When did you realize that Disney ruined you for anyplace else?

[mrzrich]

We went to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa recently for my DS6's Birthday. The gate price was $15 for adults and 10.50 for kids. Okay, not bad, we thought. For an additional $14 you can take a boat ride. Now were up to $30 a peice. Then we get inside, the animal exhibits were ok, but too be honest DAK had just as many animals including lions which the zoo did not. (I also add that Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has even better animal attractions than DAK, sorry)

The part that got us was how we were nickled and dimed once we got inside. Skyride $4 each (That would be $20 for my party of five) Camel rides $3, Pony Rides $3, Carousel $3. The one that really blew my mind was the $2 per cracker they charged to feed the giraffe.

We were hungry, searchng for a place to eat out of the sun. Only CS was available, only one place with indoor seating it was packed. Prices were comparable to WDW, but no where near as good.

My mother turned to me on our way out and said, Disney has ruined us for anything else. We were kicking ourselves because we live 90 minutes from WDW and 60 minutes from Tampa. I means whats 30 minutes when you can have the best?

 

[gingermommy94]

After our first trip!

We didn't plan on going to Disney every year. We had our first trip and then time to plan vacation rolled around again. Every suggestion we came up with was met with "well for just a little more money, we could go to Disney" or "if we go just a little further south, we could be in Disney". I knew then that we were hooked!

Also, we went to Kinds Island and Cedar Point...and found that all we did the entire time was compare it to WDW. *sigh*

We're hopelessly hooked

 

[mkpat]

I have to admit that I didn't want to go on my first trip, I was appeasing my wife because she had always wanted to. But after my first trip I have been hooked ever since. One price and you get everything you want; theme parks, night-life, live entertainment, and accomodations; not to mention transportation to and from.

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Everytime we visit somewhere else, like Spain last year, we just constantly compare everything to Disney. Nothing compares!

 

[mrzrich]

What drives me crazy is how people complain that Disney is too expensive! I can't even go to the county fair without feeling ripped off, but I don't feel that way at Disney.

I think the food prices are pretty reasonable, especially at CS.

Everything is included for one price, no surprises.

 

[MAGGIED]

We knew we loves WDW but it really came to light after I took my DD(16) to Paris France for a week and although we had a wonderful time on the long flight back she says to me "Thanks for the wonderful week Mom - but next time can we just go back to Disney?" - I knew it then...............

 

[imatoad]

I was 10 on our first trip in '72 and too young to realize the effect it had on me, oh, I still loved it, but it wasn't until our 2nd trip at the age of 12, after that it was all over. Although I've taken other vacations, for me personally no other place makes me feel the way WDW does. mrzrich, I've gotten into debates over exactly that topic, I live in a small beach resort town in South Jersey, and the amount of money I see people spending on a one week Jersey Shore vacation is ridiculous. Hey if it's what makes them happy, but don't tell me Disney is too expensive.

 

[cstraub]

After our week long trip to Disneyland California and staying at the Grand Califonian we were ruined. I knew the minute we got to Legoland. It's awesome in it's own right but it just couln't compare!

 

[AJKMOM]

1. I joke that every time we travel south of the Mason-Dixon line, DH thinks we need to spend a few days at WDW.

2. The kids are tired of it and we're not, so we go without them.

3. When I get home and start checking the DISBoards again, even though I don't know when we're going back.


These are all signs that there's no place else for us.

 

[Bill From PA]

The week I used to look forward to the most was our beach vacation at Myrtle Beach. That's been demoted to second place since we discovered WDW, and the year was 1997.

Bill From PA

 

[Belle2667]

After our first trip, we were smitten. We're too afraid to go anywhere else for fear of being disappointed. No one cares about every little detail like Disney does. We compare everything with Disney, and honestly, I don't want to go anywhere else....ever! There isn't even a number 2 vacation spot on our list anymore!

 

[dpuck1998]

This happened to me when we went to hawaii in June. We had a great time and loved every minute of it, but it just wasn't Disney. I have a hard time spending more than a long weekened anywhere else

 

[pepe of ohio]

After a bunch of visits early, we tried a couple of years at Myrtle Beach and that cured us. Myrtle has alot to offer but at a price and after playing in the ocean a couple of days, we were in the car driving everywhere to find things to do. Then I idea struck home, few miles more, Disney has everything on property that a person could want, anyway they could want it and at a price just about everyone could afford. And to boot, they haul you around for free. What more could you want, swiming without sharks, food of every culture, amusement parks, animals, resorts second to none and landscaping that can't be beat. Inbetween vacations I play with other locals and for the money, Dieney is really hard to beat, all in one place!

