How Many Disney Days Do We Need?

If you're planning a Walt Disney World trip, you may have just now realized that purchasing tickets for your entire family will probably be the most costly part of your vacation. Because it is so costly, I recommend the one-park-per-day rule (so no Park Hopper option, already making your tickets exponentially cheaper) as well as a four-days-for-parks rule (so, you will see each of the four Disney parks on your trip). Rules, rules, rules, right? Obviously you should adjust this for your family, but let me show you why I will always try to stick to this.

The first obvious reason is the cost of the park tickets with no additional options:

Option A:

4-Day Magic Your Way tickets for a family of two adults and two children: $1256.72(includes tax & this is purchased directly through Disney's site)

Option B:

4-Day Magic Your Way tickets for a family of two adults/two children from Undercover Tourist: $1245.80(includes tax PLUS you get a 5th Day for FREE)!

Option C:

Military family? Your costs are further discussed here. The savings is VERY significant vs. purchasing park tickets through other sources.

Thankfully, it doesn't take a mathematician to see that Option B is potentially a better option. I say, "potentially," because the costs many don't consider when adding park days begin to add up. Nonetheless, even if you choose to follow my one-park-per-day and four-days-for-parks rules, buying that second ticket from UT would save you money, even when not using your 5th free day.

What are those other costs you need to consider? Let's take a look:

• Parking: staying off-property will cost you $17 each day. 

• Dining: This article recommends counting $60/adult and $45/child per day to calculate the cost of food on vacation. Let's say that's true - a 5th day at Disney would cost you an additional $210 in food money.

• Souvenirs: Yes, you can just say no. However, if you're anything like me, after 5 days of kids being out of their normal routines, and walking past hundreds of shiny, pretty things, saying, "no," can be wearing. We actually have vowed to say, "Yes!" to as much as possible on vacay (read more here). We encourage our kids to earn their Disney Dimes and we have bought their souvenirs on sale via Target and The Disney Store before going. Nevertheless, you could conservatively spend $40-$50 on a stuffed toy and Mickey balloons.

If your family of four spent all of the above estimates, that 5th day may actually cost you over $270! Could you get away with much less? Absolutely. No souvenirs, and bringing your own foods could significantly impact the cost of a 5th day. You could even squeak by with spending under $40 on that 5th Disney day.

The second, and not-as-obvious reason to not spend a 5th, 6th, or 7th day at Disney World is one that is more...sentimental? Spending one day per park leaves more to see on your next trip! Many people can tour Disney every year, multiple times, and never get burned-out. It is an ever-changing place, afterall. But I love the feeling of leaving some stones unturned and looking forward to the next family adventure. It helps prolong the sense of excitement and wonder to know that we'll have to plan an additional trip in the coming years, just to see what we couldn't on the first trip.

How many days have you spent touring the parks? Was it too long, too short, or just right for your family? 

Saying "Yes!" Will Transform Your Vacation

When you add children to your life, they bring emotions you didn't know you could have, love that could burst your heart, and demands that can seriously make you reevaluate your life choices:

"I don't need to shower today, I definitely did that last week."
"I didn't like that perfectly marker-less space on my wall anyway."
"Does going to the dentist twice a year replace brushing my teeth on a daily basis?"

Ok, so we have probably all felt these (and several other) extremes at some point when parenting, but it isn't all bad by any means. Our babies have given us renewed perspectives, a reason to laugh, and shown us that unconditional love really does exist.

Of all the monumental and tiny happenings that children have introduced into our lives, there is one for which I wasn't prepared. If you're reading this, and you're a new parent to a new baby or perhaps haven't added a child into your world, evaluate how many times per day you utter the word, "no." I can't be sure, because my brain has basically turned to mush in the last 7 years, but I think that "no" was a rather minor word in my vocabulary. Times, they have a-changed.

"No" encompasses at least 1/3 of my spoken words for the day. There are days where I am positive it is the only thing I say. I say it so much that I roll my eyes at myself, my tongue hurts from hitting the roof of my mouth, and semantic satiation steamrolls any direct effect it had on the situation.

