I was just at Disney at the height of spring break. With Genie+ I was able to ride everything and see a couple of shows including Fantasmic. The amount of time they spent eating both meals at sit down places and then building light sabers is what really only allowed them a couple of rides.
Everyone chooses how they wish to spend the day at the parks but doing what they chose and then complaining how much it cost and what they didn’t get to do doesn’t really show how you can spend a day and get all the rides.
That’s what I was thinking. How do you pay for G+ and only get on two rides? Are the G+ lines really over two hours long? I’ve never been to WDW, just DL, so I don’t know how the times are there. It just seems more like poor planning than the fault of the park.
That’s what I was thinking. Probably over an hour for the sabers easily, and 2 hours for supper – maybe more depending on table wait time & time to get there. And if the funnel cakes were a snack after the full lunch, our family would have shared one or two. Probably half of that ended up in the trash.
I was just at Disney at the height of spring break. With Genie+ I was able to ride everything and see a couple of shows including Fantasmic. The amount of time they spent eating both meals at sit down places and then building light sabers is what really only allowed them a couple of rides.
Everyone chooses how they wish to spend the day at the parks but doing what they chose and then complaining how much it cost and what they didn’t get to do doesn’t really show how you can spend a day and get all the rides.
We cancelled our family (9) Disney World trip after looking at the prices. Instead we’re going to Hershey Park which is only a 5 hour drive for us vs plane or 2 day drive. Tickets are $44 vs $150.
Photo pass photos are not cell phone quality they are amazing and shots you dont get. Lighting lane and genie+ are great. Yes Disney is expensive but people know this before they go. And if you can’t afford it stay home. These are the kind of people that complain about everything in hopes of getting something free
I’ve done a week at Disney (multiple times) for $4k. I’d rather spend my money on awesome food and park tickets than souvenirs and deluxe resorts (team moderate for life!).
It is up to you as to how much you spend….Lightning lanes are optional so is Genie+. I have never spent that much in one day, it seems this family likes to spend money. It is called budgeting and you need to do this to a certain extent. I had a party of 6 and we never spent that much in a day not even a quarter of that with a table service meal, all considered adults. I understand trying to give your kids the ultimate Disney experience but you made that choice not Disney. Don’t complain afterwards, it was your money and your decision.
I’m a huge Disney fan and let me tell you the Disney Visa card is a great help. If you spend a year paying most of your bills on the card, you can easily accumulate $500 or more worth of rewards, even factoring in the annual fee for the card. Additionally, the card gives you 10% off most of your purchases, plus there are constant offers through the year as a Disney Visa holder where you could save 30% on your hotel costs, she could have taken advantage of such. bookings. If she’d had the card and used it in all the advantageous ways I bet she could have gotten all of the same stuff and experiences for about $1500 less.
Dude you ain’t lyin’!! We use it for all house expenses and pay it off every month. Then we take a 2-3 day trip on the back end of our Florida week and walk into Disney with at least $500, my best friend and his family of 5 go every other year to build points and they build it up to $2-2.5K, pays for half their trip. All it takes is a little logistical planning…which obviously this lady didn’t do. By the way, if you spend $800 on lightsabers, 1) you’re an idiot but to each his own, 2) you’re either an idiot to can’t financially plan or just another person who speeds way more than earn and complains about it later to whoever will listen. Have a great day
While a lot of her purchases were unnecessary like the lightsabers and other souvenirs.. Disney didn’t price planet Hollywood or their nighttime experiences. But the park tickets are easy overpriced. I would never spend money on the lightning lane or genie plus after spending over 125 a ticket for something that used to be free ( fast pass).I think it was both of the faults..NO..I would not spend that much!!
We had a party of 5, went to Epcot and Magic Kingdom, had lunch at Crystal Palace, and stayed at one of the resorts and still did not spend close to that!! I’d like to know where they stayed that cost them $1,000 a night!
She obviously made expensive choices then complained? You don’t have spend that much to have a great Disney vacation. Stay offsite at Disney Springs like Drury (free breakfast). Choose quick meals, maybe 1 special dining option. Pre purchase Mickey ears online to take with you. Allow one souvenir and set the price.
Like everything in life make choices that fit your family, it might take some planning.
