What are you spending on vacation next year..

[AZMermaid]

We are doing:

Disneyland in April with my parents, DVC accommodations, tickets and food and gas- roughly $2K

DH and I are tentatively planning a trip to see Chipper Jones get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I won a bunch of United airmiles a year or so ago so the flights are free. Hotel will likely be Hilton points, so free. Food, membership to the Hall so we get seats should be about $1K, probably bump that to $2K if we add on to Niagra Falls.

DCL 4 night from San Diego next Sept for Fall Break- about $3500 for the 4 of us

We might try to do a long weekend in San Diego in the summer- let's say $1K

Dang... no wonder I have to keep teaching! This is our "light" year!

 

[aprilchem]

We spend about $10-$15k per year on travel - we have three younger kids at home, and it's definitely a family priority to get to as many places as possible before they're grown. In 2017 we did (or will do) a week in Florida (no Disney), a week in Seattle, 2 weeks in Hawaii, and will do 5 days in Toronto.

In 2018 we're planning to do 2 weeks in Eleuthera (a Caribbean island) and probably Toronto again for Thanksgiving. We also have a trip booked to Turks and Caicos but we're thinking of deferring it to 2020. I'm saving for a big trip to Japan in 2019.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

We spent right at $11,000 last year at Disney in December for an 11 day vacation. We did the Bounce back offer and booked the Contemporary again for this September and stayed during the hurricane. With the Bounce Back offer the same trip was $8400. We did the bounce back again for September 2018 and it came to $8600 and included free dining plan.

 

[100AcreWood]

siesta key is the best beach ever!

Do you have any suggestions on where to stay? I was thinking about renting a condo but there are so many choices!

 

[amccu18007]

We are going to Disney this October for 9 days, DVC points, meal plan $1900 and super cheap airfare for 4 $200. I have included another $500 per day for tips and things so hopefully about $6600

We will use a different timeshare for a Poconos trip over Christmas to ski and go tubing. We drive to and cook in the timeshare so maybe $1000 in activities fees.

May take oldest on a long weekend trip somewhere in early spring during his college break.

We are doing a spring break trip, again on DVC points, airfare is $1100( right now), meal plan $1000 and another $2000 for tips etc so $4100 total

In June, I am taking my mother and two youngest children to Disney for my daughter to dance at Disney. We are using DVC points for 5 nights and are staying at the swan for 3 nights $2000. I am planning on $2000 for tips etc. Airfare is reasonable at $350 Approximate total is $4500

We plan on another 8 days the following October on DVC points, meal plan, airfare etc should be about $6600. We are certainly taking advantage of having annual passes!!

We are planning on Hawaii, and either Vero or Hilton head the following year as well as a Christmas trip to the Poconos.

Seeing this, I guess we spend a lot on travel! Whew!

 

[kymom99]

Do you have any suggestions on where to stay? I was thinking about renting a condo but there are so many choices!

Oh yes! We LOVE Crescent Towers! It's a misnomer because there is no tower. The buildings are 2 stories tall. They are efficiency apartments, privately owned. You can rent on VRBO but we always rent from their office. They have a building directly on the beach and one in the back that is a little cheaper because of its location. It's not fancy by any means but you can go on their website and see each unit and the décor. They are all different. You can walk to several restaurants. We really love it there. Google them and check out their website.

 

[duketennisgal]

I'm scared to add it up!

Right now I know of two trips for sure. Disneyworld in February for 5 days with my sister and a friend from work and then 15-16 days in Germany/Austria with my SO in October. On top of that we typically rent a cabin in the NC mountains for Memorial Day weekend, but that's split between my parents, my brother and his wife and my sister and her husband, so it's not very expensive.

My AP expires on the last day of my February trip and I'm debating on renewing at that time. If I renew I will probably throw in a trip to Disney in early May....

We don't have kids so our trips aren't near as expensive as some... Plus my SO and I met after I had bought my house as a single woman, so when he moved in we freed up a lot of income because I could afford everything on my income alone!

 

[Cynt]

Well if I'm still single we're cruising Springbreak, girls trip to Essence Festival in NOLA July and a fall trip to somewhere. Plus a few small weekend getaways.

However, if the BF pops the question, we're still cruising in March and hopefully elope to Tahiti/Moorea and stay in an overwater bungalow with the "wedding money". LOL!!

 

[bcwife76]

We've done several trips this year (and one still to go in November) so in 2018 we just have one cruise booked, the San Diego to Vancouver in May. With onboard discount (by reshopping it on our Alaska cruise) we are spending $3200 + another $600 in airfare to get the 4 of us down to LA where we have a car rental booked for $70 down to San Diego. One night at the Wyndham Bayside so I guess about $4K altogether? We have another cruise booked for Oct 2018 but that is being pushed back to Feb 2019 once the dates are released in a few weeks.

