Disney primarily for the wealthy? NYT Article

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't completely agree with these articles. No doubt Disney has far outpaced inflation, and the quality inside the parks has gone down. Anyone who spent time in Disney World in the 1980s and 1990s knows the place isn't nearly as special as it once was. They're dirtier and the maintenance is just a joke in comparison.

That all said, you can make Disney World relatively affordable. The only "unaffordable" part of WDW is the tickets. Nobody has to stay on property. And the flights to Orlando couldn't be cheaper. I have an annual pass this year, and I'll probably end up making five trips. I stay off property most of the time and have no problem getting hotels for under $100 a night in places like the Marriott Village.

For the snobs, I do a couple international trips a year, and several ski jaunts. But WDW is easy and always fun, so it balances out my travel very well. And with passes, the incremental cost is quite low.

You should start a thread about Disney World on a budget. We are a family of three and want to do a one or two day Disney World visit before our kid gets too old to enjoy it, and what you are suggesting here sounds good to me. I have just started looking at Disney travel advice online and a lot of it seems geared at a different kind of family having a different kind of experience. I just want to go for one or two days and get the most out of it (ride the best rides while minimizing line time, eat reasonably well without taking on a second mortgage). We don't need premiere pass everything and we have the endurance for one long park day (our kid is older and doesn't need to go back to the hotel for a nap or pool time after a few hours).

But much of the Disney advice seems to assume you are going for at least 3-4 days, that you HAVE to stay on property, that you HAVE to do a lot of these extras like the character meet and greets. I don't know that we need to do any of that for our kid to enjoy it? Also I know my DH will be a lot easier to deal with if we can keep it to a day or two.

Honestly, if you're just doing a day or 2 and don't want all the extras that come with WDW, I'd prioritize going to Disneyland in Anaheim as part of a larger trip to southern California.

Or even Paris... Paris is not crowded as long as you avoid British/French school breaks, is accessible by train which is easy from many Parisian neighborhoods, has the castle, the iconic rides, cheaper ticket prices, and is only a couple more hours away than CA.

Paris is pretty universally considered the “worst” of all the Disney parks. If you are only going once, Florida is the flagship. Just go to Magic Kingdom and maybe one other park based on interest, don’t do park hopper, don’t stay onsite, skip character meals and Bibidi Boppity Boutique, etc. Florida is still the best one by far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't completely agree with these articles. No doubt Disney has far outpaced inflation, and the quality inside the parks has gone down. Anyone who spent time in Disney World in the 1980s and 1990s knows the place isn't nearly as special as it once was. They're dirtier and the maintenance is just a joke in comparison.

That all said, you can make Disney World relatively affordable. The only "unaffordable" part of WDW is the tickets. Nobody has to stay on property. And the flights to Orlando couldn't be cheaper. I have an annual pass this year, and I'll probably end up making five trips. I stay off property most of the time and have no problem getting hotels for under $100 a night in places like the Marriott Village.

For the snobs, I do a couple international trips a year, and several ski jaunts. But WDW is easy and always fun, so it balances out my travel very well. And with passes, the incremental cost is quite low.

You should start a thread about Disney World on a budget. We are a family of three and want to do a one or two day Disney World visit before our kid gets too old to enjoy it, and what you are suggesting here sounds good to me. I have just started looking at Disney travel advice online and a lot of it seems geared at a different kind of family having a different kind of experience. I just want to go for one or two days and get the most out of it (ride the best rides while minimizing line time, eat reasonably well without taking on a second mortgage). We don't need premiere pass everything and we have the endurance for one long park day (our kid is older and doesn't need to go back to the hotel for a nap or pool time after a few hours).

But much of the Disney advice seems to assume you are going for at least 3-4 days, that you HAVE to stay on property, that you HAVE to do a lot of these extras like the character meet and greets. I don't know that we need to do any of that for our kid to enjoy it? Also I know my DH will be a lot easier to deal with if we can keep it to a day or two.

Honestly, if you're just doing a day or 2 and don't want all the extras that come with WDW, I'd prioritize going to Disneyland in Anaheim as part of a larger trip to southern California.

Or even Paris... Paris is not crowded as long as you avoid British/French school breaks, is accessible by train which is easy from many Parisian neighborhoods, has the castle, the iconic rides, cheaper ticket prices, and is only a couple more hours away than CA.