Being from the UK we’re accustomed to a huge spend – our vacation for 4 (2A, 2C) last year for 2 weeks easily topped $20K. Admittedly that was staying at AllStars Music (logistics required a suite there) but one of my friends recently did the identical trip and spent almost $25K!
Yes but you spent $20 grand in 14 days. She spent a fifth of that in 1 day. That’s insane.
Of course it doesn’t mean she would’ve spent that every day but they obviously didn’t budget if you’re complaining you spent that much in a day and once again half of that were things they didn’t have to buy.
No. I couldn’t afford the ticket prices and cost to stay at a value resort. Besides I feel if you don’t have a cell phone with the necessary apps you are limited what you can do even with good planning ahead. First, if you don’t have or can’t make a reservation to a park cause it’s full on the day you bought the tickets for, you made a trip for nothing and are out ticket money and the cost of transportation and parking..
What’s so magical about that?
P.S. do you still charge the guests at your hotels for parking in the hotels lot daily?
To me that is insult to injury
I’m a single mother. I took my 3 kids to Disney in 2019 for a 6 days. I went to the airport counter to purchase tickets supposedly cheaper if you do it that way. We had a layover but that was fine because on that first day I knew we were just going to get settled in. The tickets were $550 round trip for four of us. I planned something for each day on a budget. We only went to one Disney Park..Magic Kingdom. I purchased the all day meal plan for Sea World. Disney didn’t have that option. I purchased souvenir T shirts for us to wear to Disney. The other days included Clearwater Beach, Sea World and Aquatica water park and one day we just stayed at the hotel and swam in the pool. I always make sure to stay somewhere with a kitchen where I can buy groceries and make quick meals. We did eat at Disney and it cost $70 for everyone to have a hot dog and a drink. The place we stayed in was Villas in Kissimmee. A whole week stay only had cost about $700. Altogether with hotel , food ,tickets for park and plane and a rental..I spent about $4000-$5000 at the most. That was a trip for four people. I knew I wasn’t going to all the Disney Parks and that was fine because guess what? The kids liked Sea World better and keep asking to go back there not Disney. They got tired of the long waits and the crowd at the end of the day but we all had fun on the entire trip. Btw..The Sea World and Aquatica tickets were altogether about $80-$90 each and that was for 2 parks a person. If anyone wants to save money sometimes you have to do your own research and piece everything together. It worked for me.
Well I was a born and raised in Southern California and we always had annual passes. Witch gave a discount, that got higher & higher every year. In the beginning it started at $99.00 a year. I remember when we were kids we could get in after 5:00 pm for $ 15.00 or $20.00 dollars I believe.
No one forced her to spend what she did. Now she’s upset. Boo Hoo.
The meals are not mediocre. The photos are not cell phone quality.
If you have Genie+ you can get on all the rides you need unless you’re too busy complaining or don’t know what you’re doing.
This woman should have done a lot more research before going to Disney World. Much of what she spent money on was not necessary. My family has been there several times and we enjoy it so much, for significantly less than what this family spent.
I have been to every Disney park world wide and WDW twice in the last two years.I have spent maybe that much in a week tops.
Obviously its more with a family but it’s not $4000 a day more either. That’s nuts. It’s called planning and budgeting. If you want to spend thousands a day you can obviously do that, but no one is forced to spend that money at any of these parks
And I can’t figure out how do you spend $800 dollars on 3 lightsabers when they are only $200 apeice. And
state sales tax is only 6%.
Either way yes the parks are expensive, but you have to show some restraint on your part if you’re going to complain about it later.
I’m a senior, annual pass holder, and have been to WDW over a hundred times. That includes week long stays and weekend getaways. Lately prices have jumped so high we stay off property most of the time but not always. We stay at Westgate Resorts in a deluxe studio, Yes there is a kitchen, compares to a Disney Vacatrion Club unit but NICER for a cost less than Disney Value Resort room and only 10 minutes from the entrance to Magic Kingdom. We pack snacks to take into the parks and a container of liquid flavoring to put into the FREE iced water available everywhere in the parks that sell soda in cups. We split the gigantic hot dog at Casey’s in MK as its too large for one person and get the french frys when we feel the need. For dinner shrimp in a basket w/frys for $15 is a best buy at Olympia House. Animal kingdom we split the rib dinner at Flame Tree BBQ and are satisfied with the low price getting two sides and cups of water. In Epcot you can’t beat the fish and chips offering next to the UK pavilion. Hollywood Studios find a burger or salad across from the entrance to Fantasmic under $15, We can eat at any Disney park rwice a day and not spend a bankroll. Has Governor DeSantis funded the family that spent $4,000 in one day to stop ordianary folks from visiting the most Magical Place in EaThe hated Genie+ is awful, varies in price and makes sense for first time visitors that plan their visit and use their cell phones to make ride reservations. The extra cost outweighs waiting in longer lines. For folks staying a few weeks per year it may pay for one family member to buy an annual pass that includes the Photo Pass and free parking. The lower cost annual passes exclude weekends. Parking a car at parks for 10 days costs $250 or more but free with an annual pass.
