Do you really think...

[RickinNYC]

Do you all think that a vacation to Disney World is truly that much more expensive than any other typical vacation destination?

My partner and I have talked about this and we honestly don't think it is. In fact, we both agree that we definitely get our money's worth!

I mentioned to him that perhaps we thought this way because we live in NYC and are used to higher prices for pretty much everything you can imagine, from rent, to clothes, to commuting, a cup of coffee, a burger or especially a night out, and more.

We definitely don't have extravagent lifestyles by any means either! As much as a great meal at a beautiful restaurant, followed by tix to a hot Broadway show appeals to me, we tend to lean towards a bucket of buffalo wings and a pitcher of beer, followed by a movie.

What do you all think? We can't possibly be the only ones!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by RickinNYC
Do you all think that a vacation to Disney World is truly that much more expensive than any other typical vacation destination?

My partner and I have talked about this and we honestly don't think it is. In fact, we both agree that we definitely get our money's worth!

I mentioned to him that perhaps we thought this way because we live in NYC and are used to higher prices for pretty much everything you can imagine, from rent, to clothes, to commuting, a cup of coffee, a burger or especially a night out, and more.

We definitely don't have extravagent lifestyles by any means either! As much as a great meal at a beautiful restaurant, followed by tix to a hot Broadway show appeals to me, we tend to lean towards a bucket of buffalo wings and a pitcher of beer, followed by a movie.

What do you all think? We can't possibly be the only ones!

I think I totally agree with you, but, then again, I live in CT.
The US Open (tennis) is going on now and to get a burger, fries and soda there means a second mortgage on your house, and the food rots, the soda is nothing but water and you cannot even attempt to bring even water on the grounds with you.

Tell you what, you bring the wings, I will supply the beer and the movie (we have surround sound. ). Sounds like fun to me.

 

[HeyMickey]

I think it really depends on how you approach your vacations. You can do Disney World for comparable to what you'd pay for a different vacation, but a lot of people seem reluctant to do the things that will save them money - staying offsite, buying groceries instead of always eating at restaurants, eating at offsite restaurants if you have a car, splitting meals, etc. Either they just can't be bothered or they don't want to "ruin the magic" by stepping off Disney property.

If you're going to do everything Disney it's going to add up a lot faster. Disney has a captive audience and they milk that for all it's worth. Look at the rack rates at the resorts. They can get much more for their rooms than they're worth in many cases because people want to stay on Disney property and won't be bothered to find a discount. Almost any Disney restaurant you eat at, even counter service, is probably going to be more expensive than a meal at your neighborhood TGI Friday's for example.

Like I said, it's all about the approach you're going to take. You can do it on a budget if you work at it, but you can also very easily end up paying much more than you would for a vacation elsewhere.

 

[WDWorBUST]

I have to agree 100% - my DH and I have looked at going other places and every time I start pricing stuff I come back to the fact that I can go to Disney World for the same amount of money. It might be different if you have kids - I guess I will find out soon enough - but we were talking about going to Vegas for a long weekend and it wasn't much less than a 6 day Disney vacation with park tickets. I just couldn't do it. Then we were going to go to Colorado and go on a pack trip and an all day 4 wheeler tour, etc. and that was going to cost as much as a Disney vacation. We did go to the Grand Canyon with my parents and I really enjoyed it - they paid for most of that vacation though so I have no idea what it cost in comparison - even if I am the family travel agent and arranged everything. I'm really glad we did too because as beautiful as it is it's scary to me and I told DH we might not go back with our daughter until she's 18. So I think that even though Disney World is expensive it really is a good value for your money - and we stay onsite.

 

[kfeuer]

I tend to agree with you, OP. It's not like Disney World is the only tourist attraction that charges high prices--they all do! A good friend of mine just went to Myrtle Beach and came back very unhappy about the money they had to spend on food (and apparently it wasn't even very good food). In that light, I don't think DW is any more outrageously priced then most other tourist spots.

