Freaking out about the USD/CAD exchange!

[MrsDanielle]

But yes the exchange is certainly horrible right now, but apart from cutting your expenses, there’s not much you can do.

My last few vacations, we limited our Disney dining to 3 sit down meals, and spent maybe the equivalent of $100.00 CDN shopping.

You could bring refillable water bottles and commit to mostly drinking from water fountains while you’re at the parks. That would definitely save some $$$.

 

[mort1331]

Sinking, sinking, sinking... and now we're below $0.75. Sigh. Yes, on one hand, it's "all in the mind" as someone said. But a the end of the day, for people who are on a tight budget, that extra $100, 200, 300, can actually mean a lot. The idea that you have to drop a night's stay, or skip an experience etc... doesn't leave a great feeling sometimes.

I hear you about skipping an experience or making adjustments. But look for the positive. I went in Feb with my youngest thought we would be doing so many other things, but she wanted to get all the badges for wilderness explorer. Took 1 and 1/2 days at AK. What I thought at the start was totally different from the end and am so happy we did it. She was able to get the final badge and fill her book. Cost 0. Then over to Epcot and she wanted to get every country stamp on her map. But she fooled me and got a second map and coloured the flag of every country on them as well. |Cost 0.
That was a complete change from what I was expecting, complete budget change for the good, and an amazing experience I had with her. She had the best 7th birthday, and came home bragging to her older sister that now she wants to do the same thing, at 12.
Sometimes you can be surprised at what we think we need to have a good time, and find out it is just about spending time with our kids and seeing there smiles.
Cost 0. Fulfillment 100%

 

[hdrolfe]

We are fortunate to live in one of the best countries in the world. Plus, there’s lots to see and do right within our borders.

Last June I traveled to Nova Scotia for the first time and it was great! Went to Halifax, Peggy’s Cove, all over Cape Breton for 8 days. It cost about the same as our typical WDW vacation.

Two summers ago I went to Churchill, Manitoba, and it was without a doubt one of my favourite vacations ever. I got to kayak with wild belugas, snorkeled with belugas, observed a polar bear tending to her cub, visited the Prince of Whales Fort, saw the colourful tundra, picked tundra berries... etc. It was simply amazing!!

My point, lots of fantastic things to do here!

Having lived in Churchill for 3 years as a child, my views are different lol, but it was lovely in the (very short) summer season. I would like to take kiddo out East, and West. But I am worried he'll be "bored" as kids now seem to be quite go go go compared to what I was as a kid. Or perhaps that is just him!

 

[MrsDanielle]

Having lived in Churchill for 3 years as a child, my views are different lol, but it was lovely in the (very short) summer season. I would like to take kiddo out East, and West. But I am worried he'll be "bored" as kids now seem to be quite go go go compared to what I was as a kid. Or perhaps that is just him!

I bet living there was rough. Was the huge complex up and running when you were a kid? It’s so neat how most things in that town are in one, giant building including the hospital and the schools. They even have a pool!

I was only there for 5 days in the middle of the summer and partook in lots of touristy activities, so there was very little downtime. Living there would be another story tho, it’s completely isolated. As a tourist tho it was a fantastic place to visit!!! I’ve been to all the provinces now, most of them
multiple times, with the exception of Newfoundland, and really thought my trip to Churchill was the best.

But, for those uninterested in nature, it would be...a different experience. Likely very boring.

 

[hdrolfe]

I bet living there was rough. Was the huge complex up and running when you were a kid? It’s so neat how most things in that town are in one, giant building including the hospital and the schools. They even have a pool!

I was only there for 5 days in the middle of the summer and partook in lots of touristy activities, so there was very little downtime. Living there would be another story tho, it’s completely isolated. As a tourist tho it was a fantastic place to visit!!! I’ve been to all the provinces now, most of them
multiple times, with the exception of Newfoundland, and really thought my trip to Churchill was the best.

But, for those uninterested in nature, it would be...a different experience. Likely very boring.

It was there, I went to school there! Kindergarten through grade 2. My mom worked in the school. It is very isolated. Train or flights to get there. We had very little in the way of fresh produce or anything else, we drank those cartons of milk that are shelf stable, or powdered milk. No vehicles would run in the dead of winter, we walked to school in snow storms, one behind the other. Polar bears would wander through town, there were signs up on what to do if you saw one. I will admit, because of my age at the time, it was easier on me than my sister who was 5 years older. I remember being in skating and all the kids needed white shirts for a performance, my mom was late getting to the (one) store to buy one so they were sold out and I wore off white. Which now makes it easy to spot me in the pictures, but at the time was horrible of course! Any way I imagine someday I might like to take my son there to see it, but like you, in summer, and for a few days of touristy activities. The belugas were cool, and the bears as long as you didn't get too close to those lol.