Disney vacation costs HOW MUCH!!!!!!

[eliza61]

Also I think the amount of time you are suggesting they save for it maybe throwing them off.
I don't have endless supplies of vacation funds either but I know it would be hard for me to wrap my head around a vacation that I have to wait 2 years for.

Even with disney, dh and I would think, uhm in two years the kids may not even be interested in disney.

Good luck, the great thing is that 2 years is far enough in advance where you can make tentative plans, tell them about them and it not really effect you if they change their minds.

 

[goofyintoronto]

TIP: Keep reading these boards!!

IMHO, I would cabash the idea considering their reaction. Give in once, and by the time you're packing, it'll be their vacation with you going along

Yup I agree. I'd squash these plans. Not sure id wanna vacation with them after that reaction.

 

[mikron]

We bought into Disney DVC in 2004 and have never looked back. We also have a motor coach and stay at the fort. We feel the fort is much more expensive then the resorts with us bring our $65,000.00 rig and paying Disney an average of $100,00 per night to park it.

But we would not and will not give it up as life is short and we work hard to afford what we have and do. Only go this way once and to your friend, Disney is like no other vacation.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I honestly hope they won't go if they want to go off site or downsize the trip.

I think they have difficulty with saving and use their extra money for things that don't interest me.

I think you've hit on a couple things there. No two families like to travel exactly the same way, even to the same destination. Shoot, just read a few threads on this board and you'll see tons of folks who struggle to get their own spouses and kids to agree on how to do their trip or even where to go. I know for us, we'd rather do two budget trips than one "all out" trip that required two years of saving.

The second sentence just backs this up IMO. Different strokes.

 

[PatsGirl]

Personally, I don't think a WDW vacation is any more expensive than my other vacations I do (Isle Mujeres/Cancun/Universal/cruises)...of course, we almost always stay at a value during free dining and we spend no money on souveniers and stuff like that This year, we are headed to Universal for HHN for six nights, airfare for six was $1200, Floridays condo (3B/3B) is $153 per night, and park tickets for 14 days UO/W&W/and one night of HHN are $220 each. We'll stock the fridge for breakfast and snacks. So $620 pp plus lunch and dinner. Not bad for six nights

 

[Christine]

Personally, I don't think a WDW vacation is any more expensive than my other vacations I do (Isle Mujeres/Cancun/Universal/cruises)...of course, we almost always stay at a value during free dining and we spend no money on souveniers and stuff like that This year, we are headed to Universal for HHN for six nights, airfare for six was $1200, Floridays condo (3B/3B) is $153 per night, and park tickets for 14 days UO/W&W/and one night of HHN are $220 each. We'll stock the fridge for breakfast and snacks. So $620 pp plus lunch and dinner. Not bad for six nights

I agree that *my* Disney vacations are often the same as, or cheaper than a week at the beach. However, I do not stay in deluxes so that makes a difference.

I can rent a condo at the beach and it runs me about $3,000 per week, if not more, for the quality of what I get in and around Disney. I then add in my dining out in that area which is also expensive. But, I can drive there so that saves me.

Our Disney trips involve either staying at the Shades of Green, which is VERY reasonable, or lately, getting an offsite house which has been a godsend with teenagers (and they want to always bring a friend!). Very, very inexpensive.

Because my husband is retired military, we usually get a great deal on 5 day park hoppers. Then food is food, no matter where you travel. We also don't do souveniers, nor are we having lots of snacks.

Getting to WDW is most often my big expense. Last year was the first year I drove and that did save me quite a bit. Not sure I want to do that again though.

All in all, it is the same or even a tad bit cheaper than some other vacations, but I go high on the hog on those other vacations. Other people just do things like weekend trips, or camping, so Disney can be very expensive to them.

 

[eliza61]

Personally, I don't think a WDW vacation is any more expensive than my other vacations I do (Isle Mujeres/Cancun/Universal/cruises)...of course, we almost always stay at a value during free dining and we spend no money on souveniers and stuff like that This year, we are headed to Universal for HHN for six nights, airfare for six was $1200, Floridays condo (3B/3B) is $153 per night, and park tickets for 14 days UO/W&W/and one night of HHN are $220 each. We'll stock the fridge for breakfast and snacks. So $620 pp plus lunch and dinner. Not bad for six nights

I think it depends. sure a Disney vacation can be done cheaply but my family and I went to FRANCE, for what we spend at Disney.

So yeah a Disney vacation can be costly. It depends on how you travel.

See that's the problem sure I can go rock bottom but I would be miserable. I hate the values, I'm not lugging snacks, water and lunch to the parks and we love to eat a big breakfast.

I listen to some suggestions on the budget board and truthfully I'd rather stay home if I had to do some of the things people do to get to Disney. NOT saying it's wrong just that in my world "cheaply" does not always equal a good vacation.

