Disney Reality Check: The Good, the Bad and the Magical

Summary

Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel Episode: Disney Reality Check: The Good, the Bad and the Magical Release Date: April 24, 2025

In this engaging episode of Smart Money Happy Hour, Rachel Cruze and George Kamel delve into the enchanting yet financially intricate world of Disney vacations. Hosted by the Ramsey Network, the duo offers unfiltered insights, blending personal anecdotes with expert financial advice to help listeners navigate the costs and joys of experiencing Disney’s magic without breaking the bank.

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1. Hosts' Perspectives on Disney

From the outset, Rachel and George establish their differing viewpoints on Disney. George adopts a more critical stance, highlighting the financial burdens and challenges associated with Disney trips. In contrast, Rachel emphasizes the wonder and emotional fulfillment that Disney can bring.

Notable Quote:

• George (00:05): “Today, we're either gonna make you feel seen or triggered. We're talking Disney. So is that worth the money to stay in one of the, like, character hotels?”
• Rachel (01:22): “Sure. I'm gonna use one word to describe Disney. I'm gonna go with its tagline. Because it is true. It is magical.”

2. Financial Realities of Disney Vacations

The conversation shifts to the financial aspects of visiting Disney. George presents compelling statistics, noting that “45% of families go into debt for this specific trip” and that Disney’s food prices have outpaced general inflation significantly. Both hosts agree that incurring debt for a Disney vacation can “steal the magic” from the experience.

Notable Quote:

• George (03:42): “Disney concessions have gone up 61% in the last 10 years. General inflation has gone up 32% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I rest my case, your honor.”

3. Personal Disney Experiences

Rachel and George share their personal Disney stories, offering listeners relatable experiences. George recounts a poignant memory of losing his father at Disney, which was later clarified by his mother, adding a layer of emotional depth to the discussion. Rachel reminisces about her childhood favorites like Belle from "Beauty and the Beast," highlighting the enduring appeal of Disney characters.

Notable Quote:

• Rachel (07:39): “I almost cried. I mean, teared up, had to, like, because it just makes you feel like it's possible.”

4. Budget-Friendly Tips for Disney Trips

The hosts provide a comprehensive list of budget-friendly strategies to make Disney trips more affordable without sacrificing the experience. Key tips include traveling during slow seasons to benefit from lower hotel and flight rates, utilizing free Disney travel planners, and bringing your own snacks and water to reduce expenses.

Notable Quote:

• Rachel (16:44): “Number one, I do this track crowd calendars online to find slow seasons. So we did this because we went, like, at the end of January, which is a slow season...hotel rates are cheaper.”

5. Luxurious (Bougie) Disney Experiences

For those with a more flexible budget, Rachel and George explore premium Disney offerings. They discuss high-end experiences such as private VIP tours, fireworks dessert parties, and exclusive dining at Victoria & Albert’s. While these options provide added convenience and unique experiences, the hosts caution about the substantial costs involved.

Notable Quote:

• Rachel (24:51): “First and foremost, the private VIP tour. So this ranges anywhere from $425 to $900 an hour.”

6. Advice on Timing and Kid's Ages

Determining the optimal time to take children to Disney is a key topic. Both hosts suggest that ages four to five are ideal for children to fully enjoy the experience without overwhelming them. They emphasize the importance of setting clear expectations with kids to manage desires and maintain budgetary discipline.

Notable Quote:

• Rachel (34:10): “We wouldn't take Charles until he was... he just turned five. I would say that four or five.”

7. Managing Expectations and Teaching Financial Patience to Kids

Rachel and George discuss the importance of communicating financial realities to children. They advocate for honesty over perpetuating a scarcity mindset, suggesting that parents should explain budget constraints clearly and involve kids in savings plans to teach patience and financial planning.

Notable Quote:

• George (35:42): “Having a clear timeline for when it could happen and... that's going to teach some patience.”

8. Tools and Resources Mentioned

The episode highlights several tools to aid in budgeting and privacy. George recommends the EveryDollar app for budgeting Disney trips and DeleteMe for protecting personal information online, offering substantial discounts to listeners.

Notable Quote:

• George (38:32): “If you are budgeting for your next Disney trip or anything else, be sure to check out the EveryDollar app. It makes budgeting so easy.”

9. Closing Thoughts and Ratings

In the concluding segments, Rachel and George rate their Disney experiences, providing listeners with a summary of their overall impressions. They also share their favorite aspects of the trip, such as specific rides and dining experiences, encouraging listeners to weigh both the magical and financial elements when planning their own Disney vacations.

Notable Quote:

• George (39:09): “I'm gonna go nine out of ten on this.”
• Rachel (39:13): “I would say nine out of ten. I'm very happy with it.”

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Final Takeaway: Rachel Cruze and George Kamel offer a balanced perspective on Disney vacations, blending the allure of Disney’s magic with practical financial advice. Whether you’re a budget-conscious traveler or someone looking to indulge in the premium Disney experience, this episode provides valuable insights to help you make informed decisions and create lasting memories without compromising your financial well-being.

Transcript

[George Camel]

Today, we're either gonna make you feel seen or triggered. We're talking Disney. So is that worth the money to stay in one of the, like, character hotels?

[Rachel Cruz]

And literally, I sat there and I. I mean, I almost cried. I mean, teared up. Had to, like, because it just makes you feel like it's possible. Hey, guys. I'm Rachel Cruz.

[George Camel]

I'm George Camel, and this is Smart Money Happy Hour.

[Rachel Cruz]

Delicious.

[George Camel]

Lovely.

[Rachel Cruz]

Just like the topic of today's episode. Well, this is the show where two friends who happen to be money experts talk about what you're talking about. Everything from pop culture, current events, and money.

[George Camel]

Now, before we dive into the belly of the beast, let's talk about what we're sipping on. Rachel. It's the La Torista.

[Rachel Cruz]

Whoa, look at that, George. I thought we'd go a little Middle Eastern.

[George Camel]

I don't know. I took a year or two to span. You don't have to be dangerous.

[Rachel Cruz]

Love it.

[George Camel]

Little bibliotheca never hurt anybody. So stick around till the end. We're gonna give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass. And that alone is worth the price of admission.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

Unlike Disney.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, George, we're pretty opposites in life.

[George Camel]

Yeah, no, it's true, actually.

[Rachel Cruz]

Polar opposites in life, including the topic of Disney. So we'll just give a little. Like, just a little snapshot. Sure. I'm gonna use one word to describe Disney. I'm gonna go with its tagline. Because it is true. It's. It is magical. There's just something magical about it, unlike any place on earth. All right, George, Go and be the Grinch.

[George Camel]

Well, we're going to talk about, obviously, the financial aspects of Disney. What?

[Rachel Cruz]

Boo. I know we are. It's called Smart Money Happy Hour. Can we just, like, have a little fun right now? And you just about. How about how much you hate Disney?

[George Camel]

I thought you'd have fun with this. I want to see how many of these you would agree with.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do you have, like, statements? You're about to give me several.

