Seriously early 30th Birthday planning

I would take a look at the dining plan and see if that could save you money based on how you eat.

You might also start researching renting Disney Vacation Club points.....if you are interested in staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge.....I think that would knock down some of your cost....yes prices will increase.....but its always fun to plan!

It's never too early to start planning! Typically inflation averages about 2-3% per year. The good news is that hopefully your income will rise by that same factor if not more on average over the next 8 years. So if you can see a path to affording that dream 30th birthday trip now, you should still be able to afford it 8 years from now.

Just set a goal and start saving towards it! You can do it! A great way to make sure that you earmark that money for Disney is to buy Disney gift cards on a schedule and save them up for the big trip. You can use them to pay for reservations, food, merchandise, etc. If you buy them at Target with a Target red card, you can even save 5% off the face value of the card. If you are comfortable with using a credit card, make sure you are using one that gives you rewards. There are lots of free ones that can earn you airline miles. Disney has one that gives you 1% back, but honestly, there are lots of credit cards with better rewards out there.

For cost cutting, I totally agree with MM's rent DVC points scenario. It's a fantastic way to get a great room for a fraction of the price. Another option to help you make the most of your vacation dollars would be to book a value or moderate for days when you will probably be at the parks all day and then book a deluxe for just a few nights with an eye toward hanging out at the resort, enjoying the pool, and participating in activities. Also, not sure when your birthday falls, but if it happened to be at a peak time, considering moving your celebration by a week or two--or heck, move it to any time of the year you want to!--because rates can vary by more than $100/night based on season. Depending on how long you're planning to stay and since you are fairly close to Disneyland, consider whether or not an annual pass that is valid at both resorts is a cost-effective option for you.

I would just start saving now and hope for the best!

Just to estimate, I would add $3 per year to the DDP, $5-10 per year to your resort costs, and $2 per year to the park tickets. That's not really based on anything other than the averages that I keep in my head. You know Disney they're going to raise rates every year.

POFQ is our go-to resort, never been disappointed. For special occasions we've upgraded to the Beach Club, which can't be beat for location (walk to EPCOT and walk to HS) and a great pool area.

I'll second Jeff's sentiment. Both Port Orleans resorts are beautiful and it's a short, pleasant walk between the two. We also just stayed at Wilderness Lodge for a few days and loved it there as well. I'd go so far as to say that it's my new favorite. Beach Club is awesome for transportation to DHS and EPCOT, but for a deluxe, there is way to much bus sharing going on in that area for my taste (sometimes all 5 Boardwalk area resorts are on the same bus loop). Given how far away you live, I'm guessing that you'll primarily be spending your time at the parks and that your resort will just be a place to crash at the end of a long day. If that's accurate, I wouldn't upgrade beyond a moderate. Also, unless you'll be renting a car, Coronado has a not-so-bright-and-shiny reputation for rotten bus service. I've experienced it myself and the difference between the awesome service at Port Orleans and the awful service at Coronado was staggering. The only time I've stayed at a value was 3 nights at ASMu and the bus service was decent for that resort during my stay. All-Star was fine, but if I was going to choose a value again, I'd go with Art of Animation because I love the theme.

I would say that $10,000 should be a reasonably good estimate for a deluxe with 10-day park hopper (possibly with water parks and more) 8 years from now. It should be a fairly conservative estimate, so hopefully you'll come in well under-budget, but it's always better to have too much money saved than not enough!

I'd vote no on Caribbean Beach and Coronado. We've stayed at both and didn't think either were worth the price increase over a Value. Caribbean Beach's rooms were very run down and in need of refurb and that was over two years ago. Like AliceMouse said, Coronado had HORRIBLE bus service when we were there a couple of months ago. If you decide to not do deluxe, I would say one of the Port Orleans resorts or a Value to save money.

With four women and a 12 year old, I would definitely recommend accommodations that have two bathrooms. AKL is amazing and a one bedroom villa has two bathrooms, a full kitchen plus a washer & dryer. It will sleep five people. The king bedroom has a walk in shower and a jacuzzi tub. A savannah view has breathtaking scenery from a private balcony. We stayed at Kidani three times last year, once in a studio, once in a one bedroom and once in a two bedroom. Everyone who was with us loved it, from my 14 year old granddaughter to my 90 year old mother-in-law. It can get very expensive unless you rent DVC points. I have never done that but I understand there are others on the forum who have. It is a five minute bus ride to Animal Kingdom but takes a bit longer to get to the other parks. The wait times for Disney transportation is posted electronically and is frequently updated.

AoA would be perfect for you, less expensive than AKL but the Disney theme is so much fun! You can choose from family suites that feature Cars, Lion King or Finding Nemo. (Little Mermaid rooms are really cute but there are no family suites) Although there is no full kitchen or washer & dryer, there is a kitchenette with microwave, coffee maker and small fridge. There is a separate bedroom with a queen size bed. The sofa makes into a double sleeper and the kitchenette table makes into another double bed. The food court has a lot of options and is quite good. Bus transportation is excellent since it only serves AoA. This resort is very colorful and has lots of energy and excitement.

Have fun planning!!

One thing to note, POFQ only sleeps four to a room. There are rooms at POR that sleep five. I agree with five people in a room, you will want two bathrooms unless you are planning on getting two rooms. I stayed in the Lion King suite at AoA last February; and well, let's just say it was sweet.

Here's my two cents. I know this is your birthday trip. You should consider the 12 year old. At that age, she (or he) may feel too old for Cars or Finding Nemo. You may also want to look at the family suites at All Star Music. Plus, it's about $70 per night cheaper than AoA. I may get flack for this but I'm going to say it anyway.... do you want a whining pre-teen ruining your birthday trip? My friend brought her 9 year old niece on our annual trip a couple of years ago. It was not a fun experience. By the end of the week there was a lot of splitting up. The rest of us on the trip didn't want to deal with the whiny kid anymore.

Edit - I want to add that I love kids. I have a 14 YO niece and my best friend's two kids call me Aunty Jo. I would love to be at Disney with them. I smile when I see a kid meeting Mickey for the first time. When you don't have kids and are not used to traveling with kids, it's not always a magical experience.

LOL.......good point!

Even when the kids are yours, it's not always a magical experience either!

True Dat!

The value suites are pretty great on price. For example, you could squeeze into a studio at VWL, but everyone sleeps in the same room and you have one bathrooms. They sleep 5, but 2 people are on a fold out sofa and one is on a drop down bunk. It's reasonable to guesstimate that a week in a studio at WL would cost around 130 points in March. At $14/point, that would be $1820 for the week. The current rate for the AoA suites for a week in late March is $1693 for the week. (Both are 7 nights.) At AoA, you get 2 bathrooms and 3 separated sleeping areas. There's still only one "bed" (the rest are on convertible furniture), but you can spread out a little bit more.