How are gas and airline prices affecting your WDW travel plans?

[JessicaB]

With airfare so high it's cheaper for DS and I to drive 11 hours. We just started doing that recently because of the cost. But I do miss those 2hr flights.:ROFLOL:

 

[Philo]

Glasgow, your totally right about the UK prices. right now we are paying a fantastic £1.10 a litre which basically works out the same as $9.89 a gallon!

I don't want to start an argument here because I don't really know all the fact's but the cost of everything is a lot higher in the UK. Car's cost about 3 times the price to buy, houses are around 2.5 times more expensive and on average 20% smaller, gas (petrol) is about 3 times more expensive. All this whilst the Average income is very similar and take home money (i.e. after-tax etc ) Americans will tend to have a little more.

I know there are a lot of factors so you can't really draw a direct comparison. The UK has free health care, home insurance is often cheaper because we tend not to have natural disasters and our minimum wage is a lot higher than in the USA

I know a few people who have lived in America and the UK and the general answer is that the standard of living in America is better.

As I said before, this isn't starting an argument or a "we have it so bad" discussion, just stating some facts. I know that the problem isn't the actual price of gas, it's the fact it has risen so dramatically (it's happening in the UK too). When you have a budget and you know you spend x amount on gas, suddenly having to spend y is a shock that impacts everywhere.

 

[bgraham34]

It might not affect my trip this year but next year might be a different story. I am hoping to go in Sept and I should know in the next few weeks. If gas goes and stays at $4 a gallon I wont be doing anything the rest of the year or next year. I am already spending 500-600 per month on gas and with the price rise it will be 700-800 and not too mention heating oil, that where I will break the bank.

 

[RissaB]

Can't say that it affects my plans much at all. Not to be melodramatic but I consider travel to be a necessity not a luxury. Prices rising just means we need to keep on top of our budget and keep focussed on our priorities. I do always try to get my *money's worth* out of every trip. Never understood how people would spend their hard-earned money and then sleep in and hang around the pool. LOLOL I can sleep in at home and hang around my own pool. I find wasted time stressfull not relaxing (hubby would tell you the opposite, makes for interesting vacations). Point being that as the trips take more out of my pocket, I am probably more focussed on getting my value from them but doesn't affect how often we travel or the length of the trips.

8 days to WDW!!!!

 

[Master Yoda]

Glasgow, your totally right about the UK prices. right now we are paying a fantastic £1.10 a litre which basically works out the same as $9.89 a gallon!

I don't want to start an argument here because I don't really know all the fact's but the cost of everything is a lot higher in the UK. Car's cost about 3 times the price to buy, houses are around 2.5 times more expensive and on average 20% smaller, gas (petrol) is about 3 times more expensive. All this whilst the Average income is very similar and take home money (i.e. after-tax etc ) Americans will tend to have a little more.

I know there are a lot of factors so you can't really draw a direct comparison. The UK has free health care, home insurance is often cheaper because we tend not to have natural disasters and our minimum wage is a lot higher than in the USA

I know a few people who have lived in America and the UK and the general answer is that the standard of living in America is better.

As I said before, this isn't starting an argument or a "we have it so bad" discussion, just stating some facts. I know that the problem isn't the actual price of gas, it's the fact it has risen so dramatically (it's happening in the UK too). When you have a budget and you know you spend x amount on gas, suddenly having to spend y is a shock that impacts everywhere.

I totally get what you are saying. I think the thing that peeves me most about gas prices it that there is very little you can realistically do to avoid paying it. Prices on cars are far too high so I by used, take care of it and drive it until the wheels fall of vs. buying new every few years. Movie prices are insane so we by DVD's. Eating out has become too pricey so I pack a lunch and eat at home more. But with gas there is not much you can do. If you live in a smaller city public transportation can be an option but here in Jacksonville my 30 minute one way drive to work turns into a 2 hour one way bus drive. On top of that how do you pick up the kids from school, daycare etc. We are basically stuck paying the high gas prices and having to make cuts elsewhere. A few years ago my family averaged about $200 a month on gas currently we are pushing $600. For most people I know and extra $400 per month on a necessity would push them to the brink of bankruptcy.

 

[Master Yoda]

Can't say that it affects my plans much at all. Not to be melodramatic but I consider travel to be a necessity not a luxury. Prices rising just means we need to keep on top of our budget and keep focussed on our priorities. I do always try to get my *money's worth* out of every trip. Never understood how people would spend their hard-earned money and then sleep in and hang around the pool. LOLOL I can sleep in at home and hang around my own pool. I find wasted time stressfull not relaxing (hubby would tell you the opposite, makes for interesting vacations). Point being that as the trips take more out of my pocket, I am probably more focussed on getting my value from them but doesn't affect how often we travel or the length of the trips.

