Disneyworld. Is it worth it? (teens, babies, average, parent)
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I was talking with a bunch of co-workers whose children are all older than mine the other day when the topic of Disneyworld came up. Some of them seemed to think every family has to visit Disneyworld at least once. I made it clear that I will never be taking my children to Disneyworld and my coworkers seemed to think this was odd as they had all taken their children at some point.
It seems as if a family of four is going to spend on average 5k to 10k on a trip to Disneyworld. Am I the only one that thinks this is ridiculous? The happiest place on earth? Not for middle class mom and dad who are footing the bill. More like the most expensive place on earth.
There are countless opportunities for family vacations at other destinations that will not only provide as much if not more family fun time but will also not cost a small fortune.
Disney world should change their name to ripoff world. There, I said it.
I agree. Disneyworld is fun...if you have plenty of money. If you don't have that extra five thousand...then, don't do it. I would not go into debt for the "experience". We live in a society today, where everyone feels like they NEED everything...lavish vacations, the latest gadgets, big new cars, large homes. You don't need to spend money for a nice vacation. Check out some National Parks close to your area, invest in some camping gear, that can be used many times, more than a one week event.
I vote no. Commercial vacations are only worth it if you have the money. Otherwise, live with in your means. This is a better example to kids. Or ask them...would they want a new I Pad or a ovation to Disneyworld. You cant do both....see what they say....
We prefer trips to national parks and camping, but you can't beat the look on your kid's face when see Dinseyland for the first time. We've done Disneyland once and we're doing Disney World this spring for the first time. Yes, it is costing a small fortune, but they're only kids for a short time. It is worth it to us.
There are countless opportunities for family vacations at other destinations that will not only provide as much if not more family fun time but will also not cost a small fortune.
Disney world should change their name to ripoff world. There, I said it.
What do you think.
I'm with you, absolutely. That said, when your kids really really really really want it, it's hard to say no. And you have to time it right. When they were quite small my kids wanted to go, but NWIH were we going to spend lots of cash on something they'd only remember dimly if at all. So we told them we'd take them in several years--when they would be ages 7 and 10. And we heard no more about it for a long time.
Fast forward three years and they still remembered the promise, and so we made our plans. We did budget $5K, and planned to stay in the resort itself to take the most advantage of it we could. All things considered, it was a lot of fun....FOR THEM.
I had no rest, I've never worked so hard planning and executing a vacation in my life. Even if you're willing to pay for things the very act of arranging stuff is outrageously time-consuming. YUCK. (I feel the same way about cruising, incidentally.)
Nope, that's not a vacation. That's the kind of vacation you need a vacation FROM.
If you can afford it and want to do so, then go for it. If it's too expensive for your budget, then don't do it.
The kids will survive without it and will be none the worse for not going there. There are plenty of other local attractions that are far less expensive and just as much fun for kids in most of the country. No one ever became a better person by going to Disney. On the other hand, a child can develop an ongoing appreciation of nature, natural beauty and the environment by taking a camping trip to a national or state Park.
I've never seen it as obligatory or a necessity. It's like boats and other expensive pleasures- it's something you do if you have discretionary income. It's not something you do if you you have to delay paying bills or go into debt for IMHO.
Either go or don't go, it doesn't diminish anyone as a parent if they decide it's just too expensive.
No one ever became a better person by going to Disney.
I'd dispute that because I've seen it.
Between work and play I've been in Disneyland thousands of times. And I have seen some pretty awesome things happen in that park. For Disney lovers, especially, it's a very, very special place.
That said.... $5,000 is a pile of cash these days. There are ways to do Disneyland on a smaller budget if you're willing to put work into your research.
There are so many other things in life to have a "policy" about than Disneyworld.
OP, I'm guessing you never been to WDW. I see it as a must-do for kids. Yes, it can be expensive and yes it can be hard work, but I think it absolutely is worth it. We've done plenty of national parks, but it is NOT the same kind of experience.
We have three kids and we do not have a ton of discretionary income. We spent a week at Disneyworld and it did not cost us $5K.
You just have to research ways to visit without spending a ton. The main things we did include:
-Driving from TN to Orlando instead of flying.
-Booking our visit at the end of January, which meant more times on rides and less time in lines (plus no July weather)
-Staying in the cheapest possible on-site lodging (All-Star Resorts) to take advantage of perks like the free shuttle to the parks and cheaper dining options.
-Packing our own food to eat at the parks
There are a million other ways to save $$ there. If you're broke, you're broke, but if you're just against "corporate greed," it's just an excuse.
If you did not grow up with the Disney characters and stories and your kids aren't really into Disney, maybe it won't mean so much. But the last time we were there my husband looked at me on about the fourth day of our trip and said, "This really is the happiest place on earth." He actually was having fun, and it is still one of our kids' all-time favorite trips.
At least try it and judge from experience rather than just blowing it off based on hearsay.
WDW is a great place if you time it right. I went as a young adult with my SO, marvelous experience. Small groups of young teens is great, think scouts or church groups, etc. For young families I think is a lot trickier, especially if you have to travel any kind of distance to get there.
I wouldn't do it unless the kids are fit enough to spend the entire day walking around, mature enough to stand in long lines without complaint, old enough to be able to go to some attractions alone, and young enough that they don't have to pretend to be bored because it's "only for babies and little kids", lol.
And as others have pointed out you don't have to go for the whole "Disney experience". When went as a family, we looked for online ticket deals, went off season, and stayed offsite at an extended stay hotel where we cooked our own meals (after a quick trip to a local grocers). It saved us a fair bit of money.
We've been to Disneyland once, and Disney World many times. There are many things considered "must haves" in this world, that I wouldn't give a nickle for. But Disney trips haven't been one of them. We have never failed to have a very good time there, and, in fact, are talking about returning this year to see the flower show at Epcot. Our kids are in college.
Disney does childhood very, very well. We never felt ripped off, it was worth the price of admission. But, we never spent close to $5,000, in spite of staying at the Grand Floridian a couple of times. There are also hundreds of off site hotels that provide transportation to the parks, we used the Embassy Suites and time share properties in the past.
I'm pretty cynical about a lot of things, but we have never had less than a great time at Disney.
You can do WDW for less that $5000. There are ways
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