# The priciest place on earth: Family of four hit with $8,480 tab for five-day Disney vacation



## DrQ (May 24, 2022)

*The priciest place on earth: Family of four hit with $8,480 tab for five-day Disney vacation as skyrocketing ticket prices and lack of cheaper options put this great American getaway out of reach for middle class folks*

*In February, the entertainment conglomerate raised ticket prices with a four-day standard ticket now costing a minimum of $447.70 *
*The four-day Park Hopper Ticket now costs a minimum of $540.89, and a four-day Park Hopper Plus ticket is now $559.53*
*At the same time, Disney is getting rid of cost-saving options like a free shuttle from the airport and free parking at its resorts *
*Now, some average American families say they cannot afford to visit the Happiest Place on Earth as the median income is $67,521 a year*









						Family of four hit with $8,480 tab for five-day Disney vacation
					

Disney is pricing average American families out of a trip to Disney World - with a week-long vacation now costing a family of four $6,000 as the entertainment conglomerate raises prices




					www.dailymail.co.uk


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## TravelTime (May 24, 2022)

This family lived it up in DisneyWorld so their sticker price is NOT a shock.

From the article:

….with one family of four from New Jersey telling FOX News Digital that they were sticker-shocked after taking a recent trip to Disney World.

They said they spent $200 for private transportation to the park since the shuttle from the airport is gone, and they spent $2,550 for Park Hopper tickets for five days.

The four nights of lodging inside the theme park cost them another $3,780, they said, and once inside the park, they spent another $300 on Genie Plus passes - which let them skip the line at some rides - and $950 on sit-down meals.

They also spent another $700 for souvenirs - fortunately not buying the limited-edition gold-plated Mickey ears which cost $1,000 each.

All told, FOX News Digital reports, the family of four shelled out $8,480 on the trip - and when counting airfare, that number increased to over $10,000….


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## TravelTime (May 24, 2022)

—


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## elaine (May 24, 2022)

Even in TS, it now adds up to 3K+ without flights! My OOP for 1 BR SSR was$1600 (annual fees, $250 RCI and $190 DVC fee), 3 day base ticket was $1700 (4 people), counter service food $700/week plus meals/groceries in room. Uber each way $60. That was only 3 days in the parks, eating at least 1 meal in the room and no sit down meals.


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## TravelTime (May 24, 2022)

To compare to this family who spent $8480 for 4 days…

When we went to Ko Olina/Oahu in Hawaii last month For 12 nights, we spent approximately the following in comparable expenses this family reported:

$6000 for 2BR Penhouse ocean view (MKO’s version of ocean front) in ultra peak season i.e. Easter break
$1300 excursions (3 excursion days)
$1300 food and drinks (eating in room with 3-4 times at restaurants)
$1100 rental car including gas
$100 souvenirs
Total: $9700 total in comparable expenses for **12 DAYS**

They probably spent a lot more than $8480 since they are not reporting meals outside the park, transportation to/from the airport and airfare.

We only paid $1000 in air tickets for 4. (1 ticket was free with miles) I assume they paid as much or more.

So going to Hawaii for **12 DAYS** only costs about $1200 more than they paid for 4 days. What was that family thinking!


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## Talent312 (May 25, 2022)

I calculate that, by the time we're done, we will have spent a total of ~$15,000 for 22 days in Europe this Summer (including comfort-class airfare). That's for 1-week in Switzerland, 1-week in Austria + 4-days in Vienna + 4-days in Munich,

I thought this an insane amount, until this article put me more at ease.
It works out to ~$3,400 for each 5-day stretch, which now looks like a bargain.

------------------
BTW, with a combination of off-site hotels, fast-food dining, Uber or public transit, this family could'a spent far less.


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## RX8 (May 25, 2022)

It is easy to spend money if you act as if you don't care. 

