It's only $300 a day! That's cheap for a vacation..

[PammyJJane]

Last month we had to book a room at one of our local beaches about 1.5 hours away from home to attend a wedding. It's a tiny seaside town and there was only one hotel/motel that allowed pets. $229/night for a *tiny* room for 2 nights, plus $20 pet fee PER pet PER night and we have two dogs. $538 for two adults and two pets and that doesn't even include food or gas. I think we spent close to $700 for 48 hours. Give me WDW any time.

Argh.



We went to a retreat for parents/families of sight-impaired children and stayed at a 2 story guest house attached to a B&B - it had 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, large screen tv, lots of food, and of course great breakfast and snacks and we could take our two large dogs for $250 a night. My husband thought that was outrageous! Needless to say, we haven't discussed how much our upcoming trip with Magic Kingdom view at the Contemporary tower is going to be... Oh well, I'm paying for the rooms out of my personal account and have wanted to stay at the Contemporary with a view of the fireworks nearly all my life and have never done so mostly because of the expense. Now the cost of that is not something I'm going to be sharing with much of anyone except fellow Disney addicts who might understand.

 

[Crisgw]

I wouldn't say it's cheap, but we just spent about double of what we're going to spend this past Feb going to Costa Rica. For the 4 of us to go is right around 5k so around 1250 pp. Not too bad. That includes free dining and airfare and 7 day tickets.

 

[livie1205]

Yep it is costing us 360.00 a day for 4 for 5 nights in dec and we are staying at AKL in club level! this is with food and tickets....so this comes up to 90.00 per person a day for EVERYTHING...not bad

 

[Jsme]

I think it comes down to almost any vacation is expensive. You can go to the beach and stay for 7 days and spend $1500-$2000 on a cheap room. Then you have to go out to eat for 3 meals a day times however many people that is in your family.

Disney equals about the same. We cruise often and spend less on cruising then we do to go to Myrtle Beach which is only a few hours away.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

What I don't get is why it's anyone else's business how much you pay for vacation...if anyone ever mentions anything about cost to me I just smile and change the subject. Unless they're thinking about going themselves of course, then I'm happy to share what I know about costs and the best times to go, etc.

I think it is just like everything else..people think they can figure out how much you make based on what you spend your money on... then judge you for it. We live pretty simply, we don't charge anything that is not an emergency, we are driving perfectly good (and paid for) vehicles but they are not brand new. My DH does make a decent living but we decided to live well below our means. I actually had a mom, in my DD's class, tell me that WDW is way out of my league. I, like you, think it is none of anybody's business, unless they are going themselves and really want to know about price.

 

[piratemom07]

My family of four (myself, dh, ds (18) and dd (13) plus my sisters family of four and my cousin and her family are going in August. We are not able to go when free dining is offered because of school but we are doing the dining plan this year for the first time.
We are staying at POP, the rest of our gang is staying at POLY and we are driving (14 hrs.) the others are flying.

If they have the extra to fly and stay at POLY more power to them I am not jelous that they are doing that and I plan to enjoy my vacation just like they are. We stayed at POP two years ago and enjoyed the resort.

My family of four with 7 nights at POP, 7 days of Park Hopper tickets and the dining plan was 2720.00 for my family we were charged 10.00 extra per night for our son because he was considered an extra adult in the room.

Disney might be a little more expensive than some of the vacations I have been on but not many and we usually only take a big vacation every couple years. It just depends on what you want to spend your money on and all the people who tell me they cant go because of the expense I think if they really sat down and looked at the cost they might be surprised.

6 weeks until our Disney Vacation

 

[mrsdrkwaver]

I don't get how people say Disney is so expensive. At all. I was trying to semi-sort of educate my MIL today when she was saying how it must be costing us a fortune to go to Disneyworld. Friends say this, too. You see this on boards, even on this one..how Disney is almost at the point of not being affordable. I don't get it. We are going in August, of course free dining is the cheapest time to go..but we are ONLY paying $300 a day. That's it. Our 6 night, 7 day vacation for FIVE people with MYW tickets, food, and of course hotel rooms at POR is $2052. That's a week with all food, lodging, and entertainment for $300- $60 a person per day. I don't see that as expensive at ALL. Heck, I can't think of a cheaper vacation???

