We have a high HHI and have taken our kids to all kinds of places. Our trip to Europe was way more relaxing and leisurely than Disney. Much more of a "vacation" than Disney. Disney was loads of fun and I'm glad we went, but it was LOTS of work. Planning and daily time management.
Not to mention very expensive. Easily as expensive as Europe.

For the PP who gave the low brow comment, My DH and I are two MDs who love taking our kids to Disney. Sometimes it is great fun to just focus on what they really like instead of trying to teach them something. Europe is great and the National parks are great, too. This thread is about Disney and for the people who want to go. I agree that even a little planning makes for such a nice visit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks 1142. Priced a cruise out last year and it was still close to $6,000 for 4 days. Probably a little more than normal, because I get seasick so wanted a room in the middle of the ship with a window, but still, that's A LOT. It wouldn't have been THAT much less without those caveats.

Like I said, I just went to Europe for two weeks, stayed in hotels and with airfare for 3, ate like kings, rented a car and still paid less than that. Just not feeling it right now....

good for you. seriously. it should be criminal how much people spend for disney, and go multiple times a year.

Says who?

Guess what? Most parents don't think schlepping small kids to Europe on long flights, screwing with their sleep schedule, messing with their diet, and dragging them through museums is much of a *vacation.* Most parents take their kids to kid-friendly destinations when they are young, and then branch out to other kinds of trips as they get older.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I believe the harshest disney critics are those who simply can't afford it.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks 1142. Priced a cruise out last year and it was still close to $6,000 for 4 days. Probably a little more than normal, because I get seasick so wanted a room in the middle of the ship with a window, but still, that's A LOT. It wouldn't have been THAT much less without those caveats.

Like I said, I just went to Europe for two weeks, stayed in hotels and with airfare for 3, ate like kings, rented a car and still paid less than that. Just not feeling it right now....

good for you. seriously. it should be criminal how much people spend for disney, and go multiple times a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

yes, you are totally right. going to see rides and creepy smiling plastic characters and fake castles is just like going to see national parks, museums, and learning about culture and history.

Uh - topic was around planning. Try to keep up. Anyway, who says you can't do both - Disney and National Parks?

+1 I never get why the anti-Disney people raise that straw man. Or say "Why not just go to the beach?" Um, OK. Sometimes we do that. Choices, people. We live in America, we have lots of choices.

I think you are speaking as an UC/UMC person. Many, many families I see at Disney have obviously saved and saved for a long time to make this their family vacation. So they are choosing Disney over the beach, national parks, US cities, Europe, etc. and it is very expensive and very stressful as a vacation destination.

OK--then MAKE A PLAN

PP that went to Europe, can you give me a budget? I tried to do it last year and the flights alone for my family of 5 were going to be around $5K, which is what we spend on a week trip to Disney. I'd rather do Europe, but I wouldn't say it's cheaper. Curious how you did it and what the price points were.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks 1142. Priced a cruise out last year and it was still close to $6,000 for 4 days. Probably a little more than normal, because I get seasick so wanted a room in the middle of the ship with a window, but still, that's A LOT. It wouldn't have been THAT much less without those caveats.

Like I said, I just went to Europe for two weeks, stayed in hotels and with airfare for 3, ate like kings, rented a car and still paid less than that. Just not feeling it right now....

Did you have a travel agent price it out for you? What time of the year? By switching our spring break cruise a handful of days earlier we are saving $2k. We are a family of six requiring two cabins, so we get one with a window and one inside cabin. Flying a family of six to Europe would be upwards of $7k (that doesn't include food, lodging or entertainment). Our disney cruise including cabins, all meals, entertainment and flights will be $7k (for 6 people). We'll do Europe when the kids are old enough to appreciate it. Even a toddler can appreciate a disney cruise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Some folks actually enjoy the planning but it isn't for everyone. Definitely stay home if you can't put time into planning. Lots more places to spend your money. Lots of sour faces and kids getting yelled at in the parks.

Half the enjoyment of taking a vacation is planning it! That way I don't only enjoy the actual days there, but I daydream about my vacation while tweaking my plans. I don't understand the people who leave it all to chance.
But then I'm a research scientist. This is what I do anyway

+1

I do both. I plan for months and line up all of the set things (like where we're staying, flight times, ADRs you can't get last minute) and then have a loose plan for each day. There are apps that will recalculate ride schedule on the fly to work around FPs for high wait rides, but there's no need to obsess about sticking by a set schedule.