Some costs you can’t avoid, like the tickets. Personally, as much as I love Disney, four days is too much. Two days would have been just fine. My wife is great at finding bargains. We wouldn’t have stayed onsite at those ridiculous prices and would have stayed close, but in a much cheaper place that had a free shuttle. Also, my wife would have packed sandwiches. If we wanted souvenirs my wife would have found some in advance to surprise the kids at a fraction of the cost. In the end, I think we would have been less than 1/2 what they spent (and would have had a few splurges to boot).


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## am1 (May 25, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> To compare to this family who spent $8480 for 4 days…
> 
> When we went to Ko Olina/Oahu in Hawaii last month For 12 nights, we spent approximately the following in comparable expenses this family reported:
> 
> ...


Using miles is not free when comparing costs.  It is just a different currency then cash.


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## ScoopKona (May 25, 2022)

My wife and I can travel for a month-and-a-half in Europe for less than that.


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## TravelTime (May 25, 2022)

am1 said:


> Using miles is not free when comparing costs.  It is just a different currency then cash.



Okay, then I can add $300 to my total. I got an extremely good deal to fly non stop to Oahu. So those miles were worth $300 to me. Is that more accurate? I still see it as free because it was given to me on top of spending patterns and I do not see it as costing me anything.


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## Dori (May 25, 2022)

$700 for souvenirs? Seems like this family spent $$$ like drunken sailors!

Dori


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## TUGBrian (May 25, 2022)

heck they didnt even buy the VIP tour guide, which is like 600 or 700 an hour...with an 8 hour minimum.


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## am1 (May 25, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> Okay, then I can add $300 to my total. I got an extremely good deal to fly non stop to Oahu. So those miles were worth $300 to me. Is that more accurate? I still see it as free because it was given to me on top of spending patterns and I do not see it as costing me anything.


It’s just best to list your costs accurately.  

Just like people who say paper losses are not real losses. They are real losses .


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## CalGalTraveler (May 25, 2022)

Wondering if it would be less expensive to go to Disney Paris or other Disney international location given strong US Dollar.


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## pedro47 (May 25, 2022)

I hope this family enjoyed their Disney vacation. LOL


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## vacationtime1 (May 25, 2022)

I think too many are missing the real point:  even a short trip to Disneyworld is beyond the budget of most American families.


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## mdurette (May 25, 2022)

Yes, I believe Disney pricing is high and the nickel and dime stuff like genie + drives me nuts.   
We do Disney, but it is NOT an open wallet when we go.   We get Walmart delivery for breakfast, beverages and snacks.   We eat at counter service places (and alot of time I order from the kids menu!).   We bring water with us and we don't splurge on souvenirs, we pin trade to bring back something new.

But, think about this:
If you took a 4 day staycation and splurged each day on high end entertainment, it may come out the same to those park tickets.    A trip to a sports game, a concert, the casino, a musical.   Each one of those would cost me about the same as park admission for the day.   But, Disney is going to entertain me all day long, all the others a couple of hours.


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## RX8 (May 25, 2022)

And why is it these types of stories pertaining to the US seem to always come from a British tabloid???


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## DrQ (May 25, 2022)

RX8 said:


> And why is it these types of stories pertaining to the US seem to always come from a British tabloid???


How 'bout:

Disney World Raises Prices For Select Tickets - Inside the Magic
Disney Raises Prices Again! Even Die-Hard Fans Now Turning Against Poor Quality | Frommer's
Universal Orlando announces cheaper multi-day ticket
Has the cost of Disney World become unaffordable for the average American family? | Fox Business
In its 50-year history, Walt Disney World has evolved from a $3.50-a-ticket amusement park to a 'luxury-priced destination' - MarketWatch


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## RX8 (May 25, 2022)

DrQ said:


> How 'bout:
> 
> Disney World Raises Prices For Select Tickets - Inside the Magic
> Disney Raises Prices Again! Even Die-Hard Fans Now Turning Against Poor Quality | Frommer's
> ...



