What's the best thing Disney has done recently for your budget?

[Bookwood]

For our family the best thing Disney has done to make WDW more affordable for our family is the refridgerators in the moderate rooms. The money we save with sandwiches and breakfast (as well as snackage of course) in the room more than off sets the cost of the moderate room. Especially as out family is older (4 kids 24-17 although we hardly all travel together anymore), one meal out is enough for everyone (the girls all either watch what they eat or live on college time which has meals at very unusual times of the day)

So what has Disney done to make itself better for your budget???

[Timon]

Allowing DVC members to participate in the Meal Plan is going to be good for our budget. Well maybe not good, but it will keep us on our budget. It's cost is equal to what we budget so now we'll be forced to not go over it.

[Belle]

Well, I would definitely have to say bringing back the old "AP Rate" system has helped a bunch :D

Magical Express is also nice (tho not free forever :? ) for short budget trips (with no checked luggage!) where renting a car or getting car service would just be an added, and unneeded, expense.

{hugs}
Belle

[Robin]

I like the Disney Visa rewards card. I use mine for buying most of my meals on site so basically I eat for free. :peri:

[AliciaG]

I absolutely adore Disney and DVC for providing us with a $100 discount on APs. It has helped our budget tremendously. :thumbsup:

[Moley]

For us it is the Magic Your Way tickets. We buy 10 days at a time, non-expiring and get our park hoppers for $32 per day. It is cheaper for us than an annual pass since our trips are more spread out.

[SuzyQ]

I'm with Timon - allowing DVC members to use the meal plan will be the best thing Disney will do for our budget!! We can't wait to try it out!! :)

[mickeefan]

I have three things.
Going back to the old way for AP's
The DDE card saved us a bundle.
Disney Rewards. We put everything on the Visa card.

[Joe]

I'm in there with the others:
Allowing DVC members to add the Dining plan
Disney Rewards program, we use the card for everything!

Joe

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

I have to say that the little refridgerators are nice and handy for milk and sodas.

I will not say what really saves me money for fear of upsetting everyone here!!! Well, OKAY I will say it!!
the fact that we will soon be living exactly 7 minutes :woot: away doesn't hurt any!!!
Oh my gawd, I AM SO EXCITED I HOPE I MAKE IT THROUGH THE NEXT 3 WEEKS!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

I will say this is going to be GREAT for the diet though with all the running around I have been doing. :blink:

I love all you guys and really appreciate the good thoughts and well wishes from everyone!! Who would have ever thought when we signed up here, that I would have found the best friends on this site!
Bet, no other site can say that. :)

[Belle]

Oh my gawd, I AM SO EXCITED I HOPE I MAKE IT THROUGH THE NEXT 3 WEEKS!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

:mickey: I am soooo excited for you!!! Yippee!!! :minnie:


Who would have ever thought when we signed up here, that I would have found the best friends on this site!
Bet, no other site can say that. :)

Agreed - some of my best friends I found right here :grouphug: Ain't it grand?

{hugs}
Belle

[roodad]

DDE was the most recent budget helper for us - I don't plan our dining with DDE in mind, so it always comes as a pleasant bonus when they take that reduction.
Overall, DVC has been our biggest help - I can't honestly say that we save money on accomodations, but we stay in far more commodious rooms that we could otherwise afford.

[Timon]

DDE was the most recent budget helper for us - I don't plan our dining with DDE in mind, so it always comes as a pleasant bonus when they take that reduction.
Overall, DVC has been our biggest help - I can't honestly say that we save money on accomodations, but we stay in far more commodious rooms that we could otherwise afford.

Dang Sid you're making me smarter reading here:eek: . I saw commodious and the first thing that came to my mind was toilet :rolleyes: :confused: . Turns out it means roomy, spacious, large, generous, ample, voluminous...etc. etc. etc. Thanks

[MJTinNH]

I absolutely adore Disney and DVC for providing us with a $100 discount on APs. It has helped our budget tremendously. :thumbsup:

I agree with AliciaG. The DVC AP discount was a "good thing"!:D

[Topaz]

My favorite was the dining program. Now I probably wouldn't have eaten at such nice places without it, but it sure was fun this last trip.

Yummmmmmm:eat: :eat: :eat: :eat: :eat: :eat:

[3princesses]

I would have to say the dining plan and the refrigerators. Without the plan we seem to spend the same amount of money on meals during the week and don't get as much food. We eat breakfast in the resort, so having the refrigerator for milk, juice, etc., is a wonderful bonus! :mickey:

[TiggersPal]

I think the DIsney Dining card has been the best thing because last November when there were 10 of us, we got the discount almost everywhere we ate. I can't imagine how much my MIL must have saved with this card! Bart and I got to use it last July on our trip, when it was just the 2 of us, we used it for our 10 day trip that I mentioned in Oct/Nov, and now we're using it again this month when we take the boys. You can't beat those savings:)

[BaciBecky]

The last two years Disney sent a lot of pin codes which were as good as, or sometimes better than, AP rates. Definitely enjoyed the codes which allowed more trips in those 2 years than I would have done in that time frame.

More pin codes, please!! :wink:

[BetsyBoo]

Oh, last October when the dining plan was included for FREE, that was great!


BetsyBoo

[SusanP]

The free dining last September made a 5 day trip VERY affordable!

The DDE card has been great. Saved us more than the $50 cost on a short trip last Feb, then again this Feb as it hasn't expired yet. I added up what it saved the in-laws-15 days-two of them, they saved $64 just by letting us pay. I haven't added up our savings, but with 4 of us it would be at least double that. That is simply for eating at a value food court and Animal Kingdom-no sit downs at all!

This past trip we had AP rates so I ordered 5 10 day hoppers and was going to buy an AP for me when we arrived. We checked in and I asked if I had to just come back and show her my AP to verify the rate and she said no, they didn't need to see it at all....so I bought a 10 day hopper instead! Paid $25 more than ordering ahead (why I didn't think to order 6 tickets just incase is beyond me...) So that saved me $180 right there and we only missed out on $17 savings from shopping at Downtown Disney so still a great savings!!!

[SueV]

The best thing for our budget was the DDE card for Ap holders! We bought it last February and used it for 3 trips! I kept track on the first 2 trips and we saved about $250 each trip! That was the best $50 I ever spent and will not have a problem buying a new one before the next vacation!!! And the money saved doesn't even include the valet parking price. We would always valet anyway with the kids(to make it easier) and then we found out we get it free with the DDE! That was the cherry on top for sure!!!!

[cshore]

The fact that Disney allows Ali and I to split our meals without any hassle and, at times, actually plates our meals separately in the kitchen, saves us a lot of money. I love the DDE as well as the AP rates. I use my Disney Visa for everything I possibly can, then along with the DDE and the rewards card we eat very well for very little.

Chris

[loribell]

The best thing they did for my budget is the DVC AP discount