Probably going to head to our fave Oregon KOA in July or August since we haven't been there since 2015. And our eldest DD turns 10 in August 2018 so we might combine the camping with a road trip and go down to Disneyland. Otherwise I might just try and swing it for the girls and I to go without DH - I think he's a bit 'over' the parks at the moment since we have gone to DL and/orWDW 4 times since 2013. *gasp* I think he prefers the cruises!

 

[TwoMisfits]

2 trips - 1 planned, 1 not...planned budget for all yearly travel is $8K for 6, but $1K of that is saved for trips home to my mom, so I'm planning $7K - I do best value vacations, or as I say "best bang for my buck"...

1st trip - Pittsburgh (grandparent visit)/Niagara Falls CA/Columbus, OH (Game Convention) - 10 days/9 nights...
Hotel - we are staying at an Embassy Suites at all 3 locations - we used points for 1/2 the cost, so we are paying $660 total, but even full cost would only be $1320, since we are doing Sun-Wed in Canada (and the difference in June cost between weekends and weekdays was monumental)...
Gas/Parking/Tolls - $400 (this is way too high, but it's buffer)
Game Con Badges/Tickets - $250
Canada Attractions Passes (the 4 attraction ones) - $300ish (we'll see next year)
Canada Dinner Theater - $200ish (we'll see next year)
Canada Extra (Souvies, Groupons, etc) - $200
Groceries (picked up in Pburgh for Canada and Columbus for CON) - $125 (light lunches in case breakfast is too light, snacks, drinks)
Dinners for 7 nights (grandparents have 1st dinner bought, dinner theater will be 2nd dinner bought) - 1/2 fast food/1/2 casual sit down - $500 (no alcohol, since we'll have it at the hotel each night)
Ohio Extra (Souvies, Random) - $100
Total Budget OOP - $2735 - rounding to $2750

So, I'm trying to plan a week long trip elsewhere, and I've got a little over $4K...and I'm waffling on where else we should go and when we should go...there are lots of ideas floating here, but nothing I've pulled the trigger on...

Okay, I have our 2nd trip...it's gonna cost about $5K, but mom is coming with us, and we'll visit her on both ends of the trip, so I get to drop my mom visits budget and add it here...

I just booked a week long Anthem of the Seas cruise to Bermuda (with an extra stop in Boston) for $4.1K for 2 interior rooms for 3 (total of 6 people) w/ $100 OBC and $25 more for bringing a 1st time RCCL cruiser (my mom). It was a pretty awesome deal, so I jumped on it b/c with all the ruined eastern Caribbean cruise ports, Bermuda cruises will probably be in high demand...we'll drive up and stay at mom's both before and after, so no hotel cost. We're driving her to port, so we'll pay to park (thus, she also makes out)...with only 2 ports and one planned beach day, I'm planning about $300 for in port activities...so the budget is...

Cruise $4100 (on the nose - it's an interesting sale)
Gratuities $560
Parking $140
Gas/Tolls $50
Port activities $300
Minus extra $125 OBC
On board activities $0 (we are discussing possible birthday gifts of the drink packages or a dining package...but that's it and that would be Xmas budget or birthday budget - we just cruised on Carnival a few weeks ago, and didn't have any costs, except grats and the prepaid drinks plan I bought my spouse last Xmas as his big gift, so we're just not the "bingo" or gambling type - my mom buys all the photos and then gives them to me, so I don't even have to buy that - heck, I have to stop her from spending money)...
Total cost $5025

So, $8K budget will be $2750 for Niagara/Columbus/Pittsburgh and $5025 for the Bermuda/Boston cruise for $7775...so I'll still have $225 for gas/tolls/fast food to drive to visit mom probably twice more, since she's getting a fall week already (may need to skip Cracker Barrel and eat a little more McD's...but I am VERY excited b/c the Anthem has some amazing amenities and they are included...

 

[grumpy28]

I have really enjoyed this thread.

 

[grumpy28]

OK, so I can plan the heck out of a Disney trip. But I'm pretty clueless when planning other vacays. Are there websites y'all get deals from? How do y'all decide where to go? Give me some of your deal secrets!

 

[nycdisneygal]

Disney over new years. Will be APs approx 3400. Flights on points. Split stay costing about 6K. Then dining (will do OOP).

Then March trip will use points for flights, and hotel will be paid for by my fund I have since it is a conference. And we will have APs already. So maybe 1500-2000 for food?

 

[kymom99]

OK, so I can plan the heck out of a Disney trip. But I'm pretty clueless when planning other vacays. Are there websites y'all get deals from? How do y'all decide where to go? Give me some of your deal secrets!

I usually Google coupon codes or discount codes. As far as where to go I guess I see things on the travel channel etc. or hear about other's vacations. Yosemite is on my bucket list and I don't know a lot who have been there. But my sister has been to a huge number of national parks and she said it was her favorite. So I did some research and decided I'd like to see it.

 

[grumpy28]

I usually Google coupon codes or discount codes. As far as where to go I guess I see things on the travel channel etc. or hear about other's vacations. Yosemite is on my bucket list and I don't know a lot who have been there. But my sister has been to a huge number of national parks and she said it was her favorite. So I did some research and decided I'd like to see it.

