Author Topic: Give your money to Disney!  (Read 26900 times)

Khaetra

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Give your money to Disney!
« on: May 19, 2015, 07:20:48 AM »
Now, you too can open a special savings account for that expensive special Disney trip:

https://disneyvacationaccount.disney.go.com

Sorry, it doesn't pay interest :).

I'm a red panda

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2015, 07:21:33 AM »
The people on disboards (who spend like crazy) pretty much universally agree this is a bad deal.  Apparently there are lots of time restrictions and withdraw rules.

So even the spendy-pants don't love this idea in a lot of cases.

merula

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2015, 07:51:33 AM »
At least it promotes saving for the trip ahead of time and setting a budget. It could be a 35% APR credit card with guaranteed access to the fanciest hotels and restaurants.

LiveLean

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2015, 08:04:02 AM »
Actually, the people who spend money on Disney vacations are exactly the types who will jump at this.

Note to self: Buy more Disney stock.

madage

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2015, 08:19:03 AM »
I don't think it's a bad way to save money for an expensive vacation. You can buy Disney gift cards at Sam's Club for about a 5% discount. Set up the Disney account early enough, get another 2% back when you use the account to pay for part of the vacation. You can then use the physical gift cards to settle bills at the parks and resorts.

Whether it aligns with your world-view or not, lots of people enjoy Disney vacations and find the money spent worth it.

Khaetra

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2015, 08:27:53 AM »
I visit the DISBoards often, so I see first-hand how rabid some people are about Disney and apparently Disney sees it too :).  I just find it funny that a theme park has it's own 'bank', per say, to help people to save to vacation there.  I no longer spend my money there, but to each their own.

Scandium

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2015, 10:58:52 AM »
ehh, me no understand. What's wrong with a bank account to save for your vacation?

Oh, you can use your disney account to pay for your stay? Know what else I bet I can use to pay for my disney vacation? US Dollars!! From my bank!

edit; why do the nephews have to save to go to Disney world? Don't they live there? This makes no sense!!

actually, it pays 2% interest, once. You get a $20 gift card per $1000 you hold there for 120 days. Still not sure it's a great deal..
« Last Edit: May 19, 2015, 11:07:37 AM by Scandium »

RunHappy

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2015, 01:47:59 PM »
Considering they raised their ticket prices I think Disney is brilliant to put together something like this. They saw a need to keep people who can't afford it coming and they filled it.

HairyUpperLip

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2015, 01:52:37 PM »
You get $20 for every $1000 you spend from the account. lol

MsPeacock

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2015, 04:04:50 PM »
Disney will let you book a vacation well in advance, including your park tickets, and make payments w/o charging you interest. It is a far better deal if you need to pay that way then to use a credit card or their "savings account." I think it is probably the only way to make Disney reachable for a lot of people. When I was going through my divorce I was able to book a trip almost a year out and send $100 a month and had it paid off before we went.


Megma

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2015, 04:10:48 PM »
Yeah but a bank account would give interest and a lot fewer restrictions...

Also I notice you can fun you account with your credit card, which seems dangerous to me. If you don't pay the card off right away you might pay interest on money you haven't even "spent" yet...

forummm

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2015, 04:37:46 PM »
My checking account is paying me about as much as this Disney bank. But at least this account comes with magic and pixie dust!

Paul der Krake

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2015, 05:07:35 PM »
Can we MS the crap out of this thing?

protostache

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2015, 05:28:59 PM »
Can we MS the crap out of this thing?

Unfortunately no.

Quote
Partial refunds are made to the original form(s) of payment, subject to a limit on the number of partial refunds (the current limit is 10 partial refunds). Full refunds may be made to the original form(s) of payment at any time.

jeromedawg

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2017, 02:05:09 PM »
Sorry for resurrecting the fun. The most current T&C states:

Quote
You'll be eligible for a $20 Disney Gift Card for every $1000 you spend on qualified vacation purchases with your Disney Vacation Account prior to December 31, 2017 (date subject to extension), up to a total $500 in Disney Gift Card(s) per household. Your Disney Vacation Account must be active for a minimum of 120 days at the time of spending in order to receive this bonus. Request your Disney Gift Card(s) 4-6 weeks in advance of your vacation date to allow time for delivery to your mailing address. See FAQs for complete details.

