Never afford Disney

Yanbu - I went with my parents when I was 12 & my brother was 10 & it's still one of my most memorable holidays.
I'm saving up to take mine for same reason - but it's soooo expensive & it doesn't help that in my brain we will only go once so we need to do everything!
I started looking pre-covid and it's at least 25% more now.
DP Paris is a good alternative for Disney but not for Universal/Water parks/Kennedy/Busch gardens/Seaworld and all the other things that you get in one blowout Orlando crazy holiday.
If you will take kids put of school Tui had very cheap last min deals at various dates last year so keep an eye put.
Good luck OP!

Also OP I feel like it's maybe not all just about Disney but about the fact that having a normal job just isn't enough any more? Inequality has grown so much since I was a child in the 90s. In my class at school we had families raised middle class on a variety of professions including teachers and grocers and with loads of stay at home mums and I do find it stressful to think how impossible that would be in 2024. It's not just Disney that is a dream now.

Most kids would quite like to be astronauts/have a pony/live in a mansion too, but they live with not doing that.

Disney world doesn't appeal to me at all, dc have been happy with fairly lame theme parks and the stakes are much lower if they get sick/don't like it/weather is terrible.

You give your kids a much greater gift by teaching them to be grateful for what they've got than fretting about what you don't have.

I've been to Florida as an adult and I didn't think it was that good. It was very hot, busy and things like food during the day were expensive. I wonder if it would have been a lot more enjoyable and affordable in the past. Everything is so much busier than it was in 90s. Now maybe if you very rich and can pay for fast passes, stay on property and get a dining plan etc then I'm sure it's still good. But less so for a more regular person, even if you can afford the plane and the entry ticket.

Paris is more achievable and a bit more egalitarian feeling. It doesn't even matter if you stay on property in Paris. Have been many many times and I always like it.

I would have liked to have gone to Disneyland as a kid (zero appeal now) but I just accepted it was v expensive and my family couldn’t afford it. I had lots of other great holidays growing up.

You really should if you can, Super Nintendo World is amazing! Also very close to Kyoto so easy to combine.

The little rice triangles filled with different fillings, a bit like a sandwich. We did Disney but not Universal, definitely heading to Osaka next time though. Although it will probably take us a few years to save up 😂

Most kids don't go to Disney. And most parents of young kids can't afford Disney. Your grandmother brought you. Not your parents. Maybe you should be disappointed that your children's grandparents haven't brought them. Might be something to suggest 😉

Correct - we broke down on It's a Small World two weeks ago and we got a lightning lane to use on any of the other small/mid tier rides in Magic Kingdom that day. Thankfully it was only stopped for about 10 minutes or I'd have needed therapy from hearing that song on a loop for so long 😁

Honestly? Disney is magical for me. I have such lovely memories of going as a child, had some great adult holidays there with DH and we took our 4yo last year to Paris and two weeks ago to Orlando. She loves rides, food and princesses so it was heaven for her. For me, if you have the money it's worth it. That said, DD also loved the other holidays we've been on (Center Parcs, beach holiday in Devon) - she's a generally happy soul! Disney is amazing but other places are great too.

I was the opposite. I never got to go to Disney. My grandfather used to say he'd take me, if he won the pools. When he died, he did have a lot in savings (over 100k) He was generous and gave me money to buy my first car etc. I did have a sadness though, that we never went to Disney.
So as soon as our children were old enough to appreciate it (youngest was 6) we went. It did cost us around 10k. It was worth every penny. We didn't have another holiday abroad for a couple of years. I'd have liked a new kitchen, but that was put on the back burner. Given the choice between house stuff or holidays with the kids, we always choose the holidays. We're going to go again while the kids are still teenagers.

I remember going to Disneyland as a kid , I can’t really remember the rides but I can remember moaning it was too hot and then moaning to my dad that I wanted him to buy me some overpriced mini mouse ears. He bought me an over priced sun hat instead which I hated.

