Pros and cons of a disney vacation

[eliza61]

So I realize my study isn't perfectly scientific because this is definitely not an objective crowd but here's the scenario.

Had a first meeting for a 2015 family reunion and we've narrowed it down to London or WDW

Cost is not a factor because one member of the family is gifting the airfare to London from JFK.

12 people ranging in ages from 13-85 ( a very spry 85 lol)
Trip must be in late August or early September.

This was my Disney argument.

Pros:

flexibility. people can stay at a resort that fits there budget and still be "together". for example one of my cousins is young and newly married they can stay at a value and easily meet up. My 85 year old aunt isn't staying any where but the GF.

Entertainment big options here. very easy to chill as much as you want or commando as much as you want.

Travel time we're pretty much all in NY/NJ/PA. 2 hours tops flight time

Love of disney Many of us like the world and go as individual families


Cons: (these are my cons, I'm trying to be objective but it's hard)

uber scheduling We went in May, not the whole family just my sons and I. we hate the magic bands and really dislike the whole fp+ process. Now it's almost mandatory that you make fp selections and I think by next August, stand by lines will be a thing of the past.


food most of us have been to wdw and generally agree the food is mediocre at best. most of us go offsite to eat but with a big party this time it probably won't be possible. We're a large family where any Sunday some one could be having the family over for a slammin Sunday dinner.

6 month ADR Yes when we have family reunions we generally make dinner reservations. LOL we never make them 180 days out.

Weather Africa hot in florida in August. Seniors may not do so well, although they can easily go back to the resort.

I know they are totally different types of vacation but that's the choices we narrowed it down to.

Any thing else I should consider?

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Pro: late August/Early September = lowest crowds of the year

 

[ldymcbth]

Have you been to London? One of the few places I love more than WDW is London! And if you are planning to go in Aug 2015 you could order tickets NOW for Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet, which is set to be amazing. I feel like it's blasphemy here but I would choose London in a heartbeat in your scenario!

 

[CAL2]

hi, I'm from the UK and live a few hours away from London. IMHO as you have such a large group and such varied ages it may be a lot more challenging to find something for everyone to enjoy at the same time. don't get me wrong there's lots to do and see in London but you could probably do most of the touristy things in 3-5 days, then there's hotels, transport, theatre tickets ( that's if you can find a show everyone agrees on) personally I think a trip to London will take a lot more planning than going to WDW

cal

 

[Suvadoo]

This is a really tough choice. I'm sure the weather is better in London. But I'm thinking about the 85 y/o. Flying anywhere is pretty miserable, but flying to London would be pretty hard on her.

I really think WDW is becoming too hard to really enjoy because of all the planning, large crowds and limited attractions.

Here's another suggestion: Staying at Universal. There's Cabana Bay for some and then the other 3 Loewe's hotels. Believe me, I'm not suggesting this based on a wish to bash Disney. But at Universal, everyone would be within walking distance of City Walk and the parks. You'd have front of the line access for the length of your stay.

You could always go to Disney for a day or 2, but I think you'd still save money on accommodations at Universal and it would be easier for your large party to meet up since the Universal Resort is much smaller.

But if it just a choice between the two, I would suggest WDW. If people didn't want to go to the parks you could meet up at the resorts.

 

[Aurora0427]

GO TO LONDON. It's my favorite city in the world. Having a family member gift you with airfare to London is once in a lifetime- GO. WDW can be done on a budget and it's much more accessible for Americans. London may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for some members of your family.

 

[ldymcbth]

Things you can do in London with a large group of people with just a smidge of pre-planning:

1) Book Shakespeare's Globe tour (bonus, check to see if a play is running during your stay) - the youngest members of your party are plenty old enough to have this be a terrific learning experience, and it is not a large time commitment - maybe 2 hours tops.

2) Very close to the Globe, go see Tate Modern (modern art museum) - even non-Art people will be amused by the wacky stuff here.

3) Pre-book a West End show (though perhaps less of a big deal since you guys are close-ish to NYC in real life and have probably seen a ton of Broadway productions.) You can, though, see shows that only run in London. I recommend the productions at the Harold Pinter theatre - it's smallish, usually a play is running, and I have always found them to be great productions.

4) If you have any Doctor Who enthusiasts, break them off into a group for a day and have them take the train to Cardiff, where they can go to the Doctor Who Experience (totally awesome for a fan) and also see a lot of filming locations from both Doctor Who and Torchwood. Have them re-watch Boom Town before they go to Cardiff!

5) British Museum is amazing and huge and has something for everyone.

6) Pre-book London Eye tickets (this is my least favorite thing but can accomodate your group and they might like it.)

7) Make reservations for your party to eat at Great Queen Street. You will thank me.

8) Westminster Abbey can totally handle your size group, and with an audio tour you can do it together. Again, not a huge time commitment but simply AMAZING and gorgeous and educational.

Hope that helps - feel free to throw a free ticket my way and I'll serve as tour guide, hahaha! ;-)

 

[ArwenMarie]

I would do WDW. Even with the scheduling, I feel like it would be easier to coordinate activities for all to enjoy together.

 

[tsme]

I love Disney, but I'd go to London. You mentioned that ya'll go as individual families to Disney, so you've all been there & will probably return. It's an easy 2 hr flight. But London would be a once in a lifetime trip! LONDON!!