I love DW, but I think the best vacation value we've personally had is taking a cruise. If you lay off the expensive excursions and don't drink alcohol, you really don't spend much once you're there, and cruises are really cheap right now. I would love to go on a cruise, but I don't want to do it until my kids are older.

 

[jkovick]

DH and I have always found WDW to be right in line (sometimes less expensive) than other vacations we have taken. I think the key is planning. Sure, if you book a rack rate package in Holiday Season, you are gonna pay-- but that's true anywhere. A little planning goes a long way!

 

[tweetsie]

Originally posted by kfeuer
I tend to agree with you, OP. It's not like Disney World is the only tourist attraction that charges high prices--they all do! A good friend of mine just went to Myrtle Beach and came back very unhappy about the money they had to spend on food (and apparently it wasn't even very good food). In that light, I don't think DW is any more outrageously priced then most other tourist spots.

I love DW, but I think the best vacation value we've personally had is taking a cruise. If you lay off the expensive excursions and don't drink alcohol, you really don't spend much once you're there, and cruises are really cheap right now. I would love to go on a cruise, but I don't want to do it until my kids are older.

You are absolutely right. My family and I are planning a 4-day October 12th and went on one two years ago. I believe the only money we spent was for tips and photos. I did a little shopping in Nassau and that was it. We had a wonderful time. We will more than likely do the same on our oncoming cruise.

 

[FonFon]

Depending on the season, we have gone on vacations both more and less expensive than to Disney. That being said, there are vacations where we splurge, and vacations where we spend less. We did a "cheap" Disney vacation earlier this year, and plan to really splurge at the end of the year.

There's a lot of things to spend money on at Disney World, and that tends to make budgets add up quickly. There are ways to cut, but sometimes cutting money also means cutting time and convenience, so it's up to each person/family to determine what their vacation priorities are.

We would much rather eat buffalo wings and drink beer than do "fine dining" at a place like Victoria and Albert's any day of the week. (In fact, speaking in Disney terms, we find it very difficult to find any food in any of the "fine dining" restaurants - or the more expensive ones - that we would enjoy.) Give us burgers and fries, and we're happy folks!

 

[MrsPete]

I think Disney IS more expensive than other vacations; however, that would depend greatly upon the details of your stay. Here's what I am thinking:

This summer we stayed at Wilderness Lodge (good price using a code, but still an expensive stay. We packed snacks and ate sandwiches in our room fairly often, but we also ate some very nice meals. The $900 spent on Park Hoppers is what puts this into the "expensive" vacation catagory.

Also this summer we went to Charleston for a couple days. We stayed in a Hilton -- not nearly so nice as Wilderness Lodge, but the price was the same. I'd say our hotel/food bills were about the same as Disney. The big difference in cost was that in Charleston our entertainment cost was almost zero. We paid about $20 in admission to one museum, we fished (free), we played in the pool (free), and we heard several bands at our hotel (free).

On another recent vacation we went to Williamsburg, Virginia. We stayed in Springhill Suites (slightly less money than Wilderness Lodge, and we had two rooms). The hotel gave us free breakfast, and we ate a nice dinner every night. So our hotel/food bill was considerably lower than at Disney. We bought passes to historic sites in Williamsburg and Busch Gardens for well under $300. So our entertainment was much less expensive than Disney.

On yet another previous vacation, we rented a very nice ocean-view condo on Fripp Island. We paid about the same price (for the week) that we paid to stay at Wilderness Lodge, but we had two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a laundry room -- much more space for the same money. Because we had the kitchen, we cooked most of our meals. Our entertainment was free: beach, pool, fishing.

So, based upon my experiences, I'd say that food and hotels are likely to be about the same for most vacations -- but entertainment costs will vary widely. Disney is on the high end for the entertainment, and they don't discount tickets much.

