Why Middle Class Can't Afford Disney

[MillauFr]

i live and work in the country not a big city like Seattle. I'm not moving.

I am moving. As soon as I retire I moving to a smaller town. It will be to a place where I don't have to drive much though.

 

[crisi]

People have lived in places like Phoenix and Las Vegas before anyone had AC. You don't need AC.

Now Wagyu Beef and 1st growth Bordeaux wines. I couldn't survive without either. I wouldn't last a week.

And people died of heat stroke, and still do die of heat stroke, in places like Phoenix and Las Vegas. So yes, you CAN live, you can also die because you didn't have AC.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

People have lived in places like Phoenix and Las Vegas before anyone had AC. You don't need AC.

Now Wagyu Beef and 1st growth Bordeaux wines. I couldn't survive without either. I wouldn't last a week.

But places like Phoenix and Vegas wouldn't exist and didn't exist as they presently do now. The ability to move easily to places out west and the south is directly correlated to the invention and usage of A/C. If that didn't exist or wasn't readily available and in usage then the density of the U.S. would look quite a bit different.

Between 1950 and 2000 the Sunbelt region of the U.S. went from 28% to 40% of the nation's population.

Also A/C is important for modern workforce productivity too.

Of course A/C isn't available everywhere (we actually stayed in a condo in Oahu this past September without A/C though we had trade winds and front window slats along with sliding glass doors in the back to allow air to circulate) but it sure has led to a lot of societal changes and that's not just in the U.S.

 

[crazymomof4]

Anyone with WDW experience could pick this article to shreds.
It's trying very hard to be disney repellant but will only work with the un-schooled!

I love how it says "While some rooms at Disney resorts cost a little more than $100 a night, many others are hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Parking is $20 if you’re not staying at a Disney hotel"

OK so lets look at just this tiny bit of the article.
They admit you can get a room onsite for "a little more than $100 a night"-- I am challenged to find a decent hotel room on an exit off I-95 for that!
But then they quickly go to "others are hundreds or even thousands of dollars" -- Hey Ya shocker! There are hotel rooms in all price ranges. How is that any different from anywhere else in the world? Should ALL wdw hotel rooms be "budget". Would that make everyone happy?
Then they say, "Parking is $20 if you're not staying at a Disney hotel" --- Yes Ok so subtract that parking fee from the room that is a little over $100/ngt and you've got an even better bargain for an onsite room. Cheaper than a Hampton Inn off exit xx in the middle of nowhere and included in the disney room you get shuttle and luggage handling to and from MCO and transportation all around WDW property to all the entertainment and fun you want..... for the length of your stay. Try getting a Hampton Inn to drive you to the local McDonalds 2 miles down the road FOR FREE!

Puleeeze!

Stadium parking at an Eagles game is $40. (um twice WDW rate)
Seats are super expensive. We got tix from DHs boss that were priced at $200 each! For a FEW HOURS!! Not all day!
Food/drink is sloppy and outrageously priced and so are any souvenirs.

A few hours at an NFL game makes my rope drop til closing at any WDW park seem like a DEAL!!!

btw- I recently paid $22 for parking near a Phila museum for 9am-3pm. So we're complaining about $20 for all day? Really?
Stop the Disney hate!

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

My elementary school and junior high had no AC. My high school only had AC in the offices, the library and the cafeteria. We survived.

I am not saying don't pay for AC to save for a Disney trip, but I think we have a skewed view of what is required vs what is a luxury in his country. Cars - not required. Do they make life easier? In most places - yes. But a necessity? No. Once again - car over Disney trip? For me - car. But - most every family owning a car or cars is a recent thing in this country. We had one growing up. My aunt and uncle had 2. Two other sets of aunts and uncles had none. My grandparents never owned one. So - not necessary.

My husband grew up in NC and some of the schools he attended didn't have air conditioning either. Sometimes they had to cancel school because it was too hot. So while they survived, it was obviously less than ideal.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Stadium parking at an Eagles game is $40. (um twice WDW rate)
Seats are super expensive. We got tix from DHs boss that were priced at $200 each! For a FEW HOURS!! Not all day!
Food/drink is sloppy and outrageously priced and so are any souvenirs.

A few hours at an NFL game makes my rope drop til closing at any WDW park seem like a DEAL!!!

btw- I recently paid $22 for parking near a Phila museum for 9am-3pm. So we're complaining about $20 for all day? Really?
Stop the Disney hate!

Same-day parking for the Chiefs is $60 per game this year. Pre-purchased parking is $35.

In 2016 parking was $40 same-day and $30 pre-purchased.

Back in 2014, which is when they started charging different pricing for same-day vs pre-purchased, same-day parking was $30 and pre-purchased was $27.

So if you look at it parking for same-day its doubled in 3 years.