Paris is pretty universally considered the “worst” of all the Disney parks. If you are only going once, Florida is the flagship. Just go to Magic Kingdom and maybe one other park based on interest, don’t do park hopper, don’t stay onsite, skip character meals and Bibidi Boppity Boutique, etc. Florida is still the best one by far.

I'd rather do one park all the way than go to the best park but missing the majority of what there is to see. Paris can be done very efficiently. Also, Japan is definitely the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The money isn't what's keeping people away, it's the crowding and wait times.

For us, it is both. If I spend that kind of money, I'd rather go to Europe or some place more interesting. But to spend all of that money to wait in horrible lines...no thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't completely agree with these articles. No doubt Disney has far outpaced inflation, and the quality inside the parks has gone down. Anyone who spent time in Disney World in the 1980s and 1990s knows the place isn't nearly as special as it once was. They're dirtier and the maintenance is just a joke in comparison.

That all said, you can make Disney World relatively affordable. The only "unaffordable" part of WDW is the tickets. Nobody has to stay on property. And the flights to Orlando couldn't be cheaper. I have an annual pass this year, and I'll probably end up making five trips. I stay off property most of the time and have no problem getting hotels for under $100 a night in places like the Marriott Village.

For the snobs, I do a couple international trips a year, and several ski jaunts. But WDW is easy and always fun, so it balances out my travel very well. And with passes, the incremental cost is quite low.

You should start a thread about Disney World on a budget. We are a family of three and want to do a one or two day Disney World visit before our kid gets too old to enjoy it, and what you are suggesting here sounds good to me. I have just started looking at Disney travel advice online and a lot of it seems geared at a different kind of family having a different kind of experience. I just want to go for one or two days and get the most out of it (ride the best rides while minimizing line time, eat reasonably well without taking on a second mortgage). We don't need premiere pass everything and we have the endurance for one long park day (our kid is older and doesn't need to go back to the hotel for a nap or pool time after a few hours).

But much of the Disney advice seems to assume you are going for at least 3-4 days, that you HAVE to stay on property, that you HAVE to do a lot of these extras like the character meet and greets. I don't know that we need to do any of that for our kid to enjoy it? Also I know my DH will be a lot easier to deal with if we can keep it to a day or two.

Honestly, if you're just doing a day or 2 and don't want all the extras that come with WDW, I'd prioritize going to Disneyland in Anaheim as part of a larger trip to southern California.

Or even Paris... Paris is not crowded as long as you avoid British/French school breaks, is accessible by train which is easy from many Parisian neighborhoods, has the castle, the iconic rides, cheaper ticket prices, and is only a couple more hours away than CA.

Paris is pretty universally considered the “worst” of all the Disney parks. If you are only going once, Florida is the flagship. Just go to Magic Kingdom and maybe one other park based on interest, don’t do park hopper, don’t stay onsite, skip character meals and Bibidi Boppity Boutique, etc. Florida is still the best one by far.

I'd rather do one park all the way than go to the best park but missing the majority of what there is to see. Paris can be done very efficiently. Also, Japan is definitely the best.

Japan is certainly the most old school Disney. OLC deserves all the love they get. But Japan also has a very high learning curve to make sure you can do all the things you want to do.

[Anonymous]

Quick Disney money saving tips... I could write a paper on it but most of this is standard online advice.

1. Stay off property at a good neighbor hotel (not really necessary but a small benefit) as close as possible unless you value early entry or must have walking distance access (young kids or very limited time).
2. Buy tickets using the authorized resellers like Undercover Tourist, or if you have a larger party, have one of your party buy an annual pass and the rest dated tickets if the discounts from the annual pass will end up saving you money (no way on a short trip).
3. Don't pay for things you normally wouldn't do on a normal vacation, like staying in deluxe hotels for early entry when you never do anything before 10AM.
4. Weigh paying for lightning lanes versus an extra day of vacation. It may be cheaper to drop a day and use lightning lane to run up the ride score. Same with park hopper... Animal Kingdom is a half day park if you're good.
5. Check Costco, Best Buy, online stores, etc. for discounted Disney gift cards and load them on your phone. These are more rare than they used to be but still available time to time. You can pay with the bar code in the parks.
6. Do popular things when other people are eating, or sleeping, or drinking. Magic Kingdom can be amazing in the evening when they are open until 11 or 12. I can leisurely do most of the rides (except Tron and PP) in a couple hours late night.
7. Check the online crowd calendars to plan what parks on what days. I find weekends can be less crowded than weekdays many times depending on the park and time of year. Sunday nights are great. Also many of the locals have blackout dates on their cheaper passes.
8. Don't waste the fixed costs of travel. Unless you go there occasionally, anything less than three days for the experience I think is shortchanging yourself in such a huge place.