I love giving joy to my children. I love surprising them with a "Yes!" when they are least expecting it. It assures them that I am human, compassionate, and even capable of fun. <- All of which is questioned on a daily basis by at least one of my tiny, lovely people.

Vacation is the perfect time to strike "no" from your vocabulary. This doesn't mean you should buy and consume everything in sight with no respect for your bank account, patience, or calorie intake. It simply means you have to plan on saying "yes." Ask everyone what they want to do on vacation- then make it happen. We are riding a ferris wheel (The Orlando Eye- I can't wait!) for our 4-year-old. We're spending several hours in Downtown Disney's LEGO Store since we couldn't get to Legoland on this trip for our 7-year-old. Our 5-year-old will meet Anna & Elsa even if it eats up a FastPass+ or takes hours because "yes" is our new "no." There will be icecream in our lives while on vacation. It may replace a meal. Mickey balloons that cost $10 each will be happily attached to every beautiful little wrist in our group because we budgeted for it, we know they will ask, and the light in their eyes when we say, "yes" will be worth all 4000 pennies it will cost us.

How have you said "yes" to your kiddos on vacation? Was it as worth it as I imagine it will be? 

Balloon image copyright of Mark Chandler. 

Saving for WDW with Disney Dimes

Our littles will be 7, 5, 4, and 2 years old when we visit The Mouse. We haven't really done a formal allowance, chore chart, or other variety of those items in our house. We have expectations of them and they know when certain things need to be done, but we have not monetarily rewarded behavior up to this point. When we decided to take them to Disney World, we also decided it was time that they worked towards something. Do we think we have all the parenting answers? Heck no- but this will work for us. That first night that we announced the Disney vacation plans, we also announced Disney Dimes. There was no big fanfare or to-do over announcing the Disney trip. Up to this point, it hasn't been a huge topic of conversation in our house. That said, I love how creative some families are with making this big announcement and I also love how much the gift of going on a family vacation becomes the souvenir in those moments. I am sure we'll announce any other trips to WDW in this manner, just to emphasize that fact: that going on a Disney vacation and having fun with family is the greatest present of all!

So, with the implementation of Disney Dimes, the nightly routine of the girls clearing our dining table after dinner became their first regular task. They earn one Disney Dime for this and are happy to do so. Realizing that this has been a big motivational tool, I now offer Disney Dimes for many tasks and behaviors. I never bribe a child out of a mood with the promise of a Disney Dime, but frankly, parenting is no-holds-barred territory. You do what you do to raise your kids, and I'll do what I do. I try to make everything a choice. You choose to earn the DDs or you don't. No anger or frustration from me when they don't want to comply, but lots of praise and a dime or two when they work for it.

Once the kids earn enough dimes for conversion to a Disney Dollar(not to be confused with official Disney Dollars at Disney resorts), Tinker Bell visits, dusts some Pixie Dust on ol' George, and they're set! For those of us who don't frequently have visits from Tink, some body/hair spray-glitter from the Dollar Tree will suffice for the Pixie Dust! I get to then recycle their dimes back into the pot and they have an extra boost of motivation to see if they ever catch Tink dusting their dollars! If you have a Jake and the Neverland Pirates fan in the family, a "gold doubloon," a.ka., Sacagawea Dollar, is also a fabulous exchange for 10 Disney Dimes! I'm not keen on the official Disney Dollars. My opinion is that kids are already disattached enough from the idea that work begets money. I don't want them to associate play-money with getting anything, as it feels like it negates the work that went into that. That said, if you're gifting a child Disney money, I can completely see why these adorable dollars would be fantastic!

So far, the plan is that we'll match what they earn as a special gift from us. That said, we haven't made this announcement and only plan to do so should their attitudes on vacation warrant such a surprise. Since I bought Disney souvenirs for the kids pre-trip, I know that our shopping in the parks or at Downtown Disney's outlet will be minimal- just the way I like it!