 

[sethschroeder]

I picked WDW for the following reason, you said ONLY London.

Now if you said the British Isle then that would be a different story. If your paying $1000+ per person to fly over to London, be groggy with jet lag for a day, and only spend a few days in London I personally think its a waste.

You have a ton to do and you likely can save a lot of money by not just staying in London and venturing out as well. Think about just going to New York City if you came to America would that be the best choice or should you jot over to Boston/Philli/Washington DC. There is a lot of amazing things in London but its a shame to go all the way to London without making a visit to a castle or other places you simply can not see anywhere else in the world.

Things that kids will love:
Play in London (Her Royal Majesties Theatre - if its still called that)
THE British Museum Museum (all the things the British have confiscated over their years of conquest)
Soccer Game (if your kids play at all - hard to get tickets though to some)
Warwick Castle (or other Royal Estates/Castles that are now open to the pubic)
Lockness (have to look for the Lockness creature right?)
Just good old backroads driving
Take a ferry to Ireland/Northern Ireland
Drive on one of the magic roads (cars roll "uphill" at least to your eyes on this road)
Cliffs of Moher
Blarney Stone
Stonehenge
Tons more....

PS- This is from an American, I know a lot of English are on this forum so I wanted to clarify

 

[eliza61]

hi, I'm from the UK and live a few hours away from London. IMHO as you have such a large group and such varied ages it may be a lot more challenging to find something for everyone to enjoy at the same time. don't get me wrong there's lots to do and see in London but you could probably do most of the touristy things in 3-5 days, then there's hotels, transport, theatre tickets ( that's if you can find a show everyone agrees on) personally I think a trip to London will take a lot more planning than going to WDW
cal

LOL, definitely a concern especially since the planning will probably fall to one or two of us even with a travel agent

GO TO LONDON. It's my favorite city in the world. Having a family member gift you with airfare to London is once in a lifetime- GO. WDW can be done on a budget and it's much more accessible for Americans. London may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for some members of your family.[/QUOTE]

Huge, huge consideration. My senior uncle is tossing in 1000 per person toward airfare to London. for my small family of 3 that's a big savings. I will definitely not get that type of opportunity again.


Keep 'em coming. We want to come to a decision by labor day.

 

[Luvchefmic]

With the senior uncle and the 85 y/o aunt if they are up to London I would go with that trip. This will be a once in a lifetime experience and wonderful memories for your family with all of you there. Are they both strongly on board with London ?

 

[metzgardesign]

Given the choice between the two....London would easily get my vote. Real history and things to see and learn about versus, well, fake stuff to see and do (the rides and such are 'real' I suppose, in that they exist, but it IS a theme park area).

Guess it boils down to what you and your family prefer.

Easy choice, in my eyes.

 

[Jennasis]

Pros: Vacationing at Disney World!

Cons: MDE

 

[Jfsag123]

As much as I love WDW, I chose London. That seems like a huge opportunity and, with somebody else agreeing to foot the airline bill, one I could not pass up.

 

[Flora Fan]

London would be my choice. I love this city. It is so diverse and just plain fun.

We used a company called HomeAway for our trip and found a great apartment to rent. It was much cheaper than several hotel rooms and we had access to a full kitchen, laundry and (perhaps most important of all) we could escape to a room and chill to get some quiet time every now and then.

I'm sure you'll have fun no matter which trip you choose.

 

[mousefan73]

Almost fell out of my chair when I saw this post..
We are doing a weekend in London in two weeks, 21Aug-23Aug and then WDW from 29Aug-08Aug.


Based on the costs for the above ( I am keeping airlines out ) London for the same time period as WDW ( Without any big shows etc...) will probalby cost us 5x as much..

We are 5 adults, 2 hotel rooms..
weekend in London.. hotel 600 dollars plus food, etc... looking at at least 1200

8 nites Disney. with tickets, FDing, parks etc.... about 3500.

Do the math..


London is AWESOME but VERY, VERY... expensive.. Think of it as doing your family thing in Manhattan but even more $$$. In London is it also a challenge finding a hotel that allows more than 2 people per room, 3 is findable, 4 forget it.. It is rare in a European city to find a hotel room that allows 4, they do exist, just not a given like in the US ( 2 double beds as a standard).. London Tube, eating tourist things are also expensive.

I remember being in London 10 years ago. I was a single 2 nights.. I recall coming back thinking how the heck did I spend 300 dollars on NOTHING to show for on my way back and I was frugal back then.

Just wanted to stress that even with the airfare being free, you might end up paying ALOT more in London than a WDW vacation.

I personally would say do london, WDW is always there.. But if budget is an issue really do research and book early in London

 

[surferdave]

London.

 

[ArwenMarie]

London is AWESOME but VERY, VERY... expensive.. Think of it as doing your family thing in Manhattan but even more $$$.

Good comparison to Manhattan. I love New York and would rank it way way way way above WDW as a tourist destination. But I would not want to bring 12 people there for a family reunion, either logistically or financially speaking.

 

[PapaPiper]

I would definitely do London. One of my favorite cities in the entire world. Easy to find things to do that would interest everyone. Amazing history and culture. Of course, one of the few destinations that will cost you even more than WDW, but worth it in my opinion.

I love WDW, but that is something that you can do, and have done, with your family at any time. A trip to London for everyone might just be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Good luck with the decision. You're likely to have a great time either way.