This is why I LOVE Disney....

[Turn the Page]

Thanks for pointing this out. I went as a kid and loved it and have since been wanting to go back as an inexpensive getaway. I guess now I have to rethink that last part.

Don't get me wrong. I love the island and it is beautiful.

But it's not cheap.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

We vacation once a year in FL & TN and we are a family of 4.

When we visit the Smokey Mountains we stay in the same little cabin high up on a ridge over looking the mountains. We stay around 5 - 7 nights and spend about $500 for the cabin. We go grocery shopping first off and eat both breakfast and dinner each night in the cabin and spend our days in the park. We typically spend one full day doing things around Gatlinburg and always the aquarium and a bit of light shopping. We do make a point to do the golf carts every other night and that is about it! This vacation is all about sleeping in, relaxing, eating pancakes and drinking coffee while enjoying our view from the porch rockers and everything the park has to offer. We spend around $1500 for the week. We could easily triple this cost!!!

I will add that when we go to TN we are there for relaxing and the beautiful park not the tourist trap.

We also go to Disney once a year and this year just bringing our tents. We will be staying 17 nights. With our ten day tickets, cost of campsite and food we are around the $4000 range. Most families typically spend that in 5 nights or less. We will drive ( just as we do to TN ) sixteen hours to FL. We cook our breakfast every morning and our own dinner typically every other night. We could easily spend 5 times this. We don't penny pinch or hold back on anything. If we see something we want to do, we do it or buy it or eat it!!! We just do things as cost efficient as possible so we can stay longer.

Every family is different and every family spends how they see best for their pleasures.

 

[mickyzzzzz05]

I get it. One of the reasons I love Disney is that it is all included. You do have options to purchase tickets for special evening parties or tours but in general everything that we like to do is included. That is one of the reasons we use the dining package. It isn't that we feel there is a huge savings but we are not pulling out money for each meal. It is paid up front. We are here now and having a great time.

 

[bbak3030]

I am guessing you mean $2500 for the 4 of you or whatever, your immediate family, not the group of 12 ?

Lol yes you are correct. Just the 4 of us!

 

[Turn the Page]

I don't know about anybody else but another reason why Disney often feels like a better value to me than other places is because most everything is paid for in advance.

Sure, park tickets are a huge chunk of the budget but you pay for them, the room, and sometimes even meals before you get there. At a place like Gatlinburg or Mackinac Island you pay for the room in advance but everything else yo pay as you go.

Even if I end up spending more at WDW than I do somewhere else the feeling of being nickel and dimed really sticks with me and I HATE feeling like that.

 

[DISNEYD14]

I totally agree with OP
Our best value vacation for family of 5 is WDW.

We've tried other places, GWL or Hershey or NYC.
Beach, but everything is so darn expensive with the extras once you do something like that. Food, rides, entertainment, museums...

WDW always comes out cheaper in the end for us and much more fun then anything else we've tried.

 

[PoohsFan1]

You probably have been, but next time you go, drive into Pigeon Forge and go to the Old Mill Restaurant and have a piece of pecan pie. It is what I judge all pecan pie against. I have found none even coming close. Good food too. Okay, I know SO off topic.

I agree Ripleys, the aquarium, sky lift, etc. You could easily spend $100 a day there on subpar entertainment (and then be out of stuff to do.)

Mmmmm, I love the Old Mill Restaurant. Great food and I second the pecan pie .

 

[chris4disney]

I have taken dozens of trips to Gatlinburg over the years, but they were always "girl" trips with mom, sister, aunt, etc. We shared the cost of room, did a lot of shopping, etc. So my expenses were just the cost of my food, 1/4 of the room and any shopping I did. LOVED IT!

Now we have children of our own (DD8, DS11) and go to Disney World every year. Our kids have basically grown up thinking everyone goes to WDW every year. They also think that on vacation you arrive and you get to do what ever you want (as far as going to attractions, shows, etc.). Well anyways, a couple years ago DH and I decided to take the kids to Gatlinburg. They just didn't understand why we couldn't (or wouldn't) go to every show, museum, go carts, laser tag, sky lift, aquarium, etc. As OP said, you do feel nickel and dimed after being used to the WDW way of touring. Our kids just assumed that once we passed the "Welcome to Gatlinburg" sign that everything they saw was included in our "ticket". Needless to say, we haven't been back to Gatlinburg. I would love to go back with for another "girl trip" where I'm only paying for myself... not a family of four.

