DH did ask how much it would cost.....

[Westcorkdisfan]

DH has no concept of cost so when he asked how much my planned trip would be I asked "Are you sure you want to know?". A little background.... We live in rural Ireland. 3 pubs, 1 church, small shop, butcher and a coffee shop. Yes it is that small, I love Disney. I was a store Manager at Disney Store's up to 2003. I have 3 small people that have only been toDLR and that was 4 years ago so really think they need to go....anyway.... when I decided to tell him the truth (about €10,000) he almost had a heart attack.... He has since recouvered but reallywhat does he think a 2 week holiday in the states will cost? This includes flights, hotels (hard rock and wilderness) and food. Anyway hopefully still married in 2020 but I'm going to WDW!!!!

 

[zavandor]

I love Efteling and Phantasialand and I think they are great family destinations that every Disney fan would enjoy.
However for a family of 5, doing a vacation of 14 park days in 6 different theme parks and 3 water parks (7 and 4 counting Sea World, not sure about OP exact plans) is not going to cost much less than 10k. One would have to plan a combined visit of Efteling, Phantasialand, Europa Park and Disneyland Paris with on site stays at 4* park hotels to get the same amount of park time, it would not be cheap. And it certainly wouldn't be more convenient.

 

[Westcorkdisfan]

Those places sound great but they're not Disney.... I just had a little rant after DH had a shock!

I know I can do this holiday for less but I also know that I want to stay on property and not drive.

I'm excited and looking forward to a little bit of magic! Kids are getting older and will be off on their own adventures soon enough. As they say go large or go home!

 

[Minniesgal]

Actually I think if you are doing it for 10000 you are doing really well.

 

[Ceilidhscot]

Disneyland Paris would be cheaper. If you don’t mind staying off site then can usually get a decent deal with The Dream Castle or Circus Circus hotel. Could perhaps go there for a few days to get him into the Disney spirit then save for Disney World? How old are the kids? My DD is 8. Took her to DLP when she was 7 - she loved it so was so excited when we told her we were going to Disney World this year. Got involved in the planning, what rides she wanted to do etc and gave her a good idea of what Disney World would be like...though it still blew her mind when we got there!

Worth considering if it’s small kids as they won’t remember the trip if they are under 5...just make sure the oldest is under 9 though as that’s when Disney considers them to be “adult” and you have to pay full price so to speak.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Disneyland Paris and European parks in NO WAY compare to the American Disney parks. If you are a casual Disney fan, sure, go the cheapo route,cos you wont understand the difference in the experience.

And I think €10,000 is actually quiet good. I go to Disneyland California every year and it costs me, on my own around €3,500 for a 10 day California trip, which includes 3 park days in Disney.

and @Westcorkdisfan I know West Cork well and have family there so I totally understand the attitude of your DH and how people from there just have no concept of what a trip like you have planned would cost

 

[Ceilidhscot]

Actually been to Disneyland, Disney World, HK Disney and DLP and yes, DLP is smaller than the American parks but if they haven’t been to a park before, it’s a good introduction and let’s the kids have a feel for the type of attractions they might want to try if, they decide to go to Disney World later on.

Not being able to afford to go to Disney World or Disneyland California does not make you a “casual fan” either btw.

 

[Westcorkdisfan]

Thanks all! My kids are older (16, 14 and 13 at trip ). I have them helping in the planning and they're really excited. I think being a bit Disney obsessed I just needed a small bit of validation after his reaction (I know he doesn't understand as he did not go to DLR and won't be going to Florida!). Thank you!!!

 

[Minniesgal]

Actually been to Disneyland, Disney World, HK Disney and DLP and yes, DLP is smaller than the American parks but if they haven’t been to a park before, it’s a good introduction and let’s the kids have a feel for the type of attractions they might want to try if, they decide to go to Disney World later on.

Not being able to afford to go to Disney World or Disneyland California does not make you a “casual fan” either btw.

Have to say I totally disagree with this. We have been to all parks and find DLP to be a very poor imitation with awful customer service.

I'd avoid dLP and save the money towards WDW

 

[Dav2205]

Have to say I totally disagree with this. We have been to all parks and find DLP to be a very poor imitation with awful customer service.

I'd avoid dLP and save the money towards WDW

I on the other hand would totally disagree with this. DLP is a fab place for a short break. The castle park is gorgeous and there's a lot in there for young kids to do. Some CMs aren't great but I've had just as many bad interactions at WDW as I have at DLP.

Unlike WDW it also has genuine off peak times still so if you pick the right time of year to visit you can be blessed with incredibly quiet parks.

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Have to say I totally disagree with this. We have been to all parks and find DLP to be a very poor imitation with awful customer service.

I'd avoid dLP and save the money towards WDW

This!

 

[Ceilidhscot]

Have to say I totally disagree with this. We have been to all parks and find DLP to be a very poor imitation with awful customer service.

