With all the price increases is it worth even going?

[slbgnb]

I would try Trip Masters. If it's for four of you, and around a week, I would be surprised if London/Paris was more than $15K, especially since you can take the chunnel from one to the other (no need for a second flight in between).

I'm not sure where you're leaving from but I plugged in charlotte as the take-off point (where I'm from) 3 nights in London 4 nights in Paris in March 2023. Flights and hotel rooms (2 in each city for all 7 nights, not sure how many rooms you need) comes out to $5K.

Did a different one for five people, with 3 hotel rooms per night in each place, and it's $6,500 for flights and hotels.

Also I would highly recommend London and Paris. Been to both (on separate trips) and Paris is my favorite place on Earth.

It's 5 of us from Columbus, OH. Yes, I did 5 plane tix from Columbus to Paris and then from London to Columbus, along with 5 chunnel tix. I looked at vrbo vs hotel, as it is basically 5 adults and hotel rooms are hard with 5. March 2023 is way cheaper than June. We would not do Europe in March due to weather. I actually lived in England and have been to Paris several times. But, not since 1998 and my kids have never been. I did come up with& $7388 for flights/VRBO's in March, but that jumped to $10,300 in summer. Add in tours, food & drink, shopping.... for 5 - it's a lot. Tour to Versailles for 5 was $435, Harry Potter in London was $600. Then entrance to Eiffel, Louvre, Tower of London, etc....it's getting right at $20K from what I can tell.....

 

[zuke2323]

It's 5 of us from Columbus, OH. Yes, I did 5 plane tix from Columbus to Paris and then from London to Columbus, along with 5 chunnel tix. I looked at vrbo vs hotel, as it is basically 5 adults and hotel rooms are hard with 5. March 2023 is way cheaper than June. We would not do Europe in March due to weather. I actually lived in England and have been to Paris several times. But, not since 1998 and my kids have never been. I did come up with& $7388 for flights/VRBO's in March, but that jumped to $10,300 in summer. Add in tours, food & drink, shopping.... for 5 - it's a lot. Tour to Versailles for 5 was $435, Harry Potter in London was $600. Then entrance to Eiffel, Louvre, Tower of London, etc....it's getting right at $20K from what I can tell.....

I didn't realize there would be such a big price jump from March to summer. I guess that makes sense.

 

[Magical2017]

I really wanted to do Paris/London with the kids this summer (as in 2023) instead of Disney (current plan is Mar 2023), but I can't get it to be cheaper than Disney at all. Flights alone are $1100 each - whereas we drive to Disney. We are planning on 3 Disney days and 2 Universal days. We are even renting a house for 1 week, but paying to stay onsite at Disney for 2 nights and Universal for 1 night to get the benefits of EE and FP's (but literally not even planning on going to the room)....and with estimated food, tix and shopping etc (3 kids ages 20, 18 and 15) it's around $14K. But London/Paris I can't seem to get under $20K. I keep hearing how people are able to do Europe for less and I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. We just can't swing the extra $6K. I would love to get the kids there though....

We make big trips happen with miles and points. We don't have points we can use at Disney but we follow The Points Guy (don't think I can link him here but Google) and use our points for hotels or airfare, or both. London and Paris are amazing but there are also less expensive but equally amazing places in Europe. We also follow a lot of the Rick Steves information, although him writing about places makes them popular so prices increase a bit there, as well.

 

[kathy884]

I really wanted to do Paris/London with the kids this summer (as in 2023) instead of Disney (current plan is Mar 2023), but I can't get it to be cheaper than Disney at all. Flights alone are $1100 each - whereas we drive to Disney. We are planning on 3 Disney days and 2 Universal days. We are even renting a house for 1 week, but paying to stay onsite at Disney for 2 nights and Universal for 1 night to get the benefits of EE and FP's (but literally not even planning on going to the room)....and with estimated food, tix and shopping etc (3 kids ages 20, 18 and 15) it's around $14K. But London/Paris I can't seem to get under $20K. I keep hearing how people are able to do Europe for less and I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. We just can't swing the extra $6K. I would love to get the kids there though....

The folks who are doing Europe for less are I think do Disney deluxe at WDW (those prices are over the roof for popular times of the year), and perhaps they are traveling to some of the less expensive Eastern European places. And lol for a long haul flight I want premium economy, which is a real budget buster. For a quick trip to Orlando, coach works great. I'm doing Paris, Disneyland Paris, and Belfast next year which should be fun, but no bargain for sure. And if I was traveling with a larger party -- that just wouldn't happen. For me even with a small party it's more of a once in a lifetime thing (well maybe not totally - Seems like I get to Europe about every 15 years lol). My normal vacation budget which is really fine with me is typically the good ole USA. When I do Orlando I stay in a lovely but inexpensive offsite timeshare condo (owner rental or timeshare trade), air is only 1/4 - 1/3 the price of my premium economy airfares to Europe that are open jaw, and in Orlando we do a lot of meals in (will be doing more eating out in Europe due to moving around to a few places and not doing apartment rentals - we need the easy luggage storage before check in and after checkout that hotels offer which means we won't have a kitchen). I get what you are saying for sure. With the exception of pricey theme park tickets Orlando is IMHO a bargain.

