Where do you draw the line of affordable?

[Weather_Lady]

We've only been once or twice per decade, although now that the kids are the right age, DH and I plan to go about every other year for awhile. Although we failed to plan far enough ahead to follow all of these tips for our upcoming trip (namely, using points for airfare), those that follow will go like this:

We'll stay on property in a value resort (moderate if there's an appropriate discount), use only WDW transportation, and save on food by bringing all breakfasts and snacks ourselves and having 1 QS meal most days, with a special table-service meal at each end of the trip (unless we go during free dining). In between WDW trips, we'll use our airline credit cards for everything (which we pay off in total every month so there are zero interest charges, but we can rack up airline points with every dollar), so that our airfare, ordinarily $800-$1200, will be free. At current resort and ticket prices, that amounts to no more than $2500 for a 6-day, 5-night stay, plus park-hopper tickets, for a family of four, with a handful of on-property meals. We also don't generally buy souvenirs, except for a token $10-or-less item per person ("enjoy that Mickey pencil, kids! Next year maybe you can afford to buy the matching eraser!")

In other words, we're putting aside an extra $100 or so per month for 2 years to make it happen. Were we unable to buy our flights with points, we'd be waiting an extra year in between trips. We save the money first, and THEN go on the trip, so that we're never going into debt for it. I don't think I could truly relax and enjoy the experience otherwise.

As a previous poster said, WDW is expensive if you look at the cost alone, but not if you consider all that you're getting in return. We could buy season passes to the local 6 Flags park for a tenth of the cost, but if I ask myself, "would you rather go to 6 Flags ten times, or WDW once?," WDW wins, hands down. It's just a better-quality experience, one that goes beyond thrill rides and cutesy theming, and makes me feel like a wide-eyed child again. It's the kind of place that is worth scrimping and saving for.

 

[RedBaron]

I guess for me, I draw the line at airfare prices. I refuse to pay $1500 for the 4 of us to take a 2.5 hour flight to Orlando, so we drive the 17 hours instead, I will continue to check for a good deal on a flight, but I will not hold my breath. 2 years ago when we went I think I checked for flights daily and they never did come down. Frankly I should stay in a value resort since I am never there, but we will be staying in a moderate. I also plan to stop at a grocery store to buy supplies to have breakfast in our room. This will obviously save us money, but more importantly, it will save us a lot of time in the morning, and we will also end up eating healthier.

 

[NeedDisneyNow]

I look for ways to get deals, such as the Southwest Credit Card deal that gives 50,000 bonus points for signing up -- that's enough for a few roundtrip flights. I just booked a trip using this card and spent $70 total for 4 roundtrip flights.

Also, accumulate points on the disney visa and use those points towards food in disney. We just upgraded with that 5x offer and our points are really building up now. DH has some business expenses we can charge with this card and that helps build up points too.

Finally, I book the resort level that best fits my budget at the particular time. With airfare close to free, plus lots of points on the disney visa for dining, I will be able to book a mod or deluxe resort with a 35% or more discount, hopefully!

 

[MrsWhiffo]

As long as you get to go, it doesn't matter of its with a tight purse string or bottomless pool of money. I think Disney can be affordable if you do your research.

Living in the UK it is always going to be a big holiday for us. Were quite lucky, were a young married couple, no rugrats and we both work pretty good (very time consuming) jobs. So we get to have a pretty big budget holiday, but we still have to save and they can only be every couple of years. I am sure in the future as commitments come, we will have to budget more but I think once your in the park its pretty the same experience.

We stay off property because I actually like having an apartment and my DH needs some off disney time. You do get a hell of a lot more for your money off property, but it depends if you plan to spend some time just chilling out at your villa. I looovvvveee american supermarkets, so I actually like to cook a few meals, so i guess that saves a few pounds.

 

[Lynne M]

I guess I'm a little confused on what answers you're looking for....I think if we had a better sense of that, we could focus the discussion a bit better.

Reading your posts on this thread, I'm not sure if it's:

• Looking for tips on how to make WDW trips more affordable for you
  
• Looking for our thoughts on how we decide whether or not a WDW trip is affordable
  
• Looking for our thoughts on whether Disney should make WDW an affordable vacation for more people.

 

[Sans Souci]

I guess I'm a little confused on what answers you're looking for....I think if we had a better sense of that, we could focus the discussion a bit better.

Reading your posts on this thread, I'm not sure if it's:

• Looking for tips on how to make WDW trips more affordable for you
  
• Looking for our thoughts on how we decide whether or not a WDW trip is affordable
  
• Looking for our thoughts on whether Disney should make WDW an affordable vacation for more people.

I was confused, too. I responded as though he wanted a discussion about WDW making its vacations more affordable because that was his last sentence in his second post.

 

[nolatron]

- Looking for our thoughts on how we decide whether or not a WDW trip is affordable
- Looking for our thoughts on whether Disney should make WDW an affordable vacation for more people.

