Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
142k annual salary (bls 2011) isnt good money? That is news to me.
I think that salary is the new, "middle class". Which means everyone below that, might not be able to afford Disney.
Wow. It was really interesting to read that link from above for the "Disney Blog". One woman blogged their whole trip, sounded miserable to me, everything was scheduled at a certain time, daughter scheduled for Princess time, schedule for dinner, schedule for this and that, geez, sounded like a military exercise, with a five page schedule of activities meticulously planned, for each day, wake up at 0500, be at breakfast, 0600....ugh.
That does not sound like my idea of a fun vacation...forget that. Of course, we did Disney, and had no schedule...which worked better for our family. We got up when we wanted to, had a nice breakfast, went to a park...chill...really.
Last edited by jasper12; 08-09-2013 at 07:19 AM..
Reason: Edit
I think that salary is the new, "middle class". Which means everyone below that, might not be able to afford Disney.
Wow. It was really interesting to read that link from above for the "Disney Blog". One woman blogged their whole trip, sounded miserable to me, everything was scheduled at a certain time, daughter scheduled for Princess time, schedule for dinner, schedule for this and that, geez, sounded like a military exercise, with a five page schedule of activities meticulously planned, for each day, wake up at 0500, be at breakfast, 0600....ugh.
That does not sound like my idea of a fun vacation...forget that. Of course, we did Disney, and had no schedule...which worked better for our family. We got up when we wanted to, had a nice breakfast, went to a park...chill...really.
A lot of people who go to Disney tend to overschedule ....I never quite got that either. We may reserve 2 meals, and that is as close to a schedule as we get (for a 5 day stay). Vacation == relax & have fun
I think that salary is the new, "middle class". Which means everyone below that, might not be able to afford Disney.
Doubtful! Maybe middle class for Manhattan. I'm from Chicago, and 149k salary would fetch you a dream home.
Disney would be out of reach if maybe someone made less than 30k. I make 45k, and my gf makes maybe 17-20k and we could afford it if we saved up. We've already gone on 2-3 mini-medium vacations this year, and one more big one at the end of the year planned. Not hard if you know how to handle money and don't eat prime rib every night of the year.
A lot of people who go to Disney tend to overschedule ....I never quite got that either. We may reserve 2 meals, and that is as close to a schedule as we get (for a 5 day stay). Vacation == relax & have fun
I agree with this. Yeah, you do have to get their early to ride the popular rides without a wait, but Fastpass has really helped out with this. And yes you do need reservations for the really popular restaurants or character dinners, but you certainly don't need reservations for every single meal. Maybe a couple over a 5 day stay, as you said.
Universal is even better if you stay at one of their hotels. The Universal Express pass gets you a 5-10 minute wait or less for almost every ride all day long. Someone not staying at a Universal hotel has to fork over a lot of money for the same privilege. I bet some day soon Disney will start to go this route with the Fastpass.
I didn't have the time to page through all the comments, but it's absolutely affordable if you can take the kids at a time when other kids are in school. That's when you will find the best deals -- we used to get mailings from Disney after our first trip -- and you can stay at a value resort AND get a free meal plan for all in your family!
If you have frequent-flier miles you can use to get to and from (or maybe a relative might gift you some?) then it can cost very little indeed. I have never paid for food on a Disney trip and have been 3 times. Having free flights helped a lot since my husband traveled frequently on business.
We have year-round schools here, so we could always find a non-busy time to go. If your kids are on a traditonal calendar, Disney is the one thing I would say to pull them out of school for. The memories last a lifetime. I highly recommend mid to late October, followed closely by early to mid December. It's cooler, less crowded, less expensive and all around a more pleasant experiences. Their Halloween Party is the most fun I've had there.
I personally was not interested in not staying at a Disney resort. if I'm going to do something like that with wee ones, I want magic start to finish. Assuming you're just being cost-conscious and you're not broke, it's one of few times I'd say get the best you can afford, to a point. I was perfectly happy at value-level resorts considering how little time you spend in the rooms.
