Is Disney World Still Worth the $?

[Anonymous]

If your stock portfolio went up over $100,000, then it’s worth it. If you live paycheck to paycheck and are putting the Disney vacation on a credit card, then it’s not worth it. Everything is relative.

[Anonymous]

No. It's exhaustingly big and not impressive in the Internet Age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the people responding to “is Disney World too expensive?” With “just fly to Japan or France— Disney is cheaper there!” 🙄

OP, it’s a personal choice whether it’s worth it. We tacked one day at Disneyland on to a national park trip to CA. Our teen & tween had never been to anything Disney. We researched, planned our day, stayed at the park all 16 hrs it was open & all had a lot of fun. But my kids could also have a perfectly happy childhood never visiting Disney, of course.

Honestly off peak ticket prices fo Paris can be $800/person from hubs and peak prices to Orlando can get pricey. Given the price difference in staying on site and park passes it's not a particularly wild.

We've done the same, both for Disneyland in California and Paris and personally I think it makes for a more enjoyable overall vacation. Some kids could do Disney all day but it's hard to know that until you get there (or have done it before) so with little else to do if Disney World becomes overwhelming or not their cup of tea you're sunk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:M kids are now young adults and we never vacationed at Disney. We took them to Europe.

I’m sure your 5 year looovvvved being dragged through the Uffizi. So much more fun than Disney.

My five year old did love Europe. And Disney, too. But still. He had what was described as a perfect day in London. Kids can have fun lots of places if you think about their needs. And they also will generally have more fun when their families are also having fun and less stressed. If Disney is going to have parents on edge and snapping I promise kids pick up on it. Same in any other location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love the people responding to “is Disney World too expensive?” With “just fly to Japan or France— Disney is cheaper there!” 🙄

OP, it’s a personal choice whether it’s worth it. We tacked one day at Disneyland on to a national park trip to CA. Our teen & tween had never been to anything Disney. We researched, planned our day, stayed at the park all 16 hrs it was open & all had a lot of fun. But my kids could also have a perfectly happy childhood never visiting Disney, of course.

Honestly off peak ticket prices fo Paris can be $800/person from hubs and peak prices to Orlando can get pricey. Given the price difference in staying on site and park passes it's not a particularly wild.

We've done the same, both for Disneyland in California and Paris and personally I think it makes for a more enjoyable overall vacation. Some kids could do Disney all day but it's hard to know that until you get there (or have done it before) so with little else to do if Disney World becomes overwhelming or not their cup of tea you're sunk.

Pick any day of the year when the direct flight from this area to Orlando is cheaper than the direct flight from here to Paris.

Xmas is a busy time of year for Disney. I just priced BWI-MCO and back 12/23-12/30 for $627 round trip on Southwest. They run 9 direct flights a day from BWI, and 3 from DCA. Add in United, American, Frontier, Jetblue, and Delta's flights and you're up to 32 direct flights a day on 12/23.

To Paris there are 2 direct flights a day, one on Air France, one on United, and those are coming to $1,940.

So just to transport our family of 4 to Paris is $7,760 vs $2,508. In reality, we plan ahead so we get our tickets to Orlando for about $250/person round-trip.

[Anonymous]

I love Disney but no. We went a few times precovid with the military discount and it made it affordable. No way I’d pay regular prices.

[Anonymous]

Disney is not cheap. I don't think anyone pretends it is.

We don't scrimp when we're there, but instead limit the time we're there. We fly in one day and enjoy the Disney resort hotel witih muliptle swimming pools for the kids, and do a character dinner at one of the resort hotels that evening. Then we have 2 full days at the parks, getting up early so we're there when they open, then coming bakc to our hotel mid-afternoon for a break adn back agian for dinner and fireworks. Then the 4th day we fly back. Our per-day cost is high, but we just limit the number of days. It's just the right amount that the kids don't get tired of the rides, but still want a little more and to come back next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love the people responding to “is Disney World too expensive?” With “just fly to Japan or France— Disney is cheaper there!” 🙄

OP, it’s a personal choice whether it’s worth it. We tacked one day at Disneyland on to a national park trip to CA. Our teen & tween had never been to anything Disney. We researched, planned our day, stayed at the park all 16 hrs it was open & all had a lot of fun. But my kids could also have a perfectly happy childhood never visiting Disney, of course.

Honestly off peak ticket prices fo Paris can be $800/person from hubs and peak prices to Orlando can get pricey. Given the price difference in staying on site and park passes it's not a particularly wild.

We've done the same, both for Disneyland in California and Paris and personally I think it makes for a more enjoyable overall vacation. Some kids could do Disney all day but it's hard to know that until you get there (or have done it before) so with little else to do if Disney World becomes overwhelming or not their cup of tea you're sunk.

So you’re comparing the cheapest Paris trip to the most expensive Orlando trip? Flights to Orlando are $200. You can pay for 2-3 park days just with the difference between plane ticket prices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disney is not cheap. I don't think anyone pretends it is.

We don't scrimp when we're there, but instead limit the time we're there. We fly in one day and enjoy the Disney resort hotel witih muliptle swimming pools for the kids, and do a character dinner at one of the resort hotels that evening. Then we have 2 full days at the parks, getting up early so we're there when they open, then coming bakc to our hotel mid-afternoon for a break adn back agian for dinner and fireworks. Then the 4th day we fly back. Our per-day cost is high, but we just limit the number of days. It's just the right amount that the kids don't get tired of the rides, but still want a little more and to come back next year.

+1 also our strategy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me there’s something not very attractive in being told to enjoy it you either have to plan everything out carefully or spend a ton of money (or both)

How is that different from a European vacation? You have to plan everything out in advance. You can't just waltz into the Sistine Chapel on a whim.

On a European vacation there is at most one thing a day (and it’s usually not even every day) for which we have a set time to be somewhere. I have a list of things we might want to do but those are just options that we can pick from depending on mood and energy.

I am definitely not a “slow traveller” person but still I can have a perfectly good time doing nothing on my list (or not having a list) if that’s what we feel like. But with Disney a lack of planning just means a lot of times on line and fewer rides.

[Anonymous]

There is no way. It was hectic and stressful when I went last in 2019. I cannot imagine the nightmare now for double the cost.

[Anonymous]

Just did Disney Tokyo. $130 for two adults (kid was free). Required no advanced planning other than buying the tickets. Just show up and get in line. Everything was so reasonably priced that we splurged on all the random kitsch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me there’s something not very attractive in being told to enjoy it you either have to plan everything out carefully or spend a ton of money (or both)

How is that different from a European vacation? You have to plan everything out in advance. You can't just waltz into the Sistine Chapel on a whim.

On a European vacation there is at most one thing a day (and it’s usually not even every day) for which we have a set time to be somewhere. I have a list of things we might want to do but those are just options that we can pick from depending on mood and energy.

I am definitely not a “slow traveller” person but still I can have a perfectly good time doing nothing on my list (or not having a list) if that’s what we feel like. But with Disney a lack of planning just means a lot of times on line and fewer rides.

At most one thing a day? Yeah right. I've seen European itineraries and have made my own. That's a lie. I think you're just low energy and don't get much done but that's ok. That's why Viking River Cruises exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just did Disney Tokyo. $130 for two adults (kid was free). Required no advanced planning other than buying the tickets. Just show up and get in line. Everything was so reasonably priced that we splurged on all the random kitsch.

You just have to get to Tokyo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just did Disney Tokyo. $130 for two adults (kid was free). Required no advanced planning other than buying the tickets. Just show up and get in line. Everything was so reasonably priced that we splurged on all the random kitsch.

You just have to get to Tokyo!

And spend the night somewhere.