- To me, WDW will always be affordable. I may just have to make changes to make it so. Like taking trips every 2-3 years now rather than yearly, staying offsite, or not doing park hoppers. But I doubt they would ever be a time I'd say to myself "WDW is just to expensive, we won't go anymore".

- I don't think so. WDW is already running at a good capacity. They have no reason to make it more affordable. I feel it would just cheapen the exeperience if that have to cut costs to more people could maybe visit. And besides, who's to say what exactly is "affordable". It's different for every family for a hundred different reasons.

 

[mousehockey37]

I guess I'm a little confused on what answers you're looking for....I think if we had a better sense of that, we could focus the discussion a bit better.

Reading your posts on this thread, I'm not sure if it's:

• Looking for tips on how to make WDW trips more affordable for you
  
• Looking for our thoughts on how we decide whether or not a WDW trip is affordable
  
• Looking for our thoughts on whether Disney should make WDW an affordable vacation for more people.

Your last 2 bullets. That's what I was originally trying to get at. I'm very much aware that people have varying incomes. As far as everyone responding with use the credit cards, no, let's not use credit cards. If you've got business expenses or are a frequent flyer to many places that get you miles to use, that's great, good for you.

To the poster that responded to my Jurassic Park comment. Yes, Disney is a business, but if Disney prices were not such a deterrant to people, there would be even more families that would visit and spend their dollars there.

"Disneyland is a work of love. We didn't go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money." - Walt Disney

This may be a quote about Disneyland, but I'm sure the same principle applies to Disney World as well.

 

[danpam1024]

We usually make 2 reservations one on property at a DVC villa and one off property at a suite somewhere nearby. If something catastrophic happens (ie we need to buy a new ac) we stay off property for a third of the price. For our October trip we are staying off property because we are going on several vacations this year and it is literally saving us 3k.

 

[ShookieJones]

We've been EXTREMELY lucky.
We've been able to go every year for the last 6 years.

We take our income tax check and my bonus and that pays for our yearly 8 day 7night trip.

This includes me finding the absolute best airfare, rental car prices and
and pin codes or free dining specials every single year.

For spending we usual take that week's pay check with us.

As others have mentioned I would never mortgage my vacation. If I can't pay for it in 'cash' we won't go.

Again, we've been, very, very, very lucky.

 

[Lynne M]

To the poster that responded to my Jurassic Park comment. Yes, Disney is a business, but if Disney prices were not such a deterrant to people, there would be even more families that would visit and spend their dollars there.

"Disneyland is a work of love. We didn't go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money." - Walt Disney

This may be a quote about Disneyland, but I'm sure the same principle applies to Disney World as well.

Yes, but......Walt no longer owns the Disney company. It's now a publicly held company, owned by its investors. Meaning, large institutional investors. As a publicly held company, the primary job of the people running it is to make as much money as possible.

Towards that end, they need to keep the prices at WDW as high as possible, and still keep the hotels full, and the restaurants full, and the theme parks full. It doesn't matter if the people in the parks, hotels and restaurants are rich, poor, or in-between. As long as ENOUGH people can afford to go, Disney does not care WHO can afford to go. And at the moment, more than enough people can afford to go, if you go by the crowd reports, and the difficulty people have making ADRs.

I know that it stinks if you're one of the ones who can't afford to go. The reality is, there are millions of people in this country who can't even afford a one day ticket to a Disney theme park, let alone a stay in the resorts, or a meal in their restaurants. Many of them are the people you describe as living paycheck to paycheck.

And, FWIW, back when Walt gave that quote you mentioned, there were millions of people who couldn't afford to go to Disneyland, either. Even when he owned the company, he sure wasn't running it as a charitable enterprise.

I'm not trying to be harsh or cynical. It just is what it is. No matter how 'affordable' you make WDW, it's never going to be affordable for many, many people, and Disney's stockholders couldn't care less if the parks are full of people who make $100K a year or more - as long as the parks are full.

 

[mousehockey37]

We usually make 2 reservations one on property at a DVC villa and one off property at a suite somewhere nearby. If something catastrophic happens (ie we need to buy a new ac) we stay off property for a third of the price. For our October trip we are staying off property because we are going on several vacations this year and it is literally saving us 3k.

Wow. Just wow. How rude is that? You may think it's being smart, but really? There may be people trying to book reservations at the off property resort or the DVC villa and are being told there is nothing available, all because you're hogging 2 reservations. Pick one or the other. You're probably also one of these people that books 10 ADR's for the same day and as time draws closer calls and cancels the ones you don't want.

 

[Phonedave]

Most of these answers are what I am trying to do to get funds together for a trip. Now for those of you that have annual passes, relatives who live close to the parks, etc. This thread wasn't necessarily intended for you.

I'm looking for those people who are regular families/couples. Ones that that aren't making the big bucks (living check to check as per my original post). There was a post from a single mom on here, HER post is a valued one in my eyes. She's got 1 income and a few kids to feed, all while trying to get away on a vacation for a few days. Responses like that are what I'm looking for.

