How much time does he have? Our DS finished them all before he turned 9. While the books are huge, they are generally engaging enough that it becomes hard to put them down!
I do think watching the movies before going is a good idea…but, I think reading the books before watching the movies is best since there is SO MUCH the movies leave out.
I believe that if he finishes book 5 he will know enough to “understand” everything on UOR. There will be some names he hasn’t seen before, but the general plot of bad people are in gringotts he will be able to follow.
We leave November 8th and he’s more than halfway through book 4. Every break he gets, he’s got the kindle in his hands reading, so he may make it. But school just started up, so that may slow him down some depending on the amount of homework.
He keeps yelling at me that I need to catch up. We read the other 3 together.
For me, it’s more than 40 minutes…it’s also the 60 minutes beforehand that I would have had to make my 3 small children (7, 4, and 2) sit around doing nothing while we staked out a good spot. Yes, I know you can get a good last minute spot, but I’m not willing to risk it with a group of 6 including a double stroller. I’d rather spend that time riding another ride, then saunter up to the garden a few minutes before the fireworks start (we like the after party). So I guess we’re not paying $99 for that time, we’re paying $79. And it was only $69 for our dates. But I’m sure we’d pay the $79. Especially during party season when HEA is only shown a couple times a week and the crowds are going to be insane.
But to answer the original question, until my kids are older, I can’t think of another vacation that will allow us to all enjoy ourselves as much as Disney does. The beach leaves me a nervous wreck. I’m not paying to go to Europe or South America or Africa to listen to my little ones complain that they’re bored. (We moved overseas when I was 7 and I very much enjoyed all of our travels, but I just don’t see that being the case yet with my 7 year old little boy. And definitely not my 4 or 2 year old.) I’m terrified of cruises because I’m convinced that my daredevil boys will jump overboard…and I think they’re boring. We do go camping and to the lake, but those cost practically nothing for us (camping is obviously cheap and my mom lives on a lake). We tried Great Wolf Lodge this year, and while the kids loved it, as adults we were all miserable. So Disney it is. Maybe we’ll try some of the international Disneys here in the next few years so we can get in a little bit of culture first and then hit the parks. But again, not for a few more years. I don’t want to miss out on all the culture because I’m chasing a toddler around.
So the squeeze is there, but we’re gonna keep going and we’re gonna keep paying!
Same here. My son and I just got back from 5 day trip to Spain that cost significantly less than WDW.
I am very price conscious. I drive instead of fly. I only stay at a deluxe if I can get the really good DVC rental rate that my friend offers me renting points. if I can’t do that, it’s value or SOG. I use only Military Salute tickets. I refuse to pay the up-charge for CMs. I refuse to do the various “parties”. WAT is the only “tour” I’ve done, and is likely the only one I will ever do. I buy very few souvenirs (unless my wife is with me, then it’s a different story). The one area that I “splurge” on is food and drink. I have TS lunches and dinners most days, and several signature meals each trip. I drink pretty much what I want to. $8 for a beer? OK. $15 for a margarita? OK. But my breakfasts are little more than a coffee and a pastry and I have very few “snacks” during the day.
Not very. I’m like the frog in a pot of cold, now warm water. I’m not dead yet
Extremely. However, I have a slightly different way of budgeting than anyone I know. I categorize my budget according to my values. Disney falls under my core value of “Family/Connection” and is therefore one of the highest priorities for me to fund. The only things above it are housing, food, and savings.
Only because of my own doing. We used to go to Disney once every two years or so, then it increased to once a year, then in 2017 it bumped to a family trip and a couple trip. 2020 is looking like 2 couple trips and 1 family trip.
I heart this so much.
My price sensitivity is mixed and probably irrational.
I don’t even want to put in writing how much I have budgeted for our trip in May 2020, including a 4-night cruise and 7 nights at WDW for my family of 6 plus my wife’s sister (extra adult to help with kids). We will need two cabins on the cruise and are getting a 2-BR villa at BC … so, you can do the math.
But we only go to WDW every 3-5 years - our last full visit was in 2015 (did 1.5 days in 2017 while we were on the east coast). We are able to make a much more affordable annual trip to DLR to get our Disney fix, and still have enough travel budget leftover to go to Hawaii or Hilton Head Island or some other nice place for a week that doesn’t require admission.
