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Original poster

How do you pay for holidays to America?

120 replies

MummyCool19 · 06/05/2019 17:17

We really want to go America soon. Looking more for Florida area I think. But my god how do you pay £5k for a holiday 😩. On paper we can afford it, we have a good disposable income but my god we can not save 😂😩. Plus how much spending money do you take?

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 06/05/2019 20:00

5 of us did Florida for less than £5K hotel and flights booked direct - included park tickets 2 full weeks.

Delatron · 06/05/2019 20:02

Plus food and spending money..!
Flights, hotels and park tickets are only part of the cost. You must be eating something and buying drinks. Every day for 2 weeks.

amusedbush · 06/05/2019 20:05

We priced it up and found that flights and non-Disney hotels/villas can be cheap as chips but the park tickets cost more than flights and accommodation combined. That’s what eats into the budget.

BlueBuilding · 06/05/2019 20:06

Family of 4, flying in August and staying off site.

£2500 flights
£900 2 bed apartment
£1400 park tickets (Disney only)
Total £4800

Obviously we need spending money too, but £20k quotes are just silly.

CarolDanvers · 06/05/2019 20:08

How is it costing people £10-£20k?

We went last year:-

Three of us.

£1300 - flights
£2800 - Hotel and park tickets - 14 days for price of 7 days, free dining plan, $200 Disney gift card, memory maker, refillable resort cups.

Spending money didn't have to be found till just before and free dining meant we didn't pay for foodie drinks while on the resort or in the parks.

Go for a week in February or over Easter. Summer is ridiculously hot and yes very costly. I'd never go then.

CarolDanvers · 06/05/2019 20:09

Oh and approx £400 because we did two days at Universal too.

Delatron · 06/05/2019 20:16

It’s basic maths, most of you are quoting £4,500 for 2/3 people. Add an extra person (especially for a flight) and for their ticket, spending, food you can see how for 4 you get to £6/7k at least. Have no idea how people manage to go to Florida with 4 people and not actually spend any money whilst they are there??! Or are you just telling yourselves the £5k is the cost of the holiday and the spending money/food/drinks don’t count as part of the cost?!

I think these threads should be realistic to people who are working out if they can afford it and the flight/hotels/park tickets are only some of the cost... The exchange rate is crap at the moment and it’s a two week holiday..

Delatron · 06/05/2019 20:19

Just because you didn’t have to find the spending money until just before you went on holiday doesn’t mean it’s not part of the cost of the holiday...

And then yes the extra £400 for Universal so you’re now up to £5k for 3 people without factoring in what you spend there and adding the cost of another person for those with 4 in the family....

Nothingoriginalhere · 06/05/2019 20:20

We have been twice, me, dh, 3 DC. First time £10k ' 2009, 2nd visit £15k in 2013
This is flights, villa, car hire, full park tickets, including busch gardens, food ( self catering - we eat out a lot) Always july/august school holiday time.
We never go into debt for a holiday and in fact when we added up what we had spent on holidays we decided to buy a holiday home in Spain so we had something to show for our money!

CarolDanvers · 06/05/2019 20:22

Don't go to Florida and do all the parks, especially not in summer.
If you want Disney, go to Paris.
If you want to see the US, somewhere on the East Coast, stay in cheap motels or an apartment, Boston is lovely, lots to do.

People want to go to Florida for a very specific holiday. What you describe is an entirely different holiday. DLP is great but it's not a patch on DW and Florida. There's way more to Florida than Disney, there's a feel to it that I can't really describe. It's stunning. The light and weather and spaciousness of it. The gulf coast, even the Atlantic Coast, miles and miles of white sandy beaches with hardly anyone on them, seeing pelicans swooping into the ocean, possibly seeing dolphins, manatees and stingrays, the state parks that include huge deserted beaches. Boston is a city break. It's like saying if you want to see and experience the U.K. go to London.

CarolDanvers · 06/05/2019 20:22

Just because you didn’t have to find the spending money until just before you went on holiday doesn’t mean it’s not part of the cost of the holiday...

Lucky I didn't say it wasn't then isn't it?

CarolDanvers · 06/05/2019 20:23

And that's still not £10-20k Delatron...