I get it, Disney is expensive. That I am not questioning. Nothing against your post either. I am just amused by this being in a British tabloid and that this particular family was spending money like a “drunken sailor” as @Dori said. 

Maybe I should go to the movies with my family of four (prime time, no matinee), purchase four drinks, four popcorns, an assortment of candy, hot dogs for all, four pretzels,  and four slushees for dessert. Then, I’ll contact the local news and complain that a night out at the movies is out of reach for the average American.


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## Steve Fatula (May 25, 2022)

Clearly most of the people in this thread have a vastly higher budget for vacations than us! Our entire years travel expenses (timeshares, flights, cars, spending money, gas, tours, etc) are not much more than their 1 trip! And we travel a lot. I find the prices for Disney super high and in range to stop an *average* American from going. It's getting close, not sure it's quite there yet. I suppose an alternative is only going a few days. Might still be worth it. We love Disney but not going to spend anywhere near what the family spent if we ever go back.

Our 14 day recent trip to Vidanta Grand Luxxe, on an exchange, with a high resort fee, was way less than the sample article trip. Not comparing apples to oranges to say which is better, just saying that's the most expensive trip we've ever had. 4 timeshare weeks in Australia was cheaper too! Our trip a few years ago to Fiji, Thailand, and Australia was also way cheaper, 3 weeks, all in. So, for me, the main point of the article is believable. It's expensive! And I'd hate to see it price out the average Joe.

All that being said, I am also pretty sure you can do better than they did.


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## pedro47 (May 25, 2022)

Is the decease Walt Disney happy with these high prices to go to Disney World  ?
May Walt Disney RIP.


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## mdurette (May 25, 2022)

vacationtime1 said:


> I think too many are missing the real point:  even a short trip to Disneyworld is beyond the budget of most American families.



I read your reply and then took off on an hour drive and thought about it, a lot.

By the time I returned home, I thought,  What is so wrong about that?    When it comes to splurging, something over and above our daily needs isn't everything like this?   Why does this topic need to be the basis of so many articles/blogs/whatever?    

Drive a 10 year old Toyota or a top of the line Audi
Clinique makeup or covergirl
Starbucks coffee or 7-eleven
private education or public

This list goes on and on.....


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## vacationtime1 (May 25, 2022)

The difference is Audi, Clinique, Starbucks, and private schools exist to be elitist; they do not claim to be for everyone.

Disney claims to be for every child.  But many children's parents (probably most) cannot afford it.


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## Iggyearl (May 25, 2022)

I am licking my wounds from last week, so I will tell my story (in a humble way).  My wife had a surprise inheritance from a distant relative. Low 6 figures.  While discussing options last November, the verdict was we should splurge on a Disney trip with our daughter, her husband and their 2 boys, 8 and 4. Because of dates, and availability we (our daughter) booked the Bungalow Villas at the Polynesian Resort.  Our ROOM charges were DOUBLE what the couple in the article paid for their whole trip. 

Some simple observations:  The character breakfast is now the character dinner.  Dinner and 3 beers for 6 was just shy of $400.  Our daughter is a Disney genius.  If you don't study the new Genie+ and learn it, you are screwed.  It is the only way to enjoy the parks.  She did a phenomenal job booking rides.  We were on the Rise of the Resistance in less than 15 minutes.  The regular wait was over 1 1/2 hours.  Same with Avatar, and similar with Space Mountain.  (disclaimer - those are Lightning Lane rides which are even MORE expensive and are separate from Genie+.) 

Bob Chapek should be shot for getting rid of the Magical Express.  It was the easiest and simplest way to get in and out of the complex.  We had to schlepp our bags onto 2 planes as well as the Mears tour buses who used to be the Magical Express.  Cost didn't matter ($16pp each way).  It was the convenience.

