I often talk to people about their plans for a Disney vacation and get several variations of the same answer, something like "It's so expensive, I want to wait until all the kids are old enough to remember it because we're only going once." While I don't think that everyone has to go on a Disney vacation every year, I do think that it's easier than people think to go more than once. Don't get me wrong - I think it's incredibly important for kids to have a variety of trips and experiences as they grow up, and see the world in more ways than just Epcot's World Showcase. But, I hate to see parents get SO stressed out trying to make the perfect, once in a lifetime Disney vacation, when in reality, Disney can be both an affordable and repeatable vacation!
Affordability:
Over the years, Disney has developed a variety of options for accommodations, tickets, and dining that will fit many budgets, making Disney a lot more affordable than people realize! I think the stigma of Disney being "The Priciest Place on Earth" probably stems from the fact that in the early years, there were only 3 hotels to choose from, the Contemporary, the Polynesian, and the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Unless you were camping, there wasn't really a budget-conscious hotel option if you wanted to stay on Disney property. Over the years (and many theme park guests staying in nearby Kissimmee), Disney realized that they needed more options - Disney attracted a wide variety of guests, so they needed resorts to fit a wider variety of budgets. Disney launched the first "Moderate" hotel, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, in 1988. In 1994 Disney expanded their budget choices even further when they opened the first "Value" hotel, Disney's All-Star Sports Resort. Currently, there are 8 "Deluxe" resorts, 4 "Moderate" resorts, and 4 "Value" resorts (with the 5th, Disney's Art of Animation Resort, slated to open in 2012), plus the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, and 7 Deluxe Villa resorts.
So back to my original point (trust me, you're glad I got back on track here...I think I could have gone on about the history of Disney resorts for at least a couple more pages), the affordability and repeatability of a Disney vacation. Disney runs promotions very frequently - in fact, right now, there is both a free dining package offer and a room only discount offer. If you plan your vacation around these promotions, it can make a world of difference! Let me give an example when you travel during low season and a promotional offer...
Family of 4 - Mom, Dad, Child #1, age 6 and Child #2, age 9:
Travel Dates: November 12 - 18, 2011 (6 nights/7 days)
Resort: Disney's All-Star Movies Resort
Tickets: 7 Day Magic Your Way Tickets
Dining: FREE Quick-Service Dining
Total: $1764.94
That comes out to about $78 per person, per day for everything* - hotel, theme park tickets, and food! If you take Disney transportation, you don't even need to rent a car - from the moment you arrive at the Orlando International Airport, Disney can provide transportation to your hotel, theme parks, and Downtown Disney.
*Note that airfare is not included in this quote, due to the wide variety of pricing from various departure points. To easily quote your own airfare, I recommend Hipmunk!
Please note that the free dining promotion must be booked by October 29!
Repeatability:
Not only can a Disney vacation be affordable, but it can also be repeated without feeling repetitive! As I mentioned before, there is a wide variety of accommodations that can transport you to a variety of destinations. On one vacation, you can stay at the All-Star Movies Resort, as provided in the example above, and be immersed in a larger than life version of classic Disney movies. On the next trip, you could stay at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and be transported to the National Parks - the Wilderness Lodge is modeled after the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park, and trust me, it really takes you there!
Not only can you stay somewhere new, but you can have new experiences each time as well. Maybe you took your preschooler on your first trip and spent a lot of time at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom theme parks due to their wide variety of options for young kids. Then you take your second trip a few years later, and you expand your adventures to Epcot where you can visit all the countries in World Showcase, and take part in the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure! Traveling with older kids? They'll love the 2 water parks and DisneyQuest interactive theme park. Did you know that you can rent boats on the Seven Seas Lagoon? Or take a behind the scenes tour at the Magic Kingdom where you visit the legendary underground Utilidors? There's so much to choose from! I've taken over 20 trips to Walt Disney World and there's still so many things I haven't experienced there, and I never have the same vacation twice!
I hope this helped shed a little light on how and why it's possible to visit Walt Disney World more than just once! Have questions? Please don't hesitate to email me at cara@magicalconcierge.com!
Have a magical day!
