The call of the Dark Side is strong...

[mrsabbott]

I am up this morning, drinking my coffee out of my Marauder's Map coffee mug (and wishing I had a rock cake), browsing the disboards, listening to podcasts, and mentally preparing our next vacation.

Okay, let's just be honest.. I was planning our next one before we'd even finished the first one!!

We fell in love with Universal and can't wait to go back! So.. I am starting a pre-trip report because.. we ARE going back! I changed my ticker to set it for the kids' next spring break. I'll be honest with you, we had hoped to go for fall break, but we won't be anywhere near ready to go as far as money goes. But I am going to keep track of our money saving efforts, as well as any deals we might be able come up with.

For those of you who don't know me from my last TR, I am "Mom". I am (starting this fall anyway) a PreK teacher at a private Christian school. Sadly, that doesn't pay well, but it is rewarding in other ways. I am also going back to school in the fall to finish my degree.. Let's just say that, by the time Spring Break rolls around, I will be READY for a vacation! I have the summer off with the kids and am trying to get lots done before things go crazy in the fall!

Hubs is a medically retired veteran. He is also in school and just got a job as an auto tech. The extra money will go along way to helping pay down a few bills as well as save for our vacation!

Punky is my oldest DD. She will be 10 this year. She loves school, especially math and drama club, and collecting things!

Pod is my middle DD. She will be 8 this year. She likes to read, watch cartoons, and telling silly stories. She is our quirky kid!

Boo Bear is my youngest DD. She will be 7 by the time we go on vacation. She is all about anything girly! Everything is frilly, hearts, and love in her world!

Finally, Buds is my DS. He will be 3 this year. He loves race cars and fighting with Daddy. He also has an obsession with Punky's pink "pig puff" which.. well, let's face it. It is his now. He loves that thing!

Unlike our last trip (which we were very blessed with) this will be a BUDGET VACATION! Meaning, everything will come out of our pockets and we don't have much of a budget to begin with. Hubs and I both decided that we are going to use a portion of our tax returns to buy the tickets. I will try to get the best deal that I can find and we are debating on getting AP's. I know that some people would frown on using tax returns for vacation.. but get over it! Our last vacation did our family a whole world of good!

We are ONLY going to do USO this time. We plan to do 4 days in the parks and the rest just relaxing at the hotel/resort. As much as we would LOVE to stay on property (we both think Cabana Bay is soo cool looking!!) we can only afford to stay off site. We wouldn't mind staying where we did the last time (Bahama Bay) but there are some deals to be had at Windsor Hills and I have heard nothing but good things about them. Regardless of where we stay, a kitchen and washer/dryer are a MUST for our family!!

We will breakfast before going to the parks. Lunch in the parks (we will pack water and snacks). Dinner back at the resort. We will eat at Mythos again, for sure. Hubs wants to eat at Three Broomsticks. The rest of the time will likely be counter service. We may pack sandwiches a couple of days instead, just depends on the financial situation.

Still debating on whether to stay the night somewhere halfway (leaning towards that) or driving straight through to save money. Boo Bear gets car sick sometimes and that long in a car is rough on her. Note to self: make a puke bucket to bring.. just in case.

Anyhoo.. right now we only have about $20 in our vacation fund. Not too promising. We have only one income during the summer (cheaper for me to stay home than pay for childcare for all 4 kiddos) but come fall we will get that amount up a little higher!!

No matter what, we are going BACK to the Dark Side!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Awesome! Nothing beats the feeling of adding a new ticker to your signature and know you have another exciting trip to look forward to .

Happy planning!

 

[mrsabbott]

I am often challenged to find ways for our family to do things as inexpensively as possible. When my Hubs decides to buy something, he just goes and gets it.. and if there are options, he usually chooses the most expensive one because to him.. price = quality. That does sometimes apply, but I can usually find a MUCH better deal somewhere for the same quality.

Case in point.. Hubs wanted a new Harley and I gave him a monthly maximum that the payment could be. He went out and came back disappointed. The cheapest one he could find was a good $80 over the monthly payment I said we could afford PLUS it wasn't even the color he really wanted. He says to me that it is "impossible" to get what he wants within the budget I gave him and stomped outside to wallow in his disappointment whilst doing yard work. I took that to be a challenge. I got online, made a few phone calls, and before he was even done with mowing the lawn, I had found the motorcycle he wanted at a price we could afford, and in the color he wanted. Just had to drive a couple hours up north to sign the paperwork and pick it up.