 

[fireflyer]

The folks who are doing Europe for less are I think do Disney deluxe at WDW (those prices are over the roof for popular times of the year), and perhaps they are traveling to some of the less expensive Eastern European places. And lol for a long haul flight I want premium economy, which is a real budget buster. For a quick trip to Orlando, coach works great. I'm doing Paris, Disneyland Paris, and Belfast next year which should be fun, but no bargain for sure. And if I was traveling with a larger party -- that just wouldn't happen. For me even with a small party it's more of a once in a lifetime thing (well maybe not totally - Seems like I get to Europe about every 15 years lol). My normal vacation budget which is really fine with me is typically the good ole USA. When I do Orlando I stay in a lovely but inexpensive offsite timeshare condo (owner rental or timeshare trade), air is only 1/4 - 1/3 the price of my premium economy airfares to Europe that are open jaw, and in Orlando we do a lot of meals in (will be doing more eating out in Europe due to moving around to a few places and not doing apartment rentals - we need the easy luggage storage before check in and after checkout that hotels offer which means we won't have a kitchen). I get what you are saying for sure. With the exception of pricey theme park tickets Orlando is IMHO a bargain.

Nobody's talking about CRUISES which are far cheaper than Disney. In fact, if Orlando is absolutely the ONLY place you can vacation out of, almost every cruise is cheaper per day than a WDW park. (Except Disney cruises.) And cruises include unlimited food.

If you're willing to depart from somewhere other than Orlando (Tampa, Miami, FLL, TX, NY, LA...) even more choices.

Signed,
someoneWhoDesperatelyWantsToTakeFamilyToDisneyInMarchButKnowsItsWrongToPayDoubleWhatItsWorthJustToSubsidizeDisneyPlusLosses

 

[RamblingMad]

At this rate, Disney will implement self check out at their stores, and you'll have get into your ride seat on your own.

 

[DCLMP]

The folks who are doing Europe for less are I think do Disney deluxe at WDW (those prices are over the roof for popular times of the year), and perhaps they are traveling to some of the less expensive Eastern European places. And lol for a long haul flight I want premium economy, which is a real budget buster. For a quick trip to Orlando, coach works great. I'm doing Paris, Disneyland Paris, and Belfast next year which should be fun, but no bargain for sure. And if I was traveling with a larger party -- that just wouldn't happen. For me even with a small party it's more of a once in a lifetime thing (well maybe not totally - Seems like I get to Europe about every 15 years lol). My normal vacation budget which is really fine with me is typically the good ole USA. When I do Orlando I stay in a lovely but inexpensive offsite timeshare condo (owner rental or timeshare trade), air is only 1/4 - 1/3 the price of my premium economy airfares to Europe that are open jaw, and in Orlando we do a lot of meals in (will be doing more eating out in Europe due to moving around to a few places and not doing apartment rentals - we need the easy luggage storage before check in and after checkout that hotels offer which means we won't have a kitchen). I get what you are saying for sure. With the exception of pricey theme park tickets Orlando is IMHO a bargain.

Hotels in Europe don't come near what Disney Deluxe's are currently going for unless you are planning on staying at a Park Hyatt or Waldorf.. I'm going to Munich next year and paying 125.00 a night for the Hampton Inn. Disney Paris well yeah that's Disney so what's your point?

I spent 3 nights at the Hyatt Regency in Paris on points, but the cash price would have been around 200 a night. Yes flights can be expensive, but I think for the experience you get it's well worth it. WDW is after all just a theme park... and Europe is rich in History... and WDW I'll say it again is a theme park.

 

[DCLMP]

Nobody's talking about CRUISES which are far cheaper than Disney. In fact, if Orlando is absolutely the ONLY place you can vacation out of, almost every cruise is cheaper per day than a WDW park. (Except Disney cruises.) And cruises include unlimited food.

If you're willing to depart from somewhere other than Orlando (Tampa, Miami, FLL, TX, NY, LA...) even more choices.

Signed,
someoneWhoDesperatelyWantsToTakeFamilyToDisneyInMarchButKnowsItsWrongToPayDoubleWhatItsWorthJustToSubsidizeDisneyPlusLosses

Cruises are by far the best deal right now. When you consider that food is included that's a huge perk. The cost of eating out right now adds a significant cost to any land vacation.

 

[DCLMP]

We make big trips happen with miles and points. We don't have points we can use at Disney but we follow The Points Guy (don't think I can link him here but Google) and use our points for hotels or airfare, or both. London and Paris are amazing but there are also less expensive but equally amazing places in Europe. We also follow a lot of the Rick Steves information, although him writing about places makes them popular so prices increase a bit there, as well.

If you're ok with Coach you can fly to Europe for free very easily with cc points. Two people signing up for the AA barclay card and making one purchase will get you two round trip tickets. I don't understand why more people don't take advantage of these offers..

 

[SL6827]

Cruises are by far the best deal right now. When you consider that food is included that's a huge perk. The cost of eating out right now adds a significant cost to any land vacation.

I am starting to wonder how long it will be before the food on cruises will no longer be included.