[George Camel]

I. I asked Chad GPT to tell me why I like George Camel.

[Rachel Cruz]

Tell George Camel why.

[George Camel]

You ready for this? Crowds everywhere pack no matter the season. Ridiculous prices. Long lines for everything.

[Rachel Cruz]

Not true.

[George Camel]

Fake happiness.

[Rachel Cruz]

Not true.

[George Camel]

Terrible food.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Exhausting days.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Nickel and diming everywhere. Maybe it's really for the kids and you have to suffer this one. Rachel vehemently disagrees with merch overload.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

Heat and humidity, depending on the time of year. Grown adults acting like it's a religious pilgrimage.

[Rachel Cruz]

True.

[George Camel]

Matching shirts and Ears.

[Rachel Cruz]

True.

[George Camel]

People who brag about going 20 plus times a year.

[Rachel Cruz]

True.

[George Camel]

The Disney is my whole personality crowd, you see a theme here.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's a small percentage adults losing their.

[George Camel]

Mind over character, meet and greets, extreme loyalty to a corporation that overcharges them. That's one. The cringe, tick tock content.

[Rachel Cruz]

True.

[George Camel]

And the people who talk like they work there, it's like a whole.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm gonna get. I'm gonna. I'm gonna agree. I'm gonna agree with 7 out of 10.

[George Camel]

That's my only thing. I'm done venting. I'm gonna be in a good mood the rest of the episode.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, well, we'll keep going in deep dive in, into our thoughts on Disney. But what we can both agree on though is not going into debt. And there was a stat that came out that 45% of families go into debt for this specific trip, this vacation. So we both agree. Not a good idea. Terrible idea. That does steal the magic. So we can agree on that.

[George Camel]

And another study found that the food prices at Disney World have outgrown inflation by almost double. Disney concessions have gone up 61% in the last 10 years. General inflation has gone up 32% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I rest my case, your honor.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, man.

[George Camel]

So is it price gouging? Does Disney have legitimate costs? I mean, they're running an entire city. They gotta pay for their own police and fire departments.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do you know they are. They literally have their own water system, their own, their own grid for the electricity. I mean like they legitimately are self sustaining. It's pretty wild.

[George Camel]

It feels like if there's an apocalypse, I would want to be at Disney.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's. I don't know. It's. Okay. So have you been to Disney World, George?

[George Camel]

Yeah, to be fair, it's been a while. Last time I went was probably 2016.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Not like too far. It wasn't like you were. It wasn't like in the 80s or 90s.

[George Camel]

No.

[Rachel Cruz]

You've been since then.

[George Camel]

Yep. And you know my traumatic experience where I lost my dad?

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Camel]

But then my mom just told me recently she was there with me the whole time.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wait, what?

[George Camel]

But in my memory, I was abandoned. I was alone, apparently.

[Rachel Cruz]

Where were you during that?

[George Camel]

I don't know, Anywhere between two and nine.

[Rachel Cruz]

And do you. Okay. Do you remember where you were at the park when you were abandoned?

[George Camel]

I feel like I could see the. The castle.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, so somewhere. But your mom was with you the whole time?

[George Camel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wow, that really deflates the story, George.

[George Camel]

Yep. Or my dad. I don't even know which parent was with me, but I know that apparently I misremembered somebody was with you. I was gonna be okay either way.

[Rachel Cruz]

And you were gonna be fine.

[George Camel]

Okay, but this is back before you could just call on a cell phone.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, sure, yeah. I mean, back in the early days. I know. Okay. Do you have any characters, though, at Disney that you're just like? Oh, yeah, pretty cool.

[George Camel]

More from the movies than the actual characters. Like, I loved Aladdin growing up, as you may know. Had a huge crush on Jasmine. Still do. So if I was going to meet, I think I did a meet and greet with Aladdin and Jasmine once. That was fun as a grown man.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, so you are one of the Disney adults that we speak of.

[George Camel]

Were you like, Aladdin was ripped? Let me tell you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Very much so, yeah. Do you know, it's fascinating how much they stay in character.

[George Camel]

Like, they don't break.

[Rachel Cruz]

They don't break character. Like, they are that character.

[George Camel]

Like, that's part of the job, right?

[Rachel Cruz]

I know, but it's unbelievable. Winston and I, we went together before kids because I had a speaking thing there at one of the resorts and they gave us a two day pass that was like part of, like, the gig.

[George Camel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

So Winston, I wins. This was like 2012 or something. And I remember we went and it stood in line for Snow White because we were in Epcot and like, she was right there. It was like three people waiting in line for Snow White. And I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, let's go. I hadn't been since I was a kid at that point, so I was like, let's go meet. And so we, yeah, we go up. I'm like, hi, Snow White. And she's like, oh, hello there. You know, da, da, da. I was like, and this is my husband Winston. And Winston was like, hi. You know, shakes her hand or something. Pleasure. We shake hands a lot. And. Yeah. And at first she was like, did you all meet at a wishing well? And Winston's like, no, we met at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. And I was like, babe, just play along, like. But she didn't break. Like, she was asking where my prince, like, he. If he was my prince. And like the whole thing, I mean, they, like, are full in character.

[George Camel]

I love that Winston was not having it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, he didn't know to even have it. He was like, oh, I think there.

[George Camel]

Was no yes and happening here. Like, he was the opposite of him.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, it wasn't. He Was like, oh, I'm just gonna get her. He was just like, oh, no, we didn't meet. I wishing well, we met and not so Tennessee.

[George Camel]

That poor woman's just trying to do her job and create some magic, and he's there to squash it.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know.

[George Camel]

That's why he's my spirit animal. Thank you, Winston.

[Rachel Cruz]

All of it.

[George Camel]

You have a favorite character. If you could. If you could become a Disney character, like any of the princesses.

[Rachel Cruz]

I was always Belle. Belle was like my go to as a kid.

[George Camel]

Why is that?

[Rachel Cruz]

So I probably still ship brown hair. You know, we always gravitated towards, like, half of them. No, there weren't a lot of brown hair. Cinderella was blonde. Ariel Red. Okay. Snow White was dark. That's true. Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I remember going and seeing Beauty and the Beast in theaters, and I was special. I was probably like four or five when that came out. And I remember going and seeing it. So maybe that's why I.

[George Camel]

Can I tell you, my daughter, who's 18 months old, just got the thing. Tony's. Have you heard of these?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, we never had those or we don't have those, but I've.

[George Camel]

She just got a Tony and she has a little bell one and she has a little Elsa. Let it go. And you put the little figurine on the thing and it plays the music.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Which one did you like?

[George Camel]

I think she's really into the bell one. But here's the weird part. It's not the original music. It's someone that, like, re sang it. Like they couldn't get the rights.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, no.

[George Camel]

So it's like slightly bad.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, shoot.

[George Camel]

I'm not gonna say bad. They're great singers, but you can tell. You're like, oh, this was not quite. It's like. Yeah, it's like Temu brand Disney. Still great, though.