And so, it has become my challenge to get our Universal tickets and the least expensive price that I can. I can already tell you right now, that I will not buy 4 day park-to-park tickets directly from Universal. However, if we go the route of annual passes, the ONLY option is to buy them direct. You simply cannot get them at a discount anywhere else, nor can you find a promo code for any kind of discount. I have tried. If you know of one, please let me know..

I have 3 options for 4 day tickets. We will get park-to-parks this time simply because we want to experience HP to the fullest and, because the parks are SO close to one another, it makes sense. I never saw the point with the Disney parks, but it seems worth it for Universal.

My first option is via the ITR at our nearest military post. I have to call first to make sure that 4 day tickets are possible. Their online price list only offers up to 3 day tickets but they may have 4 day ones available if you ask. However, looking at the prices, I can't say that they would be much cheaper then some other online deals. The only other plus is that there would be no tax, shipping, or other surcharges with these.

My second option is orlandofuntickets(dot)com. I can get 2 adult and 4 child tickets for $1152.71. This is including tax. I don't believe that there is a shipping cost.

My third (and possibly cheapest) option is officialticketcenter(dot)com. I can get 2 adult and 4 child tickets for $1124.00. That includes tax and has free shipping.

Of course, there is the annual pass option. We would get 5 power passes (1 adult and 4 children) and 1 preferred pass (1 adult) for $1369.94. This does NOT include tax or any other fees. It wouldn't let me add anything to my cart, so I couldn't get an adequate quote.. but this give you the general idea.

Yes, the annual passes are more expensive, BUT if we go twice (spring break and then again the following fall break) it would save us a TON of money. Plus, with the preferred pass we would get discounts on parking and meals in the park. However, if we do NOT go twice in one year.. I don't know that it would be worth the extra $250. Then again, it might..

Granted, I realize that ticket prices will go up by the time we are ready to buy them, but it will give me an idea of just how much to budget for this vacation. Tickets will be the largest expense.

What are your thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions?

 

[nextidiot]

Hi mrsabbott! It looks we have some similarities in our trip plans so I am subscribing to your PTR. We are planning to go mid-March 2015 for spring break and we are planning to go on a tight budget. Like you, I have very little funding at this early point, so there's not much I can throw at the wall just yet.

 

[mrsabbott]

Hi mrsabbott! It looks we have some similarities in our trip plans so I am subscribing to your PTR. We are planning to go mid-March 2015 for spring break and we are planning to go on a tight budget. Like you, I have very little funding at this early point, so there's not much I can throw at the wall just yet.

Welcome! I have another TR on here about our last trip. It was one hat we were blessed with via Wounded Warriors Family Support. We fell in love with Universal and the trip really brought our family together, not to mention it gave us something to look forward to!

Anyhoo.. I discovered podcasts the other day! I spent the morning listening to several about Universal while looking into lodging options for our family. Our family size makes it hard to even consider most economical options.. For many hotels/resorts we would need to get an expensive suite or two rooms. And even with promo codes or discounts.. It just is too much. Unless we win the lottery or something, it is doubtful that we would ever get to stay on property. Even chain hotels in the area are beyond our price range.

That said, we stayed at Bahama Bay through WWFS and we loved it! The space, the pools, the full kitchen, and the washer and dryer were just awesome for our family! It wasn't as high end as some properties ( Bonnet Creek, for example) but it was certainly nice for us! After doing some research, it appears that Windsor Hills is also an economical option for us. We will have our vehicle, so proximity to the parks is not an issue for us.

I found a site, vrbo(dot)com, that has several options for us! You put in your dates and price range, then type in the different resort names (e.g. Bahama Bay or Windsor Hills) and all their available units in your guidelines comes up! I had a ton of fun looking at different condos for rent on there this morning!

There is also a site, vacationcentralflorida(dot)com, that has Windsor Hills and Cocoa Beach rentals at discounted prices. If I am brave enough to wait until the last minute to procure lodging, there is a possibility of getting a place for $300 a week plus taxes and fees! I have been getting emails from them for quite some time now and it seems like there is always a deal to be had a month out..

I also looked into veteransholidays(dot)com to see if there were any space A deals to be had, but none for the dates we would need. That is the downside to not having flexibility when it comes to travel.. Oh well. It might be an option for someone else though.. Just make sure you qualify!

I am tempted by Windsor Hills but, our family really loved Bahama Bay! It was clean, pools were nice, grounds were pretty, atmosphere was family friendly and relaxing, and the location was great for us! We just have fond memories there and Hubs and the girls all say they want to go back to the same place. If I can get it for the right price, I think that is what we will do. but I will keep my eyes opened for deals I just can't refuse!

