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A Finance Expert Asked Disney Visitors About Their Debt. The Answers Were Eye-Opening

MarketDash Editorial Team
18 days ago
George Kamel of 'The Ramsey Show' interviewed vacationers at Disney World about their debt, uncovering eye-popping car loans, mountains of student debt, and one couple spending over $180,000 they don't have. A few people had it figured out, but most painted a sobering picture of American consumer debt.

There's something darkly poetic about asking people about their debt while they're trying to enjoy the happiest place on Earth. George Kamel, a personal finance expert from 'The Ramsey Show,' recently did exactly that at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He talked to everyday Americans about their financial reality, and beneath the vacation cheer, he found a much more sobering truth: a lot of people are drowning in debt with no real plan to surface.

When Your Car Payment Rivals a Mortgage

The most jaw-dropping conversation came from a couple whose combined debt topped $180,000, and that's before you even count their mortgage. The man carried about $60,000 split between credit cards and car loans. The woman had $75,000 in total debt, including a $60,000 car loan and credit card balances.

Here's where it gets wild. She explained that she'd rolled over negative equity from her previous vehicle into a brand new 2025 Honda Pilot. Her monthly payment? A cool $1,200.

The man wasn't far behind. He was driving a 2024 Toyota Tundra with a $53,000 loan and a monthly payment of $982. Kamel's response was priceless: "You're driving most people's 401(k), my friend."

Between the two of them, they're spending roughly $1,200 to $1,300 every month just servicing debt. But wait, there's more. The woman also has $100,000 in student loans currently in deferment because she's still in school.

"That's impressive. You guys are just giving away the income every month at this point, right?" Kamel said. "Honda financing just owns your life at this point."

Student Loans Without an Exit Strategy

Student debt was a recurring theme throughout Kamel's interviews, and most people had no clear plan for paying it off. One 22-year-old woman had $35,000 in loans and about $1,000 in credit card debt. Oh, and another $100,000 in private student loans for a business administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Her plan for tackling all that debt? "Just keep working. I do extra shifts at work, so, you know, just keep saving."

When Kamel asked how long she expected to be in debt, she said, "Probably about 15 years."

Combined with her partner's debts, their total hit $128,000. Asked if she felt good about that number, her response was simply, "Not particularly."

Some People Actually Have It Figured Out

It wasn't all financial doom and gloom. Kamel also met a family of three who had spent years saving to pay cash for their $8,000 Disney vacation. No credit cards, just debit. "This is our first big vacation in 10 years," the mom explained. "It did take us a couple of years to save and do it right."

She continued, "There's no stress. No 'how are we going to pay for this?' We just knew we could do it and it fit our budget."

Then there was the tourist from Puerto Rico who initially claimed he had no debt. After a few more questions, though, he admitted to a $20,000 car loan. "You just told me you didn't have any debt," Kamel pointed out. "Is everybody lying to me out here?"

When asked how he agreed to those loan terms, the man sheepishly replied, "That day I was high."

Kamel's response: "Can I give you a new rule? Don't make any financial decisions while you're high in the future."

Breaking Free From the Debt Sentence

Kamel wrapped up the video with a call to action, urging viewers to stop treating debt like a life sentence. "Not a 15-, 20-year plan. Not a 'I'm going to die with this debt.' I'm talking two years, three years."

He stressed the importance of budgeting, facing the actual numbers, and making sacrifices now to gain financial control later. "Delayed gratification is the key to getting out of debt."

The interviews paint a picture of how normalized debt has become in American life. Car loans that rival small mortgages, student debt with no payoff timeline, and credit card balances that just keep growing. For most people Kamel spoke with, debt wasn't an emergency to solve—it was just part of the background noise of daily life. The family who saved for years to pay cash for their vacation stood out precisely because they were the exception, not the rule.

Back to News

A Finance Expert Asked Disney Visitors About Their Debt. The Answers Were Eye-Opening

MarketDash Editorial Team
18 days ago
George Kamel of 'The Ramsey Show' interviewed vacationers at Disney World about their debt, uncovering eye-popping car loans, mountains of student debt, and one couple spending over $180,000 they don't have. A few people had it figured out, but most painted a sobering picture of American consumer debt.

There's something darkly poetic about asking people about their debt while they're trying to enjoy the happiest place on Earth. George Kamel, a personal finance expert from 'The Ramsey Show,' recently did exactly that at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He talked to everyday Americans about their financial reality, and beneath the vacation cheer, he found a much more sobering truth: a lot of people are drowning in debt with no real plan to surface.

When Your Car Payment Rivals a Mortgage

The most jaw-dropping conversation came from a couple whose combined debt topped $180,000, and that's before you even count their mortgage. The man carried about $60,000 split between credit cards and car loans. The woman had $75,000 in total debt, including a $60,000 car loan and credit card balances.

Here's where it gets wild. She explained that she'd rolled over negative equity from her previous vehicle into a brand new 2025 Honda Pilot. Her monthly payment? A cool $1,200.

The man wasn't far behind. He was driving a 2024 Toyota Tundra with a $53,000 loan and a monthly payment of $982. Kamel's response was priceless: "You're driving most people's 401(k), my friend."

Between the two of them, they're spending roughly $1,200 to $1,300 every month just servicing debt. But wait, there's more. The woman also has $100,000 in student loans currently in deferment because she's still in school.

"That's impressive. You guys are just giving away the income every month at this point, right?" Kamel said. "Honda financing just owns your life at this point."

Student Loans Without an Exit Strategy

Student debt was a recurring theme throughout Kamel's interviews, and most people had no clear plan for paying it off. One 22-year-old woman had $35,000 in loans and about $1,000 in credit card debt. Oh, and another $100,000 in private student loans for a business administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Her plan for tackling all that debt? "Just keep working. I do extra shifts at work, so, you know, just keep saving."

When Kamel asked how long she expected to be in debt, she said, "Probably about 15 years."

Combined with her partner's debts, their total hit $128,000. Asked if she felt good about that number, her response was simply, "Not particularly."

Some People Actually Have It Figured Out

It wasn't all financial doom and gloom. Kamel also met a family of three who had spent years saving to pay cash for their $8,000 Disney vacation. No credit cards, just debit. "This is our first big vacation in 10 years," the mom explained. "It did take us a couple of years to save and do it right."

She continued, "There's no stress. No 'how are we going to pay for this?' We just knew we could do it and it fit our budget."

Then there was the tourist from Puerto Rico who initially claimed he had no debt. After a few more questions, though, he admitted to a $20,000 car loan. "You just told me you didn't have any debt," Kamel pointed out. "Is everybody lying to me out here?"

When asked how he agreed to those loan terms, the man sheepishly replied, "That day I was high."

Kamel's response: "Can I give you a new rule? Don't make any financial decisions while you're high in the future."

Breaking Free From the Debt Sentence

Kamel wrapped up the video with a call to action, urging viewers to stop treating debt like a life sentence. "Not a 15-, 20-year plan. Not a 'I'm going to die with this debt.' I'm talking two years, three years."

He stressed the importance of budgeting, facing the actual numbers, and making sacrifices now to gain financial control later. "Delayed gratification is the key to getting out of debt."

The interviews paint a picture of how normalized debt has become in American life. Car loans that rival small mortgages, student debt with no payoff timeline, and credit card balances that just keep growing. For most people Kamel spoke with, debt wasn't an emergency to solve—it was just part of the background noise of daily life. The family who saved for years to pay cash for their vacation stood out precisely because they were the exception, not the rule.