Will I regret never going to Disney?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As Dr. Becky would say: two things are true. Disney is a very magical place to take kids at the right age, AND you can visit a lot of other wonderful places and have a great childhood without ever going.

If a family doesn’t have the resources or limited time, of course Disney shouldn’t be the priority.

There are people who have time and money. I think those parents could find a time to take their kid to Disney sometime between ages 2-11.

Will the kid not have a great childhood because s/he didn’t go to Disney? Of course not.

I have many friends who put themselves first. Whether it is work or couples only or adults only trips or trips where they want to go only. I judge them a little. I don’t care that much but it seems selfish to work a lot, have one or two nannies and then not do kid oriented vacations.

There are other kid oriented vacations, doesn’t need to be Disney. Parents who are more in tune with their kids can make any number of culturally destinations fun and interesting beyond a commercialized theme park. The problem is that a lot of parents don’t want to put in that kind of prep work, so they label Disney as THE childhood “must do.”

We went to Europe, Hawaii, national parks, NY and Disney this year. I get that some parents don’t want to put in the work but Disney actually requires a lot of planning. I want my kids to have a childhood full of joy and enrichment. I love to travel. I love Disney. I love my kids. I know not everyone has the time and money. We have the time and money so we don’t have to choose. It isn’t like we are trying to decide between going to Asia or Disney. We can do both.

Weird flex since it’s not always time and money. Some people just don’t like to saturate kids with rampant commercialism and call it a vacation.

“Saturate kids with rampant commercialism.” This thread has some great one liners form the snobby cultural vacation crew. Imma start writing them all down, I think. An elitist journal of sorts, if you will.

There are plenty of other amusement parks you can go to. My kids have been to their share. Disney is a line I won’t cross, though. I see too many posts about people trying to figure out how they’re going to get their rides in, booking things months in advance, bad expensive food, and long lines. No thanks. If it doesn’t bother you, good for you. I will spend my time and money at other places. For the people turning up their noses at the commercialism comments, I’m with the commercialization posters: Disney has a bevy of people behind the scenes figuring out how to optimize on your dollar during your visit. Your pleasure is secondary for them (and they really only care when it means you will spend less money). Again, no thanks.

We have a high income and I actually like the new methods. I don’t mind peak pricing, limited crowds, paying for lightning lanes and staying on resort. Yes, this all adds up and costs $1000 per day for our family of 5. The cost doesn’t bother us. We go on cheap and $$$ vacations. I would say Disney is in the middle.

I think lower income and higher income people tend to turn their noses at it. We have a few friends who only do trips that are for rich people and they are annoying in their own way. They will take their young kids on African safari but not to Disney. I think the short 2 hour flight is great. We all have the same seven figure incomes.

Having been to both Disney and Tanzania, I would take my kids on safari any day over Disney. If you can’t see the qualitative difference, that’s sad.

what's sad is thinking there is a 'better' way to vacation. do what makes you happy and don't be a judgmental ass.

I do not want to fly to Africa with my 4yo. We are way more down to earth than the people I am thinking of. They are definitely more snobby and won’t go places that they think are LMC/MC.

You can think we are the ones judging. I promise they are far more judgmental.

Given the cost of Disney, you are kidding yourself if you think LMC and even MC can truly afford that. Disney has become a vacation destination for the privileged.

I would think this to, but it is very apparent that there are still many LMC and MC people vacationing at Disney, including working class people from other countries. I don't know how they afford it... debt?

Many families save for 5-10 years to afford a Disney vacation.

[Anonymous]

Never is enough, never is enough, never gonna do that stuff…..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As Dr. Becky would say: two things are true. Disney is a very magical place to take kids at the right age, AND you can visit a lot of other wonderful places and have a great childhood without ever going.

If a family doesn’t have the resources or limited time, of course Disney shouldn’t be the priority.

There are people who have time and money. I think those parents could find a time to take their kid to Disney sometime between ages 2-11.

Will the kid not have a great childhood because s/he didn’t go to Disney? Of course not.

I have many friends who put themselves first. Whether it is work or couples only or adults only trips or trips where they want to go only. I judge them a little. I don’t care that much but it seems selfish to work a lot, have one or two nannies and then not do kid oriented vacations.

