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21:17:06 [SuzyQ] OK, so tell me - how many times have you been to WDW?
21:17:39 [BetsyAnn] To WDW only about 5
21:17:57 [BetsyAnn] Hey zakerdog!
21:18:11 [SuzyQ] Hello Sakerdog! Welcome to the Budgeting for Disney Chat!
21:18:25 [zakerdog] Hi everyone - Happy Mothers Day
21:18:30 [SuzyQ] ZZZZZakerdog
21:18:57 [SuzyQ] BetsyAnn - ONLY 5 times 
21:19:26 [SuzyQ] zakerdog, how many times have you been to Disney?
21:19:43 [zakerdog] When I go in December it will be my 20th trip to WDW
21:20:00 [BetsyAnn] Ask me about DL?
21:20:19 [SuzyQ] OH MY GOODNESS! Well, then you are quite the expert in
budgeting! 
21:21:06 [zakerdog] BA I see the offical celebration for the 50th starts next May, how many times have you been to DL
21:21:13 [SuzyQ] Oh yeah, BetsyAnn - I bet you have been to DL a ton!
21:22:11 [BetsyAnn] I stopped counting at 40 for DL - Next May - while I will have to add a couple more trips then
21:23:21 [SuzyQ] zakerdog, how do you prepare for your WDW trips? Do you plan the time of year first or by good hotel rates?
21:23:43 [zakerdog] BA we need to you have a chat some night to answer questions about DL. I think lots of us will be going for the first time to celebrate the 50th
21:24:43 [BetsyAnn] We do DL chats every once in a while - we will do more as we get closer to the date
21:25:13 [SuzyQ] I think that I've been to DL only about 4 times.
21:25:34 [zakerdog] I plan the next trip as soon as I get home from the current trip
21:25:36 [SuzyQ] maybe 6 - I can never remember
21:25:51 [SuzyQ] LOL, zakerdog - That's me!
21:26:18 [zakerdog] I book a moderate to make sure I have my dates, and then I watch for AP reates and split my time with the last half at a delux.
21:26:27 [SuzyQ] Do either of you set up a budget (either on paper or
in your head ) for your trips?
21:26:57 [zakerdog] The last two times I have used Magical Journey's, saves me a lot of phone calls
21:27:14 [SuzyQ] Those gald are great at YMJ - I've used them before.
21:27:20 [SuzyQ] those "gals"
21:27:25 [BetsyAnn] I set a price in my mind and then call Magical Journey to get me the deal I want
21:28:10 [SuzyQ] ah . . ."the deal you want" - I wish Disney would give me the deal "I" want . . .Complimentary!! LOL
21:28:14 [zakerdog] I don't rally budget, when I go I want to do what I want to do so I try and save all year
21:28:46 [zakerdog] I pay for my tours or special tickets before I go so thats done
21:29:40 [SuzyQ] We kind of do that too. We first try to figure out about how much we'll be spending so we have a goal. Especially for food.
21:30:07 [zakerdog] I buy an AP and make sure I get my two trips in during the year. This year is the start of a pass and we go Dec. 10th, so next year we will need to be there the # of days we want before the 10th of Dec/05
21:30:12 [SuzyQ] Have either of you ever used the wdwplanner site?
21:30:28 [BetsyAnn] I decide how much I want to spend - then have MJ met or beat it
21:30:34 [BetsyAnn] no me
21:30:47 [SuzyQ] It's basically a meal planner spreadsheet - very cool
21:30:59 [SuzyQ] isney Meal Planner: http://www.wdwplanner.com/mealplanner.htm
21:31:20 [zakerdog] I make my own planner, a calendar on the computer that I record everything I want to do with dinners etc.
21:32:17 [zakerdog] SQ - I'll look into that closer, I've saved it - thanks
21:33:39 [SuzyQ] This last trip, I used an online budget planner that also served as my calendar for events - it helps me to remember all my PSs.
21:34:14 [SuzyQ] It an onverall type of planner for hotels and air and whatnot - but for WDW
21:34:21 [zakerdog] Here's how I save, and you'd be surprised how fast it adds up. I do all my banking online and I'm in the site everyday. So whenever my balance is not even, I transfer into my Disney account amounts that keep my other account with an even balance. Sounds silly but it works for me,
21:35:04 [SuzyQ] That's nifty - how often do you transfer - every day?
21:35:20 [SuzyQ] General Budget Planner: http://www.mydisneyworld.com/budgetplanner.asp
21:36:01 [zakerdog] it usually doesn't happen every day, but maybe 2 times a week for sure.