 

[Minnie1222]

Hotels in Europe don't come near what Disney Deluxe's are currently going for unless you are planning on staying at a Park Hyatt or Waldorf.. I'm going to Munich next year and paying 125.00 a night for the Hampton Inn. Disney Paris well yeah that's Disney so what's your point?

I spent 3 nights at the Hyatt Regency in Paris on points, but the cash price would have been around 200 a night. Yes flights can be expensive, but I think for the experience you get it's well worth it. WDW is after all just a theme park... and Europe is rich in History... and WDW I'll say it again is a theme park.

I think she meant deluxe hotels at popular European destinations cost more than WDW's deluxe hotels, which I agree.

Take Paris for example, if someone wants a deluxe hotel near the iconic Tour Eiffel, they would have to pay an average $1500/night for a standard room at the Shangri-La.

For the same amount, they'll get a theme park room or a suite, with Club offerings, at the Grand Floridian, with close proximity to Cinderella's Castle (also iconic to many people).

I'm not comparing Paris to WDW, just hotels that are considered deluxe in their "bubble".

 

[Figvention]

I just had a conversation with my middle DD telling her this upcoming trip was probably our last Family trip. We went all out on this trip for many reason and am sure we will make it great. We joined DVC when they were little and have had many wonderful trips along with Aulani and DL. Beside the cost of six day hoppers, which I think was crazy, we added $600 Geni+ and probably will add LL $600. Loved the bus service from airport but need to get transportation $300. So we are looking at $1500 over the base price. Its not the end of the world and I know we don't have to spend this but we are trying to enjoy this vacation. We are west coasters that enjoyed the old FP+ that let us sleep in and head to park early afternoon and still have great day. We will not be changing our vacation style to meet the new Genie+ system. We will roll with what we get and enjoy a lot more time outside of the parks.

The other change is dinning. We love Calif Grill and even Hosted our 25th anniversary dinner with ten of our family members. Not going this trip as Prix menus our not for us. We like to get a appetizer and split an entree and bottle of wine. I was able to snag a couple reservation for our party of ten and are looking forward to them.

Going to stay positive and then decide if we are going to sell or just use for Hawaii and Maybe Hilton Head.

This times 1,000! Almost 20 years of multiple times a year trip ending this year as making me wake up every damn day at zero dark thirty while paying more for less was the tipping point. I will never understand forcing people to be up early, it’s atypical to vacations.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

They all say that. However, after one year from the purchase date you cannot activate them as an annual pass. You get a credit for the purchase amount towards a new annual pass and if there has been a price increase, you pay the difference.

I want to make a clarification. The APs bought recently are good to activate within year of purchase and then become a credit towards admission purchase at current prices. But, there were older APs that did not expire for activation or had a longer time period. But, I have been hearing that the newer, Incredi-pass, Sorcerer, Pirate and Pixie have a one year limit for activation to an annual pass.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I want to make a clarification. The APs bought recently are good to activate within year of purchase and then become a credit towards admission purchase at current prices. But, there were older APs that did not expire for activation or had a longer time period. But, I have been hearing that the newer, Incredi-pass, Sorcerer, Pirate and Pixie have a one year limit for activation to an annual pass.

This eases my mind some. We have Gold APs and have been told that when we activate them we will receive a Sorcerer's AP at no additional charge. I do plan to call Disney to confirm as we do not plan to visit for several more years, at least until we have grandkids which will probably be quite a ways into the future.

 

[Magical2017]

If you're ok with Coach you can fly to Europe for free very easily with cc points. Two people signing up for the AA barclay card and making one purchase will get you two round trip tickets. I don't understand why more people don't take advantage of these offers..

Yes, agreed. We have a family of four and are following the free course from TPG. We are debt free so can pay the cards off each month and earn our miles.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I am starting to wonder how long it will be before the food on cruises will no longer be included.

There are probably some maritime seas safety rules that require feeding all passengers, but they probably don't specify what you feed them and how...

 

[gmi3804]

There are probably some maritime seas safety rules that require feeding all passengers, but they probably don't specify what you feed them and how...

There has to be food included. Fire codes, you know.

 

[DCLMP]

I am starting to wonder how long it will be before the food on cruises will no longer be included.

If that happens cruises will no longer exist. It's a mute point.

 

[DCLMP]

I think she meant deluxe hotels at popular European destinations cost more than WDW's deluxe hotels, which I agree.

Take Paris for example, if someone wants a deluxe hotel near the iconic Tour Eiffel, they would have to pay an average $1500/night for a standard room at the Shangri-La.

For the same amount, they'll get a theme park room or a suite, with Club offerings, at the Grand Floridian, with close proximity to Cinderella's Castle (also iconic to many people).

I'm not comparing Paris to WDW, just hotels that are considered deluxe in their "bubble".

A lot of people don't consider Disney deluxe hotels to be deluxe compared to the hotels in Europe you are talking about.

 

[gmi3804]

A lot of people don't consider Disney deluxe hotels to be deluxe compared to the hotels in Europe you are talking about.

It’s true. Disney “Deluxe” is comparable to a mid-level Marriott or Hilton.