Are the high gas issues keeping you away from WDW?

[abbeysmom]

We are VERY lucky that we only live 8 hours away in Georgia. We are gassing up the car this afternoon and heading south tomorrow morning. :sohappy: It might take 1 extra tank than we normally use for a weeks commute but maybe not since we are only driving 1 car. So really it's not going to matter for us that much.

Yea, that other thread was scary. I got blasted for making what I thought was a funny... Oh well, I didn't need therapy or anything over it so all's good......

 

[Master Yoda]

I have made this point in the other threads and I guess I'll make it again in this thread.

The increase in the cost of gas for me to drive from Jacksonville to WDW is not keeping me from going to WDW. The increase for me to get to work everyday and the price increase on virtually every single other thing we need to survive caused by high gas prices is what is keeping me from doing quite a few things including Disney.

 

[Scooter]

We're going once a year from now on instead of our usual twice a year trips.

Soaring oil prices seem to have affected everything from gas and food to airfare, so we were forced to tighten up the budget.

 

[hokielutz]

Its made us rethink our vacation plans for this coming January. We are going down the second week in January to our vacation villa. But we missed the opportunity to purchase plane tickets at a good price by a couple of weeks.

So instead of shelling out an extra $200 over what has been a normal price in the past for two tickets from DC to MCO, I think we are going to drive in January. It works out to be a savings of at least $450 for the trip, vs flying and all the costs associate with it (parking at airport, new checked baggage fees, taxi, car rental, etc). If we had kids, driving would be an absolute no-brainer. An 880 mile road trip should be fun.

I know the cost difference for me is far less than some of you have mentioned for yourselves.... but any amount of savings that can be made in this unstable climate is rewarding.

 

[Cattman96]

I think for the core group of posters on here gas prices won't come into play, you all are going anyway for the most part. I think if you change from a deluxe to a moderate or a moderate to a value that can offset costs. However the casual disney guy may just find something to do closer to where they live.

 

[RedBaron]

I guess I will say yes and no. We were thinking of taking the kids to Disney for the first time this December. About a week ago I went to the Disney trip planning site, found what I thought was a great price for room, tickets and food, and then I went to add the air fare..... Holy smokes, I absolutely will not pay over $2000 for us to fly from Chicago. We would obviously save a ton of money driving down, but then the problem is not knowing how the kids will handle a 19 hour car ride. My daughter will be 4 and my son 2. They sometimes will get antsy if we are in the car more than an hour. I just don't feel like taking the chance. So it looks like we will have to wait.

 

[Grim Grinner]

I'm stilling heading out in September, but again-we bought our plane tickets WELL ahead of time. If we hadn't, it certainly would have hurt.

Right now, we're seeing food prices shooting up-mostly due to that idiotic approach to ethanol. It costs more to make and is less efficient, plus nearly all of our food products use corn to some degree (especially sweeteners).

Gas prices are bad, but we all have to eat.

Let's hope they start drilling and soon...

 

[Tinkerbella16]

We only go once a year to wdw, and this year it will not stop us from going. Who knows in the future though.
The prices for airfare alone are rediculous and are wayyy too high :fork:. We lucked out after all of the searching I did for 2 whole weeks and was able to find roundtrip tickets for $169 per person. But the prices that I saw up until I found that great price were awful. I was getting scared that I was going to have to cancel my trip because I wouldn't be able to afford airfare to get there and back.

I completely agree with what joeyjoe92979 stated. I just wish everyone would know that it is true. If I didn't have to go to work everyday, my car wouldn't move from our driveway.

 

[shawn]

We are going for two weeks in late Sept and it will cost us more from St Louis but we have free dining for two weeks so it helps out alot.

 

[kadesha]

We are still going. We have an 8 hour drive there, so 16 hours drive total. Instead of taking our van this year we are going in my little cavalier. So we'll have to cut down on the luggage, but it gets great gas mileage.

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

I have made this point in the other threads and I guess I'll make it again in this thread.

The increase in the cost of gas for me to drive from Jacksonville to WDW is not keeping me from going to WDW. The increase for me to get to work everyday and the price increase on virtually every single other thing we need to survive caused by high gas prices is what is keeping me from doing quite a few things including Disney.

Amen - my thoughts exactly. The extra $20.00 a week for gasoline to get to work and the extra $30.00 for groceries USED to go into the Disney jar. I have a feeling that this will be my last trip for a good while.

