OMG...How Much Did You Say.?..

[real mad hatter]

For heavens sake...Had lunch with an old buddy today,whom I haven't seen for about ten years or so..I just happened to mention that we've just come back from a 10 day vacation in Spain..How much was it.?..I told him around $1400.....He then asked me if that was all inclusive..No I said..Room only....He says his last holiday abroad was to Spain seven years ago,and cost him and his wife $1000 for a week all inclusive.....When I told him the price of our 2012 vacation to WDW, he went into a comatose....Now I ain't going to work out how much our five trips have cost us since 2004, but I could see in his eyes he was trying to justify the cost of 14 days at Disney against other things in life..A new kitchen..A new car..5 holidays in Europe,etc...So I smiled and thought to myself..Is he right.?..Am I the crazy one spending all this $$$$$$$$ on a vacation.?..My next trip ( 2015 ) will probably be around $7500 and that's just flights..accommodation..tickets..etc..( excluding spending money ) ...So how do you justify your disney vacation costs to friends who try and convince you that you should be locked up in a sanatorium.....I kept saying to him..It's only money..And it's the best vacation I've ever had...But he just kept on laughing and saying, " You need your head examined." ....What's your advice.?..How do you justify the cost of your Disney vacation to others who spend only a quarter of what you spend on their holidays..

 

[luv]

Living in the now is great. But planning for the future (or just rainy days) is the SMART thing to do. You don't want to be homeless at 68 because you are too old/sick to work and you spent your retirement savings splurging on ridiculously expensive and unnecessary hotel rooms when you were younger. You don't want your kids to begin adulthood in debt because you spent the college money on over-priced hotels and can't afford to put them through college.

(NOT passing judgement on how anyone spends their money! I don't know anyone's situation and it is none of my business! Just a little reminder for those young people. When you're young, it seems like the good times will never end. Sometimes, they don't. Often, they do. Be prepared.)

 

[DManRightHere]

For heavens sake...Had lunch with an old buddy today,whom I haven't seen for about ten years or so..I just happened to mention that we've just come back from a 10 day vacation in Spain..How much was it.?..I told him around $1400.....He then asked me if that was all inclusive..No I said..Room only....He says his last holiday abroad was to Spain seven years ago,and cost him and his wife $1000 for a week all inclusive.....When I told him the price of our 2012 vacation to WDW, he went into a comatose....Now I ain't going to work out how much our five trips have cost us since 2004, but I could see in his eyes he was trying to justify the cost of 14 days at Disney against other things in life..A new kitchen..A new car..5 holidays in Europe,etc...So I smiled and thought to myself..Is he right.?..Am I the crazy one spending all this $$$$$$$$ on a vacation.?..My next trip ( 2015 ) will probably be around $7500 and that's just flights..accommodation..tickets..etc..( excluding spending money ) ...So how do you justify your disney vacation costs to friends who try and convince you that you should be locked up in a sanatorium.....I kept saying to him..It's only money..And it's the best vacation I've ever had...But he just kept on laughing and saying, " You need your head examined." ....What's your advice.?..How do you justify the cost of your Disney vacation to others who spend only a quarter of what you spend on their holidays..

$155 a night is not terrible for a well decent hotel anywhere in the US. There are always cheaper options to vacation at Disney World. I've ran the numbers and Disney Vacations are cheaper for me than going somehwhere else for a week and a half (for me anyways).

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

For heavens sake...Had lunch with an old buddy today,whom I haven't seen for about ten years or so..I just happened to mention that we've just come back from a 10 day vacation in Spain..How much was it.?..I told him around $1400.....He then asked me if that was all inclusive..No I said..Room only....He says his last holiday abroad was to Spain seven years ago,and cost him and his wife $1000 for a week all inclusive.....When I told him the price of our 2012 vacation to WDW, he went into a comatose....Now I ain't going to work out how much our five trips have cost us since 2004, but I could see in his eyes he was trying to justify the cost of 14 days at Disney against other things in life..A new kitchen..A new car..5 holidays in Europe,etc...So I smiled and thought to myself..Is he right.?..Am I the crazy one spending all this $$$$$$$$ on a vacation.?..My next trip ( 2015 ) will probably be around $7500 and that's just flights..accommodation..tickets..etc..( excluding spending money ) ...So how do you justify your disney vacation costs to friends who try and convince you that you should be locked up in a sanatorium.....I kept saying to him..It's only money..And it's the best vacation I've ever had...But he just kept on laughing and saying, " You need your head examined." ....What's your advice.?..How do you justify the cost of your Disney vacation to others who spend only a quarter of what you spend on their holidays..

