Will I regret never going to Disney?

[Anonymous]

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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.

We are a middle income family with a generous travel budget (SAHM, live in what DCUM would call a cracker box house and have lots of disposable income). We've taken our kids to Europe 8 times, to Disney 2 times, to CA, New England, HHI, Kiawah, the Canadian Rockies, etc. In other words, a variety of places. Disney was not the least expensive of those trips, but it could have been had we not stayed a week each time onsite in the "deluxe" resorts, bought the ILLs, eaten at the more coveted sit-down restaurants like Space 220, Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table. (I agree that Disney is totally doing a money grab, but if a middle class family wanted to go for less, they could by staying offsite, eating cheaper, and not buying a lot of souvenirs.). The kids enjoyed all the travel destinations because we searched out kid-friendly activities and venues, but some were more challenging for them with more difficult travel like overnight flights. Disney was the one that was most suited to them without our having to be too selective about venues or activities or making them endure jet lag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I get that calculation- and maybe it makes sense at non-peak times. We were there over spring break (our fault for even attempting that) and it was our first time going to a Disney park at a super peak time. It was absolutely packed and we could hardly move. Awful. We also couldn’t even get good times for the lightning lanes we had paid for, making it a lot less worth it. Maybe it was just the week we went, but it was bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that most of the people at Disney can’t truly afford it but they’ve bought in to the whole “most magical place on earth” and everyone should go once nonsense and they go. Then they say they don’t have money for college or retirement.

bingo.

We spent about $8k on our 6-day trip to Disney. That was with a deluxe on-site hotel, flying, and eating at least one sit-down meal at the parks each day. I bet we could've halved that (at least) had we driven, stayed off-site, packed our own food to eat at the parks, etc.--as many working/middle class families do. I don't know what the heck kind of retirement or colleges you are funding, but $4k doesn't go a long way in the world in which I live.

Anything to sh*t on poor people, though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I get that calculation- and maybe it makes sense at non-peak times. We were there over spring break (our fault for even attempting that) and it was our first time going to a Disney park at a super peak time. It was absolutely packed and we could hardly move. Awful. We also couldn’t even get good times for the lightning lanes we had paid for, making it a lot less worth it. Maybe it was just the week we went, but it was bad.

Probably a spring break issue. Over the summer we didn't find it to be that bad. The lightning lanes are great for the first half of the day, but if you get there later, forget it. We are early birds so we liked the new system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I get that calculation- and maybe it makes sense at non-peak times. We were there over spring break (our fault for even attempting that) and it was our first time going to a Disney park at a super peak time. It was absolutely packed and we could hardly move. Awful. We also couldn’t even get good times for the lightning lanes we had paid for, making it a lot less worth it. Maybe it was just the week we went, but it was bad.

We went to Disneyland for a day over Spring break- last week of March. I think we were there March 30. I had low expectations, but couldn't believe how smoothly it went. We got there right at 8 (but did NOT rope drop- we were crossing the turnstiles at 8), rode Indiana Jones, Millenimum Falcon, and Space Mountain on standby (<20 minute wait- then we got to ride them again with our lighting lane passes!) and then hit everything else with our lightning lane. Zip, zip, zip. We'd flash the phone over the LL sensor and immediately book the next LL. We were out of there by dinner time. It was crowded but not a single long line whatsoever. It sucks that they make you pay for a previously free service (fast pass), plus extra if you wanted to do Rise of the Resistance (we did do it) but overall- very good day. Having LLs at various times did make us criss cross all over the park- I think I put on over 30k steps that day! But still fun.

[Anonymous]

As a former employee, I used to stick up for them but the past few years particularly during COVID, the way they treated the employees really got worse. They laid off a lot of long timers to reduce salaries, including friends of mine who had worked their way up. They didn't support staff who were harassed during the pandemic, especially when they asked people to follow policy and wear masks.

I worked there seasonally as a teenager and had a great experience and made some great friends, but what I've heard it just hasn't been the same place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a former employee, I used to stick up for them but the past few years particularly during COVID, the way they treated the employees really got worse. They laid off a lot of long timers to reduce salaries, including friends of mine who had worked their way up. They didn't support staff who were harassed during the pandemic, especially when they asked people to follow policy and wear masks.

I worked there seasonally as a teenager and had a great experience and made some great friends, but what I've heard it just hasn't been the same place.

I agree. My best answer here you may regret not ever going but you shouldn’t. It isn’t what it used to be. The last time I went with with my kids was five years ago and I just wanted to leave. I have never actively wanted to end a vacation before. It’s just not the same and it’s even worse now than it was five years ago.

It was a lot of fun in the mid-nineties.

[Anonymous]

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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.

We are a middle income family with a generous travel budget (SAHM, live in what DCUM would call a cracker box house and have lots of disposable income). We've taken our kids to Europe 8 times, to Disney 2 times, to CA, New England, HHI, Kiawah, the Canadian Rockies, etc. In other words, a variety of places. Disney was not the least expensive of those trips, but it could have been had we not stayed a week each time onsite in the "deluxe" resorts, bought the ILLs, eaten at the more coveted sit-down restaurants like Space 220, Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table. (I agree that Disney is totally doing a money grab, but if a middle class family wanted to go for less, they could by staying offsite, eating cheaper, and not buying a lot of souvenirs.). The kids enjoyed all the travel destinations because we searched out kid-friendly activities and venues, but some were more challenging for them with more difficult travel like overnight flights. Disney was the one that was most suited to them without our having to be too selective about venues or activities or making them endure jet lag.

define middle income....