 

[FLchick415]

I took a vacation with my family to TN once (stayed in cabins way up in the mountains...Meadow Creek Mountain Resort if anyone is interested) and we took a day trip to Gatlinburg. It was a lovely town, but we could definitely tell it was a huge tourist trap.

 

[Suvadoo]

This is what I've been wondering! I've read many times on here that "Disney is too expensive" & "I could go somewhere else for a fraction of what it costs at Disney". I don't understand those statements. I would if I were comparing it to a beach getaway but when I vacation I like to see and do as much as possible, I do not go to relax. So I price out vacation spots (that have a comparable activity level to Disney) and this is what I come up with: $40 pp for museum/zoo/aquarium tickets, $100 pp for theatre tickets, $60 pp for mlb tix, $30-$60 pp for city tours, $70 pp for amusement park, $20 pp observation decks, etc.

When we travel we like to do something cultural/educational in the morning and something fun at night. For example: art museum in the a.m and a ball game in the p.m. That would cost us $100 pp for one day, and that's not even including transportation and parking. However, my husband and I will spend $50 pp/pd for all our entertainment/transportation/parking needs on our next Disney vacation.

Also, at least in Disney you have the option to stay in an economically priced hotel room. It would be near impossible in cities like Chicago or Manhattan to find a hotel room similar in amenities and cost as a Disney value.

Maybe someone here can explain this to me.

So do you do cultural activities in Orlando?
Also, Washington DC isn't very expensive. Hotels in Crystal City are $75-100 per night and breakfast is included, Metro link train into the city $ 2-3/ day, all Smithsonian museums are free, and all the government buildings are free. I can fly from Phoenix to Washington and stay for a week for a lot less than a trip to WDW costs.

 

[robinb]

I see what you're saying. Disney works very, very hard to be an "all inclusive" entertainment destination. They don't want you to feel the need to go off property and they make it cheaper to extend your park passes rather than wander off property somewhere else.

EXACTLY! All i could think about was $100 a day would get me into any park!

Hmmm ... I don't think $100 would get you into a Disney park with your family of 4. A 10-day base ticket (the cheapest per day option) is $377 for adults and $356 for kids so that's $146 per day for your family. Did you mean $100 per person per day?

 

[davedmaine]

We are in Gatlinburg, TN for Thanksgiving week. We have a 5 bedroom cabin for a family of 12, I think we paid around 2,500 for the entire week. That is a good deal as far as Disney is concerned. That's where it ends for me. I feel SO nickeled and dimed to death! I feel like it costs $200 for my family of 4 to do just about anything. And we aren't even talking about full day experiences. For example, we were in downtown Gatlinburg the other day and the skylift to take you to the top of the mountain was $15 for adults and I think $12 for children. So just short of $60. For maybe an hour worth of entertainment. Do we skipped that. Headed to Ober Gatlinburg where it cost $48 just to take the tram to the top. Snow tubing wasn't bad at $20 each. Then I made the mistake of checking the price for the mountain coaster, a simple coaster that lasts less than 10 minutes. $22 per person. Geez. So yesterday we go to Dollywood. I love Theme parks (obviously). Hours from 11-9, which I think are awful hours for a holiday week. Cost was $238 for us 4 which I was fine with. Took over an hour to get into the park which I though was ridiculous. They had signs everywhere saying you could buy tickets online and bypass lines, but nobody could get it to load. We finally make it into the park. I loved it, beautiful park with lots to do. The kids loved the rides, train, shows. We barely saw half the park. Food was way overpriced--which is to be expected. But we still had a nice time. Oh, and they want to sell you a $20 pass per person that gets you to the front of the line and a guaranteed seat at the shows. We still have tomorrow, which we will spend doing ATV rides, horseback riding and zip lines. That will also be expensive and take 3-4 hours. And then we will be expected to tip everyone. The entire time I'm thinking about our Disney trips where I feel like once I'm in the park--I'm not constantly being asked to shell out additional money. Sure there are things you can pay extra for, and sometimes we do, but I'm the first person to say that you don't need all the extras to have a wonderful Disney trip! I guess what I'm saying is that I feel like we get our money's worth at Disney. We get there, enjoy ourselves and have a good time. The park hours are long and we can take breaks if we need to. I don't feel nickeled and dimed to death like I do here and like I did in Branson last summer. That is why I LOVE Disney. We are planning 2 trips next year Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

