Sticker shock

[JJsmama]

I don't get sticker shock from the hotels, because there are options and ways to save. What gives me shock is the price of the park tickets!

 

[cobbler]

Yep it does get kind of expensive but honestly I don't care. Its the one thing that I look forward to all year and I always plan for the next vacation as soon as we get back from the current one.

Last vacation we dropped about 4 grand and we stayed at value for 49/night. (nevermind the fact that we stayed 9 nights and bought the whole family annual passes )

I work my behind off, literally, to be able to do these fun vacations and I have loved every single one of them and have never regretted going on them. It brings such great joy to me and to my children every penny is worth it.

Besides, can't take the money with ya when you are gone!

 

[dreamflight99]

Oh my this is our first trip, we are still planning and as the time ticks by I keep adding up going, OH MY GOD should we do this? It could be a car, a few computers, LOL But I insist I want to go! Does anyone else feel sticker shock?

I try to always "avoid" doing this ~(ie: "considering" all the OTHER things this $$$ would buy). It would remove the enjoyment associated with the planning. Instead, try to focus on the memories and excitement of the adventure you will most assuredly experience together as a family.

As many on here posted, continue to search for ways to "cut costs" effectively. But, try not to regret the amount you are spending, before you have even spent it. Of course, do not spend money...you can not afford to part with (in leiu of other financial obligations!) If I did this everytime I wrote a check for school tuition...(could have bought this/that instead, etc.), it would have driven me crazy!

If vacationing is a priority, it will be right up there with the mortgage, and other obligations in life. We too, WORK HARD, so we can also PLAY HARD!! WDW & family vacationing is a part of our life, and included in all our financial plans each year. SuBeat surely hit the proverbial nail on the head...with her last few profound sentences:

But 20 years from now are we going to remember that great carpet, furniture, computer, whatever your personal fill in the blank is? I doubt it. But the memories we make on these trips will last forever.

 

[disyady]

I agree with everything said so far. My girls have learned so much about money and life by saving for Disney every year. We live in Canada so the cost is high and everyone here thinks we're rich. We're not. We have only one income and all of our decisions revolve around the yearly family trip to Disney. My girls know that if I buy that ice cream (or movie or whatever) that's less money for Disney. They're worse than my husband and I now (or better depending on your outlook). It's our one indulgence and I don't regret one single $ we've spent on Disney. The memories never wear out or need repairing - they are priceless.

 

[dreamingdisney]

This is our first trip too - and, yes, I got sticker shock!! But when you add up all the money that goes for fast food or gets "nickeled and dimed" away, then you've got have of your vacation right there.

It just comes down to what's important to you. My kids don't remember all the fast food trips, but they'll never forget WDW - and neither will I!

 

[FallDisney]

This is our first trip too - and, yes, I got sticker shock!! But when you add up all the money that goes for fast food or gets "nickeled and dimed" away, then you've got have of your vacation right there.

It just comes down to what's important to you. My kids don't remember all the fast food trips, but they'll never forget WDW - and neither will I!

Absolutely agree on that! Once your vacation is paid for, that's it. When we've gone somewhere beside WDW, I feel pretty poor! We went to Niagara Falls last summer. Trust me, we could have gone to Disney for the same price.

 

[bard721]

As others have said we save on a regular basis for our trips every two years or so to WDW. I do think that there is some mental adjustment from outside WDW prices and costs to in WDW prices and costs. Since you read the boards you know there are ways big and small to help control the costs. I must say that though I have been to WDW more than 21 times since its opening my fondest memories are about the people I was with (parents, sib, and later DH) and some of the more unplanned and magical moments that did not cost anything beyond our being at the park that day. I would also suggest that all of us who have been to WDW once or one hundred times are so very blessed to be able to do so.

 

[mom04]

I am really feeling the "lint " in my pant pockets We are a family of 6 needing all adult tickets After I add up the rental car-dog boarders- tickets and food I can only smile and think "it will be worth it " I am praying that the tickets that I want will be on sale some month before we leave Until then ...

 

[dizagain]

We went on our "once in a lifetime trip to WDW with the kids" in 2003....we're going on our "ok, one more time, but only ONE more" trip in May. The girls are so excited about it they can hardly stand it...it's definitely worth every penny. We really have to save carefully for our trips (cash only) but we manage because it's important to us. I can do without many things as long as I have my memories and beautiful pictures to share with my family.

Mickey, we'll be there soon!!!!

 

[Robopig]

Expensive? Yes!! Woth it?? YES YES YES!!!! These are the kind of trips that your kids will be talking about FOREVER!! The first time we went my DD's were 3 and 2. THey got a private photo shoot with Mickey at Downtown Disney (hope they still have it!!) and the 3 now 8 year old still remember's it!! I can't wait just to see their faces, and it's all family time. These are the moments money can't buy!!!

 

[golfgal]

My only sticker shock came from how much more expensive it is to take 5 people vs 4 people, it is almost double for that extra person. If you stay value or mod, you have to get two rooms, so double the room cost, if you go deluxe, AKL like we are, they you pay for the deluxe room. The rate codes from our postcard that I thankfully got for a regular savannah room is $160, our "deluxe" savannah room, with discount code is $300/night (which is about $85 off/night from rack rate-all including tax). The park tickets are expensive, but not that much more then our lame, boring amusement park in MN (ok it isn't that bad, but it is about 1/8th the size and nothing special).

