Do people think your rich because you go to Disney every year?

[Doc CW]

We are not rich, we just know how to save alot of money going to WDW, being DVC and AP's and other such things that we do to save us money. Besides its not outragoulsy expensive as compared to other vacation spots. I looked at staying in Ocean City, MD for 5 days over the summer last year and then quoted a Trip to Disney for the same time and found that in some cases Disney was actually cheaper than going and staying in ocean city, but I think the general stereotype is that to go to Disney is upper class rich only, but that is certainly not the case.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

They don't think I am rich but rather that I am wasting my money. I think they also think I have credit card debit.

Same here. We're just budgeters, and don't spend our money willy-nilly on gadgets and electronics or fancy things. I totally think people think we have credit card debt though... nope! If we can't buy it with cash, we don't buy it. And most of the time, we save for it and buy it when we can.

 

[Planogirl]

We have friends who go to Europe every year or some grand vacation. We go to WDW and see France at Epcot. The same - no, but it's as close as we will ever get. They tell us save your money and go to the real thing. Since it would take us 10 years to save for the real thing and I don't feel like going without a vacation for 10 years we will continue to feel "rich" and go to WDW. It's a lot less trouble and more fun for us.

There is no way that a trip to France costs ten times as much as a WDW trip! Sure you can spend that much but you can also budget and visit less costly parts of France.

I respect not having the desire to go though. I've thought about it but it seems like a lot of hassle especially nowadays.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

We live off of DH's VERY small salary (it is his first job out of college, where he has been at for about 2 years - no pay raises, just pay cuts - thank you economy!) alone, since I can't find a job anywhere, and we still make it to Disney ever year. We don't drink or smoke or do other drugs, we don't gamble. We cut coupons to save money, and we budget. We don't eat out (unless someone else is paying!), and we do every little thing we can to save money. That's how we go *at least* once a year.

Our parents nag us because at our young age we could be investing, paying off student loans, etc - and that would probably be a better choice... BUT... we do Disney. We make sure we are saving a little more every month, we make sure our bills are paid, but we do Disney with the extra money we make. We just make it work - screw what anyone else says

Everybody needs some time to get away.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

Also - one of our friends is convinced that you can't do Disney for under $5,000. They won't listen to us at all!

 

[SuperTink]

There is no way that a trip to France costs ten times as much as a WDW trip!

You are definitely right about that.

This year we'll be going to Europe (Scandinavia) to visit relatives including a side-trip to France this year. The hotels we researched were all less than the average rate for the Poly. Our little side-trips are always less than what we pay for a Disney vacation. I think it's more about what you want to do, though. We visit Europe every few years and I know I've actually been torn about a trip to Europe vs a trip to Disney. I do consider myself blessed to do either/both.

 

[abwilliams22]

A few years ago, I didn't plan on taking yearly trips to Disney. In Oct 2008, we went did the land/sea pkg - basically using money we got for stimulus that year - every penny of it (plus I got a Disney visa). I was already planning another trip for Spring Break 2012 (when my youngest dd would be almost 5). Well, I took up running last year & thought, if I'm going to spend that much time training, I'm going to go to places I want to go to and run. So, that lead to Disney in Oct 2009 & the ToT 13K. My girls had a ball & we once again did the MNSSHP. I am going to Disney in a little over a week to the Princess Half Marathon by myself. And then, SW had a deal & I got 4 of us a flight to MCO for Spring Break for $100 each! Having to tell my mom & in-laws, I got that "you're going again!" look & actually was told that by my in-laws. When my mother-in-law said that to me Saturday, my thought was "if you didn't spend so much stinkin money at Christmas, we wouldn't be going" (they gave a nice amount of cash at Xmas - which is how we have the money we are going on)

My thought, Yes I'm going again. I make a decent amount of money, I have vacation time, I have two kids that are only young once & we are going to enjoy it!!! (and this time I"m not going to take my oldest out of school I have a very tight budget that I stick to & it includes money for trips (DISNEY), and I put money in my kids savings each month & don't touch it.