 

[mommykds]

I think it was the summer of 2004? We loved Disney way before that but that summer we decided to do something "different". We went to Colonial Williamsburg & Busch Gardens in VA. Now while we had a nice time & CW was nice..BG was fun for the kids BUT in no way could it compare to Disney.
It was expensive as well & crowded. All I kept thinking of during that trip was "for this money we could have gone to Disney". Now, we all know it's Disney for us. We think of it as a "guaranteed good time". We know what to expect & we know we will have a great time & not feel like we should be somewhere else.

It's funny, my 10 year old DD was talking to her friends the other day. Some are quite well off (not us though! ) & they were talking about vacations. 1 girl said she went to St. Barts, 1 said Mexico (again!-her words), another said a cruise to the islands, the last said Hawaii). When my DD said we went to Disney last Oct & are going again this August, her friends said "wow, you are so lucky your Mom & Dad you where YOU want to go!"

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I was 10 on our first trip in '72 and too young to realize the effect it had on me, oh, I still loved it, but it wasn't until our 2nd trip at the age of 12, after that it was all over. Although I've taken other vacations, for me personally no other place makes me feel the way WDW does. mrzrich, I've gotten into debates over exactly that topic, I live in a small beach resort town in South Jersey, and the amount of money I see people spending on a one week Jersey Shore vacation is ridiculous. Hey if it's what makes them happy, but don't tell me Disney is too expensive.

The summer that just passed, I went to Disney for vacation and my brother went to the Jersey Shore. He spent twice as much on his hotel and I am pretty sure it wasn't anywhere near as nice as a Disney resort. I am also sure that he spent more than I did. I always feel like im getting ripped off from any vacation spot other than Disney.

I went to the Bronx zoo 2 years ago. It was expensive and crowded and dirty. I went to six flags a couple years ago and cannot believe how the employees act and how the park is not kept up. Half the rides were closed for some reason or another. Disney spoiled me. You don't have to pay for everything seperatly. Other than souvenirs and food everything else is paid for already.

 

[loriandmatt]

We're too afraid to go anywhere else for fear of being disappointed. No one cares about every little detail like Disney does. We compare everything with Disney, and honestly, I don't want to go anywhere else....ever!

same thing here. WDW in 2000 was our first official family vacation other than long weekend camping trips here and there in the PA/Jersey area. After WDW any other outing seems lack luster.

the nickel and dime every 10 min thing gets to me at other parks/attractions. even hershey park which is beautiful and has wonderful grounds leaves me giving it a lesser grade than Walt's place.

Now i have never tried a cruise or other type of all inclusive vacation - they might give me that attention to detail feel and not make me feel like my wallet is constantly open, but i have yet to try one as they are generally so much more expensive than our adverage WDW trip.

WDW will be our best bang for our vacation buck for a while.

- lori

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I have to say...I too have been sucked in by Disney..what is it about this place??? DH would like an "inbtwn" vacation to break up our Disney World ventures..but I am always so depressed when we spend $2 or $3 thousand good Disney vacation money on going somewhere else latley. I would have rather just spent it at Disney..Its almost like I feel guilty for spending the vacation anywhere else. I am so glad that Disney has a cruiseline! Or else we may have never seen the beach again!!

 

[Tissa]

Our first time was 2004, I loved it but we planned for Yellowstone in 05. Well those plans flew out the window and we went back in 05. After that trip I planned a cruise for 06 but cancelled that and put the money down for another trip back in Oct 06. I don't know what it is, but I love it and my kids love it so if loving Disneyworld is wrong then I don't want to be right

 

[cleo]

Hopefully never! There's a big world out there, with lots of jaw-dropping, fascinating, life-changing things to see. I hope no one place ever makes me or my family unable to see the beauty in each place we visit.

If anything, Disney has perhaps given us more of an appreciation for the rest of the world, because we've learned to slow down and look at the smaller details. Disney does 'magical touches' so well and if you look, you see magic all around you in the 'real' world, too.

 

[SaraMc]

DH and I had been twice to Disneyworld together, before we got married I had been about 6 times and he had been once when he was like 7. We loved it and had been thinking about doing something diffrent. We went to Quebec City. The hotel was 3x's more expensive than our Disney resort ever was and the Disney one was nicer in both of our minds. We had fun but we both said about 30 times on that trip, next time forget something diffrent for less money we would be having more fun at Disney. On that trip we actually called WDW and booked out upcoming vacation. Both of us would never go to somewhere tropical and sit on the beach and just sit. We would go NUTS! I need to keep moving and I need to feel the magic everyday.


Tee hee only 21 more days!!