Prices for a family of four

T

Trackmaster

Well-Known Member
Got a Disney weekday select in mid-November 2018. Paid $320 before tax, scanned in 15 times since then (it comes with a hopper, but I only hopped once with it). Comes with free parking, so I never pay for parking, have never bought any merch, and only bought a few meals. Only thing I really spend money on is alcohol there. You can do Disney cheap, it just helps to be a Florida resident.

Oh yeah, I did pay $95 for a After Dark event, but got refunded when 7 Drawfs was done most of the time. I'll probably do another one for Hollywood Studios. Might sound like a lot, but people overpay for hotels just for the Magic Hours and early FP+ reservations. The benefit of the After Hours is much better and much cheaper than overpaying for the hotels.

There are ways to do Disney cheaply, you just have to find them. Funny that I only paid $320 for a Disney AP, and paid $220 for the highest level Six Flags membership (and I don't even live in the same state as a SF park -- I'm just hitting a bunch on road trips).
 
Shouldigo12

Shouldigo12

Well-Known Member
I remember reading an article way back that Disney was roughly 1000 a day for a family of four. That was a few years ago though so its probably a bit higher now.

Many people do have an issue with Disney pricing though. That's why for a lot of people this is a one and done trip, or at least a once in a blue moon trip. And honestly, I do think they are getting very close to pricing out a lot of people. But the thing is, no one is forcing people to go to the parks. The parks are packed because people see the price and decide it's worth, even if it's only worth it for that one trip. I'm not thrilled about high prices either, since it means it's going to be awhile before I can go back, but as they say: the customer is always right. And if the customers say that Disney World is worth the current price, then that's what Disney is going to charge.
 
JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Astro_Digital said:
Weird that so many people have that much disposable income.
Nobody has a problem with the price of a Disney Vacation ?
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Another one of those Disney is expensive threads.... Nothing weird about it. People set their priorities, decide what they want to do, then save or budget for making it possible. Or if they decide to put it on cards, they pay it off in time. Disney isnt any different than any other vacation spot, they all come with a cost. Knowing that, you plan on how to afford to do it if you want to do it. Disney gives me and my family a vacation like no other. For us its well worth the cost. We go when we can afford the trip and never overextend our ability to pay for it. Its no different with any other expense in my life. I'll get what I want when I have saved for it and know its possible without killing my budget.
 
T

Trackmaster

Well-Known Member
Shouldigo12 said:
I remember reading an article way back that Disney was roughly 1000 a day for a family of four. That was a few years ago though so its probably a bit higher now.

Many people do have an issue with Disney pricing though. That's why for a lot of people this is a one and done trip, or at least a once in a blue moon trip. And honestly, I do think they are getting very close to pricing out a lot of people. But the thing is, no one is forcing people to go to the parks. The parks are packed because people see the price and decide it's worth, even if it's only worth it for that one trip. I'm not thrilled about high prices either, since it means it's going to be awhile before I can go back, but as they say: the customer is always right. And if the customers say that Disney World is worth the current price, then that's what Disney is going to charge.
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"Pricing people out." Yeah, tell that to the people waiting in list for Flight of Passage for seven hours. Or the people who will be waiting in line for seven hours for the Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars rides.
 
LaughingGravy

LaughingGravy

Well-Known Member
eliza61nyc said:
I will say, I'm dying to get to Yosemite. it looks so beautiful, never been to the national parks.
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We are actually taking a 27 day vacation to do DL/DCA for a few days and then immediately follow with multiple national parks in an RV
This is a one shot vacation and it's costing a lot.
But, our kids are both adults and we only have one opportunity with their school and internship requirements and them continuing on with life. Neither are connected to any significant others, so it will just be us.
As a family we have only been to WDW 3 times, twice when they were younger, and once with the marching band, when they were both in it. The only way DW and I could afford to go on that with them was as chaperones besides the fundraising they did on their own through band sales of candy/cheesecake, etc.
All our other vacations have been long weekends, including staying with relatives. Doable, but not exactly "vacations" as most people think of them. We make choices. Where we live daily has priority, so that has been where the money has gone over the years.
I am taking all my vacation time in one shot, a somewhat risky thing to do(even though it shouldn't be, but that's a whole other discussion), but it was approved. Air tix and the RV rental are the biggest expenses in this.
To do this, we started planning last summer.

When we did our honeymoon, we wanted a really nice ($$$) cruise to Alaska. We took out a credit card just for that, paid it off, then canceled the card and it's in our album. Choices.

IMO, they should up the price of the annual passes significantly, with the exception of DVC owners ( not one time renters).
When an annual pass is the equivalent of 10 single days of admission, that's just crazy.
 
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aliceismad

aliceismad

Well-Known Member
Many people have problems with the price of Disney, and the increasing prices of Disney. There are threads often. I don't know if Disney has increased prices at a higher rate than other vacations, and honestly, I don't care. At the end of the day, unless you live in day-trip distance (and sometimes even then), Disney is a luxury, and it's a business, and they'll price it however best benefits the company and shareholders. We all get to choose what worth it to us personally. I compare my discretionary spending options, and sometimes Disney wins.
 
