when did a trip to WDW become a 6 time a year thing? Looking for opinions.

[beachclubbasics]

(partially posted on a DVC thread)

I remember when WDW was considered a once in a lifetime trip. I was lucky and could go every year because my dad worked for a corporate sponsor, but even then it got to be too much. When did WDW become a 3-6 time a year trip? And why? I'm interested to find out seriously what the rationale is.

I know people who work 3 jobs, have several mortages on their homes, hunt for meat so they don't have to buy it, and generally just so some pretty interesting (and I think at times dangerous) things to go to WDW more than once per year. My kids have a teacher who ges 5 times per year plus takes the senior class to WDw (he is there now...will return home for 3 days, and will go back with the senior class) who will fail a kid for saying something negative about Disney...why??????

There was an article on CNN Money that stated that part of the underlying problem of the subprime housing loan disiaters has been people taking out these loans to finance luxuries...like a trip to WDW several times a year..which they specifically state in their article (then again they also linked that to one reason why our kids are turning into big brats...lol). People are actually losing their homes...why?


Unless you live in Florida, going to WDW is not exactly the cheapest (or easiest) thing to do. Even with DVC membership there's still transportation and food which alone is probably 2K or more each time.

 

[k.hunter30]

(partially posted on a DVC thread)

I remember when WDW was considered a once in a lifetime trip. I was lucky and could go every year because my dad worked for a corporate sponsor, but even then it got to be too much. When did WDW become a 3-6 time a year trip? And why? I'm interested to find out seriously what the rationale is.

I know people who work 3 jobs, have several mortages on their homes, hunt for meat so they don't have to buy it, and generally just so some pretty interesting (and I think at times dangerous) things to go to WDW more than once per year. My kids have a teacher who ges 5 times per year plus takes the senior class to WDw (he is there now...will return home for 3 days, and will go back with the senior class) who will fail a kid for saying something negative about Disney...why??????

There was an article on CNN Money that stated that part of the underlying problem of the subprime housing loan disiaters has been people taking out these loans to finance luxuries...like a trip to WDW several times a year..which they specifically state in their article (then again they also linked that to one reason why our kids are turning into big brats...lol). People are actually losing their homes...why?


Unless you live in Florida, going to WDW is not exactly the cheapest (or easiest) thing to do. Even with DVC membership there's still transportation and food which alone is probably 2K or more each time.

There was a home equity loan commercial (for some bank, I'm sure) on TV this morning as I was getting ready. I'm with you. To me, "Hey, lets put our home at risk just so we can go on a vacation we can't afford before we actually deserve to go," is not a very bright idea...:shrug:

 

[kcnole]

If people are actually losing their home because of going to Disney then they have issues. There's a problem in America about not taking responsibility. It's not their fault that they took on a bigger mortgage than they could afford. Blame Disney.

I don't see a problem with going to Disney several times a year if you can afford it. If you can't then you have problems if you keep trying to do it.

 

[Monty]

I'm going four times within a year between this past February and next. My primary motivation was to get APs for DS and myself and go twice, later this past February and then earlier next February, thus getting admissions cheaper than getting 7-day hoppers for two trips.

Then my FIL called and said we could stay with him this past February and possibly again next February and I decided to take those savings on hotels and do more to maximize our APs, so I added a trip in June and another in August during weeks I had to take off anyway and we'll drive down.

Over all it is costing us only slightly more to do four trips within the APs as it would have cost to do two annual trips with hopper tickets.

Yes, it is expensive, but I'm not going into any long-term debt to do it. My bookings and our expenses while travelling are all charged to Visa at the time, but I pay off the Visa bill immediately when it's due. None of my Disney trips have ever incurred interest charges.

I have enough disposable income to do it. Yes, I don't do other things, but that simply because currently Disney is what we find fun.

 

[ImaYoyo]

I don't agree with the 2k figure. There are certainly ways to do disney for less. Mousesavers has some GREAT examples. It also depends on where you're traveling from. It will cost a family from Seatle MUCH more than a family coming from Atlanta or Mobile. Many cities offer non-stop round trip airfare for little. I come from the cleveland area and when I go back to ohio to visit friends and family, I can fly round trip into my local airport for 120 bucks after taxes and fees. So getting here doesn't have to be expensive, depending where you come from. As far as eating here, you can do it for little. There are some great bargains when it comes to food at WDW. The bakery in norway has some great munchies for between 1-2 dollars. Sunshine Seasons offers gourmet fair at not-so gourmet prices. Many meals are big enough to split. Earl of sandwich and the quick-window at Bongos are VERY inexpensive. 2 empanadas, 2 papas rellenas and a drink for under 5 bucks.

Just my 2 lincolns.

 

[k.hunter30]

I'm going four times within a year between this past February and next. My primary motivation was to get APs for DS and myself and go twice, later this past February and then earlier next February, thus getting admissions cheaper than getting 7-day hoppers for two trips.

