Ditching Disney

[The Empress Lilly]

I don't know how people make travelling in Europe so expensive. For less than $20 each you can see a world class museum, a monument, and do a boat trip. That's $60 per day for a full day of entertainment, plus walking around which is free. Food and lodging are less expensive than WDW. Europeans really don't spend $15 every time we open our mouth. Buy a banana at the supermarket on your way to the underground.

Only getting around is more expensive, and there's obviously a long flight if you travel from the US.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

I don't know how people make travelling in Europe so expensive. For less than $20 each you can see a world class museum, a monument, and do a boat trip. That's $60 per day for a full day of entertainment, plus walking around which is free. Food and lodging are less expensive than WDW. Europeans really don't spend $15 every time we open our mouth. Buy a banana at the supermarket on your way to the underground.

Only getting around is more expensive, and there's obviously a long flight if you travel from the US.

As with anything, it can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it.

 

[Weather_Lady]

That happens, but it’s almost never by the people who like Disney. The ones who don’t like what Disney is doing turn the threads political and then complain that their posts are removed because the mods are biased.

I've seen that. And FWIW, the mods are definitely not biased. My original post below included a sentence supporting Disney's position on equality, and it got snipped, too.

I don't envy the mods the job of having to police this stuff and keep everybody on topic. I used to teach a Sunday School class at the pre-K level -- where I'd say something like, "What day is today?" and one child would enthusiastically raise their hand and respond, "We have goats at our house!" while another would answer, "Your dress is red!" I imagine the mods here face the same kind of challenge trying to corral discussions.

 

[dreday3]

As with anything, it can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it.

My hotels would be expensive. I've priced it. Especially where we'd go in Italy. Plus coming from US we'd stay at least 2 weeks to make the plane ride worthwhile to me.

Not saying we won't go, just saying it's not cheaper than WDW for us.

 

[the_rich]

My hotels would be expensive. I've priced it. Especially where we'd go in Italy. Plus coming from US we'd stay at least 2 weeks to make the plane ride worthwhile to me.

I priced out a 2 week trip with 3 days in London, Paris, Rome and 2 days in Amsterdam. With flights from jfk, 2-3 star hotels, and a train pass it was going to be $3500 for just me. That didn't include any activities or food. So add on an extra $2000. That's definitely more expensive than what I could do disney for but it's also a different experience.

Eta: and that was a few years ago. Now for that price I'd have to stay in hostels, which is a non starter.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

My hotels would be expensive. I've priced it. Especially where we'd go in Italy. Plus coming from US we'd stay at least 2 weeks to make the plane ride worthwhile to me.

So just a quick glimpse of Europe then.

 

[dreday3]

So just a quick glimpse of Europe then.

I mean, if you can convince my boss for more vacation time, have at it?

 

[eliza61nyc]

I don't know how people make travelling in Europe so expensive. For less than $20 each you can see a world class museum, a monument, and do a boat trip. That's $60 per day for a full day of entertainment, plus walking around which is free. Food and lodging are less expensive than WDW. Europeans really don't spend $15 every time we open our mouth. Buy a banana at the supermarket on your way to the underground.

Only getting around is more expensive, and there's obviously a long flight if you travel from the US.

A banana?? obviously mean for a 25 minute snack. Usually I don't change my eating patterns just because I'm away, if anything I want to eat better than I do at home, so yes when we went to London, my at the time 15 yo and 13 yo teens were not getting by with a piece of fruit.

Anyway, I've got a vacation to Faro Portugal in August, 5 nights at the Aqua Pedra dos Bicos hotel. Air and hotel 6k for 3 people. I'll budget another 1100 for food.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Vacation is vacation. The two are comparable, in my opinion.

No, you are comparing what someone might spend doing their trip the way they wanted to, spending freely. You obviously cut a lot of corners and selectively spent to keep your costs down. I could also keep my costs low by being very cautious about spending, stay at lower cost lodging, not splurge, select dining etc. A Disney trip can be as affordable or exhorbitant as one desires.

 

[jaklgreen]

You can't compare Disney vacations to other parks. It's apples and oranges. Nobody other than me takes a week long vacation to regional park.

I agree. Disney is kind of in a league of their own. There are not many place where you can stay just on property and be transported around from your hotel and have all day entertainment. That has to have some value to it. You really can't compare a Disney vacation with anything else, especially ones where you just go sight seeing or hang out at a beach, of course those will be much cheaper.

 

[jaklgreen]

Vacation is vacation. The two are comparable, in my opinion.