Nothing is cheap.  Mickey bars are now $6.25.  A 6 pack of Budweiser was $16.50 plus tax.  A draft beer at Rose and Crown was $10.  Souvenirs were out of this world.  I found myself saying: "At least we can afford it.  We won't go bankrupt."  But, we are more than middle class, and we won't be  paying interest on our charges.
The above article defines it pretty well.  If you have to ask how much it costs, you probably can't afford it.  And that is just not right - with Disney.


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## pedro47 (May 26, 2022)

I can remember when the Disney Magical Express Bus would picked up my family up at the airport and take my family to the Disney Resort for our pre cruise stay.

It was Magical. 

Luggage pickup from the airport and your luggage was delivery to the Disney Resort and to The Disney cruise ship. These things were included in the Disney cruise package deal.

Then the Disney Magical Express Bus would take my family to the Disney cruise port for out cruise vacations. A four days hopper pass was under $150.00 per adult and that included the water park. 

Things have changed at Disney for the average family.


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## mbh (May 28, 2022)

As I have said before, it's called Capitalism. No one is forced to go to Disney.


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## Talent312 (May 28, 2022)

For all the belly-aching, in a few years, you won't miss the $$.
It stings for a bit, but soon you move on and forget about it.
... Until the kids go to college...
.


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## TravelTime (May 28, 2022)

am1 said:


> It’s just best to list your costs accurately.
> 
> Just like people who say paper losses are not real losses. They are real losses .



I do not see paper losses as real losses or gains unless you sell. In the 2008 downturn, for example, we did not sell any investments and obviously the market more than exceeded where it was. How can paper losses be real losses?


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## TravelTime (May 28, 2022)

vacationtime1 said:


> The difference is Audi, Clinique, Starbucks, and private schools exist to be elitist; they do not claim to be for everyone.
> 
> Disney claims to be for every child.  But many children's parents (probably most) cannot afford it.



I would not say these brands are elitist. My two girls go to a Catholic private school and it is only $14,000 a year for both. It is very affordable in our town. Many private schools can be $50,000 a year per child and those are elitist for sure.


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## rapmarks (May 29, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> I would not say these brands are elitist. My two girls go to a Catholic private school and it is only $14,000 a year for both. It is very affordable in our town. Many private schools can be $50,000 a year per child and those are elitist for sure.


When my sisters and I went to catholic school, it was $1 a month each and my father was furious


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## SueDonJ (May 29, 2022)

Twenty years ago our first trip to Disney World with the kids was through a travel agency all-inclusive package that was far more expensive than if we'd pieced together the components to try to save money at every turn. We stayed in a bunkbed room at Wilderness Lodge with a view of the lake and the Electric Water Pageant every night, and ate every meal out: Narcoosee's at the Grand Floridian, whatever the Mickey gang character dinner was at the Contemporary, the Italian character dinner in the restaurant on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, a couple nights at Trails End in Fort Wilderness because we ate there the first night and the kids LOVED it, the Hoop-de-Doo Revue, and I think I remember some kind of luau-type thing near or in the Polynesian hotel and a steak place in Epcot? Plus we had counter-service meals and snacks in every park. The meals were mostly good, Narcoosee's was EXCELLENT, and the shows were exactly as much fun as advertised. ALL OF IT was included in the package, as was entry to all the parks, Discovery Island and River Country. We used Disney transportation from the minute we landed at the airport throughout that entire stay, and we park-hopped and ate all over Disney World that week never paying a dime more than the package price.

Our next trip a few years later was pretty much the same except we stayed in a cabin in Fort Wilderness and rented a golf cart to get around, after which we never went back to a DW hotel room again. That was the trip where we learned that a full kitchen made a huge difference in breaking up the day with a lunch break followed by an hour or so of swimming.

I'd love to do every trip to Disney World as a package deal, even adding Brian's VIP tour on top, but we wouldn't have been able to afford to do that even going every few years. So then I found the disboards, first learning about the Disney VISA discounts on cash stays/park tickets and later learning about renting DVC points from owners. For a while we took advantage of specials at the local mall's Disney Store to buy park tickets and Disney Dollars, to take the sting out of paying full-price at the gate.