21:36:44 [SuzyQ] So, when you say make your account even - down to an even dollar amount: $550, $500
21:37:32 [zakerdog] The other thing I do to save is use a credit card that gets travel points. I put everything on the card, even groceries, then I rack up enough points to cover my flight
21:38:52 [zakerdog] more like $554.32 to $540. transfer would be $14.32 - sometimes maybe $24.32 depending on how close to pay day I am
21:39:14 [BetsyAnn] Opps phone call
21:39:45 [zakerdog] the amounts aren't that big but you don't miss them when they are smaller and they really add up fast
21:39:48 [SuzyQ] Really interesting - I may have to look into doing that
21:41:00 [zakerdog] I'm in Canada, so remember every $1 you spend, I need to have $1.35 - $1.40
21:42:12 [SuzyQ] Did you get a chance to take advantage of the at par promotions they had last year or did you use your AP
21:42:38 [BetsyAnn] That is very interesting way of saving - zakerdog
21:43:20 [zakerdog] I used the AP, I always find its cheaper to book thing separate than the packages
21:43:26 [BetsyAnn] Great links SuzyQ
21:43:55 [zakerdog] they are good, thanks
21:44:50 [SuzyQ] Yup - we are AP people
21:45:25 [SuzyQ] We usually start off our budget/thinking for trips by the time of year (not super crowded) and then where the good AP rates are for
21:45:44 [zakerdog] with AP you get great discounts on tours too
21:46:35 [SuzyQ] We took the keys tour with 15% off using our AP
21:47:01 [zakerdog] Our normal trip is 10 nights so AP saves us big time
21:47:27 [BetsyAnn] AP sounds like a great idea for multi trips in a year - but what about once a year trips - does it work well for that
21:47:51 [SuzyQ] Depends on how long the one trip is. If it's 8 or more days, the AP is the way to go
21:48:13 [SuzyQ] DL has good promos, though. The pay 3 get 5 (they do that one a lot)
21:48:36 [BetsyAnn] Yes - that is a great deal at DL
21:48:38 [zakerdog] for us we get 2 years out of the pass, just make sure second year trip ends before the first one started
21:50:19 [SuzyQ] We are thinking that we will have to do that (one trip each year - one pass)
21:50:58 [SuzyQ] Wouldn't it be great if we could get AP discounts at dinner!
21:51:12 [BetsyAnn] That makes good sense
21:51:40 [zakerdog] that would be great. We do use our for the lunch discounts though
21:52:09 [zakerdog] and merchandise discounts at downtown Disney
21:52:11 [SuzyQ] Sometimes at lunch - we go out and then I forget to
mention the AP. 
21:53:00 [zakerdog] I do that too - remember as soon as we leave 
21:53:02 [SuzyQ] That's another thing - wouldn't it be great if you could get a merchandise discount at ALL the stores instead of just the limited few? It's all the same product
21:53:45 [zakerdog] I know, that never made sense to me?
21:53:55 [SuzyQ] I keep seeing t-shirts and what not that I like in the parks, but don't buy them with the hopes that I will see them at World of Disney at DtD. Then I forget.
21:54:52 [zakerdog] I do the same thing, and then I forget where I saw them to go back if I can't find them at DTD
21:55:01 [BetsyAnn] Ok - off the phone now! Sorry
21:55:33 [BetsyAnn] If I like it , it is in my budget then I buy it - cause I will forget where it is --
21:55:33 [SuzyQ] Popular gal there, Miss BetsyAnn!
21:55:55 [zakerdog] this has been fun but I have to sign off now, dogs need to gout and I need to go to bed, chat later, have a great week
21:56:04 [BetsyAnn] It took 3 trips for me to buy my Mickey Mouse phone -
I finally put it into the budget for the last trip! 
21:56:04 [SuzyQ] Just think of all the money that they are losing by NOT offering a discount!
21:56:18 [SuzyQ] Take care, zakerdog - have a good night!
21:56:27 [BetsyAnn] Good night zakerdog!
21:57:10 [SuzyQ] Well, BetsyAnn - I think that I will take that cue and check out a little early. We have some friends on there way over
21:57:21 [SuzyQ] Can't wait until July!!!
21:57:41 [BetsyAnn] Have a good night Suzy - catch you later
21:57:45 [BetsyAnn] me, too!
21:58:02 [SuzyQ] You take care! Hugs!!
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