It *is* possible to do Disney World without spending obscene amounts of money. Stay off property (i.e. at a not-Disney hotel), bring your own food, don't buy souvenirs, don't do park hopper, and go for more than 4 days. The first four days, your ticket price is about $100/day. Starting with day 5, your ticket price is basically free. Day 5 is $11 (!), day 6 is $5, day 7 is $7, day 8 is $21...
My problem with this starts at the end of day 1, when I'm exhausted of standing in lines, figuring out fast passes for the rides, rushing around the sections of the park amongst the throngs of faithfuls, tired of people watching (especially the tired faces in line like mine), dealing with kids, etc etc., so there's no day 2, 3 etc.
A 7-day ticket to be used within 10 days, 1 park per day, is $425/adult and $406/child. With taxes for a family of 4, it's $1770. Plus parking fees.
F that.
I flew my family to Colorado, got a rental car, and a hotel room for Labor Day weekend, under $1800. Better to hike in nature than to walk in a Disney theme park.
I live 75 minutes from DW and won't go even on a free ticket.