There are other kid oriented vacations, doesn’t need to be Disney. Parents who are more in tune with their kids can make any number of culturally destinations fun and interesting beyond a commercialized theme park. The problem is that a lot of parents don’t want to put in that kind of prep work, so they label Disney as THE childhood “must do.”

We went to Europe, Hawaii, national parks, NY and Disney this year. I get that some parents don’t want to put in the work but Disney actually requires a lot of planning. I want my kids to have a childhood full of joy and enrichment. I love to travel. I love Disney. I love my kids. I know not everyone has the time and money. We have the time and money so we don’t have to choose. It isn’t like we are trying to decide between going to Asia or Disney. We can do both.

Weird flex since it’s not always time and money. Some people just don’t like to saturate kids with rampant commercialism and call it a vacation.

“Saturate kids with rampant commercialism.” This thread has some great one liners form the snobby cultural vacation crew. Imma start writing them all down, I think. An elitist journal of sorts, if you will.

There are plenty of other amusement parks you can go to. My kids have been to their share. Disney is a line I won’t cross, though. I see too many posts about people trying to figure out how they’re going to get their rides in, booking things months in advance, bad expensive food, and long lines. No thanks. If it doesn’t bother you, good for you. I will spend my time and money at other places. For the people turning up their noses at the commercialism comments, I’m with the commercialization posters: Disney has a bevy of people behind the scenes figuring out how to optimize on your dollar during your visit. Your pleasure is secondary for them (and they really only care when it means you will spend less money). Again, no thanks.

We have a high income and I actually like the new methods. I don’t mind peak pricing, limited crowds, paying for lightning lanes and staying on resort. Yes, this all adds up and costs $1000 per day for our family of 5. The cost doesn’t bother us. We go on cheap and $$$ vacations. I would say Disney is in the middle.

I think lower income and higher income people tend to turn their noses at it. We have a few friends who only do trips that are for rich people and they are annoying in their own way. They will take their young kids on African safari but not to Disney. I think the short 2 hour flight is great. We all have the same seven figure incomes.

Having been to both Disney and Tanzania, I would take my kids on safari any day over Disney. If you can’t see the qualitative difference, that’s sad.

what's sad is thinking there is a 'better' way to vacation. do what makes you happy and don't be a judgmental ass.

I do not want to fly to Africa with my 4yo. We are way more down to earth than the people I am thinking of. They are definitely more snobby and won’t go places that they think are LMC/MC.

You can think we are the ones judging. I promise they are far more judgmental.

Given the cost of Disney, you are kidding yourself if you think LMC and even MC can truly afford that. Disney has become a vacation destination for the privileged.

I would think this to, but it is very apparent that there are still many LMC and MC people vacationing at Disney, including working class people from other countries. I don't know how they afford it... debt?

Many families save for 5-10 years to afford a Disney vacation.

Just think about how messed up that is. How deep you have to be into the marketing to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As Dr. Becky would say: two things are true. Disney is a very magical place to take kids at the right age, AND you can visit a lot of other wonderful places and have a great childhood without ever going.

If a family doesn’t have the resources or limited time, of course Disney shouldn’t be the priority.

There are people who have time and money. I think those parents could find a time to take their kid to Disney sometime between ages 2-11.

Will the kid not have a great childhood because s/he didn’t go to Disney? Of course not.

I have many friends who put themselves first. Whether it is work or couples only or adults only trips or trips where they want to go only. I judge them a little. I don’t care that much but it seems selfish to work a lot, have one or two nannies and then not do kid oriented vacations.

There are other kid oriented vacations, doesn’t need to be Disney. Parents who are more in tune with their kids can make any number of culturally destinations fun and interesting beyond a commercialized theme park. The problem is that a lot of parents don’t want to put in that kind of prep work, so they label Disney as THE childhood “must do.”

We went to Europe, Hawaii, national parks, NY and Disney this year. I get that some parents don’t want to put in the work but Disney actually requires a lot of planning. I want my kids to have a childhood full of joy and enrichment. I love to travel. I love Disney. I love my kids. I know not everyone has the time and money. We have the time and money so we don’t have to choose. It isn’t like we are trying to decide between going to Asia or Disney. We can do both.