[Rachel Cruz]

So interesting.

[George Camel]

But it's putting me back in this spirit.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

And it's also. I feel like training her to be obsessed with Disney as a. I know they.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do they. Yeah.

[George Camel]

Indoctrination starts young, doesn't it?

[Rachel Cruz]

It is early. Early on. Okay. But there is a way, though, to experience Disney with cash. But that is going to cause some patience, delayed gratification. Like, it's going to take a level. Right. A plan to get there. Because to our point earlier, it has. It's. It has gotten. It's very expensive. And if you have a family, four, five, six people in a family, like, with the park tickets and everything, I'm like, you're dropping like, hundreds of dollars A day just in the ticket, like, let alone everything else. So it is. It's an expensive. An expensive endeavor.

[George Camel]

And so it feels like they're already saying, this is not for everyone by doing that. And you can prop it up artificially with debt. But there's a better way to do it. And we're going to get into some, you know, financial tips. If you're going to do it, here's how to do it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, yes, that's right. Okay. What are some things that you think are 100% worth the money at dis.

[George Camel]

Oh, I mean, the ticket. You have to have that. I feel like, personally, whatever the fast pass thing is, I think for the time you're gonna save and the value you're gonna get from the trip, that one might be worth it for me.

[Rachel Cruz]

I agree. The Lightning Lanes.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

They're switching it all up again, though. Like, it's. They've switched.

[George Camel]

Is it like there's a premium plus thing now?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And then they were switching it. I don't know. But I. I agree with that one. I think that's good. I think maybe one character meal that's strategic is worth it. Meaning Cinderella's castle. You can meet, like, five princesses by doing that meal versus waiting in line to meet them throughout the day.

[George Camel]

Oh. Because they're all around the park, you can meet them, but there's a line.

[Rachel Cruz]

And certain ones are at Epcot, certain ones are at Magic Kingdom. Like, they're spread out, dependent upon the princess. So at that specific character meal, you can meet five of them, like, during the meal.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

So you kind of, like, killed two birds with one stone. You pay for five birds. Five birds with stone. Thank you.

[George Camel]

I do remember loving Epcot, so I think that's. That's one that's worth the money to me, personally. It doesn't feel like it's geared towards kids as much.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, they're getting better. They got ratatouille and they have guardians. Did you do that one?

[George Camel]

No, I don't think that was. Did that exist?

[Rachel Cruz]

It's like the craziest. It's probably craziest roller coaster I've ever been on.

[George Camel]

Wow. That intense.

[Rachel Cruz]

Because it's. It's, like, in these buckets, and so you're, like, turning and doing the roller. It's like you're off on your own. It's wild.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

So good, though.

[George Camel]

I do think the Soarin ride is worth it. I don't know why. I remember the smell of oranges as you're flying over the Orange tree field.

[Rachel Cruz]

And they put stuff, like, in the air sense of. I agree.

[George Camel]

Spraying chemicals into your face while you saw. But that one did feel. That was the most magical time I had was doing Soarin and Tower of Terror. That one hits.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, good. Hollywood Studios. Different park, but it's fine.

[George Camel]

Can't win them all.

[Rachel Cruz]

I love critiquing you in my Disney knowledge.

[George Camel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Would you. Have you done Universal?

[George Camel]

Yes. Not Disney, though.

[Rachel Cruz]

I've not done, but adjacent.

[George Camel]

I think I'm more of a Universal guy. Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

I've never been to Universal.

[George Camel]

It feels a little bit more. I don't want to say bro y, but it feels like if you're like, a little dude, you're like, yeah, yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know, it's got Jurassic Park.

[George Camel]

Yep. They have all the.

[Rachel Cruz]

Which I have never seen.

[George Camel]

Can we just say Harry Potter adults? You're getting real close to Disney adults. And it shows.

[Rachel Cruz]

It shows.

[George Camel]

I think it's a different type of person, but similarly not okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

I've never read the books. I've never seen the movies. Like, nothing about Harry Potter. And again, not because I have some, like, religious conviction about it. I just am not into, like, fantasy stuff. It's not really my thing.

[George Camel]

You like more true crime murders and, like, kidnappings. Real murders, not the fake ones.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know, but I tried watching it with Amelia because Amelia's friends, they were all watching it, and y'all. I mean, within, like, 15, 20 minutes, I was like, this isn't good.

[George Camel]

Like, I. Oh, wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

I did not enjoy it. I did not enjoy it. Yeah, they watched. Yeah, yeah. They've seen them all. I just don't. I just don't. I can't get into it.

[George Camel]

Yeah. We're about to get lit up on the comment section, so I'm glad you're gonna get roasted today. Harry Potter.

[Rachel Cruz]

Really interesting if you had to pick Disney or Harry Potter, which is very broad, I guess. Yeah, yeah. Too broad.

[George Camel]

No, but I think the people who are obsessed with Harry Potter are team.

[Rachel Cruz]

Harry, and they're not team Disney. And Disney people, I don't know if they're like.

[George Camel]

I think they look down upon the Disney people as being less than you think.

[Rachel Cruz]

So.

[George Camel]

Oh, Harry Potter.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what? I feel that we're more childlike, and Harry Potter feels like we are a step above immaturity or something, which is not true.

[George Camel]

Well, they went to the school of wizardry. They have wands and stuff. There's a little bit of, you know, there's a leave of us behavior on Both sides. That's all I'm gonna say.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's true. Okay. Well, that's one thing that I. Okay, so Epcot's your favorite park, though, at Disney?

[George Camel]

As it stands now, as a grown.

[Rachel Cruz]

Adult, I'd say, yeah, Epcot's fun.

[George Camel]

What's your favorite?

[Rachel Cruz]

I think Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't like Animal Kingdom.

[George Camel]

Yeah, not for you. You're not really an animal person.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. I. I'm learning that about myself more and more. It's not that I don't like animals.

[George Camel]

Yeah, you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I'm not an animal person.

[George Camel]

But you could live without having a pet ever again.

[Rachel Cruz]

I would probably. I would end up with a dog eventually.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. But. Yeah, I don't know.

[George Camel]

But you're no interest in, like, the safari experience and. Let's see, a giraffe and not really.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's.

[George Camel]

Okay. I don't know what this is. What is Chef Mickey's?

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, Chef Mickey's is in the Contemporary Hotel, and it's a character meal. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

And you meet all of Mickey's characters. So Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, Minnie Mouse, all the things.

[George Camel]

So is that worth the money to stay in one of the, like, character hotels?

[Rachel Cruz]

No. You don't budget it. Yeah. No.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. You don't get Chef Mickey's if you stay at the Contemporary.

[George Camel]

They're always trying to make it, like, well, you're not going to get this if you don't do this. Like, they're so strategic with everything they do over there.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, I know. Yeah. We've stayed at the Contemporary, and we've never done Chef Mickey's, if that helps.

[George Camel]

It does help me.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Now when my daughter wants to go, say, no, the cruises didn't do this. So neither are we.