I’m willing to splurge on:
What I’m not willing to splurge on:
Basically, if I’m already paying for something, I don’t like paying an upcharge to do a different activity when I could be doing something just as fun, or even the same activity at a different time, for no additional charge.
We have always went to Disney for my son’s birthday ever since he was 5. This year he wanted to go to universal so this August was our first time there. My now 10 turned 11 on the trip loved it and wants to go back there next August. He says he is done with Disney 
. I have to say that I really enjoyed it to. It had a less magical feel but I think that is because I grew up with knowing and watching Disney but not universal. It was so nice to not have to plan things 6 months out and the express pass was the best. We stayed at cabana bay which was great. Loved the lazy river and couple minutes walk to volcano bay. Liked volcano bay way better then BB or TL. Going again in dec and doing a split between cabana bay and hard rock.
I agree with you Disney is just EASY with kids. Everyone has fun and it’s fun for us too. People asked how our Disney trip was with a 5 and not quite 2 year old, I said it was so relaxing stress free and it really was. People were shocked. Can’t wait to go back!
Curious what makes you anxious at the beach.
I enjoyed our recent trip to WDW but I found it exhausting. It’s not something we want to do every year.
Drowning. I’ve witnessed one.
Water scares me. I mean, we go to the lake all the time, but I feel much more in control there…no waves, sharks, etc…
That means you are doing it correctly!
If you come back home from vacation rested and relaxed, you did it all wrong!
I’m really surprised that you’ve got two 14 day trips coming up and an AP doesn’t make more sense for you amigo. Don’t forget to add the food discount you get, that might push you straight into an AP!!
We definitely are in the squeezed camp. (Which sounds like a vaguely naughty summer vacation place.)
Our first family trip we just booked a straight from Disney free dining package. I was following up on previous research my wife did for the trip which was postponed until the following year after her health issue. We paid too much compared to ala carte, likely, but the convenience was more important to us at that time.
For subsequent trips I researched the heck out of things and we’ve pretty much gone at a savings of 60 - 90% off rack rates by hitting credit card reward bonuses hard, going with weird rebates in play (CBR construction) etc.
Without consciously saying so, we sort of limit our splurges - all I can think of is using 2 credits for CRT on first trip and just attending MNSSHP party on last month’s trip when it was originally just going to be a resort trip on the way to visit family.
It is funny, though I work for a government utility & don’t make the money I might in private industry, I make a pretty good salary. (It still really should be better with all of the additional responsibilities I’ve been thrown, so I’m working on that.)
But living in NYC area suburbia and having to pay for 4 humans for everything takes a huge bite outta the paycheck. (Aside: The area costs are annoying me more and more lately and are even making me think about moving when we retire. Which I never imagined before. I’d sure miss all the metropolitan NYC things I like to do. But I have been daydreaming about retiring 9 or 10 years out and getting a really nice condo somewhere near WDW.)
Back to Disney: like Ryan, price pretty much is my number 1 factor. But, even thought it is getting more difficult, so far we’ve made the trips we want fit the budget and always pay it off right when taken.
So, Yes to squeezed, but at least it is an enjoyably controlled squeeze.
We feel similar to you in traveling the world with our kids (currently 8, 7, 5 and 3). I SO want to but that window to do so when they will appreciate it and their schedules will allow such trips seems so narrow!! I’m thinking as soon as the older two can appreciate it we start branching out a bit and I feel like it’s pretty soon for them. They studied Egypt and Rome in their history curriculum last year and are eager to see those places they have learned about. I would love to do a WDW every year and a big “see the world” trip once a year too but then there’s the beach every year too and who doesn’t want to to skiing at Christmas?!? DH and I just need someone to come body double for us, go to work and let us travel all the time with the kids!!
Yup. The beach is nerve racking for me too for this same reason.
For me, it is just…boring.
“Look, kids! Sand!”
“Ooh! Look, kids! More sand!”
“Uh. Watch out for those dead jelly fish.”
“Oh! And even MORE sand!”
My boys are doing these this year!
And this is why I play Publisher’s Clearing House! 
Yes, this too. Just like sitting on a cruise ship.