All the comments that people make are ridiculous and biased.
Truth is: I am a Disney Adult, first went to Disneyland in 1971 and with my first Job, working through school, the total for about 3 days, with a friend was around $300 including driving, tickets, food and shopping.
That was about a weeks paycheck, working part time at a Department Store during the Summer, full time.
2022 we went to Disney World, for 8 days, and the amount we spent was about $9,000 for the 2 of us.
Now we can afford to go, but the amount we spent in 2015, and spent 5 days at Disney World and 2 days at the most expensive hotel at Universal, was about $5,000.
People, who write that they were able to ride any ride they wanted, I applaud them. My experience the last few times was the Magic Kingdom was so over crowded, we left after about 4 hours. Epcot, animal Kingdom were not as crowded and do-able. Hollywood Studios was packed, but we were able to book a few rides, buying Genie and Lightning Lane. Remember… you have to purchase these items first, then book whatever you can to reserve a ride. And doing this at 7am, you get whatever time is available to book!
The woman who spent 1 day, and getting light sabers and other items, yes they are expensive, but maybe that is a once in a lifetime trip.
Yes Disney is overpriced, so is going to a baseball game, football or any sporting event now. Baseball is $50+ per person just to get in, not including food and drinks. Parking is also another fee! A major league event for a family of 4 can be well over $400 for 4 hour game.
I was reading that the average household income needed to be middle class is $99,000 a year. Housing costs, price of cars, inflation, taxes, all these item add up. Is Disney too expensive, YES, but somehow the parks are packed, so people are coming up with the $$$ to spend at the Most Magical place on Earth.
It seems that Disney Parks are now for the people who save, or the upper middle class. And last thought, why go to Disney Parks and fight, over people, be rude and cause disturbance and get kicked out of the parks, as sometimes covered in insidethemagic articles.
Disney is a Happy place and people should respect the magic, embrace it! Save, for the vacation, maybe go every 5 years, and enjoy the Parks as an experience.
If I were to spend that much in a day & I had no restrictions I would definitely have the private escort around the parks. I would stay at the Swan or Dolphin, if I wanted deluxe w/out the deluxe price. I would have a quick breakfast early dinner/late lunch. Then a light dinner/snack. Souvenirs are subjective; what I would splurge on another guest would find unnecessary. One person may prefer shopping over more rides. For me, the best souvenir is PhotPass.
Who gives a rip what another family spends on THEIR vacation? If they have the money, they can spend it how they choose. Not one dime of my money was used for them, so why would I care? I don’t and neither should anyone else. I do have a problem with the OP belly-aching about what was spent, especially when done on social media. The spending was totally theirs and they should own it.
disney has lost their minds. what would walt say !! he built this wonderland for the family unit. who could really afford a week there. i don’t know many middle class families that would be comfortable spending that kind of money for a weeks vacation, a month maybe i dont have any desire to have anything to do with disney after the way they treated johnny depp before the outcome they hung him as guilty. seems they’re doing the same with the rock. shame on you disney. you should have never woken up. go back tio sleep and hopefully walt appears when you finally wake back up i know im wishing upon a star
Comments for Family Slammed for “Insane” Spending at Disney World
Randy H
No, never.
Racefan1
I was just at Disney at the height of spring break. With Genie+ I was able to ride everything and see a couple of shows including Fantasmic. The amount of time they spent eating both meals at sit down places and then building light sabers is what really only allowed them a couple of rides.
Everyone chooses how they wish to spend the day at the parks but doing what they chose and then complaining how much it cost and what they didn’t get to do doesn’t really show how you can spend a day and get all the rides.
