The Cost of Family Vacations: 2012 vs. the 1960s

Here’s a sad commentary on the American Dream. According to this infographic, just the cost of the good old road trip vacation has skyrocketed in the last 50 years or so. Just look at the cost of a Disneyland hotel: Then $15; Now $400. That’s not just inflation making the difference, that’s an indication that the cost of leisure has quickly priced itself beyond the reach of the middle class. Meanwhile, middle class wages have seen stagnant growth in most sectors since the 1970s. I know that’s not what this infographic is about, but it’s a stark contrast between today, an era of increasing economic inequality and the 60s, an era when the middle class in the US was at its most prosperous and a bigger portion of the population.

How have family vacations changed since you were a kid? I know that things were a lot cheaper in the 80s, even a trip to Disneyland. It’s probably doubled in cost twice since then. What low-cost solutions do you use to save money while on vacation.