*That being said I'm sure the parking for most is more or less because the other expenses add up to $X amount that it becomes a big enough deal at Disney*

 

[Sarahslay]

First off, I can't get past their numbers in the beginning. We are a family of 4, going in December, staying deluxe with free dining but an upgrade to deluxe dining...and we aren't even reaching $6000 for a 6 night stay with 5 day park hoppers! Our last trip was a moderate resort stay, 4 nights with 3 day hoppers, a nice quick vacation but it was well worth it and enough for us. It cost us a bit over $3000 after food and souvenirs because we went all out on food. We are solid middle class, middle class, and the only thing we do is prioritize saving and spending. Want to go to WDW? Save for it! Look at the budget, look and see how much you can afford, and plan your vacation accordingly. We can't stand just sitting around a beach, we want a lot of fun, so it's worth it to save hard to go on the vacation we want. It's not unattainable.

 

[heather13]

I'm doing a long weekend in DC and it's going to cost me the same if I had stayed at Disney for the same amount of time. My only money saver is that I'm driving to DC. Not every place is cheaper than Disney and Disney isn't the most expensive place either.

Did you see my post about Disney vs Hersheypark? A very little difference in cost. So local amusement parks (that are comparable to Disney) in a driving distance and only really saving me airfare.

I'm surprised you've found that DC is more expensive. Generally flights into DC within the US aren't too pricey and once you're there almost all attractions are free. We were able to visit DC several years ago for about $1,500 with food and without airfare (which is usually about the price to fly to Orlando). Although if you compare one of the top downtown DC hotels vs Pop Century you're right. Agree about Hershey Park though and you don't even get the same feel as Disney. But with Disney there's so much pressure to buy the Photo Pass, to buy the ears, to reserve character dining... food is definitely cheaper every place else we go! You are definitely correct that it's not the most expensive place on earth (Paris, London, Auckland are up there) but sometimes it really feels that way!

 

[Skippyboo]

D.C. can be done on the cheap if you stay outside the downtown area and take the metro into town. If you are in the downtown area, you are looking at 200 to 300 bucks a night and plus parking if you have a car. Also the big tourist attractions are the monuments and museums and they are free. That's not going to be the case in most other places. You go to the beach in summer you paying 200+ a night for oceanfront rooms.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I don't do WDW every year and I don't want to do it every year. But we do go on one big trip to somewhere every year. We also do a few weekend trips (couples, with kids, girls/guys trips) throughout the year.

Could we do two big vacations a year? Sure but I refuse to give up my year long luxuries for one week of fun. I like cable, I like getting my hair done every 8-10 weeks, my nails and pedicures done. We don't drive new cars or go to lunch everyday or do Starbucks. I know people like to throw out there that a concert or sporting event can be $300-500 for one night and you could save that for a trip. But I refuse to live all year doing nothing for one week of entertainment.

 

[mom2my3kids]

It can be done, but it has gotten a bit harder for us as a family of five. All my kids are adult ages so its pretty expensive, but so worth it. We just went this past June, it will take us at least two years to save for our next Disney trip.

 

[Lvsdisney]

I'm surprised you've found that DC is more expensive. Generally flights into DC within the US aren't too pricey and once you're there almost all attractions are free. We were able to visit DC several years ago for about $1,500 with food and without airfare (which is usually about the price to fly to Orlando). Although if you compare one of the top downtown DC hotels vs Pop Century you're right. Agree about Hershey Park though and you don't even get the same feel as Disney. But with Disney there's so much pressure to buy the Photo Pass, to buy the ears, to reserve character dining... food is definitely cheaper every place else we go! You are definitely correct that it's not the most expensive place on earth (Paris, London, Auckland are up there) but sometimes it really feels that way!

I'm staying in Alexandria and near a metro. I'll compare that to staying on property due to the convenience factor. My three nights, including parking us $700 for 3 nights. And yes, some museums are free, but others aren't and they add up. And food prices aren't cheap. The metro is also more expensive than it used to be.

ETA: again it's about perceived value.
And I don't find flying into MCO very expensive, but I'm on the east coast, so I don't have a long flight to beGin with.

 

[Westcoastwild]

D.C. can be done on the cheap if you stay outside the downtown area and take the metro into town. If you are in the downtown area, you are looking at 200 to 300 bucks a night and plus parking if you have a car. Also the big tourist attractions are the monuments and museums and they are free. That's not going to be the case in most other places. You go to the beach in summer you paying 200+ a night for oceanfront rooms.

$200 is really not too bad for a major city and I've stayed at some really nice DC hotels for less than that depending on the season. DC is one of my cheapest trips but I generally spend the whole time in the Smithsonian. I could see it being an expensive trip if you do all of the tourist stuff and day trips, which a lot of people do.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I'm staying in Alexandria and near a metro. I'll compare that to staying on property due to the convenience factor. My three nights, including parking us $700 for 3 nights. And yes, some museums are free, but others aren't and they add up. And food prices aren't cheap. The metro is also more expensive than it used to be.

ETA: again it's about perceived value.
And I don't find flying into MCO very expensive, but I'm on the east coast, so I don't have a long flight to beGin with.

DC food prices depend a lot on where you eat. If you get off the beaten track, it's pretty cheap. Admittedly though, it's hard to get off the beaten path in DC.

