Disney is cheaper than going to the beach

[loveysbydesign]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I was speaking with someone today who just got back from a week at the Jersey shore with his wife and son. He was telling me that they had fun but it was so expensive. Between the house rental, meals, Boardwalk entertainment, water park, etc., they spent about $3,500.

I couldn't help but tell him that my wife and daughter and I just got back from a week (actually over a week) in Disney World and spent under $2,500.

I'm always amazed how many people perceive Disney as being unaffordable, only to go and take a trip that is actually considerably more expensive. Of course, Disney won't ever promote this fact because doing Disney cheap involves things like staying off-site and eating at least some meals off-site which doesn't benefit Disney at all.

It's just a shame that folks like this don't take their families to Disney when they actually could perfectly well. Disney can be an affordable vacation. Sure, you can spend bundles of money if you want to but you can also do it for a lot less if you need to. And I'd take a week at Disney over a week at the beach any day.

ITA!!!! My dh and I say this all the time! People are like how can you afford to go to WDW and we're like well it costs less then what you spend in 1 week at the NJ shore and we get sooooo much more for our $$$(more bang for our buck), plus we always plan a day trip to one of the FL beaches while we are at WDW(and the Fl beaches are sooo much nicer than the NJ beaches!)

[ceecee]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Exactly. Many people have the perception that a week at Disney is way more than it actually is. I've spoken to people who were assuming it would be a $5,000 trip for them to take their family. They were pleasantly surprised when I told them they could easily do 2 weeks for less than that much.

Over the years I've spoken to many people who wanted to go and thought they couldn't afford it when in reality it was no more expensive, or even less expensive, than vacations they were already taking.

I have found that as well. People just assume WDW is expensive. Even when you try to explain. My neighbor said she only wanted to do Disney if they could do it right and spend 10,000.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by ceecee

My neighbor said she only wanted to do Disney if they could do it right and spend 10,000.

I guess we've been doing it wrong all these years.

ETA: Actually, I'd love to take a 10K trip to Disney because that would mean we were staying for 4-5 weeks.

[*pixie*dust*]

I agree with the OP. Here in Michigan, my friend and her family rented a basic condo in South Haven on Lake Michigan for a week and spent $3500 just for the condo! And while the complex is on the lake, her unit wasn't beach front or anything. DS and I can do Disney for a week (with flight) for WAY less.

[4GoofyCrew]

I have had several people comment on how they 'wish they could afford to take their kids to Disney'. The comments started before we even took our first trip with the kids. And, let me tell you, we got some strange reactions when we went back a second time earlier this year.

People automatically assume that Disney is expensive. Yes, it can be. However, planning ahead and going in the off-season definitely can make it possible for a lot of families.

Both of our trips were 7 days, value resort, free dining plan (one table, one quick). We never felt as if we were doing Disney 'cheap', we were just doing Disney! Sure, I would love to stay at the Grand Floridian someday but honestly, I could go to Disney twice for the price of staying there once, so why would I want to do that? We spend little to no time in our rooms so 'luxury' isn't important to me. Plus, we are used to camping, so staying in a value resort IS luxury!

Our first trip, including round trip airfare from the midwest to Orlando, cost $2,500 for the entire week. Airfare, lodging, tickets, transportation and food. The trip this year cost $3,000 thanks in part to rising airfare and changes in the free dining offer (we had to upgrade our free dining to include table service...ok, so I guess I do like luxury a bit...fast food for a week is NOT a vacation to me...)

Anyway, these same people who so desperately want to go to Disney (hey, not everyone does and that is PERFECTLY fine too!) don't realize that they spend the same, or more, on their other yearly vacations. It IS doable if you really want to do it. And it does NOT mean you have to stay off-site or never eat a nice meal (hello - La Celliere, Biergarten, CRT, etc.).

I am already searching for a third trip with the kiddos...can't wait to hear what they have to say about us now!

[eliza61]

I don't know Steve, People that go to the jersey shore are not going there because of the cost. Sorry, I live here in South Jersey and the Jersey shore is a tradition. You could give away a trip to Disney and they would still pick the Jersey shore. Never could understand it because imo Jersey beaches are not that spectacular, but I'm telling you they flock to the shore like salmon returning upstream to spawn. I'm sitting here in Au bon Par, waiting for the traffic to the shore to let up.

Now for the way I travel disney is very expensive. I went to Paris france for 5 days, stayed in a true deluxe resort, ate way better food and went to Disneyland Paris for almost the same cost as what it cost us to stay at the Grand floridian and that was with airfare from Philly.

just depends. Now if she spent 3500 for a week at Ocean city, she went top shelf. I've done Jersey shore for 700 bucks this summer for a week. The beach is just like Disney, you can spend a bunch or a little.

[disney1990]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I was speaking with someone today who just got back from a week at the Jersey shore with his wife and son. He was telling me that they had fun but it was so expensive. Between the house rental, meals, Boardwalk entertainment, water park, etc., they spent about $3,500.

