"Paying it off"

[wrighter]

I need to ask a silly question:

I noticed that a lot of people get really excited when they "pay off" their trip, get their documents, etc. But at the risk of sounding downright dumb - I don't get it. Is there something advantageous about paying it off in advance? If so, I'm missing the boat here. We booked our room, paid the deposit, and will pay the rest in full when we check in. That way our money sits in our accounts, maybe makes us a few bucks in interest, and we don't relenquish it until we have to. Am I going about this the wrong way? What gives?

I know some of you can offer insight on this one - help! Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Jennasmomma]

I think its to each their own. Some just like knowing its already paid for. Our trip is in 31 days. Everything is paid for...hotel, dining plan, airfare. All we have to pay for now is souviners and other food/drinks we need.

 

[rluey29]

Don'y you have a deadline to pay by? We always have to have trip paid for before 45 days til arrival.

 

[minnierocks]

You only have to pay in advance if you buy a package...
If you book room only, then you just pay a deposit (one night's rate) and then you pay the rest when you check in.
This is how we've always done it...

 

[Fafolguy]

I got excited about "paying it off" because that meant we were that much closer to our vacation. I love the ability to book a package and pay for it in installments. I can pay directly from my checking account and not have to worry about possible interest charges from a credit card.

 

[Boncho]

Thanks for making me laugh. It's just a persons own preference thing - it makes you one step closer to your trip when you pay for it. Some of us get so excited abut going to Disney that we need these things to make our trip seem closer than it really is.

 

[cybrkitn]

It's one less thing to have to worry about (and a relief) when it's paid off prior to the trip. I was very excited when we did that back in September for our October trip as well as when we got the documentation. We had a package deal with the DDP, so I was very excited to know that our vacation was paid for ahead of time (especially the dining).

We cannot afford to go every year and it will be a while before we go again. Heck, it took me 13 years to get back to Disney World (this time with DH and DS4 in tow) ! But knowing a Disney trip is paid off and having the documentation was like a dream becoming reality. I couldn't believe that we actually booked it and paid it off (it still felt like a dream to me until we got there).

But I can see where you are coming from as well. My DH used to go to Disney for an annual conference every October (held at the Swan & Dolphin). However, two years ago the conference started alternating between Vegas and Disney. This year was Disney and he just booked a room only at CBR, paid the deposit then paid the balance when he got there. He didn't think it a big deal at all (wasn't too excited either when our vacation portion was paid in full and we received the documentation). Of course, he hadn't taken in Disney fully until after his conference was over and DS4 and I joined him. Then he understood why I was getting excited along the way

 

[aide4]

We had a package that had to be paid 45 days prior, but it is such a nice feeling to know that all we need is our souvenir money!!

 

[MomWith2Cinderellas]

We have a package deal through AAA. We are required to pay the balance in full 45 days prior to departure. I guess if you do things separately(i.e. hotel, tickets, etc) you do not need to pay prior to your arrival. HTH!

 

[StanH]

We have a package deal through AAA. We are required to pay the balance in full 45 days prior to departure. I guess if you do things separately(i.e. hotel, tickets, etc) you do not need to pay prior to your arrival. HTH!

At the risk of hijacking the thread, I just have to say that I love the pic in your signature! How cute is that?

 

[MomWith2Cinderellas]

At the risk of hijacking the thread, I just have to say that I love the pic in your signature! How cute is that?

Thank you StanH! The girls absolutely loved Crystal Palace....Tigger as you can see was their favorite! We are going back in January this time for dinner...We hope to get the same character interaction that we had last time..

 

[claytonj20]

for me, paying it off means that it IS going to happen! We always do everything seperatley so I like going down the list, making it last a couple of weeks and finally finishing about 14 days prior to the trip. I do plane tickets first and end with park tickets. Sometimes I even wait till we get to Orlando to do the park tickets the first day after we land! Plus the family likes to know as I finish things up and it kind of builds the excitement for all of us.

 

[ksloane]

I have a question about this..if you are getting the package, do you have 45 days before your arrival date no matter how soon you book?

 

[Fafolguy]

I have a question about this..if you are getting the package, do you have 45 days before your arrival date no matter how soon you book?

From what I understand, if your trip is more than 45 days away, you just have to pay it off by the 45 day deadline. If it's less than 45 days, you must pay the full package. That means that if your trip is for Jan 1 2008, you have until Nov 15 2007 to pay it off, even if you book today. On the other hand, if your trip is for Jan 1 2007, you must pay the full price at time of booking.