Ciwirocks · 06/05/2019 20:27

We go to Florida soon and it has cost 6k for 4 of us for ten days staying on site at Disney with the free dining plan and park tickets etc, flying direct as well so it can be done. We booked 18 months ago and just paid it off monthly

Delatron · 06/05/2019 20:27

Well I tend to factor in spending money/food/drink/car hire as part of the cost of a holiday. Especially for two weeks as that could definitely be an extra £2k And have an understanding that the cost of a holiday for 3 people is going to be less than 4. Basic maths really.

ChippyMinton · 06/05/2019 20:29

We went for a week at February half-term 2017 for £5k all in.
That was for 2 adults and 3 teens.
Flights, park tickets, Disney moderate hotel (1 room) with free dining upgraded from quick service to table service, Discovery Cove with dolphin swim, hire car, Kennedy Space Centre.
Apart from a few souvenirs we didn’t spend anything.
It is do-able.

CarolDanvers · 06/05/2019 20:33

I'm sorry your holiday is so ridiculously expensive. Do you struggle with budgeting elsewhere or are you just very extravagant for holidays? It's fine of course, how you spend your money is up to you. But you say you're being more realistic and we should be realistic when detailing expenses so those who want to go can understand if they can afford it or not yet you seem to be exaggerating the cost hugely and not being realistic at all. Your projections of cost are putting it far out of people's reach and it's just not true. In no way do have £10 or £20k to spend on one trip, yet have managed to go twice for approx £5k each time in the last four years, less than that the first time. Why is it so irritating to you that others have managed to go for far less?

Delatron · 06/05/2019 20:37

Not at all, I had a wonderful holiday! Glad I didn’t have to cut costs really. Nothing wrong with my budgeting. If you don’t count spending money or money on drinks/foods or nights out then you may want to look at your budgeting. Head in the sand much?

Delatron · 06/05/2019 20:38

You are still ignoring the fact that you went with 3 people for 5k....yes that is doable I’m
sure.

CarolDanvers · 06/05/2019 20:42

Delatron you're being ridiculous on this thread. Multiple posters have expressed surprise at your insistence that this holiday is of £20k value. I don't understand your tone. You seem irritated at being disagreed with for some reason what with your eye roll emoji and snarky tone throughout. I don't get it...

Perhaps get yourself back to Disney pronto; you know "The Happiest Place On Earth"? and stop being such a bubble bursting misery guts by insisting no one else can really afford it and even if they could make it out there, their holiday won't be as good as yours what with them having to budget and all...

SherlockSays · 06/05/2019 20:44

I wish Florida cost £5k! If that's for the holiday alone then it's a little steep but it's all the tickets and spending money that jumps it up.

DH went in November last year with 4 month old DD, probably cost us 8k with absolutely everything spent. That was with free dining too.

We're going again in April next year, hoping to do it for 5k - but we're not doing a lot of Disney (stayed on site last time), cheaper food places, breakfast included in hotel and less spending.

It takes a hell of a lot of saving - we go every other year and probably put £200 a month away for 18 months of that time.

So worth it though.

Delatron · 06/05/2019 20:46

I said it can be £20k and someone has just said the same, they spent £15k. But yes I agree that is top end.

I maintain that £5k all in for Florida for FOUR people will be tricky. Just pointing that out. Others have said similar.

Your holiday for 3 cost £5k (without spending money) so you are proving my point really!

Delatron · 06/05/2019 20:47

Yes Sherlock spending money doesn’t count though! It’s like magic free money.

SherlockSays · 06/05/2019 20:49

Missed that it was for four people!

I'm currently looking at £1600 for 2 adults and an infant but I can go anytime of the year. With the spending money, airport hotel & parking, tickets & spending it will be 5k-ish.

Applesbananaspears · 06/05/2019 20:49

If you want Disney, go to Paris.
If you want to see the US, somewhere on the East Coast, stay in cheap motels or an apartment, Boston is lovely, lots to do.
I have to say that I kind of sort of agree with this. We didn’t enjoy Orlando or the whole Disney experience very much. Orlando is horrible and probably 2 days in Disney parks and a day in Orlando spread over a week would have been more than enough. My kids were 5, 8 and 12 and were pretty underwhelmed and bored with the whole thing. They have never asked to go back.

However, don’t underestimate Florida as a destination. Much of it is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, fabulous food, amazing nature, brilliant bike trails, cool fun cities. Boston is nice, but I would go back to Florida in a heartbeat I’d just give Orlando a wide berth or just go for 2 days and 1 night and get the hell out of there

mathanxiety · 06/05/2019 20:50

Agree with drspouse.

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