Everybody loves to save a few dollars when possible but there are things at DW that we won't give up - like accommodations with separate bedrooms and full kitchens, park-hopping every day so we can go where we want when the mood hits, and a little peace and quiet to decompress. My favorite lodging is still a Fort Wilderness cabin but the Old Key West and Beach Club timeshares run a close second. I've said before on this forum - if Don were as much a Disney World freak as me, we'd have bought DVC and not Marriott timeshares. 

But it's been a while since we've been, a couple years before COVID, and I'm still not in any hurry to go back. Honestly, the amount of scheduling that has to be done in advance is a total turn-off, and the theme park admission prices are completely ridiculous. I always thought that once I had grandkids I'd be wanting to take them as soon as possible but now I can't imagine even trying until they're closer to 10YO - and that's because the scheduling craziness would probably irritate me much more than them.

<sigh> I really do long for the good old Disney days.


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## am1 (May 29, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> I do not see paper losses as real losses or gains unless you sell. In the 2008 downturn, for example, we did not sell any investments and obviously the market more than exceeded where it was. How can paper losses be real losses?



You could have old before the drop and purchased at the bottom and been much better off.  

Yes it is easier to just think of it as paper losses but the results are the same as you did not take advantage of actual gains.


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## TravelTime (May 29, 2022)

rapmarks said:


> When my sisters and I went to catholic school, it was $1 a month each and my father was furious



Did you guys get financial aid? How was it $1? At our school, many families get financial aid. We pay full tuition but it does not cover 100% of the school’s budget. They need to do many fundraisers and get money from the diocese too.


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## TravelTime (May 29, 2022)

am1 said:


> You could have old before the drop and purchased at the bottom and been much better off.
> 
> Yes it is easier to just think of it as paper losses but the results are the same as you did not take advantage of actual gains.



How many people actually can time the market like that consistently? We all know what happens to people who “claim” they can time the market.


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## RX8 (May 29, 2022)

I’m going to Disneyland in a few days. Got a relatively cheap place to stay a short distance from Disneyland (thanks @Normita !). Have two one-day tickets (one day Disneyland, one California Adventure). We will avoid eating in the park and my boys aren’t begging for souvenirs anymore (13 and 16). Even for just a few days, and doing it as smartly as we can, we are still in for about $2400 including airfare and a rental car for 7 days. For any family, that is a lot of money.


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## Iggyearl (May 29, 2022)

My wife and I were sitting in front of the TV last night, just relaxing.  She asked me what was my favorite ride when we were at Disney last week.  I said, "The Mears bus back to the airport."


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## rapmarks (May 29, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> Did you guys get financial aid? How was it $1? At our school, many families get financial aid. We pay full tuition but it does not cover 100% of the school’s budget. They need to do many fundraisers and get money from the diocese too.


no, that was the cost probably 1950


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## TravelTime (May 29, 2022)

rapmarks said:


> no, that was the cost probably 1950



That does not make any sense. How could tuition have been $1 a year even in 1950? I just looked online and $1 in 1950 is worth $12 today. I suspect that it was subsidized because there is no way $1 covered their costs.


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## Mongoose (May 29, 2022)

I don’t think the average Disney goer buys the 4 day park hoper pass.  I have three kids and have been going since a child in the 1970’s and have never done more than two Disney parks.


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## am1 (May 29, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> How many people actually can time the market like that consistently? We all know what happens to people who “claim” they can time the market.


For sure but 52 week highs and what you actually sell it for plus opportunity costs are losses.  
Do you feel the same way at a casino when up?  
How about when down?  Even when you get back up?  I bet you (most people) are sweating buckets about it.  A casino is more honest then the market. Light years ahead of cyptro.