For anyone interested in Disney parks, vacations, cruises, etc (there has to be *some* of us here haha), this actually may not be *too* bad of an idea if you play it right. These days I'd argue that spending $1000+ for Disney-anything can happen pretty quickly. Someone on a travel forum/thread/article brought up the idea of buying Disney GCs at Target w/ your Redcard for a 5% discount. If you buy $1000 worth of cards for $950, and load them onto your DVA account, you'll get $20 more back, so $1000 worth of Disney GCs will have cost $930. That's a 7% discount. The caveat of course is that you have to wait 120 days before you qualify for the $20 for $1000 'benefit.' (with a limit of $500 on the GCs you get, or a $25k cap spend...LOL).

Otherwise, this would especially be easy to reach if you're planning on going on a Disney Cruise or to one of their resorts. Or if you have a 2-3 kids at least, and want to go to Disneyland/World/DCA/etc for multiple days, that should get you to close to $1000 if not more. A 7% discount is better than nothing, and in fact I think it might be better than purchasing Disney tix through workplace discounts in most cases.

Currently you can open a DVA account and fund it with a one-time contribution minimum of $10. The same guy who told me about this said he opened his DVA account and funded it with $10 two years before he actually went about buying the Disney GCs at Target and loading them into the account. And yes, apparently, loading Disney GCs on the account counts towards that $1000 spend :) So don't worry about following the "payment plan" suggestion/non-sense. If you're planning that Disney trip, doing it this way might be a good way to get at least something of a discount. The DVA card is pretty much as good as cash for anything in the park as well, if you're inclined towards feeling spendy while there - I will tell you that the boysen apple freeze at Maurice's and little red wagon corndogs are pretty nice treats :)
« Last Edit: May 24, 2017, 02:11:28 PM by jeromedawg »

Abo345

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #15 on: May 24, 2017, 02:43:14 PM »
Disney is literally a cult. Just go to disneyland and look around at all the people decked out in Disney clothing and accessories, paying over $100 per person to wait in lines in the sun all day while eating $5 stale mickey mouse pretzels and drinking $5 frozen lemonades. And they are convinced they are having a great time, happiest place in the world!!

I know of a family member who saved for an entire year for her family of 4 to go to disneyland. They spent almost $3k for 3 days at the park. Didn't even include airfare, as they were within road trip distance. I've spent less on 2 week vacations traveling to different continents.

jeromedawg

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #16 on: May 24, 2017, 02:54:49 PM »
Disney is literally a cult. Just go to disneyland and look around at all the people decked out in Disney clothing and accessories, paying over $100 per person to wait in lines in the sun all day while eating $5 stale mickey mouse pretzels and drinking $5 frozen lemonades. And they are convinced they are having a great time, happiest place in the world!!

I know of a family member who saved for an entire year for her family of 4 to go to disneyland. They spent almost $3k for 3 days at the park. Didn't even include airfare, as they were within road trip distance. I've spent less on 2 week vacations traveling to different continents.

LOL, whatever floats your boat right?

All the [bigger?] suckers are the ones who buy *everything* in the park like you mention. Just bring outside food in and get discounted Disney clothing and gimmicks from outlets, etc and bring them in.

Sounds crazy, but just about as crazy as the $3000 fishing trips I've dreamt of going on as well as the $400-500 Hamilton tickets people spend money on multiple times over (see my thread on that one LOL) hahahaha. FWIW, my wife and I spent a collective $2k for a week in Maui including airfare, lodging and food (and that's probably still considered too much by some of you) but I'd much prefer that over a few days at Disneyland. Then again, that was about 5-6 years ago and in November when it was crazy windy.

I forgot to preface my response by stating that a majority of my visits to Disneyland have been paid for by others hahaha!
« Last Edit: May 24, 2017, 02:57:36 PM by jeromedawg »

Abo345

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #17 on: May 24, 2017, 03:16:56 PM »
Everyone I know:

Spending $3k in 3 days at disneyland = no big deal. Disneyland rocks!!!!

Spending $3k for 1-2 weeks in an international location = omg how do u afford that??? 3k is still a lot of money!

jeromedawg

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #18 on: May 24, 2017, 06:12:28 PM »
Everyone I know:

Spending $3k in 3 days at disneyland = no big deal. Disneyland rocks!!!!

Spending $3k for 1-2 weeks in an international location = omg how do u afford that??? 3k is still a lot of money!

Haha it's all about perception. Think of it this way: most 5 yr olds, if given the opportunity, would probably jump at a Disneyland vacation over traveling to Europe or Asia. Unless they were cultured to understand that world-traveling is much more exciting. Of course, those are the kids, and many parents (whether or not they agree) are likely going to cater to their kids wants. So yea, "for the kids" $3k for 3 days at Disneyland is worth it vs $3k for 1-2 weeks dragging them around Thailand while they're complaining about how bored they are. The latter though, can be great when your kid is 21 and they look back and tell you how much they appreciated you taking them there even though they were brats.