Ted Daggett

Ted Daggett

Active Member
I just checked, and for a family of 4 (one child under 9 and one over 10) to stay 5 nights at All Star Movies from Aug 25 - Aug 30, 2019 (5 nights) plus 5 days of park tickets (non-hopper) is $2,196 (USD). This does not include food, but you will need to eat if you stay home as well, so the incremental cost of food is not that great if you make an effort to eat cost effectively (we bring cereal from home and eat it in room for breakfast, etc). You could add the quick dining plan and pay $3,103 for the vacation. This is obviously a slow time, and the price would be significantly more if you tried to go 4th of July, Christmas week, or spring break. If a family really wants to go, $2,196 is not outrageous for a "vacation". You could buy Disney Gift cards on your Target credit card and get 5% off, reducing your cost by another $110.

For my family to go skiing at Whiteface mountain, NY, a 5 day lift pass for the 5 of us is $1,729, and that doesn't include lodging, which at a MINIMUM is $100 per night, but probably more like $400 per night. Which is more than the $2,196 disney trip. The ski passes are for 8 am to 4 pm.

For my family to go to 5 New York Jets games, 5 upper deck end zone tickets (terrible seats) would be $2,125, not including food, and that is only for 3 hours of terrible football, not a whole day of fun at the park.

Like someone previously said, to rent a house at the beach in New Jersey is typically $3,000 per week, and that includes no food, beach badges, or other entertainment, other than sitting on the beach.

Disney is expensive, but every vacation, or fun activity is expensive.
 
jloucks

jloucks

Well-Known Member
$4,000 is cheap! Or do you mean per person? At $4,000 each, I might be able to go back someday! WDW is way way too @#$%^$# crowded now days. I don't mind dropping $16,000 on a vacation, so long as it is wonderful. Shoot, Hawaii was $24,000+, and I have no regrets. Getting panic attacks because I am pressed up against a butt-ton of sweaty stinky strangers is my idea of a nightmare, not a vacation.
 
Phonedave

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
Astro_Digital said:
Read and article if you go budget all the way, least expensive "All Stars Resort", no sit down meals, you will spend on average $4000.00 Canadian, and if you upscale get a dining package, moderate hotels it can cost up to $10,000 Canadian for a Disney Vacation.

Weird that so many people have that much disposable income.
Nobody has a problem with the price of a Disney Vacation ?
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I think it is high, for what you get. those are not too crazy out of line prices for a nice vacation. But the quality of WDW has gone down so much, and the prices keep climbing, that I no longer have the desire to go as much as I used to. Even if it was dirt cheap, I would still think twice about it because the parks to crowded, dirty, and a lesson in logistics.

Case in point, this year our big family vacation is a week in the Cayman Islands.

3 bedroom oceanfront villa for a week $1,600
Airfare for 5 people - $2,200
Food, car rental, and activities - $3,000

So you are looking at close to $7,000

Vacations are not exactly cheap, but I suspect we are going to have a great time on Grand Cayman (I know the resort, and have been there a number of times already) and not have to fight crowds, book dining 180 days out, wait for hours in lines, and and be bombarded with IPs at every turn
 
Shouldigo12

Shouldigo12

Well-Known Member
Trackmaster said:
"Pricing people out." Yeah, tell that to the people waiting in list for Flight of Passage for seven hours. Or the people who will be waiting in line for seven hours for the Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars rides.
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I'm not sure what you mean.
Edit: if you mean people will still want to go to Disney, there's a difference between wanting to go and having the money to go.
 
Ted Daggett

Ted Daggett

Active Member
Phonedave said:
Every beach house I have ever rented came with beach badges. Really not a super cost savings but still, the houses usually had them .
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Agreed, I have rented some houses that provided beach badges, it depends on the owner. I think the season beach tag is only $25 in Ocean City, NJ. Some owners buy one set, and then if they aren't returned, the rest of the renters for the year are SOL.
 
BoarderPhreak

BoarderPhreak

Well-Known Member
I would estimate an "average" trip to WDW to be $1k/person/week, including food, lodging and parks. Sundries and souvenirs extra. Obviously the choice of value, moderate or deluxe accommodations will have the largest +/- effect.

That's not a cheap vacation by any stretch of the imagination.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Yes, a Walt Disney World vacation is expensive, even compared to other vacations. But part of the reason it seems so much more expensive than other vacations is that you're paying all of your money to Disney, while in most other vacations you're paying smaller bills to several different companies.

At WDW, you're paying Disney for your room, your food, your entertainment, and your merchandise/souvenirs. On a ski vacation, for example, you pay your hotel for your room, various restaurants for your food, the ski resort for your entertainment, and a mixture of shopping locations for your merchandise/souvenirs.
 
Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Yes, it's expensive (I'd say the quoted price was a bit low, actually), but as others said, if you price out comparable vacations -- overseas trips (e.g., Rick Steves family tours), all-inclusive Caribbean resorts (e.g., Beaches family resorts), family-friendly cruises (e.g., Carnival), etc., the cost of a Disney vacation is in the same neighborhood.
 

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