So can you afford to go to disney again?

[glavine47]

I got this question off one of my other topics; but this statement came up twice. Has anyone in your family said this before? See, I do not think disney is not that expensive. It is basically all inclusive with meals and entertainment. Our last trip for 5 nights and 6 days ,with food and tickets was $2100.00 dollars. OH, I also forgot to mention the Disney reward points. Our last trip we had 756 points, that we took off the entire price.

[DaisyD]

Nobody has ever asked me that. We travel at least once a month to somewhere so going to WDW twice a year is nothing! I usually get comments about my frequent travel no matter where I'm going though never questioned on whether I can afford it or not. Personally WDW is a bargain compared to everywhere else we go. It is our cheapest vacation of the year!

[kellyg403]

I actually think that Disney is a good price, as OP stated with tickets, room and DPP it is all inclusive. We watch what we spend there on souveniers and basically feel like we would probably spend that much going somewhere else. Because of the size of our family, we always need 2 rooms, we always need to eat and we always want to have fun. So, combining all 3 into one vacation seems like a deal. Plus, at WDW I don't worry if there is something for everyone! My DS and I prefer the atmosphere, parades and shows, DH and teens enjoy the coasters and rides. So we all get something out of it.

Kelly

[Not so Dumbo]

MIL is alway very judgemental whenever we spend money, so Disney is no different.

[SusanMomOf2]

disney can be done with very little money or with a lot... Get a cheap hotel off site, buy a couple of tickets, and eat cheap or bring some of your own food or eat off site. It's all in how much you can spend, want to spend, and how much you want to do/eat/buy.

Noone's ever said it to me before though.

Can I afford to go again, once in the winter, once in the Spring? My husband is probably wondering that. Ahhahaha.

[twinklebug]

I agree, Disney can be as inexpensive or as expensive as you want to make it.
My parents question often how I can afford to go with the kids yearly, but I save, save, save.

I also point out to them the cost of 1 Disney vacation per year as opposed to what it would cost a family now to own an RV and take it out every other weekend and for a few weeks in the summer as they did. I think Disney is the best deal out there :goodvibes

[Vickie46]

yes.. we get this question too!

[minniebeth]

No one has actually said it, but I know it's what they're thinking!!!

[dixipixi]

We don't really get questioned a lot by family members. They know that DH and I are pretty responsible and wouldn't do it if we couldn't afford it.

I do get questioned by other people, though. They always want to know how we can afford it. Basically, they go to the Disney site, plug in their info, pick out a deluxe hotel, add tickets and food for a couple of weeks and they're shocked at the price!!!

We have vacationed in Orlando at both ends of the spectrum. We have stayed offsite, eaten cheaply, bought only the tickets we needed and had a wonderful time! We have stayed onsite in a deluxe hotel for 2 weeks, had some very nice meals, Disney APs, Orlando flextickets, the whole shebang and also had a wonderful time.

I agree with some of the other posters that Orlando is one of the best vacation bargains out there. People just have to put the effort into it.

[disneynewbee]

MIL is alway very judgemental whenever we spend money, so Disney is no different.

LOL She must be related to my mother

[mrsltg]

Oh please, my favorite is the "must be nice to be rich," comment. I CANNOT stand that!

[F1Julie]

I think most people that don't know much about WDW think it is much more expensive than it is. My ex makes comments about how can I afford WDW as often as I do. I just make sure I get a good deal. As others said, WDW can be as cheap or as expensive as you want. If you do your research, WDW is very reasonable.

[disneyfanfamily]

I think it is expensive....but my DH insists on flying. We stay for around 9-10 days, stay onsite and it is vacation - so we eat where we like and buy what we want (within reason). But you can do it much cheaper than we do! But we put money back every week for it. We just don't eat out as much as others, (extra money for Disney), we buy generic groceries (extra money for Disney) etc. etc. etc.


We only go every other year. We could definitely swing every year if we went 5 days. You do get a lot for your money.

I agree, it can be as expensive or inexpensive as you make it.

