Vegas, anybody else in the UK that might want to answer. I see by the Orlando stats., that almost 1.7 million of you visit Orlando per year. I don';t know where else you guys go on vacation, but I also seem to get the feeling that some of you people go on multipe trips to Orlando and other places. Is there a certain class people that vacation over there, or does anybody go. It seems like for the most part from what I read, you come over here and spend from $7000- $10000 per trip. I was just wondering if the common man that carrys a lunch bag over there can afford this trip? I only see the same names pretty much on this forum all the time. So are you the upper class, miiddle class, lower class? Just been wanting to ask this Question for along time. By the way, my wife and I both work, and would be considored upper middle class by American standards.
Have a question?Well I would like to contribute. I do not think going to Florida is a class thing. Florida is now just another destination in the brochure and definitely not the trip of a lifetime it once was. We chose to holiday in the states when the costs of getting two weeks in Europe became much more expensive and Florida then represented great value.
We currently have the added bonus of getting nearly two dollars for every pound we convert or spend in your shops. I have to say this makes it a fantastic destination for my lot.
Brits can also choose the level of accommodation that they want via the brochures and that is what causes so much debate on this forum.
In the UK we still rely on travel Agents to book most of our holidays and they put Brits in some poor digs for their holiday. They trust the travel agent and the brochure before they trust the people on this forum - a big and costly mistake in my opinion.
bssd - I really do not think it is a class thing for the British since Florida is just as affordable as Greece or Spain - it depends on how much you choose to pay and how much diposable income you are willing to place on a holiday. I will say that a lot of my friends will turn their noses up at Florida because it is not so exclusive but that is their choice and they are the ones who miss out - not on Disney but the rest of this Wonderful State.
Have a question?Vegas, sorry, but your long explaination did nothing for me. Again can the common man, who works in the factory, as a production worker, get on the Plane and go to Orlando, Greece, Spain , or anywhere else?
bssd,
I guess the same as anywhere else you have those who can afford to go on vacation and those who can not. Your ';average'; European working class guy will generally have a 2 week vacation per year either in their own country or abroad. If you can afford to go abroad then Orlando is a relatively inexpensive option (in particular with the GBP/EUR = US$ ratio at the present time).
I have absolutely no idea if other contributers to the forum are lower/middle/upper class, however, I suspect the majority are pretty average income earners much like myself who put away the necessary $$$ over the course of the year to fund a minimum of one visit a year to the US....personally I have been lucky enough to afford 2 visits each yr for the last 5 yrs or so.
The $10,000 per trip seems a bit over the top to me (obviously depending on how large your family is). Personally I travel with my wife and kid and we spend an average of $2000-$2500 per person per 10-14 day vacation, which includes flights, accommodation, food etc. My opinions may differ to UK residents as while I am Scottish I have lived in Holland for the last 30yrs.
hi,i have only posted a couple of times so you will not know my name.i am a gardener over here in england.i am defo workin class.i go to america as often as i can,it is cheaper than going to europe.i payed $300 for a flight and$40 a night for a room.
most people over here think that going to america is a once in a lifetime trip or that you are going to get shot.they see your cop shows and really believe that is what it is like.
Good question bssd-
I suppose we are working class in that my husband works as a lorry driver, , prior to this we had our own Driving agency (which was ruined by the goverment letting in large amounts of migrant workers who will work for peanuts! ).
We earn on average 拢32k per year which for the area we live i would think is above average. maybe 拢4-5k per year of that goes on holidays., but we dont smoke , drink or go out much (mainly because of the hours he works!) so our one extravagance is holidays
We had a week in Vegas this year (with the kids) and is cost us 拢200 more than a week in Majorca would have done.
I do know alot of people that cant afford to go the US on holiday and most of those are working class, but i think this is largely to do with the fact that many of these have bought houses in the last few years and house prices have risen sharply and therefore mortgage repayments take up a large chunk of their income.
This will be our most expensive holiday. We are working class , my hubby has an just above average income and I have chosen not to work but to look after our children and our home. We do not claim benefits off the state. A lot of people I know seem to fall into two brackets. The first going on holiday and putting it on the credit card the skys the limit,and the other save and go where you can afford (thats us). B4 the credit card I think Orlando would have been out of reach of alot of people. This holiday for us will be a one off until the little ones have fled the nest, but we have all enjoyd our holidays what ever the cost.