Weird flex since it’s not always time and money. Some people just don’t like to saturate kids with rampant commercialism and call it a vacation.

“Saturate kids with rampant commercialism.” This thread has some great one liners form the snobby cultural vacation crew. Imma start writing them all down, I think. An elitist journal of sorts, if you will.

There are plenty of other amusement parks you can go to. My kids have been to their share. Disney is a line I won’t cross, though. I see too many posts about people trying to figure out how they’re going to get their rides in, booking things months in advance, bad expensive food, and long lines. No thanks. If it doesn’t bother you, good for you. I will spend my time and money at other places. For the people turning up their noses at the commercialism comments, I’m with the commercialization posters: Disney has a bevy of people behind the scenes figuring out how to optimize on your dollar during your visit. Your pleasure is secondary for them (and they really only care when it means you will spend less money). Again, no thanks.

We have a high income and I actually like the new methods. I don’t mind peak pricing, limited crowds, paying for lightning lanes and staying on resort. Yes, this all adds up and costs $1000 per day for our family of 5. The cost doesn’t bother us. We go on cheap and $$$ vacations. I would say Disney is in the middle.

I think lower income and higher income people tend to turn their noses at it. We have a few friends who only do trips that are for rich people and they are annoying in their own way. They will take their young kids on African safari but not to Disney. I think the short 2 hour flight is great. We all have the same seven figure incomes.

Having been to both Disney and Tanzania, I would take my kids on safari any day over Disney. If you can’t see the qualitative difference, that’s sad.

what's sad is thinking there is a 'better' way to vacation. do what makes you happy and don't be a judgmental ass.

I do not want to fly to Africa with my 4yo. We are way more down to earth than the people I am thinking of. They are definitely more snobby and won’t go places that they think are LMC/MC.

You can think we are the ones judging. I promise they are far more judgmental.

Given the cost of Disney, you are kidding yourself if you think LMC and even MC can truly afford that. Disney has become a vacation destination for the privileged.

I would think this to, but it is very apparent that there are still many LMC and MC people vacationing at Disney, including working class people from other countries. I don't know how they afford it... debt?

Many families save for 5-10 years to afford a Disney vacation.

Just think about how messed up that is. How deep you have to be into the marketing to do that.

Agree. The LMC/MC definitely buy into the “must go to Disney” line of thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As Dr. Becky would say: two things are true. Disney is a very magical place to take kids at the right age, AND you can visit a lot of other wonderful places and have a great childhood without ever going.

If a family doesn’t have the resources or limited time, of course Disney shouldn’t be the priority.

There are people who have time and money. I think those parents could find a time to take their kid to Disney sometime between ages 2-11.

Will the kid not have a great childhood because s/he didn’t go to Disney? Of course not.

I have many friends who put themselves first. Whether it is work or couples only or adults only trips or trips where they want to go only. I judge them a little. I don’t care that much but it seems selfish to work a lot, have one or two nannies and then not do kid oriented vacations.

There are other kid oriented vacations, doesn’t need to be Disney. Parents who are more in tune with their kids can make any number of culturally destinations fun and interesting beyond a commercialized theme park. The problem is that a lot of parents don’t want to put in that kind of prep work, so they label Disney as THE childhood “must do.”

We went to Europe, Hawaii, national parks, NY and Disney this year. I get that some parents don’t want to put in the work but Disney actually requires a lot of planning. I want my kids to have a childhood full of joy and enrichment. I love to travel. I love Disney. I love my kids. I know not everyone has the time and money. We have the time and money so we don’t have to choose. It isn’t like we are trying to decide between going to Asia or Disney. We can do both.

Weird flex since it’s not always time and money. Some people just don’t like to saturate kids with rampant commercialism and call it a vacation.

“Saturate kids with rampant commercialism.” This thread has some great one liners form the snobby cultural vacation crew. Imma start writing them all down, I think. An elitist journal of sorts, if you will.

There are plenty of other amusement parks you can go to. My kids have been to their share. Disney is a line I won’t cross, though. I see too many posts about people trying to figure out how they’re going to get their rides in, booking things months in advance, bad expensive food, and long lines. No thanks. If it doesn’t bother you, good for you. I will spend my time and money at other places. For the people turning up their noses at the commercialism comments, I’m with the commercialization posters: Disney has a bevy of people behind the scenes figuring out how to optimize on your dollar during your visit. Your pleasure is secondary for them (and they really only care when it means you will spend less money). Again, no thanks.

