To think a (not Paris) Disney holiday is possible for the average working family?

[Lilylouis]

DD is nearly 9 and has wanted to go on a Disney holiday for years.

We took her sibling who is 11 years older to Florida, before DD was born (not thinking we’d be able to have another) and it was a once in a lifetime experience and nowhere near as much money back then- we both also had better paid jobs and our mortgage wasn’t as high add onto that the COL.

We wouldn’t do Paris for personal reasons I’d rather not go into.

Do any average families do any Disney holidays?

Currently we have to save hard for a week in Spain!

How do people do Disney?

We are going in a month. Costing about £7k excluding spending money for 2 weeks.
We’ve saved hard. We went to Paris disney a couple of years ago and LOVED it so this will be even more magical.
No it’s not compulsory, nor is it everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s always been a thing for kids even when I was a kid 40 years ago.
We prioritised this holiday over a new kitchen because making memories with our children means more than having a nice house to us.

Am amused by the PPs who are desperate to share how they would HATE Disneyland, and don't want to go anyway! The OP didn't ask any of you whether it was your thing or not. The cultural snobbery on here is rife.

We’re going tomorrow to Disneyland Paris. We’ve paid £3000 for flights and hotel with breakfast for 5 nights, family of 4. Anticipating £1000-£1300 to spend on food and merch plus transport. I’d say we’re average income wise and I’m a SAHM but we have paid it monthly since October. We could’ve used savings to pay for it upfront though.

We prioritise holidays over anything else “fun”. That’s how we afford it. Plus we both work 2 jobs, it used to be that all of job 2 was “spare” for savings, holidays, Christmas etc, but that’s less so now. It’s got harder but we still manage.

I couldn't afford to bring my DS to Disney, but my ex brought him, literally a Disney Dad!

Paris is the obvious answer for your DD - if you won't go there can she go with her Dad or big sister for a couple of day? And make the ticket her Christmas or birthday present.

This must be costing you over 10k, though. That’s a huge amount of money for a single parent cater, however frugally you live!

Totally agree. I especially love the people who are desperate to tell you they they could absolutely afford to go but choose not to 😂

If you are saving hard for a week in Spain then you would need to not go on holiday for a year minimum and keep saving or look at cutting the budget/making extra to save quicker.

What’s your budget OP?

Firstly, I’d look at Los Angeles rather that Orlando. You can do a custom package with BA Holidays with a week in Anaheim (for Disney) and a week in LA or Universal City (for Universal) for under £6k for a family of 3 for 2 weeks in mid-August including car hire.

Obviously you need to add park tickets to the price but LA is better weather and you will have a more rounded holiday than if you go to Orlando.

Nothing that’s expensive but isn’t highbrow seems to rattle a certain type of mumsnetter.

I consider us to an average family and we go every year.

Florida, California and Paris this year, but its my big bday so have saved extra.

I love the Disney bubble.

By the way, I know that the OP said that they don’t want to do Paris which is fair enough, but I was just commenting to say that a Disney holiday of some type can be doable for average families, obviously very much dependent on circumstances! It would be at least 1/3 of our savings if not more for the 4 of us to go to Florida, which for us wasn’t worth it when we could do Paris for such a lot less. Again, just for perspective, not for OP personally.

Paris really isn’t comparable to Florida though, it’s a very different holiday, and pound for pound, really not sure it’s any better value. Cheaper sure, but most holidays are compared to Florida so you could say that for any holiday.

Look at Tui. They had a great deal early April. 7 nights for 4 in a mid range Universal hotel, including Virgin flights at decent times for £3.8k. You’re on site so transport was by boat to the parks. You’d need to add tickets and meals, but it seemed a great deal.

We love Greece, but ended up going to Florida twice last year instead as it was cheaper to do so! We got two fab last minute flight and accommodation deals which were far better value than the European options available at the time.

It's true that adding theme park tickets bumps the price up, but if you just want one day in Magic Kingdom it is possible on a budget. The last two weeks of August tend to be a good option as most US schools are back, ticket prices drop and the queues are more manageable.

