Never afford Disney

[Swordandpanda]

When I was 10 my Grandma took me to Disneyworld Florida. I remember it being the most magical experience of my life. I now have 3 kids 8 years and under. I would love to take them so much but 10k-12k for a holiday is completely impossible. We are doing average money wise and we prioritise house maintenance (roof repairs, plumbing) and the children’s hobbies. Am I bu to feel sad that my kids will never get to experience the joy I felt.

The recent reviews of Disneyworld sound really depressing. It sounds like it would be more pleasant and comfortable, and less expensive, just to spend your holiday in the airport 😬.

How are they getting away with charging thousands of dollars to give people what is apparently an absolutely nightmarish experience?

Imagine saving up and bigging your kids up about it, and then that's what you get. It's unconscionable that this is the "Disney experience" they're providing to families with young children!

We went to Disneyworld several times as kids

But the best holidays I remember were the times we went to a farm in Wales and played in hay arms and collected eggs and played with the sheep dog puppies and rode ponies. Disney didn’t even come close.

So I think you are putting too much emphasis on Disney being magical. Your children might enjoy something else far more as we did.

Plus there’s always Paris which would be a lot cheaper. We went when DS was little. It was pretty similar to the US just smaller

I first went with my kids when I was in my forties!
I think that they have the rest of their lives to go. Not being able to take 3 kids is pretty standard.

It won't be never, but it'll take you longer to save. It'll be a case of deciding how many holidays is it worth to you, if you normally spend £2000 on a holiday, is it worth 4-5 holidays to you?

I know people think it's materialistic, but it's one of the reasons we only had 2 children, because there are so many experiences (Florida being one) we wanted for ourselves and our children, and was a big factor in choosing our family size. We all have different priorities, but most can't have everything, 3 children was an expensive choice but one you presumably made for a reason.

Disneyland Paris is just fine, if you need to do the Disney experience.

In terms of big, expensive childhood experiences, I think I would prioritise a trip to Lapland over Disney.

Hilarious saying wait for them to be teens for florida, I can't imagine any teen cares about Disney. Tbh the appeal isn't really there anymore because the biggest thing on Disney kids watch is marvel. I don't think small kids find Mickley and minney and princess engaging nowadays. My 10 and up would actually hate it I'd think and my 5 Yr old doesn't know what's going on, the heat and the queues would make it horrible. Efdeling at a push maybe, at least it's a consistent world.

I can't imagine any teen cares about Disney.

Haha, god I wish this was true.

As a teacher I'm sure it is. The ones who say they do are trying to please their parents who think it is important.

I think that it would be impossible to replicate that experience for your own children. It’s going to be a very different place to the place it was when you were 10. There will be more people, more expenses and more queues for a start. Plus it’s always going to be more exciting being away from your parents and their rules and being spoilt by a grandmother. And if they aren’t as enchanted as you were, it’s going to leave you feeling deflated and probably quite annoyed. Add in the adult stresses of organising travel and sticking to a budget, and I suspect you’ll end up wishing you hadn’t bothered.

We took our nephew to a very expensive thing, thinking it would be one of his childhood memories. And do you know what he still talks about? Puddle jumping in the car park with my DH and the fattest pigeon he ever saw. The point is, it doesn’t have to be some big, extravagant thing for them to remember it.

We went twice, once when I was 7, again at 11. I really don't know how my parents afforded it, as we weren't wealthy.
TBH, although they were lovely holidays, they've merged together in my head. I also don't remember much about Disney particularly.

Mine is 7 and she absolutely despises Disney. Which I am a bit sad about as I love some of the films and she refuses to be in the same room when they’re on. No idea why!

As a teacher I'm sure it is. The ones who say they do are trying to please their parents who think it is important.

As someone who was a teen who LOVED Disney World and went multiple times, and a parent to a teen who keeps picking Disney over lots of other amazing options (California road trip, NYC, Australia) I assure you, being a teacher does not make you the authority on all teenagers.

I always dreamed of going to Disney as a child and never did. I had my first experience when I was 40, I took my 3 kids there this year. It was completely magical experience both for me and the kids. In a way I’m glad that we all went first time together. Maybe when your kids grow up and have their own kids you might be in a position to take them all?

We went to Hong Kong Disney. I think it’s a smaller one but it’s amazing. Early in the day hardly any queue for the rides. And even at the peak it was never that bad. Maybe 20 mins. We used the app which shows the wait times and would use that to decide what to go on next. We went on a Friday and sat too.

(Just to add we don't indulge that choice as we want to see other things, but he would go to Disney every year if I let him pick!)

At the moment, I can’t afford Paris let alone Florida due to the cost and the fact that for me I’m restricted to school holidays, for 3 nights we are looking at approx £4,000, two weeks in Florida we are looking at approx £10,000 and this is August.

When for the same price as 3 nights in Paris I can do a week in Berlin (this includes flights, hotel and activities (2,000) as well as (2,000) for food) we have decided to do this and focus on other experiences.

Walt Disney World I don’t think has recovered from Covid and the decisions made to recoup money lost. Paid for fast passes has been a real game changer for me in terms of magic lost.

at the sane time I think Paris still has some, went in the summer for 3 nights and got on all the rides, saw shows, parade and fireworks. Eurotunnel and then there are staycity apartments and I reckon you could get it in budget

Disney is not a mandatory part of having a happy childhood.

Admittedly my children aren't motivated by the concept and it's a relief because the thought of paying £££££ to endure hours and hours of crowds and queuing and umpteen levels of pre-planning is very unenticing.

The best holiday thing mine love is damming a stream on a beach. They love a bit of time and space to roam around and low pressure between outings.

My most iconic memories of being on "holiday" were going to stay with cousins and playing out with them. I got some foreign holidays every few years and they were interesting and worth going on but not particularly child-centric.

Disney also offer a programme where students can work there for the summer or for a full year as a cultural representative in Epcot. They have a modern campus for them all to live on at Flamingo crossings. So even if you don’t take them if they want to they can get there at 18/19.

I wanted to say we never went as children and it really hasn’t coloured my life experiences. I have zero desire to take my children either. Family holidays are about spending time together. I don’t think sweating buckets in crazy queues is the way forward

We went once as young teenagers. I'm glad I went as an older child because I remember it properly and was big enough for the rides and to cope with queues! Could you make a savings plan and do Disney in 5 years?

I’ve never been to Disney and I’ve never taken my kids and never intend to.
We could have a few decent self catering holidays in interesting European destinations full of culture and good food for the cost of 2 weeks of American cr*p!

I took my now 20 yr old and 15 yr old kids to Disney twice as kids. They don't ever remember it or even give a shit tbh lol

DISNEY SUCKS! The holiday we went to Mexico for the same amount of money, is the holiday they always talk about. The holiday that they obviously had that "special feeling" from.

My teen loves Disney as do I. We are going to Disneyworld Florida again post A levels her choice. The 200 girls on our girlguides trip last week were age 10-16. Most of my group had never been. Several were emotional and cried at castle and parade. A little one was so happy to have met the real Donald Duck. The older cool ones were putting stories on instagram.

I'm honestly baffled by this - Florida is terrible! It's like visiting old age home the size of a country.