We have a high income and I actually like the new methods. I don’t mind peak pricing, limited crowds, paying for lightning lanes and staying on resort. Yes, this all adds up and costs $1000 per day for our family of 5. The cost doesn’t bother us. We go on cheap and $$$ vacations. I would say Disney is in the middle.

I think lower income and higher income people tend to turn their noses at it. We have a few friends who only do trips that are for rich people and they are annoying in their own way. They will take their young kids on African safari but not to Disney. I think the short 2 hour flight is great. We all have the same seven figure incomes.

Having been to both Disney and Tanzania, I would take my kids on safari any day over Disney. If you can’t see the qualitative difference, that’s sad.

what's sad is thinking there is a 'better' way to vacation. do what makes you happy and don't be a judgmental ass.

I do not want to fly to Africa with my 4yo. We are way more down to earth than the people I am thinking of. They are definitely more snobby and won’t go places that they think are LMC/MC.

You can think we are the ones judging. I promise they are far more judgmental.

Given the cost of Disney, you are kidding yourself if you think LMC and even MC can truly afford that. Disney has become a vacation destination for the privileged.

I would think this to, but it is very apparent that there are still many LMC and MC people vacationing at Disney, including working class people from other countries. I don't know how they afford it... debt?

Many families save for 5-10 years to afford a Disney vacation.

Just think about how messed up that is. How deep you have to be into the marketing to do that.

Agree. The LMC/MC definitely buy into the “must go to Disney” line of thinking.

While the UMC citizens of Dcumlandia feel compelled to fly across the pond and drag their toddlers through museums.

Same difference.

PS - If you get outside of the ridiculously high cost of living dc metro area, you’ll notice that the people you write off as poor actually have a lot of disposable income for travel since their housing costs in middle America and the south are ridiculously low. Just because someone has tattoos and a blue collar job doesn’t mean they are poor. I’m confident my plumber earns more than you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As Dr. Becky would say: two things are true. Disney is a very magical place to take kids at the right age, AND you can visit a lot of other wonderful places and have a great childhood without ever going.

If a family doesn’t have the resources or limited time, of course Disney shouldn’t be the priority.

There are people who have time and money. I think those parents could find a time to take their kid to Disney sometime between ages 2-11.

Will the kid not have a great childhood because s/he didn’t go to Disney? Of course not.

I have many friends who put themselves first. Whether it is work or couples only or adults only trips or trips where they want to go only. I judge them a little. I don’t care that much but it seems selfish to work a lot, have one or two nannies and then not do kid oriented vacations.

There are other kid oriented vacations, doesn’t need to be Disney. Parents who are more in tune with their kids can make any number of culturally destinations fun and interesting beyond a commercialized theme park. The problem is that a lot of parents don’t want to put in that kind of prep work, so they label Disney as THE childhood “must do.”

We went to Europe, Hawaii, national parks, NY and Disney this year. I get that some parents don’t want to put in the work but Disney actually requires a lot of planning. I want my kids to have a childhood full of joy and enrichment. I love to travel. I love Disney. I love my kids. I know not everyone has the time and money. We have the time and money so we don’t have to choose. It isn’t like we are trying to decide between going to Asia or Disney. We can do both.

Weird flex since it’s not always time and money. Some people just don’t like to saturate kids with rampant commercialism and call it a vacation.

“Saturate kids with rampant commercialism.” This thread has some great one liners form the snobby cultural vacation crew. Imma start writing them all down, I think. An elitist journal of sorts, if you will.

There are plenty of other amusement parks you can go to. My kids have been to their share. Disney is a line I won’t cross, though. I see too many posts about people trying to figure out how they’re going to get their rides in, booking things months in advance, bad expensive food, and long lines. No thanks. If it doesn’t bother you, good for you. I will spend my time and money at other places. For the people turning up their noses at the commercialism comments, I’m with the commercialization posters: Disney has a bevy of people behind the scenes figuring out how to optimize on your dollar during your visit. Your pleasure is secondary for them (and they really only care when it means you will spend less money). Again, no thanks.