Disney is much more expensive then other vacations simply becasue of the park costs. You can compare it to Vegas and yes, a comparable room MIGHT be as expensive -but most rooms in Vegas don't come close to the cost of a Deluxe at Disney, but you certainly can't find an all you can eat dinner buffet in Disney for $8. We stayed off the strip in Vegas, had a BEAUTIFUL room with a great view for $36/night with better amenities then AKL has to offer even.

 

[Cookie Princess]

The best memories I have of my childhood were the 2 WDW vacations we went on as a family. That is what we are recreating for our son. He loves these trips, and it isn't just the attractions. It is the full 9+ days we can be a family without all the day-to-day responsbilities/chores/activities. To us, these magical memories, videos and pictures are truly worth the money.

 

[PartyOf5a]

I have to agree with all your comments above (especially the poster who said he couldn't believe how much more it is to vacation when your family becomes 5!).

However, the way we look at it, if you are going to spend your hard earned money on a vacation, you want to be *guaranteed* a great time. We've priced other vacations and we always end up back at Disney. Because when my kids are happy, the parents are happy!

 

[imatoad]

Partyof5, exactly, one of the reasons I go back to DW is that I stand a 100% chance of having a wonderful experience. I've been surfing for many years, and you want to talk about a risky trip, the odds of me traveling a great distance and getting good surf are not in my favor, and let me tell you, some of the places I've been have no other distractions, you are there to surf that's it. No waves, no fun, and it has happened. I want my vacation to be a slam dunk for a great time. Each DW trip has been exactly that.

 

[mom04]

Well from much research on places to stay, we went with Cypress Pointe- yes it is off site but the price was right ! A 3 bdrm condo for $89.00 per night was right in my budget ( especially for July 4 week ) and plenty of room for our family . Now all I need to do is find a "special " on 4 Day Hopper pluses tickets and all will be well !

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

Well there are just my husband and I who go, no kids, so I can go for less than $1500 for 8 days and stay at a moderate, have tickets, and airfare. I don't think thats a lot for an 8 day vacation, cruises and other vacations add up to be the same quite frequently.

 

[LegoMom3]

I try very hard NOT to look at the "bottom line!" LOL!! I am making my ressies more than a year in advance, so I can pay it down over time. Just bought a minivan to get us there comfortably (we needed it anyway!), and staying at a campsite at FW for the double benefit of cheaper accomodations and being able to prepare a lot of our own meals (BIG savings in food alone!). As a family of 5, a Disney vacation can get expensive very quickly, but it's a DISNEY vacation!...gotta make the most of it and have a blast!
Keep searching these boards -there's a wealth of info on planning and saving.

 

[Sleepy]

The first family vacation we ever took was to WDW back in 99. We spent 12 nights and 10 days in the parks. Back then, the annual passes were more economical. My husband was not all that thrilled with the amount this vacation was going to cost us. I kept telling him we deserved a vacation. I used several tactics to avoid full sticker shock. First, I planned the vacation 8 months in advance. (it was kind of spur of the moment in thought, or we would have planned ahead more months). I paid a bit on the hotel each month making sure it was paid in full at least a month before we arrived. I used that years tax refund to purchase the annual passes. Each week, my son and I would go to the mall and buy about $10-$20 worth of Disney Dollars. Each week we would plan an evening for take out food and then change our minds and place the money we were going to use for take out and place it in the Disney Jar (for more Disney dollars). We drove to WDW so that knocked out airfare. We took a plug in cooler for sandwich stuff and took food with us like cereal, etc, so not every meal would be in the park.

I also paid extra each month on our monthly bills such as utilities and put aside extra every month for things like car loan, etc so that way the month we go to WDW, we would have NO bills.......our income would be free and clear to spend on this vacation for extras like food and souvies. So, when we got to WDW in August, we had hotel paid for, tickets paid for and all the money in our bank acct was EXTRA FREE money Hubby stepped one foot in Shades of Green with a smile and before we left Magic Kingdom the first evening, he was talking about making reservations for the next vacation.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

In my case since I am single and going solo, I have to flip for the entire vacation cost. I sit down and look at everything. When I get the urge to go out to dinner instead of making a meal at home or seeing a couple of movies every other weekend, I take a look at my reservation slip for Disney and remember what a great time I will have.

 

[dreamflight99]

In my case since I am single and going solo, I have to flip for the entire vacation cost. I sit down and look at everything. When I get the urge to go out to dinner instead of making a meal at home or seeing a couple of movies every other weekend, I take a look at my reservation slip for Disney and remember what a great time I will have.

Jason...It also makes the "Top Ramen, Mac & Cheese, etc." taste much better...if you view the WDW Ressie slip during your meal!
Pass on those movies too...if you get the urge, there's always the theater in DTD to dream about!! I love reading about such strategies, and the memories ALL being worth the expense. Couldn't agree more. As for being single and going solo...there are LOTS of DISers visiting at different times. Are you wearing your LIME?