[Anonymous]

We have a Disney adult in the family and the people who know all the tricks and are willing to get up early have a great experience which leaves those that don’t want to spend a lot of time planning waiting in longer lines. I actually think the price of park admission isn’t that bad compared to booking enough activity on a standard vacation to fill the days. We’re happy in value hotels and with quick service meals. A quick service meal in the parks is comparable or cheaper than chipotle/five guys, etc. for our family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of the issues for Disney
-annual passes for FL residents are cheap and there are some very heavy users who live locally.
-DAS passes were using lightning lanes and it wasn't just the disabled person, it was their entire party. Obviously it wasn't every DAS person, but there were some heavy users who rode 20 rides + a day. It caused an increase in ride times for everyone.

We are pretty wealthy and would love to go multiple times a year, staying at premium resorts, but I can't convince DH to return. His #1 beef is with how crowded it is. Even though you're paying $$$, you get an insanely crowded park with obnoxious wait times. 60-90 minutes for my 3 year old to ride Ariel during the lowest month of the year, during a week day? It's so unenjoyable because of the wait times. And we also spent most of the day on our phones trying to book lightning lanes. It wasn't like this before with Fast pass.

You weren’t doing it right if you waited 60-90 minutes for anything. We have gone twice with lightening lanes and the longest wait was Guardians which was around 45 mins and totally worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And for those who are going to criticize: yes, I know it's an opinion piece and not an informative article. I find its points quite salient.

There's actually a lot of great info and data points in there- it's a very good example of the bifurcation of the economy. So many people here are in that upper 10% that it feels fine to us.

"in 1992 there were 88,000 households worth $20 million or more in 2022 dollars; by 2022, there were 644,000"

"Ms. Cressel figures that her seven days in Orlando cost about $8,000 for two adults and three kids — around 15 percent of what she and her daughter earn each year after taxes"

I think the basic way it works is that for those in the upper 10%, they go every year or every other year if they are big fans. If you are a huge fan and poorer, it's a once every 5 or 7 year thing.

Ms Cressel’s hassles seemed to come mostly from her scooter. But, her visit was compared to a father and daughter who spent 4 days and about $7K (before premier pass). If the Cressel family spent fewer days and invested more in the upgrades for 4 instead of 7 days, they might have had a better time. For a time the premier pass was only for hotel guests but I think it has expanded given that the family stayed off property. Full disclosure, my family used the premier pass at our last visit and it was amazing. Hardly any waits, rode everything we wanted. But we have no desire to go multiple times a year, it was a one and done or maybe in a few years we’ll go back.

The premier pass seems like a giant waste of money - we’ve been twice and have done just fine with lightening lanes. I have no doubt it is a nice luxury but I’d rather stay extra days than that.

We’ve done it both ways. We went to WDW a few years ago with LL. And then our recent trip was with Premier Pass. We all said it was beyond worht it. Don’t need to be on your phone all day, can ride up to any ride you want and ride it, don’t need to zig zag all over the park to make your time. We casually strolled through each land, rode all the rides, and moved on to the next. One park a day was more than enough for us and then we left.

I’m sure it’s a really nice luxury but the park can be done without it just fine. It’s not like the difference between lightening lane and standby. Standby would make the trip basically undoable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't completely agree with these articles. No doubt Disney has far outpaced inflation, and the quality inside the parks has gone down. Anyone who spent time in Disney World in the 1980s and 1990s knows the place isn't nearly as special as it once was. They're dirtier and the maintenance is just a joke in comparison.

