To think a (not Paris) Disney holiday is possible for the average working family?

@BlondiePortzthe LA park is crap compared to Orlando or Tokyo. It’s more like Paris which I’m not big on.

It definitely is. My cousin goes almost every year - she’s a childminder with 3 kids and her husband is a plumber. She ruthlessly finds the best deals and they go for at least a week often two. She’s great at saving money elsewhere though and is generally a bit of a hippie - eats vegan, buys second hand and grows some of their own food.

DH and I managed to go for £2500 for 2 people in 2018 using a good travel agent to find a deal. And that included a meal plan and was onsite at Disney.

We are going to Orlando this summer with our kids (8, 11 and 13). We went with them 7 years ago but that was paid for as part of a Grandparent's big birthday so this is the first time we are paying ourselves and we have been saving for a few years to go back as we want them to remember it. I would say we earn about an average salary. We are going for 3 weeks.

I would say the flights and accommodation are reasonable but it's the park tickets that really jack up the price compared to a normal holiday. We are self catering so hoping to eat in a fair amount and only really have one meal at the parks a day, probably a quick service thing.

Redundancy payout and house extension fund.

Some people spend 5k a year on car depreciation. It's all choices we make.

I went to the LA once myself many years ago (I was not there for me though), not worth the money for a day visit to a theme park, we were in LA for other reasons I just dont get the obession over Disney with the amount of other things people can do around the world or put the money towards and amazing 2 week plus holiday somwhere else but like anything if people want to go they can spend their money on what they want

We saved £100 a month in a special Disney account from when our second child was born. Went when they were 8 (but must have dipped in or stopped when we got to 8k). Flights and tickets are a big expense but savings can be made for the rest. Stay offsite or value with food credit. No need to eat at disney sit down restaurants. Share snacks or kids meals from the quick service locations. All the entertainment is paid for so it doesn't matter if you dont do any extras, you will still have a fab time. Don't bother with universal unless they are insanely into harry potter. Uber may work out cheaper than car hire and parking fees. Food can be delivered cheaper than in parks if you are staying offsite.

Maybe spend a year before you book casually tracking flight prices and disney offers. If you are near the England Scotland border think about the different term times, think about flying via Dublin. (Think about waiting 4yrs to see if usa calms down)

It is mad how much the prices have jumped, combined with the exchange rate making anything that is priced in dollars hard to stomach. It is totally out of the price range of normal families, only crazy people like me will go. My children don't know a single child who has been whereas I knew quite a few families. They do think of it as some of the best weeks of their lives though.

Definitely not possible for me but also it’s not something my kids are really interested in, nor me, so it’s not something I’m ever going to prioritise saving up for.

I have friends going this year spending 10k and that’s just out of reach for me.

Also not sure where previous poster has got 25k for a holiday from. We absolutely didn't pay that. Stayed in a disney resort for 2 weeks for a quarter of that for 4 people.

It'll probably be cheaper over the next couple of years. There looks likely to be a huge drop in tourism and the US dollar is tanking.

You'd need to pay me to go there, though.

We did it last year, an ordinary family with 'ordinary' jobs with a 9 and 7 year old. We booked it through a fabulous travel company specialising in Disney holidays. It was expensive but we saved for 2 years prior to be able to afford it and during those 2 years we did mini breaks in the UK as our holidays.

It’s not the kind of holiday I’d spend that kind of money on tbh. I don’t think it’s affordable at all. Who is paying £25k to wait in lines for weeks?! No thanks!

We’ve been to a few disneys before and with our daughter - (Hong Kong & Paris & Tokyo & California)

none of them were ever THE holiday - were were already there and did a day or 2 at the parks! I’m not sure I could cope with an intense week or 2 of parks tbh or how much that would cost! A few days of as enough and then other things as part of the holiday.

ive been to Orlando when I was a teenager - and have looked into it a few times - as others said -
term time and self catering ! we got a big house and a car.

Yes
Go in term time - Jan/feb are decent options but September often cheaper
stay in a villa or very cheap hotel
eat off site or self cater
Ubers/hire cars
look into flying to Tampa or Miami, might be a bit cheaper
Put it on a credit card and don’t have a holiday for a year or so either side

It's very expensive for what it is. You could have a much more fun time elsewhere. Disney is such clichéd rubbish.its overpriced and hyped for what you get. A week on a greek island would be a third of the price (you could go three times!)!and just as a amazing
My kids have never once mentioned it or been sad the haven't been.

I guess in how do they do it.
A- earn more money
B- prioritise different things.

I've done Disney Florida with DD a few years back and are heading back this Oct (well universal actually). But I prioritise money on big holidays (not just Disney)

There are lots of ways to get deals and stuff in the Disney groups online, or so I hear. I know lots of people who go every couple of years, but we're in the US, so they can drive which saves some money.

We couldn’t afford it despite having good professional jobs, but I really wouldn’t want to spend that much money on something so manufactured anyway. We prefer to fly to Europe, hire a car and explore.

We don't. Can't afford it like lots of other families.