[bedgraynexl]

After our trip we got these comments. The whole "its a once in a lifetime trip" or "you were lucky to go once".
Ptooey. :rolleyes: :sad2: :snooty: :p

Anyway, we enjoy going. We can afford it. It is our money.

I think most people who say these comments are just jealous and won't plan their own Disney trip so they try to ruin the magic for others.

[Stepping off soapbox] :rolleyes1

Which reminds me I need to plan our 2007 trip
:donald: :tink: :mickeyjum :mickeybar :goofy: :sulley: :tigger: :maleficen :stitch: :simba: :figment: :ccat: :smickey:

[pezpam]

My mother never came out and asked, but obviously it was on her mind - as it is every time I travel. Why she worries when SHE was the one who raised me to be..... um... thrifty, I will never know. With a couple of trips, I made it a point to bring up the issue in a very nice way and mention how little I was paying and how I got good deals. Now I occasionally overhear her talking to her friends about how 'My daughter goes to WDW *all the time* and you wouldn't believe the deals she gets!" Well, 'all the time' may be a bit of an exaggeration, but at least she feels comfortable about my spending and doesn't worry or give me inquiring looks. She's even asked me for advice for friends of hers that were going. :)

Someday, I'll even convince her that she and Dad should join us on a trip. <grin>

[DaisyD]

I think it is expensive....but my DH insists on flying. We stay for around 9-10 days, stay onsite and it is vacation - so we eat where we like and buy what we want (within reason)..


We do the same thing as you but go on two trips a year totally at least 30 days. We fly on one trip and drive on the other. We don't have a budget to live with when we travel. Even with paying about $8000 a year on Disney trips we still feel it is cheaper then going to the ocean for the same amount of time. I pay more for an oceanfront room at a Holiday Inn then I do for a room at the Poly! LOL~

[katymae]

Every time I start to plan a trip somewhere else I figure out that it would be cheaper to go to WDW. I just think its the best vacation value around!!!

[susieq76]

My sister always makes the "must be nice to be rich" comment. :crazy2: It does tick me off. I get great deals- we don't buy a lot of crap all year (my sister has a new outfit every day!) and it is the best value for our family.

Nope, we have not redone the bathroom this year- but ya know what- my kids will only be this young once. I'll put the new jacuzzi bath in when they're in the pre-teen I-wouldn't-be-caught-dead-with-my-parents stage.

[SaraMc]

My brother makes that comment to my sister and I that it must be nice to " live high off the hog". ( My sisters family and mine travel to WDW together) and we have invited DB family several times but he thinks that its too much $$ for a vacation and that it must be nice for us to be able to afford that. When we got a new car on top of that last week you could see the jelousy in his face at Sunday dinner at my Mum's house.

[krissylynne]

I get those comments all the time. Well you just did your trip of a lifetime, why do you need to go again. How can you afford it? Why??? Does your husband make that much money? Ya know, I just booked a vacation for a family friend. They went for 6 days, and spent 2200, dinning, tickeys, so on and so forth. We are going in December for over 20 days, our cost is less than double that. It is all in the timing when you go so youcan keep it cheap. We too are getting tickets, room, and dinning.
We have another friend who spent 3000, for 10 days, she really can not understand how we go so often. I have told her also that it is all in when you go and where you stay.

I think it is just a Disney thing. How often do you hear Disney fans saying, "How can you afford to go to the beach again?" People just have a little complex about us Disney fans.

[daisyduck123]

We just bought into DVC so I know I'll get to go probably twice each year!! :cool1: :cool1:

[nyyankeegirl]

I really wish I had been on the Disboards before planning our trip. We are leaving in 28 days, and I certainly didn't get any great deals. Of course my DH won't stay anywhere unless we have a separate bedroom for the kids, so obviously that raises the cost quite a bit. So far I haven't gotten any "how can you afford that" type questions, but I think our family's know better at this point. (I think they all just think I'm spoiled- or maybe the kids are-who knows!!)
But anyway, next time I plan our trip I will defin. do a lot more research & try to find the deals.

[asktriplets]

My sister always makes the "must be nice to be rich" comment. :crazy2: It does tick me off. I get great deals- we don't buy a lot of crap all year (my sister has a new outfit every day!) and it is the best value for our family.