Teddy Gingerich
That’s what I was thinking. How do you pay for G+ and only get on two rides? Are the G+ lines really over two hours long? I’ve never been to WDW, just DL, so I don’t know how the times are there. It just seems more like poor planning than the fault of the park.
Jenny
That’s what I was thinking. Probably over an hour for the sabers easily, and 2 hours for supper – maybe more depending on table wait time & time to get there. And if the funnel cakes were a snack after the full lunch, our family would have shared one or two. Probably half of that ended up in the trash.
Dawnf
I was just at Disney at the height of spring break. With Genie+ I was able to ride everything and see a couple of shows including Fantasmic. The amount of time they spent eating both meals at sit down places and then building light sabers is what really only allowed them a couple of rides.
Everyone chooses how they wish to spend the day at the parks but doing what they chose and then complaining how much it cost and what they didn’t get to do doesn’t really show how you can spend a day and get all the rides.
Ruth
We cancelled our family (9) Disney World trip after looking at the prices. Instead we’re going to Hershey Park which is only a 5 hour drive for us vs plane or 2 day drive. Tickets are $44 vs $150.
Elmer Fudd
Ruth, you’re call, your decision. You do you. I’ve been to Hershey, I’m sure you’ll have a great time.
Sean
Photo pass photos are not cell phone quality they are amazing and shots you dont get. Lighting lane and genie+ are great. Yes Disney is expensive but people know this before they go. And if you can’t afford it stay home. These are the kind of people that complain about everything in hopes of getting something free
Deb
I personally would not spend 4k a day ,but if money was not an issue I probably would if I wanted to
Whitney King
I’ve done a week at Disney (multiple times) for $4k. I’d rather spend my money on awesome food and park tickets than souvenirs and deluxe resorts (team moderate for life!).
Diana
It is up to you as to how much you spend….Lightning lanes are optional so is Genie+. I have never spent that much in one day, it seems this family likes to spend money. It is called budgeting and you need to do this to a certain extent. I had a party of 6 and we never spent that much in a day not even a quarter of that with a table service meal, all considered adults. I understand trying to give your kids the ultimate Disney experience but you made that choice not Disney. Don’t complain afterwards, it was your money and your decision.
Paul W
I’m a huge Disney fan and let me tell you the Disney Visa card is a great help. If you spend a year paying most of your bills on the card, you can easily accumulate $500 or more worth of rewards, even factoring in the annual fee for the card. Additionally, the card gives you 10% off most of your purchases, plus there are constant offers through the year as a Disney Visa holder where you could save 30% on your hotel costs, she could have taken advantage of such. bookings. If she’d had the card and used it in all the advantageous ways I bet she could have gotten all of the same stuff and experiences for about $1500 less.
Joe
Dude you ain’t lyin’!! We use it for all house expenses and pay it off every month. Then we take a 2-3 day trip on the back end of our Florida week and walk into Disney with at least $500, my best friend and his family of 5 go every other year to build points and they build it up to $2-2.5K, pays for half their trip. All it takes is a little logistical planning…which obviously this lady didn’t do. By the way, if you spend $800 on lightsabers, 1) you’re an idiot but to each his own, 2) you’re either an idiot to can’t financially plan or just another person who speeds way more than earn and complains about it later to whoever will listen. Have a great day
DB
While a lot of her purchases were unnecessary like the lightsabers and other souvenirs.. Disney didn’t price planet Hollywood or their nighttime experiences. But the park tickets are easy overpriced. I would never spend money on the lightning lane or genie plus after spending over 125 a ticket for something that used to be free ( fast pass).I think it was both of the faults..NO..I would not spend that much!!
Tim
We had a party of 5, went to Epcot and Magic Kingdom, had lunch at Crystal Palace, and stayed at one of the resorts and still did not spend close to that!! I’d like to know where they stayed that cost them $1,000 a night!
M
She obviously made expensive choices then complained? You don’t have spend that much to have a great Disney vacation. Stay offsite at Disney Springs like Drury (free breakfast). Choose quick meals, maybe 1 special dining option. Pre purchase Mickey ears online to take with you. Allow one souvenir and set the price.
Like everything in life make choices that fit your family, it might take some planning.