[Rachel Cruz]

So neither are we. Okay. I will say something that is always worth it, though, is wearing Cozy Earth at Disney or not at Disney, this.

[George Camel]

Gives me some inspiration.

[Rachel Cruz]

But in life, no, really Cozy Earth. The quality of these products are just incredible. And this is everything from, like, the sheets to the blankets to the joggers to the robes to the socks. Like, anything and everything Cozy Earth makes is. What do they call it? Chef's Kiss. Not Chef Mickey.

[George Camel]

Well done.

[Rachel Cruz]

You're welcome.

[George Camel]

Take that, Chef Mickey. No, this is true. And now you. You make me want to skip on the merch and instead just get a nice Cozy Earth, like, sweatsuit I can wear around Disney.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

Cause it's exhausting.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And you put some ears on.

[George Camel]

I'm not doing the ears.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, you're not doing Mickey ears with Cozy Earth, though.

[George Camel]

I don't. Don't hide this under a bushel, all right? I worked too hard on it to be messing up with ears.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, my gosh.

[George Camel]

Let the kid wear the ears.

[Rachel Cruz]

Cozy Earth, wherever you are, is fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

[George Camel]

And they're giving our listeners and viewers a steep discount, up to 40% [e-mail] smartmoney and use the prom promo code. Smart money at checkout and let us know.

[Rachel Cruz]

Amazing.

[George Camel]

Snap some pics in your Cozy Earth gear.

[Rachel Cruz]

No ears. George, anything. Would you wear anything?

[George Camel]

I don't like putting things on my. Like, tattoos, jewelry, earrings. Nothing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Nothing.

[George Camel]

I don't want it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

It's not for me. All right, Include. I don't even wear a lot of hats.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, yeah.

[George Camel]

So I'm not a hat guy. So I think that makes me not an ears guy. I don't understand. Who's fooled? Who's fooled?

[Rachel Cruz]

I wouldn't. Yeah, you're a dude. I probably wouldn't do ears if I were.

[George Camel]

Did Winston wear ears?

[Rachel Cruz]

No. He did wear a Mickey T shirt, though.

[George Camel]

What would Winston do? He wore a tee.

[Rachel Cruz]

Mickey T. Yeah. On one of the days.

[George Camel]

Was it pretty tight, kind of showing off some muscles or.

[Rachel Cruz]

He had had it for a few years when we went on a Disney cruise like, five years ago. And it's like, shrink a little bit.

[George Camel]

It's worn in a little bit. All right.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, man. Okay. Well, we did some research, you guys, to talk through some of, like, the bougie things of Disney versus the budget friendly ways of Disney, and we've narrowed it down.

[George Camel]

I made the mistake of putting this on my Instagram in a poll of, like, let me know your Disney hacks. I didn't know what I was asking for.

[Rachel Cruz]

People came out of the woodworks for you.

[George Camel]

I over 60 screenshots of DMs of people saying, here's all my hacks. I think it was about 19 Disney travel agents that jumped in there, but it was very helpful. I will say that. I got what I asked for and more.

[Rachel Cruz]

This is so good. Yep.

[George Camel]

Okay, let's get to the eight budget friendly do's and don'ts.

[Rachel Cruz]

Number one, I do this track crowd calendars online to find slow seasons. So we did this because we went, like, at the end of January, which is a slow season, like, past all the holidays and all that. But you get. Yeah, the hotel rates are cheaper. Usually the flights are cheaper. So there are ways that you can save if you go during, like, not a crowded time.

[George Camel]

Was it chilly or does this depend?

[Rachel Cruz]

It was cold. We had jackets. Yeah. Sweatshirts on. It was actually kinda nice. Cozy Earth rock.

[George Camel]

Your Cozy Earth hoodie.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's so good.

[George Camel]

That's a good one. That one I'm big on. If it's really crowded, it's gonna be a miserable experience.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

So if you start adding on heat plus crowd, I'm out on that. Okay. Next up, use a free Disney travel planner.

[Rachel Cruz]

Never done this.

[George Camel]

So they are compensated by Disney through commission on the bookings they make for clients, allowing them to help plan your entire trip without additional fees to you. And some feedback from Social Also suggested Park Hopper wasn't worth the money.

[Rachel Cruz]

Interesting. Okay. Okay.

[George Camel]

Very.

[Rachel Cruz]

So I've never used a Disney planner. Not because I don't trust them. I just have control issues and I enjoy it. It's like part of my hobby. I love planning.

[George Camel]

You want to be the planner?

[Rachel Cruz]

I love planning trips. It's like a spiritual gift.

[George Camel]

I want someone else to do it for me, but I do. Here's the thing. The Disney travel planners, they're incentivized to do more because that increases their commission. So just be clear about what your budget is and stay firm.

[Rachel Cruz]

But they do. They do know that if you've never been to Disney, use them because they do know the ins and outs and.

[George Camel]

It'S a whole system and they might inspire somebody.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's interesting that the Park Hopper wasn't worth it because we would hit two parks a day sometimes.

[George Camel]

Oh, wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

So. So if you stay on a Disney resort, like on property, certain resorts, you get the exclusive hours at night, so they'll open up Epcot from 9pm to 11pm but it does that with the.

[George Camel]

Fast Pass, though, where you've experienced the entire park in half a day. Because of that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Not Magic Kingdom. That takes a full day. Animal Kingdom. Yeah, could be half a day.

[George Camel]

I think the reason was it takes. You could spend a whole day there and still not.

[Rachel Cruz]

That is true. That is true.

[George Camel]

So maybe that's money.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay, next one.

[Rachel Cruz]

BYO everything. So you can stay off property. Pack your own snacks and water. Pack your own toys and activities. Like, don't buy the memorabilia there. Like just buy everything. Bring it yourself. And I do agree with this. So I will. Amazon ears.

[George Camel]

Yeah, I. Yeah, I think like the Walmart. You just go there and get all the gear and head to the park.

[Rachel Cruz]

Seriously, because it is so expensive there. I will say the food elements. Last trip I did less. Like bring your own bottled water and all of that because there are Water stations and different things. And again, if you're on a, if you're on a, on a tight budget, then yeah, you could totally just like bring your own snacks 100%. But like, have a little bit if you can to enjoy some of the snacks there because some of like, there's some like famous foods. I feel like at the Disney park.

[George Camel]

You can't get it. Like the dole whip. I've heard amazing things about this dole whip.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And there's like a croissant thing at.

[George Camel]

Good for Dole, for staying, you know, top of mind there.

[Rachel Cruz]

There's these like egg rolls in Magic Kingdom and you get like a hamburger or a pizza, but they're like egg rolls and they are so good. So it's fun things like that.

[George Camel]

It's an egg roll filled with pizza.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, it's like an egg roll, but you open it's like cheese and pepperoni and sauce. Or a burger, which sounds weird, but.

[George Camel]

A burger inside of an egg roll.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. But it was so good.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know those videos of people eating on Instagram?