Disney is pretty much the highest cost family vacation you can have

 

[BlondeAppetit]

Disney is pretty much the highest cost family vacation you can have

I think that it is all relative - depends on the season, time of year, size of your party, dining preferences, etc.

I, personally, think that you could really maximize your budget at Disney if you travel during a slower time, with free dining, kids under 10, if you live close by and you drive, etc.

 

[robinb]

This is what I've been wondering! I've read many times on here that "Disney is too expensive" & "I could go somewhere else for a fraction of what it costs at Disney". I don't understand those statements.

I can share my own recent experience. We booked a last minute cruise on NCL over Spring Break of 2014 (the week before Easter). We had an ocean view cabin that we paid a total (including all taxes and port fees) of $1501.24 for 2 adults and 1 teen. We had to pay an additional (I believe) $12 per person per day in gratuities, so we paid $1753 for our cabin which included 3 meals a day "freestyle cruising", plus the buffet which stayed open all day and well past midnight. We probably spent another $300 on board for drinks and extras, so let's say the cruise itself was $2000. There was entertainment onboard every single day and night. Some you had to pay for (like bingo) but much of it was included in the price of your cabin. The main evening entertainment was excellent and included a comic, Second City and the Broadway-type singing and dancing shows. The secondary entertainment was excellent with singers, games and dancing. My DD went to the teen club every night and had a blast.

In addition, we went on 4 excursions. In Honduras my DD and DH went diving. I believe that was about $150 for both of them including a cab ride and lunch. I snorkeled for free as part of a promo with our travel agent. In Belize we did a Cave Tubing tour which included lunch. I think we paid about $40 for that, but we tipped at then end so let's say another $150. In Costa Maya we went to a restaurant/bar on the beach and spent less than $100 and in Cozumel we did the same and spent about $125. So let's say we spent another $525 in excursions.

So, for a total of $2525 3 of us had a wonderful week in the Caribbean visiting 4 countries, meeting local people and relaxing.

Compare that to WDW over Spring Break. There are no discounts that week, so I'll have to use rack rate. Rack rate at the All Stars was $192 per night including tax so it's $1344 for the week. Add on a 7-day PH for 3, $1227. Now we have to eat. Let's make it easy and add on the DDP for 3 adults @ $180 per day for another $1260. The same week at WDW would have cost us $3831.

 

[Seeker615]

I think it all matters on what you are wanting to do for your vacation.

Most typical vacations you are going to pay per attraction visited and if you know that in advance and the cost it should not be a big deal.

I just got back from Nashville for 5 nights and I pre-purchased a lot of my attraction tickets and searched Groupon for specials and deals. I ended up quite happy with the amount of money I spent and didn't feel nickel and dimed.

I think if you know what you are getting into you should be fine. I do think Disney is a pretty good value overall as is Universal but in order to get the savings for each you have to stay and play on their properties. Same with an all -inclusive or even a cruise. If you want to venture out on your vacation you need to do your homework and expect to pay for each thing separately.

I frequent Gettysburg and Salem quite a lot and yes we pay for any attractions separately but by doing a little ground work ahead of time I have managed to save a ton of money and we usually rent an apartment for any longer stays and that saves us money as well. Plus the beauty of these places is there is so much to see and do that is free! Gettysburg National park is just huge and there are monuments, hiking areas and towers that don't cost anything!

 

[pmaurer74]

Have fun! There are some great restaurants in Gatlinburg. I highly recommend the Dixie Stampede. There is also a good Mexican place.. is ti No Way Jose or something like that but I do agree with you. I also think Disney's food prices are reasonable and you can easily share. I found food prices other places to be very high. I like that I can include everything in my package. For instance. We are planning to take $200 in gift cards and that should cover us for the week.