Does that mean I don't think we should go, or that it's not worth it? No, not at all. But I DO think it's more expensive than other vacations.

 

[ceecee]

I don't think it is more expensive if you consider everything you get for the price. There are definately cheaper vacations, but you get SO much more with a Disney World vacation. Everyone reading this probably agrees or we wouldn't be here.

 

[dcfromva]

I totally agree with the OP!

I think the Disney vacations are a LOT less expensive that some of the other vacation destinations that we have selected. For one thing, we have the Disney thing down to a science and we know the average costs for various options because we have been there so often...

Disney has seriously spoiled us and as a result we want to have the same first class treatment no matter where we go.

We went to New York City over New Years Eve (2001), we stayed at the Marriott Marquis and went to shows nearly every night and ate at a variety of cool places. We had an awesome time and would love to do it again. But all those wonderful entertainment options do add up.

We have gone to London and had a fabulous time, but that was pretty costly, too. (But, we would like to do that again, too!)

Even going to Yellowstone on vacation one year cost us a pretty penny. You would think-- you are out in the middle of nowhere, how could you even find anything to spend money on?!! But, all those trail rides and chuck wagon tours cost additional $$. And while the accomodations are a bit primative compared to what you would find in a major city, there wasn't any discount on the price. (And then, there is airfare and car rental)... et'c, et'c Still, it was a totally awesome experience (and yes it was worth it and we would like to do it again!)...

And then, there was the trip to Las Vegas (and a tour of the Grand Canyon and points east... (Lots of cool shows to see in Las Vegas, too ).

-DC

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

We went to WDW for a week last year and thought about returning again this summer, but the kids wanted to do a whale watch instead, so we spent 4 days in Massachusetts. Hotel rates on Cape Ann were almost double what we spent at the All-Stars, and menu prices were comparable to the nicer sit-down places at WDW. Also, a one-day ticket to Six Flags was about the same as a one-day pass in WDW. We enjoyed the whale watch and I don't regret going, but I have to admit feeling annoyed that a vacation closer to home still cost almost as much as WDW - without that special magic.

There is currently a Bicentennial celebration of the Louisiana Purchase going on and I'd love to take part in some way, but the more I research the cost of the trip, I realize that I can do WDW for the same price. And while I love my country, I'd rather be in the World!

 

[tommymommy]

For us this will be the most expensive vacation we have ever taken.

We rarely take a whole week off, just do lots of long weekends or five day vacations. Since we live at the beach we end up staying home on vacation sometimes so that we can enjoy the beach here and do a few of the tourist type things too!

We camp or stay in inexpensive hotels near areas like state and national parks where we can hike on trails, go to underground caverns, fish, etc. My in-laws have a time share at Massanutten and we usually spend a few days there every year too.

We have been planning this WDW trip for a long time and are trying to pay for it all before we go. We will spend about $2,500.00 to $3,000.00 I guess, and that is a lot for us. The park hopper passes are by far the largest expense. We are driving down and staying at ASMo in value season. We have tickets to Cirque and MVMCP and will be trying to get Chef Mickey's for the night we arrive. I am hoping to have enough money with us to skip having a bunch of meals in the room though! I need a break from all of the "home" type stuff, lol! It is amazing to me to read about how lots of you stay at FW for 2 weeks, do a lot of PS meals, etc.

I am very excited about going to WDW, I just hope I don't experience complete sensory overload and feel overwhelmed!

 

[TEK224]

while on vacation. Some folks like to just relax by the pool or on the beach. So while hotel may be comparable or less in price, there are no park tickets to buy (a big savings).

But if you like to sight see or show see while on vacation, the costs are equal to or more than disney. A broadway show can cost anywhere from $50-100 a ticket for a 3 hour show. A one day pass to WDW (approx. $50) can give you entertainment from 8 AM till midnight, depending on when you go.

I've done both types of vacations and don't consider the WDW costs out of line. If I want to pay to stay at the Poly instead of off-site and I have a great time, then the money was well worth it!