Then my FIL called and said we could stay with him this past February and possibly again next February and I decided to take those savings on hotels and do more to maximize our APs, so I added a trip in June and another in August during weeks I had to take off anyway and we'll drive down.

Over all it is costing us only slightly more to do four trips within the APs as it would have cost to do two annual trips with hopper tickets.

Yes, it is expensive, but I'm not going into any long-term debt to do it. My bookings and our expenses while travelling are all charged to Visa at the time, but I pay off the Visa bill immediately when it's due. None of my Disney trips have ever incurred interest charges.

I have enough disposable income to do it. Yes, I don't do other things, but that simply because currently Disney is what we find fun.

I would love to be able to go to WDW more often - as you do. And you're doing it the right way - you're saving for it and paying for it right away. It's just sad that other people have to learn how to do that the hard way....

 

[jmvd20]

If people can afford to go 5 or 6 times a year good for them. However, it doesn't have to be incredibly expensive to go to WDW. As far as going into debt goes, who are we to judge? If someone wants to put an entire vacation or 2 on their credit card I say go for it. Fact is you have to enjoy life, if WDW makes you happy go as much as you want and spend as much as you see fit.

 

[beachclubbasics]

I would love to be able to go to WDW more often - as you do. And you're doing it the right way - you're saving for it and paying for it right away. It's just sad that other people have to learn how to do that the hard way....

Very true. We come to WDW once per year. I save all year for that trip and when we go we only go for a week, but we go in style...stay at deluxe resorts (the Beach Club or Contemporary), get the dining plan etc., so I know that I spend more than I normally would have to..but to me that's a vacation...lol. I'm also a teacher so I only come down in the summer-time when school is closed...too hard to go back to work after a week's trip down..lol.

I bought land in Florida so that I can eventually build a house down there and retire while working part-time at WDW because it seems to be a much more fun place to work than say...as a Walmart greeter. Plus, I hate the cold.

We're skipping WDW in 2008 to save so that we can go to Tokyo in 2009 (And yes, TDL/DS is on the to-do list )

I live in NJ. I'm basing my travel figures on what it would cost a family of 4 to fly down and to eat.

I have acquaintances who have no money in the bank and have 2 very disabled boys who go three times per year...and as I said, have no money saved for their boys' future (they will most likely never be able to live independently). It's people like this who I don't get.

I just was wondering why go more than once a year...and how do so many people do it considering the average income in the US is a little over 40K per year. Doens't cover a lot of Disney trips..

 

[Teenchy]

I can only speak from experience. BUt I totally agree with the you about people who take out 2nd mortgages or run up credit just to finance vacations.

My wife and I (Just got married at WDW in December:sohappy: ) and we usually visit about 2 times a year. The past 3 years we have visited about 3-4 times in a year, last years visits included a couple trips for wedding planning.

We are DVC members (paid for, not financed) and we usually get enough credit card skymiles per year to cover the cost of one trip to Orlando (Usually 2 per year) We also have purchased annual passes and with the renewal discount its been a great deal because of how many visit we have had recently.

So lets look at the math....Resort (DVC) paid, 4 RT flights paid for with skymiles (cost 0$) Annual passes 2ea at aprox $400. So for us we can usually take 2 trips per year to WDW (about 5 days each time) for $800 + food.

We have been blessed to be able to afford these things, but as comparison for vacations to other places in the world for the same length of time we can do these trips for much less $$.

But your original premise is absolutley correct, that I see people all the time who feel they are intitled to several vacations per year and will do anything to take them including going into debt which eventually gets them way over their head, to the point of stressing out the rest of their lives (can I paid my bills, forclosure, etc) And wasnt that vacation supposed to help relieve the stress of life....not add to them!

 

[Teenchy]

As far as going into debt goes, who are we to judge? If someone wants to put an entire vacation or 2 on their credit card I say go for it. Fact is you have to enjoy life, if WDW makes you happy go as much as you want and spend as much as you see fit.

True, until they have to fil for bankruptcy and walk away from the debt, or bypass insurance payments so the rest of us can foot their bill, etc. etc.

I'm ok with people using credit as well, I do it myself, but very often credit (or too much credit) is given to those who cant really afford to ever pay it back.

 

[k.hunter30]

I just was wondering why go more than once a year...and how do so many people do it considering the average income in the US is a little over 40K per year. Doens't cover a lot of Disney trips..

Great question!
Although I would say the average income of families that do travel to WDW (be it four times a year, once a year, or once every 10 years) would be higher than 40k - and it seems that's the demographic we're talking about here.

 

[maelstrom]

We go to WDW 1-3 times per year. We're annual passholders. My parents do not have a mortgage on the house and are in debt to no one. My dad owns a lumber yard, where he works Mon-Sat 7:00a-4:30p, and then he does a lot of work on the side. We stay in deluxe and moderate resorts, fly down on a discount airline, etc. My parents pay the majority of the vacation expenses in cash. If you can afford to do it, why not? We love Disney.