All of that considered, at this point I am going to budget $1000 MAX for lodging, this includes tax, fees, etc.. Any money I save by spending less will go towards a nice dinner out somewhere.. I do love Mythos... Mmmmm...

Any lodging deals you have come across? Places you would recommend? I am all about getting the most bang for my buck!

 

[mrsabbott]

Still trying to decide just what to do about our lodging this spring.. I got a quote on one place and it was WAY too high for us! OVER our $1000 budget, which was strange because the only difference between that unit and another I was looking at was that it had a big bathtub. As much as I would love to soak in a giant bubblebath.. it's not worth an extra $300 to me!

Hubs and I were talking about how we'd love to buy a vacation home in Florida.. We even (just for fun) looked at ones that were for rent and we realized that we just can't afford it. Sigh.. BUT, I got to looking into timeshares as a future possibility! It was enough to make my head spin! Timeshares are crazy confusing! I had no idea how complicated they were! And how many different possibilities that there are! I happened to post something about them online and had multiple people contact me offering to sell me theirs. I don't know about that.. But it seems like people have either a love or hate relationship with them. Some people talked about how they loved theirs and others talked about what a rip off they were. So, I don't know..

Anyhoo, I've got our ticket budget and our lodging budget figured out. I need to determine a gas budget, food budget, and souvenir budget. Okay.. by souvenir you know that I mean "stuff from WWoHP", right? Looks like I HAVE to have one of the interactive wands and, as Hubs pointed out, we HAVE to have the insanely expensive Gringott's Bank photo ID because, "how else are you supposed to be allowed to bank at Gringott's?"

I'll be honest with you, it will be hard to stay on budget while there. We have to get the ice cream and try the new drinks. We'll need Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice and Rock Cakes. I'm totally OUT of Honeyduke's candy and need to stock up! Gotta have a new wand. And maybe a new witch's hat if they sell them (mine tore up.. I always dress up as a witch at Halloween).

Yeah, right now our "budget vacation" is looking to cost us about $4000. I'd like to think that isn't so bad for a family of 6, is it??

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Yeah, right now our "budget vacation" is looking to cost us about $4000. I'd like to think that isn't so bad for a family of 6, is it??

We are taking 4 of us this August (two adults and two older teens) for two weeks and we're at about $7000.

That includes:

- our accommodations (two weeks in a two bedroom/two bath villa at Sheraton Vistana Resort)

- admission to our attractions (Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, Aquatica, Typhoon Lagoon, a day at Daytona Beach, and some miscellanous cash for extra things we want to do like mini golf)

- all food and groceries (split between dining out and cooking at the villa...there's no way we could eat every meal out for 14 days and not feel )

- our return flights from Syracuse NY

- cabana rentals at DC and AQ and a private lounger rental at TL

- the photo package at Discovery Cove

- an SUV rental for our two weeks there

- gas costs (estimated as best we can)

- and all other expenses except for shopping (we are not big souvenir folks, but we do love the outlet malls!!).

I envy those of you close enough to drive, because it would be 2+ days for us !!!

$7K seems like a lot when you say it, but we are generally frugal livin' folks during our regular family life. We don't go to concerts or movies or the bars (though DS and his GF enjoy a movie from time to time...on their own dollar, lol). We don't drink or smoke. We don't have an ATV or a cottage or a boat or a pool or a hot tub. We coupon and price match and do all the savings stuff we can. We both work extra part time jobs to fund our Orlando addiction . We also tend to forego big gifts for things like Mothers Day, Fathers Day, anniversaries, etc. in lieu of something extra for our vacations. So I don't feel a shred of guilt when I enjoy two weeks of awesome family time every year .

I always consider a "budget" vacation to be the one where you get the most bang for your buck. I would rather have a good value vacation than a "cheap" one!

 

[mrsabbott]

$7K seems like a lot when you say it, but we are generally frugal livin' folks during our regular family life. We don't go to concerts or movies or the bars (though DS and his GF enjoy a movie from time to time...on their own dollar, lol). We don't drink or smoke. We don't have an ATV or a cottage or a boat or a pool or a hot tub. We coupon and price match and do all the savings stuff we can. We both work extra part time jobs to fund our Orlando addiction . We also tend to forego big gifts for things like Mothers Day, Fathers Day, anniversaries, etc. in lieu of something extra for our vacations. So I don't feel a shred of guilt when I enjoy two weeks of awesome family time every year .

I always consider a "budget" vacation to be the one where you get the most bang for your buck. I would rather have a good value vacation than a "cheap" one!

