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

[luvsJack]

My sister and her hubbie are going on a cruise this August, they are flying to Norway and taking a cruise that will take them to several different countries. Now, its the trip of a lifetime and they can afford it but when she told me just the cruise was $4000 each I was shocked!!! That doesn't include airfare, one night stay in a Norwegian hotel on each end of the cruise, and excursions into each country. I have no idea what the total cost is, but thats what I consider an expensive vacation and (even if I could afford it) I just don't think I could spend that kind of money on a trip. Sis doesn't think wdw is expensive at all.

I have a brother who's vacations are all camping on the creek. His family loves to get out the tent, find an out of the way spot to pitch it and spend their days fishing and swimming. They don't want to be around other people. It cost nothing except the food she takes from their kitchen to cook all week. That's probably the cheapest vacation I have ever heard of, but again, not something I would want to do. He thinks wdw is just way too expensive and he would never spend that much money on vacation.

Everyone vacations differently and what one person finds "reasonable" another finds "expensive".

 

[Aliceacc]

For us it works out to be a lot more.

Before you even say it... I know we're staying Deluxe at the Poly. BUT we did get a 40% off PIN (and we're a family of 5, so it was never going to be $84 per night anyway.)

Free dining wasn't an option; we're both teachers and wouldn't pull the kids out of school even if we weren't.

Our trip is $3600 + $1000 airfare for 7 full days, 6 nights. (We'll get in to MCO by about 10 am, and our return flight leaves at 8ishPM). So roughly $650 per day.

A typical vacation for us is a week in upstate Lake George: $1500 or so for the resort. Even if we say another $1500 for food and entertainment (the lake is the main entertainment) it's still way cheaper than WDW.

Don't get me wrong; I've been counting downt the days for months. And I know it would have been possible to pay less for the room. But this is a one time only deal for my family. It most certainly is NOT a budget vacation for us.

 

[DisneyMOM09]

I really think it depends on what kind of vacation you usually take. For us it is either camping at a local park, going to Houston to stay with family, or having a stay-cation. Disney is an expensive vacation. One we will only be able to comfortably do every few years. We are actually making our first trip next year and i was floored initially about the cost. I have since looked into off site accomodations and have found many ways for us to save. It also depends on what time of year you are able to take your vacation. Do to my daughter's school schedule and my husband's work schedule we are only able to take vacation during the summer, one of the most expensive times to go to Disney. I'm sure it is cheaper if you are able to go during the free dining promotion, but a lot of people can't vacation at that time of year.

 

[eeyorefan74]

I think part of the problem is that most people don't come home and really add up the cost of their vacations other places. With Disney we typically pay up front on a package with dining, so it looks like a large amount of money. But when you think about what all that package offers- themed lodging, transportation, all our food, nightly entertainment, and all the fun you can cram into a day at the parks, it seems like a better deal. When we've gone other places, the money's spread out- a dinner show here, mini golf there, amusement park tickets, shopping, boat rides, aquarium tickets, etc., etc. All that plus food and lodging adds up really fast and if you total it in the end, probably rivals, if not exceeds, the cost of a carefully planned Disney trip.

I agree with a previous poster, too. It's all about priorities, and if you've lost someone close to you, or had a life threatening diagnosis yourself, it makes the money seem much less important than making great memories with your family while you can.

 

[jodifla]

I vacation a lot, so a lot of my vacations are spent at friends' houses. Having a free place to stay and to cook really cuts down on the bill, even if we have to fly and rent a car.

The thing about a WDW vacation is that with some planning, you can get an awful lot for your money. We went to a local carnival for a FEW HOURS, and I was shocked how much money we spent on parking, rides and food. WDW gives us a much better hourly entertainment rate.


Again, if you live in Fla, have DVC, and get Fla. resident passes, a Disney vacation can be pretty darn reasonable.

 

[crisi]

I agree with a previous poster, too. It's all about priorities, and if you've lost someone close to you, or had a life threatening diagnosis yourself, it makes the money seem much less important than making great memories with your family while you can.

Or more important. People react differently to tragedy.

My grandmother died with my mother was a young adult with brothers and sisters at home. The family - which had spent a lot getting her medical care before her death - suffered financially for years - only the oldest got through college (because she went before Mom died - or was even too ill).