[Anonymous]

Omg. Are you serious! I would much regret other destinations like anywhere beautiful in this world, is this a real question? A Disney cruise is more worthwhile than the park. I just can't believe people think like this. OP there is a whole wide world of natural beauty and experiences. Grand Canyon. Any national US park. Like a billion times more authentic an experience than meeting a Disney character. Kudos to Disney marketing for impacting your common sense. The short answer is Hell No you will not regret not visiting Disney!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yeah, we went to Universal for a long weekend trip, and it was ridiculously easy to get there from the DC area. If you lived further south, like Atlanta or Charlotte, Orlando is a pretty easy drive, which saves a ton of money for a family vacation if you don't need to fly.

[Anonymous]

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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.

We are a middle income family with a generous travel budget (SAHM, live in what DCUM would call a cracker box house and have lots of disposable income). We've taken our kids to Europe 8 times, to Disney 2 times, to CA, New England, HHI, Kiawah, the Canadian Rockies, etc. In other words, a variety of places. Disney was not the least expensive of those trips, but it could have been had we not stayed a week each time onsite in the "deluxe" resorts, bought the ILLs, eaten at the more coveted sit-down restaurants like Space 220, Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table. (I agree that Disney is totally doing a money grab, but if a middle class family wanted to go for less, they could by staying offsite, eating cheaper, and not buying a lot of souvenirs.). The kids enjoyed all the travel destinations because we searched out kid-friendly activities and venues, but some were more challenging for them with more difficult travel like overnight flights. Disney was the one that was most suited to them without our having to be too selective about venues or activities or making them endure jet lag.

define middle income....

Yep, most people with a true middle income do not have a generous travel budget!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only child is 10. Disney has never been a big draw for me, I never went as a child myself, but after hearing friends going on and on about the magical place, I'm wondering if I'll regret not going when my child is still young enough to appreciate the magic. Plus they're now getting into Harry Potter so might be interested in that part, too.

We enjoy other theme parks like Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens for a day, (but not necessarily more than a trip to NY or Philly for museums and culture). How much better of an experience is Disney?

We have international family so most of our family vacations have been to them. Should I reconsider Disney?

Just do a long weekend OP, I'm sure your kid will love it even if you don't. We have international family and our travel budget is mainly saved for family visits but we do a Disney long weekend every other year or so, our 13 year old dd still loves it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omg. Are you serious! I would much regret other destinations like anywhere beautiful in this world, is this a real question? A Disney cruise is more worthwhile than the park. I just can't believe people think like this. OP there is a whole wide world of natural beauty and experiences. Grand Canyon. Any national US park. Like a billion times more authentic an experience than meeting a Disney character. Kudos to Disney marketing for impacting your common sense. The short answer is Hell No you will not regret not visiting Disney!

I’d rather cut off my arm than spend a week camping or hiking in a national park.

I prefer tropical destinations and exploring off the beaten destinations abroad, but Disney is fun too. Most kids love it.

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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.

We are a middle income family with a generous travel budget (SAHM, live in what DCUM would call a cracker box house and have lots of disposable income). We've taken our kids to Europe 8 times, to Disney 2 times, to CA, New England, HHI, Kiawah, the Canadian Rockies, etc. In other words, a variety of places. Disney was not the least expensive of those trips, but it could have been had we not stayed a week each time onsite in the "deluxe" resorts, bought the ILLs, eaten at the more coveted sit-down restaurants like Space 220, Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table. (I agree that Disney is totally doing a money grab, but if a middle class family wanted to go for less, they could by staying offsite, eating cheaper, and not buying a lot of souvenirs.). The kids enjoyed all the travel destinations because we searched out kid-friendly activities and venues, but some were more challenging for them with more difficult travel like overnight flights. Disney was the one that was most suited to them without our having to be too selective about venues or activities or making them endure jet lag.

define middle income....

Yep, most people with a true middle income do not have a generous travel budget!

I laughed at that too. Is this one of those I’m a SAHM and my husband makes a couple hundred grand and WE. ARE. MIDDLE. CLASS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The reality is that most of the people at Disney can’t truly afford it but they’ve bought in to the whole “most magical place on earth” and everyone should go once nonsense and they go. Then they say they don’t have money for college or retirement.

bingo.

We spent about $8k on our 6-day trip to Disney. That was with a deluxe on-site hotel, flying, and eating at least one sit-down meal at the parks each day. I bet we could've halved that (at least) had we driven, stayed off-site, packed our own food to eat at the parks, etc.--as many working/middle class families do. I don't know what the heck kind of retirement or colleges you are funding, but $4k doesn't go a long way in the world in which I live.

Anything to sh*t on poor people, though!

?So you should waste $4000 and then ask for financial aid for college?