We have a high income and I actually like the new methods. I don’t mind peak pricing, limited crowds, paying for lightning lanes and staying on resort. Yes, this all adds up and costs $1000 per day for our family of 5. The cost doesn’t bother us. We go on cheap and $$$ vacations. I would say Disney is in the middle.

I think lower income and higher income people tend to turn their noses at it. We have a few friends who only do trips that are for rich people and they are annoying in their own way. They will take their young kids on African safari but not to Disney. I think the short 2 hour flight is great. We all have the same seven figure incomes.

Having been to both Disney and Tanzania, I would take my kids on safari any day over Disney. If you can’t see the qualitative difference, that’s sad.

what's sad is thinking there is a 'better' way to vacation. do what makes you happy and don't be a judgmental ass.

I do not want to fly to Africa with my 4yo. We are way more down to earth than the people I am thinking of. They are definitely more snobby and won’t go places that they think are LMC/MC.

You can think we are the ones judging. I promise they are far more judgmental.

Given the cost of Disney, you are kidding yourself if you think LMC and even MC can truly afford that. Disney has become a vacation destination for the privileged.

I would think this to, but it is very apparent that there are still many LMC and MC people vacationing at Disney, including working class people from other countries. I don't know how they afford it... debt?

Many families save for 5-10 years to afford a Disney vacation.

Just think about how messed up that is. How deep you have to be into the marketing to do that.

Agree. The LMC/MC definitely buy into the “must go to Disney” line of thinking.

While the UMC citizens of Dcumlandia feel compelled to fly across the pond and drag their toddlers through museums.

Same difference.

PS - If you get outside of the ridiculously high cost of living dc metro area, you’ll notice that the people you write off as poor actually have a lot of disposable income for travel since their housing costs in middle America and the south are ridiculously low. Just because someone has tattoos and a blue collar job doesn’t mean they are poor. I’m confident my plumber earns more than you do.

1) I can’t answer whether or not to definitely bring your kid to Disney. For me, it’s a no but perhaps I’ll change my mind someday.

2) I moved out of Arlington into another part of VA almost a decade ago and my COL is MUCH lower. Even with high childcare costs, as a professional….We are able to take awesome trips (budget yes, but can do a lot and have a house+yard). We aren’t wealthy but professionals. I work for a school system and my spouse is an engineer (not making big bucks).

3) I like traveling around the world with my kids. They aren’t toddlers but preschool+ and we minimize museums but love traveling with our kids. Do what brings your family joy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As Dr. Becky would say: two things are true. Disney is a very magical place to take kids at the right age, AND you can visit a lot of other wonderful places and have a great childhood without ever going.

If a family doesn’t have the resources or limited time, of course Disney shouldn’t be the priority.

There are people who have time and money. I think those parents could find a time to take their kid to Disney sometime between ages 2-11.

Will the kid not have a great childhood because s/he didn’t go to Disney? Of course not.

I have many friends who put themselves first. Whether it is work or couples only or adults only trips or trips where they want to go only. I judge them a little. I don’t care that much but it seems selfish to work a lot, have one or two nannies and then not do kid oriented vacations.

There are other kid oriented vacations, doesn’t need to be Disney. Parents who are more in tune with their kids can make any number of culturally destinations fun and interesting beyond a commercialized theme park. The problem is that a lot of parents don’t want to put in that kind of prep work, so they label Disney as THE childhood “must do.”

We went to Europe, Hawaii, national parks, NY and Disney this year. I get that some parents don’t want to put in the work but Disney actually requires a lot of planning. I want my kids to have a childhood full of joy and enrichment. I love to travel. I love Disney. I love my kids. I know not everyone has the time and money. We have the time and money so we don’t have to choose. It isn’t like we are trying to decide between going to Asia or Disney. We can do both.

Weird flex since it’s not always time and money. Some people just don’t like to saturate kids with rampant commercialism and call it a vacation.

“Saturate kids with rampant commercialism.” This thread has some great one liners form the snobby cultural vacation crew. Imma start writing them all down, I think. An elitist journal of sorts, if you will.