OR you could get the best of both worlds where you travel internationally to HK or Japan AND take them to the respective Disneylands in each location LOL!

paddedhat

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #19 on: May 25, 2017, 06:24:20 AM »
Since the early 2000s, we have spent the Christmas week at Fort Wilderness campground, a Disney property near Disney World. We were last in the parks a decade ago. The company is amazing, and  the last few years have been interesting to read about and watch. Everything from building giant waterfront timeshare hotels in the bowels of the recession, to the billion dollar plus makeover at  Downtown Disney/Disney Springs, and the billion dollar Magic Band roll out. They make no apologies for pushing out the middle class in favor of the really big spenders, and it shows. The Springs is full of ultra luxury shopping and dining, most new lodging is plush and super expensive. I even read a comment by one of their analysts who explained that a perfect customer for them is a professional, (lawyer, doctor, etc) with young kids, a very high income, and a major time deficit. They want this customer to be on the property for three days while spending like they haven't got a care in the world. If a three day trip from a NYC lawyer nets them $10K, they have done their job.


MandalayVA

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #20 on: May 25, 2017, 07:04:00 AM »
Disney will let you book a vacation well in advance, including your park tickets, and make payments w/o charging you interest. It is a far better deal if you need to pay that way then to use a credit card or their "savings account." I think it is probably the only way to make Disney reachable for a lot of people. When I was going through my divorce I was able to book a trip almost a year out and send $100 a month and had it paid off before we went.

This.  We did this for a trip we took fifteen years ago (my brother's kids were young and they LOVED Disney); we had it paid off about three months prior.  IIRC you could book a trip two years in advance and do this.

DragonSlayer

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #21 on: May 25, 2017, 07:22:27 AM »
If you spend any time on the disboards, it won't take long to see the horror stories about this account. Refunds that don't appear, contributions that aren't applied, money that mysteriously disappears, technical glitches that cut off your access permanently (forcing you to jump through all kinds of hoops to restore access), and on and on. The thing sounds like a nightmare. I've seen people who had emergencies and needed to get the money back and it took an act of congress and months to get it sorted out.

Just use a regular bank. You have more control over the money and it's there when you need it.

MrsDinero

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #22 on: May 25, 2017, 07:26:29 AM »
Wow!  So not even Huey, Dewey, and Louie get into Disney for free.

I've realized long ago there is not point in arguing with Disney people.  I have some friends who go every year, complain about how expensive it is getting, then say it is the best time of their life, and start planning next years trip.  I guess doing it this way is better than maxing out a credit card.

talltexan

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #23 on: May 25, 2017, 09:12:09 AM »
I married into a disney family. Yes, it's expensive. But it's not like I can argue I didn't know it was part of the package.

I discovered the MMM community after eight years during which I probably averaged two trips/year. It's probably our biggest weakness.

MgoSam

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #24 on: May 25, 2017, 09:47:51 AM »
Funny part about vastly expensive things like Disney is that once you've spent the money, you're going to tell everyone "I had the time of my life." No one wants to feel like they've been hustled and with the ads showing everyone with a huge smile on their face, I honestly believe that people force themselves to think that they had a good time.

This is one of the reasons I don't travel as much as I like to. I tend to remember the stresses of traveling too much for me to believe that the trip was absolutely unbelievable.

Chris22

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #25 on: May 25, 2017, 10:02:14 AM »
Everyone I know:

Spending $3k in 3 days at disneyland = no big deal. Disneyland rocks!!!!

Spending $3k for 1-2 weeks in an international location = omg how do u afford that??? 3k is still a lot of money!

Do they know you only spent $3k on 1-2 weeks internationally?  I'm guessing they just think it costs a lot more than that. 

Chris22

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #26 on: May 25, 2017, 10:04:01 AM »
Funny part about vastly expensive things like Disney is that once you've spent the money, you're going to tell everyone "I had the time of my life." No one wants to feel like they've been hustled and with the ads showing everyone with a huge smile on their face, I honestly believe that people force themselves to think that they had a good time.

Really?  Most parents I know openly acknowledge that Disney kinda sucks and they're only doing it for their kid and they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.  They might not admit it if their kid didn't have a great time, but almost no adult I know relishes the thought of going to Disney.

MgoSam

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #27 on: May 25, 2017, 10:16:08 AM »
Funny part about vastly expensive things like Disney is that once you've spent the money, you're going to tell everyone "I had the time of my life." No one wants to feel like they've been hustled and with the ads showing everyone with a huge smile on their face, I honestly believe that people force themselves to think that they had a good time.

