Tips about Budget and Planning

For those "financially challenged," who accumulate Hilton HHonors points, a WDW 4-day Magic Your Way pass can be purchased for 65,000 points per adult, and 55,000 points per child. Given that 65,000 points also buys $150 worth of gift certificates at Bloomingdale's or Sharper Image, or two nights in a Category 4 hotel, I think it's a pretty good deal for a park hopper pass. We're looking forward to using these passes in October on our first trip in two years!

Don't stay at the Hilton family of hotels frequently? They also offer American Express and Visa Rewards cards at no annual fee. The AmEx card gives you 3 points per dollar (5 points for charges at their hotels). Visa is 2 points per dollar (3 points for hotel charges). There is also a 10,000 point signup bonus with your first purchase with either card. More information and applications can be found at http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors/points/index.jhtml - M. Michelle Buchecker

My 4-year-old son has a real problem with loud noises, but refused to wear ear plugs. We would put a pair in and he would pull them right back out. Before we left I contacted a store that specialized in hunting equipment and ordered a pair of the smallest child-sized headphones used at target ranges to muffle sound. They fit him perfectly and when we were in the parks, if there was even a hint of loud noises coming, we would just slip them on. My son actually went through the Haunted Mansion four times without a hitch. It was the best $17 I ever spent and I got quite a few comments of, "Oh, I wish we had thought of that." - Bonnie Schweizer

I brought along Palmolive dishcloths for our Wilderness Lodge (refillable) mugs. The box of 20 was less than $2.00 at my local Walmart, and I could use them in the laundry, as well. Even adding two sheets was less expensive than buying laundry detergent. In our fanny packs, I carried one in a plastic bag and used it to spot treat any food stains on shirts/shorts. Quite the bargain! - Trisha Parece

If you travel with any individual, especially children, who is afraid of or does not like loud noise, purchase disposable foam ear plugs from a hardware store before leaving home. These are easy to take in and out, cheap (less than a $1.00 a pair) and can be kept in a pocket or fanny pack. Don't forget to purchase several pairs, just in case one pair is lost. - The DeHoff Family

EDITOR'S NOTE: We've mentioned this tip before, but it bears repeating

I just read your article on planning for a large group. In October 2002, I brought my entire family (parents, sisters and their families) of 15 to WDW. In order to include everyone in the decision-making process, my family (the fanatics) prepared questionnaires that were sent to each family member, regardless of age (we ranged 9-80). The first questionnaire was broad and had different categories of likes and dislikes (parades, fireworks, swimming, parks, sleeping late, buffets vs. sit down vs. fast food, etc.) to determine what each person wanted to do. The second then gave each person three choices of what to do each day, morning, afternoon, and night -- one of which was ALWAYS "be on your own." We all stayed at the same hotel (Polynesian) and came and went according to what we had chosen. All 15 of us were only required to be together for three meals during the five days we were there. The groups constantly changed, and a fabulous time was had by all! We definitely recommend polling your traveling companions so everyone feels involved. - Margie Smith

Scotchgard those canvas sneakers before you leave home for WDW! Apply several coats, and allow plenty of drying time between applications. Dry feet make those sudden Florida downpours a whole lot more bearable! - Mary Mitchell

I'm organizing a Disney World family reunion for 13 people, ranging in age from 5 up to 79. We all have various Disney experiences from total rookie to very experienced. Needless to say, it's been interesting. My tip is how to get everyone informed of important data needed every day of the stay. I used the template in Word for business cards and made up paper cards with the following information:

1. Their name (so they can easily identify their packet)
2. Everyone's cell phone numbers (we'll use these for communication since we'll be spliting up every day)
3. The resort phone number and a place to put the room number on it once we know it
4. For the five year old, I made a card that said "Hi, my name is Jane Doe and I'm traveling with my mother Mary Doe. I just turned five years old" - I did this on the advice from a Cast Member who said that lots of kids who get lost clam up and even forget their own name, let alone their parent's name. Also, all the reservations are in my name so even doing a search on the five year old's last name wouldn't turn up anything.
5. For the adults, everyone will have a card listing what the five year old is wearing that day - I did this on the advice of the same Cast Member who said that's the first thing they ask lost parents - what their child is wearing. Most can't remember.

I put all this information into inexpensive holders (the kind you use for sports cards works well and costs about 25 cents each). Everyone can easily slip their admission ticket, room key (the five year old will not have one), driver's license, and a credit card into the holder too. This way, all daily information and ID are in one handy packet. - Sheri Niklewski

If you plan on visiting WDW during the winter months, buy several pairs of those "magic" stretch gloves before you leave for your trip. If a cold front comes through during your visit and you need gloves, you'll be happy you bought them before you left home. The parks sells them for $6.00 a pair. Quite a difference in price than what your local Wal-Mart sells them for. - Noreen Rachuba

From time to time people want to know the location of the closest church to WDW. Now you can search: http://masstimes.org. You can search for services in any state and town. They even have city maps, too. I thought this might be helpful to anyone wanting to go to services while on vacation. Tina

We have been going to WDW since our children were toddlers. Now they are all teenagers (and beyond), but this tip is still good. We have them bring plastic beverage holders that can clip onto a fanny belt. They start out with water, but if we ate a meal in the park, frequently there would still be some beverage left from the meal. The kids would fill the bottle with the leftover drink and take it with them. This has worked well over the years. - Anne Cioffi

If you go to the Winn-Dixie store, sign up for a free money saving card...you will save even more with each purchase! - Ricke Z

We just returned from our trip to Disney World. The night we went to Fantasmic I knew we would be sitting for a while waiting for the show to begin. The best investment I made was buying one of those soft folding stadium seats. I carried it with me like a purse. Even used the side mesh pocket to carry drinks to our seats. We waited for over an hour and a half for the show to begin but I didn't mind - I was very comfortable with my seat padding and back support! - Marilyn Lewis

Be flexible with making your ADR dining arrangements. If the table you want is unavailable try different combinations -- 2 tables of 2 instead of one table of four; a 3-2 split rather than a table of 5, etc. Splitting up your group for just an hour or so may be the way to go, given that you're spending all day and all night together for several days on end. Splitting up may also allow you to gain more flexibility in changing ADR reservations without penalty if, after several days in the parks, someone in your party says "I don't need to see any more characters, I'll stay at the hotel, sleep late and meet you later, go and enjoy!" - Phylis

When we went to WDW on vacation last year, I packed one suitcase full of snacks and non-perishable food (i.e. mini cereal boxes, cereal bars, various pre-packaged snack packs, juice boxes). Our entire family was able to eat a quick breakfast before going to the parks, have mid-day park munchies, and late evening snacks. The suitcase was then used to bring home dirty laundry at the end of the trip. - Julie Duffy

My tip of the week goes along with this week's tip to pay off your vacation ahead of time... I pay it ahead using my Disney Visa card, then pay off thecard at the end of the month. Then, I can redeem the Disney Reward dollars ahead of time and take THEM to Disney World along with us. It's not only a tip, but a pretty dollarless tip, too. No interest, no room bill, plenty of reward dollars. Works great! - Mickeymac