Day 427: The Cost of Fun

Of course I love YouTube, and of course I follow a lot of different YouTubers and generally watch a lot of YouTube videos. So it should be no surprise to you that today's post is based on...yes...a YouTube Video!

This time, it's specifically from one of TheVlogBrothers, Hank Green. I'll let you watch the video and then I'll explain the rest afterwards.

So the basic point here is that in order to accurately decide which "fun" is worth the money we spend on it, we can do some simple math, right? 

He uses the following examples: 

The Superbowl : $2000 / 4 hours = $500 / hour of entertainment

Vidcon : $150 / 32 hours = $4.6 / hour of entertainment 

Movies: $10 / 2 hours = $5 / hour of entertainment

Video Games: $60 / 40 hours = $1.5 / hour of entertainment 

Comics: $3 / 0.33 hours = $9 / hour of entertainment 

Books: $17 / 15 hours = $1.13 / hour of entertainment 

TV : $128 / 136 hours = $0.94 / hour of entertainment (per week)

So, being the Disney person I am, what did I do? If you remember back to THIS POST, where I spend how many hours calculating how long it would take you to experience everything in the Magic Kingdom, I'm no stranger to crazy statistics of Disney. Which means that this was way easier. 

Let's take me for example, since that's the easy thing to do. In the next year, I'll be spending 18 days or so (maybe 16-17 depending on length of future trips) at Walt Disney World. Or at least 18 days where I use my park ticket.

I have an annual pass, which the average price is $634 for the regular pass. I honestly don't know if that's what my family paid for it, but that's the number we're going to use. 

So, let's look at this. Assuming I spend an average of 12 hours in a Disney Park each day (take or add a few here and there because of other things and band trips and extra magic hours and what not), then here's the equation: 

Disney World: $634 / 216 hours (18 days x 12 hours/day) = $2.94 / hour of entertainment 

Seems like a pretty good deal, huh? Of course, you have to add on the price for your room, and your food and everything. But if you add even that on, the number of hours you are enjoying goes up, meaning that everything stays pretty equal. 

What does this mean? 

Walt Disney World is a better value than the SuperBowl. Or continuously going to a movie or anything. So to those that say Disney is too expensive, maybe you're right...but just remember how much there is to do (25 hours in the Magic Kingdom alone!) and the quality of what you're getting and the fact that MY ANNUAL PASS amounts to $2.94 / hour of entertainment when things like a two hour movie are $5 / hour of entertainment. Yeah, seems like a pretty good deal to me. 

Yay statistics! 

Have a magical day!

Day 215: Vlogumentary

I'm sure many of you have heard me talk about Youtube. Actually, if you've followed this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I do indeed spend a LOT of time on the site. I follow multiple daily vloggers, including ApprenticeEh, WheezyWaiter, and CTFxC, as well as channels such as VlogBrothers.

And that's why at the moment, I am ABSOLUTELY excited to share with you the trailer for the new documentary, "Vlogumentary."

Watch it here:

Now, I've been really busy these past few months, and I mean REALLY busy, and I know that this last month of the summer is going to be ridiculous as well. So, in other words, I haven't had as much time as I normally would like to sit and watch all of my Youtubers. But this video, this trailer, really reminded me of why I love Youtube. Why I am a member of the community and how much of an impact it has made in my life. 

Youtube, for me, came into my life in a time really when I needed it. I was going into my senior year of high school, and everything was changing. In fact, it was all changing a little too fast for my liking. But every night I could go home and right before bed, I could watch my favorite Youtubers and learn about how their lives were going. Sometimes it was a new Star Wars video from ApprenticeA, or a wacky discussion between John and Hank. But no matter what it was, it made me happy, and always ended my day the right way. 

But because I've been busy, that's been missing, and watching this video reminded me that I should watch again, that I should make the time each night to bring Youtube back into my life, and over the next few weeks I'm going to do just that. I want to get back into the habit of it, because even just sitting and catching up with ApprenticeEh today made my day so much brighter. 

I also realized that a while back, in my English class this past year, we were watching some VlogBrothers because we read The Fault In Our Stars and our teacher felt it was a good idea for us to watch some John Green. My best friend and I, along with a couple of my other friends, loved it, and relished in the fact that we had seen the videos before and so on and so forth. The other side of the class though, just didn't get it. They were like "What's so funny? Why are they laughing?" And you know, I realized when watching this trailer WHY they said that. They are not a part of the amazing community called Youtube, one that I'm proud to say I'm a part of, and quite honestly, I wish they would have a chance to discover it like I did. It's kind of like how I wish that everyone would have the ability to have a Disney vacation. It's something that's a once in a lifetime experience. I mean, that's really what finding your first Youtube channel that you follow is like. And then you're introduced into the community and you meet friends that you would otherwise never have. It's truly amazing, it really is. 

Please share the Vlogumentary trailer! I am so proud of everyone who has put time and effort into it and I can't wait to see the finished product. Oh, and Corey, if you do ever read this, I'm so happy to see the Green Screen!!!

Here's today's Disney History: 1988: A groundbreaking ceremony takes place for Euro Disney (later known as Disneyland Paris). The park will open in April 1992. 

Have a magical day!