Help me work out where to go please

[rebl]

I have girl/boy twins, 5 in April.

Ask ds he would like to go to Toy Story land lol (aka Disneyland). Or Thomasland (a daytrip then!).

Ask dd. She lists - Princess castle, see the real Jessie, see the real Father Christmas, the Great Wall of China and Pandas, Australia to see kangeroos and koalas, America to see wolves, Africa to see lions, elephants etc.

My lifelong dream has always been to take my children to see Father Christmas in Lapland. We have scrimped and saved for years towards this.

We have clearly got to the age where we are starting to think about booking the Lapland holiday. Thing is, this has taken YEARS to save for, we've got £3000. This is a very large sum of money for us, its something that we'll not be able to do again for 10 years or so.

£3000 is not enough for a 5 day trip. We're £1000 short and we refuse to put this on a credit card. So we've been looking at other options and our most realistic option is 2 days or 1 day. So I was about to book it until I looked up how long the flights are, 5.5hrs . Looking at the itinery for the 1 day its only 4 hrs actually there, for £2000 . Thats £500 an hour!!!!!!

So we then thought maybe look at Disneyland Paris and the castle. £2284 for 2 days.

So we then looked at Australia £2800 for 2 weeks with car hire. We would stay with family.

We've tried to look at Florida flydrive but got so confused we've not worked out a price.

China - around £4000 so not enough money.

Safari - Start at £4000 so not enough money.

So, would you go with your life long dream which is stupid money but is a dream that lets face it we've got a very small window to ever be able to do it?

Or would you go on to Disneyland Paris which would satisfy both dd and ds but still seems a lot of money for just a couple of days?

Go to travel agent to get help on pricing Florida and go there if its less than £3000?

Or would you wait another couple of years until they were a bit older and then go to Australia?

Hi rebl

weeeellll.

I have always wanted to take the dds to Lapland too. but I baulk at the cost. mayeb in the future. but it's so much money for such a short time.

we went to Australia summer 2009. it was our last holiday guaranteed to have all of us there (dh has 2 grown up children form his first marriage), so we pushed the boat out. dd1 was just 5. dd2 was 2.6. neither of them remeber it now (wll, they do if they look at the photos, I htink, but htey remember things like the beach, and sandcastles, not the koalas and kangaroos (and we saw loads of kangaroos!) family is a big incentive there, though, surely? as you must not get the chance to catch up very often? again, maybe if that is the case, one to leave a couple more years until the children will really remember it?

we are planning florida for this summer. the prices are scaring me, but dh has to fly business class (previous DVT) and he is trying to insist we all do . villas near disneyworld are really cheap though - we are looking at spending about £700 for a huge place (have other family coming with us), all kitted out and luxurious.

I would try to do florida, tbh. it ticks most of the boxes for the children - castle, toy story, animals at the animal kingdom bit. you could delay, go nearer Christmas and do the Father Christmas bit too I'm sure? (weather cold though).

Out of those options I'd do Oz. Deffo rule out Lapland, that is crazy money.

Florida I didn't love that much but we had no kids with us, would be amazing for little ones of 5 or 6.

I cant understand why it costs so much to go to Paris Disneyland? How did you get your figure? is that what an agent has quoted or did you do your own research?
Im sure 3k would be enough to do that. Happy to help with research if you like, but unsure where you live for starting point

Re Paris Disney, are you looking at the Disney hotel? Why?

There are loads of beautiful gites in the area for a fraction of the cost.

In fact, let us know vague dates and I'll have a look. :)

I'd do Florida personally - as it's not just disney but other stuff too - and the water parks are great, and so is the shopping. I've been to Disney Paris and florida - and Paris was a rip off IMO. Florida can be done a bit cheaper - especially eating out, etc.

Main costs are the park tickets, but food can be cheap, accomodation cheap and if you book car hire in advance you can get good deals - and same for flights - need to hunt around a bit - or consider going indirect. :)

I'd be having a look at Orlando rather than Disneyland Paris. Euro/pound sterling rate is still pants and its all thus very expensive.

Lapland is a long way north. Not worth it in terms of cost.