There are plenty of other amusement parks you can go to. My kids have been to their share. Disney is a line I won’t cross, though. I see too many posts about people trying to figure out how they’re going to get their rides in, booking things months in advance, bad expensive food, and long lines. No thanks. If it doesn’t bother you, good for you. I will spend my time and money at other places. For the people turning up their noses at the commercialism comments, I’m with the commercialization posters: Disney has a bevy of people behind the scenes figuring out how to optimize on your dollar during your visit. Your pleasure is secondary for them (and they really only care when it means you will spend less money). Again, no thanks.

We have a high income and I actually like the new methods. I don’t mind peak pricing, limited crowds, paying for lightning lanes and staying on resort. Yes, this all adds up and costs $1000 per day for our family of 5. The cost doesn’t bother us. We go on cheap and $$$ vacations. I would say Disney is in the middle.

I think lower income and higher income people tend to turn their noses at it. We have a few friends who only do trips that are for rich people and they are annoying in their own way. They will take their young kids on African safari but not to Disney. I think the short 2 hour flight is great. We all have the same seven figure incomes.

Having been to both Disney and Tanzania, I would take my kids on safari any day over Disney. If you can’t see the qualitative difference, that’s sad.

what's sad is thinking there is a 'better' way to vacation. do what makes you happy and don't be a judgmental ass.

I do not want to fly to Africa with my 4yo. We are way more down to earth than the people I am thinking of. They are definitely more snobby and won’t go places that they think are LMC/MC.

You can think we are the ones judging. I promise they are far more judgmental.

Given the cost of Disney, you are kidding yourself if you think LMC and even MC can truly afford that. Disney has become a vacation destination for the privileged.

I would think this to, but it is very apparent that there are still many LMC and MC people vacationing at Disney, including working class people from other countries. I don't know how they afford it... debt?

Many families save for 5-10 years to afford a Disney vacation.

Just think about how messed up that is. How deep you have to be into the marketing to do that.

Agree. The LMC/MC definitely buy into the “must go to Disney” line of thinking.

While the UMC citizens of Dcumlandia feel compelled to fly across the pond and drag their toddlers through museums.

Same difference.

PS - If you get outside of the ridiculously high cost of living dc metro area, you’ll notice that the people you write off as poor actually have a lot of disposable income for travel since their housing costs in middle America and the south are ridiculously low. Just because someone has tattoos and a blue collar job doesn’t mean they are poor. I’m confident my plumber earns more than you do.

1) I can’t answer whether or not to definitely bring your kid to Disney. For me, it’s a no but perhaps I’ll change my mind someday.

2) I moved out of Arlington into another part of VA almost a decade ago and my COL is MUCH lower. Even with high childcare costs, as a professional….We are able to take awesome trips (budget yes, but can do a lot and have a house+yard). We aren’t wealthy but professionals. I work for a school system and my spouse is an engineer (not making big bucks).

3) I like traveling around the world with my kids. They aren’t toddlers but preschool+ and we minimize museums but love traveling with our kids. Do what brings your family joy.

FTR, we travel internationally as well as to places that dcum makes fun of (Disney, cruises, the dreaded “South,” etc.). Travel brings us joy.

I was posting in response to what I think is a popular yet misguided belief that lower-income people struggle to go to Disney. I think people living in the high cost dc metro area can’t fathom how lower income families are able to afford such things, and it’s a misguided belief. Single-income households in lower cost of living areas can still thrive and travel.

Again, FTR, we are an upper income dc metro area family. But we don’t live in a bubble.

[Anonymous]

Simple. Yes! Go to Disney.

[Anonymous]

Suckers.

While the Walt Disney Company’s theme parks in Florida and California have had fewer guests in the wake of the pandemic, the parks have still managed to generate record sales and profits thanks to price hikes and other changes that have increased the cost of visits, according to a report.

One change that has helped the company increase profits is its Genie+ phone app, which costs $15 per person a day on top of admission and allows guests to skip lines for some attractions, according to the report.

However, the app cost doesn’t cover all attractions, and parkgoers will have to pay an additional $10 to $17 to skip standby lines to experience some rides including Star Wars- and Guardians of the Galaxy-themed rides.

Other benefits that used to be free have since been eliminated or slapped with a new price tag.

