REPORT: Do You Go into Debt for Your Walt Disney World Vacation? You’re Not Alone

A common complaint from families looking to make memories at Walt Disney World are the costs. We have seen prices for just about everything rise across the Parks in the past few years, from dining to Park tickets and beyond. In addition, services that used to be free to guests, like the Magical Express (a service that provided transportation to and from Orlando International Airport), are no longer free. One common thought is shared by many Guests; the price tag to take a family away to Disney seems to climb every year.

A recent report by Lending Tree, that surveyed 1,550 people, drew a few conclusions about vacation spending habits at Disney. First, 1 in 5 people, about 18% of Guests, go into debt to purchase their Disney vacation. Those who went into debt for their trip say there are two areas that hit their wallet the hardest. “Those who went into debt say in-park food and beverage (56%) and admission costs (48%) were significantly more expensive than they originally thought or budgeted for”. (Lending Tree)

Percentages of those who have gone into debt for a trip is also broken down by ages of children and income bracket. “Understandably, parents with children younger than 18 are the most likely to incur Disney debt, at 30%. Meanwhile, six-figure earners are more likely to go into Disney debt than any other income group — 26% of those earning $100,000 or more yearly have gone into debt for Disney. Disney goers earning between $35,000 and $49,999 are the least likely, at just 12%”. (Lending Tree)

Now the biggest question, was the magic worth the price tag (and debt)? An overwhelming amount of people who went into debt stated they had no regrets; just over 7 in 10 (71%) of respondents had no problem taking on the debt. A possible reason for this? They aren’t sweating making the payments. “The majority (80%) of indebted Disney goers say they’ll pay off their debt in six or fewer months”. (Lending Tree)

Would you consider taking on debt to make a dream Disney trip a reality? Let us know in the comments!