Nope, we have not redone the bathroom this year- but ya know what- my kids will only be this young once. I'll put the new jacuzzi bath in when they're in the pre-teen I-wouldn't-be-caught-dead-with-my-parents stage.

yes! yes! yes! i've chosen the fun,fun,fun WDW trip with my preschoolers over a new couch and family room carpet for 2 yrs. now!

also,
when my kids were 2, we took them to a "sesame street live" show (using the "cheap" tickets that required us to go to the show only an hour before the kids' bedtime)...by the time we added parking and ticketmaster charges, it cost us almost $100 AND my kids only made it through about 1/2 the show !

we compare that to a day at WDW when my kids were 2...tickets for the 2 of us were about $55-60 and the kids were free. character breakfast where the characters interacted with my kids was about $30 for dh and i, and the kids were free....SO for about the same price, we had a huge sit down breakfast and a FULL day of our choice of 3 fireworks shows, dozens of shows with the kids' favorite characters, 5 parades, photo ops with characters, and a bajillion rides all on our own schedule....no comparison!!!!

obviously, all the extras (transportation, lodging, food) can get pretty pricey, but it is still SUCH an incredible value.

take care, and have fun,

[DisneyMomx7]

Oh please, my favorite is the "must be nice to be rich," comment. I CANNOT stand that!

I get that one all the time - that and Disney again - don't you get bored? These are from the same people who spend two weeks at the Jersey shore every year! I gave up trying to explain it (APs cover two vacations, AP discounts, DDE card etc.). People really don't want to hear how affordable it can be.

[madcat]

it is expensive, but it is something that we love doing. we do have to save and save and sometimes cut corners, but we dont really think of cutting corners as a sacrifice, plus all I have to say is overtime :worship: helps out a lot!

[marcyinPA]

My Aunt asked us this very question this summer when she found out we were planning on going to Disney in May. I try to keep things from her until the last minute, but she usually finds out :rolleyes:

My DH and I have been through some tough financial times in the past (2 lay-offs and several under-paid and under-employed jobs) so it seems that family members think it is their place to question how we spend our money. :confused3 We have never missed any payments on anything and have managed to build up a decent savings, along with most recently becoming DEBT FREE!! WOO HOO :woohoo: So it's not like we've ever been irresponsible.

I try to let the comments slide, but it's hard when my Aunt makes comments like "Must be nice" and "Wish we could afford to go again so soon". They make about 3X the money we do, and they have no kids. They just choose to spend their money differently than we do (they have the huge house, luxury cars, tons of jewelry, and packages from QVC daily....). We go without all that "fluff" and make family vacations a priority. To each his own!

Try not to let comments bother you. Only you know what is right for your family and your budget. :goodvibes

[zookeeper]

I'm right there with you all! I know my MIL looks at our old couches and worn out carpet and can't believe that we would choose to live with them in exchange for having the chance to take our kids on trips (especially WDW). Sure, there are tons of ways we could use the money we save to improve the interior of our house, but it's just not that important when you compare it to the time making memories with your family. I think since DH's family never took vacations like that MIL doesn't see the "value" in it. I feel sorry for her that she feels that way. It's really sad. Plus, as another poster pointed out, there will come a day when the kids won't want to be within a 20 ft radius of their parents especially while on vacation.So I'm loving every minute while we've got it!

[Kanga1]

They make about 3X the money we do, and they have no kids. They just choose to spend their money differently than we do (they have the huge house, luxury cars, tons of, and packages from QVC daily....). We go without all that "fluff" and make family vacations a priority. To each his own!

Try not to let comments bother you. Only you know what is right for your family and your budget. :goodvibes

This is so true! I have a friend who complains about never getting to go on "fancy" vacations and she doesn't understand how we can go to Disney for 10 days every year. WELL....for one thing, her DH is really into hunting (and hunting gear etc. is VERY expensive.) My DH doesn't hunt. Her DH plays golf...mine doesn't. She is a clothes horse. I (maybe) will buy 3 outfits a YEAR and (maybe) 2 pairs of shoes. They own 2 brand new (expensive) cars and a couple of 4-wheelers. One of our cars is almost paid off...the other is an '88 Corolla. They have a swimming pool. We don't. They go to movies and ballgames on a weekly basis. We rent the $1 movies from the grocery store.