My family will totally flip out when I book my trip to Disneyland in September for my 30th birthday (and running the Disneyland Half Marathon). But I will have a free flight & I already have a budget outlined for the trip.

I can't help it that I'm a saver & budgeter. If I didn't have the money, there is no way I would be going this much. But my kids are only young once, and I don't want them to say when they are older that their parents worked too much and never had time to take them places .

Sorry for my rant... I'm in the same boat.

 

[bellaDisneydncr]

I have to deal with this all the time, especially because I'm a college kid who still goes to Disney. My friends ask me all the time "isn't that really expensive? how many times have you gone?!"

My worst experience was on the way home from a vacation with my friend's family. We had just been talking about the fact that my friend was going to college and I have a full scholarship to my school and somehow the conversation turned towards how many times I have been to WDW. I just said "Too many" but the family pushed and asked again- so I said 23. Well they then flipped out and the mom said to my friend "well maybe if you get a full scholarship, we can take you to Disney 23 times!" And it wasn't in a playful manner... It was actually really hurtful. She then kept asking questions like "Do you even get excited for it anymore?" and others...

People just don't understand that it can be affordable, but most of all they don't understand why we continuously go back, no matter what the cost.

 

[Goldenbear6]

And here I thought I was poor. Little did I know.

 

[sherabby]

I don't have people tell us that we must be rich...they instead think we are crazy for going over and over again every summer (last summer twice!) We use our tax refund to get our package deal and pay for our air travel and rental car. My son will turn 10 soon and he still loves the magic of Disney. What is even more magical for him is how well they treat him with his multiple food allergies.

Just yesterday we ate out at a mom and pop type restaurant and they told they didn't know if they could keep him safe? I was wondering why not? I never have those feelings at Disney. He even gets safe desserts too! He had ice cream at the parlor for the first time ever! So much magic for him in ways that we take for granted.

 

[ols386]

Mainly I think people just think I'm crazy for going to WDW so often.

As far as the cost goes, I personally don't spend much money on things such as clothing, jewelry, nic-naks, house decorating, etc. etc.,....Disney is my hobby, more or less. Since I don't spend much money on other stuff, I'm able to save for the cost of going to WDW.

 

[Pirates life for me]

Hey it is one vacation a year it is called saving for us anyway and you know something my girls are only this age once and as they get older we probably won't make it a yearly vacation.

Going on trip two and if they offer bounce back we may go again next year

 

[thej]

I haven't actually *heard* anyone say this to me, but we do get some strange looks and rolling of the eyes when mentioning we are going. Again. We are from Central Florida originally, so I'm sure people think we are just going as much to visit family as to go to the parks, but in reality we don't see our family much on Disney trips. We're on vacation

Are we rich? Not compared to the lifestyle of most of the people living around us. We don't drive fancy cars (unless Honda suddenly became a luxury nameplate) wear designer clothes, or have a fancy house, nor do we have CC debt to go with those things.

We usually do make one big trip a year, and the last couple of years (and next couple) it will be WDW. We have spent a fair amount the last couple of trips becuase for DS's first visit we wanted it to be special and stayed at the CR, then we went over New Years the next time (no discounts). We saved money for those trips, and we do drive since we are only 8 hrs away. Our next couple of visits are is going to be much cheaper as we are staying on a PIN and the time after perhaps even offsite the rime after. Plus we should be able to stretch an AP to 3 visits.

As chance would have it, we are heading to NY for a week to stay with friends and will spend a couple of days in the city. By the time we cover airfare, food, a show off-off-off broadway and a couple of nights in a moderate hotel in town, we could have had a cheap but fun week at WDW. Some of the same people that give me funny looks make trips like this a couple of times a year.

Just for grins, if you calculate the interest on a $20,000 debt at 18% interest it comes out to $3600 a year. I know a *couple* of folks in that boat right now with their cards. How many of us could have a very nice yearly WDW trip for that much?

 

[LeahA]

So you started the rich discussion and then try to play it down.

I was not trying to play anything down, my quote was of what I said to my friend who thinks I am rich for going to Disney. I was explaining to her the way that we get to go is by making cuts and choices that some people just don't do. I really think that she thinks we pay alot more than we do.