I couldn't help but tell him that my wife and daughter and I just got back from a week (actually over a week) in Disney World and spent under $2,500.

I'm always amazed how many people perceive Disney as being unaffordable, only to go and take a trip that is actually considerably more expensive. Of course, Disney won't ever promote this fact because doing Disney cheap involves things like staying off-site and eating at least some meals off-site which doesn't benefit Disney at all.

It's just a shame that folks like this don't take their families to Disney when they actually could perfectly well. Disney can be an affordable vacation. Sure, you can spend bundles of money if you want to but you can also do it for a lot less if you need to. And I'd take a week at Disney over a week at the beach any day.

We used to spend a week in Ocean City, Maryland, in the summer -- until we found it was less expensive to vacation at Disney World.

[tink_n_pooh]

Originally Posted by MrsPete

But if you're renting a place at the beach, you don't have to pay for the beach ALSO, do you?

There are not many places you can rent right on the beach at the Jersey shore. LBI is the exception to this rule

[bookluvingbabe]

My boss has a beach condo that he loans out at no cost so we can do a week at the beach for the cost of getting there. We spent $500 on dining out, dining in (some of which we would have done at home), ice cream and video games and had a great time.

I can't do a week at Disney for $500 for 3 people no matter how I slice it!

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by eliza61

I don't know Steve, People that go to the jersey shore are not going there because of the cost. Sorry, I live here in South Jersey and the Jersey shore is a tradition. You could give away a trip to Disney and they would still pick the Jersey shore.

Sure that is true of some. I'm not talking about those people. I'm talking about the ones who would like to go to Disney but think they can't afford it but proceed to spend just as much if not more to spend a week at the shore.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by bookluvingbabe

My boss has a beach condo that he loans out at no cost so we can do a week at the beach for the cost of getting there. We spent $500 on dining out, dining in (some of which we would have done at home), ice cream and video games and had a great time.

I can't do a week at Disney for $500 for 3 people no matter how I slice it!

We've done even better than that. My boss has a house near Atlantic City. We've stayed there for free, eaten at the casinos using reward credits earned while gambling, won money and come home with more money than we left with.

[BeachLove]

Yup, Disney is sometimes a more affordable vacation option. My cousin just took her 2 kids to the beach and just the hotel ran just over 2k for two queen beds, ocean view. Daily activities cost her between $100-200 day. It was either $100 on games for a night, $130 per day for a water park. $20 on arcade games, then laser tag stuff and just other little things that added up. She let me know all about the cost....over and over again.

Then again she could have gone to the beach each day instead of finding other things to do.

[ilovemk76]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I was speaking with someone today who just got back from a week at the Jersey shore with his wife and son. He was telling me that they had fun but it was so expensive. Between the house rental, meals, Boardwalk entertainment, water park, etc., they spent about $3,500.

I couldn't help but tell him that my wife and daughter and I just got back from a week (actually over a week) in Disney World and spent under $2,500.

I'm always amazed how many people perceive Disney as being unaffordable, only to go and take a trip that is actually considerably more expensive. Of course, Disney won't ever promote this fact because doing Disney cheap involves things like staying off-site and eating at least some meals off-site which doesn't benefit Disney at all.

It's just a shame that folks like this don't take their families to Disney when they actually could perfectly well. Disney can be an affordable vacation. Sure, you can spend bundles of money if you want to but you can also do it for a lot less if you need to. And I'd take a week at Disney over a week at the beach any day.

I am sure they could have done the beach or cheaper too. They could have stayed a mile away from the beach rather than on the beach (on-site vs. off-site). They could have driven for a few mile away from the beach to eat or cooked in their rental house. That may not be the vacation they wanted.

When we vacation at the beach we want to be on the beach with access to a private beach (less crowded and they supply umbrella, chairs, towels and the like). We do not want to drive to go to dinner or to get to the beach.

When we vacation at WDW we want to be on the WDW property with access to EMHs. We do not want to drive to go to dinner or to get to the parks, so we take the bus.

Do you see the likeness between the two vacations?

[disykat]

I agree that it's POSSIBLE for WDW to be less expensive than the beach, but it's really about the choices you make.

We are budget travelers. For us, WDW involves an airplane ride, a budget friendly hotel with no cooking facilities, and park tickets. For us, the beach involves driving our own car four or five hours, staying a few blocks off the beach, cooking many of our own meals, and spending most of our time on the beach or hiking - all free activities. The beach is a budget friendly option for us we do often, WDW is something we do every 10 years because it takes up our "once every year or so big trip" spot.

Sure, if you stay at equivalent hotels, eat equivalent meals, and pay lots of individual entry fees to entertainment, WDW can become a good deal.

[ceecee]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I guess we've been doing it wrong all these years.

ETA: Actually, I'd love to take a 10K trip to Disney because that would mean we were staying for 4-5 weeks.

I'm with you on that one...we usually stay 10 nights. I would LOVE 5 weeks!!!