 

[justducky78]

You're right - it did used to be more of a "once in lifetime" trip for a lot of people, except for the lucky few. My husband went every year growing up, but not everyone was so fortunate. Today, more and more people are going back 2-3 times a year, which is great if they can do it (and afford it)!

Personally, we go every 2-3 years. If we lived closer, we might go more often, but it's not the only vacation we take. We like traveling to other destinations, too. We couldn't JUST do Disney, even though it is one of our favorite places to visit.

 

[Laura]

If you can afford it and you love being there, then what's the problem?

I was an AP holder from Sept 2005-2006 and went on 4 Disney vacations that year. What a great year!!

Of course this year I'm having major withdrawls!

 

[csaguy]

It's OK

For us 3-6 times a year is OK. With DVC and the APs, why not go whenever you can. It's only 10 hrs driving for us, so if we leave at 6am there is still time for play and fireworks somewhere.
Last year it was only 3. This year, DL and at least 2 in WDW.

 

[jmvd20]

True, until they have to fil for bankruptcy and walk away from the debt, or bypass insurance payments so the rest of us can foot their bill, etc. etc.

I'm ok with people using credit as well, I do it myself, but very often credit (or too much credit) is given to those who cant really afford to ever pay it back.

Personally I blame that on the banks, they should definitely not give the amounts that they do to people. Same thing goes for housing but were off on a tangent here.

My main point was that if people want to take out a second mortgage, or rack up CC bills to take some extra vacations to WDW then so be it. I agree that its not a good idea but it's not my place to stop them.

 

[mgraef]

I posted a reply once (in semi-jest) about funding one's IRA first for someone who indicated they just received their bonus from work and were booking their trip. Man did I take a lot of heat for that one!!:goodnevil I believe I was called "Downer Debbie".

We are in the once every 13 month phase but have been considering DVC. I am not sure what we will do but we do love WDW and maybe we are spoiling our kids, but they are not driving BMWs either. (granted they are 2 and 4:animwink

That said I would never go into debt for a vacation.

Peace,
mg

 

[beachclubbasics]

What made me think to post this is because of the CNN article about home forclosures/subprime lending.

It is great if you can go several times a year and make enough money to do so (especailly if you'e young and have no kids), but the people I know in no way make huge sums of money and have 2-3 kids..and are not spening the time they should be woththese kids during the year jsut sothat they can go on 3 WDW trips per year.

This I just do not understand.

 

[beachclubbasics]

Exactly!

I can only speak from experience. BUt I totally agree with the you about people who take out 2nd mortgages or run up credit just to finance vacations.

My wife and I (Just got married at WDW in December:sohappy: ) and we usually visit about 2 times a year. The past 3 years we have visited about 3-4 times in a year, last years visits included a couple trips for wedding planning.

We are DVC members (paid for, not financed) and we usually get enough credit card skymiles per year to cover the cost of one trip to Orlando (Usually 2 per year) We also have purchased annual passes and with the renewal discount its been a great deal because of how many visit we have had recently.

So lets look at the math....Resort (DVC) paid, 4 RT flights paid for with skymiles (cost 0$) Annual passes 2ea at aprox $400. So for us we can usually take 2 trips per year to WDW (about 5 days each time) for $800 + food.

We have been blessed to be able to afford these things, but as comparison for vacations to other places in the world for the same length of time we can do these trips for much less $$.

But your original premise is absolutley correct, that I see people all the time who feel they are intitled to several vacations per year and will do anything to take them including going into debt which eventually gets them way over their head, to the point of stressing out the rest of their lives (can I paid my bills, forclosure, etc) And wasnt that vacation supposed to help relieve the stress of life....not add to them!

Great points! I thought about buying a DVC mebership, but my kids are older (I have 4 kids 12, 18, 19, and 25,,well, 3 adults and 1 kid..lol) so I don't think I'd get my money's worth. I tok what would have been a decent downpayment and bought 1.5 acres of land in Polk county Fla instead (last year was 6K, nopw simialr land is selling for 45K)..hoping to retire down there one day (if I don't move to Tokyo). Also, sine my family is a bit larger I'd need about 300 points for a 1 week stay at the Beach Club.


I also save a lot ..I get uneasy when I have to spend anything..lol BUt I've beenwidowed for the past 5 years so that's why I feel that way.

 

[beachclubbasics]

For us 3-6 times a year is OK. With DVC and the APs, why not go whenever you can. It's only 10 hrs driving for us, so if we leave at 6am there is still time for play and fireworks somewhere.
Last year it was only 3. This year, DL and at least 2 in WDW.

I can see where the APs make it easier to afford to go. I think my 7 day park hopper passes are almost 250 a piece for the one week. Can you use a WDW pass at DL?