Also wanted to add quickly that IMO, having a car at Disney is not necessary if you're staying at a WDW Resort. Take the Magic Express to and from the airport. If you have any experience with public transport, you will find the buses, boats and monorails to be quick and efficient -- the only people who complain about getting around this way have either never used public transport before or they're just cranky or impatient overall. If you drive to the parks, you still have to walk to the end of your row in a massive parking lot, jump onto a tram and take it to the entrance and THEN sometimes you have a monorail ride too, just to reach the park itself! So I didn't think having a car necessarily saved any time or made anything more flexible.
It can make getting to the store easier if you wanted to get out for snacks or water, but they built a very shifty little toll both that you must pay to get on and off the exit for the nearest Walmart. Coincidence? I think not!
Please feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.
Last edited by mselainey; 08-09-2013 at 10:44 AM..
Reason: add info re: transportation
Doubtful! Maybe middle class for Manhattan. I'm from Chicago, and 149k salary would fetch you a dream home.
Disney would be out of reach if maybe someone made less than 30k. I make 45k, and my gf makes maybe 17-20k and we could afford it if we saved up. We've already gone on 2-3 mini-medium vacations this year, and one more big one at the end of the year planned. Not hard if you know how to handle money and don't eat prime rib every night of the year.
I know we are pretty much getting off subject, but middle class, as I have understood it is very broad. It can be anything from $40,000 to 200,000 a year. I would certainly call $145,000 middle class. Maybe rto the upper end, but it certainly isn't upper class. As for you and your girlfriend together, yes, you could do Disney if you budgeted and watched every penny, but his thread started with discussing how expensive it has gotten for a family, not for 2. I know how much my husband and I make, I know we do a couple of vacations a year, including one cruise, if we wanted to do a 4 or 5 day Disney trip we could, but if we still had kids at home, we would be very pushed to afford a Disney Vacation. I also am really surprised to hear you say, in Chicago a $149,000 salary would get you a dream house. Maybe, again, we all have a different idea of a dream house.
mselainey: how do you take your kids to Disney when it is school time unless they are home schooled? I don't know where you live, but many districts now are not allowing kids to take time off during the school year, plus I would be hesitant to take my child out of school for a week or so. I don't think it is setting a good example and I don't think they need to miss school.
I've always wanted to go to Disney. I've always considered our family middle class - but we honestly could not afford if when they were young. The kids are all grown up now, but I still would love to see Disney - I priced it with a moderate onsite hotel and airfare - it was over $3500 - sorry but that's way overpriced for a resort park for 2
I know we are pretty much getting off subject, but middle class, as I have understood it is very broad. It can be anything from $40,000 to 200,000 a year. I would certainly call $145,000 middle class. Maybe rto the upper end, but it certainly isn't upper class. As for you and your girlfriend together, yes, you could do Disney if you budgeted and watched every penny, but his thread started with discussing how expensive it has gotten for a family, not for 2. I know how much my husband and I make, I know we do a couple of vacations a year, including one cruise, if we wanted to do a 4 or 5 day Disney trip we could, but if we still had kids at home, we would be very pushed to afford a Disney Vacation. I also am really surprised to hear you say, in Chicago a $149,000 salary would get you a dream house. Maybe, again, we all have a different idea of a dream house.
You're right, we may have different ideas. My idea being a house with a 2-3 car garage, a second floor, basement, doggie door, big yard with a full garden and basketball rim in a city neighborhood. Assuming a 142,000 salary and a good rule of thumb of 3:1 mortgage to salary, that's putting you in a ~430,000 home. Or more given the size of the down payment. Not counting any salary the wife may make. And yes it is off point a little, but I just thought it's important, because if someone with that kind of salary cannot afford a vacation there, then they are doing something wrong with their personal budget or just have their financial priorities in other hobbies. Which is okay too, Disney shouldn't be a priority.
And I don't think it'd be a problem for us to go to Disney with 2 other people. Of course I'd drive and I drive an 06 with 30mpg highway, not a Suburban with -3mpg. I don't really pinch pennies, I just allocate properly, don't live "extravagantly" and as you can tell with me browsing in this forum, I love traveling, so I save specifically for vacations.
No I don't believe Disney is one of those must-go! places, as there are plenty better places to go, but if my kids wanted to, I don't think it's out of reach for a household salary of 55k-80k. Like I said, it's about prioritizing, not penny pinching.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