So, I don't see what's so funny?

 

[2Xited4Disney]

Both my Fiance and I are 24 years old. We have good jobs, we own a nice house, two newer cars, A 120 points at BLT and we are living pay check to pay check. Right now we have $300 in the bank which will be spent next week refinishing our floors. We are taking a huge gamble on life right now which includes going to disney every year, and I am completely ok with that.

 

[NancyIL]

Both my Fiance and I are 24 years old. We have good jobs, we own a nice house, two newer cars, A 120 points at BLT and we are living pay check to pay check. Right now we have $300 in the bank which will be spent next week refinishing our floors. We are taking a huge gamble on life right now which includes going to disney every year, and I am completely ok with that.

I hope both of you keep your good jobs!

 

[waltskids]

Our students think we're rich, but our family knows better and just considers us very lucky Our DVC contracts have allowed us to visit more than once a year.

 

[NancyIL]

I was talking to a friend about money, fianances and I made a comment that my dh and I must give off some illusion that we are richer than we are. My friend said "Well you do go to Disney every year, some people only get to go one time every 5 or 10 years or not at all!"

So you started the rich discussion and then try to play it down.

I was not trying to play anything down, my quote was of what I said to my friend who thinks I am rich for going to Disney. I was explaining to her the way that we get to go is by making cuts and choices that some people just don't do. I really think that she thinks we pay alot more than we do.

So, I don't see what's so funny?

You did give the impression that you brought up the topic.

 

[Funky Chicken]

When I was growing up in the Northeast a WDW trip was an expensive proposition. Everyone wanted to go at the same time, nobody wanted to drive, and it was a trip for the rich kids. There were no Value resorts so you ended up out on 192 mainly because you couldn't even GET a room on property. Disney had not gotten smart about multi-day passes and keeping people on the property with DME, and there was less to do on-property anyway. My first few trips it was MK and River Country and maybe a trip to the WDW Shopping Village (now Downtown Disney).
Our trip last year was in September-5 nights at ASMu, 5 days of one park tickets (no need to hop with DD4) and a free dining pin (regular dining plan, not quick service). $1188 including all fees and taxes-I probably spent another $250 along the way on stroller rental/TS restaurant tipping/odds and ends.
That 5 day trip was a bargain. It wasn't necessarily the way we would like to do it but in a bad economy I still fit our Disney trip into the budget and DD4 was none the wiser.
Something else that hasn't come up yet in this thread-
A day trip to ANY amusement park has gotten VERY expensive.
We also took a one day drive to MK last April as part of a larger Florida vacation to see family-it was also a good test for my then 3 year old to see just what she could really handle. That was about a $400 day if you add up parking, one day/one park tickets, food, a couple of small purchases in the shops-add in a tank of gas and you are at $450. A Six Flags park wouldn't be any cheaper and the food would be far worse and more pricey.
We are headed back to Florida in April for the Family trip and we are skipping WDW this time out mainly because we would rather take that $450 and apply it to a fall WDW trip. I'll hang tight for free dining or another pin and if the economy continues to improve we will probably upgrade our resort this year.
We are lucky to live within a reasonable driving distance, and our local school schedules are "year-round" (9 weeks on followed by 3 off). They don't line up with the typical northern vacations when the parks are packed and prices are higher. I'm happy to go in September or early October and have short lines, good weather, and resorts and restaurants that are not full.

 

[Minnie-n-Mickey4ever]

I know for a fact that we (DH & I) are not rich financially (DH can't work due to medical reasons & I work in the fed. government and I am NOT that high on the "gov't food chain"), but with good planning and being DVC members has allowed us to go once (and sometimes twice a year) to Disney.

To cut some of the costs we always drive; bring along food, snacks, and drinks for the drive; and usually only buy one souvenier each (sometimes more but it depends on how much we've saved during the year - we have one of those jars for our coins too).

I've had many friends ask me how we could afford going so much, and I've explained to them how we do it. And I've even offered to help them plan a trip and when they saw how much it would actually cost them - now they are hooked!

I believe good planning is the key!