To think going to Disney is a ridiculous indulgence?

[thoroughlymodernmummy]

Now, maybe i would feel differently if I could afford to go without completely skunk ring myself but as it stands, we can't and I can't help but think that spending such huge amounts on one holiday is crazy!

We watch Disney and enjoy it, and I'm well aware that it's people's money to spend how they like but I just can't help but think it's a silly wage of money? Anyone agree?

HeadDreamer I can see why you'd go if you were in the area anyway - I imagine we'd probably go once out of curiosity if that were the case.

As to the shops.... the scale of it also threw me, and I was quite a materialistic child who lived in a country where shopping was practically a religion! The industrial size of the Disney shops unsettled even me. You couldn't bribe me enough to take my DC in there; the bitching and whining and bargaining and post-event analyses of what they should have got..... no thank you. Mind you I get the same in Spar so I should be used to it by now

You're right manic that you can do it cheaper, but I know a lot of families with 2+ kids who stay in Disney resorts in August. I just wonder how anyone who isn't super rich can afford it.
I naively thought it would be cheap in low season. We can get a very nice hotel on the gulf coast for a lot less than a 3* Disney so that is what I think we will do

YANBU
If you knew what I knew... eerrggh no DanTDM tell us !!

There is something very, very special about Disney compared to other theme parks. Any theme park in the UK is light years away from a Disney theme park. Really, truly

Yes compared to the UK parks there is no comparrison, Lego land eg is a bloody crap shambles compared ...however there are other brilliant cheaper parks in Europe, Park Asterix, Efteling, Europa park are all very very good, some say - far far better than at least dlp.

I feel sad that some people think it has to be disney.

I do Disneyland Paris on the cheap. Stayed in a Travelodge style hotel a couple of train stops away which takes about 10 minutes. We're in the park all day anyway and only go back to sleep so why pay a fortune? We pay £35 per night per double room! And we bought an annual pass for £120 each which was cheaper than a 4 day pass. So we'll go back for another visit next year which will only cost us flight plus hotel - a total of about £150 each.plus spending money. And when I first went with my kids I made sure they knew they had a fixed amount of money to spend and they couldn't spend it til the last day when they could have looked in different shops to be sure what they wanted.

lovin how this thread has morphed into a - how to get to disney USA for cheaper.

I will def take mine in years to come - but for those like us who cant afford their prices right now, seriously - check out - Europa Park Germany = and Efteling Park Holland.

Both have out standing consistent reviews and both are far cheaper than DLP. Both are a world away from UK parks too.

I do Disneyland Paris on the cheap. Stayed in a Travelodge style hotel a couple of train stops away which takes about 10 minutes. We're in the park all day anyway and only go back to sleep so why pay a fortune? We pay £35 per night per double room! And we bought an annual pass for £120 each

That's exactly why I thought the title of this thread bizarre. I haven't priced the Paris one but I can't imagine you can't get a travel lodge type place either. Fly a budget airline and Disneyland Paris can be reached by train.

(As I said in previous posts we go to the Hong Kong one and I know entry fees aren't ridiculously priced).

That's exactly why I thought the title of this thread bizarre. I haven't priced the Paris one but I can't imagine you can't get a travel lodge type place either. Fly a budget airline and Disneyland Paris can be reached by train

Yes, but there must be a huge difference between Paris and the US, mustn't there? (I don't know about Hong Kong, I didn't know there was one).

Disneyland Paris is only for children. It sounds like the US parks have stuff for all ages.

lovin how this thread has morphed into a - how to get to disney USA for cheaper.

I know! Always the way on MN

You can get cheaper and more expensive places to stay - it depends what you're after. DH and I discussed this at length, as we both do not consider Orlando to be our ideal holiday - but it is far and away the kids ideal holiday.

We decided that if we were going to do it, we would stay some place really nice. It will make it a holiday for us too - somewhere to chill after the themeparks mayhem

'How long is a piece of string' is correct. Thanks to the posters with suggestions of villas posted on here - I am researching those. But £2k for a fortnight doesn't seem that outlandish for what we want (even on Dibb). Found one that suits for £1600 for the fortnight we want to go though - so that's all good Lots of them are already booked for Aug 17, so we need to get booking it.

Our problem is that we're going in school summer holidays - bumps the price right up.

There are plenty budget type hotels around the disney area, I checked out plenty when I was on the internet for hours getting the best deals! Most of them do free shuttles to the parks. You can get an them from £20+ a night. You dont have to spend shed loads of money if you dont want to.

As I already said I am an adult and bloody loved all the parks!

£120 for 3 of us to go to Legoland for a day? £84 a day to go to any D/U parks as many times as we wanted to (went to more than one in a day sometimes) with the ticket deal I got.

'Blues brothers' singing outside the irish pub we were in for lunch (dont have the corned beef and cabbage! wtf was that?? but the fish and chips were lovely)

Watching the 'de lorien' being driven past me, all the HP stuff, we rode the Hogwarts Express for gawds sake, film memorabelia from all my fav (and old!) films.