 

[jensen]

I'm totally with you, OP! Every year I price out different vacation options and you can see from my sig how many times we've ended up back at WDW. I do complain that going to Disney is getting expensive, but when I compare it to other options it's still a good value for our style of vacationing.

 

[whitney37354]

For anyone going to Ober Gatlinburg, don't take the sky tram---drive up to the resort & pay $5.00 to park for as long as you want. The parking lot is small, so you need to get there early in the day. It costs a lot less than riding up on the sky tram.

We live around two hours away from Gatlinburg & spent our honeymoon there 21 years ago. It is expensive & a tourist trap if you are in downtown. If you got a cabin, cooked your own food there, & went to Cades Cove & hiking, then you wouldn't spend as much.

We spend 2-3 days there on our "every 5th" wedding anniversary. We spend too much money, but we have a relaxing couple of days alone. We were just there last December for our 20th anniversary.

We've started camping in Pigeon Forge every Labor Day weekend & we spend half of one day in Gatlinburg for breakfast & a couple of attractions. Even that is pricey, but DD is with us on these trips so it's a treat for her.

I know Disney costs more (we've only been twice so far, going back in June 2015), but I like knowing it's all paid for when I get there! It's a mental thing for me.

 

[SmithSmith]

So do you do cultural activities in Orlando?
Also, Washington DC isn't very expensive. Hotels in Crystal City are $75-100 per night and breakfast is included, Metro link train into the city $ 2-3/ day, all Smithsonian museums are free, and all the government buildings are free. I can fly from Phoenix to Washington and stay for a week for a lot less than a trip to WDW costs.

In the past, yes, but not anymore. Now the only reason I go to Orlando is for Disney.

Unfortunately, I've been to DC and have no interest in going back.

The only US city that I really want to visit and would be cheaper than Disney is New Orleans.

I also need to point out that I travel with my dog and I'm celiac. So trying to find restaurants that are dog friendly and gluten safe is a real challenge. That's one huge reason we love Disney. I find it difficult to safely dine out in my own city. In Disney I can walk into any restaurant and everyone there is well trained in food allergies so that I can safely eat. I cannot fully express how amazing it feels to feel "normal" again, even if it's just for a week.

 

[SmithSmith]

I can share my own recent experience. We booked a last minute cruise on NCL over Spring Break of 2014 (the week before Easter). We had an ocean view cabin that we paid a total (including all taxes and port fees) of $1501.24 for 2 adults and 1 teen. We had to pay an additional (I believe) $12 per person per day in gratuities, so we paid $1753 for our cabin which included 3 meals a day "freestyle cruising", plus the buffet which stayed open all day and well past midnight. We probably spent another $300 on board for drinks and extras, so let's say the cruise itself was $2000. There was entertainment onboard every single day and night. Some you had to pay for (like bingo) but much of it was included in the price of your cabin. The main evening entertainment was excellent and included a comic, Second City and the Broadway-type singing and dancing shows. The secondary entertainment was excellent with singers, games and dancing. My DD went to the teen club every night and had a blast.

In addition, we went on 4 excursions. In Honduras my DD and DH went diving. I believe that was about $150 for both of them including a cab ride and lunch. I snorkeled for free as part of a promo with our travel agent. In Belize we did a Cave Tubing tour which included lunch. I think we paid about $40 for that, but we tipped at then end so let's say another $150. In Costa Maya we went to a restaurant/bar on the beach and spent less than $100 and in Cozumel we did the same and spent about $125. So let's say we spent another $525 in excursions.

So, for a total of $2525 3 of us had a wonderful week in the Caribbean visiting 4 countries, meeting local people and relaxing.

Compare that to WDW over Spring Break. There are no discounts that week, so I'll have to use rack rate. Rack rate at the All Stars was $192 per night including tax so it's $1344 for the week. Add on a 7-day PH for 3, $1227. Now we have to eat. Let's make it easy and add on the DDP for 3 adults @ $180 per day for another $1260. The same week at WDW would have cost us $3831.

For some reason my parents usually pulled me out of school to travel. So it never crosses my mind that there are parents that would never do that. Therefore they'd never be able to take advantage of the discounts.

Thanks for pointing that out.