Terri

 

[onecoolmama]

I agree with both points. I cannot stand just lying on the beach or even spending more than an hour at a pool. No way, give me a full day of things to do. So if I go to the beach, I like to rent a boat and go parasailing..or go whale watching..or play mini golf..anything and everything. Disney then ends up being much cheaper for us because all of our activities are included and we don't rent a car so that saves us money. We priced a trip to Niagra Falls and for the same price that it would cost to drive there..we could drive to Disney and stay there. Now, eventually I do really want to see the Falls and visit Toronto..but the price is exactly the same. I do think that if you stay at the cheaper hotel and eat fast food most of the time..you can save money going on a different vacation..especially if you lie on the beach all day long and do nothing else!

 

[powellrj]

every time I try to plan another vacation, I find us going back to disney because you get so much more for your money and have many more ways to save money. We were able to buy round trip non stop air tickets to orlando for $106 per person but when I was pricing ticket prices to Ft. Leonard Wood MO the tickets were almost $400 each and this was buying them 6 months ahead of time and 1 lay over. Our hotel room was $89 per night for the Baymont where CBR was $94 per night. Most parks cost the same as Disney, but lack the quality of Disney.

 

[mom2smjn]

I think that Disney can be comparable to many vacations...its the hoppers that are the budget busters....however we spent a day at 6 flags this summer and I was amazed at the cost of the ticket and how little it got you...you had to pay extra for many things-including rides- in the park...Thats what I love about Disney once you are in the gates its all paid for...and the shows are MUCH MUCH higher quality than other theme parks. There is so much to do that you just cant finish it all...and the magic..........well that makes it all worth it doesn't it?

 

[tarabl]

We just came back from Orlando this weekend. Our whole trip, total of 7 nites/8 days~5 of them at Calypso Cay Country Inn(49.00 a nite), was less than 1800.00 for four of us. We drove down, but rented a van for 347.00 for 9 days, stayed at Country Inn in Georgia on the way down and a Hampton Inn in Emporia, VA on the way home.

That 1800.00 price included~ hotels to and from, rental van, all food, souveniers, hotel while in Orlando, Universal Tickets for five days(only used three days), gas for the whole trip.

We did a day at Disney and accomplished three parks, Epcot, MK and MGM doing the major attractions we loved which was alot in MK. I used old park hoppers we had with one day left on them.

Where else could we have taken a vacation for that price? We rented a house two years ago for a week in Ocean City, NJ, not a great house but was fine for us, for 1250.00. Then we had the cost of activities and food which is fairly high down there.

Disney is doable on a budget and you just have to know where to cut costs. We ate lunch and dinner out every nite, breakfast was included and most of our lunches were at the parks.

I know next years vacation is going to cost much more than this since we aren't going back to Disney for alittle while. We've been there four times in the last five years and with older kids, they'd like a change.

 

[onecoolmama]

Dh and I did a weekend at Disney for super cheap August 01. We went on a package they were offering..stayed for 3 nights, used our miles to fly there and back. The deal was $600 for 3 nights at Carribean Beach and we went with $250 and came back with $45. We shared meals, sodas, got one water a day..took naps in between and had the ablsotue time of our lives!! We even got souviners for EVERYONE..but inexpesive. For example, we brought my brother back a peice of chocolate from every country..and my mom a bottle of wine from France. To this day, it was the most inexpensive vacation we have taken..and it was probably the most fun!

 

[RickinNYC]

Thanks for all the input folks. I honestly did think that we were in the vast minority in thinking that a vacation to WDW was average. Nice to know that we're not too wacky with spending our money!

I will admit, however, that this coming trip in October will be a bit higher than what we're accustomed to paying, but it's well worth it given the circumstances (anniversary).

We're paying a total of $2,800 for park hoppers, a room at the Boardwalk, airfare and town car service. I think that's a bit steep but still fair.