Help me justify DC

[netnurse31]

I would love to experience DC on our next trip down to Orlando in August. I'm sure my family would have a wonderful time! However, I'm having trouble justifying spending almost $1000 for one day of our trip.

Can anyone give me reasons why we HAVE to add this day to our trip?

 

[TDM516]

I'm having the same problem for our family of four; it will be over $700, so not quite as much, because DH and younger DD don't care to swim with the dolphins. The only things I've been able to come up with are:
1) Swimming with dolphins is one of the things on my list of "things to do before I die".
2) The dolphin swim is my birthday present for my birthday this month and my oldest daughter's 19th birthday present for her b'day in July.
3) We get to come and go at Sea World for seven days, included in the price, as well as a good lunch, so we probably won't go out to eat that particular evening, but just snack in the vacation home we're renting. Sea World doesn't appeal to younger daughter so much, but oldest is very excited about getting to see the penguins, and they are both excited about Kraken. DH could do without it, but he's along for the ride whatever we decide.
4) Our daughters are almost 19 and almost 16. Chances are this is our last visit to Orlando as a family because we want to take a cruise next year and go some other places before oldest graduates from college and goes out on her own. So if we're going to do it, now's the time.

I may or may not have given you anything to think about, but there you go. I got lucky---our dental insurance company unexpectedly gave us a $730 refund on our younger daughter's orthodontic care after my hubby's company changed insurances. Their policy is to pay regardless of what your former company paid, so I took it as a sign to go to Discovery Cove!!

 

[vernon]

To "justify" taking in DC may take a little "rescheduling " of your trip. But here goes.

1)To swim with dolphins, pretty much ANYWHERE in the world is going to cost you $100 per person. That's even if you're lucky enough to be visiting somewhere that offers such an experience. If not you have to take into account travel costs.
2) The lunch included is probably a $20 per person value
3) If you use the 7 days worth of SeaWorld tickets ( I think you can easily get 4 "part" days of entertainment at SW) instead of visiting other parks or attractions you will save at least $50 per person per day by using SW as your "park for the day". I've found that by having a slightly later start at SW, than I would if I was visiting either a Disney or Universal park and maybe leaving the park a little earlier, allows for a much more relaxed vacation than "commando styling it" as I have previously done.

While it may look a big chunk of change in one payment, it isn't "just a day" in theory there is a weeks worth of entertainment for that $1,000. Although IMHO in reality one day at DC and 3 possibly 4 at SW is the way to "account" for the cost/value. How much would you spend for 5 days at Disney? and IMHO DC is a pretty special day.

 

[Cindy B]

Also, don't forget the free parking fee (elsewhere 7-10 dollars)
Free locker rental ( elsewhere 5- dollars)
Free wetsuit rental/and snorkel/masks... ( not sure)

 

[robvia]

What everyone said is true.

Think of this as a winter ski vacation. Most ski trips cost over 2k because of the plane rides, lodging, lift tickets, and everything else, yet people do it every year. For a big trip like that, the wife and I save our money a year in advance. We put money aside in envelopes each month. Think of DC like you would a ski trip.

The memories are what you're getting. Yes, it's only 1 day (plus a few at SWF), but each time you look at the pictures, they mean something.

In our home, pictures of DC are displayed around the house. There's one downstairs near the TV set, one hanging on the wall, and another in the bedroom.

It's worth the money.

 

[HvnzCaress]

I too have taken the plunge and decided to spend the money for upcoming trip in August.

It is such a once in a lifetime experience to swim with the dolphins and this place just sounds like they truly cater to that once in a lifetime theme. I'm even giving them more of my money so that we can celebrate my son's birthday with one of their special occassion packages while we're there.

This trip to Disney is something my family really really needs. In the last 6 years we have lost 3 granparents and had 2 fires. We're struggling like crazy to even pay for this vacation at all let alone such extravagancies as Discovery Cove. In fact, things got even a little tougher just two weeks ago when I was forced to take another temporary pay cut at my job (third time).

However, when I lost my mother and father (each barely 60) within a six month period just a few short years ago, I realized life is too short. Somehow I intend to do anything and everything possible to make this trip special. We're going to making sacrafices in our lodging (camping in a tent at Ft. Wilderness) and our meals (eating mosty homecooking) because I want to do everything I can to see that my family has special memories of our time together to carry in their hearts when things get hard and painful again.

All of our "spending money" on this vacation will be used for just these types of adventures. In addition to DC, my daughter will get a chance to go parasailing at Boggy Creek. The one thing I haven't yet figured out how to come up with is the money for the Richard Petty rookie experience I've wanted so badly to surprise my husband with since I heard about it on these boards a year ago...but I digress

Sorry to have rambled on so ...but the only encouragement I can give is DO IT! Life is short and in the end memories are sometimes all you have left to show for your accomplishments in life.

 

[TDM516]

You're situation sounds similar to ours. Within seven years, we had lost three grandparents, including my two parents, and almost lost my niece to advanced breast cancer. The last grandparent died last July. We have definitely learned that you can't put off travel and experiencing things for "someday" because that day may never come.

 

[HvnzCaress]

TDM516

Our situations, as painful as they are personally, says nothing of the current world environment - the lives lost both here and abroad. I've heard so many people say they are now afraid to fly or to travel in general. Yet these same people get up day after day and drive themselves to work or worse yet to a crowded indoor mall.

I can assure you in the last 6 years my pocketbook has been hit harder than any of the hardcore stockmarket players out there. Yet I'm still going because today means everything and tomorrow IF it comes will be another day I can count my blessings.