Prices for certain tickets, food items, hotels and souvenirs like the famous Mickey Mouse ears headbands have also climbed, outpacing inflation over the past decade, according to the report.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/disneys-theme-park-price-hike-nets-more-profit-fewer-visitors-report

[Anonymous]

No. It’s fine to skip. You can always change your mind and go as a kitsch trip later if it become a thing. We aren’t going, but mostly because it’s genuinely too expensive. If we lived nearby we’d prob check it out in small doses.

[Anonymous]

I would regret not taking my kids at least once. If you can afford it, I would go once. Why not?

If you have to save up for it or have family to visit or limited vacation time, it is fine to skip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would regret not taking my kids at least once. If you can afford it, I would go once. Why not?

Why not? Because there are a thousand more interesting places that we would rather go first.

It wasn’t so much that we didn’t want to go, but that we would rather go to Italy, Austria, UK, Miami, national parks, thailand, wherever. And I still have a huge list of places to go to first- Japan, Sumatra….

[Anonymous]

Don't go now! I have not read through all 500 pages of this controversial thread (lol) but in case no one else posted. (I read it free through Apple News)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/disneys-new-pricing-magic-more-profit-from-fewer-park-visitors-11661572819

This outlines how Disney has gone just full-tilt fleecing of their guests. They charge more for everything and are reaping enormous profits from it. They are alienating and insulting their biggest fans and most frequent visitors because they don't spend as much. I am not one of those people, but what company does that. We took a family vacation to Disney World in 2018 when my kids were 5 and 7 that was great and we loved it. But now Disney has taken away a lot of the perks we enjoyed on that extremely expensive trip (advantages of staying in a hotel at the parks) and started charging even more or them. We went to Disneyland for a day during a Los Angeles vacation earlier this year and it was a nightmare - their new reservation system makes you pay to use it, then we had to pay extra for several individual rides. And it was PACKED - this headline above makes it seem like you get something for all that extra money - like it's less crowded or something - but there are still TONS of people at the parks. Don't be fooled.

Always was a Disney Parks fan, i went as a kid and loved it. But no more. They are so greedy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would regret not taking my kids at least once. If you can afford it, I would go once. Why not?

Why not? Because there are a thousand more interesting places that we would rather go first.

It wasn’t so much that we didn’t want to go, but that we would rather go to Italy, Austria, UK, Miami, national parks, thailand, wherever. And I still have a huge list of places to go to first- Japan, Sumatra….

Can you do any of those over a long weekend? Nobody is saying you have to go to Disney for 10 days. But from the DC area, its a nice, easy long weekend away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't go now! I have not read through all 500 pages of this controversial thread (lol) but in case no one else posted. (I read it free through Apple News)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/disneys-new-pricing-magic-more-profit-from-fewer-park-visitors-11661572819

This outlines how Disney has gone just full-tilt fleecing of their guests. They charge more for everything and are reaping enormous profits from it. They are alienating and insulting their biggest fans and most frequent visitors because they don't spend as much. I am not one of those people, but what company does that. We took a family vacation to Disney World in 2018 when my kids were 5 and 7 that was great and we loved it. But now Disney has taken away a lot of the perks we enjoyed on that extremely expensive trip (advantages of staying in a hotel at the parks) and started charging even more or them. We went to Disneyland for a day during a Los Angeles vacation earlier this year and it was a nightmare - their new reservation system makes you pay to use it, then we had to pay extra for several individual rides. And it was PACKED - this headline above makes it seem like you get something for all that extra money - like it's less crowded or something - but there are still TONS of people at the parks. Don't be fooled.

Always was a Disney Parks fan, i went as a kid and loved it. But no more. They are so greedy!

Your experience at Disneyland was not my recent experience. I thought it was less crowded than usual, and I go maybe 1-2x a year. I'm not that worried about the Disney fanatics who clog the parks, stand around, buy nothing, wait in 1 line for hours. For an occasional visitor who will stay at the hotels, buy the food and the gifts, it makes morse sense for Disney to prioritize those guests. Like many occasional visitors I'm willing to pay more to avoid a lot of the hassle. With the new system my waits were minimal since the pass holders didn't pay up. The annual pass holders are a drain on the system. So anything that makes them visit less is a boon for everyone else.