Did you know we met a raptor? (I might have mentioned it) A fecking velociraptor!!!! I was in heaven There is so much for adults too, the marine life, the space/future world stuff, the tree of life is fab. A lot of it is educational and great for both kids and adults.

Yes there is mountains of stuff for sale but we got some good stuff, kids weren't greedy, they had spending money from relatives and me and spent it how they liked. If it was tat they didnt get it, end of. I treated myself too! Plus there were shops nearby the hotel which sold disney merchandise including clothes (as well as non branded stuff) for a fraction of the price

If its not your 'thing' then thats fine. But if it is and you can afford to go then thats also fine and a fabulous holiday with memories to last a lifetime.

"Disneyland Paris is only for children."

I love it - but then I guess I'm a big kid!

We get a four bed, 3 bath villa with a pool for £500

I think thats why i was surprised at a villa twice the price

We only have 5 in the family though and the 1k saved would be 8-10 meals

God - show me where Rufus!

www.awenasafloridavilla.com/

We stayed in this one this year

Will try and remember the other one we stayed at two years ago as well
Both near Champions Gate about 20 mins away from Disney which has some very good restaurants and supermarket

I am sure you could find closer for not much more but we really like the area....its the 4th time we have stayed near Champions Gate

I DID A LINK!!!!!!

GO ME!!!!!!

I could pm photos of both if you like

Honest non catalogue photos

Although all the villas we have stayed at have been pretty true to the reality

Thanks Rufus, will take a look Saving £1k would pay almost for Discovery Cove. Almost.

Sorry meant to add, would love to see any photos you are happy to pm me - and 20mins from Disney is fine by us = we don't really want to be right on the doorstep. We were looking at Kissimmee area, and going to ask DH's US colleagues for advice too - they're always holidaying in Orlando.

This thread has made me really enthusiastic about it all

Handy hint for discovery cove

All drinks are free all day!!!!

By that i mean beer!

I started drinking at 9am on my second trip there (why did no one tell me the first time)

Had to make the money back somehow

Will send you some photos and try and find the other address

In Orlando now - last few days of 2 week holiday. Family of 4.
Direct TC flights £2.8K.
Offsite 2 bed condo resort (1000+ sq ft so plenty of room) - £1.5K
Full size Car hire - £300
14 day Disney/water parks & Universal tickets plus KSC tickets - £2K
Spent £2k so far on food, tips and shopping.
So £9K +

I reckon indirect flights, cheaper accommodation, less shopping and cheaper food choices could shave off up to £2K.

Feb Half term skiing for a week costs us £5k for a family of 4. This is a 2 week full on activity holiday therefore comparable but in more comfort.

I learnt to dive in the Maldives and passed my basic PADI whilst DH did his advanced PADI (Before DC). We've taken the kids to Sardinia instead - beautiful beaches for a short haul holiday. Cheaper at May half term.

Unfavourable exchange rate post June referendum meant I also paid more for my accommodation and possibly car hire than I would have done. Plus, I was overly confident and failed to buy my holiday dollars before June 23rd - definitely kicked myself for that one!

I'm glad people are saying it's worth it! My DS has chosen to go to Florida for Christmas and go to Disney/Universal, it's a Starlight Foundation Wish that we finally accepted after many years, the kids don't know we're going yet, we're staying at Give Kids the World resort a I'm excited but hoping to god it isn't a big anticlimax, we've been offered a wish since DS was a toddler and now he's 11 (will be 12 when we go and we have a 10,4 and 1 yr old) we feel it's time to do it before he can't fly anymore due to his health and he did chose this over meeting DanTDM or iBallisticSquid because he wanted something the whole family could enjoy.

Manic, my comment re not taking the children because it would spoil the holiday is very much tongue in cheek.

What is there for adults? That's really difficult to answer because the whole place is age neutral. I go there and my heart sings. I go to Fantasmic and I'm a wee girl again going to the cinema with my mum - especially when zip-eh-doodah starts. I even love the warm up that pits one side of the arena in against the other in a daft singing contest.

I love going on the scary rides with my brother who I've only known for 4 years. It's what we should have been doing together as kids.

I love looking at things in detail and seeing how the human mind can work. The power of the imagination. Some of the things they've thought of is unbelievable.

I love the parades.

I love having a dance to the Tribute bands which are usually excellent. They do one in Epcot and you really would think you were in London in the 60's listening to the Beaties.

I love it that people can go there and be as happy as they like. I can go and be so daft that it takes 18 months for me to realise Prince Charming was only ever going to say my perfume was divine, and if another person asks me what it is I'm wearing I really am going to have to stop saying - even Prince Charmimg loved it.

Or maybe I don't 😉

Titsalina your family holiday is going to be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. 😍

Ahh that's lovely tits