I'm not even the biggest Disney freak, like I use to be but I can add this : If you love a place, enjoy being there and don't mind going back, go. No matter how much. Sure I look at different guest vacation packages and see that some spend $2000 alone on tickets and $1000-$1700 on rooms and x amount on food,merch and whatever else and go OMG but at the same time tinkerbell is flying around inside me somewhere lightning my spirit up because I realize these people are doing something they love. Why not spend that money on a place that sinks in your heart? We do the same for people, sports teams, things we don't necessarily need all the time.. So definitely keep going and doing what you are doing as long as you are smiling, laughing having a great time, your money is being valued.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I honestly think maybe my previous trips to WDW would/could been better if I was vacationing like you all. Because I live in Orlando and see Disney nearly everyday, it makes no financial sense you know? Maybe a mini-vacation would work out? It's just when you live somewhere and go back to reality that same day, the Magic of Disney evaporates once I'm back on I-4 going home lol. I'm like, wish I was staying in a resort for a few dyas!

 

[jlsHouston]

Living in the now is great. But planning for the future (or just rainy days) is the SMART thing to do. You don't want to be homeless at 68 because you are too old/sick to work and you spent your retirement savings splurging on ridiculously expensive and unnecessary hotel rooms when you were younger. You don't want your kids to begin adulthood in debt because you spent the college money on over-priced hotels and can't afford to put them through college.

(NOT passing judgement on how anyone spends their money! I don't know anyone's situation and it is none of my business! Just a little reminder for those young people. When you're young, it seems like the good times will never end. Sometimes, they don't. Often, they do. Be prepared.)

It's called balance I think, at 52 I am finally starting to see where I need to really strive for this, especially with my money budgetting skills....
I think Disney vacations whatever the costs is a perfectly okay choice for people to allocate their income towards. I agree with everyone here that the experiences we and our loved one get visiting WDW are once in a lifetime one and not to be missed. Of course there are plenty of other once in a lifetime experiences out there and of course it is all how you choose to spend your money and time.
I liked the PP response that they take money every payday and pay towards their disney vacation like they do any other bill.
And how much I spend..well I am envious of even you Hatter I live 1000 miles from Orlando and my trips run me $7500-10000.....if I include resort, tickets, food, travel...

 

[smk]

My father too never made it to retirement, I have now outlived him by three years. My dear Mother is 91 and just spent last Christmas in Rome, Italy. I hope I can be as spry as she is but even if I am not, I have learned from her that life consist of sticks (furniture) and rags (clothing) and when it is so plain and simple as that I take memories and run with them. I have enough sticks and rags.

 

[Disnee4Me]

holy crap, you really have everything planned, dont you?
nice to see someone using all the resources available!

Oh yeah, one more thing. All those empty soda bottles I return for the deposit --- that money goes into an envelope for the toll booths driving up & down I-95. I love it when my 23 yr old DS's friends leave their empty beer cans at my house.

 

[dicksonthunder]

I was told by a co-worker that I should put back my money for retirement. Spending 1000's of dollars at WDW is crazy.
Well my reply was "tomorrow is not promised, I may not live to see retirement, I'm enjoying it while I can".

I save for retirement (maybe not as much as I should). However, I don't want to be "rich and old" and not physically able to enjoy it so that's why we go to Disney and other places now.

 

[Gabe1]

The first time I ever looked back at 2 decades of 2 week trips was my DS senior year of high school and the cost of college for the 1st kid and the 2nd kid looming was overwhelming. (for those not in the US, college/university costs have more than doubled over 10 years and expect to double again this decade.)

I love all the memories I hold dearly and my kids do too. Still every once in a while when I start to add up all the money I gave to Disney over the decades and want to loose my cookies. I could have a vacation home somewhere, but I'm not the type to be able to hold still more than a few hours.

 

[jlsHouston]

The first time I ever looked back at 2 decades of 2 week trips was my DS senior year of high school and the cost of college for the 1st kid and the 2nd kid looming was overwhelming. (for those not in the US, college/university costs have more than doubled over 10 years and expect to double again this decade.)

I love all the memories I hold dearly and my kids do too. Still every once in a while when I start to add up all the money I gave to Disney over the decades and want to loose my cookies. I could have a vacation home somewhere, but I'm not the type to be able to hold still more than a few hours.