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## Ralph Sir Edward (May 29, 2022)

am1 said:


> For sure but 52 week highs and what you actually sell it for plus opportunity costs are losses.
> Do you feel the same way at a casino when up?
> How about when down?  Even when you get back up?  I bet you (most people) are sweating buckets about it.  A casino is more honest then the market. Light years ahead of cyptro.



"When the Fed starts squeezin',
It's time to be a leavin'.

When the Fed starts easin',
Buyin' will be pleasin'.

(Of course, you have to wait out a 6-18 month lag.)


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## TravelTime (May 30, 2022)

am1 said:


> For sure but 52 week highs and what you actually sell it for plus opportunity costs are losses.
> Do you feel the same way at a casino when up?
> How about when down?  Even when you get back up?  I bet you (most people) are sweating buckets about it.  A casino is more honest then the market. Light years ahead of cyptro.



Now you are using the words “what you actually sell it for…” That was my point in the beginning. You need to sell for a real paper gain or loss.

A casino is more comparable to day trading. LOL


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## rapmarks (May 30, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> That does not make any sense. How could tuition have been $1 a year even in 1950? I just looked online and $1 in 1950 is worth $12 today. I suspect that it was subsidized because there is no way $1 covered their costs.


$1 a month, not a year. so $10 a year.   When I went to state university, tuition was about $100  a semester. When I started teaching .33 a gallon for gas and $5000 a year salary.


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## TravelTime (May 30, 2022)

rapmarks said:


> $1 a month, not a year. so $10 a year.   When I went to state university, tuition was about $100  a semester. When I started teaching .33 a gallon for gas and $5000 a year salary.



Okay I have to believe you but that was really cheap. The inflation calculator says says $1 in 1950 is $12 in 2022. I do not see how any school could have survived on the equivalent of $120 per year in tuition.


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## rapmarks (May 30, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> Okay I have to believe you but that was really cheap. The inflation calculator says says $1 in 1950 is $12 in 2022. I do not see how any school could have survived on the equivalent of $120 per year in tuition.


The nuns lived on the top floor.  As an aside the building was condemned in 1959. The high school was closed, a new grade school was built on the side yard, and I am sure it got pretty expensive.




__





						Chicago St. Louis Academy
					

The history of Chicago St. Louis Academy High School, Illinois High School Glory Days website.  The best site for information on closed high schools in Illinois.



					leopardfan.tripod.com
				




in the summer, I would go and help the nuns.  If a nun got a phone call, I would go to the end of the hall to stairwell, and pull the rope a certain number of times differing for each nun, and the nun would come down to answer the phone.  Many of the nuns only spoke French.  They were from montreal .also, each nun taught two grades in one classroom


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## TravelTime (May 30, 2022)

rapmarks said:


> The nuns lived on the top floor.  As an aside the building was condemned in 1959. The high school was closed, a new grade school was built on the side yard, and I am sure it got pretty expensive.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thank goodness those nuns are gone!


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## rapmarks (May 30, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> Thank goodness those nuns are gone!


I was terrified of them. They were fast with the ruler


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## VacationForever (May 30, 2022)

Digress.... regarding private school tuition, I paid $10K a year for my son while he was there.  Here's the current tuition fee structure for his old school:
*Tuition 2022-2023*

*Pre-Kindergarten – Kindergarten:* $22,750
*1st – 5th grades: *$25,650
*6th – 8th grades:* $27,270
*9th – 12th grades:* $29,660
*International (9th-12th):* $36,300


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## TravelTime (May 30, 2022)

VacationForever said:


> Digress.... regarding private school tuition, I paid $10K a year for my son while he was there.  Here's the current tuition fee structure for his old school:
> *Tuition 2022-2023*
> 
> *Pre-Kindergarten – Kindergarten:* $22,750
> ...



Depending on where the school is, this might be average. Even in the middle of nowhere in FL, they are charging $25K a year for Catholic school. I looked up a Catholic school somewhere inland and south of the Saratoga FL area, and they charge over $25K a year. In the Bay Area, it can be over $50K at some schools. Our school is well below average and they have many scholarships too. I could be wrong but I think the Sacramento diocese subsidizes the schools in the Sacramento region. Even the Sacramento Catholic high schools are under $20K a year. The one I would like my girls to attend for high school is currently $15,500 a year.