Do DH and I miss those things? No. Not in the least. So it's not like we're actually "sacrificing" anything. We enjoy our vacations and we try not to let other people's comments bother us. Have a great time! :wizard:

[shellyfive]

I never asked the people across the street if they could "afford" the new sprinkler system, my co-worker if she could "afford" the new car.......most people know what they can do with their own money.........don't sweat the ignorant ones.........jealousy rears it's ugly head once again........

[dlrhine]

We do the same thing as you but go on two trips a year totally at least 30 days. We fly on one trip and drive on the other. We don't have a budget to live with when we travel. Even with paying about $8000 a year on Disney trips we still feel it is cheaper then going to the ocean for the same amount of time. I pay more for an oceanfront room at a Holiday Inn then I do for a room at the Poly! LOL~


This is exactly what we tell family. We are from PA and the big place to vaction when you are from this area is Ocean City MD...and a room there in the middle of summer is more than Poly off season, plus the money I'll drop on the board walk is what I'd spend on Hopper passes. So I consider Disney a deal

[DisneyPhD]

We used to get that (of course back in those days we really couldn't afford to go once a year like we did.) We were in grad school and not making much $, mostly it came out of savings.

When I became a SAHM people said "Oh you wouldn't be able to afford your WDW trips anymore." No way we bought DVC before I stopped working (Paid in full.) and now our rooms are mostly paid for. With the DVC AP discount, we can get a few trips in with in 12 months. The new DDP is the biggest expense. But then there is our Disney visa and that pays for most of it.

We keep an eye out for airfare and normally never pay more then $200 per person round trip. This year we got a deal, 150 to down there, only $1 to fly home. :cheer2: (non stop Spirit Airlines.)

Also when you go often you don't feel the need to do it all, or buy it all. We take back the same souvenirs most trips, and get the kids one new thing each time. We reuse light spinners, PAL Mickey, autograph books, pressed penny books, T-Shirts, hats, a good double stroller, ponchos, Mickey rain umbrellas, good walking shoes. etc...... Take as many digital pictures we want, but don't print them all up.

We know every trick in the book, tend to either get a good deal or not do it.

Most other vacations end up costing us more then WDW, especially when we already have AP and it would be cheaper to go to WDW anyway because the tickets are paid for. :cool1:


Anyway, no one says it any more. They have given up. Most just ask us advice on who to go to WDW. :thumbsup2 I think our family and friends have finally accepted it.

[disneynewbee]

This is exactly what we tell family. We are from PA and the big place to vaction when you are from this area is Ocean City MD...and a room there in the middle of summer is more than Poly off season, plus the money I'll drop on the board walk is what I'd spend on Hopper passes. So I consider Disney a deal

I agree. We lived in MD up until recently and are now also in PA. Ocean City MD used to be our yearly vacation destination but the prices are getting so high it is now equal to the price of Disney World so that is our new yearly vacation destination. Everything at the ocean costs so much. I love the idea of paying one price and having it include everything other than purchases. We have so much more fun at Disney and pay the same price, it's an easy choice. I remember when we thought we could never afford Disney. I had heard it was so much $ and never researched it on my own. I found these boards and now I pass my wisdom that I learned here to everyone I know.

[glavine47]

We have been reading all these posts and we have never realized it ;but we have got these questions before and never realized it. I love all these comments thanks.

[DaisyD]

This is exactly what we tell family. We are from PA and the big place to vaction when you are from this area is Ocean City MD...and a room there in the middle of summer is more than Poly off season, plus the money I'll drop on the board walk is what I'd spend on Hopper passes. So I consider Disney a deal

Ocean City is our summer vacation spot and the one I was referring to when I said we spend more for a Holiday Inn at the ocean then a room at the Poly. OC is expensive for the little that you get.