That all said, you can make Disney World relatively affordable. The only "unaffordable" part of WDW is the tickets. Nobody has to stay on property. And the flights to Orlando couldn't be cheaper. I have an annual pass this year, and I'll probably end up making five trips. I stay off property most of the time and have no problem getting hotels for under $100 a night in places like the Marriott Village.

For the snobs, I do a couple international trips a year, and several ski jaunts. But WDW is easy and always fun, so it balances out my travel very well. And with passes, the incremental cost is quite low.

You should start a thread about Disney World on a budget. We are a family of three and want to do a one or two day Disney World visit before our kid gets too old to enjoy it, and what you are suggesting here sounds good to me. I have just started looking at Disney travel advice online and a lot of it seems geared at a different kind of family having a different kind of experience. I just want to go for one or two days and get the most out of it (ride the best rides while minimizing line time, eat reasonably well without taking on a second mortgage). We don't need premiere pass everything and we have the endurance for one long park day (our kid is older and doesn't need to go back to the hotel for a nap or pool time after a few hours).

But much of the Disney advice seems to assume you are going for at least 3-4 days, that you HAVE to stay on property, that you HAVE to do a lot of these extras like the character meet and greets. I don't know that we need to do any of that for our kid to enjoy it? Also I know my DH will be a lot easier to deal with if we can keep it to a day or two.

How old is your kid? I think my number 1 advice is to wait until the kid is older (unless you have a Disney princess obsessed 5 year old). That will make the trip less stressful and more fun.

The other piece of advice is to go in the off season for lower prices and a better experience.

This means that the ideal time is late elementary (kid between 8-11) so you can skip a few days of school in January or early Dec without worrying about it.

As far as costs - staying on property really adds a lot of value and isn’t necessarily that much more expensive especially factoring in free transport (no car rental needed). You can also save up Marriot points to stay in Swan for free. Or if you do want to rent a car there are many affordable hotels off property- cheaper than most places we vacation.

For the tickets, I would splurge on 3 day park hoppers. This is the most important part of the vacation so not the place to skimp!

But here is my biggest price saving tip for you … leave your DH at home lol!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And for those who are going to criticize: yes, I know it's an opinion piece and not an informative article. I find its points quite salient.

There's actually a lot of great info and data points in there- it's a very good example of the bifurcation of the economy. So many people here are in that upper 10% that it feels fine to us.

"in 1992 there were 88,000 households worth $20 million or more in 2022 dollars; by 2022, there were 644,000"

"Ms. Cressel figures that her seven days in Orlando cost about $8,000 for two adults and three kids — around 15 percent of what she and her daughter earn each year after taxes"

I think the basic way it works is that for those in the upper 10%, they go every year or every other year if they are big fans. If you are a huge fan and poorer, it's a once every 5 or 7 year thing.

Ms Cressel’s hassles seemed to come mostly from her scooter. But, her visit was compared to a father and daughter who spent 4 days and about $7K (before premier pass). If the Cressel family spent fewer days and invested more in the upgrades for 4 instead of 7 days, they might have had a better time. For a time the premier pass was only for hotel guests but I think it has expanded given that the family stayed off property. Full disclosure, my family used the premier pass at our last visit and it was amazing. Hardly any waits, rode everything we wanted. But we have no desire to go multiple times a year, it was a one and done or maybe in a few years we’ll go back.

The premier pass seems like a giant waste of money - we’ve been twice and have done just fine with lightening lanes. I have no doubt it is a nice luxury but I’d rather stay extra days than that.

We’ve done it both ways. We went to WDW a few years ago with LL. And then our recent trip was with Premier Pass. We all said it was beyond worht it. Don’t need to be on your phone all day, can ride up to any ride you want and ride it, don’t need to zig zag all over the park to make your time. We casually strolled through each land, rode all the rides, and moved on to the next. One park a day was more than enough for us and then we left.

I’m sure it’s a really nice luxury but the park can be done without it just fine. It’s not like the difference between lightening lane and standby. Standby would make the trip basically undoable.

I’ve done it both ways but clearly the PP is better. But that said I would go back without it. It’s just a no stress, no planning, not tied to the phone, relaxing way to do it. It removes all the complaints people have about LL, but you pay through the nose for it.