Well, you have three children for a start so, it's not affordable. We all want the best for our children but that was then and this is now, and additionally there's no guarantee they'd find it magical at all.

Was it magical because it was Disney or because it's specially memories with your Grandmother?

Onigiri? We have combined the two and gone to Disney Tokyo (and USJ in Osaka) a few times, which worked really well too 😊

Paris can be done on a budget. We’ve been 4 times in the last 13 years. Other holidays have been caravan holidays.

I think that poor person must have been very unlucky. I was there 2 years ago and only had 2 breakdowns in the 2 weeks I was there! And I was at a park every single day for the entire day.
Obviously plenty of things broke down when I wasn't on/ waiting for them. You could see on the app if rides were down. But it only happened twice while I was waiting for them. If it breaks down while you're on it you get a fast pass for when it's open again I believe.

This is one review of Disney I read. She was particularly unlucky, but rides breaking down does not seem to be uncommon.

0905am: Space mountain. Got to the front of the que, only to be turned around because it had broken down.
0930am: People Mover. This broke down twice for 10 minutes.
1000am: Barnstormer. Had to wait 10 minutes to be escorted off the rail.
1030am: Left the park.

Returned to the park at 1545 after waiting all day in the virtual que for Tron.

1744: TRON. Currently sat on the floor outside the que entrance waiting as the ride is currently closed, due to it breaking down.

As a child, I always wanted to go to Disneyworld. I went with DH when I was 28 and had a great time! We
didn’t have kids then, just the two of us.

We did bring our kids eventually and they enjoyed it, but I’m not sure how much they remember it or if it was their favourite holiday. I think they liked going to Ireland better.

I’ll bet your kids enjoy the holidays you do take just as much as if you spent thousands on a Disney trip.

Disney really have done a number on people. Somehow they've convinced us that going to a theme park is 'magical' and an essential part of childhood, and that parents who don't take their children there are deprived them.

Is Disneyworld Orlando there are issues with the rides that keep breaking down. Disney do not seem to maintain the park well at all.
I heard people exclaim over the choice of food at Epcot. Maybe if you live in a rural area with just one chinese takeaway you would be impressed, but I get better and more diverse food in the city I live in.
It can be fun, it is not worth the money though.

Same here I went aged 11 and loved it. Best Holiday Ever.

but I’ve since learnt my kids can have fab holidays that don’t involve the mass consumerism and commercialisation of such places, and at a fraction of the cost.

I’m sucking up and taking mine to Disneyland Paris this summer for a couple of days. But no way is an Orlando trip worth £12-15k for our family. We could have four lovely holidays in Portugal for that kind of money.

Disney now is very different from Disney then. It's too full, too commercial and too expensive.

My DCs have been several times as well as had lots of other holidays all over the world. If you ask them what their favourite holiday was they would tell you it was camping in the Scottish highlands with their grandparents.

Loads of great alternatives here!

When kids were younger,.we drove to Paris and camped at a campsite 15 mins from Disneyland,.we purchased annual passes, so free parking, access to magic hours.we went 5 times in a year (although stayed in cheap nearby hotel for NYE )

There are amazing theme parks in Europe, Plopsaland in Belgium (fabulous for little ones), Europa park and Phantasialand in Germany .

Was really impressed at the German theme parks,.queues even at height of the season no longer than 40 mins, food really good and reasonable prices. We got to see a bit of Germany .

We're trying Liseborg in Sweden this year too.

It's a great experience for whole family as as well as the adrenaline rush of thr Park, we get to explore outside the park too and soak up some new countries.

I took my kids to Disneyworld for a week and they loved it. Then immediately when we got home their dad took them to Legoland and for weeks afterwards we heard about how amazing Legoland was. Never heard another word about Disney. Take your kids to Legoland.

My kids never went and have never expressed loss of the experience. We had very basic holidays - Butlins style - and they remember them with fondness. We did little nice things at weekends as opposed to big holidays. No regrets.