I agree that it's about perceived value and it does make a difference where you live. I like Disney but it can't compete with Smithsonian for me. Beyond that, it's usually much cheaper for me to fly to DC than Orlando.

 

[PollyannaMom]

For me, personally, I see things as far more of spectrum than just need vs. want. I need calories. I might want them in the form of Wagyu beef, but that is on the luxury end of want. Tennis shoes from the second hand store may be functional, but my feet will be a lot healthier if I actually spend a little money on shoes - however, I don't really need $300 shoes - that, again, is a luxury want. A roof over my head is a need, one in good repair without health hazzards, need. One with a bedroom for each of my kids....middle class want. One with granite countertops and cherry cabinets and a media room - luxury. Down time is, I believe, a need. Going somewhere is a middle class want. Taking a three week cruise around the Greek Islands - luxury.

I like the spectrum description a lot! Things are definitely not divided into absolute needs and absolute luxuries. (Take the A/C example, for instance. - Yes, people lived without it, but no, it's not completely frivolous either.)

Could we do two big vacations a year? Sure but I refuse to give up my year long luxuries for one week of fun. I like cable, I like getting my hair done every 8-10 weeks, my nails and pedicures done. We don't drive new cars or go to lunch everyday or do Starbucks. I know people like to throw out there that a concert or sporting event can be $300-500 for one night and you could save that for a trip. But I refuse to live all year doing nothing for one week of entertainment.

Exactly! There are things I'm willing to give up to save for vacation and things I'm not, and those will be different for each person. (For instance, I'm with you on cable, but flipped on a couple of your other examples - I do my own nails but enjoy more meals out.) I think many people could afford Disney if it was really all that mattered to them, but there is definitely a point where you can't afford it without giving up too much.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I like the spectrum description a lot! Things are definitely not divided into absolute needs and absolute luxuries. (Take the A/C example, for instance. - Yes, people lived without it, but no, it's not completely frivolous either.)



Exactly! There are things I'm willing to give up to save for vacation and things I'm not, and those will be different for each person. (For instance, I'm with you on cable, but flipped on a couple of your other examples - I do my own nails but enjoy more meals out.) I think many people could afford Disney if it was really all that mattered to them, but there is definitely a point where you can't afford it without giving up too much.

Between cable and cell phone bills we could easily take an extra vacation each year. I would save a bit over $400 a month. But we like our iPhones (we all have the 6) with a high data plan. And I have a lot of premium cable channels. It's what works for us. I think we do it in moderation. We like our cell plan but we don't buy the latest and greatest phone every time one comes out. We like our cable plan but every two years we flip to the other company that gives us a better deal.

 

[Skippyboo]

DC food prices depend a lot on where you eat. If you get off the beaten track, it's pretty cheap. Admittedly though, it's hard to get off the beaten path in DC.

I agree that it's about perceived value and it does make a difference where you live. I like Disney but it can't compete with Smithsonian for me. Beyond that, it's usually much cheaper for me to fly to DC than Orlando.

If you are eating at the museums, you are going to pay out the nose, but if you go a couple streets off the mall. You can find cheaper food.

 

[DawnM]

I just got back from a THREE WEEK trip from NC to CA and back for 5 of us, 3 teens, and we went to Disneyland, all for around $5,000. Unfortunately, $1,200 of that was spent on two day DL tickets, which is the most per day I have EVER spent, but we got to CA and the boys asked to go, so go we did!

BTW: If any of you are interested, we stayed in Anaheim at an RCI resort called Wyndham Dolphin's Cove, in a 3 bedroom place. We paid $999 with taxes and fees for a 7 night stay. It wasn't our cheapest Disney stay by any means, but CA is more than FL, and we were there during peak season. We could walk to one of the Disney parking lots and get a ride on the Disney shuttle for free from there.

$800 Gas
$1000 Hotel in Anaheim
$1400 other hotels around the area and in travel
$1200 DL tickets
$500 various other activities

We didn't count food costs as we typically just budget our regular grocery and eating out budget (that we would use at home anyway) during the trip. I think we *may* have spend an extra $300-$400 above our regular budget for that. We ate at DTD and CityWalk and went to a few specialty places we love in LA that cost a bit more, but overall we were pretty good with our food budget.

 

[DawnM]

Between cable and cell phone bills we could easily take an extra vacation each year. I would save a bit over $400 a month. But we like our iPhones (we all have the 6) with a high data plan. And I have a lot of premium cable channels. It's what works for us. I think we do it in moderation. We like our cell plan but we don't buy the latest and greatest phone every time one comes out. We like our cable plan but every two years we flip to the other company that gives us a better deal.

I have considered cutting Cable TV again, but never do. It is around $60/mo. We have Tivos so we don't pay for the DVR service.

Our cell phone bill is reasonable and when I look at the alternatives, it wouldn't save us all that much. DH's work pays about $80 of it, so our portion is around $125 for 5 phones and a tablet. That includes our payments on 2 of the actual phones themselves.

 

[DawnM]

And, to answer the OP, what exactly are we defining as middle class?