By Patrick F. Cannon

When my children were about 10 and 11, we ventured south to Disney World in Orlando. As I recall, it was July and a bit on the warm side. We bought a package tour, which included air and a stay at a nearby Holiday Inn, rather than the much more expensive Disney properties. Epcot had just opened, so we spent a day there and another at the original Magic Kingdom. We also spent time at their water park, a welcome interlude in the heat.

            As I recall, we had a fun time, but the trip had some challenges. We had a delay at O’Hare when one of the plane’s engines caught fire. Eventually they fixed the problem, or so we were told, and we managed to get to the Orlando airport, which in those days was in its initial stages of development. Baggage claim, or example, was outside. The package included a rental car, which broke down before we were even off the property. That was fortunate because they were forced to give us a bigger car to replace it.

            As I recall, we stayed four or five days. The Holiday Inn had a nice pool, and the children took full advantage of it. But the most memorable non-Disney excursion was to an attraction called the Gatorland Zoo and Jumperoo. A kind of wildlife park, the highlight was watching the gators leap out of the water to snatch raw chickens from  their “keepers.” You entered through a gaping gator’s mouth. The gift shop was full of everything gator. A few years after our visit, the building burned down, but it was rebuilt and the zoo thrives to this day (www.gatorland.com).

            I can’t recall what it all cost, but we could afford it. Now, a four day “experience” for a family of four can cost up to $7,000 if you stay at one of the Disney hotels. I recently read that only about 20 percent of American families can afford Disney, much less a full week at some $10,000.

Coincidentally, CBS’s “Sunday Morning”  had a feature recently about the “American Girl” phenomenon. For those of you who don’t have a daughter or granddaughter, spending the day at one of their stores is something of a rite of passage for pre-teen girls. The dolls themselves cost about $175, but there are many add ons. While companion books are only about $10, how about a bedroom for dolly at $250? Or a bathroom for $220? Of course, you must have lunch at $30 a head; or maybe you prefer tea at $50?

At a minimum. mom and daughter are going to spend nearly $300. You can add that amount to the Disney experience – there’s an American Girl store in Orlando too.

As you can imagine – and maybe it has affected your family – through peer and other pressures, kids now feel they must have what their friends all seem to  have. When I was six or seven years old, a trip to the local amusement park, Kennywood in Pittsburgh, or a resort on Lake Erie for a week, was enough to delight me. I didn’t have access to the myriad influences and “influencers” that assault our kids today, so I was perfectly satisfied with simpler pleasures.

When we moved to Chicago, we lived within walking distance of what is now the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Admission was free. As it was and still is at Lincoln Park Zoo. The only extra at the museum was the coal mine, which cost 10 cents. Now, of course, they charge admission. Even so, a day for a family of four would cost about $250 these days if you opted for all the extras, vastly different from Disney. And you can drive to Six Flags Great America and spend a similar amount. But will that satisfy today’s children? Like so many things these days – a day at Wrigley Field for a Cub’s game could cost the family $400 – what used to be affordable for a middle-class family is now a luxury. It’s a shame really.

I don’t envy today’s parents. And I almost forgot about Taylor Swift. Although prices varied, mom (and sometimes dad) and daughter would have spent a minimum of about $500 per ticket to attend her recent tour. In Chicago, many attendees were from out of town, so add travel, hotel, and meals. When I was a kid, these stadium extravaganzas simply didn’t exist. Somehow, we survived.

Copyright 2026, Patrick F, Cannon