DylanG
Being from the UK we’re accustomed to a huge spend – our vacation for 4 (2A, 2C) last year for 2 weeks easily topped $20K. Admittedly that was staying at AllStars Music (logistics required a suite there) but one of my friends recently did the identical trip and spent almost $25K!
Tiger
Yes but you spent $20 grand in 14 days. She spent a fifth of that in 1 day. That’s insane.
Of course it doesn’t mean she would’ve spent that every day but they obviously didn’t budget if you’re complaining you spent that much in a day and once again half of that were things they didn’t have to buy.
Suzer
No. I couldn’t afford the ticket prices and cost to stay at a value resort. Besides I feel if you don’t have a cell phone with the necessary apps you are limited what you can do even with good planning ahead. First, if you don’t have or can’t make a reservation to a park cause it’s full on the day you bought the tickets for, you made a trip for nothing and are out ticket money and the cost of transportation and parking..
What’s so magical about that?
P.S. do you still charge the guests at your hotels for parking in the hotels lot daily?
To me that is insult to injury
Ms. Kind
I’m a single mother. I took my 3 kids to Disney in 2019 for a 6 days. I went to the airport counter to purchase tickets supposedly cheaper if you do it that way. We had a layover but that was fine because on that first day I knew we were just going to get settled in. The tickets were $550 round trip for four of us. I planned something for each day on a budget. We only went to one Disney Park..Magic Kingdom. I purchased the all day meal plan for Sea World. Disney didn’t have that option. I purchased souvenir T shirts for us to wear to Disney. The other days included Clearwater Beach, Sea World and Aquatica water park and one day we just stayed at the hotel and swam in the pool. I always make sure to stay somewhere with a kitchen where I can buy groceries and make quick meals. We did eat at Disney and it cost $70 for everyone to have a hot dog and a drink. The place we stayed in was Villas in Kissimmee. A whole week stay only had cost about $700. Altogether with hotel , food ,tickets for park and plane and a rental..I spent about $4000-$5000 at the most. That was a trip for four people. I knew I wasn’t going to all the Disney Parks and that was fine because guess what? The kids liked Sea World better and keep asking to go back there not Disney. They got tired of the long waits and the crowd at the end of the day but we all had fun on the entire trip. Btw..The Sea World and Aquatica tickets were altogether about $80-$90 each and that was for 2 parks a person. If anyone wants to save money sometimes you have to do your own research and piece everything together. It worked for me.
Dawn A Gonzales
Well I was a born and raised in Southern California and we always had annual passes. Witch gave a discount, that got higher & higher every year. In the beginning it started at $99.00 a year. I remember when we were kids we could get in after 5:00 pm for $ 15.00 or $20.00 dollars I believe.
Maya
I spent over $14,000 my last trip. When you consider all the great memories, that’s nothing.
Elmer Fudd
No one forced her to spend what she did. Now she’s upset. Boo Hoo.
The meals are not mediocre. The photos are not cell phone quality.
If you have Genie+ you can get on all the rides you need unless you’re too busy complaining or don’t know what you’re doing.
Jim
This woman should have done a lot more research before going to Disney World. Much of what she spent money on was not necessary. My family has been there several times and we enjoy it so much, for significantly less than what this family spent.
Tiger
I have been to every Disney park world wide and WDW twice in the last two years.I have spent maybe that much in a week tops.
Obviously its more with a family but it’s not $4000 a day more either. That’s nuts. It’s called planning and budgeting. If you want to spend thousands a day you can obviously do that, but no one is forced to spend that money at any of these parks
And I can’t figure out how do you spend $800 dollars on 3 lightsabers when they are only $200 apeice. And
state sales tax is only 6%.
Either way yes the parks are expensive, but you have to show some restraint on your part if you’re going to complain about it later.
Diana
A deluxe resort or a villa, possibly a 2 bedroom?
