When does Disney become too expensive?

[consumermonkey]

Is Disney expensive? Yep, sure is. Is it more expensive that say 20, 30 years ago. I don't think so.

As a kid I would dream of doing Orlando "one day". The only people I knew growing up who went there were either posh, rich, or had a relative die and left them money. Generally people only ever went once EVER. Annual holidays are a "relatively" new thing and the places that were once "trip of a lifetime" have become normal now, or at least were up until a few years ago.

It is a different world now. I was 29 when I first stepped foot on a plane and "only" 41 now . My first big holiday took two years to save for (2003, and I had a bigger pay-packet then too), these days it is more like 6 to 9 months.

If you think Disney Florida is expensive, have a look at the price for DLP or a two week holiday in Spain. They are cheaper I know, but not by that much.

Money is tight at the moment for all of us. If you can afford to go every year, great and good for you, you are some of the lucky ones and have a great time. If it takes two years to save up, good for you too. I hope you have a wonderful holiday too. If you are someone who has to scrimp and save for years and years to afford it, have to sacrifice a few things to get there, you go and you enjoy it even more because this IS your holiday of a lifetime and you keep those memories with you forever.

As an aside, I remember when visiting McDonalds was a once in a blue moon treat, if you had been really good or it was a special occasion. In 2012 it has become a normal meal choice for many and look at how we are now.

Maybe we could all take something from that. WDW is a luxury product and something that should be enjoyed occasionally. The more we have of it, the less we value it.

 

[jaideo]

Disney is expensive, but making a reservation via UK is at least affortable. I'm living in Germany and I'am glad that I could get the Disney hotel and tickets via the UK-homepage. Here in Germany I would have paid a hole bunch more.

Delta flight Amsterdam to Orlando € 3.553,08 = GBP 2.913,53
Port Orleans French Quarter with QSDP and Tickets for 20 days GBP 4.330,56
Car Rent € 665,- = GBP 545,-

Only the Disney part comes up to around GBP 7.789,- for 2 adults and 2 children.

 

[janiebubble]

That 'once in a lifetime' comment is so true. As a child I knew just 2 people who had been to Disney. One family were rich, the others had relatives in California. When my parents took me in 1990 I was 20. This was our 'once in a lifetime' holiday. I cried on the ferry leaving the magic kingdom on my last day (we had 4 day passes) as it rained, we cut the day short and I thought that was it, I would never be able to go back again. Fast forward and I'm about to go back for the 11th visit in 23 years, and in recent years the visits have got closer together, and there is almost an expectation now we will go annually. If I didn't go on nice holidays I could live in a bigger house, drive a better car etc. we don't have children so our outgoings are less than a family, although as I teach I am limited to school holidays pushing the cost up. But we've only stayed on site once, until that visit (free ddp) I'd only eaten at on site Table Service restaurants about 5 times in 9 visits, had flown indirect, only gone for a week etc etc, anything to make it affordable

As for the original question, it becomes too expensive for each of us at a personal level. We've all our own limits on what is and isn't a sacrifice we are prepared to make. I don't judge others on what they will sacrifice and hope no one will judge me on mine!

 

[Ciorsdah]

I have to fly from Scotland also, and we either have AMAZING flight prices or we get totally robbed! We have no option but to fly indirect, however my indirect price from Edinburgh for 2 adults is £1400 (BA economy out, PE back, out via gatwick, back via Miami and GHeathrow) compared to some people finding indirects for around £400/£500pp

The cost of driving to our nearest "direct" airport ( Manchester) and the overnight cost/parking etc actually means that in most cases its cheaper to fly from Edinburgh and just suck up the connections, rather than head somewhere else. We found an indirect deal from Heathrow via Miami that was around £480 pp in economy, but it would be nearly £200 for us to drive down, likely around £90 for parking and then say £150 for 2 nights in a hotel (night before flight and night after we land). So it turned out the same cost.

Nothing is getting easy financially these days, everything is a fine balancing act!

 

[tinkerpea]

I'm afraid to say that Disney is starting to out price us a little now too!
BUT
I know I will do anything to get their and we go for 3wks instead of 2! Staying only on Disney property & having the DDP wether it free or not! .... So in reality I'm sure I could "if I really needed/wanted to" go cheaper then what we so now.

We only go every other yr as we just could not afford to do the type of holiday I want every year.

I have been going to Disney world pretty much every yr from the age of 2!
My parents used to take me to Florida for at least 6 wks a year, we would stay at St Petes beach for 4wks & then drive down to I-drive and do Disney/seaworld/universal etc......

My parents never stayed on site and we always ate most main meals on I-drive apart from Crystal palace every time and QS places, we would book a fly drive and then stay at what ever "sun inn or days inn" had the cheapest deal.

When I got older and was at school we would go for 3 wks instead and my parents would book the hotel with the flights ( we always did all parks) but still never did we stay on site.

When I was around 10 we would do Disney every other yr as it started to get more expensive an my parents got older ( I'm adopted and my parents was in their 60's by this time) so we would do Tenerife on alternate years.

My dad passed away when I was 14 and so mum and I skipped the next 3 years as it didn't feel right going with our him, He LOVED Florida & Disney world.
When I was 17 I took my 1st child " yes I was a young mum" at 4 months and knowing how much my parents had paid to take me to Disney was a shock!! But I still remember going for 3wks staying at quality inn international and it being only £630 pp for the flight & hotel,

When I had my twins Dh and I decided we would take the boys, as the twins was 15 month's and oldest was 4 I managed to get a deal through Travel city direct ( before excel went bust) and got a great price for 2 wks at pop century 2 rooms as there was 3 adults 3 kids and the total for flights and rooms was only £2400!! Of course that didn't include tickets or food but we was thrilled.

I still remember walking into the pop century lobby and crying! I know values don't do it for alot of people but as a young couple taking our 3 boys staying on property with Dh never ever having been to Florida it was an amazing feeling, I thought the lobby looked magical with its sparkling floor, etc i had to beg Ian to let us go to Disney as he thought it was for kids, .......after that trip we have never wanted to go anywhere else!
We have tried we did Egypt & gran canaria, but nothing came close.

Since then we have done
Pop again for 2wks when we got married in the pavilion.
AKL for 3wks
SSR for 3wks

It would break my heart not to be able to continue to go and I will find ways of being able to afford it,
( like us selling our house right now as we don't need it)
I really can't believe the hike in flight prices! Or the fact that Disney are letting their hotel DDP and ticket prices rocket! As long as there are people like us though that are willing to pay their stupid prices they can afford to keep on doing it and that SCARES Me.