I'm going to London/Paris this may, the trip is running us about 1700 per person which if I didn't have my dvc is what I would have spent on Disney and my hotel is 2000% better and my food is almost guaranteed to be better! well at least in Paris it will be. LOL.

So personally I don't think people compare their Disney vacations equally.

You go to the beach and stay at a 3 bedroom condo. try paying for that at Disney.

Many people go to Disney and have to wait for free dining. Try paying opp for your food like you do at the beach. see how quickly the price ramps up at the world. Many people do all those neat tricks like sharing meals, only eating counter service etc etc.

Why do they do it? simply because Disney is outrageously expensive and probably out of their budget if they did not.

So if you compare do it equally.

 

[torinsmom]

Maybe you could offer to help them plan their trip within their budget? That would probably be best. I have a hard time spending a lot on accommodations, since we tend to spend very little time there. We stay offsite, where we have our own bedrooms and bathrooms and a private pool to relax in for the price of a value. I know people who balk at what we pay for Disney. They chose to ride buses for 45 minutes to avoid paying for parking, which I think is crazy, and stayed in a roach motel. Time is money to me and you can't put a price on that first hour in the parks, and I do want to sleep in comfort at night.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I think it depends. sure a Disney vacation can be done cheaply but my family and I went to FRANCE, for what we spend at Disney.

So yeah a Disney vacation can be costly. It depends on how you travel.

See that's the problem sure I can go rock bottom but I would be miserable. I hate the values, I'm not lugging snacks, water and lunch to the parks and we love to eat a big breakfast.

I listen to some suggestions on the budget board and truthfully I'd rather stay home if I had to do some of the things people do to get to Disney. NOT saying it's wrong just that in my world "cheaply" does not always equal a good vacation.[\b]

I'm going to London/Paris this may, the trip is running us about 1700 per person which if I didn't have my dvc is what I would have spent on Disney and my hotel is 2000% better and my food is almost guaranteed to be better! well at least in Paris it will be. LOL.

So personally I don't think people compare their Disney vacations equally.

You go to the beach and stay at a 3 bedroom condo. try paying for that at Disney.

Many people go to Disney and have to wait for free dining. Try paying opp for your food like you do at the beach. see how quickly the price ramps up at the world. Many people do all those neat tricks like sharing meals, only eating counter service etc etc.

Why do they do it? simply because Disney is outrageously expensive and probably out of their budget if they did not.

So if you compare do it equally.

You make a lot of great points, but I did want to address the idea of "rather stay home than do it on the cheap". While I understand the sentiment, I also think that's usually the kind or statement that comes from someone who has the means to travel more luxuriously. When you're actually faced with the possibility of perhaps having to stay home instead of vacation, it really changes your priorities

 

[Katy Belle]

I'm planning a four day trip to Branson Missouri and its going to be close to what a Disney trip is! Maybe they don't vacation at all? Seriously...hotel room, a show ever day, mini golf, go-carts, wax museum... it all adds up. Disney is expensive, but vacationing, in general, is expensive! Part of it is just that people tend to stay longer at Disney!

 

[ilovemk76]

This is what friends said to me when we asked them to go with us in 2015. They have no idea about the cost because they have never been. We would love to have them come with us, but we will be staying at the cabins and we know they would love it like we do. So now they are thinking we should price the values or stay offsite. How do you explain that they have 2 years to save up ? Do any of you run into this and what have you said. They almost made me feel foolish for spending that much money for a vacation.

The number of years they have to save has no bearing on what they want to spend on the trip.

Why does it have to be the cabins for them just because you want the cabins. Let them stay where they want.

The first thing that we talk about is how much is the max you want to spend. Then I ask, where would you like to stay and on. If their hotel/resort choice is more than they can spend, then we discuss that.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm planning a four day trip to Branson Missouri and its going to be close to what a Disney trip is! Maybe they don't vacation at all? Seriously...hotel room, a show ever day, mini golf, go-carts, wax museum... it all adds up. Disney is expensive, but vacationing, in general, is expensive! Part of it is just that people tend to stay longer at Disney!

Branson is expensive for all the same reasons as Disney - almost everything you do comes with a price tag. Same is true of Wisconsin Dells, and I assume the same of Gatlinburg, Sandusky, and other similar vacations. There are lots of places though that can be done MUCH cheaper.

 

[Fire14]

I personally have issues paying more for less at Disney cabins. I will usually stay Value as I am rarely in room except to sleep and Shower, I occasionally will spluge on a moderate but I have a hard time spending more to stay in cabins. Granted in nondisney world I'm happy with super 8, the few times I stayed at marriot I hated it, felt really out of place.

 

[eliza61]

You make a lot of great points, but I did want to address the idea of "rather stay home than do it on the cheap". While I understand the sentiment, I also think that's usually the kind or statement that comes from someone who has the means to travel more luxuriously. When you're actually faced with the possibility of perhaps having to stay home instead of vacation, it really changes your priorities

Actually I think it's comes more from experience and knowing what works.
I've been on the "no" vacation side many many times and truthfully I've always been the type where I rather wait than just go to say I went on vacation.