And the best WDW vacation we had was 2yo, 5yo, and me. We didn't go on all the rides because of height limits for the 2yo, but we had a blast and it wasn't stressful at all. The last time we went was more stressful but that was mostly because it was 10 degrees warmer than average that week.

I do want to say there's a lot of room between pre-planning everything and yelling at your melting down toddler, though. If you're of the mindset that you have to do everything, then you should probably pre-plan that.

this alone speaks volumes. go see the grand canyon. the trevi fountain. the air and space museum. absurd.

Those don't require planning? You have to book a room at the grand canyon a year in advance! You have to use their transportation system! It's mobbed in the summer! Hmmm...sounds like Disney.

yes, you are totally right. going to see rides and creepy smiling plastic characters and fake castles is just like going to see national parks, museums, and learning about culture and history.

Uh - topic was around planning. Try to keep up. Anyway, who says you can't do both - Disney and National Parks?

AND you can do both at the same time. Disney trip to Grand Canyon!
https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/north-america/grand-canyon-vacations/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

yes, you are totally right. going to see rides and creepy smiling plastic characters and fake castles is just like going to see national parks, museums, and learning about culture and history.

Uh - topic was around planning. Try to keep up. Anyway, who says you can't do both - Disney and National Parks?

+1 I never get why the anti-Disney people raise that straw man. Or say "Why not just go to the beach?" Um, OK. Sometimes we do that. Choices, people. We live in America, we have lots of choices.

I think you are speaking as an UC/UMC person. Many, many families I see at Disney have obviously saved and saved for a long time to make this their family vacation. So they are choosing Disney over the beach, national parks, US cities, Europe, etc. and it is very expensive and very stressful as a vacation destination.

Thanks 1142. Priced a cruise out last year and it was still close to $6,000 for 4 days. Probably a little more than normal, because I get seasick so wanted a room in the middle of the ship with a window, but still, that's A LOT. It wouldn't have been THAT much less without those caveats.

Like I said, I just went to Europe for two weeks, stayed in hotels and with airfare for 3, ate like kings, rented a car and still paid less than that. Just not feeling it right now....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

yes, you are totally right. going to see rides and creepy smiling plastic characters and fake castles is just like going to see national parks, museums, and learning about culture and history.

Uh - topic was around planning. Try to keep up. Anyway, who says you can't do both - Disney and National Parks?

+1 I never get why the anti-Disney people raise that straw man. Or say "Why not just go to the beach?" Um, OK. Sometimes we do that. Choices, people. We live in America, we have lots of choices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Some folks actually enjoy the planning but it isn't for everyone. Definitely stay home if you can't put time into planning. Lots more places to spend your money. Lots of sour faces and kids getting yelled at in the parks.

Half the enjoyment of taking a vacation is planning it! That way I don't only enjoy the actual days there, but I daydream about my vacation while tweaking my plans. I don't understand the people who leave it all to chance.
But then I'm a research scientist. This is what I do anyway

+1

I do both. I plan for months and line up all of the set things (like where we're staying, flight times, ADRs you can't get last minute) and then have a loose plan for each day. There are apps that will recalculate ride schedule on the fly to work around FPs for high wait rides, but there's no need to obsess about sticking by a set schedule.

And the best WDW vacation we had was 2yo, 5yo, and me. We didn't go on all the rides because of height limits for the 2yo, but we had a blast and it wasn't stressful at all. The last time we went was more stressful but that was mostly because it was 10 degrees warmer than average that week.

I do want to say there's a lot of room between pre-planning everything and yelling at your melting down toddler, though. If you're of the mindset that you have to do everything, then you should probably pre-plan that.

this alone speaks volumes. go see the grand canyon. the trevi fountain. the air and space museum. absurd.

Those don't require planning? You have to book a room at the grand canyon a year in advance! You have to use their transportation system! It's mobbed in the summer! Hmmm...sounds like Disney.

yes, you are totally right. going to see rides and creepy smiling plastic characters and fake castles is just like going to see national parks, museums, and learning about culture and history.

I've never been on a trip to a city I've never been to before without having to research hotels, local transportation, how to get from the airport to wherever we're staying, what there is to do that my family would enjoy, when stuff is open, what it costs, where to eat around the places we intend to be, how to get where we are going, and then have at least a rough idea of what we can fit in when. It's called planning a trip.

I guess you could just reserve a room at Disney and buy park tickets and a plane ticket and show up, but, as OP says, it's better to learn something about what there is to do*, where stuff is located, what there is to eat, how to get around, and make at least a rough plan. Otherwise you're likely to feel like you're wasting a ton of time, and--given the cost--a ton of money. Kids melt down at Disney all the time. What OP is warning about are ADULT meltdowns, which also happen too often.