You are joking right? NO, all vacations are not alike. Are you truly trying to equate a week at WDW with all other vacations? You think that it is the same as sitting on the beach or going to a National Park? Heck, tent camping in the woods where you fish for your dinner is a vacation, but not even close to being comparable to going to WDW. You really believe that a WDW vacation should cost the same as every other vacation? Because this is the discussion. You are being disingenuous for some reason.

 

[Californian Elitist]

No, you are comparing what someone might spend doing their trip the way they wanted to, spending freely. You obviously cut a lot of corners and selectively spent to keep your costs down. I could also keep my costs low by being very cautious about spending, stay at lower cost lodging, not splurge, select dining etc. A Disney trip can be as affordable or exhorbitant as one desires.

You are joking right? NO, all vacations are not alike. Are you truly trying to equate a week at WDW with all other vacations? You think that it is the same as sitting on the beach or going to a National Park? Heck, tent camping in the woods where you fish for your dinner is a vacation, but not even close to being comparable to going to WDW. You really believe that a WDW vacation should cost the same as every other vacation? Because this is the discussion. You are being disingenuous for some reason.

You both misunderstood me. I’m not saying going to Disney theme parks is the exact same thing as going to Europe. Obviously it’s not. I’m not an idiot. I’m simply talking about the act of spending money and going on vacation, whether that’s planning a trip to Disney theme parks to ride rides, going to Florence to see the David, or going camping at Yellowstone. When people plan a vacation, they pick and choose what they want to do, whether that’s going to Disney or going to Europe. Both are vacation destinations. That was my point.

@JIMINYCR Please tell me which corners I cut for my trip, since you were with me when I planned it.

 

[jaklgreen]

You both misunderstood me. I’m not saying going to Disney theme parks is the exact same thing as going to Europe. Obviously it’s not. I’m not an idiot. I’m simply talking about the act of spending money and going on vacation, whether that’s planning a trip to Disney theme parks to ride rides, going to Florence to see the David, or going camping at Yellowstone. When people plan a vacation, they pick and choose what they want to do, whether that’s going to Disney or going to Europe. Both are vacation destinations. That was my point.

@JIMINYCR Please tell me which corners I cut for my trip, since you were with me when I planned it.

But the conversation is the price of Disney compared to other vacations. If you are going to compare, you have to against something similar. Going camping, while still a vacation, is of course not going to cost as much as going to WDW. You are paying to get everything that Disney offers.

 

[Californian Elitist]

But the conversation is the price of Disney compared to other vacations. If you are going to compare, you have to against something similar. Going camping, while still a vacation, is of course not going to cost as much as going to WDW. You are paying to get everything that Disney offers.

The conversation briefly shifted to vacationing in Europe, hence my response. Someone mentioned that Italy can be an expensive trip, so I jumped in and wrote about my own Italy trip in 2019.

Go back and read the last couple of pages.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

what???? who in gods name prefers pooh and mermaid to toad and 20k? did they hit their heads? my mom loves pooh and even she prefers toad. and no one likes mermaid.

My whole family prefers Pooh to Mr Toad. I disagree, but Pooh is a huge character that means the world to many people. Certainly more than the relatively obscure Mr. J. Thaddeus Toad.

20,000 Leagues is my favorite former ride, but it was sacrificed for a whole land expansion, including Little Mermaid and what some would argue is the most popular tide at WDW, the Seven Dwarves Mine Train. I say that was a good trade.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

What park was that? If it was a Six Flags I'm not surprised.

Magic Springs in Hot Springs, AR

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

But the conversation is the price of Disney compared to other vacations. If you are going to compare, you have to against something similar. Going camping, while still a vacation, is of course not going to cost as much as going to WDW. You are paying to get everything that Disney offers.

You need to up your camping game

 

[Jrb1979]

Magic Springs in Hot Springs, AR

Makes sense as that tends be not a great regional park.

 

[JIMINYCR]

@JIMINYCR Please tell me which corners I cut for my trip, since you were with me when I planned it.

No I wasn’t on your trip. But you didn’t give us a run down on what your cost of lodging, air travel, meals , transportation or other costs you had over an entire months time. You could well be under a Disney trip fee. My point was that you could have spent what you spent by being more selective and careful budgeting and so comparing a Disney trip of 5k is not the same. You vacationed your way to be under cost and you are assuming a Disney guest can’t do the same thing? You write it as if a Dis trip is unreasonably costly compared to your month long European trip.

 

[J4546]

If you have 3-4-5+ thousand dollars to spend on a vacation once a year, first off congrats, 2nd if your not going to other places beside a disney or universal park then thats crazy imo. Im poor so I dont have vacations but if I did I would def wanna fly to other places around the world beside disney parks. Regardless, you do you.