[George Camel]

Do you have videos of people eating on.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do you watch this? Like, I guess I've seen people eat on Instagram. Here's the chilies, mozzarella sticks. And they'll talk about it and then like show themselves eating it.

[George Camel]

I think your algorithm is very different than mine.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, well, I went, I guess because my algorithm last time went to Disney. I guess caught on that I was going to Disney and they showed me all these people eating around Disney all day and they make it look so good. And some of them were not great.

[George Camel]

But the egg rolls, that was worth it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Great.

[George Camel]

It feels like you're describing a hot pocket, but crunchier.

[Rachel Cruz]

100%. Good job, George. That's it? Yeah, that's it. But it comes from a cart in Magic Kingdom.

[George Camel]

Oh, it's out of a cart?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay, where's it coming? It can't be made at the cart. Are they delivering these from a kitchen to the cart?

[Rachel Cruz]

That's Sure. I didn't, I didn't concentrate that much. I didn't focus in.

[George Camel]

That's suspicious. Okay, that's a good one. And I have heard everyone's like, you can get water from any of the, you know, self service stations for free. Don't pay for water. There, that's a good one. Next up, use discounted gift cards. I got this message probably 20 times. It said, buy Disney gift cards at Target or Sam's Club and you can save 5% on a high dollar gift. Card and purchase park tickets with it. And so if you're buying for a whole family, you could be spending thousands and that could save you a few hundred. So 5% doesn't sound like a lot, but when you're talking a $5,000 trip, it adds up.

[Rachel Cruz]

So good. Love it. Next four parks in four days. Deal. So $99 per ticket versus the usual 150. $50. That's amazing. I didn't know about this one, but all day, every day.

[George Camel]

So it's kind of like if you buy more, you can save. If you want to do four, four parks in four days feels reasonable.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, for sure.

[George Camel]

100 bucks a ticket. I would do that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, that's good. Okay, that's good.

[George Camel]

Can you pair that with the Disney gift cards? That's the question.

[Rachel Cruz]

Ooh, look at you. Look at you. Now, if you are planning a trip, you know there's going to be a lot of, like, googling looking around like, okay, what, what do I do here? And it's so easy to put your personal info out there on the Internet. And the problem is people will find your info. And this is everything from your name, address, phone number, past employers. I mean, like crazy. And they take your information and they go and sell it to other companies. But Delete Me will go in and delete your information from the Internet and from these data broker websites, which is just beautiful.

[George Camel]

I'm up to over 80 hours of time saved. My most recent report, because they send you a report every other month just showing you, here's where your stuff was, we removed it. You can sleep easy at night. And so I love using Delete Me because I'm, I'm on the Internet a lot and there's always, like, forms you're filling out and some things require your personal info. But you're right, these data brokers are out there selling it, using it, and you get all the scam and spam because of it. So if you want to avoid that and sleep better at night, go check out DeleteMe. They're giving our listeners and viewers a sweet discount. 20% off any of their annual [e-mail] smartmoney or use the link in the description.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, keep your info safe. You guys use Delete Me. They are wonderful.

[George Camel]

Next up, military discount. Families get 25% off an annual membership. And there's tons of other discounts on smaller booking expenses throughout the process. So if you are traveling with someone who has that military discount, take advantage.

[Rachel Cruz]

Of it for sure. The dining plan. So I I've never done the dining plan, but I think feels like a.

[George Camel]

Ripoff in my heart.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know, it's. It's a little confusing. I get a little nervous with it. But apparently it is a great way to save. So honestly, this is probably the advantage of using a Disney planner because they're going to be able to like, break it all down for you.

[George Camel]

This feels more about convenience than like a cost savings. So if you're aiming for convenience, this could be helpful. I've heard that avoid the sit downs and just go for more the casual spots.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, that is true.

[George Camel]

You'll save time and money that way.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's great. Except for Tony's town square and Magic Kingdom, because the garlic bread square. Tony.

[George Camel]

Who's Tony?

[Rachel Cruz]

The restaurant. It's like a really great sit down in Magic Kingdom. It's one of the only ones I would do. And the garlic bread with the cheese sauce is phenomenal. Wow, there's that too. You're welcome.

[George Camel]

You're really there for the food. I'm realizing you're welcome. That's fine.

[Rachel Cruz]

There are. Some of it is good, some of it's not. Some of it's very disappointing.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

Sometimes it's really good.

[George Camel]

Last budget friendly hack. Set expectations before you go. This is a good one to have. Have the talk with the kids. Have the pep talk. Say, here's what's going to happen as soon as we enter this park. Here's what we're doing. Here's what we're not doing. That way, when they bring it up, say no. Remember, we agreed.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Camel]

We're not doing that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

And it's. To me, honestly, I think that sensory overload, I think that's the big thing that just. Especially as a child. Yeah, it's crazy. It's noisy, it's crowded. But I guess if you thrive in chaos like me, you love that experience.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's great.

[George Camel]

I would need a quiet spot to hang out.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right. Okay. So that's all the budget friendly. Let's go, Bougie George.

[George Camel]

Yeah. Okay, so we went from one side of the spectrum. If you're trying to save money. Now this is the. If you had unlimited money, what would you do for the most premium Disney experience?

[Rachel Cruz]

First and foremost, the private VIP tour. So this ranges anywhere from $425 to $900 an hour. You have to book a minimum of seven continuous hours. And the party can include up to 10 guests. But you get a. And you'll see them around. They're in A little plaid vest. Those Disney people. And then, you know, someone famous coming here that you look for the vest.

[George Camel]

You'Re like, this is a VIP client. Must be someone with.

[Rachel Cruz]

And they get to go up to the. To the front of the line. They go through the exits.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

You get back access to all the lots and all the things.

[George Camel]

So if you're going to go bougie VIP tour now.

[Rachel Cruz]

Because the standing in line thing is the big thing. So if you can stand most of your time.

[George Camel]

That's my thing is most of your time at Disney, you're just standing in lines.

[Rachel Cruz]

Right, Right.

[George Camel]

That's what kind of ruins it for me. I want to be doing stuff. I want to be more productive.

[Rachel Cruz]

There you go.

[George Camel]

Okay, that could be an interesting. Maybe I'll do that one day. You'll be so proud of me.

[Rachel Cruz]

Make a bucket list item. If George Camel ever spent that kind.

[George Camel]

Of money, my ancestors would be rolling in their grave. And me spending $900 per hour for a guy in a plaid vest to be like, right this way to a ride, sir.

[Rachel Cruz]

To the Winnie the Pooh ride.

[George Camel]

I could have anything I want in my life for 900 an hour. And I've chosen this. That's kind of sad.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's actually a funny way to put it.

[George Camel]

If I saw that person, I'd be a little jealous. There you go. All right, next up.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right, number two is the fireworks dessert party. So $99 per adult, $59 per child at Magic Kingdom only, and treats at Tomorrowland Terrace. Plus VIP access to the Plaza Hub grass for the best view of the fireworks.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I love the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom.