BSSD,
Yes the average working man can aford and does have a holiday in Florida, by working man I am meaning Factory workers brick layers, manual and semi skilled men and woman, I myself first came to Florida while in the Royal Navy and then again when I was a Machine operatorin a factory.
The britishh people love to travel and explore anywhere we can get to I think this love to explore is also explained by our old empire which covered 1/3 of the globe this all started by exploring the oceans.
Try not to get hung up on class thing as only snobs seem to worry abou what class we are anymore
Mick
The answer to you question isn%26#39;t a simple black and white answer as there are a number of important issues.
Its not a matter of classes as both rich and less well off could come to Florida.
To start with we get nearly $2 to every one of our pounds.
Brits are much better paid that US people if you make a straight comparison. The things we have to buy across here costs us about the same in GB pounds as you pay in dollars (with some exceptions) . Our minimum pay that ';Any'; employer can give to people over the age of 18 is 拢5;30 an hour ( no exceptions for restaurant workers). $4 something in the US??
This worth $9;53 when spent in Orlando.
They also have to give 14 days paid holiday plus the public holidays Christmas day, Boxing day, Good Friday, Easter Monday . May day August bank holiday and a few more. Some employees get more than this but these are minimums
Our traditional holiday places by the sea like Blackpool was Bed and Breakfast accommodation . and all you would get would be a single room in a private house and breakfast supplied. While most now are very nice there was a lot of doss holes in the past. Now around 拢32 min per person half or 2 thirds the price for kids.. So a family of 4, 2+2 would be paying 拢96 per day, or $172 if the spend in in Orlando. For this kind of money you would get a up market hotel in Orlando you could even stay on Disney for $172 a night, or rent a 3-4 bed Villa. ';Their in Heaven';
When you look at other accommodation Travelodge charge a min of 拢45 per night most are a lot more. How many travelodge motels in the US command $85 per night.
If I want to travel to the seaside in Devon- Cornwall 300 miles or go to London I could easily pay 拢100 one way for a rail ticket.. Fly BA on the businessman%26#39;s shuttle London Heathrow / Manchester 50 min flight 拢265 one way.
My 拢200 rail ticket to the seaside holiday location in Britain at some times of the year fly me to Florida and the sun, almost guaranteed sun.
40 years ago the US was out of bounds to all but the rich. so the rest of us were being attracted to the Spanish Costa%26#39;s and timeshare selling. When the prices went up we moved to the Greek islands. Then Turkey the Red Sea, Lebanon. and a few other places came along. But the instability has changed our direction into the Balkans now.
But Florida and Disney is on everyone%26#39;s wish list. And its do- able even for the less well off.
Getting there and the accommodation represents good value for money. Its when you have to dip int the goody jar it becomes expensive. Park tickets. Up market accommodation . Shopping malls. We are no longer content with bucket and spade holidays, and once you have tasted the good life you become addicted.
You don%26#39;t want to go back to Spain and join the larger louts in stinking hot rooms with no air con and pay the same price as a good LBV hotel.
The things we don%26#39;t handle very well is things like Tipping, We expect employers to pay their staff appropiatly and not expect them to live from public begging.
Lots cannot handle the guns laws , because all they see Miami Vice programs on their TV s. And we have no legal Hand guns in our community and most people have never seen a real hand gun. So there is a lot who never try the Disney drug. I think that%26#39;s a real shame because its not really like the programs portray.
We are not good at haggling the price of an item like lot of the med countries. We walk into a shop, see and item we like / want and it has a Price ticket on it. We pay the price on the ';Ticket ';, ( it will have '; VAT '; value added tax at 17%26amp; 1/2 % on the item but this is included in the ticket price) The cashier does not say ticket price ';plus Tax sir'; .
We do not come to Orlando and sponge on the health care system
We have to buy additional medical insurance before airlines will fly us there.
We are not the Bad driver on your roads, we all have to pass a much more stringent I hours practical driving test in the busiest parts of our towns and cities . And this is after a classroom test, And 15 to 50 practical driving lessons with a government approved instructor. We are in fact more qualified then most of your own drivers. You just make it more complicated by sticking the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car , But we can handle that. Its you lot that cannot hack our traffic roundabouts
Its just the working class Brits who go to Disney - is that what you want us to say? Ummmmm
Great post Paocher - I agree with the vast majority of that lot.
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