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## VacationForever (May 30, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> Depending on where the school is, this might be average. Even in the middle of nowhere in FL, they are charging $25K a year for Catholic school. I looked up a Catholic school somewhere inland and south of the Saratoga FL area, and they charge over $25K a year. In the Bay Area, it can be over $50K at some schools. Our school is well below average and they have many scholarships too. I could be wrong but I think the Sacramento diocese subsidizes the schools in the Sacramento region. Even the Sacramento Catholic high schools are under $20K a year. The one I would like my girls to attend for high school is currently $15,500 a year.


My son's old school is in Sacramento and it is secular - Sacramento Country Day School.


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## TravelTime (May 30, 2022)

VacationForever said:


> My son's old school is in Sacramento and it is secular - Sacramento Country Day School.



I thought you meant Catholic school. Secular private schools are different in that I do not think there would be anyone to subsidize the school like a diocese. It is still not that expensive. Overall Sacramento market is affordable for what you get.


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## amycurl (May 30, 2022)

Catholic schools traditionally charged little to nothing for children whose families were members within their dioceses. After all, this is why Catholic schools existed in the first place. So, the prices quoted by @rapmarks make total sense to me. My MIL's family is all Irish Catholic, and every one of her siblings--all six of them--attended Catholic schools from K-college, on one parent's relatively middle-class salary. Because those were the prices for Catholic families.

I went to a private Friends' boarding school for high school. These are elite prep schools with tuition costs that would match any private 4-year elite college. However, I was Quaker, and when we thought there was no way we could afford to send me, someone on the board at the time said to my mother, "There is *always* money for Quaker kids to go to Quaker schools." (esp. because there are so few of us, in comparison to Catholics and Catholic schools---if a Friends school is lucky, maybe 10% of the kids are Quaker.)


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## rapmarks (May 30, 2022)

When I grew up, there was a catholic school for every parish, and a parish every two blocks.  The rest of the kids were the Publics.


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## Goddar02 (May 31, 2022)

A trip to Asia for 2 weeks is less then they spent. I did the DR all inclusive for 1/3 the price. Have a cruise for 8 days for 2 for $1000. I did Disney in 2020 with my then 10 y/o son and  spent under $2k for 5 days including Universal, air, and food. He enjoyed our other trips more and its not on either of our lets do again list. Even during pandemic with below average numbers we still had to wait in long lines at Disney and Universal. For the price to gwt on rides I'd rather go to Busch Gardens VA, or Hershey. The only park I really loved was Animal Kingdom and that was for the animals. Way better then the Philly Zoo any day. 

I do have friends who do Disney every year no other vacation. I don't see the appeal of lots of whining kids, long waits, and the oppresive heat even in October. I can be on a cruise ship, at a Mexican AI or have a personal chef in Thailand for the price of Disney and be pampered in between sightseeing


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## TravelTime (May 31, 2022)

amycurl said:


> Catholic schools traditionally charged little to nothing for children whose families were members within their dioceses. After all, this is why Catholic schools existed in the first place. So, the prices quoted by @rapmarks make total sense to me. My MIL's family is all Irish Catholic, and every one of her siblings--all six of them--attended Catholic schools from K-college, on one parent's relatively middle-class salary. Because those were the prices for Catholic families.
> 
> I went to a private Friends' boarding school for high school. These are elite prep schools with tuition costs that would match any private 4-year elite college. However, I was Quaker, and when we thought there was no way we could afford to send me, someone on the board at the time said to my mother, "There is *always* money for Quaker kids to go to Quaker schools." (esp. because there are so few of us, in comparison to Catholics and Catholic schools---if a Friends school is lucky, maybe 10% of the kids are Quaker.)