I'd avoid dLP and save the money towards WDW

DLP is not meant to be a 14 day experience but a couple of days to let you test if your kids would like it. They won’t waste a fastpass if they suddenly freak out at a dark ride or rollercoaster for example and you can then plan effectively what fastpasses they might want when you do decide to go to Disney World.

DW is a logistical nightmare (fastpasses at 60days, advanced dining reservations 180 days out). Coordinating for 3 is bad enough, for 5 would be hard work. There’s little spontaneity at DW if you have a family and want to get the most out of the parks - especially for the first visit. 4 theme parks, 2water parks, Disney Springs (and Universal, Sea World etc), trying to ensure everyone has their say and what they want to do without having a baseline to start with would be difficult. Would they all want to ride ToT? 5 fastpasses or 2...having tried DLP, they’d know their tolerances.

I liked Disney World, but it’s not the be all and end all of theme parks. My DD preferred many aspects of DLP more than DW. Being able to return multiple times to Small World (which she loves) without having to endure a 45 minute wait as no fastpasses available.

Off peak I’m sure DW is fantastic but if you’ve kids and tied to school holidays, it can be extremely overcrowded and is definitely not the happiest place on Earth.

 

[Ils]

I have been to Disney World 5 times and DLP 4 times and love them both for different reasons. DW obviously has more variety and along with Universal is a two week destination for our family. DLP on the other hand is a few day destination but we have chucked a day in the middle to visit Paris a couple of times and is an experience Orlando cannot offer. DLP is a great introduction to Disney for younger kids in Europe and in my opinion their castle park is superior to Magic Kingdom. Better version of BTM, SM, It's a small world, Buzz etc and is nowhere near as overcrowded.

Also everytime we have been the customer service has been spot on and each time have stayed in one of the three Disney hotels around the lake. The only thing that let's DLP down is the second park however hopefully that will change with the expansion work going ahead.

Once we do Orlando in Feb, California will be next and hopefully Tokyo which apparently has two of the best Disney parks.

End of the day it is all about opinions but Disney is Disney wherever you visit.

 

[Karin1984]

Aside the discussion if you could go anywhere else, and if DLP compares to the American parks or not. Are you sure you can stay deluxe onsite including flights and everything for €10.000? You only mention flights, hotel and food, are parks not included in this price.

I tried to price it out by staying off site, to find cheaper ways, but even staying off site I came well over €10.000. (I went with going in Summer, assuming your kids are still in school)

 

[monica9]

We are going in one of the cheaper months (september) and staying for only 7 days and with airfare, food, park tickets and hotel it will be costing us around 6k. So 10 is pretty good for double the vacation and double the flight length!

 

[monica9]

DH has no concept of cost so when he asked how much my planned trip would be I asked "Are you sure you want to know?". A little background.... We live in rural Ireland. 3 pubs, 1 church, small shop, butcher and a coffee shop. Yes it is that small, I love Disney. I was a store Manager at Disney Store's up to 2003. I have 3 small people that have only been toDLR and that was 4 years ago so really think they need to go....anyway.... when I decided to tell him the truth (about €10,000) he almost had a heart attack.... He has since recouvered but reallywhat does he think a 2 week holiday in the states will cost? This includes flights, hotels (hard rock and wilderness) and food. Anyway hopefully still married in 2020 but I'm going to WDW!!!!

Have you thought about renting points from a dvc owner or rental company for Wilderness Lodge? It will save a you a decent amount on the hotel unless you end up finding a discount package on a regular room.

 

[Florida2012]

I’ve been to DLP and WDW and can honestly say I wholly disagree with you BadPink.

Yes there are SOME CM’s that are rude in Paris, but I’ve encountered plenty of rude ones in Orlando, and I’m sorry but the Paris park is heads and shoulders above Orlando in regards to detail.

Where Orlando trumps Paris is things like depth of parks, characters, food and the resorts

 

[Westcorkdisfan]

It might be a bit over my 10 k budget but not crazy over. I am a disneyaholic and need to enjoy WDW at least once with my small people. And we love Harry Potter so will enjoy that too. Thank you for letting me rant here.

 

[scottishgirl1]

I can totally get this! we are family of 5 travelling from Ireland and have been fortunate to go to Disney World a good few times now but DH is in total denial about cost and never wants to know!! On saying that he is the one who after 2 visits to DLP when kids were small refused to return. Kids are now 19, 17 and 16 so not sure how many more trips there will be for us as a group of 5 and have to say I will miss that! I hope you have a magical trip!

 

[meggiebeth]

With the ages of your children, I’d definitely say Disney World a much better option than DLP.

I’d look at rather than just going for one week, going for one week onsite and then switching to a cheaper offsite place, to really make the most of your trip. You can get accommodation offsite for a few hundred pounds for a week and although it’s not the same as staying onsite, it will make your trip much more relaxed than having to cram it in in one week.