Really?  Most parents I know openly acknowledge that Disney kinda sucks and they're only doing it for their kid and they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.  They might not admit it if their kid didn't have a great time, but almost no adult I know relishes the thought of going to Disney.

That's good, the parents I know that have gone feel like it was worth the money. I will say that most of them don't look forward to the trip, but once they come back they appear to be happy about the trip.

Chris22

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #28 on: May 25, 2017, 10:22:31 AM »
Funny part about vastly expensive things like Disney is that once you've spent the money, you're going to tell everyone "I had the time of my life." No one wants to feel like they've been hustled and with the ads showing everyone with a huge smile on their face, I honestly believe that people force themselves to think that they had a good time.

Really?  Most parents I know openly acknowledge that Disney kinda sucks and they're only doing it for their kid and they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.  They might not admit it if their kid didn't have a great time, but almost no adult I know relishes the thought of going to Disney.

That's good, the parents I know that have gone feel like it was worth the money. I will say that most of them don't look forward to the trip, but once they come back they appear to be happy about the trip.

We'll be taking our older daughter for a long weekend sooner or later, and we're "looking forward to it" in the sense that we think it's something she will enjoy and we like doing things that make her happy.  But as an actual vacation, I can name about 3 dozen places I'd rather go. 

caracarn

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #29 on: May 25, 2017, 10:28:51 AM »
I think this is just an example of different strokes for different folks. 

In a pure Mustachian world, it is absolutely spendypants, but having done dozens of Disney trips we love it.  No we're not brainwashed and it's not a cult, it just is a great product with a loyal following, kind of like MMM.  It just happens to cost a lot.  We're going in with our eyes wide open and we know we could vacation many times over in other places for less (our last trip cost us $15K for 10 days for 7 of us) but it is something we enjoy it.  I get that many do not, and that's wonderful.  Just surprised to see the vitriol about how it makes no sense.  I for the life of me cannot understand why people pay good money to eat raw fish, but many enjoy it, so have at it. 

For the account, I do not see enough perks to divert me from saving for our next Disney trip in our normal bank account.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #30 on: May 25, 2017, 10:30:56 AM »


Really?  Most parents I know openly acknowledge that Disney kinda sucks and they're only doing it for their kid and they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.  They might not admit it if their kid didn't have a great time, but almost no adult I know relishes the thought of going to Disney.

The people I know who go to Disney LOVE Disney. They aren't just doing it  for their kids.  Both of my SILs spend all year planning outfits ("disneybounding"- dressing inspired by a character) for their whole family. They wax poetic about missing Dole Whips and Zebra Domes on facebook.   One of them did their honeymoon to disney, no kids.  Both have done "kids stay with the grandparents- we go to Disney" at least once.

The kids have fun too, but I think the trip is for the parents.

Chris22

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #31 on: May 25, 2017, 10:41:53 AM »


Really?  Most parents I know openly acknowledge that Disney kinda sucks and they're only doing it for their kid and they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.  They might not admit it if their kid didn't have a great time, but almost no adult I know relishes the thought of going to Disney.

The people I know who go to Disney LOVE Disney. They aren't just doing it  for their kids.  Both of my SILs spend all year planning outfits ("disneybounding"- dressing inspired by a character) for their whole family. They wax poetic about missing Dole Whips and Zebra Domes on facebook.   One of them did their honeymoon to disney, no kids.  Both have done "kids stay with the grandparents- we go to Disney" at least once.

The kids have fun too, but I think the trip is for the parents.

Those are probably not the kind of people I'd enjoy having a beer with ;)

I'm a red panda

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #32 on: May 25, 2017, 11:36:56 AM »


Really?  Most parents I know openly acknowledge that Disney kinda sucks and they're only doing it for their kid and they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.  They might not admit it if their kid didn't have a great time, but almost no adult I know relishes the thought of going to Disney.

The people I know who go to Disney LOVE Disney. They aren't just doing it  for their kids.  Both of my SILs spend all year planning outfits ("disneybounding"- dressing inspired by a character) for their whole family. They wax poetic about missing Dole Whips and Zebra Domes on facebook.   One of them did their honeymoon to disney, no kids.  Both have done "kids stay with the grandparents- we go to Disney" at least once.

The kids have fun too, but I think the trip is for the parents.

Those are probably not the kind of people I'd enjoy having a beer with ;)

But you could drink around the world! (Drink in every pavillion in Epcot.)

caracarn

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #33 on: May 25, 2017, 01:36:53 PM »


Really?  Most parents I know openly acknowledge that Disney kinda sucks and they're only doing it for their kid and they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.  They might not admit it if their kid didn't have a great time, but almost no adult I know relishes the thought of going to Disney.

