Any Costs That Just Get to You?

For me... its the park passes. I know... its the meat and potatoes of the experience. Without them you cant get in. The way we try to do it is we get Annual Passes, and go the week after Thanksgiving, and the week before Thanksgiving so that we can get the most out of it. Even with the DVC discount... for us to go this year will be over $1,700. I just keep thinking... wow.... we could use that for other things. Better birthdays, house, food.... but then I remember... we need this. Its our vacation, and I settle down a bit. Its definitely something where I miss being a kid going to Disney.... lol

Mase, if you want to feel better about spending that money just figure out what your cost per day is. I always thought they were pretty pricey too. But last year I figured out that for us the cost per day that we were in the park came out to just over $22 each.

Next on my list was paying for the internet. We were very happy to see that change last year.

I'm so with you! I mean, just to walk in the gate for one day, my family costs $546. That can be pretty hard for me to choke back, especially because we do shorter trips and often only have 3 park days so can't take advantage to the discount for bigger amounts of days at the park.

Last year my roommate and I had one day. We wanted to do Animal Kingdom and go on the new Trek adventure. It was going to cost us $700, for one day at Animal Kingdom, not including food or drinks or shopping. I hear the Trek is fantastic, but $700 for two people! I just don't have that sort of expendable cash, even on vacation. So, we went to Epcot and I probably won't be doing that Trek any time soon.

For us, it's definitely the park passes. And I know what you mean, it's the main thing so of course it's going to cost more. The little difference between kid passes and adult passes gets me too.

Agreed! Its been nice the past couple years... our youngest has been free. But this year she is gonna cost, and our son... EVEN THOUGH HE WILL BE 9 WILL NEED AN ADULT PASS. That is a huge issue with me. At least make it 13.... not 9....

I try.... I try........... lol

Jess tries to keep me level headed about it... lol

When I was there my biggest peeve was the cost of beverages. I know it sounds weird and I tried to take advantage of the refillable mug for the resort. I'm a big water drinker and forgot to pack my water bottle. to buy a bottle of water was something like $4. The water was awful so I didn't like to refill my bottle. I learned my lesson, next time i'll go off property when I get there and buy some bottled water.

$4.99 for those Uncrustable Peanut Butter and Jelly's. Seriously? I mean those things are expensive at home but at least a box of 6 is like 5.99.

Who says your son is 9?

I know it sounds horrible, but my grandpa used to take me to a local theme park every summer when I was younger. Their adult price started at 12, so up until the summer before my senior year of high school, I would say I was 12! I look young for my age and it was a $20 difference in price. My grandpa always told me I didn't have to lie about it, he didn't mind paying but I told him it was already too expensive and we could just use that money for food & souvenirs!

Stupid things like tissues or those toilitries you accidently left at home! When I travel with the family, we always stay on property and don't bother with a car so our only way of getting these things is in the hotel shop - my mum paid over $10 for 5 small packets of pocket tissues...we can get a pack of 10 for less than PS1 at home!

That ticket price hike is crazy. We haven't experienced it yet because DS is 2 so he will be free this trip. Hence, why we are going now and not next year. Seriously, if we booked a package when he was 3 he would need a ticket AND the dining plan? Crazy town. We probably won't go again until hes 5 or 6.

Now... I have to admit. The Dining Plan for the kids is a great value. ESPECIALLY when you do places like Ohana that is all you can eat and such. And the counter service is great to. When it starts to stink is when they get close to that 6-8 range. Evan wasnt getting enough to eat this last trip, and was eating off ours.

I think the cost of food inside the park is the most ridiculous. Currently I'm planning a trip for me and my girlfriend and doing the budget for the tickets and the plane and hotel is gonna be pretty expensive. But when I started to research the menus for eating everyday it gets depressing! I understand they are going to charge that high, it is a theme park after all. It just sort of blew my mind because this will be the first trip I've gone there when I will be paying for everything as opposed to my family.

Ah, welcome to adulthood! (thats what I tell my kids when they something like that )

Haha so true!

We go every year and we do the entire package 6 nights/ 7days park tickets for each day Deluxe dining plan park hopper passes water parks and more and we book it as soon as possible and break it down into payments til its paid off in time for our trip then we have very little out of pocket while we are there. Tips and anything we might want at DTD or any other shop but I bought a lot of that stuff on line over the year so we don't have to purchase it while on vacation. Last year the kids had about $500 in Disney Gift Cards a piece from saving their money and family to buy stuff they wanted. So I really I guess I don't pay that much attention to every individual price. I like not having to worry about money. It is vacation after all.

Exactly MicRac, we do the same here every trip, have it all paid off before we go, and have the cash to cover anything we want while we are there. Don't want to have to worry about how I'm going to pay it off when we get back.