3rd time for WDW, feel bad for friend who doesn't go

[sillyminny]

It takes a lot of planning, both financially and strategically, to go to WDW.
I still feel bad for a friend who cannot for $$$ reasons. I just don't tell her i am booked far in advance unless she asks.

Anyone else know other families like this?

 

[susy]

Yes! My best friend. We are FL residents and bought season passes. Just came back from our fourth trip. My friend bought into Calypso Cay last year and has never gone. They are going to sell (because of lawyer's fees- parental visitation issue). I feel really bad. Hopefully things will look up for them!

 

[SheDaisy0088]

Same here!! We are Florida residents and have friends that are not able to go!! Actually they are going with us on our next trip in 13 days. However, it will only be for 2 days and we are going for much longer! They are realy funn to be with they just don't have the money to go on a longer trip... Trying to talk them into buying annual passes!!

13 more days to go!!

 

[sillyminny]

My other friend's parents (not the ones I was talking about above)
just gave them their airmiles (I didn't know you could do this, but I learn something new everyday) so they are going in 5 months. They are staying at a hotel that also takes airmiles.


I do feel bad for friend #1 but her dh spends about $400 CDN on smokes a month ($3600=lots of US cash about $4700) and she says they could go on that amount alone. Not coming down on all smokers but he could do more with that money. That is 2-3 packs a day. wow.

 

[Kate-n-sam]

My DSIL, can afford to go but is too cheap to. My family has been five times in 2.5 years, and I'll admit has cost a fortune and we are still paying for those trips, but I've always been one to say "hey you only live once!" and wouldn't trade those memories for anything. Anytime my SIL hears we are going, I get the, it's soooo expensive, they'll never remember it line, blah blah. I feel so bad for my nephew who keeps asking mom to go. So anyway SIL calls me last month to see if I'll go with them because airfare is so cheap and gets me all excited, then she calls the next day and says no way because the admission is so rediculously high. I guess it's for the best because I would never hear the end of the prices for food and snacks and souveniers etc....

Anyway, I'll step down from my soapbox.

 

[SandraC]

I posted my friend's story recently. She has been talking about going to WDW for years but said she wants to wait until her kids are older and they have the $$$$. Well, everytime they have the cash, the spend it. The other day we were all the DS and her kids looked bored. They told her they don't want to go to WDW because they are too old. My friend missed the boat. I was very sad for all of them. S

 

[jadyson]

My brother in law and sister in law have brainwashed their kids into thinking that WDW is a bad place that creates evil in people. I'm serious! They are a very religious family, number 6 child on the way. They simply cannot afford it, even on a NASA scientist salary. When the kids hear we are going to WDW again, they are un-interested (ages 10, 8, 6, 4, and 18 months). It is horrible to see the jealousy in their eyes at that young age. WDW will never be in their childhood memories because their parents could never afford the trip.
The best thing is--Guess where Mom and Dad honeymooned and celebrated their 5th Anniversary (kids stayed home with Grandma)? I don't even have to tell you.

 

[SandraC]

I know a gal, who is jealous of EVERYONE. She took her dd to Florida when her dd was 7 years old and they didn't go to WDW. She said the Florida trip was just to visit her parents who are Snowbirds, but still ~ I don't understand how anyone can bring a 7 year old to Orlando and NOT visit MK. When I chat about WDW, I see her cringe. The last time we went, she said, "You know, there are other places in Florida to visit." I said, "Yes, I've been to them all too and our fav is WDW so we visit often."

I can't tell you how many people I've met (usually casual friends, because my close friends are fabulous) who SAY they don't like WDW ~ but then they'll go and brag about the trip for weeks before they depart. Those are folks who don't MEAN WHAT THEY SAY, SAY WHAT THEY MEAN AND ARE USUALLY VERY MEAN. S

 

[sillyminny]

My sister went to WDW for 2 days (while in Orlando for 7 days) and then said SHE didn't like it (while her kids adored it) and then she she stayed in the parks for only 2 hours a day. Expensive eh as she bought her passes at the door.

She spent a lot of time at the outlets. mmmmmm

I will take her kids next time.

 

[Lars624]

I have had a lot of people ask me what the right age to take their kids to WDW is. My response is that there is no wrong age!! I'e taken my kids as young as 1 (now 6) and this year in May my twins were 13 (they'll still be 13 when we go in Feb.) and they still love it! My DS13 told me after Fantasmic that he really still finds WDW magical. That brought tears to my eyes!

 

[travelitis]

My cousin is like this about all my trips, Disney or not. Her husband makes more than twice what mine does, and we're both at-home moms with 3 kids. She had $1000 of Beanie Babies, but they couldn't afford a family vacation. This year my dh nearly offered them our 2nd bedroom at the timeshare to make a trip to WDW more affordable, but my thought was that since they were house hunting in the $200-$250k range, they could afford their own digs. Our priority is travel, and theirs is getting as much house as they can afford. To each his own.

 

[susy]

I love it! My question would be "Who is going to do the cleaning?" We (DH, DS, and I) live in the 2bed/2bath condo I bought when I was single (with the help of mom and dad). We still have our hand-me-down furniture. Since we aren't rich, I have a choice- live here and get to "stay home" and take trips or have a house with new furniture, work full time , and not go anywhere.
I did the "nice 5 bedroom house with the pool , around the corner from Barry Gibb" thing when I lived with mom and dad. I know I wasn't any happier then.

 

[SandraC]

travelitis, I have the same deal with my SIL. My BIL makes tons more money than dh (his brother) BUT my dh is home at 4:30pm so we have dinner together as a family, dh is home on weekends and gets 5 weeks vacation a year. We are the type of family that spends a TON of time together. We don't have a lot of money, but we enjoy our trips together as a family and WDW tops the list. BIL and SIL don't go anywhere unless it's a business trip and they don't take their kids. BIL works all the time! He gets on a plane Monday morning in NJ and flies to either Dallas or Denver, where ever he is needed that week and then flies home Friday night. He only sees his family on weekends, but chooses to spend his time 'alone' on his $100,000 boat! BUT, it works for them. They love their THINGS and we love our FAMILY VACATIONS ~ who is right? We both are! As long as HAPPINESS tops the lists, everyone is right.

PS: NO ONE on their death bed says, "I wish I spent more time as the office."