 

[RiversideBunny]

Some people may still go but just lower the type of room.
A Moderate resort instead of a Deluxe, or a Value instead of a Moderate.

Or maybe, those who normally do a Deluxe won't be affected but the Moderate and Value visitors will.

Or visitors may shorten the stay, e.g., stay 5 days instead of 6.

It may take 6 months or so for things to really impact WDW since the visits there are usually planned so far ahead.

IMHO

 

[Master Yoda]

Amen - my thoughts exactly. The extra $20.00 a week for gasoline to get to work and the extra $30.00 for groceries USED to go into the Disney jar. I have a feeling that this will be my last trip for a good while.

From what I hear from my friend at the DRC and another friend that is a part time Disney travel agent you are not alone. Reservations are way off. If there word alone is not prof enough of that just go to Disney's own website. Right now there is availability at every level of resort for this years 4th of July weekend. In past years you would have had slim pickings at best for that weekend in April.

 

[piratemom]

From what I hear from my friend at the DRC and another friend that is a part time Disney travel agent you are not alone. Reservations are way off. If there word alone is not prof enough of that just go to Disney's own website. Right now there is availability at every level of resort for this years 4th of July weekend. In past years you would have had slim pickings at best for that weekend in April.

I had a friend just return from Disney yesterday and she said it wasn't as crowded. She goes the same time each year. She said there were vacancies at her hotel, too.

 

[Thiger]

WDW is my vice, my crack.
I have to go at least once a year.
I believe that being there helps my inner child to flourish and reminds me of being with my family.
No matter the cost I'll get there...mind you, if the price of gas keeps rising, I may have to walk there (from Toronto, Canada)
lol

 

[DisneyGigi]

No it isn't keeping me away. I may change some of my spending habits while there to make up for the extra fuel costs but I will still be going. Plus with the savings of free dining it isn't going to impact us that much. We spend about 1000.00 or more on food for a 10 day trip and we don't have to this trip. We can spend that on other things if we need/or want to because we budget the same as if there was no free dining.

 

[RickyMouseMom]

I guess I will say yes and no. We were thinking of taking the kids to Disney for the first time this December. About a week ago I went to the Disney trip planning site, found what I thought was a great price for room, tickets and food, and then I went to add the air fare..... Holy smokes, I absolutely will not pay over $2000 for us to fly from Chicago. We would obviously save a ton of money driving down, but then the problem is not knowing how the kids will handle a 19 hour car ride. My daughter will be 4 and my son 2. They sometimes will get antsy if we are in the car more than an hour. I just don't feel like taking the chance. So it looks like we will have to wait.

We are driving down again with our kids. We started driving when my oldest was 18 months, then again when our sons were 1 & 4, then again when they were 2 & 4 , then again 2 & 5, and again this august 2 & 5. They are usually antsy when we do errands around town, but not on our trips to WDW. I really plan out with small new toys, and the DVD player is a god-send. NO problems. We have driven down with them 5 times now, no problems. So do not fear! By the way, we are coming from upstate NY. Takes about 24 hours with few stops.

as for the gas prices...yeah its really difficult but we are pre-planning for the extra expense the best we can. We cant NOT go to WDW. The cost of driving is still soooo much cheaper than flying. My parents used to tease us for driving and saving just a couple of hundreds of dollars by doing so versus the convienience of flying. Now they are hitching a ride with us :lol:.

 

[Yankeeplex]

I think things are going to happen a lot sooner than 6 months...these prices are affecting people right now and they are only getting higher...

 

[YankeeMouse]

So far so good over here. We live in Chicago, kids are grown, it is the two of us with annual passes. Going in July for 4 nights, have ressies for 3 nights in Sept and 4 nights in December, so we'll see what happens. We fly Southwest, which has gone up but not out of range...yet...and use a Southwest credit card and usually get one flight free. The resort rate for POFQ for Sept is only $99 a night. Biggest change? We'll do Magical Express and take Disney transportation. Biggest adjustment for my husband, who gets impatient waiting for the Disney transportation.

 

[YankeeMouse]

To Red Baron: When our kids were small, we drove from Chicago and found the trip to be easier than the trip in the car to the local grocery store! DVD player is the answer, if you don't have one of those minivans with them, then buy a personal DVD player for $129 and hook it over the seat. On the way, home they'll be tired!