[George Camel]

So you're really paying for just a nice view. You're not worried about, like, are someone tall gonna be in front of me? That's usually my fear. So I might actually pay for this.

[Rachel Cruz]

This might be worth it. Can I say I may or may not have teared up at the fireworks at Disney.

[George Camel]

Why is that? Is it the music happening with the fireworks?

[Rachel Cruz]

It is so good. It literally makes you feel like anything is possible. Like, when that song comes on. And I watched the Happily Ever after version, and then I saw the other version, which I didn't think was as good, but the Happily ever after. I mean, it's like this girl's voice and this man's voice, and then you see, all because they project. Here's what's crazy, George. They project things onto the castle.

[George Camel]

Oh, I do remember that.

[Rachel Cruz]

And it's what the castle turns into.

[George Camel]

All this, like, it is Wild, I will admit.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wild. And literally I sat there and I. I mean, I almost cried. I mean, teared up, had to like, because it just makes you feel like it's possible that you can do anything you want to do.

[George Camel]

That's what made you think.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I was like, oh my gosh, I can go do some things with my life. That's what I thought.

[George Camel]

So is that part of what creates this Disney bond?

[Rachel Cruz]

I guess because it emotion, it taps on the emotions.

[George Camel]

And I assuming it's a shared experience of all these people from around the world.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's what I thought too.

[George Camel]

I thought everyone enjoying this one beautiful moment together.

[Rachel Cruz]

Everyone has their story. We don't know what's brought them here in that moment. But this where you went. We all together believe that anything is possible.

[George Camel]

So in your mind you're like, we could. If everyone could see this, world peace could happen.

[Rachel Cruz]

Actually, yes. Take it around the world.

[George Camel]

Like, get Ukraine, get Russia, get Israel, get. Hey, let's all watch the Disney fireworks and let's solve this thing. Although I will say that you just sold me a little bit on the magic of Disney with that. Okay, next up for the ultra bougie club level access at resort. This is two to 300 bucks per night. You get access to a private lounge. Complimentary. I love that it's complimentary, but it's $300 a night. Yeah, complimentary snacks, drinks, alcoholic beverages and small meals. And there's experts who help with park reservations, tech support, etc.

[Rachel Cruz]

We did this, George. Worth it for free because are you ready for this? This doesn't happen often, but when it.

[George Camel]

Happens, someone recognized you that worked at.

[Rachel Cruz]

Disney and said, hey, just wanted to bless you and your family with a little gift. Didn't say what it was. So we go and check into our hotel and they were like, oh, you have. You're on the club level. And we were like, well, no, we're not. And then the card said like so and so, like, thanks again for all you do at Ramsey whatever with the guy's name. And he upgraded us to club at Disney. Now we did have a sit down with the kids to tell them that this is not normal. But George, I mean, once you're living.

[George Camel]

Their best life, once you go club.

[Rachel Cruz]

How do you go back?

[George Camel]

You went from, we're not buying a single snack to grab all the snacks you want, kids.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm like, man, get a beer. After they had champagne, you just like.

[George Camel]

I'm in for that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Snacks, drinks.

[George Camel]

When I go to Disney, I'm gonna Wear a shirt that says, I know Rachel Cruz. That way, maybe an employee would bless me and say, you know Rachel Cruz? No way. And I'll show you a picture of our shirt.

[Rachel Cruz]

Forever thankful. Forever thankful.

[George Camel]

That's amazing. Okay, next up for bougie activities is.

[Rachel Cruz]

Victoria and Albert's dining experience. Oh, my gosh. Right? The main room is $295 a person. Extra wine pairings, $150.

[George Camel]

This is just for adults, by the way.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, so Victoria's room is 375A person. Chef's tables, 425A person. The most upscaled. Oh. Resort at Disney, located at the Grand Floridian. There is a dress code. Oh, my gosh.

[George Camel]

Now you want to do this, Tanya.

[Rachel Cruz]

I didn't know this existed.

[George Camel]

But it's adults only, so you have to. Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

What do you do?

[George Camel]

Leave the kids?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know, when they're old enough, like, it's their middle school and stuff. High school.

[George Camel]

Yeah, but what do you say? Just gallivant across the park on your own, I guess.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, no, it's at a hotel. The Grand Floridian.

[George Camel]

Oh, so they're stuck in the hotel.

[Rachel Cruz]

They were staying at the hotel room.

[George Camel]

That feels selfish.

[Rachel Cruz]

Get them some food.

[George Camel]

Like, hey, kids, we're at Disney. Don't leave this hotel room for dinner. Watch a movie. Hey, your mom and I are going to dinner.

[Rachel Cruz]

They might be fine with it for.

[George Camel]

A thousand dollars, but you don't buy a single. Feels wild. But, yeah, if it was just you and Winston, I don't know. That could be fun.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

All right, next up, we're getting fancier private poolside cabana rental.

[Rachel Cruz]

Ooh.

[George Camel]

Ranges from 300 bucks to 1,000 bucks or more, depending on the time of year, location, the perks. So this is comfy seating, mini fridge with drinks, personal tv, dedicated attendant.

[Rachel Cruz]

So great. All right, the last one is the private fireworks Cruise. Starts at $450 for a private boat ride. Up to 10 guests, which isn't bad if you split that.

[George Camel]

Yeah, the 450 covers 10 guests.

[Rachel Cruz]

I guess. $45 a person to go on a boat and watch the fireworks at Magic Kingdom or Epcot. Oh, on the water.

[George Camel]

That sounds cool. That would be cool. To be on the water.

[Rachel Cruz]

That sounds fun.

[George Camel]

I'd be willing to chip in. I'm realizing I should go with a big group to get the most bang for my buck and do these.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know, what if the vip. Yeah. What if you did all these experiences and split it for 10? Right. Cause a lot of these are for 10 people. Yep, that would be fascinating.

[George Camel]

I'm thinking the camels and the cruises.

[Rachel Cruz]

Trying to rope us into your Disney trip. I bet we get Ken Coleman on board.

[George Camel]

I'm in love. It's fun. Okay, let's move back to some budget friendly hacks. This is from our Ramsey colleague Nathan, who worked at Disney for 20 years. All right, so he is.

[Rachel Cruz]

Run him down the list, George.

[George Camel]

Here's what he said. Are his four budget friendly hacks. Number one, cheapest time to book. Weekdays in November or February.

[Rachel Cruz]

So offseason, okay.

[George Camel]

Go on a weekday in the off season. November, February, you're going to save money. Resort hopping. Going from one Disney resort hotel to the next, enjoying the atmosphere at no cost except for parking. So, you know, the lounges, the bars, the free live entertainment, and just go experience it all. Okay, next, split a cabin with a group Disney wilderness. Wow. They have a Fort Wilderness resort and campground has cabins that sleep six with kitchens and barbecues for outdoor grilling. Cheapest is around 500 bucks a night during the value periods. And lastly, character breakfasts. If a meal at Cinderella's castle is too expensive, you still want the interactive experience. Character breakfast. 10 to 20 a person. What's your final thoughts on this? Did it change your mind at all?

