To wonder why Florida is seen as the ultimate family holiday?

[Worriedkat]

A family we know are spending £10k on a summer holiday to Disney, and that's not even in a Disney hotel. Several other friends cite Florida/Disney as the ultimate family holiday of a lifetime, it seems to be the holiday to aspire to, giving your children wonderful memories.

I can't visualise it myself. All I can see is heat, humidity, long queues, toddler tantrums, exhaustion from the plane and time difference. It doesn't sound magical! What is it that makes the experience worth £10k? Or Aibu to think that maybe it's not all it's cracked up to be?

I've never wanted to go there. Just seems so fake. Even as a child. I'd rather to to Benidorm or Torremolinos than Orlando, or any Disney theme park for that matter. We've got Alton Towers just down the road anyway.

I know what you mean. but it's like all things, people have different ideas of what they think is fun.

I have never understood the draw of Disney, at all and I have been to Disneyland CA as an adult and still don't.

I think it's just not for me.

And there are far better bits of the US to visit IMO.

Would be the last place on earth I would visit .
But then I detest theme parks, Disney and all places with hordes of people in polyester.

Never got it myself either.
I even know adults who have gone to Disney without children???
Theme parks, queues, heat and humidity, long distances and having to drive everywhere, long flights, and a country where they carry guns.
No thank you. Not if you paid me.

I've even heard of adults with children that have gone to Disney without their children!

we've done Disney and yes, its massively overrated, overpriced, in one of the least interesting parts of the USA. People do it because Disney has always marketed it, extremely cleverly, as the one place on earth you must take your children before they get too old to appreciate the 'magic'

I went as a teenager and it was in another league to other holidays.

Alton towers I love too but it doesn't compare!

Orland is more than just Disney- we all liked universal studios the most. Film themed rides are so much more of an experience.

For coaster lovers there's Busch gardens.

The Kennedy space centre and seeing the shuttle was amazing too.

The heats not the problem it is in Europe because you are inside a lot and the air conditioning is excellent.

If you plan well then the queues weren't bad and there's lots to watch as you queue.

I really hope I can take my DCs one day.

We used to go all the time as my parents had friends there. We would generally do a week with parents friends and a week by the beach in an apartment.

Guaranteed hot weather, spend most of the time playing in swimming pool, accomodation nice and not mega expensive, eating out quite reasonably priced, time difference not bad if going for 2 weeks. We generally did one or two days at theme parks.

It's safe, easy (English spoken obviously) and doesn't require loads of planning and organisation.

I've got loads of happy memories!

Summer is too hot and humid tho, and Christmas used to be fine but got a bit unreliable. I think about now is perfect.

Because it is AWESOME that's why. And 99% of children will love it. Imagine going as a child who believes Disney princesses and Mickey Mouse etc are real....and there they are!

And yes dh and I went numerous times before having ds, ds is 2.8 now and has already been twice.

But no it's not for everyone, I think it's a marmite location, and we just happen to love it.

10k on a holiday!!!

I'd have to be seriously loaded to spend that much on a holiday.
I'd pay down the mortgage and settle for a day at the seaside.

Intact someone would have to pay me to go to Disney world :o

We've been to Disney a few times, both in Florida and France. I think it was a great holiday, and one time over 17 family members of all ages stayed in a villa in Florida for an amazing holiday.
There are so many different theme parks, you don't have to go to the same one twice. There are things for all ages, and while I wouldn't go as an adult without children, as a family holiday it's great. Unless, of course, you don't like theme parks. As a family we've gone to Alton Towers, Thorpe Park etc. and enjoyed those too.
I am always surprised to see people who get married at Disney though!

Of course it's not for everyone and it's probably a bit marmitey, personally I love it! I've been multiple times pre DC and a couple of times with DC.

I have never, and would never, go in the height of summer, too hot and too busy.