Thank you for replying. I will try googling coupon codes. I've never been to Yosemite either,but I've heard its beautiful.

 

[grumpy28]

Looked up Atlantis. Woah! $$$$. We are a 5 person family, so traveling can be expensive. Would love a $2,000 or less "bonus trip". We live in NC. Anyone have any ideas? I do not have any credit card points or airline miles, so no free things that way. We have APs to Disney, so we drive down multiple times a year. Looking for something different. We do the beach and the mountains annually, so not those. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[TwoMisfits]

OK, so I can plan the heck out of a Disney trip. But I'm pretty clueless when planning other vacays. Are there websites y'all get deals from? How do y'all decide where to go? Give me some of your deal secrets!

1st, I decide where I want to go. Since I noticed some of our passports expire in 2019, I figured I wanted to spend 2018 hitting some "cheap" international sites I hadn'tgo

Looked up Atlantis. Woah! $$$$. We are a 5 person family, so traveling can be expensive. Would love a $2,000 or less "bonus trip". We live in NC. Anyone have any ideas? I do not have any credit card points or airline miles, so no free things that way. We have APs to Disney, so we drive down multiple times a year. Looking for something different. We do the beach and the mountains annually, so not those. Anyone have any suggestions?

No nature, no theme parks sounds like a great time to visit DC or NYC (or Colonial Williamsburg if you are in to history). Since you are NC, DC is closer and drivable, so it would save you a ton vs flying to NYC. You can come up for a 5 day stay - book one in VA with free breakfast and free parking for probably $1K or less for 5 days, gas/tolls for $100, $100/day for food (2 meals for 5 w/ breakfast already paid in hotel cost - $10 a meal, so 1 fast casual sit down and 1 fast food or some groceries - use groupons/other dining deals to keep you in that number), $200 to get in and out of the city (Metro or Uber or parking fees)...so you're at $1900 with $100 as "walk-around" money if there are attractions you want to see that cost money. See the free museums, tour the history, and if you have kids, make sure you fit in a little non-history fun...

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Looked up Atlantis. Woah! $$$$. We are a 5 person family, so traveling can be expensive. Would love a $2,000 or less "bonus trip". We live in NC. Anyone have any ideas? I do not have any credit card points or airline miles, so no free things that way. We have APs to Disney, so we drive down multiple times a year. Looking for something different. We do the beach and the mountains annually, so not those. Anyone have any suggestions?

You can do a couple things to keep costs down for Atlantis. One is to stay at the Comfort Suites which has access to Atlantis just the same as if you were staying at Atlantis and it also includes free breakfast. However, I'm not sure if they have rooms for 5.

Another option is to open up a Marriott Rewards credit card or two and stay at Atlantis on points.

As a bonus trip, have you considered Disney's Hilton Head? I know you said you do the beach annually but looks like a fun spot for a Disney fan! Washington D.C. would be a decently priced bonus trip - stay in metro D.C. to save on hotel and most attractions are free while there.

 

[grumpy28]

1st, I decide where I want to go. Since I noticed some of our passports expire in 2019, I figured I wanted to spend 2018 hitting some "cheap" international sites I hadn'tgo


No nature, no theme parks sounds like a great time to visit DC or NYC (or Colonial Williamsburg if you are in to history). Since you are NC, DC is closer and drivable, so it would save you a ton vs flying to NYC. You can come up for a 5 day stay - book one in VA with free breakfast and free parking for probably $1K or less for 5 days, gas/tolls for $100, $100/day for food (2 meals for 5 w/ breakfast already paid in hotel cost - $10 a meal, so 1 fast casual sit down and 1 fast food or some groceries - use groupons/other dining deals to keep you in that number), $200 to get in and out of the city (Metro or Uber or parking fees)...so you're at $1900 with $100 as "walk-around" money if there are attractions you want to see that cost money. See the free museums, tour the history, and if you have kids, make sure you fit in a little non-history fun...

Awesome info! Thanks for posting! Ideas like this are just what I'm looking for. If anyone has any clean, DC area hotels that they recommend that sleep 5, please post. I would love to be able to surprise the family with a small bonus getaway. And if anyone has any other ideas,please post. I am in need of ideas!

 

[grumpy28]

You can do a couple things to keep costs down for Atlantis. One is to stay at the Comfort Suites which has access to Atlantis just the same as if you were staying at Atlantis and it also includes free breakfast. However, I'm not sure if they have rooms for 5.

Another option is to open up a Marriott Rewards credit card or two and stay at Atlantis on points.

As a bonus trip, have you considered Disney's Hilton Head? I know you said you do the beach annually but looks like a fun spot for a Disney fan! Washington D.C. would be a decently priced bonus trip - stay in metro D.C. to save on hotel and most attractions are free while there.

Thank you for posting! I had no idea you could stay at Comfort Suites and still use Atlantis' amenities. And I had not thought of Disneys Hilton head. Honestly don't know much about it at all. Off to google!