Today’s participation subject is a topic that has been coming up more frequently over the last few years as the parks have become more expensive, and at the same time, the cost of living has increased substantially. For many, that means cutting down on luxuries like travel is the first move to accommodate their new financial responsibilities. Simple factors like the rising cost of fuel meant that families were now asking themselves more than ever, how much is too much to spend on your vacation?

For me, the answer is simple, leaving Australia is always expensive, no matter where you are going. As it would be on any island, you are limited in cost-cutting measures when a plane ride is required. Everything has changed in the current world post-introduction of COVID-19. Flights have skyrocketed, exchange rates are unpredictable, and sufficient travel insurance is much more complicated than it used to be. So, when is it simply all too much and not worth the experience? The answer will be different for everyone, so I thought we might make the question a little more specific to the subject that brings us all together. How much is too much to spend on your Disney Vacation?

I’m a middle-of-the-road type of person. I’m not one for the deluxe resorts – even though they are incredible, I can’t justify the cost once factoring in the travel component – which means there is definitely a hard out for me on what I can spend to stay in an official Disney Resort. The longer the stay, the cheaper I need to find a way to do it, and sometimes that means staying off-site altogether. If you take a stay at Disneyland, for example, even a basic 2-day park hopper ticket is going to set you back $345 per person. For my family of four, that’s $1,380. Okay, if you consider what you would spend on a full two days of entertainment in school vacation time, that’s not actually that bad. Staying at a Good Neighbour hotel and being smart with food and merch purchases, it’s not impossible when rolled into a more extensive trip where the daily average cost can be evened out a bit.

Where do you find your financial value in your time at Disney, and what aspects do you shy away from as being over the mark? A big one for me is to limit Disney Table Service meals to one or two special ones. Sacrificing those extra meals for cheaper options can help get me over the line to keep Disney a viable destination for my family. What tricks keep Disney on the table for your family?

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