The people I know who go to Disney LOVE Disney. They aren't just doing it  for their kids.  Both of my SILs spend all year planning outfits ("disneybounding"- dressing inspired by a character) for their whole family. They wax poetic about missing Dole Whips and Zebra Domes on facebook.   One of them did their honeymoon to disney, no kids.  Both have done "kids stay with the grandparents- we go to Disney" at least once.

The kids have fun too, but I think the trip is for the parents.

We do not go so far as to plan outfits, but I do miss Dole Whips and I did my first honeymoon in Disney (second was in Glacier NP).  I will visit the rest of my life.  I just enjoy it and there are so many things to do there it offers enough options to make each trip unique.  Our kids are older and getting ready to start their adult lives and I can't say we left them to go to Disney, though their Mom has done that a couple times, but my wife and I have talked about going every once in a while as she now sees the fun after not really being sure what all the hype was about.

jeromedawg

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #34 on: May 25, 2017, 01:42:47 PM »
I think this is just an example of different strokes for different folks. 

In a pure Mustachian world, it is absolutely spendypants, but having done dozens of Disney trips we love it.  No we're not brainwashed and it's not a cult, it just is a great product with a loyal following, kind of like MMM.  It just happens to cost a lot.  We're going in with our eyes wide open and we know we could vacation many times over in other places for less (our last trip cost us $15K for 10 days for 7 of us) but it is something we enjoy it.  I get that many do not, and that's wonderful.  Just surprised to see the vitriol about how it makes no sense.  I for the life of me cannot understand why people pay good money to eat raw fish, but many enjoy it, so have at it. 

For the account, I do not see enough perks to divert me from saving for our next Disney trip in our normal bank account.

At least buy Disney GCs at Target with your Redcard for the 5% discount! You will still likely save more this way vs going through workplace discount programs.

I think I might have shared about our Disneyworld experience in Orlando at some point but just to recap on the most memorable event: we encountered two moms about to get into a big fat altercation on the tram for Magic Hour. Two mommy meltdowns for one!
The first mom was a complete jerk to the bus driver who was pulling away as her family came running out of the hotel late to catch the bus. Her kids ran ahead of her and jumped onto the bus as it was slowing down with the doors opening. The lady was hysterical, chewing out the bus driver for "driving away" and endangering her kids while they were being dumb and chasing the bus. Keep in mind, they were probably several minutes late and these bus drivers probably see this all the time and rarely will wait for you.
The second mom was already sitting on the bus with her kids, husband and the grandmother and were sitting closest to the first mom and her family. Apparently the grandmother was sort of just looking at the family that just made a huge scene. In fact, everyone was kind of just looking that general direction (who wouldn't?!). The first mom looked back at the grandmother and asked her, condescendingly, "what you staring at, young lady?" - that's when the second mom lost it. She started talking back: "Excuse me? WTF did you just say to my mother? You better shut your mouth you b****" and several more exchanges occurred with the first mom talking back. Keep in mind, the first mom was this petite lady and the second mom was "healthy" in the sense of being like 2-3 times first mom's size. At some point second mom got up and nearly bum-rushed first mom - it would have gotten ugly if both husbands hadn't intervened. Wow, quite a heated moment. It was pretty awkward and silent on the bus for the remaining time (good thing it wasn't an hour or even half-hour ride!).

Interestingly, we saw the same family (of the first mom) on the Disney cruise at dinner one night - I don't know if they recognized us or not but they seemed to be having a great time. Hahahahahaha.


Dicey

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #35 on: May 25, 2017, 01:46:16 PM »
Two stories:
Our spendypants neighbors eat nearly every meal out or have food delivered. They go to Disney twice most years. Look left and see that we live in CA. Do they go to Disney-land? Oh, no, they schlep their family of three to DisneyWORLD, on the other side of the country. They have a Disney CC and claim these trips practically pay for themselves. I can't even...

My friend agreed to volunteer at a Silent Auction I was running. She's currently an unemployed attorney, with FU money. Her company moved out of state and she said, "No, thanks." Badass.

She asked if she could bid, even though she was only a helper, so I said, "Sure" and put her winning item on my tab. She paid me back before I even gave her the item, so no worries there. Her item was Disney passes, valued at $628. Her winning bid was $550, which I thought was a lot of money. Plus, I knew she'd just been there with her pint-sized relatives. I asked her why she'd paid that much. Her response was pretty brilliant. Seems she'd noticed the expiration date and figured that there would be more than one price increase before the passes expire.