Australia is the best part of 2 days on a plane to get there. Not worth going all that way for two weeks.

Safari is also out as apart from cost (and vaccinations) many companies have a minimum age limit re children to actually go on safari.

An indirect flight as well if you were going to Florida will put hours on your day. A same day internal transfer through many US airports can be a real test of endurance particularly for young children.

3K should be enough to purchase some flights to FL at the beginning of December along with some nice accommodation (nice time of the year to go, its cheaper than at Christmas and the parks are not so crowded).
Embassy Suites is a nice chain of hotels and they also do free breakfast.

If we are going to not go to Lapland we would be looking to actually be away on 30th April, and be over any jetlag if possible. They break up on 15th April. We would fly from Manchester or Liverpool. If those dates mean the parks will be horrendously busy (dd has panic attacks in crowds) we would rather go out of the school holidays and they go back to school on 4th May. School would give us the time off, they actually encourage 2 weeks holiday within school time which I know is odd but seems true as others have already got their permission for going in away in June.

The Disneyland Paris price I got from their website and yes, its the Disney hotels.

After talking with DH again last night we would much rather go to Florida than Paris. Warmer for a start.

Scratch Lapland off the list.
Day trips are not worth it and of course as you are travelling in winter any flight delays will wreck it anyway. I have done the day trip - nightmare - and also a 3 day trip. TBH, if the UK had weather as it did a few weeks ago you could put your own Lapland trip together with a trip to Harrods and a trip to the National Wildlife Centre to look at their lovely reindeer herd.
I was at Gatwick on 19 December (survived a 36 hour flight delay) and encountered a number of really sad families who were due a Lapland trip. Don't risk it!
I'd try for Florida if you can get something decent and activities/passes for £3000. Once the kids have been through Disney's Animal Kingdom they will think they have been on safari anyway!

Don't write Lapland off completely, we have done it three times with our kids and we are doing it again end of March. The way to do it and not get ripped off is to incorporate it as a ski holiday. Each time we have booked a weeks ski holiday with Inghams half board and we visited Santa as a days excursion which we paid for when we got there. Obviously this would only work if as a family you were keen on skiing or wanting to learn how to ski. It's a fantastic place to learn to ski, so safe and so child friendly. I guarantee that the cost of you all to go for a week wouldn't be anywhere near as expensive as the rip-off trips of 1-2 days.

Oh I agree English, we had a lovely time on our longer trip. However in the OP's particular position I would not use the nest egg for Lapland.

Going to Florida this summer ( July) and flights for2+ 2 are costing 3,300 direct. Can't see florida being possible when you add in the cost of park tickets and accommodation on top.

Have another look at Disney Paris. That quote seems a lot of money. Can you stay in a different hotel? Newport Bay is good. We stayed for 4 nights last November for £800, with flights and food probably spent £1600 in total. Also under 7 stay and go in parks for free.

I went to the travel agent today. We can't do Florida. Its just shy of £3000 for flights, villa and car hire. We would need another £900 for park tickets and we just can't find that sum of money.

The travel agent was really helpful and she worked out a cheaper Disneyland Paris trip for us of £1200. She thought that given our childrens ages this would be better anyway. She agreed that Lapland is a rip off (the Santa trips) and they're some of the most expensive holidays per day that you can possibly ever go on.

This seems like the best option for us. We then will have over half of our money left over which we can continue to save into for when they are much older and maybe go to Australia or China then. Plus, I've just started looking at passports and thats going to cost us significantly as well which I hadn't really factored in before so this way we'll be able to afford those as well (slightly essential really ).

Which hotel have you priced for Disneyland? I've just been quoted £2500 for family of 5 for 4 nights in Disneyland Hotel. That is for Feb school holidays.

I also meant to add that Lapland is fab...so magical. My advice would be to wait as I went when my children were 7 & 9 and were able to appreciate and enjoy everything on offer. The trips start very early and we found ourselves having breakfast at 6am, so although 5yr olds would still love it, I feel your money could be better spent.

hi Rebl, if you are thinking about Disneyland Paris, check out the eurostar website, as they have deals going for train/accomodation packages