[Anonymous]

The biggest thing I learned from this thread is that most people don't know how to spell "lightning."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't completely agree with these articles. No doubt Disney has far outpaced inflation, and the quality inside the parks has gone down. Anyone who spent time in Disney World in the 1980s and 1990s knows the place isn't nearly as special as it once was. They're dirtier and the maintenance is just a joke in comparison.

That all said, you can make Disney World relatively affordable. The only "unaffordable" part of WDW is the tickets. Nobody has to stay on property. And the flights to Orlando couldn't be cheaper. I have an annual pass this year, and I'll probably end up making five trips. I stay off property most of the time and have no problem getting hotels for under $100 a night in places like the Marriott Village.

For the snobs, I do a couple international trips a year, and several ski jaunts. But WDW is easy and always fun, so it balances out my travel very well. And with passes, the incremental cost is quite low.

You should start a thread about Disney World on a budget. We are a family of three and want to do a one or two day Disney World visit before our kid gets too old to enjoy it, and what you are suggesting here sounds good to me. I have just started looking at Disney travel advice online and a lot of it seems geared at a different kind of family having a different kind of experience. I just want to go for one or two days and get the most out of it (ride the best rides while minimizing line time, eat reasonably well without taking on a second mortgage). We don't need premiere pass everything and we have the endurance for one long park day (our kid is older and doesn't need to go back to the hotel for a nap or pool time after a few hours).

But much of the Disney advice seems to assume you are going for at least 3-4 days, that you HAVE to stay on property, that you HAVE to do a lot of these extras like the character meet and greets. I don't know that we need to do any of that for our kid to enjoy it? Also I know my DH will be a lot easier to deal with if we can keep it to a day or two.

How old is your kid? I think my number 1 advice is to wait until the kid is older (unless you have a Disney princess obsessed 5 year old). That will make the trip less stressful and more fun.

The other piece of advice is to go in the off season for lower prices and a better experience.

This means that the ideal time is late elementary (kid between 8-11) so you can skip a few days of school in January or early Dec without worrying about it.

As far as costs - staying on property really adds a lot of value and isn’t necessarily that much more expensive especially factoring in free transport (no car rental needed). You can also save up Marriot points to stay in Swan for free. Or if you do want to rent a car there are many affordable hotels off property- cheaper than most places we vacation.

For the tickets, I would splurge on 3 day park hoppers. This is the most important part of the vacation so not the place to skimp!

But here is my biggest price saving tip for you … leave your DH at home lol!

I wouldn't recommend Swan for Marriott points. It's a very poor redemption value. Plus, you can get it for relatively cheap. Really I wouldn't use points anywhere in Orlando. The value is terrible compared to international resorts and some European city hotels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/opinion/disney-world-economy-middle-class-rich.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hk8.F_tG.sVWX9WZOpUYk&smid=url-share

I found this article quite relevant. As someone who has been to Disney four times, but is by no means a Disney person, I have no desire to do Disney again. The cost is part of it.

These issues are relevant to Universal's Epic Universe as well. Between the Express Pass that costs as much as your park ticket (yet doesn't include the most popular rides), the Power Up Bands, all the wands for the Harry Potter crowd, and the fact that the Helios costs $800 a night and DOESN'T include the benefits you get at other top tier Universal Hotels, the top Orlando amusement parks are starting to look like a trip for the global elite, and the global elite alone.

And why should entertainment like this be accessible to the poors, exactly?

It’s this sort of sense of entitlement that is ruining this country!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And for those who are going to criticize: yes, I know it's an opinion piece and not an informative article. I find its points quite salient.

There's actually a lot of great info and data points in there- it's a very good example of the bifurcation of the economy. So many people here are in that upper 10% that it feels fine to us.

"in 1992 there were 88,000 households worth $20 million or more in 2022 dollars; by 2022, there were 644,000"

"Ms. Cressel figures that her seven days in Orlando cost about $8,000 for two adults and three kids — around 15 percent of what she and her daughter earn each year after taxes"

I think the basic way it works is that for those in the upper 10%, they go every year or every other year if they are big fans. If you are a huge fan and poorer, it's a once every 5 or 7 year thing.

