to be horrified at the cost?

[cannotbelievehowexpensive]

Hi, I know this is not AIBU but just for traffic...
We've been promising our dcs for a few years now that we'll go to Disney world this year.
Anyway I'm only now just looking properly into costs - I'd had a quick look a few times before but assumed I'd be able to get deals nearer the time.
I am actually almost in tears, I don't know how we are going to be able to afford it! I can't believe the costs - even on the websites that advertise themselves as cheap Florida holidays the lowest price I've been able to find is just under £5000. For a weeks holiday and not including spending money! I must have been very naive, I envisaged the whole thing including spending coming to 4 grand at the very most. How do people afford to go there? Am I missing something?
Please don't flame me for promising something and not checking the costs.... I thought I had a rough idea, but was totally wrong.... we've been promising this for so long I don't know how we can go back on it now. Any advice would be very very appreciated.

I would second using it as a life lesson as well. Tell the children that you just afford it. Disneyland Paris sounds to me like a very good alternative.

Thing have changed haven't they? When I was young, my parents booked somewhere they wanted to go e.g. Yorkshire or Scotland and we went along with them. And if we didn't like it....well, tough.

We have been to Florida recently and here's how we did it: If you stay onsite at Disney, book before Feb and get a 14 day pass, Disney will give you free meals (quick service includes table service at some of the restaurants). You can only go at certain times to get this deal. There's also free transportation between the Disney parks. You can catch Lynx buses to the Florida Mall and Seaworld for only around $3 return. If you go further afield, book the Mears shuttle bus (although this is more expensive, it is still cheaper than a taxi). We stayed at a moderate resort which we found to be immaculate. Euro Disney - although nice - is not a patch on Florida. By the way, we were told when we were there, that the Disney resort in California was small enough to fit in the car park of the Magic Kingdom in Florida. If you can, I would recommend Florida. The people are lovely and the place is great. If you do go, enjoy!

If you can't afford it - you can't afford it, and your kids will learn a good lesson , if you honestly explain this to them.
Disney is a lovely dream, that can be a reality, but you need to be able to afford it comfortably, as holidays like this are always more than you expect.

My parents promised a year in advance that we were going to Florida the following year, then the day came when my dad went off to book it, and when we came home from school he said he had a surprise for us, we were going to Bulgaria instead.

A week is plenty we did 9 days - really find theme parks a bit annoying but we enjoyed one day trip into each - return trips to the same parks were less interesting. I can't remember how much we paid, we stayed in a 4 bed villa with pool for £500 a week. Loved being able to escape Disney and let the kids swim all evening. If we were to do it again I'd take the kids out of school - cheaper and less busy. Hope you can sort something out, we promised our kids too and fortunately we could afford it - we just were dreading the whole theme park Florida hideousness and were surprised by how much we enjoyed it - never again though.

We go every few years. In January. Parks queues are nonexistant. Its cheaper as well.

Flights, villa and car have cost us (2 adults and 2 kids) £2500 for 15 nights.
definitely look at at more or less than 7 and 14 nights. Book your villa late and just email offered to ones that are still empty.
The flights are with virgin and great value. The entertainment and the free drinks through the flight make it worth it. Its also one of ten cheapest in January. Cars are quite cheap to hire if you hint around.

We allow about £1000 for park tickets. 7 days isn't really enough. There are 4 Disney parks, 2 universal and you said you want to go to the water parks as well.
How quickly you get round parks depends on a lot of things but mainly queue times. In January we can do 1 park in less than a day. But our kids are both small so there is a few things in each park we can miss.

Remember to think about paying to park ($10-15 per day).

It will be expensive for 6 of you.

But, imo, its worth it. Having been to Disneyland Paris as well I would say they don't compare. There is so much more to Florida than the magic kingdom and MGM. Which is what you get in Paris.

If you really want to go, tell the kids you will have to wait and save up.