[Rachel Cruz]

No. Okay. I will say, last time we went to Disney, we left and Winston said, can't wait to come back with our grandkids.

[George Camel]

Whoa.

[Rachel Cruz]

That was it. Winston said that, like, that's the last. That's the next time he's gonna go.

[George Camel]

Basically, that was his boundary. He never again.

[Rachel Cruz]

When he has grandkids, he essentially said, never again. He's done.

[George Camel]

And why is that? What's Winston's take on why he wouldn't go?

[Rachel Cruz]

It's all about opportunity costs. How you mentioned, like, oh, you know, he just takes how much we spend.

[George Camel]

And he's like, he's too analytical.

[Rachel Cruz]

We could do anything with this money. And we're choosing to go to Disney with this money. Like, it boggles his mind. Yeah, he didn't.

[George Camel]

But it's about experience over utility. And so for Winston, he's like, hey, that could have funded the kids college. And if we just let it sit well, even.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's not even that. He's like, we could have gone to a great hotel in the Caribbean or something. Like, you know what I mean? Like for what you end up seeing, spending with everything together. It's like, oh, my gosh, we could have done it.

[George Camel]

Does the hotel have Cinderella's castle?

[Rachel Cruz]

That's what I'm saying as I'm like, it's like you can't compare it. Like it is, it is not comparable.

[George Camel]

I love being on your side.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's so much more fun.

[George Camel]

Such a blast. It is agreeing with you.

[Rachel Cruz]

I just think, I think it is fun and people like, it's a waste of money. It's so stupid and great. I've only been four times and I say only four. Everyone's like, oh, that's so. No. Some people go 20 times a year. Like I'm not one of those people. I'm not going every year. But I would be on an every other year, every two year rotation for the rest of my life.

[George Camel]

Okay, so I have an 18 month old. When would you say is the right time for someone's first experience at Disney to really.

[Rachel Cruz]

We wouldn't take Charles until he was. He just turned five. I would say that four or five.

[George Camel]

Four or five.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

So before your child turns three, I've heard that you can take them for free.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

So that's a good hack. Someone said, hey, this is a fun experience to take, you know, your, your two plus year old because it's still a little magical for them.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I think so. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[George Camel]

They're just not gonna do all the rides.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Four and five felt like, like Charles could do most everything and had fun, knew what was going on, like all of that. So that was good. So I'd stick around there.

[George Camel]

Now here's the big thing. Your kids are not entitled to going to Disney. And I feel like this, it's become this rite of passage for kids to be like, well, I gotta go to Disney. Is that happening across the world? What's this phenomenon that it's like a rite of passage for a child to go to Disney?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And I think that's more the parents feeling that than the kid.

[George Camel]

So the parents are enthusiastic.

[Rachel Cruz]

My kids like Disney, but they also like, like Chick Fil A. Do you know what I'm saying? Like there's a point that like they just like having fun. They're fine. I think it's the bigness and the nostalgia of it is coming from the adult brain, not the child brain.

[George Camel]

Well, I've seen the big surprises. Like they, they open it and they have the Disney band in it and the kids are like, what?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, we're going to do that. That's true. But again, for them to have that reaction, I bet that they're 8 years old and older.

[George Camel]

Yeah. I could have your gift, your kids a chick play gift card and they'd have the same reaction.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Like, Charles probably wouldn't have that, but the girls would, like, do you know what I'm saying? I'm like, to get even that reaction, it has to be a little bit older.

[George Camel]

How would you talk to your kids if they wanted to go to Disney, but it's not in the budget? Let's say someone out there, they're in baby step two, trying to pay off some debt in the Ramsey plan.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know, it's funny. I hear we. I hear people when they talk about talking to their kids of, like, don't have a scarcity mindset. Like, don't tell them, oh, it's not in the budget, because they're going to always. Whatever, whatever.

[George Camel]

It's going to cause trauma.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And I'm like, I just don't. I just tell them we don't have the money for that.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Some people would be like, that's, like, scarring them or like, like. So I've heard some money personalities talk about this, like, don't have a scarcity mindset because of, like, X, Y. And I'm like, that's not a scarcity mindset. Like, that's just a reality mindset. Like, this is realistic. This is where we're at. We can't do that. Right. So, like, I don't know. That's what I. I mean, personally, that's what I would say. How are you.

[George Camel]

How would I tell my kids that it wasn't in the budget? I'd say, hey, we're gonna do that in the future. We need to save up money so that we can pay for it, that.

[Rachel Cruz]

We can do in the future and.

[George Camel]

Say, hey, it's happening. Cause I think kids here know and they hear never.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

And it's just a. Not now, not this year.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, yes.

[George Camel]

So having a clear timeline for when it could happen and, you know, that's going to teach some patience and go, here's how much. I lay it out, say, hey, it's $5,000. Here's how much we're going to save per year, and we're going to have a little tracker, and you can keep up with it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Make it a whole thing.

[George Camel]

Make it a game. Good.

[Rachel Cruz]

I like it, George.

[George Camel]

But I will say this. You talk about our friend Dr. Arthur Brooks and the things you can spend money on, what's going to bring happiness. And the one thing that actually brings happiness is spending money on experiences.

[Rachel Cruz]

Not the one thing there's.

[George Camel]

But the one thing when it comes to spending money versus stuff.

[Rachel Cruz]

Spending your money yet to get your time back. Giving, saving, spending on experiences. Correct. Yeah.

[George Camel]

So this feels like an actual. There's some actual benefits to this, for sure.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

To spending this money. There is an roi.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And again, you're not. Yeah. And if you go by yourself, I don't think you get that same type.

[George Camel]

Of joy with the people you love.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And when you go with people, I think it's great. I don't know. It's so fun. I'm so fun. Take me.

[George Camel]

When y'all go, honestly, I need someone who's gonna. I need, like, a hype man to talk me off the ledge to be like, just go, have fun.

[Rachel Cruz]

The girl's like, should we do the people mover? And I'm like, yes, I love the people mover.

[George Camel]

What is that?

[Rachel Cruz]

My God. It's like the slowest ride, but you go all through the park and it's just like, oh, I look over there. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

[George Camel]

So it's like a really slow side.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm just saying. I would do any ride, and I'm very happy about it. I literally looked like this on Winnie the Pooh.

[George Camel]

I was like, wow. But the people never bother you. The, like, sensory overload. The unaware people who are just standing in the middle of a walkway. That never bothers you?

[Rachel Cruz]

No, because I am focused on my next goal. I'm walking quick. I leave. I've left my kids with Winston before. I have a traumatic experience like you, because I'm going.

[George Camel]

The next thing, you just ditch your.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I look back and I'm like, where are you, kid? Come on. You gotta go faster. Walk faster.