Our school has a discounted rate for what they call “active” parishioners. They get over $1000 off per year but need to volunteer a certain number of hours per year. We also have scholarships for people with greater need. I should see if the school’s budget is public. I’d be interested to see how the school is fully funded. I know we have some wealthy parishioners who have had family members attending for many generations. They provide the school with a lot of funding through their private donations. For our annual gala, the school raised over $70,000. This is a lot for a small Catholic elementary school.


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## TravelTime (May 31, 2022)

Goddar02 said:


> A trip to Asia for 2 weeks is less then they spent. I did the DR all inclusive for 1/3 the price. Have a cruise for 8 days for 2 for $1000. I did Disney in 2020 with my then 10 y/o son and  spent under $2k for 5 days including Universal, air, and food. He enjoyed our other trips more and its not on either of our lets do again list. Even during pandemic with below average numbers we still had to wait in long lines at Disney and Universal. For the price to gwt on rides I'd rather go to Busch Gardens VA, or Hershey. The only park I really loved was Animal Kingdom and that was for the animals. Way better then the Philly Zoo any day.
> 
> I do have friends who do Disney every year no other vacation. I don't see the appeal of lots of whining kids, long waits, and the oppresive heat even in October. I can be on a cruise ship, at a Mexican AI or have a personal chef in Thailand for the price of Disney and be pampered in between sightseeing



Animal Kingdom is amazing.


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## rapmarks (May 31, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> Our school has a discounted rate for what they call “active” parishioners. They get over $1000 off per year but need to volunteer a certain number of hours per year. We also have scholarships for people with greater need. I should see if the school’s budget is public. I’d be interested to see how the school is fully funded. I know we have some wealthy parishioners who have had family members attending for many generations. They provide the school with a lot of funding through their private donations. For our annual gala, the school raised over $70,000. This is a lot for a small Catholic elementary school.


Lake delton and Wisconsin dells schools, very small towns, raised 1.2 million  in golf outing and silent auction.  A town of haves and have nots.  The high school has 170 students I believe


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## TravelTime (May 31, 2022)

rapmarks said:


> Lake delton and Wisconsin dells schools, very small towns, raised 1.2 million  in golf outing and silent auction.  A town of haves and have nots.  The high school has 170 students I believe



That is great! Are they public schools? Why are they doing fundraisers? Aren‘t they covered by taxes?


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## rapmarks (May 31, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> That is great! Are they public schools? Why are they doing fundraisers? Aren‘t they covered by taxes?


They are public and have a food pantry in the high school where students and community can take food home with them. Also  k thru 5 are always given all school supplies


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## Limace (May 31, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> That is great! Are they public schools? Why are they doing fundraisers? Aren‘t they covered by taxes?



Ha! Taxes pay for bare minimums-and can be completely different in many state depending on the property taxes where you live. So expensive houses=higher tax revenues= better funding for schools and vice versa. 

Fundraising in our district pays for things like art supplies and sports uniforms and sport fees for lower income kids. Maybe an extra teacher to do art or PE. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## frank808 (May 31, 2022)

TravelTime said:


> I would not say these brands are elitist. My two girls go to a Catholic private school and it is only $14,000 a year for both. It is very affordable in our town. Many private schools can be $50,000 a year per child and those are elitist for sure.





rapmarks said:


> When my sisters and I went to catholic school, it was $1 a month each and my father was furious


Wow I wish I pay $1 a month of $7K a year. I would be fine $7K annually but the $1 is even better. Plus we pay sales tax of 4.172% on tuition.


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## pedro47 (May 31, 2022)

And I thought this thread was about Disney. LOL.


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## jehb2 (Jun 12, 2022)

I no longer have the exact figures anymore. But 16 years ago we went to both Disney World and Hawaii in the same year. We did seven days at Disney World and 14 days in Hawaii. Our 14 day Hawaiian vacation was much less than our seven day Disney vacation.


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