A family trip to Disney World is expensive. There are plenty of good strategies to save money, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you can do Disney without spending quite a bit. Your trip will be more enjoyable if you don’t try to hide from this fact. Instead, we suggest budgeting for Disney ahead of time to get an idea of exactly what you’ll spend.
Travel Expenses
Travel costs will vary depending on a variety of factors – where you are coming from, mode of transportation, and lodging/food on your trip. Many people will choose to fly and average domestic round trip flights to Orlando are currently $330/ticket. You’ll want to budget for additional airport costs like checked bags and parking. One downside to flying is that you will need transportation from the airport to your resort. There are multiple shuttle options that cost extra (Disney’s complimentary Magical Express is no longer offered). Rental cars offer additional flexibility for a higher cost – and don’t forget that you may have to pay to park at your hotel.
Driving will likely cost less, but it is important to account for additional expenses relating to a road trip. For example, if you are driving a long distance you may have a hotel stay on each side of your Disney trip, which may be around $125/room/night. Here in 2022, gas prices will account for a large portion of your travel budget at ~$4/gallon. A longer journey by road also means more meals will need to be covered on the trip.
You may choose to price out other modes of transportation. There are probably some travelers who come to Orlando by train or Greyhound bus. Just be sure to include all of those little expenses that will come along with whatever you choose.
Resort Expenses
Depending on where you choose to stay, your hotel can be the largest single expense of a Disney trip. We love staying on property, but that is always going to be the most expensive option. Check out some of the best Disney resort amenities here. You will need to budget anywhere from $100-$1,000+ per room, per night for the lodging.
There are some other resort expenses to consider for this category as well. Parking will likely be $15-$25 per night. We recommend tipping bell services and housekeeping.
Park Tickets
The main reason you are coming to WDW is to get into those four amazing parks! Of course, this is going to cost you. Standard adult theme park tickets start at $109/day. This will increase during peak times or with the addition of park hopper. Then again, you pay less per day for longer durations and for kids tickets. You can also pay less by booking a resort package that includes park tickets through Disney. Check out Disney’s website to see your exact ticket prices for your trip.
Park Extras
In addition to the base ticket prices, you may need to budget for some park extras. Disney Genie+ service is currently $15/person/day. Individual Lightning Lanes for the hottest ride in each park will cost between $10-$20/rider. Memory Maker is Disney’s photo service that will give you access to photos taken throughout the park for $199. If your group is looking for special treatment, you may choose to budget in a VIP tour.
Food and Beverage
Food and beverage costs can vary drastically depending on what your group prefers. There are several options for meals at Disney parks and resorts. Quick service meals will cost between $6-$13/person. Table service is more expensive at $15-30/person plus tip. Character dining, all-you-care-to-enjoy, and signature restaurants will be the most expensive, and you can plan to spend $50+/person.
One of the most exciting things to do at Disney is to try the fun snacks. These will be ~$5-7/item and will also vary depending on your groups snacking habits. We also recommend getting groceries delivered to your hotel. This can cover you for quick breakfast items, snacks, waters, and more.
If you have drinkers in your travel party, be sure to also create a budget item for alcohol. There are plenty of opportunities to drink on vacation – EPCOT festivals, table service meals, pool bars, and more. You can easily spend $100 or more on alcohol alone, so be sure to be realistic with this budget category!
Souvenirs, Gifts, Etc.
You may feel that Disney has already gotten enough of your money with the above categories. However, make sure to budget plenty of extra cash for souvenirs and gifts. There are plenty of gift shops at the parks and resorts for a reason – Disney has great merchandise.
Additionally, there will be miscellaneous items that you need to purchase. For example, I purchased a shirt during our last trip because my sister spilled iced coffee on the one I brought to the park. On that same trip, my sister (same one… she struggles) had to buy my nephew a pair of crocs because they forgot to bring his shoes.
Conclusion
In our experience, it is much less stressful to spend money on vacation when you’ve already created a budget. Many vacationers choose to just charge the card and avoid logging into their app to see how much they’ve spent! This can add unnecessary anxiety to what should be a magical trip for you and your family.
Feel free to utilize our included budgeting template below:
