What is the value in a Disney vacation?

[DeanDoug]

Hi, everyone.
This may seem like a basic question, but what is the value in a Disney vacation? We know that Disney vacations are costly- but we choose to spend the money anyway. So, why do we do it? What value/benefits do you get from going to Disney?

 

[mrsklamc]

That is a different answer for every Disney fan I know.

 

[hsmamato2]

I would answer with a question,what is the value of ANY vacation? I personally spend my 'extra' money on trips,experiences, things that aren't necessarily what other people choose to spend on... Disney and otherwise- for us it's either experiencing something new and different,or experiencing something 'traditional' that we have all loved for many years (read: WDW) I place a lot of value on trips big and small- and spend my money accordingly,vs. in other ways.

 

[pearlieq]

This will sound odd, but compared to a lot of other options, Disney is a relatively "cheap" vacation. That makes it an attractive option. Where else are you going to get a full day of high-quality entertainment for $60ish/day? We saw a show in Vegas last week and the tickets were twice that for a 90 minute performance.

It's also fairly "easy" as vacations go. Sure, you can research until your eyes go crossed, but really it's pretty easy to put yourself in Disney's hands from the moment you get off the plane. There's not much worry about "what are we going to do today?" at WDW.

Cheap & easy are a big part of the value for me!

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I have a tendency to compare a WDW vacation to other vacations if you are asking about their value. If you are discussing value in a monetary way WDW vacations can be less expensive than other vacations due to discounts that can be found, staying offsite, no dining plan, etc.

As far as a "personal" type of value, I have had other vacations that I enjoy and are glad that I have taken, but aren't quite as much fun as WDW. I am lucky enough not to have to choose one vacation over the other, I can take more than one a year. If I did choose from one trip a year I would visit WDW every other year and see some of the rest of America on the other vacations.

 

[eliza61]

That is a different answer for every Disney fan I know.

So true.

For me and the way my family travels disney is not an inexpensive trip. I usually can get to Europe for the price I pay for a disney vacation but I totally realize this is because I choose to go deluxe. So when I compare disney to my other vacations disney usually comes up short. for example if I compare a disney deluxe to just about any other hotel at the same price point. Disney deluxes usually get blown out of the water. So I generally don't compare. same thing with dining. Yes I could probably eat on a shoe string at the world but for the meals we like they are generally 2 ts (no value there) signature dining.

I unfortunately am on the down side of my love affair as the cost is no longer giving me the same value. I'm lucky in that I have a dvc so we generally consider our disney trips simple weekend getaways not vacations.

I do still love the world to put it a nutshell, disney soothes my soul. It constantly reminds me of happy times. I love the attention to details in the parks.

 

[danceintherain]

I would answer with a question,what is the value of ANY vacation? I personally spend my 'extra' money on trips,experiences, things that aren't necessarily what other people choose to spend on... Disney and otherwise- for us it's either experiencing something new and different,or experiencing something 'traditional' that we have all loved for many years (read: WDW) I place a lot of value on trips big and small- and spend my money accordingly,vs. in other ways.

This will sound odd, but compared to a lot of other options, Disney is a relatively "cheap" vacation. That makes it an attractive option. Where else are you going to get a full day of high-quality entertainment for $60ish/day? We saw a show in Vegas last week and the tickets were twice that for a 90 minute performance.

It's also fairly "easy" as vacations go. Sure, you can research until your eyes go crossed, but really it's pretty easy to put yourself in Disney's hands from the moment you get off the plane. There's not much worry about "what are we going to do today?" at WDW.

Cheap & easy are a big part of the value for me!

I have a tendency to compare a WDW vacation to other vacations if you are asking about their value. If you are discussing value in a monetary way WDW vacations can be less expensive than other vacations due to discounts that can be found, staying offsite, no dining plan, etc.

As far as a "personal" type of value, I have had other vacations that I enjoy and are glad that I have taken, but aren't quite as much fun as WDW. I am lucky enough not to have to choose one vacation over the other, I can take more than one a year. If I did choose from one trip a year I would visit WDW every other year and see some of the rest of America on the other vacations.

Yup. I pretty much price out a different vacation every year, and Disney almost always comes out cheaper. Sure, there are vacations that can cost less, but their inclusions are less substantial. For example, I could go and spend a week on the beach, but if I want to do anything other than sit on the beach while I'm there, I'll pay a premium for it.
One of the things I've been looking into lately is Mackinac Island in Michigan. Once I throw everything we'd want to do while we were there, it's easily as expensive as Disney, especially if we stay in one of the nicer hotels and much less convenient.

I'm going to an all-inclusive resort in Cancun with my Mom for her 50th birthday this summer, and for 4 adults the cost is right around $4000. Most of that is prepaid with a very restrictive cancellation policy. I could have probably planned Disney for less than that, but she wanted the beach. I spent hours sifting through various different deals, and I'm still not even sure that we got the best one, but I can't change it now.

Then there's the fact that I have a 2 year old right now. He hasn't been to Disney since he was 3 months old, and he's going to flip when we get there. It will be so convenient. If we went pretty much anywhere else, we might have to deal with driving ourselves to unfamiliar places for significant distances. At Disney, we can hop on the bus and play as a family until we get to the parks.
Our last vacation was a house rental on a beach in the Philippines. Since we lived in South Korea at the time, it was a very inexpensive vacation (less than $2000 for a week). However, getting there was an adventure. We wanted to be kind of off the beaten path. So we ended up with a 4 hour off-road drive out into the middle of nowhere with a 1 year old. We could have done a more popular area, but we would not have gotten the experience we wanted, and it would have been more expensive.

