A few days after I return from my Disney vacation I am already thinking about my next trip. Vacationing several times a year especially on a tight budget can be a challenge. If you think you can’t afford to stay on property or enjoy character dining then you are wrong, because with the proper financial plan you can do it. As Walt Disney once said “If you can dream it, you can do it!”
Take Advantage of Vacation Payment Plans
Did you know that when you book your vacation package through the Walt Disney Travel Company that you are able to make payments on your vacation? In order to make payments you will need to:
- Book at least 40 days in advance
- Pay a deposit of $200 within seven days of booking
- Make payments on your vacation package when it is convenient for you.
- Pay the balance of your trip no later than 30 days prior to date of arrival.
Paying off your vacation before you arrive at Disney for your vacation is a really good feeling. Just imagine checking into your hotel knowing it is already paid for. No more worrying if you have budgeted enough money for food, souvenirs and the hotel.
Here is an example of how you can pay off your vacation before it even starts. Let’s say I want to take my family to Disneyland for a few days in December, that gives me about 35 weeks to payoff my trip.
- December 15-19 – Disneyland ResortTickets: 4-Day Park Hopper® Souvenir Ticket with Magic Morning for 2 adults and 2 children aged 4 and 8
- Character Dining: 1 Character Dining
- Hotel: The Grand Californian Hotel and Spa
- Total: $3,626
Take the number of weeks you have left until 30 days prior to your trip and divide that number by your total trip cost minus the $200 booking deposit and you will have your weekly payment amount.
$3,626 -$200 (deposit) = $3,426 / 35 weeks = $100.76 weekly payment.
Call Disney Travel to make a payment or log into your Disney Account and pay a payment at our convenience.
Create a Disney Vacation Account
Photo courtesy of Disney
The Disney Vacation Account is an online program operated by Walt Disney Travel Co., Inc. that lets you create a personalized budget and savings plan for the following Disney vacation destinations:
- Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida
- Disneyland® Resort in California
- Disney Cruise Line®
- Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai`i
- Adventures by Disney®
With the Disney Vacation Account you can deposit money into your vacation account every week, every two weeks, once a month or any time you want and then use those funds to book and pay for your vacation.
Here is how it works.
- Estimate Your Budget
- Create a Plan
- Make deposits to your account
- Book your vacation using your Disney Vacation Account funds
- Pay for your vacation using your Disney Vacation Account funds no later than 30 days prior to date of arrival.
These are a few features of the Disney Vacation Account.
- Use your Disney Vacation Account funds to book your vacation. When you call to book your vacation you only need to apply a $200 deposit, this money can come from your Disney Vacation Account.
- Friends and family can help pay for your vacation by giving you Disney Gift Cards. You can use Disney gift cards as deposits into your Disney Vacation Account by using the “Make a One-Time Contribution” feature.
- There are no fees and all of your money is fully refundable. The money in your Disney Vacation Account is fully refundable.
For more information about the Disney Vacation Account go here https://disneyvacationaccount.disney.go.com
As you can see, paying for your Disneyland Resort Vacation can be done with plenty of pre-planning. I’d love to hear what other Disneyland Resort Vacation Savings tips you have, just leave a comment in the box below.