For example, I know my family tried the values. We were absolutely miserable Now what sense is there to spend a thousand dollars to take a cheap vacation and be miserable?

Nope, we quickly learned that we'd rather wait 2,3, 4 years and stay how we want.

For us we have some things that we feel are "non" bendable. Now other areas are totally wide open, off site is totally wonderful so that's one area that we can compromise on.

We have had times when staycations were what we did simply because from experience we knew that if we made cuts we were always left disappointed.

I think just over the years we've figured out what issues made our vacations memorable and what items made our vacations stink.

Another example happen early last year, dh was feeling pretty good and some one gave us the opportunity to do the Alaskan cruise which we both wanted to do. We really couldn't swing the type of cabin we wanted. We toyed with the idea of moving down 2 cabin grades to an interior but in the long run we knew that we would both be unhappy with that cabin. We passed.
I'm still planning on doing the cruise with my sons but I'll save until we can get the cabin we like

 

[PatsGirl]

So yeah a Disney vacation can be costly. It depends on how you travel.

See that's the problem sure I can go rock bottom but I would be miserable. I hate the values, I'm not lugging snacks, water and lunch to the parks and we love to eat a big breakfast.

I listen to some suggestions on the budget board and truthfully I'd rather stay home if I had to do some of the things people do to get to Disney. NOT saying it's wrong just that in my world "cheaply" does not always equal a good vacation.



.

I absolutely agree that you need to compare apples to apples and I am also one that believes "cheaply" does not always equal a good vacation. That being said, while we most often stay in values at around $69/night (try to beat that price anywhere!), we do not lug our water, snacks, and lunch with us at WDW although when we do a beach vacation we often pack a cooler for lunch because that's what we LIKE to do and it is rare for us to stay in a resort atmosphere if we are doing amusement parks commando.

I'd have a hard time skimping the way some do but no problem at all with sharing meals with DD so we can both have appetizers and dessert...rather share than throw away honestly and its more about that than the $$.

So, it is a matter of personal preference and of course, like another pp relayed, each persons' idea of luxury and/or fun is subjective. My only point was that you can do WDW without splitting a pb&j between two kids, drinking foul bubbler FL water, and sleeping three to a bed and still have a great, not so expensive, vacation.

 

[DebbieB]

No rule says you have to stay at the same place. I went on a friend's birthday trip and our group stayed in 3 different places. She and her family stayed at FW in their RV, sister and husband stayed at All Star, me and another friend stayed at AKV. We just met up at the chosen park each morning.

Also, no rule that everyone has to do the same thing the whole time. I think a mistake alot of people make with group trips is expecting everyone to want to do the same thing. When I go with friends, even though we are in the same room we have a rule that everyone is free to do something different at any time, no hard feelings.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Actually I think it's comes more from experience and knowing what works.
I've been on the "no" vacation side many many times and truthfully I've always been the type where I rather wait than just go to say I went on vacation.

For example, I know my family tried the values. We were absolutely miserable Now what sense is there to spend a thousand dollars to take a cheap vacation and be miserable?

Nope, we quickly learned that we'd rather wait 2,3, 4 years and stay how we want.

For us we have some things that we feel are "non" bendable. Now other areas are totally wide open, off site is totally wonderful so that's one area that we can compromise on.

We have had times when staycations were what we did simply because from experience we knew that if we made cuts we were always left disappointed.

I think just over the years we've figured out what issues made our vacations memorable and what items made our vacations stink.

Another example happen early last year, dh was feeling pretty good and some one gave us the opportunity to do the Alaskan cruise which we both wanted to do. We really couldn't swing the type of cabin we wanted. We toyed with the idea of moving down 2 cabin grades to an interior but in the long run we knew that we would both be unhappy with that cabin. We passed.
I'm still planning on doing the cruise with my sons but I'll save until we can get the cabin we like

True enough - everyone has their own lines to draw about what is and isn't acceptable, and what sacrifices are too much before the trip is no longer desirable. Hopefully, you and your sons will get to do that cruise before long and to do it up right just as you and your husband would have liked

 

[rebeccalizzie]

You make a lot of great points, but I did want to address the idea of "rather stay home than do it on the cheap". While I understand the sentiment, I also think that's usually the kind or statement that comes from someone who has the means to travel more luxuriously. When you're actually faced with the possibility of perhaps having to stay home instead of vacation, it really changes your priorities

Not for everyone We are a single income family, and my DH is a police officer, so we obviously don't have the means to travel luxuriously

There is no WAY we would squish our family of 5 into one small room and bring PB and J into the park. That's not a vacation, that would be just miserable for us, so I truly would rather stay home if that's the only way we can afford Disney. And that's what we've done so far--This is our first big family vacation since we got married 12 years ago