Wow. Just wow.

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

My point was that you get so, so much more bang for your buck by staying in the 5* La Ma Manga Club in a luxury penthouse suite, from flights to accommodation, from entertainment to activities, from weather to luxury. You get more, but you pay less. In Orlando, I reckon it's because you're close to the parks but that falls over if you don't actually visit the parks. And in Vegas you getting lovely hotels for much less money but shows can cost the earth and besides, accommodation and luxuries are superior in La Manga.

And no, there are no front desks in Los Olives. It's self contained but you can choose where to eat if you should care to, or simply go to the beach.

But yeah. As I said, with La Manga, you get more bang for your buck, BIG time.

Do they have a roller coaster that does a loop?

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Do they have a roller coaster that does a loop?

There is a HUGE park nearby... but TBH, I'd be in it for the quiet life, not thrills

 

[mrodgers]

There's a lot of factors. Here's the biggest... people are willing to pay them (same with Disney tix). If people didn't pay, prices would drop.

The US vs. Spain would be two vastly different worlds as well. We aren't too bright when it comes to spending our money. I think we are way more entitled oriented where we feel we deserve it no matter the price so we are willing to look at financial ruin just to get our fun. There's a reason things are so much more in the US. We are too stupid to say, no, that's too much over here and the companies, businesses, and our medical facilities/pharmaceutical companies know it.

 

[mrodgers]

And if it was 2000 GBP to go to Disney with flight, that would be a steal. I looked and it would cost me $3600+ plus gas to drive.

 

[_19disnA]

Vegas makes their money from people who go there to gamble. They often comp pricey rooms IF you have a history of gambling enough. Hard to compare to other places. If I mostly wanted to go gambling on vacation, I wouldn't choose Disney/Orlando as my destination. If I wanted to have breakfast with Mickey Mouse, I wouldn't go to Vegas. If I wanted to go sit at the beach and live in the US, I don't need to fly to Europe to do that.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Vegas makes their money from people who go there to gamble. They often comp pricey rooms IF you have a history of gambling enough. Hard to compare to other places. If I mostly wanted to go gambling on vacation, I wouldn't choose Disney/Orlando as my destination. If I wanted to have breakfast with Mickey Mouse, I wouldn't go to Vegas. If I wanted to go sit at the beach and live in the US, I don't need to fly to Europe to do that.

Vegas also has different off seasons than Disney. Day of the week and conventions matter a lot as do sports activities like the NCAA or Pac12 tournaments if they are there.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Vegas also has different off seasons than Disney. Day of the week and conventions matter a lot as do sports activities like the NCAA or Pac12 tournaments if they are there.

Intersting point. Hadn't considered that!

 

[sam_gordon]

Holiday prices are so different.

Orlando with park ticket, flights and an economy hotel for 5 days would close in at about £2,000.
Vegas for the same would be about £1,500.

But.

A 5 night stay in the 5* resort "La Manga Club" in Spain, in a luxury penthouse apartment, pampered with restaurants, bars, sports facilities and beaches and even shows plus flights and limo transfers would set you back £800. And an economy room would set you back £400, all in.

I know where I'm going next. For the record, I have visited La Manga Club and is is BEAUTIFUL!

I was bored so I did a comparison.

Flights
My home town to Alicante (closest airport I could find to Cartegena) start at $1500pp.
My home town to MCO: $411.

Spain: $3000
Disney: $850

Rooms
La Manga Club (1 week): £2131 ($2569)
Disney (Wilderness Lodge): $3520

Tickets
Disney: 7 day, non-PH: $630pp ($1260 total)

Totals
Spain: $5569
Disney: $5630

So a difference of <$100. Price did not include food (I don't think La Manga is an AI) or shows (not sure what cost those would be).

 

[sam_gordon]

The US vs. Spain would be two vastly different worlds as well. We aren't too bright when it comes to spending our money. I think we are way more entitled oriented where we feel we deserve it no matter the price so we are willing to look at financial ruin just to get our fun. There's a reason things are so much more in the US. We are too stupid to say, no, that's too much over here and the companies, businesses, and our medical facilities/pharmaceutical companies know it.

Are there people who over spend and go into deep debt for vacations, cars, and homes? Yes.
Are there also people who live within a budget? Yes.

Why you seem so concerned about how other people spend their money, I don't get. It seems every other post of yours talks about how everyone else spends all they want, while you're living paycheck to paycheck, your money goes to your ex wife and child, and you don't have any money to spend.

 

[mrodgers]

Are there people who over spend and go into deep debt for vacations, cars, and homes? Yes.
Are there also people who live within a budget? Yes.

Why you seem so concerned about how other people spend their money, I don't get. It seems every other post of yours talks about how everyone else spends all they want, while you're living paycheck to paycheck, your money goes to your ex wife and child, and you don't have any money to spend.

The personal attack has nothing to do with my post. My post was about the US consumerism. Has nothing to do with me. I couldn't care less that someone spends a third of their take home pay on a Disney vacation. But it is the reason why things are so expensive here. Because debt be darned, I deserve Disney or an iPhone or a $90,000 truck on my $18/hour.

I suppose I'll just bow out of the off-topic section of the forum since only a selection of folks are allowed to have an opinion on a topic.

 

[sam_gordon]

The personal attack has nothing to do with my post. My post was about the US consumerism. Has nothing to do with me. I couldn't care less that someone spends a third of their take home pay on a Disney vacation. But it is the reason why things are so expensive here. Because debt be darned, I deserve Disney or an iPhone or a $90,000 truck on my $18/hour.

I suppose I'll just bow out of the off-topic section of the forum since only a selection of folks are allowed to have an opinion on a topic.

That's an "attack"? OK.