And, there is plenty to do that doesn't cost £££. For example, you can park at Disney Springs for free and get free transport to any of the Disney resorts....Art of Animation has loads of Disney theming for little kids, you can watch the magic kingdom fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian Resort. Animal Kingdom Lodge has savannahs full of animals and all the hotels do free activities including movies under the stars and smores around the camp fire.

We have been to Disney a few times (Florida, California and Paris). We have done the big blow out trip which was great fun, but have equally enjoyed a more relaxed experience on a budget.

Please don’t write off a Disney/Universal holiday. We got back yesterday and booked an amazing deal only four weeks before we went for the first week of the Easter holidays. It was actually cheaper than holidays to Turkey/Spain and weather far better too. Park tickets are extra of course but many websites offer discounted tickets and join the Facebook site It’s Orlando Time for tips.
We shopped In Walmart, often took sandwiches, drinks and snacks to the parks and my dc aren’t interested in buying merchandise really.
There are budget resorts that offer free transportation to the parks so you don’t need a hire car either. It’s our favourite holiday and whilst we don’t go every year, I would forego other things in life to be able to go.

I wish my kids had preferred our Greece holidays over Florida, but alas Florida has been their favourite and the one they want to return to most. We are compromising by doing California instead as I’d prefer to go somewhere new if we are spending over £10k! But im sure we will do Florida again.

I suspect many of the people who are saying it’s rubbish haven’t been, or at least haven’t been to Orlando. I was never particularly interested in going, thinking it was a bit tacky and preferring to do road trip type holidays and city breaks focusing on culture, then my eldest got really into rollercoasters and we decided to give it a go. We loved it, the bubble really is quite something - everyone there to have fun, it’s a genuinely very positive atmosphere. I would recommend going when it’s cooler - we’ve been in July and January and the latter was much better - I also recommend staying on site if you can.

We've been to Tokyo too, and far prefer Orlando - the American positivity and friendliness really make it. I absolutely loved Japan otherwise (and FujiQ highland is an incredible theme park) but no one does Disney like America.

@ChristmasCwtchwe booked with Tui last minute and paid around that including accommodation at a Universal resort.

Disney used to be affordable with a fair bit of saving but not now.
We were there (Florida) last year (california the year before) and the cost of tickets etc was crazy. Many of the fast pass equivalents are now charged. Food in or out of the parks is extortionate. We will not be back because we simply can't afford it.

Toyko Japan is better and cheaper but it's not run by Disney but you'd never know. Check out the cost of going there, it may well work out cheaper overall like it did for us.

Wait until new Universal Studio opens?

I wouldn't want to go to Disneyland anyway (went to the Paris one - absolutely not my cup of tea, the four rides were OK but the rest was boring and tacky, sorry Disney lovers!) But if you were going to take the family to one of the US ones, it's going to cost upwards of £6K (and that's a very modest estimate, probably nearer £10K) for a family of four so I think that puts it outside the budget of most ordinary working families. I know some people who go every year and can only assume they've got inherited money of some kind stashed away! Although having said that, the husband of one of them did go to prison for fraud!

My dh is a good earner and I'm an average one and we definitely can’t afford Florida although we could stretch to Paris I think if we really wanted to. My colleague and her husband (who are both presumably on a similar salary to me) go every single year to Florida. I’m dying to know how they afford it!

I grew up with the original Grimms versions and don’t believe that every step mothers is out to kill her step child.
DD grew up with a mix of both and loves her education, isn’t remotely interested in a romantic relationship and plans her life as she wants. She will be 18 in Summer.

i read mainly romance novels but definitely don’t expect a man to rescue me. I also read cosy mysteries and crime novels and don’t think my neighbour is in fact a murderer.

I am sure the majority of people do understand the difference between fiction, a Disney theme park and real life. If not, then the parents didn’t do a good job.

Ds1 read all of Game of thrones at 11. I had no idea what they were about 🙈 He has a normal relationship late 20s. Would it have been different if he'd had a twin sister? 🤣

@Lilylouis you'll already know if you like Disney. I went 3 times before dc. Love it. That was Florida one.