I feel ya.....

 

[tor29c]

11 years ago I did the craziest thing in my life. I took my daughter and 3 of her friends to WDW to celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday. It was excellent! 5 nights of celebrating being young and being in Disney. I got plenty of flak from others about doing it but it's my money to spend and you're only 16 once. No regrets and no longer having to hear about "is that really the best use of your money?" Ugh!

 

[polynesiangirl]

11 years ago I did the craziest thing in my life. I took my daughter and 3 of her friends to WDW to celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday. It was excellent! 5 nights of celebrating being young and being in Disney. I got plenty of flak from others about doing it but it's my money to spend and you're only 16 once. No regrets and no longer having to hear about "is that really the best use of your money?" Ugh!

My husband and I took my younger sister to WDW for her high school graduation present. I have no regrets; we actually took her a couple other times after that. We still talk about some of the funny or crazy stuff that happened to us on those vacations.

My husband and I both work full time. Nice vacations have always been considered a non-negotiable in our marriage as both of us find them crucial for our mental health, haha. Now that we have children I find it even more important to spend that time together as a family. Before I know it those kids will be adults...

 

[Cesar R M]

I save for retirement (maybe not as much as I should). However, I don't want to be "rich and old" and not physically able to enjoy it so that's why we go to Disney and other places now.

concur in this position.
We seen many of these people at WDW, an adorable Lady with her brother.. (who had just beaten cancer) were forcefully walking and visiting everywhere.. they were celebrating LIFE.
as a cancer survivor myself I have to agree on .. DO THE BEST YOU CAN WHEN YOU CAN!
there might be a day where you cannot do certain thing.. and you will be regretting and bashing your head "WHY I DIDNT DO IT?"

 

[Agent1964fem]

For heavens sake...Had lunch with an old buddy today,whom I haven't seen for about ten years or so..I just happened to mention that we've just come back from a 10 day vacation in Spain..How much was it.?..I told him around $1400.....He then asked me if that was all inclusive..No I said..Room only....He says his last holiday abroad was to Spain seven years ago,and cost him and his wife $1000 for a week all inclusive.....When I told him the price of our 2012 vacation to WDW, he went into a comatose....Now I ain't going to work out how much our five trips have cost us since 2004, but I could see in his eyes he was trying to justify the cost of 14 days at Disney against other things in life..A new kitchen..A new car..5 holidays in Europe,etc...So I smiled and thought to myself..Is he right.?..Am I the crazy one spending all this $$$$$$$$ on a vacation.?..My next trip ( 2015 ) will probably be around $7500 and that's just flights..accommodation..tickets..etc..( excluding spending money ) ...So how do you justify your disney vacation costs to friends who try and convince you that you should be locked up in a sanatorium.....I kept saying to him..It's only money..And it's the best vacation I've ever had...But he just kept on laughing and saying, " You need your head examined." ....What's your advice.?..How do you justify the cost of your Disney vacation to others who spend only a quarter of what you spend on their holidays..

 

[Agent1964fem]

We try to go every other year. And I get similiar responses such as . Really your going again . Don't you get tired of that place I mean its just a amusement park. Then I say have you ever been ? Well, no but..we can't afford it. How do you manage to go every other year.
Several of these people work with me or are family members. Some are into racing or hunting , still others are into going to the beach or camping. Which I'm not.
One person had their pictures of their racing helmets all over FB at 4000.00 dollars a pop. And a go-cart which was several thousand dollars.
Its just all in what your into.

 

[Disney Shib]

It's simple for me. You can't put a price on happiness.

 

[DJMoore2011]

We don't go every year, more like every 4 years. This gives us time to do things other then Disney and save for Disney.

My Dear Hubby does not get paid time off for any vacation so if we plan on taking one we have to make sure to save a weeks wages to cover what he will be missing at work. We wont be going back to WDW till the house is paid off. Which we are hoping is going to happen in 2015.

Dear Hubby's family has always done big vacations every 3-4 years. They consider Disney to be fall under that category. In fact we are hoping to see if in 2015 we can get them to go to WDW as the really BIG Family Vaction, which is Dear Hubby and his 3 sisters and their families, about 50 or so people to go. Lucky for us we are not the only Disney Geeks and it's been years since anyone else is gone.

As to what people say, it's more like "You really love Disney don't you?" And I do my best Goofy voice and go " A yep"