My sister recently went through breast cancer - and memories are important, but so is making sure her two boys will be financially taken care of in case of their parents death. They've become MUCH more financially conservative since their scare.

Memories can be made without money - it helps, but of my top ten family memories, not one of them occurs on the seven Disney related vacations I've taken - they are my kids dressed up in Mom's clothes..... The two of them covered in brownie mix....breastfeeding my daughter in the middle of the night.... my son getting Valium to break a seizure cycle - and a high as a kite three year old.....baby chickens at a petting zoo.....preschool graduation....my son hitting an honest triple...... But money is important for ensuring your families future should you leave minor kids behind.

 

[In a hurry]

Or more important. People react differently to tragedy.

My grandmother died with my mother was a young adult with brothers and sisters at home. The family - which had spent a lot getting her medical care before her death - suffered financially for years - only the oldest got through college (because she went before Mom died - or was even too ill).

My sister recently went through breast cancer - and memories are important, but so is making sure her two boys will be financially taken care of in case of their parents death. They've become MUCH more financially conservative since their scare.

Memories can be made without money - it helps, but of my top ten family memories, not one of them occurs on the seven Disney related vacations I've taken - they are my kids dressed up in Mom's clothes..... The two of them covered in brownie mix....breastfeeding my daughter in the middle of the night.... my son getting Valium to break a seizure cycle - and a high as a kite three year old.....baby chickens at a petting zoo.....preschool graduation....my son hitting an honest triple...... But money is important for ensuring your families future should you leave minor kids behind.

Bravo.

Disney is awesome, but if that is your only "happy place", the only place for memories, the only escape, that is sad.

 

[mrstomrice]

We have found our Disney trips to be more reasonable than a week in Ocean City, NJ. Our MYW package came to $1750.00 with DDP, park tickets for 3 and 40% off Pop for 7 nights. Our airfare was just under $600 for all 4 of us (DS 22 months). It was 280.00 for 1 night at a nice hotel in OCNJ and many houses rent for $2500 and up for the week, not including food, beach tags, and entertainment. It makes sense for us to do Disney and save the beach for day trips.

 

[marcyinPA]

Disney isn't cheap, especially if you add up all the money you actually spent once you get home, with all the little extras. That said, I put every expense we had on one credit card for our spring break trip, 8 nights for 4 people, driving 450 miles, FL resident rates and passes, dining plan, and it came to right at $300 a day.

Another vacation we catch heck for is cruising. People seem to think its so expensive to cruise, but we can cruise for $75-100 per day per person total.

We just got back from our first cruise, and for 6 days for the four of us (one inside cabin), we spent roughly $3400. This included 2 excursions, "adult" beverages, a "smoothie" coupon book for the DS's, a couple of souvies, tips, and parking in NYC for the week. And believe me, none of us starved (DH gained 15 pounds! Yup, you read that right...1-5!!)

We went to Disney a year ago, and with airfare from Philly, parkhoppers, the dining plan, 7 nights at Pop, we spent just about the same amount as we did for our cruise.

ETA: DH and I went to San Francisco in October last year for 4 nights, and spent roughly $2500 for just the TWO of us. This included airfare, hotel, tours, meals, etc. Not cheap AT ALL! (but so worth it...we had a great time!)

 

[carj]

We just got back last Sunday and I added up everything so that I will have a reference point WHEN we go back! (I would go next week if we could!)

$1465 4 round trip tickets from DFW to MCO and 7 nights at All Star Sports
$850 6 day MYW tickets for 2 adults, 2 kids, no hoppers, no water parks (We might consider doing the water parks next time, but there was no need for the hoppers for us)
$150 CRT for Bfast for 4
$100 Garden Grill for 4
$60 Ohana for 3
$50 1900 Park Fare for 2
$32 Pirate Cruise
$168 Rental car for 7 days Nissan Pathfinder
$75 gas
$50 parking for DH at conference
$760 Souveneirs and counter service meals
Grand Total $3760
We could have easily cut this by about $500 if we had done fewer table service meals OR said no a few times on the souveniers!
We did not do the dining plan because my husband was at a conference for 4 of the days and ate many meals there.

Was it cheap? Not by any stretch of the imagination! There are definitely cheaper vacations.

It was so much fun though! I am ready to go again! I'm already plotting and scheming to go in 2010!