*If you think it's just rides and characters, then you should crack open a book or check a website--there are stage shows, evening events, parades, dinner shows, audience participation activities, special tours, character meals, fireworks, water parks, beaches, golf, spas, camps, water sports, bike rentals, trail rides, interactive in-park games...

Anonymous wrote:I'm a planner but Disney is so completely overwhelming that I realize I have met my match. DH and I were planning to go this summer (we already have hotel reservations and a few restaurant reservations), but we are now leaning toward cancelling.

I cannot believe that all the people who flood Disney have the money for it. It's so prohibitively expensive. We just went to Europe for two weeks over Christmas, and it was less expensive than Disney would be for us for 5 days.

My DD is 5.5 and she talks about Disney but not in a OMG I HAVE TO GO THERE NOW way. So, we'll probably wait, find a time that's less crowded, if that exists, and go. The work I've done already has stressed me out and made me think twice about spending my hard-earned money. Who wants to work that hard for a relaxing vacation?

Take a disney cruise instead. The cruise was cheaper for our family than WDW would be. Your kid can see all the characters on the ship at meet and greets. They have broadway style shows featuring the characters, stories and music of disney every night after dinner. No need to stand in line for rides; instead, spend your day at the beach, swim with dolphins, pet stingrays, etc.

Our kids don't want to go back to WDW--they want to stick with disney cruises instead.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Some folks actually enjoy the planning but it isn't for everyone. Definitely stay home if you can't put time into planning. Lots more places to spend your money. Lots of sour faces and kids getting yelled at in the parks.

Half the enjoyment of taking a vacation is planning it! That way I don't only enjoy the actual days there, but I daydream about my vacation while tweaking my plans. I don't understand the people who leave it all to chance.
But then I'm a research scientist. This is what I do anyway

+1

I do both. I plan for months and line up all of the set things (like where we're staying, flight times, ADRs you can't get last minute) and then have a loose plan for each day. There are apps that will recalculate ride schedule on the fly to work around FPs for high wait rides, but there's no need to obsess about sticking by a set schedule.

And the best WDW vacation we had was 2yo, 5yo, and me. We didn't go on all the rides because of height limits for the 2yo, but we had a blast and it wasn't stressful at all. The last time we went was more stressful but that was mostly because it was 10 degrees warmer than average that week.

I do want to say there's a lot of room between pre-planning everything and yelling at your melting down toddler, though. If you're of the mindset that you have to do everything, then you should probably pre-plan that.

this alone speaks volumes. go see the grand canyon. the trevi fountain. the air and space museum. absurd.

Those don't require planning? You have to book a room at the grand canyon a year in advance! You have to use their transportation system! It's mobbed in the summer! Hmmm...sounds like Disney.

yes, you are totally right. going to see rides and creepy smiling plastic characters and fake castles is just like going to see national parks, museums, and learning about culture and history.

Uh - topic was around planning. Try to keep up. Anyway, who says you can't do both - Disney and National Parks?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Some folks actually enjoy the planning but it isn't for everyone. Definitely stay home if you can't put time into planning. Lots more places to spend your money. Lots of sour faces and kids getting yelled at in the parks.

Half the enjoyment of taking a vacation is planning it! That way I don't only enjoy the actual days there, but I daydream about my vacation while tweaking my plans. I don't understand the people who leave it all to chance.
But then I'm a research scientist. This is what I do anyway

+1

I do both. I plan for months and line up all of the set things (like where we're staying, flight times, ADRs you can't get last minute) and then have a loose plan for each day. There are apps that will recalculate ride schedule on the fly to work around FPs for high wait rides, but there's no need to obsess about sticking by a set schedule.

And the best WDW vacation we had was 2yo, 5yo, and me. We didn't go on all the rides because of height limits for the 2yo, but we had a blast and it wasn't stressful at all. The last time we went was more stressful but that was mostly because it was 10 degrees warmer than average that week.

I do want to say there's a lot of room between pre-planning everything and yelling at your melting down toddler, though. If you're of the mindset that you have to do everything, then you should probably pre-plan that.

this alone speaks volumes. go see the grand canyon. the trevi fountain. the air and space museum. absurd.

Those don't require planning? You have to book a room at the grand canyon a year in advance! You have to use their transportation system! It's mobbed in the summer! Hmmm...sounds like Disney.

yes, you are totally right. going to see rides and creepy smiling plastic characters and fake castles is just like going to see national parks, museums, and learning about culture and history.