I would say that to enjoy it you have to embrace your inner child and prepare yourself for massive amounts of cheese (metaphorical cheese, not literal cheese.) if you are not someone who can do that you probably won't enjoy it.

Why are you spending such a massive amount of money on something you are uncertain about? It would be such a waste shame if you have been cajoled into this but then you don't enjoy it.

We went to Disneyland Paris for 5 days last year. It was fantastic, magical, etc etc. We all loved it and it was easy on the wallet...all in for 4 of us, travel, Disney hotel, meals, spends, about £1800.

Now we've 'done' the Disney thing though, I have no desire to do it bigger. I can think of many other places I'd rather go and wouldn't consider spending thousands just on one holiday.

Even if a child believes that Mickey Mouse is real (which is a stretch) how on earth could they believe that he is 7 foot tall? He is never depicted as such in any cartoons. I think it's more aimed at parents than kids and kids just act the way their parents want them to.

My two DSs are 12 and 14 and Mickey Mouse etc has never even been on their radar, nor Princesses.

I think they would see through people dressed up too. Do children really believe they are real?

They love World of Top Gear at Beaulieu though.

I can't imagine spending 5 days at a theme park! What on earth is there to do for that amount of time? Maybe 1 or 2 days at Disney and the rest of the holiday on the beach or pool etc, or a trip to the everglades etc.

tucson you have to just believe the magic

Depends on what you're looking for in a vacation. Theme parks are fun if you like that sort of thing. But there's places to visit in every state.

My personal favorite part of the US is the national parks, we did a road trip out west as a kid and it was a blast.

I also love Hawaii (but that's sort of a vacuum state, not really representative of the US).

I really want to take my kids but can't even afford the euro Disney one
Can't understand how any one can spend 2K on a weekend there
But then I'm crap at deal hunting

Sorry, just realised you said a family you know, thank goodness! It doesn't sound like it would be your thing.

To spend £10,000 are they a large family going in high season?

Knotts Berry Farm was way better than Disneyland (this was 1990 though) it was Charlie Brown and Snoopy themed.

Disney really is so much more than characters dressed up though.

The parades we saw in Paris...I've never seen a look like it on the dc's faces. Like Xmas morning x 1000. The fireworks show at the end (we went during the 20 year anniversary...so it's fireworks mixed with a big Disney compilation on the Castle) is the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen.

It really is magical for dc, and parents if you go with the right attitude. The sheer scale of the Florida one is what puts me off, we didn't even see all of Disneyland Paris in 5 days.

I would go to Florida for the Space Centre etc, but not stay in Orlando. We stayed in a different area of Florida and had day trips to the above (space geeks) and one theme park pre dc.

We'd like to go back when DC are older, but still wouldn't stay there or do theme parks all day every day.

My nearly 3 year old loved 'meeting' Mickey and Minnie in Disneyland Paris.

He saw a Mickey Mouse in a terrible costume recently in the UK (now nearly 5yo) and his face still lit up. I heard him talking later about how it was just someone in a costume. So he was apparently amazed despite knowing it wasn't really Mickey

The cost would be an issue for us.

I went with my inlaws a few years ago as they love it and go every other year!

I loved every bit of the holiday except the theme parks! We did try to cram in other bits too those highlights for me being Clearwater, Airboat gator safari and outlet shopping.

I also loved the food and the standard of accommodation in our villa and the wildlife! Pelicans and raccoons!

We went in November. Weather was perfect. Queues were mental everywhere still at that time of year and loads of the rides wer out at Disney and universal and I couldn't get my head around why it was all so special compared to other theme parks. I. Was knackered when we came home and we ended up booking a holiday in the carribean a few months later so I felt like I. Had a proper holiday and not one where I was up at 6 to spend a day in a queue! I could easily holiday in Florida again and not touch a theme park!

Having said that people do it less than 10k. I. Live in a very popular European holiday destination and have heard of families spending more here than they do in Florida if they have a nice villa with a pool and eat out every night. Florida does represent good value to a lot of people.