 

[jessica52877]

I get told all the time how expensive disney is too, but it is one of the cheapest places we can vacation. I have tried for the past 4 days to find somewhere else to vacation that would be comparable and can't even come within a $1000 of disney. There are 3 of us, so not even a large family.

Disney is our best value.

 

[yigara]

I get told all the time how expensive disney is too, but it is one of the cheapest places we can vacation. I have tried for the past 4 days to find somewhere else to vacation that would be comparable and can't even come within a $1000 of disney. There are 3 of us, so not even a large family.

Disney is our best value.

yes, disney is the cheapest place for us too.

 

[Chicklogic]

yes, disney is the cheapest place for us too.

TOTALLY OT but I read your name (yigara) as viagra! Guess I better get me some glasses!

 

[disykat]

As others have pointed out, it depends on what kind of vacations you take. We don't spend much money on entertainment, vacation or not. On a vacation, we might go to a museum, on a tour, or to a movie each day, but we don't do them all each day. We average way less than $100 a day on entertainment for our family of four.

I think Disney is good entertainment, and a reasonable value if you add up all those shows and rides and think about the entertainment you are getting for your money. It also gets more reasonable per day the longer your stay is. However, that doesn't make it compare to other vacations we take.

I can compare hotel costs, transportation costs, and food costs. But at Disney we spend more on entertainment because of park tickets. The only place we've been where we spent more on entertainment than Disney is New York City.

 

[Abowers]

If you watch...Disney will offer great rates at certain properties. Especially, during the off-time - in school times

 

[Abowers]

You can also look for the free meals with your tickets.. This saves a lot!

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Oh yes! I hear "Gosh, Disney is soooo expensive! How do you guys do it??" all the time! Most people know that I am very frugal and get great deals on many things, so I just tell them that the same applies to our Disney trips. We enjoy ourselves but we try to be frugal at the same time so that we can afford it and other vacations.

 

[crisi]

You can also look for the free meals with your tickets.. This saves a lot!

You opened up a four year old thread to mention that deals are available?

But since this thread last saw activity we went to Washington DC. A great vacation can be had in DC for not much money, since so many of the attractions are free.

 

[wallawallakids]

I guess I am in the minority. I do find it to be expensive. Very expensive. Partly, some of that is by choice...ie hubby will not stay in a value, the other part is because there are 6 of us. This means 2 hotel rooms or a suite (which makes it substantially more expensive). Also it means 6 people paying for airfare (and that part is never cheap.) 6 people having park tickets. 6 people eating. DD is now 10...so adult prices for her. I am not complaining. I love my kids, I obviously made the choice to have them and with that comes greater expense. I wouldn't change it for the world, but there is no way that it is cheap to take them all to Disney. It is about $1000+ a day for all for us to go for 6 nights. (That includes airfare). It is far less for us to drive to NH and take them to Storyland, a water park, and Thomas the train rides. Just a fact. (PS: Disneyland was even more expensive for our family! For whatever reason.)

 

[Marionnette]

I guess I am in the minority. I do find it to be expensive. Very expensive. Partly, some of that is by choice...ie hubby will not stay in a value, the other part is because there are 6 of us. This means 2 hotel rooms or a suite (which makes it substantially more expensive). Also it means 6 people paying for airfare (and that part is never cheap.) 6 people having park tickets. 6 people eating. DD is now 10...so adult prices for her. I am not complaining. I love my kids, I obviously made the choice to have them and with that comes greater expense. I wouldn't change it for the world, but there is no way that it is cheap to take them all to Disney. It is about $1000+ a day for all for us to go for 6 nights. (That includes airfare). It is far less for us to drive to NH and take them to Storyland, a water park, and Thomas the train rides. Just a fact. (PS: Disneyland was even more expensive for our family! For whatever reason.)

I think that you're missing the point that many people were making in this ancient thread.

If you're staying in two moderate or deluxe rooms instead of heading offsite, then yes, it is expensive.

If you fly 6 people from NH instead of driving, then yes, it is expensive.

If you spend a week and eat every meal out, then yes, it's expensive.

And if you get tickets with all of the addons directly from Disney and don't seek any discounts, then yes, it is expensive.

I will concede that even a cheap Disney vacation is not cheap. But there are certainly ways that you can make it more affordable.