It's true things are expensive here because people are willing to pay what it takes. It doesn't matter about "debt be darned", which is exactly my point. You don't seem to accept that some people make enough money to get iPhones for their family, go on multiple Disney vacations, or afford a $90,000 truck. And even if they don't, it has nothing to do with YOU. If they want to go into deep debt, that's their business.

I never said you couldn't have an opinion. But just because you can have an opinion doesn't mean you can't get called out for having that opinion.

 

[Aladora]

I think the biggest skewing is in flights - UK to US flights are about £500 whilst UK to Murcia flights are sub £100. But the costs of accommodation are insane. That's the killer.

£100 GBP is around $165 CAD.

For $165 CAD, I can't even get off the island I live on.

To fly from Vancouver Island, where I live, to Vancouver, which is a whopping 29 minute flight gate to gate, would cost $240CAD round trip. Even taking a ferry round trip with a car is more than $165CAD.

*cries in Canadian*

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I was bored so I did a comparison.

Flights
My home town to Alicante (closest airport I could find to Cartegena) start at $1500pp.
My home town to MCO: $411.

Spain: $3000
Disney: $850

Rooms
La Manga Club (1 week): £2131 ($2569)
Disney (Wilderness Lodge): $3520

Tickets
Disney: 7 day, non-PH: $630pp ($1260 total)

Totals
Spain: $5569
Disney: $5630

So a difference of <$100. Price did not include food (I don't think La Manga is an AI) or shows (not sure what cost those would be).

Your sums are VERY different to mine. Partly because I am closer to Spain than you.

Flights - Spain is sub £60, Florida is £550
Accommodation - room in an All Stars Resort - about twice that of a three double bedroom, two bathroom, roof terraced apartment suite in La Manga Club.
Food - about the same, but more exotic in Spain (I LOVE Paella)
Area - Parks for both places, not sure of the costs, but Spain will be cheaper as it's smaller. Not that anyone goes to the Spanish park for more than one or two days, not with the beaches cycle tracks, horseback riding etc, tennis, spa, cricket, zillions of swimming pools etc in La Manga - remember, these are in greater supply in La Manga than Orlando.

So really you're looking at spending about double to go to Orlando than Spain, maybe more. And having sampled both, I have to say they are simply different. But you get more for your £££ if you go to Spain from here. Simple as.

 

[sam_gordon]

Your sums are VERY different to mine. Partly because I am closer to Spain than you.

Flights - Spain is sub £60, Florida is £550
Accommodation - room in an All Stars Resort - about twice that of a three double bedroom, two bathroom, roof terraced apartment suite in La Manga Club.
Food - about the same, but more exotic in Spain (I LOVE Paella)
Area - Parks for both places, not sure of the costs, but Spain will be cheaper as it's smaller. Not that anyone goes to the Spanish park for more than one or two days, not with the beaches cycle tracks, horseback riding etc, tennis, spa, cricket, zillions of swimming pools etc in La Manga - remember, these are in greater supply in La Manga than Orlando.

So really you're looking at spending about double to go to Orlando than Spain, maybe more. And having sampled both, I have to say they are simply different. But you get more for your £££ if you go to Spain from here. Simple as.

OH, you want to price AS? OK. That comes out to $1450 for the week... so a $2000 savings. New total...

Spain: $5569
Disney: $3560

AND that includes Disney tickets for seven days for two people. Take that away and Disney is now $2300... less than half the trip to Spain.

 

[cdh]

The personal attack has nothing to do with my post. My post was about the US consumerism. Has nothing to do with me. I couldn't care less that someone spends a third of their take home pay on a Disney vacation. But it is the reason why things are so expensive here. Because debt be darned, I deserve Disney or an iPhone or a $90,000 truck on my $18/hour.

I suppose I'll just bow out of the off-topic section of the forum since only a selection of folks are allowed to have an opinion on a topic.

I agree with you. I’m stunned with how recklessly some people spend (and I think that people who have middle class jobs but buy mainly luxury items are spending recklessly). It’s their life, their money, and their choice but it does leave me a little confused. However, I’m also confused by how recklessly Americans spend calories…but I guess people will eventually have to deal with the consequences of their choices. In my opinion we’ve gone a little too far with the You Only Live Once mentality. I fully acknowledge that how people choose to live is none of my business.

OP, I hope that you find a vacation that you enjoy for a price that’s reasonable. For some people, Disney has a quality that you can’t find elsewhere, and those folks will pay whatever it costs to go to Disney. For some it’s comfortable because they’ll gone so many times. Honestly I don’t like Disney very much at the moment. My last trips have been about as pleasant as a trip to Walmart (and the crowd has been awful, both the number of guests and the behavior of guests make the parks miserable) but I have found their resorts to be clean and nice. Clean hotels are a big deal to me. Places on Expedia or other travel sites can look good but I always worry that they won’t be as nice as they look in the photos. Basically I worry about being hotel catfished.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

OH, you want to price AS? OK. That comes out to $1450 for the week... so a $2000 savings. New total...

Spain: $5569
Disney: $3560

AND that includes Disney tickets for seven days for two people. Take that away and Disney is now $2300... less than half the trip to Spain.

What sorcery is this?! I mean, come on! An All Stars room - a bit naff - costs 6 to 7 times the cost of a luxury apartment with two double bedrooms and two double bathrooms in an up-market pad in La Manga Club ALONE! All Stars quotes in at £709 for 5 nights - La Manga clocks in at £115, direct from the agent. And flights for me are about 7, 8 times more expensive to get to Orlando than to get to Murcia. And parks aside in Murcia and Disney, there's actually just as much to do in both resorts.

The only reason I'd go back to Orlando is because I LOVE Disney.