful and nice, but I just want to be at WDW!! However, my dream one day is to stay at AKL

[jlp222]

I would do a budget(-ish) trip every year in May. They have usually been in the same price range. We've done Disney as well as some other destinations. We are saving up for big trips every 5 years. This is our 5 year anniversary and went to the Dominican Republic , but we are also taking a trip at the end of July or beginning of August (won't know how the Gulf Coast is). My daughter and I are doing Disney for Halloween.

In Disney, we stay at the value resorts, but the parks are the same for everybody

Paying off debt is always important though. Maybe do a small non-Disney trip to scratch your travel itch

[TracyKim]

Well we are doing two trips this year and then saving up for a HUGE trip in 2012. We will be staying at the Beach Club with the DxDP and going for AP's, for 15 days!!

We figured next summer we will do a "staycation", hit Universal for a couple of days (AP's) and stay at my brothers beach house for 4 or 5 days. This way we can do up Disney the way we want and money won't be a concern in 2012!!

[bitterchickey]

Knowing your dd is a year or so younger than mine, here's my 2 cents...go every year with the budget plan, as long as it's not running you into debt. Sooner than we think, these kids will be graduating HS, & their lives will be changing; a trip to Disney may not always work out for them. Make the memories while you can! After graduation, those nicer, less often trips can happen.

[benjiboo25]

This is a hard one for me, as we are doing trip #2 about 10 months after trip #1!
I hope we can find deals and do a nice trip yearly, but given the liklihood of that is small, I think our family would enjoy a better trip every other year. Being cramped or inconvenienced is a set up for frustration with us....

[benjiboo25]

Another comment---For a family of 5, "budget" WDW trips have limited options for on-site stays. So in some ways, our stay this year at BC during value season with a 40% discount could be considered "budget." We would not want to go less often only to get even more deluxe meals or accommodations. BUT we are no willing to stay at a campsite just to be at WDW.

[SARH7]

We could really care less where we rest our heads and shower, so for us, where we stay isn't really that important, as long as it's on property!! We've been lucky enough to afford trips every year by going value in value season....no way I could go 2 years between trips!! Hard enough only going once a year!

[stobaugh6]

I say go for the "budget" trip every year! That is what we decided to do. Of course, with 6 dc, our budget trip is what alot of families probably spend on a extravagant/fancier trip! Seriously, your dd is only young once. Enjoy every minute you have and make as many memories as you can. That is dh and mine philosophy.

[benjiboo25]

Originally Posted by stobaugh6

I say go for the "budget" trip every year! That is what we decided to do. Of course, with 6 dc, our budget trip is what alot of families probably spend on a extravagant/fancier trip! Seriously, your dd is only young once. Enjoy every minute you have and make as many memories as you can. That is dh and mine philosophy.

[mcc0313]

We do try to go every year, we stay on budget usually at POR as we travel with five and since we are not in the room much splitting the room with my sister or SIL comes out cheaper for both of us. We also go during value season, which helps cut costs. We have also lucked out with free dining twice so we have usually come in under the budget which means more to keep in the travel account for future trips.

We are thinking however of holding off on the long summer trip next year, just stay around the house and do a long weekend at WDW for the MNNSHP / F&WF and then try to enjoy a deluxe for 2012.

[krisk11]

Thank you for all your imput. I think we will just hit the Jersey Shore for a few days this summer and pay off debt which will make saving for more WDW vacations in the future easier. Then we will head down in August 2011 and buy AP's so we can head down again in July/August 2012 on the same AP's. Maybe even an Easter 2012 long weekend to celebrate my 45th bday which is falling on Easter Sunday again. We can't go during the school year as dd is in high school and can't miss school.

[stobaugh6]

Kris, I also wanted to add that I just love the picture of you and your dd!! Y'all are both just beautiful!

[MadHatchers]

We were in the same boat with debt. We decided not to go until we were out of debt, That will be a moderate trip next year. Then we plan to go every year.