[beachgrl001]

I get that one all the time - that and Disney again - don't you get bored? These are from the same people who spend two weeks at the Jersey shore every year! I gave up trying to explain it (APs cover two vacations, AP discounts, DDE card etc.). People really don't want to hear how affordable it can be.

Same here for me too. I know people who spend $2000 (at least) for a week at the shore! Especially if you want to stay in a nicer hotel that is not populated w/teenagers!

I also get-oh isnt the shore enough???- (my dad has a house down there so we are there most weekends or he gets mad that its not being used) I just reply- dont you get sick of the boardwalk???-

[G8RFAN]

In all of our vacations, airfare and transportation represent a very large portion of our budget, except when we drive to WDW. With AP's, rack discounts, DVC, we generally have very inexpensive vacations compared to when we fly out to other venues. The key thing is keeping your transportation expense low.

[marcyinPA]

This is exactly what we tell family. We are from PA and the big place to vaction when you are from this area is Ocean City MD...and a room there in the middle of summer is more than Poly off season, plus the money I'll drop on the board walk is what I'd spend on Hopper passes. So I consider Disney a deal
Amen!! We go to Ocean City on our "off-season" (off from Disney that is) and I've often thought to myself "Why are we doing this? It costs more to go to O.C. than it does to go to Disney!!" (of course, this doesn't include airfare...the only thing that makes OC affordable for us is that we drive there).

My kids enjoy going to the beach so I suck it up, but honestly, I'd rather go to WDW every year!

[pixidust princess]

Everyone is right, you can go on a budget, our you can go all out. It just depends on what works for you at the time. When we went in July 06 money was no option, as my father has just died and left us some money. When we returned from the trip, I realized how much I missed by never going on vacation with my parents as a child, so dh and I decided we could do disney every other year. We are already booked for May 2008 at WL. Planning a vacation also helps me curb my spending in other areas that are not as important (does my ds7 really need clothes from abercrombie kids). It has made me realize the time with my family is worth more than the money we spend on small things throughout the years. I will never forget their faces as we walked down mainstreet usa for the first time, but I will forget about the toys and clothes we sell at a yard sale for $1.00

princess: me pirate: dh :wave: ds 7 :wave: ds3

[mermaidlagoon]

We save our miles for funerals or WDW. My dd was a cast member and that really helped $$$$. I learned alot tho about how to best book value seaon(first day at value ,rest is at value), eat 2 meals and dessert for dinner, etc. I have another dd who is 9 so we have gone frequently , but my son has Downs so he will always be as much into it as us. Our family just got back from CA and dh company is sending him to Orlando, paying his air , room and meals etc :goodvibes . He will be going to conference but we are taking dd out of scool again(ouch) , and using miles for us , we even have days left on passes , we cant really afford it but cannot afford to pass it up ,plus dd still is in Orlando. Now if I can figure out bucks for MVMCP and food popcorn:: :lmao: in parks ........ suggestions needed please....?????

[chobie]

We live in Florida an my family members keep demanding to kow why we don't go the keys sometime instead of WDW. Well, for one thing my DD does not like beaches, the hotels there are more expensive then I can get with Fla rate at WDW and by the time you pay for galss bottom boat rides and other sightseeing things --well you've spent as much if not more than WDW with a seasonal pass. Plus, we LIKE going to WDW!

[bradshaw9499]

We are a young family, trying to buy into a business, and I stay at home with my kids. Obviously, we're on a tight budget. But I made our reservations earlier in the year when things were a little easier and couldn't bear to cancel when money became tight. As it turned out, my son needed heart surgery this year and the money I was planning to spend on our WDW vacation is now going toward medical bills. No problem. This year, the vacation is going on the credit card. We are all going to have a great week that we really need. Plus, we'll be suprising DS for his 5th birthday. There's no way I'd miss out on waking him up on his birthday to tell him we are going to see Mickey Mouse!

I'm sure my family is thinking, "Where are they getting the money to go?". I don't think they necessarily need to know that we actually don't have the money right now. However, I can't believe they'd falut us for taking this trip. And maybe we don't get to go back for 5 years. I'm okay with that. But I KNOW we'll make it back sooner rather than later!