Edited for wonky autofills.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2017, 03:01:18 PM by Dicey »

Mac_MacGyver

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #36 on: May 25, 2017, 01:55:46 PM »
I look forward to taking my kid to Disney. I will not use the  Disney bank or whatever it is.

caracarn

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #37 on: May 25, 2017, 01:57:52 PM »
I think this is just an example of different strokes for different folks. 

In a pure Mustachian world, it is absolutely spendypants, but having done dozens of Disney trips we love it.  No we're not brainwashed and it's not a cult, it just is a great product with a loyal following, kind of like MMM.  It just happens to cost a lot.  We're going in with our eyes wide open and we know we could vacation many times over in other places for less (our last trip cost us $15K for 10 days for 7 of us) but it is something we enjoy it.  I get that many do not, and that's wonderful.  Just surprised to see the vitriol about how it makes no sense.  I for the life of me cannot understand why people pay good money to eat raw fish, but many enjoy it, so have at it. 

For the account, I do not see enough perks to divert me from saving for our next Disney trip in our normal bank account.

At least buy Disney GCs at Target with your Redcard for the 5% discount! You will still likely save more this way vs going through workplace discount programs.


Oh we do buy the GCs and pay for everything (tickets, dining plan, etc.) with them at our local grocery store which provides $0.10 off of gas for every $50 in gift cards.  Some trips we got lucky and bought them when it was doubled to $0.20.  Got 15 free tanks of gas that way one year averaging about 20 gallons per fill up so about $600 in free gas.  Also bought the gift cards using my 2% Citi Double Cash card so got another $200 or so back that way.  I get it's only $800 on about $10,000 in spend, but 8% is not bad I figured.  If I'm gonna spend it anyway, I might as well do it in a way that generates some extra money saved or generated.

jeromedawg

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #38 on: May 25, 2017, 02:02:38 PM »
Two stories:
Our spendypants neighbors eat nearly every meal out or have food delivered. They go to Disney twice most years. Look left and see that we live in CA. Do they go to Disney-land? Oh, no, they schlep their family of three to DisneyWORLD, on the other side of the country. They have a Disney CC and claim these trips practically pay for themselves. I can't even...

My friend agreed to volunteer at a Silent Auction I was running. She'said currently an unemployed attorney, with FU money. Her company moved out of state and she said, "No, thanks." Badass.

She asked if she could bid, even though she was only a helper, so I said, "Sure" and put her winning item on my tab. She paid me back before I even gave her the item, so no worries there. Her item was Disney passes, valued at $628. Her winning bid was $550, which I thought was a lot of money. Plus, I knew she'd just been there with her pint-sized relatives. I asked her why she'd paid that much. Her response was pretty brilliant. Seems she'd noticed the expiration date and figured that there would be more than one price increase before the passes expire.


LOL that's one way to do it - hawk for expiring tickets and scalp them for profit at the last minute!

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #39 on: May 25, 2017, 03:09:46 PM »
Since the early 2000s, we have spent the Christmas week at Fort Wilderness campground, a Disney property near Disney World. We were last in the parks a decade ago. The company is amazing, and  the last few years have been interesting to read about and watch. Everything from building giant waterfront timeshare hotels in the bowels of the recession, to the billion dollar plus makeover at  Downtown Disney/Disney Springs, and the billion dollar Magic Band roll out. They make no apologies for pushing out the middle class in favor of the really big spenders, and it shows. The Springs is full of ultra luxury shopping and dining, most new lodging is plush and super expensive. I even read a comment by one of their analysts who explained that a perfect customer for them is a professional, (lawyer, doctor, etc) with young kids, a very high income, and a major time deficit. They want this customer to be on the property for three days while spending like they haven't got a care in the world. If a three day trip from a NYC lawyer nets them $10K, they have done their job.
If that's the case, then our family is probably their worst nightmare.  We only buy a few token souvenirs, if any.  We stay off-property (renting a suite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek FTW!), we eat most meals outside the parks, and we usually do 6 days in the parks, at which point each additional day is like $15/person (and kids under 10 are slightly cheaper).  $15/person, for a whole days' worth of entertainment.

I know Disney has rolled out a lot of higher-end accommodations, and Disney Springs was kinda lame IMO, but they *did* open the Art of Animation resort a few years ago, and that's at the bottom of their offerings.