Ms Cressel’s hassles seemed to come mostly from her scooter. But, her visit was compared to a father and daughter who spent 4 days and about $7K (before premier pass). If the Cressel family spent fewer days and invested more in the upgrades for 4 instead of 7 days, they might have had a better time. For a time the premier pass was only for hotel guests but I think it has expanded given that the family stayed off property. Full disclosure, my family used the premier pass at our last visit and it was amazing. Hardly any waits, rode everything we wanted. But we have no desire to go multiple times a year, it was a one and done or maybe in a few years we’ll go back.

The premier pass seems like a giant waste of money - we’ve been twice and have done just fine with lightening lanes. I have no doubt it is a nice luxury but I’d rather stay extra days than that.

We’ve done it both ways. We went to WDW a few years ago with LL. And then our recent trip was with Premier Pass. We all said it was beyond worht it. Don’t need to be on your phone all day, can ride up to any ride you want and ride it, don’t need to zig zag all over the park to make your time. We casually strolled through each land, rode all the rides, and moved on to the next. One park a day was more than enough for us and then we left.

I’m sure it’s a really nice luxury but the park can be done without it just fine. It’s not like the difference between lightening lane and standby. Standby would make the trip basically undoable.

I’ve done it both ways but clearly the PP is better. But that said I would go back without it. It’s just a no stress, no planning, not tied to the phone, relaxing way to do it. It removes all the complaints people have about LL, but you pay through the nose for it.

I’m sure I could afford it for one trip but then I wouldn’t want to go without it! Part of my financial strategy is to avoid the hedonic treadmill …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't completely agree with these articles. No doubt Disney has far outpaced inflation, and the quality inside the parks has gone down. Anyone who spent time in Disney World in the 1980s and 1990s knows the place isn't nearly as special as it once was. They're dirtier and the maintenance is just a joke in comparison.

That all said, you can make Disney World relatively affordable. The only "unaffordable" part of WDW is the tickets. Nobody has to stay on property. And the flights to Orlando couldn't be cheaper. I have an annual pass this year, and I'll probably end up making five trips. I stay off property most of the time and have no problem getting hotels for under $100 a night in places like the Marriott Village.

For the snobs, I do a couple international trips a year, and several ski jaunts. But WDW is easy and always fun, so it balances out my travel very well. And with passes, the incremental cost is quite low.

You should start a thread about Disney World on a budget. We are a family of three and want to do a one or two day Disney World visit before our kid gets too old to enjoy it, and what you are suggesting here sounds good to me. I have just started looking at Disney travel advice online and a lot of it seems geared at a different kind of family having a different kind of experience. I just want to go for one or two days and get the most out of it (ride the best rides while minimizing line time, eat reasonably well without taking on a second mortgage). We don't need premiere pass everything and we have the endurance for one long park day (our kid is older and doesn't need to go back to the hotel for a nap or pool time after a few hours).

But much of the Disney advice seems to assume you are going for at least 3-4 days, that you HAVE to stay on property, that you HAVE to do a lot of these extras like the character meet and greets. I don't know that we need to do any of that for our kid to enjoy it? Also I know my DH will be a lot easier to deal with if we can keep it to a day or two.

How old is your kid? I think my number 1 advice is to wait until the kid is older (unless you have a Disney princess obsessed 5 year old). That will make the trip less stressful and more fun.

The other piece of advice is to go in the off season for lower prices and a better experience.

This means that the ideal time is late elementary (kid between 8-11) so you can skip a few days of school in January or early Dec without worrying about it.

As far as costs - staying on property really adds a lot of value and isn’t necessarily that much more expensive especially factoring in free transport (no car rental needed). You can also save up Marriot points to stay in Swan for free. Or if you do want to rent a car there are many affordable hotels off property- cheaper than most places we vacation.

For the tickets, I would splurge on 3 day park hoppers. This is the most important part of the vacation so not the place to skimp!

But here is my biggest price saving tip for you … leave your DH at home lol!

I wouldn't recommend Swan for Marriott points. It's a very poor redemption value. Plus, you can get it for relatively cheap. Really I wouldn't use points anywhere in Orlando. The value is terrible compared to international resorts and some European city hotels.

Well I want to go to Disney not an international resort! And the redemption value did not seem that bad compared to the dollar value of the room? Plus Swan puts you in walking distance of Epcot and HS, so that’s a huge added benefit.