You can look at queue times on the internet. Its really worth think about. In august this year, there was 1hour 30 minute queue to just get into the shops in harry potter world, never mind the rides. It was taking an entire day to get round harry potter world and that is only a small part of the park.

We went to Disney California for a few days followed by a cruise to the Pacific coast of Mexico one Feb half term and that was a fantastic holiday. Dc are happy they have been to Disney in America and I loved all of it.

We did what flow did and it was ok.

Tell the older ones that they can practice their french and see french fashion.
Tell the young ones that they will eat more ice cream and wont have a boring long flight.

Too much money imo.

Unless you crave it OP

Thanks for all the very helpful replies. Lots of really good advice, I am going to set aside a day to just research it as much as I can and see what deals I can get and if I can't get it below £5K including spending then we'll have to go somewhere else. I went as a child but we had a much smaller family and I don't think it was as expensive then!

Each time I've been to Florida I've flown indirectly, with US airways. Generally fly Gatwick - North Carolina, then change and fly to Orlando. Renting a villa is cheaper than a hotel. I've been end of March/April and also in August. Both times were great, though weather can be dodgy in August owing to hurricane season. Can you take kids out of school a bit earlier (a few days before they break up) to save on cost of flight?
Also you'll need at least 10 days, preferably 2 weeks, to really experience everything. I'd definitely not bother with Euro Disney - Orlando is so much more than Magic Kingdom (water parks, Universal, Sea World etc).

There's also lots of cheap outdoorsy things to do in and around Orlando for non-park days. There's an amazing outdoor park with picnic areas, play parks, a lake for swimming or boating, which costs soemthing like $4 to park and everything else is free. We sent two happy days there for the price of a picnic - and I can't remember the name! It's named after a person though.

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I agree a week probably isn't long enough to do everything BUT would you consider just doing the Disney thing? You can then take full advantage of the meal plans (these work in the parks too) and the transport while your there (Disney transport is amazing!!!)

But if your insistent on doing all the parks prepared to be shattered look at ways to reduce your costs, the I-trolley is a great way to travel down I-drive and can take you from universal studios at the top to some premium outlets at the bottom, via several water parks and seaworld, and I think only costs $11 for a week pass!! Check out a hotel with a shuttle service to the parks, this will work out much cheaper than getting a car!!

And when you actually get there search high and low for coupons, they love their coupons, it meant we saved a lot on food and activities outside the park

Ooooooh and you'll need to be super restrictive on the kiddies spending money, the shopping, especially in the parks in immense, even I struggled to stay within budget and I didn't have the lure of the toys to contend with!

When all said and done i promise it will be worth the hassle and an absolutely amazing holiday

I'll be honest op you will struggle to be able to go for less than 5k for 6 of you in October, if you are including spending money.

We went 22 years ago. It was as expensive. My parents saved for 2 years so we could go.

I can't see how you'd get airplane tix for less than £3000 for six of you. So an additional £2000 for accomodation, park tickets, car rental and food... well, that sounds about right.

I do agree with other posters that Disneyland Paris is not a patch on Florida or California. However, you'll save thousands by not paying for six transatlantic flights. And maybe you'll enjoy it more if you're not stressed about the cost? I would!

Or how about a totally different, non-Disney holiday in Europe? That way you won't be comparing and thinking, it would be better in Florida.

Why don't you go in 2014? I was nine when my parents took us to Florida for three weeks, it was three years in the planning and we had to save out pocket money and birthday money for our spending money. I was fully aware it was never to be repeated, holiday of a lifetime stuff. And it was - and that was over 20 years ago.

Budget, plan, be realistic and it can be done.

Book everything separately. Get your flights from a cheap site. Get a car from one of the major rental companies and look for a voucher. Finally get yourself a villa with pool next to Disney from here...

floridasunshine.com/

I have used them many times over the last 10 years. Theres no reason why you cant do 2 weeks for about 3k in your own private villa with car and pool and have an amazing time.

I stayed in this house a few times....

www.floridasunshine.com/trussell.htm

£1440 for 2 weeks :)