DW and I went without our kids a couple years back.  It was a blast!  Or maybe it just seemed that way since we didn't have the kids with us :P
« Last Edit: May 25, 2017, 03:20:55 PM by zolotiyeruki »

jeromedawg

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #40 on: May 25, 2017, 04:01:16 PM »
Since the early 2000s, we have spent the Christmas week at Fort Wilderness campground, a Disney property near Disney World. We were last in the parks a decade ago. The company is amazing, and  the last few years have been interesting to read about and watch. Everything from building giant waterfront timeshare hotels in the bowels of the recession, to the billion dollar plus makeover at  Downtown Disney/Disney Springs, and the billion dollar Magic Band roll out. They make no apologies for pushing out the middle class in favor of the really big spenders, and it shows. The Springs is full of ultra luxury shopping and dining, most new lodging is plush and super expensive. I even read a comment by one of their analysts who explained that a perfect customer for them is a professional, (lawyer, doctor, etc) with young kids, a very high income, and a major time deficit. They want this customer to be on the property for three days while spending like they haven't got a care in the world. If a three day trip from a NYC lawyer nets them $10K, they have done their job.
If that's the case, then our family is probably their worst nightmare.  We only buy a few token souvenirs, if any.  We stay off-property (renting a suite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek FTW!), we eat most meals outside the parks, and we usually do 6 days in the parks, at which point each additional day is like $15/person (and kids under 10 are slightly cheaper).  $15/person, for a whole days' worth of entertainment.

I know Disney has rolled out a lot of higher-end accommodations, and Disney Springs was kinda lame IMO, but they *did* open the Art of Animation resort a few years ago, and that's at the bottom of their offerings.

DW and I went without our kids a couple years back.  It was a blast!  Or maybe it just seemed that way since we didn't have the kids with us :P

We stayed at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista - I somehow found a really good deal and don't recall if it was via points and or just reserving way ahead of time. Anyway, they're one of the few off-site hotels that offers trams/buses that run during Magic Hour. That was really nice - I think we went to Adventureland the first morning (same morning as the story of the two-mom-meltdown) and we were able to get on quite a few rides before the crowds started appearing. We do like Disney every now and then but as I mentioned earlier, my bro/SIL have paid for us in the past (sort of early Christmas/Bday gifts too) or 'subsidize' the cost, and for the two cruises my parents have paid for everything (they are generous with enough cash to spend in that way, and the cruises are pretty fun). I think out of the 6-7 times we've gone to Disneyland since before marriage, we've probably paid full price once or twice. I would never intentionally go there on my own, and even my wife has no desire to go as a family... it's just so freaking expensive and crowded. I suppose, if you really do want to go with kids and not pay and arm and a leg, the best time to go is when they're 3 and under. But then it's miserable if your kid is super-needy and uncomfortable at the park hahaha

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #41 on: May 25, 2017, 08:29:50 PM »
I would never intentionally go there on my own, and even my wife has no desire to go as a family... it's just so freaking expensive and crowded. I suppose, if you really do want to go with kids and not pay and arm and a leg, the best time to go is when they're 3 and under. But then it's miserable if your kid is super-needy and uncomfortable at the park hahaha
Ah, but there are ways to make the crowds...well, sorta irrelevant.  Fast passes, the Disney app (that tells you wait times), getting there early/staying late, and using RideMax are our favorite methods for getting around the crowds.  Oh, also going in off-peak season, like February.

elaine amj

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #42 on: May 25, 2017, 09:28:22 PM »

The people I know who go to Disney LOVE Disney. They aren't just doing it  for their kids.  Both of my SILs spend all year planning outfits ("disneybounding"- dressing inspired by a character) for their whole family. They wax poetic about missing Dole Whips and Zebra Domes on facebook.   One of them did their honeymoon to disney, no kids.  Both have done "kids stay with the grandparents- we go to Disney" at least once.

The kids have fun too, but I think the trip is for the parents.

My kids have fun and my whole family loves Disney. DH dreams of of our going there kid-free. But it's no secret - we go to Disney for ME!

I have traveled in various parts of the world including Asia and Europe. We travel quite frequently throughout the US. But Disney is definitely our family's favourite vacay (tied with tent camping). Worth every penny :)

And I just opened a Disney Vacation Account (for travel hacking purposes).



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Chris22

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #43 on: May 26, 2017, 07:27:58 AM »
But Disney is definitely our family's favourite vacay (tied with tent camping).

That's hilarious, those are two things I have no interest in doing.  Different strokes and all that.

patchyfacialhair

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #44 on: May 26, 2017, 07:47:25 AM »
We went to Disney World for the first time last September, and it was fun. But, I'd choose Disneyland in CA 9 times out of 10. Florida is humid, hot, and I hate how spread out everything is. We had 5 day hopper tickets and still felt like we spent most of our days walking.