The value for me is how much I get for my money and the convenience. I can plan a Disney vacation in my sleep (my Disney dreams have already started for my next trip). Everything else requires a lot of research to find what I want, and even then I can't be sure of what I'm getting until I get there.

 

[ssawka]

For me, the value is in seeing my DD's huge smile when she's in a place that she loves so much! I don't see as big a smile anywhere else. DD has special needs and at Disney she just gets to be a "normal" kid, even if it is just for a few days a year.

 

[momof1princess]

for us, the value is happiness. we LOVE disney world, and going there makes us happy. planning is easy, we know where we want to stay, where we want to eat, and what we want to do, so there's no stress. we just go, and do what we want.

 

[tzolkin]

For my family there really is a "magic" to it, everyone is very happy and relaxed there (both at the parks and the resorts), we enjoy the atmosphere and the details (which are lacking many other places), there are plenty of different experiences to have each trip, and we enjoy the comfort of the familiar things again and again. It has also been interesting to see how things change (or stay the same) as my kids have grown. (First trip my youngest was a baby, last trip my oldest was a teenager)

On the practical side... It's relatively easy to plan. We all enjoy the planning and it's nice to me that I can find practically any detail I'm looking for here. I enjoy being familiar with everything and that leads to less stress/anxiety when I am there. It's also a good monetary value for us. We always go for about two weeks, and for the same price we could maybe go to an amusement park or something for two weekends. We are talking a non-Disney trip to FL next month and for one week (staying with family the second week) it's costing us more than two weeks at Disney.

On a personal note... Disney is a place of wonderful childhood memories for me. Having one parent who is a workaholic and never around and another who has severe mental illness, almost all of the truly happy times I remember are us spending time together and being "normal" at Disney. I enjoy reliving those feelings while I'm there and I know that I am making some wonderful memories for my own children now.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

The ability to spend a week together without wanting to kill one another is priceless

 

[davedmaine]

Hi, everyone.
This may seem like a basic question, but what is the value in a Disney vacation? We know that Disney vacations are costly- but we choose to spend the money anyway. So, why do we do it? What value/benefits do you get from going to Disney?

Why do you ask? If you're in financial dire straits, don't go. Seems like there's some rationalizing going on

 

[JoiseyMom]

Hi, everyone.
This may seem like a basic question, but what is the value in a Disney vacation? We know that Disney vacations are costly- but we choose to spend the money anyway. So, why do we do it? What value/benefits do you get from going to Disney?

Memories..wonderful wonderful memories. This is the one vacation spot both my kids love, and where all four of us can enjoy ourselves. The rides, attractions, characters. We have fun, decent food. We have had so many different magical moments, especially when my kids were younger.

It's a place my teenager still wants to go to! LOL..she doesn't want to do anything these days..

 

[Sam81]

It is a very different answer for most people. I think Disney has a shelf-life. When our children were small they loved the rides, characters, fireworks, etc...As they got older they valued sleep, surfing and girls. So we went to Europe and that is our current vacation for July and Hilton Head in August.

I'm not overly concerned on the price as long as my family is having a good time.

 

[jmartinez1895]

For s it is the joy in our children. One of children is medically fragile and Disney is one of the only laces that we can go and have a good time while still having most i=of his needs taken care of.

 

[hops&dreams]

For me, the value is in the magic. By the time we get there, there are no dinner plans to squabble about, no "omg, we're going to be LATE!" or "You took a wrong turn!"

To me, once I get off that plane, everything is already taken care of and set out for me on a platter! All the enjoyment is ours for the taking. If we want to stop riding rides and watch a show, eat cotton candy, etc, we will. For us, worry stops once we step onto the Magical Express - it transports us to a place where a wrong decision isn't "wrong" it's just a new, unexpected experience.

There's no other place/vacation that gives us that feeling.

And I am able to plan most of that stuff ahead of time, as there is an awesome community of people to help answer all my questions and tips to read about how to maximize the experience. There's no other vacation destination that's as talked about as WDW, that I know of.

So, yes, I choose to pay the $$$ for low effort, maximum enjoyment. It's worth every penny!

 

[Lisa71]

Pixie dust! Family vacations geared towards family time.

 

[Pesky]

I agree with pps that individual reasons will vary greatly. But I think overall that Disney is really one of the only parks to offer a truly high-quality immersive experience. Seriously, how many places theme the trashcans and bathrooms? How many have strict rules about employees in one land's garb crossing another? It's all to maintain the experience, the show. That costs money. There you go.

With that said, I do choose to go to other places on vacation as well but each choice is for a different reason.

 

[blessedby3]

It is truely a magical place for our family and holds tons of memories as we have been going there with our kids for the past 21 years, and DH and I honeymooned there as well. I grew up in FL and went many times right after they opened and until we moved in 1977.
WDW offers a total package and you do get a lot for your money. Sometimes we have to do a budget trip, and other times we get to go Deluxe.
It is a place that there is something for everyone to love, no matter the age (which helps since our kids are spread out from 23-5).
I just wish I could live in that wonderful bubble

 

[amomma23]

Disney makes our vacations easy. DH and joke that the hardest part of the trip is getting from the car to bag check at the airport. We have 3 young kids and it is such a relief to let Disney take care of our bags, and pick us up when we get to Orlando. We use the dining plan so we don't have to worry about $ if our kids each want their own drink or snack. At QS meals, a CM usually offers to help DH carry food, so I can find a table with the kids. So many little things add up to a great vacation for us and our kids. We see a lot of value that just isn't available anywhere else.