Paul
I’m a senior, annual pass holder, and have been to WDW over a hundred times. That includes week long stays and weekend getaways. Lately prices have jumped so high we stay off property most of the time but not always. We stay at Westgate Resorts in a deluxe studio, Yes there is a kitchen, compares to a Disney Vacatrion Club unit but NICER for a cost less than Disney Value Resort room and only 10 minutes from the entrance to Magic Kingdom. We pack snacks to take into the parks and a container of liquid flavoring to put into the FREE iced water available everywhere in the parks that sell soda in cups. We split the gigantic hot dog at Casey’s in MK as its too large for one person and get the french frys when we feel the need. For dinner shrimp in a basket w/frys for $15 is a best buy at Olympia House. Animal kingdom we split the rib dinner at Flame Tree BBQ and are satisfied with the low price getting two sides and cups of water. In Epcot you can’t beat the fish and chips offering next to the UK pavilion. Hollywood Studios find a burger or salad across from the entrance to Fantasmic under $15, We can eat at any Disney park rwice a day and not spend a bankroll. Has Governor DeSantis funded the family that spent $4,000 in one day to stop ordianary folks from visiting the most Magical Place in EaThe hated Genie+ is awful, varies in price and makes sense for first time visitors that plan their visit and use their cell phones to make ride reservations. The extra cost outweighs waiting in longer lines. For folks staying a few weeks per year it may pay for one family member to buy an annual pass that includes the Photo Pass and free parking. The lower cost annual passes exclude weekends. Parking a car at parks for 10 days costs $250 or more but free with an annual pass.
David M
All the comments that people make are ridiculous and biased.
Truth is: I am a Disney Adult, first went to Disneyland in 1971 and with my first Job, working through school, the total for about 3 days, with a friend was around $300 including driving, tickets, food and shopping.
That was about a weeks paycheck, working part time at a Department Store during the Summer, full time.
2022 we went to Disney World, for 8 days, and the amount we spent was about $9,000 for the 2 of us.
Now we can afford to go, but the amount we spent in 2015, and spent 5 days at Disney World and 2 days at the most expensive hotel at Universal, was about $5,000.
People, who write that they were able to ride any ride they wanted, I applaud them. My experience the last few times was the Magic Kingdom was so over crowded, we left after about 4 hours. Epcot, animal Kingdom were not as crowded and do-able. Hollywood Studios was packed, but we were able to book a few rides, buying Genie and Lightning Lane. Remember… you have to purchase these items first, then book whatever you can to reserve a ride. And doing this at 7am, you get whatever time is available to book!
The woman who spent 1 day, and getting light sabers and other items, yes they are expensive, but maybe that is a once in a lifetime trip.
Yes Disney is overpriced, so is going to a baseball game, football or any sporting event now. Baseball is $50+ per person just to get in, not including food and drinks. Parking is also another fee! A major league event for a family of 4 can be well over $400 for 4 hour game.
I was reading that the average household income needed to be middle class is $99,000 a year. Housing costs, price of cars, inflation, taxes, all these item add up. Is Disney too expensive, YES, but somehow the parks are packed, so people are coming up with the $$$ to spend at the Most Magical place on Earth.
It seems that Disney Parks are now for the people who save, or the upper middle class. And last thought, why go to Disney Parks and fight, over people, be rude and cause disturbance and get kicked out of the parks, as sometimes covered in insidethemagic articles.
Disney is a Happy place and people should respect the magic, embrace it! Save, for the vacation, maybe go every 5 years, and enjoy the Parks as an experience.
Connie
If I were to spend that much in a day & I had no restrictions I would definitely have the private escort around the parks. I would stay at the Swan or Dolphin, if I wanted deluxe w/out the deluxe price. I would have a quick breakfast early dinner/late lunch. Then a light dinner/snack. Souvenirs are subjective; what I would splurge on another guest would find unnecessary. One person may prefer shopping over more rides. For me, the best souvenir is PhotPass.
P.C.Knott
Who gives a rip what another family spends on THEIR vacation? If they have the money, they can spend it how they choose. Not one dime of my money was used for them, so why would I care? I don’t and neither should anyone else. I do have a problem with the OP belly-aching about what was spent, especially when done on social media. The spending was totally theirs and they should own it.
jami
disney has lost their minds. what would walt say !! he built this wonderland for the family unit. who could really afford a week there. i don’t know many middle class families that would be comfortable spending that kind of money for a weeks vacation, a month maybe i dont have any desire to have anything to do with disney after the way they treated johnny depp before the outcome they hung him as guilty. seems they’re doing the same with the rock. shame on you disney. you should have never woken up. go back tio sleep and hopefully walt appears when you finally wake back up i know im wishing upon a star
Comments are closed.