[George Camel]

That's my problem, is I'm very focused. And then I look back and I've ditched my family accidentally, and then we're in a fight. So you keep leaving us.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[George Camel]

So you're going too slow.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's what I say. I know. So that's the only. That's the only issue.

[George Camel]

Okay. Well, hey, if you are budgeting for your next Disney trip or anything else, be sure to check out the EveryDollar app. It makes budgeting so easy. Makes saving for the future easy. We have syncing funds you can set up in there to go. I want to put 100 bucks a month into this sinking fund for Disney, and a year from now, we're going to have 1200 bucks, which might get us three tickets.

[Rachel Cruz]

Maybe, maybe, maybe for one day. Oh, so good.

[George Camel]

Well, happy you changed my mind a little bit. I'm going to say happy trip. This episode is really just for me.

[Rachel Cruz]

So fun. So fun. All right, well, before we spill the tea in our Guilty as Charged segments, what's your rating?

[George Camel]

I'm gonna go nine out of ten on this.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. I'm just gonna give it two.

[George Camel]

Yeah, it's really good.

[Rachel Cruz]

I would say nine out of ten. I'm very happy with it.

[George Camel]

It's the La Tourista. The drink cost is $3.30.

[Rachel Cruz]

The rosemary is intense.

[George Camel]

If you like rosemary, you're gonna like this one. It's got tequila, elderflower liqueur, aperol, simple syrup, Peychaud's bitters, and lemon juice with a little sprig of rosemary and a little orange peel.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Beautiful.

[George Camel]

To garnish. So beautiful. Garnish. Great. Beautiful color. I'm loving the flavors here, so this is a win. Go get the recipe in the show notes and try it out this weekend.

[Rachel Cruz]

So great. All right, now it's time for Guilty As Charged. And this is where we ask each other a new Guilty as Charged question every week. And if we're guilty, we take a sip.

[George Camel]

So can I ask you this one?

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, yeah.

[George Camel]

Have you ever done something for your kids, but really you did it because you wanted to?

[Rachel Cruz]

Is this, like, a setup for this entire episode?

[George Camel]

It just feels like you're the target demo for doing things that you want to do while justifying it with how other people are going to experience it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Uh, I mean, oh, man.

[George Camel]

Cause you have older kids. You've had a lot of experiences.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. I would say majority of our trips that we go on, I am the number one influence. And then I bring them along and.

[George Camel]

Tell them it's your idea, and they go, you're gonna love it. Here's why. You're great at selling people on experience.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So. And Disney, I would put into that, even though the kids are, like, great to go to Disney, but, like, I really want to go.

[George Camel]

Yeah. When we've gone, you're most of the reason. What about the pool? Was that mostly for you guys to get a pool or was that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh.

[George Camel]

Whose idea was.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know, I would say majority of kids. The kids. Because I'm not, like, swimming around a lot these days. Like, I'm not, like, in the pool, like, diving to the pool.

[George Camel]

You're not amphibious.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm not, like, getting the rings at the bottom of the pool and, like, loving jumping in. You know what I mean? Like, I'll sit out and, like, read a book, but I want to be. I build a pool to do that, though. Like, we had A great porch I could read on. Does that make sense? So the pool. Honestly, it was for the kids because it will entertain them and has for the few days it's been open.

[George Camel]

That's fun.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. So I'm really gonna say that one was the kids.

[George Camel]

I'm annoying.

[Rachel Cruz]

Maybe the convenience of not having to go to another pool was nice.

[George Camel]

That is nice. I do think public pools. I get a little heebie jeebie. Oh, do you know? Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Are you a water park guy?

[George Camel]

No. No. I feel like there are. We could bring back lots of diseases if we just all went to water parks as a country. I don't. I'm not for that. I went to water parks growing up as a kid.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

And I still remember, like, my feet burning on the black pavement as you walk to the next thing.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know.

[George Camel]

It's the smell.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

That kind of. Just chlorine everywhere. Everything's just soaked.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

You're like. It's a mix of. You're like, is this sweat or am I just still wet? We don't know anymore.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's all become one.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

So I haven't been to water park in a long time.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Anything but for you with Mia so far.

[George Camel]

If I'd done something for my kids. Really did it because you wanted to. I mean, I think opening a 529 account for college, that was really for me. You know, I've always wanted to, and I didn't have a good reason.

[Rachel Cruz]

What?

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

You've always just wanted to open up a 529.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Why?

[George Camel]

Because we. We teach it all the time. Like, yeah, open a 529. It's great. And so I was like, I want to do that. I could have opened one for myself, but I already graduated, so it's not for me.

[Rachel Cruz]

I didn't take you to Disney.

[George Camel]

Like, I just.

[Rachel Cruz]

You need, like, fun in your life.

[George Camel]

Some People's Joy is 529 plan. Some is Magic Kingdom. We all have our thing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, my gosh. George.

[George Camel]

Opportunity cost. So that was really for me. It's gonna benefit her because she'll go to college debt free, which we love. But.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

It was for me.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Wow. You know, it's a very selfless.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Thing to do.

[George Camel]

We did just get a toddler tower. Like a little kitchen helper, mommy helper thing.

[Rachel Cruz]

We never had those, but I've seen.

[George Camel]

Them a lot, so I just built that yesterday.

[Rachel Cruz]

You.

[George Camel]

I didn't know it was a scratch.

[Rachel Cruz]

But, you know, let's not row past that. George.

[George Camel]

Thank you give you a clap. I'm a beast with an allen wrench and 48 minutes to spare.

[Rachel Cruz]

You built it.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Good job.

[George Camel]

It was really exhausting, but that one was really for me because it puts her in a tiny prison so that I don't have to chase her around as much in her toddler era.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

So now she's, like, she can't really get out.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, there you go. Hey, we had playpens when I was a baby. I don't know where those went.

[George Camel]

We have a little play pen, but she's like, as they get older, they don't want to be in a. In a pen.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. God, we never. I didn't have those for my kids.

[George Camel]

Like, they're out of their baby pig era. They know. They're like, I don't want to.

[Rachel Cruz]

Seriously? Y'all had a baby pin for Mia?

[George Camel]

Yeah, we still have it. It's there.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Do your friends have them?

[George Camel]

I don't know. I don't go to my friend's houses.

[Rachel Cruz]

I have not seen those in years. I don't go to my friend's house.

[George Camel]

Yeah, it's none of my business what happens in their house, George. Unless I'm coming over the cruises for a pool day.

[Rachel Cruz]

Pool party.

[George Camel]

Can't wait.

[Rachel Cruz]

Pool party.

[George Camel]

All right, well, hey, DM us your fun. Guilty as charged questions. We may use one for an upcoming episode. Be sure to label it guilty as charged so we can find it in the dms.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep. So great. Well, we hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Make sure to subscribe. Like it. And if you liked this episode, you'll definitely like the next one. That is all about talking about budgeting, being conscious when you travel. And it's called what vacations are really costing you. We will put a link below, so make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an all new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.

[George Camel]

It.