Does anyone else hear this regularly or read it elsewhere?

we with airfare and 2 people 1500.00 but i priced 6 other vacations and they were all close but disney was more expensive it was 200 more than gaitlynburg tenn. but that was only if i guessed food cost correctly. I agree with you on that it can be cheap but the people that say that to me are using getting moderate rooms or suites and they are not getting food

I know when i was shopping vacations airfare was the number one killer of an idea. for us in IL florida had the cheapest air. which is 225 each. vegas was goign to cost us 500 each just in air fare

 

[mrsdrkwaver]

Yep it is costing us 360.00 a day for 4 for 5 nights in dec and we are staying at AKL in club level! this is with food and tickets....so this comes up to 90.00 per person a day for EVERYTHING...not bad

how did you get 360 a day with tickets our tickets to the park cost at least that much

ok I lied I jsut went to check and its like 360 each for the whole trip its like 52 a day

 

[lucigo]

I think it is just like everything else..people think they can figure out how much you make based on what you spend your money on... then judge you for it. We live pretty simply, we don't charge anything that is not an emergency, we are driving perfectly good (and paid for) vehicles but they are not brand new. My DH does make a decent living but we decided to live well below our means. I actually had a mom, in my DD's class, tell me that WDW is way out of my league. I, like you, think it is none of anybody's business, unless they are going themselves and really want to know about price.

Its all a matter of priorities! My first husband died when he was 36 in October of 2000. It was a hard realization that life is short and every day HAS to count. In December of that year I bought my first set of season passes for me and my 3 kids (ages 11, 9 and 5). In April I bought us a house. I shopped for a house that I could afford but to still have time for my kids, to do things like go to disney and live a quality life. It wasn't fancy but it has been a good investment. Thats MY priorities.

 

[mrsdrkwaver]

how did you get 360 a day with tickets our tickets to the park cost at least that much

ok I lied I just went to check and its like 360 each for the whole trip its like 52 a day

oh yeah and thats just park tickets w/ hopper and water parks. that doesn't include room or food

so I would love to know how you are doing it so cheap. we did free food and pop cet. resort and it will cost us about 200 each per day with out air

 

[lucigo]

oh yeah and thats just park tickets w/ hopper and water parks. that doesn't include room or food

so I would love to know how you are doing it so cheap. we did free food and pop cet. resort and it will cost us about 200 each per day with out air

I can tell you our tickets cost $230 for a Florida resident seasonal pass, we are going 5 days in Jan, 8 days in March, 5 days in Nov, 7 days in December, and 4 days next January...so that comes to $8 a day for admission.

 

[mrsdrkwaver]

I can tell you our tickets cost $230 for a Florida resident seasonal pass, we are going 5 days in Jan, 8 days in March, 5 days in Nov, 7 days in December, and 4 days next January...so that comes to $8 a day for admission.

oooh u are so lucky to beable to do the florida resident thing ! thats awesome

 

[lucigo]

oooh u are so lucky to beable to do the florida resident thing ! thats awesome

It really does make it a great deal! We don't mind the blackout dates because Disney makes a better "winter sport" anyway LOL

 

[*disgal*]

Well, I think WDW can be expensive, especially if you don't do your homework.

I have friends, family of 5, wanted to take their family to WDW for the first time. They stayed at BC, no discount, had to buy all of their meals ofcourse, flew down.............Yikes!! I'm sure it was at least 5K. Oh, also, this is before Disney revamped their tickets, all of them were park hoppers.

They came back and complained how expensive things were and that they will never go again. But they don't do anything cheap.......they wouldn't consider a value resort.....so there you have it.

But even with cheaper tickets, cheaper condo, making some of the meals myself, driving down............it still can be expensive.

Our next trip, with fuel for driving, condo, tickets, and food, it will be about $3900 for 9 nights for the 5 of us. That's $433 a day or $87 per person per day. Definitely not bad, especially for WDW in peak season.

But our beach vacation this summer at Hilton Head, for 7 nights will be around $1950 ......or $279 per day....or.......$56 per person per day. If I'm calculating that right, that's almost 36% LESS than a WDW vacation. And I'm cooking in the condo the same amount that I will be at WDW.

But I agree, it's all in how you plan. You can definitely do it cheaper than a lot of people do it.

 

[dmslush]

We got annual passes with our wedding package this past January. I've had several coworkers comment on how I must be rich because we go so much. I've explained and explained how cheaply disney can be done (especially for us not having to purchase park tickets), but they don't get it. So, I've just started saying, "We don't drink, we don't smoke, we don't go our and party, so that frees up quite a bit of money for vacations."

 

[allison443]

I don't get how people say Disney is so expensive. At all. I was trying to semi-sort of educate my MIL today when she was saying how it must be costing us a fortune to go to Disneyworld. Friends say this, too. You see this on boards, even on this one..how Disney is almost at the point of not being affordable. I don't get it. We are going in August, of course free dining is the cheapest time to go..but we are ONLY paying $300 a day. That's it. Our 6 night, 7 day vacation for FIVE people with MYW tickets, food, and of course hotel rooms at POR is $2052. That's a week with all food, lodging, and entertainment for $300- $60 a person per day. I don't see that as expensive at ALL. Heck, I can't think of a cheaper vacation???

