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.

I know a few
People who have been to Disney in Florida recently and they had nothing good to say. Apparently it's gone really downhill. One of the people has been several times before and she was absolutely gutted. She won't be going again

My kids have been to DLP three times and absolutely loved it, including as teens last year. They have absolutely no inclination to go to Florida ever. Yes they might be missing out on a superior Disney experience in Florida but they don’t know that. They’ve ticked the Disney box and are extremely grateful for that. Efteling in The Netherlands was even better.

Different strokes for different folks. Many people enjoy it. The places I frequented were full of young families, apart from a few days in Anna Maria Island.

I find it really puzzling how some British people appear to idealise Florida Disney as this amazing experience that they need to aim for. The only explanation I can think of is successful marketing by Disney???

@Notcontent yes most likely, I remember to this day how the Disney world advert on my Cinderella VHS made me feel! That and the fact, for people who enjoy this kind of thing (heavily caveated as we are all different) it generally lives up to the hype. If it didn't, I don't think you'd get so many families parting with so much of their money for it, especially multiple times which many do.

I went to Disney as a young teenager and have always thought it would be nice to take DS once (he's 10 now but would want him to be old enough to get on all rides). I've not investigated costs though and if it's really over £10k I won't....it doesn't seem worth it in comparison to other things we could prioritise if we had that money. Yanbu though.

Most kids never go to Disney. I always say I would have been a terrible parent, because I would have ruled out any trips to Disney, even if I could have afforded it! Children will enjoy all sorts of holidays - just simple fun stuff on a beach, sailing on a lake, or camping etc etc - and they will remember it as "magical" too. Children really don't need over-commercialised and heavily marketed experiences.

Go to the Paris one - so much easier and just as fun. Take them out of school for a couple of days special treat. Early May, Disney Hotel Cheyenne Paris, 3 nights family room inc all passes £1700 or camp for a week and buy daily passes as a previous poster suggested.... I think Eurostar also do packages including the Disneyland Express from Kings X that takes you straight to the park....

My DD once asked me "when will we go to Disney?" as if it is a thing that everybody does!

I don't think I will ever take them to Disney, as there are far far better things to spend that much money on.

Maybe they will be able to go themselves when they're adults. I went for 1 day during a bigger holiday to California as an adult - the whole holiday cost less than a "Disney holiday" for a family, and to be honest I didn't think it was much different to any U.K. theme park.

You don't need to worry as your kids won't be missing something they haven't experienced. You have a memory which you are comparing things to. They don't have that memory.

Incidentally, we always went on British seaside holidays as a family until one year there was enough money to all go to Disneyland and all the Florida parks. It was a nice holiday, but none of us kids enjoyed it as much as our British seaside holidays, and I really am not just saying that!

I went to Disney in Paris as an adult and I enjoyed it well enough. My parents don’t do theme parks so never took us as children, I doh t they could have afforded it even if they had wanted to. We always had wonderful and very memorable holidays in the UK. I have no plans to take my own children to Disney anywhere - I took them to Alton Towers and that was expensive and stressful enough thanks!!

I think you would be very disappointed in Disney World florida compared to your childhood magical experience.

It's very hot. There is a lot of queuing. You have to be very knowledgeable in how to get the most out of the parks. Everything is extortionately expensive.

Where do you draw the line with your dc? There's always a new and better thing.

Save up and take them to a European theme park. Efteling or Europapark.

My kids never went and have never expressed loss of the experience. We had very basic holidays - Butlins style - and they remember them with fondness. We did little nice things at weekends as opposed to big holidays. No regrets.

I took my kids to Disneyworld for a week and they loved it. Then immediately when we got home their dad took them to Legoland and for weeks afterwards we heard about how amazing Legoland was. Never heard another word about Disney. Take your kids to Legoland.

Loads of great alternatives here!

When kids were younger,.we drove to Paris and camped at a campsite 15 mins from Disneyland,.we purchased annual passes, so free parking, access to magic hours.we went 5 times in a year (although stayed in cheap nearby hotel for NYE )

There are amazing theme parks in Europe, Plopsaland in Belgium (fabulous for little ones), Europa park and Phantasialand in Germany .

Was really impressed at the German theme parks,.queues even at height of the season no longer than 40 mins, food really good and reasonable prices. We got to see a bit of Germany .

We're trying Liseborg in Sweden this year too.

It's a great experience for whole family as as well as the adrenaline rush of thr Park, we get to explore outside the park too and soak up some new countries.

Disney now is very different from Disney then. It's too full, too commercial and too expensive.

My DCs have been several times as well as had lots of other holidays all over the world. If you ask them what their favourite holiday was they would tell you it was camping in the Scottish highlands with their grandparents.

Same here I went aged 11 and loved it. Best Holiday Ever.

but I’ve since learnt my kids can have fab holidays that don’t involve the mass consumerism and commercialisation of such places, and at a fraction of the cost.

I’m sucking up and taking mine to Disneyland Paris this summer for a couple of days. But no way is an Orlando trip worth £12-15k for our family. We could have four lovely holidays in Portugal for that kind of money.

Is Disneyworld Orlando there are issues with the rides that keep breaking down. Disney do not seem to maintain the park well at all.
I heard people exclaim over the choice of food at Epcot. Maybe if you live in a rural area with just one chinese takeaway you would be impressed, but I get better and more diverse food in the city I live in.
It can be fun, it is not worth the money though.

Disney really have done a number on people. Somehow they've convinced us that going to a theme park is 'magical' and an essential part of childhood, and that parents who don't take their children there are deprived them.

As a child, I always wanted to go to Disneyworld. I went with DH when I was 28 and had a great time! We
didn’t have kids then, just the two of us.

We did bring our kids eventually and they enjoyed it, but I’m not sure how much they remember it or if it was their favourite holiday. I think they liked going to Ireland better.

I’ll bet your kids enjoy the holidays you do take just as much as if you spent thousands on a Disney trip.

This is one review of Disney I read. She was particularly unlucky, but rides breaking down does not seem to be uncommon.

0905am: Space mountain. Got to the front of the que, only to be turned around because it had broken down.
0930am: People Mover. This broke down twice for 10 minutes.
1000am: Barnstormer. Had to wait 10 minutes to be escorted off the rail.
1030am: Left the park.

Returned to the park at 1545 after waiting all day in the virtual que for Tron.

1744: TRON. Currently sat on the floor outside the que entrance waiting as the ride is currently closed, due to it breaking down.

I think that poor person must have been very unlucky. I was there 2 years ago and only had 2 breakdowns in the 2 weeks I was there! And I was at a park every single day for the entire day.
Obviously plenty of things broke down when I wasn't on/ waiting for them. You could see on the app if rides were down. But it only happened twice while I was waiting for them. If it breaks down while you're on it you get a fast pass for when it's open again I believe.

Paris can be done on a budget. We’ve been 4 times in the last 13 years. Other holidays have been caravan holidays.

Onigiri? We have combined the two and gone to Disney Tokyo (and USJ in Osaka) a few times, which worked really well too 😊

Was it magical because it was Disney or because it's specially memories with your Grandmother?