I say save up one more year to go. There is no real difference in waiting one more year but you will be better off financially. Open up another ING orange savings and name it Disney Trip, put a little in every month, then in a year enjoy the trip without worrying about balancing money around! We did that a few years ago, were suppose to go in October but had to cancel when I got pregnant so now we are waiting 2 more years. Mine will be 8,6,4,2 then and hopefully we will go a 2nd time when the younger ones are older. Of course the good news is we will pay in full with cash when we do get to go b/c we have been saving for Disney for over 2 years now! LOL

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A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt

LOL...I could have written that (except for the pregnant part ) We have an ING labeled Disney and are saving to go in 2 years..... it will be paid in cash b/c we started saving late last year.
I would go this route and just wait...Disney will still be there and she will probably remember more.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass~ It's about learning to dance in the Rain

I think your dd is still too young. I went to Disney when I was 6 and dont remember anything except what I saw in pictures. My kids are 12, 12 and 8 (almost 9 when we go) and we're taking them this fall for the first time.

As for the money - if you think you can afford it, go right ahead. Live for today, you dont know what tomorrow will bring.

We took our children to Disney for the first time when they were 5, almost 4, and almost 2. (We didn't need a ticket for the youngest one because he was only 2.) It was AWESOME. We had so much fun. The girls were SOOO into the Disney Princesses then and the trip was paid for in cash. (We actually got a free place to stay and then bought 10 day passes online at a great discount.)

We went back the next year at 6, almost 5, and almost 3 and the girls still had a fantastic time and so did my son this time. (And he still didn't need a ticket!!) This trip was even cheaper because we had days left on our passes from the year before and we stayed in my inlaws time share again.

This past year my kids went at 8, almost 7, and almost 5 -- the girls were OVER the disney princess thing. They enjoyed the rides so much more but didn't have that magic with the sights and want to see the celebrities in the parade and at the meet and greets. It was really just another amusement park for them. I don't know that they want to go back again and have said there are other places they would rather go.

ANYWAY -- my point was that if you have all of your other debt paid off, have cash money for the trip, an emergency fund and a plan for how you are staying on track financially -- I say go for it. We all need fun and excitement that we have planned for and can afford. If we are working so hard just to save and not having any fun along the way I think that is missing the point too.

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Grace

Wife to Stoney

Mommy of Sarah (9), Hannah (7.5), and John(5)

I personally think that age is too young to truly appreciate a trip to Disney. Sure, they might have fun while there, but more than likely the trip will not create a "magical" experience for them as they are too little to remember most of it. I'd keep saving for it and paying down debt. In a few years, she'll be able to say, "remember this, mommy, remember that? Then, you'll also feel your money wasn't wasted on fleeting fun. At the older age, then you will have created that "magic" through the memories like you had hoped. JMHO

I went to disney in 5th grade so age.. about 10'ish. I remember some things. Mostly what I remember are the things I have pictures of- it helps jog memories. My mom has tons of memories about the trip that I honestly don't recall. I'm sure it happened, I just don't remember.

I took my kids when they were 4 and 8. They both also need photos to jog thier memories. Neither remembers going on the Dumbo ride, but we did. They still say " how come we didn't get to go onthat?? "

Both were too also short to go on any of the "good" rides- so be prepared to not get on any of those. This includes most rollercoasters that you or your DH might want to do.

It is of my opinion that disney is a HUGE luxury. yes I realize there are people live in socal with season passes and go every weekend. We don't - and to go, we have to save for a LONG time to afford the sort of trip we like ( hotel on site, not a campground)

I think that you should be on step 3 or 4 before investing in such a luxury as Disney as a vacation. I feel you should pay off all your debt before you go. Wven if it's just a matter of driving for 8 hours, and getting a super 8 motel- the park, the food, the trip, the gas. VERY expensive.

That being said, I think it is nice as a long term goal. Plan on it when your dd is is 8 or 9 maybe. Save from now until then. Make it magical, stay on site, have a character breakfast and have a great time. - when you are debt free.

we have been saving for 2 years to go and finally have enough money and this year we are doing disney instead of christmas/santa/presents. I expect it to be wonderful.

summary- save, pay down debt, and re-visit this idea in 2 years.

I agree with the advice to create a dedicated Disney account--perhaps you could fund it with rebates, coupon savings, under-budget sucesses, etc. Also, there is a huge swing between a frugal Disney trip and a spendy one--we go to Disneyland several times a year, but we typically stay in offsite hotels, go in the off season for even greater hotel discounts and fewer people in the park, and drive home late on our last day so we don't spend on a hotel that last night. I know it's easy to get caught up in adding on every experience they offer (character breakfasts, early entry, Disney hotels, etc.) but even with a bare bones trip, you'll have a fantastic time.
I disagree with the idea that your daughter is too young to enjoy or remember the trip. My son was just short of 3 yrs old his first trip (DD was 4 months old) and he still talks about things we did that trip, over a year and a half later. DD was 16 months our last trip, and she was totally captivated by the sights, sounds, characters, and rides. Disney does not disappoint, no matter your age!

I agree, my girls were so into Princesses a few years ago and now, at ages 6 and 9, forget it. It was a wonderful feeling seeing thier faces light up at all the Disney "magic". I think if you are in the financial position you hope to be at that point then you should enjoy a trip to Disney. And yes, Disney can be expensive, but you can still do Disney on a budget. I take the money I save by using coupons and put it in a jar. A few years ago, I had over $700 to put towards our vacation, just from my coupon savings.

I agree that you need to have some fun!

We went this past spring. We used our income tax refund to go. My kids are 8, 6, and 4. They had a GREAT time and are asking me when we can go back. LOL We did try to do the cheapest way we could, for instance, dh saved up ALL his hotel points and we were able to stay at the Nick Hotel for FREE. This came equipt with a microwave and fridge, so we didn't have to eat out that much. We were fine with Subway and ponderosa for dinner, because we were trying to save money and that worked out well. WE saved for one great family dinner at a great resturant though so everyone was happy.

We didn't buy sovieniers, we don't need that junk. We happened to get great airline prices at that time and that was also a HUGE help. The hotel that we stayed at was a resort that had excellent ammenities, we could have made a vacation of that alone.

I think you really need to sit down, and do the math. Do some investigating first, find out is it cheaper to drive or fly, what are the airline prices, hotel prices, is it cheaper to stay in a hotel or a Disney resort, rental car.... ect. Add every piece of food you will eat and every mile you will drive. Then decide if its worth it to you to go this year or wait a couple and revisit.

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

SAVE HANDMADE TOYS!!

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Maybe it's just me, but I have pretty clear memory from about the age of 3-4 (I'm 38 now). I think 6 is a wonderful (and yes, magical) age to enjoy Disney! It will be so "real" to them still at that age. How fun!

I don't think it is the same for a teenager at all. Don't get me wrong, they still have fun, but it is not that same magical experience for them. They are too savvy by that age, KWIM?

I say go for it, and enjoy the trip. Another great age for Disneyland is around 10-11 IMO. They are then big enough to do all the rides, and still young enough to be very excited by things.