Yeah, I have stopped expecting (or even wanting) extravagant gifts for holidays and birthdays and the like.. I just want to go on vacation! I've decided that, this year, I am giving Park gift cards to the family for Christmas and birthdays. The kids will already get so much from family and friends.. I say let them have spending money for their vacation and they can pick out what they want instead! And instead of buying stuff for Hubs and I, I want to instead put the money in the vacation fund!

We aren't extravagant people either.. we rarely eat out or go to the movies. As a matter of fact, Hubs and I had a "date night" at home! Picked up some yummy treats from the grocery and we watched a movie at home!

I agree.. it is about getting the most bang for your buck!

 

[KorbensMomma]

I know that some people would frown on using tax returns for vacation.. but get over it!

I don't understand, I specifically put extra money into my tax deductions all year just to get a good refund for my "vacation savings plan" AKA... Tax refund.

I know if I just put it into a savings acct I will pull it out and spend it, this way I don't have access to it till the spring.

I think If you plan in the beginning that that is how you are going to use your refund than it's okay. It's not an impulse buy that way.

 

[mrsabbott]

I don't understand, I specifically put extra money into my tax deductions all year just to get a good refund for my "vacation savings plan" AKA... Tax refund. I know if I just put it into a savings acct I will pull it out and spend it, this way I don't have access to it till the spring. I think If you plan in the beginning that that is how you are going to use your refund than it's okay. It's not an impulse buy that way.

ROFL! I know just what you mean! We put money in savings and it seems to always go towards SOMETHING other then vacation.. In all fairness, our vacation fund will be part tax returns, part savings. The rest of our return we will pay off a credit card or two..

 

[mrsabbott]

Okay, so bear with me for a minute because this WILL tie into the whole trip report thing eventually. I swear..

Hubs and I are on a pretty tight budget. I am working but don't make much more then minimum wage.. however, the hours, flexibility, and reduced childcare for Buds makes it a better job then a couple of the higher paying one's that I had been offered. You know, just because a job is more per hour it doesn't always come out on top if you weigh the pros and cons..

Anyhoo, because of the failed business and some unexpected emergencies.. we have accrued a lot of debt that we are wanting to pay off. We also want to go on vacation again. Hubs got a job locally (not much pay but there is no commute) and so the plan was that, once I start back to work in the fall, we would stay on our tight budget and throw most of his paycheck towards paying off debt while putting a little aside for vacation. Our tax returns would go partially towards paying off debt and partially towards vacation. Our hope was that, within 3 years, we could get everything paid off this way.

Now, Hubs applied for a job in Louisville (almost an hour commute) and the interview went okay, he passed his drug test (of course) but didn't hear back. He accepted the job close by and we were thankful to have it. But the Mgr contacted him and asked him to come by today because he had a job offer for him. Didn't say much over the phone, only that it was better then what he was making now.

I'll be honest, neither of us expected much. We though it would be $2 more an hour then what he is making now and, with the commute, it really wouldn't be worth it. BUT.. the offer was much better! Starts out $5 more then what he is making now and, after a short time, an additional $2 an hour. And once he gets all his certifications, which they will help pay for, he'll get yet ANOTHER $2 an hour. Plus, he will be eligible for raises and stuff. He'll get benefits (we don't need the health insurance, but the 401K and paid days off would be nice). The shop he'd work in is clean, organized, and airconditioned!! The downside would be the commute, but this is a GREAT opportunity for him!!

Not only that, but we will be making ALOT more money now! Which means we will be able to pay down our debt faster and put a little more into our vacation fund!! It will bump us up a tax bracket, so we will get slightly less back on our taxes next year.. but this is a GREAT thing for us!! Now, this will still be a BUDGET vacation.. however, it will give me a little more breathing room and perhaps our next vacation doesn't have to be so budget minded..

Yeah, who am I kidding! I will probably always be budget minded on most things.. LOL!

Anyhoo, I am SO PROUD of my Hubs and so pleased that someone out there finally saw his worth! He is smart and a very hard worker! This has been a tough area for him to find a job in.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

BUT.. the offer was much better! Starts out $5 more then what he is making now and, after a short time, an additional $2 an hour. And once he gets all his certifications, which they will help pay for, he'll get yet ANOTHER $2 an hour. Plus, he will be eligible for raises and stuff. He'll get benefits (we don't need the health insurance, but the 401K and paid days off would be nice). The shop he'd work in is clean, organized, and airconditioned!! The downside would be the commute, but this is a GREAT opportunity for him!!

Not only that, but we will be making ALOT more money now! Which means we will be able to pay down our debt faster and put a little more into our vacation fund!!