Disneyland and California Adventure have better rides, better weather, and more options for recreation outside the park. Day at the beach? 20 minutes away. Drive to LA? 30 minutes away (assuming it's middle of the week and during the day). Florida is just..."turn here for this theme park, and turn here for that theme park...and try not to get Zika on the way"

I'm a red panda

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #45 on: May 26, 2017, 09:28:18 AM »

Do you stay at the Fort?

If I eve have to go to Disney again, thats the only way i'm agreeing to it.


elaine amj

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #46 on: May 26, 2017, 09:31:36 AM »
But Disney is definitely our family's favourite vacay (tied with tent camping).

That's hilarious, those are two things I have no interest in doing.  Different strokes and all that.

LOL - that's for sure :) Whereas I have a giant smile on pretty much the entire time for both types of vacations. On the other hand, I've less interest in cities. NYC, London, even cool European places like Amsterdam - all fun and all...but no particular ache to go back to any of them (although I likely will at some point).


Do you stay at the Fort?

If I eve have to go to Disney again, thats the only way i'm agreeing to it.

I've thought of it - but still can't wrap my head around why it would be "worth it" as I'm not usually interested in developed campgrounds (rustic state parks are more my speed). It's hard when Value hotel rooms are similarly-priced. Still, I'd love to try it out one day. When I have more time and can drive. DH still will not consider flying with camping gear *sigh*.

Chris22

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #47 on: May 26, 2017, 09:38:43 AM »
But Disney is definitely our family's favourite vacay (tied with tent camping).

That's hilarious, those are two things I have no interest in doing.  Different strokes and all that.

LOL - that's for sure :) Whereas I have a giant smile on pretty much the entire time for both types of vacations. On the other hand, I've less interest in cities. NYC, London, even cool European places like Amsterdam - all fun and all...but no particular ache to go back to any of them (although I likely will at some point).

I'm a plant-my-ass-on-the-beach (or in the pool) guy.  I like to wake up every morning and decide which body of water I'm going to go relax in, and if I'm really going to mix it up, maybe do some snorkeling or go on a boat ride.  I don't like schedules, having to be somewhere at a certain time, and I don't like sleeping outside or not taking a shower at the end of a long day to wash the dirt sweat and/or salt off. 

FIT_Goat

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #48 on: May 27, 2017, 10:42:10 AM »
My wife is a Disney person.  I knew it when we married.  Hell, I knew it before we married.  She was poor, barely making it, even using payday loans and having unpaid credit card debt, but she had annual passes to Disney.  When we got serious, I helped her get her money under control.  She then moved in with me, removing her biggest bill (rent), and the first priority she had was getting me an annual pass.  I refused to get one, so she spent her new "extra" income on getting me a pass.  That way we could all go together.  It was still her money, at that point, so I had no say.  She paid her part of everything else.  Now that we're married, it is coming out of our money.  It's $1,754.40 a year.  It's a non-negotiable.  We do go enough to make up for it.  A lot of the times we go is when she has family down and they go to the parks.  Her whole family is a Disney family.  If we stay down there, we usually stay off property.  My mom owns a timeshare--yes, I am surrounded by people who make bad decisions--and we can stay on that property for as low as $30 a night at times.  Even when it's more expensive, it's way cheaper than anything else.

Funny part about vastly expensive things like Disney is that once you've spent the money, you're going to tell everyone "I had the time of my life." No one wants to feel like they've been hustled and with the ads showing everyone with a huge smile on their face, I honestly believe that people force themselves to think that they had a good time.

Everyone having a good time at Disney is a lie.  One of our favorite activities, when it's too crowded to do much of anything, is to walk around and people watch.  My wife and I have a game we call "not having a magical time" where we identify miserable people and pretend the "magical time police" are going to rush in and remove them from the parks.  Adults are 2 points, teens are 1 point, and kids are 3 points.  We set the point system up long ago, when we assumed the kids would be happiest and the teens would be too cool to have fun.  It's not true, the kids have much less patience for the crowds, lines, and demands of moving around the park.  They are usually the easiest miserable people to find.

If we find that we're not having a magical time, we escort ourselves out.  With annual passes, we can go back another time.  We're usually fine with most stuff, even normal level crowds.  It is when they break out the tape and split the walks into coming/going sides and have members out to crowd control the streets (usually at capacity level) when we're done.  Those days, it can take over an two hours to get out of the park, if you're near the back, when you decide you're done.

Khaetra

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Re: Give your money to Disney!
« Reply #49 on: May 27, 2017, 01:16:58 PM »
I am about to buy an annual pass (Florida Weekday Select...best bargain for us locals!) and start going again.  I have a love/hate relationship with Disney, but I keep costs down by bringing my own drinks and food (they do allow this, within reason) and I avoid buying things at the shops.