Could you go to WDW/DL/DLP and NOT spend money?

[SummerInFL]

My boyfriend is wonderful, I love him dearly. He is perfect in everyway except accepting the fact that Disney will be an intergrated bill into our family budget. So the other day he told me that I can go when ever I want as long as it only costs the gas in the car to get me there.

Needless to say I've got it bumped up to gas +30 bucks for a day trip but that brings me to this question for you.

If you had an AP to your favorite Disney park, could go anytime you wanted, could you take a back pack with you and spend no money what so ever. No churros, no postcards, no nothing. Just walk the parks, ride the rides and eat your tuna sandwich.

[Fishbulb]

Of course you could but you would need a Premium AP and self control.

[awesomemama]

I've got to tell you, I do this ALL the time with my kids. We drive down from Las Vegas for a couple of days, and actually take a few days of food with us. We don't buy anything at Disneyland. There are time when we do make purchases, a dole whip here, an order of fries to share there, but on the whole, we do not spend $. I can take 4 kids from Las vegas to Disneyland, spend 3 days 2 nights, and including the groceries, gas, hotel, etc. I usually spend about $200.
You can do it!

[ksejr1]

i do it all the time too. I go a lot, and know i dont have to buy something each time i go to the park

[BigPigletFan]

I did it by balancing out how much I buy. Mabye try to find that happy medium such as opting out of buying a drink and bringing your own or drinking the free Disney water? I would also buy a big bag of candy for my "muchies" that seemed to last me a while.

[Cmash95]

you can do it if you bring munchies in your backpack and a thermos to fill with water or bring bottled water and get a cup of ice because the water will be warm by the end of the day. however it would be tough not to bye one meal there if you are going for the whole day. you could spend your money on a large lunch and do it later in the day like around 3ish so you are full for the rest of the night.

[mitchelson]

ok... i am goiung to WdW soon (hah)

[PirateMickey]

According to some here on MC, not spending a dime in the Park seems to be a way of life for AP'ers.

I can certainly prove that theory wrong. And I have the receipts to prove it!

Go and enjoy the Park any which way that you would like to. There's nothing wrong with not spending a dime all day long or with eating all three meals a day at Goofy's Kitchen. To each his own.

Enjoy DL the way that you want to and don't worry about the rest.

Have fun!

[wolfy]

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!! No it can be done, but not in this household!

[mistyisjafo]

I always buy something at the Park. I only don't spend money if I do a quick turn around. Like going in for a ride on the matterhorn and leaving immediately after.

[MandaBella]

I find the more go and when I have an PAP, I buy less and less stuff. And with DVC, I can buy a lot of food for the week and eat in our room.

However, I enjoy dining in WDW....so giving that up would be hard. But then again, I am not a local....

[KNRG]

Best invention ever:

Disney now makes a belt-clip rubber mouser-ear shaped watter bottle holder (the rubbet part goes around the neck of the bottle, and the click goes on your belt loop) and with that.. You can A) Buy just one bottle of water and refill it. or B) Bring your own bottle of water.

No bags, no bag check, and it's hands free and not uncomfortable - plus it's got mickey!

Most of my money in the parks is spent on food and drinks, and being a poor college student, this was jsut awesome. To keep from dehydration I could go through $20-30 in drinks in just a few hours.

Also - invest in a digital camera and becoming bosessed about Disney construction projects - like Darkbeer and other's updates. It's fun, you wander around, you get "souveniers" you don't pay for, and anything you might want gets cached away in the digital memory.

I live by a "still want it later" rule. I never buy anything when i first see, i have to return to WDW and still want it later - that's how I got my Easter Stitch antenna topper, my yeti plush, and the Goofy's ice slushie drink thingy with mouse ears and mickey feet on the cup.

[Princess Buttercup]

If you had an AP to your favorite Disney park, could go anytime you wanted, could you take a back pack with you and spend no money what so ever. No churros, no postcards, no nothing. Just walk the parks, ride the rides and eat your tuna sandwich.

I could probably not spend money on food or souvenirs , but I would have to spend money on a hotel/motel room since I've from Santa Cruz. That's always the biggest expense of our trips. If I hadn't gone to DL so many times in the past two years, I probably could have bought a hot tub, gazebo, and landscaped my backyard by now!

[Joshrzmeup]

If I had an AP and had food and a water bottle with me, and you kept me away from temptation (aka - the shops), then yes, I could do it. It would be hard, but I think I could.
I do it all the time at King's Island, but then again, not much there, except for Dip N Dots and Starbucks and the delicious Cheese fries over by Tomb Raider ride, but I can resist by simply not taking any money and telling myself that I don't need it and that I can get it anytime, that this is not a once every few years trip there, so there is no need. But, then again, the voices in my head tell me that it's ok cause I can burn off whatever I do eat by walking around the entire park a few times and then walking three miles to get to my car in the parking lot.

[Fantasmico!]

I go once a year, and usually don't buy anything except food. My food budget is $30 at DL for the day. Sometimes I have money left over too. There have been trips where I have eaten exclusively at the supermarkets; just buying food to take back to the motel ore eating ready made sandwiches for $3. Next time I go it will be the same I am sure. I need to start using priceline for my motels though. I wish I could do a trip for only $200. But gas alone costs me $150, since I live in Reno.