That is so awesome! Congrats to your DH!

The planning process just got a ton more fun, didn't it?

 

[mrsabbott]

I just put $49 in the vacation fund! I had a grocery budget and what I did not spend, I put in the vacation fund! Yay!!

 

[chs27]

That's how I do it too. A little bit at a time adds up before you realize.

 

[pixeegrl]

Congrats on hub's offer!! Kind of an off topic vent here (nothing to do with you guys staying off site but semi budget related) but I see people complain about how the deluxe hotels are not fair to those trying to stay on a vacation budget and are only for those who make more money. I totally disagree because we scrimp and save and budget so that we CAN stay onsite and we don't get to go as often as I would like. Probably once every 3 or 4 years. But to me it is totally worth it and hubby thanks me every time once we get there. Have you signed up on the Universal site for the newsletter? I also do the "plan my trip" on there and have gotten several offers for CB (most recently) and occasionally the Deluxe Properties. Give it a try, you never know. You may get that offer with your magic number in it and get to stay at CB even one night so you can at least get EE on your trip

 

[mrsabbott]

Congrats on hub's offer!! Kind of an off topic vent here (nothing to do with you guys staying off site but semi budget related) but I see people complain about how the deluxe hotels are not fair to those trying to stay on a vacation budget and are only for those who make more money. I totally disagree because we scrimp and save and budget so that we CAN stay onsite and we don't get to go as often as I would like. Probably once every 3 or 4 years. But to me it is totally worth it and hubby thanks me every time once we get there. Have you signed up on the Universal site for the newsletter? I also do the "plan my trip" on there and have gotten several offers for CB (most recently) and occasionally the Deluxe Properties. Give it a try, you never know. You may get that offer with your magic number in it and get to stay at CB even one night so you can at least get EE on your trip

I have not signed up for their newsletter.. but I will look into it! Thanks!

I'm not going to say that it isn't "fair".. I mean, if we just had 1 or 2 kids or if it were just the two of us, we could probably spring a good deal onsite at one of the resorts. Also, Hubs is eligible for the military discounts offered at the Disney resorts (or he was, the last time I looked into it) but I haven't found anything like that for the Universal resorts. But even with those discounts, we would have to either get a very expensive suite or two adjoining rooms. The suites are often rather small compared to an offsite condo, and no matter how I play with the numbers.. it will be well over our $1000 lodging budget for a week. For us, we get the most bang for our buck by staying offsite and shopping VRBO.

That said, we HAVE considered splurging for a night or two at one of the resorts just to have the experience! And we may do that in the future. And, as our financial situation improves, we may be able to afford a longer stay on site. You never know!

As for waiting to vacation.. we went last spring and it was the first vacation we'd been on in 5 years. We came to realize that we don't want to do this every 5 years.. our kids will be grown and gone before we know it! So, we will vacation on the cheap for now..

 

[mrsabbott]

So, I didn't think that I would get a final paycheck at work since I only worked 28 hours.. I figured by the time taxes and childcare came out it would be gone. NOT SO!!

I now have $142 that I wasn't expecting to have. So, you know what that means...

VACATION FUND!!

I think that I am going to open a separate savings account and start putting money in there. I was already tempted to spend some of the cash in the lockbox (I didn't though!) and I know that if I deposit this check into our normal account it will just get spent.

 

[pixeegrl]

I have not signed up for their newsletter.. but I will look into it! Thanks!

Also, Hubs is eligible for the military discounts offered at the Disney resorts (or he was, the last time I looked into it) but I haven't found anything like that for the Universal resorts.

They do offer them for retired or active duty but you need to call and ask what the rate is

 

[plannermom]

Mrs.Abbott, so happy to see you're back! And happy to hear about the improved job situation for your husband.

I have two days planned at the dark side this fall (precruise), so i a very interested in discounted ticket options. Just keep saving!

 

[mrsabbott]

Mrs.Abbott, so happy to see you're back! And happy to hear about the improved job situation for your husband. I have two days planned at the dark side this fall (precruise), so i a very interested in discounted ticket options. Just keep saving!

Thanks! I wish we could go this fall... You have no idea! I can't wait to hear about your trip.. And your cruise! Our next 7 year anniversary is next year (14 years) and we are thinking of taking a cruise. Sort of the honeymoon we never had.

I have a phone meeting at 8am to discuss my financial aid for school. I am excited and nervous to finally be going back! I sometimes wonder if I am too old to be considering this, but I guess you are never too old to finish school! As CS Lewis once said, " You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream!"