I think people get too wrapped up in having the "ultimate" or "perfect" disney experience and, in essence, con themselves into thinking they HAVE to have all these things to enjoy their trip. It's just not true.
We've never stayed on site, and never will. Hasn't made the parks less enjoyable.
We've never made ADR's and still managed to eat, and never been disappointed.
We often skip our FP to go do something else.
We won't pay for premium parking. Walking is healthy and there's always the tram.
We like to be well rested and have a relaxing start, so we'll never pay for the new Magic Morning thing, and likewise we aren't night owls so the late night thing doesn't appeal to us either.
That said, I did once pay for the Illumination Dessert Party, as a surprise for DB on our one year anniversary. We've also attended the
MNSSHP and
MVMCP once each. One we're likely to repeat because we enjoyed the experience, the other not so much. We went to a character meal once, but it was entirely spontaneous...we walked up to look at the menu, asked how long the wait was, and were seated 5 minutes later.
Obviously our style won't work for everyone. I'm just trying to illustrate that we have good memories, magic, and money left over. We aren't rich by any means. It's just that so much of what it is commonly complained about as being corporate greed or money grabs...just isn't necessary. It's not required. It's a choice.