And to clarify... The person that said they spent over $10k on airfare to come to Disney, they were from Hawaii. See the thread that relates to "How much do you spend for Disney".

This whole topic is centering around the raising prices at Disney and in the USA and how Disney is becoming a place only the rich can/will be able to afford. So how do those of us that make just enough to get by fit into Disney's business model?

I think back to Jurassic Park, when they are taking the tour, and they are sitting to lunch. The lawyer says something like "And we can charge anything we want, $1000 a day, $2000 a day and people will pay it", and Mr. Hammond responds, "No. Jurassic park will be for every single person to come see, we will not cater to only the super rich." This seems like this is in line with one of the visions that Walt had for his park. If this is true, then shouldn't some changes need to be made?

If you are living check to check, then you do not have money to go on vacation. Check to check implies you are not saving anything, and if you are not saving anything, then I am sorry, but vacations (or expensive ones) are off the table.

Most people (average people) have some give and take in their lives. We are not talking people who have cut the budget to the bone and are having trouble scraping together cash to buy a day old loaf of bread at the thrift store. We are talking about people (families) who drop 4$ a day on coffee, buy lunch at work, eat out 2 times a week, etc. All things that can be cut back or eliminated in order to spend elsewhere.

It comes down to what matters to you. What do you value more, a $4 coffee each day on the way to work, or dropping that $1000 all at once on admission tickets. Is your daily lunch run to the cafeteria for the $7 sandwich important, or is spending $1,750 for the room at WDW.

For many people that is really what it comes down to. They live within their means, and a WDW vacation is part of the budget. As for me, right now because of changes in my life, I am changing my vacation pattern. We will no longer be going to WDW once (or multiple times a year) it will now be a 2 or 3 year thing. Why? Because other things that require money have moved up in rank over the importance of WDW. Someday WDW may move back up in rank, maybe not.

-dave

 

[The Empress Lilly]

• Looking for our thoughts on how we decide whether or not a WDW trip is affordable
  
• Looking for our thoughts on whether Disney should make WDW an affordable vacation for more people.

Okay, so these two bullet points it is.

1 - I'm beholden to Disney. I will sooner not buy food than not go the WDW. The spell has been cast, it is too strong, I shall never be able to escape.

2 - WDW is filled to capacity. So the goal is not to draw more people. The only new markets Disney seeks to attract are crowds outside of the busiest seasons, and people who spend more.
The strategy is not to increase attendance, but to have visitors spend more. Higher prices, more differentiated prices. This means you run the risk of being priced out of a Disney vacation altoghether. And, more worryingly, of being second rate visitor.
If you can not afford a luxury vacation, an XPass, you are not going to watch the fireworks from a favorable spot anymore. Or ride the mountains all day long. Or have a good seat at Fantasmic or Illuminations or World of Color.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

for me i am 23 my husband is 24 we dont like to spend over 5,000 total. So this yr we are going 10 days Disney 2 days universal it was 3,300 for Universal tix disney and flight plus the 300.00 we put aside for tips for dining plan and Also the rental car being 500.00 that puts us at 4,100 we pay around 850.00 to board our 2 dogs my grandma watches the little one and well bring a credit card and charge no more than 300.00 on my disney shopping addiction we have every thing paid off with in a yr.. we booked this trip 11/11 the day we got back from our 3 week HM in disney. Our trip will be paid off in July

 

[LocateJ]

who on earth is spending 10k on airfare alone?

 

[mouse_luv]

who on earth is spending 10k on airfare alone?

As the OP stated somewhere in this thread, someone flying from Hawaii.
It was stated in another thread by the person that was spending the 10k on airfare.

 

[Bob Saget]

Edit. (Double-post)

 

[danpam1024]

Wow. Just wow. How rude is that? You may think it's being smart, but really? There may be people trying to book reservations at the off property resort or the DVC villa and are being told there is nothing available, all because you're hogging 2 reservations. Pick one or the other. You're probably also one of these people that books 10 ADR's for the same day and as time draws closer calls and cancels the ones you don't want.

I actually dont book any adrs at all anymore and cancel within 2 months of our eta. Rudeness? No, just overly prepared. So you're saying you have NEVER booked a room you didnt want in hopes of getting something better as your travel date nears just to assure a room?

 

[draybook]

I actually dont book any adrs at all anymore and cancel within 2 months of our eta. Rudeness? No, just overly prepared. So you're saying you have NEVER booked a room you didnt want in hopes of getting something better as your travel date nears just to assure a room?

I think the other poster was reading that you make 2 reservations at the same time and then cancel later depending on which one you want. This is also what I took away from your original statement. If so, then I would agree with the other poster, this is "rude" behavior. I do make reservations in hopes of finding something better, but your post leads people to believe that you make onsite AND offsite reservations and then cancel one depending on your situation later. This would indeed tie up a room somewhere that someone who knows what they want could have.