Even if you consider Walt Disney World Resort the “happiest place on earth,” it’s probably not on your list of the most affordable places to visit. How much does it cost to go to Disney World? Is it ever affordable? To some extent, that depends on you. Sit-down dining once a day is going to cost more than counter service. Fancy resorts on the monorail bite your wallet more than a hotel in Disney’s Value tier. Let’s take a look at how much does it cost to go to Disney World, depending on which choices you make.
Eats, admission, and a place to lay your head are the numbers that you can’t get around, so I’m going to focus on the trip to Disney World cost, including hotel, tickets, and food. The average cost to go to Disney World depends on many factors, so understanding the breakdown can help plan better.
Be Flexible on Timing
Disney World started using “dynamic pricing” in 2018, meaning it charges higher prices during holidays and popular weeks and lower prices for off-peak visits. In general, you’ll find the lowest pricing in late August and early September, and for weekday visits to the parks. The kids are back in school by August, so the parks are less crowded and the prices are lower. Weather-wise, it’s a hotter time of year, but if you can get past that and plan your days accordingly, you can have a great visit at a better price point. This timing can greatly impact how much does it cost to go to Disney World.
Choose Your Hotel Carefully
The great thing about Disney is that there are resorts for every budget. Those looking to keep costs as low as possible will likely want to stay at the “value” hotels. You can also stay in a non-Disney hotel, but it’s important to factor in the cost of transportation. Those staying at Disney resorts have access to free parking at the parks as well as free shuttles that run about every 20 minutes. The $286 average rate for Disney’s cheapest rooms still exceeds the average hotel room rate off-property. According to Visit Orlando’s 2022 Travel Industry Indicators, Orlando’s average daily room rate is just $186.49, about 35% less than the cheapest room at a Disney resort. Your hotel choice will significantly impact the trip to Disney World cost.
Average Cost to Go to Disney World Per Person, Per Day
If you don’t plan the trip to Disney World cost, it can spoil your vacation. Here’s what you can expect to spend per person, per day for a theme park ticket, hotel room, and meal, based on travel style. The average cost to go to Disney World will vary depending on the experience you want:
| Value | Moderate | Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-day, 1-park theme park ticket | $160 | $175 | $175 |
| 1-night hotel room (Saturday night) | $286 | $366 | $877 |
| Individual meal | $19 | $59 | $93 |
Average Cost of a Disney Vacation for a Family of 4
When planning a trip with your family, it’s crucial to estimate the average cost to go to Disney World. Here’s the breakdown based on travel style and length of stay:
| 1 night | 3 nights | 7 nights | |
| Value | $1,227 | $2,783 | $6,463 |
| Moderate | $1,525 | $3,636 | $8,912 |
| Deluxe | $2,332 | $6,075 | $15,559 |
Set a Limit on Souvenirs
Souvenir shops are an easy way to quickly bust your budget. Try to avoid spending too much time in the gift shops, where the temptation can be hard to resist – or, set a limit for how much each person can spend on souvenirs per day or throughout the vacation. This will help manage your trip to Disney World cost effectively.
If your family really wants to get into the spirit and don Disney apparel for the trip, stock up ahead of time at stores like Target or Kohl’s, which carry licensed apparel. They have awesome selections. Kohl’s does a whole line of family-matching Disney apparel.
Disney World Food Costs
The trip to Disney World cost also includes meals. Average meal prices depend on the restaurant type. The average cost to go to Disney World for food alone can add up quickly:
| Restaurant Pricing Tier | Average Cost Per Person, Per Meal (Including Tax & Tip) |
| Value (Counter service or cart) | $19 |
| Moderate (Table service with waitstaff, casual restaurant) | $59 |
| Deluxe (Table service with waitstaff, fancy restaurant) | $93 |
Keep an Eye Out for New Discounts
Disney occasionally hosts promotions that offer discounted pricing on tickets or hotels for specific periods. For example, 4-day, 4-park Magic Tickets are currently $396 per ticket through September 22, 2024. These deals can reduce the average cost of a Disney vacation significantly.
If you’ve already booked your visit, you or your travel agent can call Disney to have the promotion retroactively applied to your purchase, if it qualifies in the Disney budget, just in case.
How Families Can Do Disney World on a Budget
A family of four should expect to spend a minimum of $6,000 for seven nights at Walt Disney World, including food, hotel, theme park tickets, and add-ons. But a trip to Disney World cost can be reduced. Here’s how:
Cut back on theme park days
Book Disney Good Neighbor Hotels, which are family resorts near Disney World that are generally more budget-friendly.
Seek Disney World family vacation packages, many of which are offered through Good Neighbor hotels.
Conclusion with A Recent Personal Example
Every so often I get someone arguing with me about these numbers even though they’re pretty clearly laid out in this post. So I want to also add a real example from a recent trip. This trip was:
2 adults, 1 child
3 Nights over Veterans Day weekend 2024
A split stay at Wilderness Lodge (1 night) and Art of Animation (2 nights)
A family visit to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and a solo visit to Jollywood Nights
We have annual passes, so I’m adding $2,097.42 for the cost of four days (we arrived early and left late) of tickets. With ticket costs, the total trip to Disney World cost was $6,914.15. That was for everything from the second we left home until the second we returned home.
That puts the trip between my baseline estimate for a family of 3 and my expensive estimate for a family of 3. This trip varied from the baseline trip in a lot of ways, but you can hopefully at least see that as eye-popping as these numbers might look, they’re in the ballpark.
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