Maybe I missed it but how are you getting there and how far away do you live? Are you flying or driving? Rental car or not? Just trying to get an idea of the true cost, thanks. I agree having free food really cuts down on the cost and that's something other resorts/destinations don't offer.

 

[Lisa06468]

Its about $950/pp for our family of 5. No cheaper way to do it.

Yes, $300 is cheap - but not realistic if you need airfare, a car, 5 people, want to eat....

 

[crisi]

Heck, I can't think of a cheaper vacation???

You aren't thinking very hard.

Camping - once you have or can borrow camping supplies - nearly free.

We are going to the lake in a few weeks - a friends six bedroom "cabin" - cost, gas and food.

We stayed in a friend's Villa on the ocean in Mexico a few years ago, cost - airfare (got a great deal), rental car, and food from the market (oh, and lots of rum from the market).

A few years ago we went to San Francisco with the kids - stayed in an inexpensive hotel, I went as part of a business trip, so car rental was taken care of - cost: cheap hotel, trolley and Alcatraz tickets, food, airfare. A friend gave us passes to the Monterey Bay aquarium.

I can book, today, an all inclusive in Jamaica for my family - with airfare for $186 a day per person. I can go cheaper if I want to stay in a worse hotel. That was without shopping around - its possible that Cozumel or the DR is cheaper.

For us, Disney is an expensive vacation - and we own DVC so much of the cost is already sunk.

Now, a lot of what we do is take advantage of opportunities - but that is what free dining is. If you can go during free dining, that's sort of like having a friend with an oceanfront Villa in Mexico.

 

[kimsuenew]

I don't get how people say Disney is so expensive. At all. I was trying to semi-sort of educate my MIL today when she was saying how it must be costing us a fortune to go to Disneyworld. Friends say this, too. You see this on boards, even on this one..how Disney is almost at the point of not being affordable. I don't get it. We are going in August, of course free dining is the cheapest time to go..but we are ONLY paying $300 a day. That's it. Our 6 night, 7 day vacation for FIVE people with MYW tickets, food, and of course hotel rooms at POR is $2052. That's a week with all food, lodging, and entertainment for $300- $60 a person per day. I don't see that as expensive at ALL. Heck, I can't think of a cheaper vacation???

Does anyone else hear this regularly or read it elsewhere?

We need to keep in perspective that everyone's idea of what is "cheap" or what is "expensive" differs, and also what is affordable to one family is by no means affordable to others!

For us, the drive down and drive back cost a lot for gas, and also for one nights lodging each way (we are from Ohio)... that all has to be factored into the cost of any vacation!

We have had some amazing vacations by far cheaper than WDW, and none more expensive!

We have rented condos several times on HHI off of Ebay... (our cheapest) $200.00 a week, (most expensive) $650.00 during the 4th of July week 2006, and the others fell between the price of the two. We coupled all of them with wonderful "things" such as fishing excursions, boat tours, DH & DS played golf, delicious meals out, putt-putt, nature tours, day trips to Savannah or Tybee, and awesome days on the beach, and no HHI vacation we have taken ever cost what WDW did! We have also had vacations in Myrtle Beach that cost less (although the majority of them were taken with us staying at Myrtle Beach State Park Campground) so lodging was by far the cheapest part of those vacations!

Now... having said all of that, we are vacationing for 14 days in WDW 2008! Our DS loved our 2007 trip and returning was his dream! DH really enjoyed it as well... they both are fanatics about the rides! I enjoyed riding my ECV around and exploring. All of the parks are awesome and unique!

We are "trimming the budget" in some ways this trip (free DDP, no souveniers really, staying at a Value, using all Disney transportation, not buying all new clothes and shoes, not adding park hoppers) and "splurging" in others (Cirque, Surf Lessons for DS at TL, adding the Water Parks & More option).

I think that while WDW is not "cheap" (well to us anyway) you can make it affordable by staying at Values and going "off peak", and visiting during the free DDP! Would I rather stay at The Poly than at PC? You betcha! Can we afford to? No way! Are we OK with that? Absolutely!

 

[asmit4]

Everyone has a different perspective on affordable. Lots of people will never vacation in their lives. Lots of people think that anything above camping is expensive. Others think that 10K is cheap....

However, from my perspective, yes I think DW is 'cheap' for a family vacation. Had we booked 2A2C (over age 10), we could have done our trip in September WITH airfare included for about 2400 for 7 nights. That 2400 for 7 nights would include hotel/air/taxes/park hoppers/basic DDP.

Divide the trip by 4 people and you are at 600/person for a week long trip. IMO- that's cheap...but it's all relative to your own budget.