8 days to WDW!!!!

I think we need to switch spouses because I am in the same boat. :lol: Sitting around doing nothing does nothing to relax me. Getting up a 6:00 AM and getting to the parks before opening and staying until security asks me to leave does.

 

[MousDad]

I guess I'm lucky, airfare-wise. I was able to get tickets for $129 on Southwest.

I figured I am spending about an extra $200 to fly and rent a car than if I drove. Plus I'm saving 2000 miles wear on my car and about 22 hours on the road.

If I had to pay more than $150 a ticket, I would have chosen to drive, though.

 

[hrcollectibles]

I feel very fortunate to be only about 2 1/2 hours away. Even with gas prices where they are. I drive an hour to work each way, 5 days a week. I'd much rather spend 2 and a hlaf hours on the road to Disney than 2 hours a day traveling to and from work

 

[bjlc57]

I can tell you that..

we were going to go for this past Christmas to WDW. but it was just out of reach.. and then we were going to go for spring break, but IT WAS further out of reach.. and now..

it doesn't pay to even think about it. not with gas costing us close to $700 minimum.

our gas cost was $200 plus. for years but not any more.

its a minimum of 200 gallons from my house . and it looks like gas may be $4 per gallon.

I hope that who ever is getting rich on the gas situation is happy. But a lot of resorts are going to hurt this year.

I would like to know how many of WDW visitors now are Florida residents as opposed to out of state visitors. I would bet that this is swinging rapidly in people who are now traveling less then a day's drive to WDW.

if you are low on cash, but you are a Florida resident and have an annual pass, you probably will go to WDW multiple times during the year. just so you don't have to burn any excessive gas as well.


like I said, I hope that the greedy folks who are getting rich on the back of poorer people are getting what they want. and when things do change, I hope that they all take it in the shorts when the price of oil drops.

this is killing a ton of businesses that rely on people taking vacation. and that's across the country, and not just associated with Disney World.

think of the restaurants that we are not going to and from WDW. and the places that we would stop at along the way. the hotels.

this is an ever reaching situation. and it's going to hurt the small businesses before it hurts the bigger ones.

I would be that the other Florida attractions will lose traffic as well. or you may say that we only can afford this. and have to cut out that.

we usually would book a day or two on the beach. or go to NASA. those places aren't getting my money either.

its not going to be good for a lot of people.

 

[Philo]

Too right, oil companies posting record profits just isn't right. I know that they are in business to make a profit but does it really have to be so high? Surely they can work to stabilize the price without putting themselves in any danger.

 

[Master Yoda]

Too right, oil companies posting record profits just isn't right. I know that they are in business to make a profit but does it really have to be so high? Surely they can work to stabilize the price without putting themselves in any danger.

Technically they could but they simply are not going too. While the oil companies as a whole are making record profits due to crude oil being at an all time high the refineries owned by the same oil companies, are barely turning a profit. Many privately owned refineries are loosing money. Like many other businesses each division is run like a separate company and the oil companies are no different. They are simply not going to let the refineries loose money regardless of what the rest of the company is doing. Also if I am not mistaken it is illegal for them to even do this if they wanted to because it would be unfair to those refineries not owned by oil producing companies.

We are going to see prices continue to rise in the US until either the supply increases, the value of the dollar increases and/or the demand goes down. The only way that is going to happen is if the US becomes less dependent on foreign oil, we start using less and/or we develop other energy sources. Demand in the US is starting to go down but it seems like we are only scratching the surface on fuel alternatives, and we seem to have done next to nothing to produce more oil domestically.

 

[fosse76]

Also, keep in mind, airlines buy their fuel in bulk for a certain price for a contracted period of time. Some airlines will be priced higher than others, depending on their contract period. For instance, Southwest is paying a fixed amount per gallon of fuel for a contracted period of time, so higher gas prices will not affect their fares until that contract expires and the have to pay a new rate. So theoretically airline prices shouldn't be affected significantly in the short-term.

 

[jemlover]

I was able to get a $200 fare for a direct flight from Indianapolis on Northwest for December 1 for me and my DH on Northwest but now I am hearing about a merger with Delta so I'm hoping they will not cancel our flights. The airline industry is so volatile right now. Hopefully since I have paid for the flights they would honor that and get us on new flights if the original is cancelled. We live 3 hours north of Indy but even with the gas and a hotel it's saving us money over flying out of Fort Wayne. Those fares were all over $500. I never want to make that drive to Florida again. I'd rather be at Disney for those extra days rather than being in the car.

 

[jsfra209]

Hmm, well it's like everything else.. If I wannt go, which I do, I will save up and find a way. The cost of everything has increased..from gas to groceries..What can you do? Work harder i suppose.