shellyrogersrenn
If you’re like me, and you probably are since you are reading this post, you love everything Disney.
The Magic! The Memories…The Mouse!
But going to the Mouse House can be very expensive. If you have kids (which you probably do) you can really burn through a lot of cash if you don’t plan well. However, if you plan well, you may find that the trip can be much more affordable. That way, you get the full Disney Experience without the added expense.
Your Budget
Now, only you can decide how much you are able to spend and where exactly “too much” sets in. But knowing how much you are willing to spend is absolutely key in deciding where too expensive begins. Take out your pen and paper or your personal tablet, whatever you choose and get ready to start your budget. I’ve found that a budget works best if you have a visual guide to help you on your way. At the top write, “My Disney Vacation”. Under that write the absolute maximum that you are willing to spend. Now that we got that out of the way, you need to decide on some basic things.
How will you get there?
If you happen to live Orlando, you can skip this part. But if not, you will find that a good part of the expense could be in the getting there alone. If you fly fairly often, I hope you have taken advantage of your airline’s reward flight mile program. We normally fly Southwest Airlines and there are so many ways to build up the points fast. Our last trip from California to Walt Disney World, Orlando cost my husband and I a whopping $22.00 round trip. Yep, you read right TWENTY TWO DOLLARS. We are both signed up for Southwest Rapid Reward Points. In addition each of us have credit cards that build up the miles as well. If you are interested in getting a Southwest Card that gives you miles, click here. There are usually bonuses for getting a new card. I’m not telling you to rack up a lot of credit card debt. But used wisely, the points really add up.
If you do not have points already and/or if getting a credit card that offers enough points before your vacation time is not in your game plan, you will need to decide whether you will fly or drive. Take in consideration the number of people, the distance needed to travel, total vacation time, and the total you can spend. From there you will get a better idea of how you will get there. Keep in mind that airlines, such as Southwest, often offer crazy discounted rates. They even have a low fare calendars if your dates are flexible. You can choose your vacation around when the flights are lowest. Remember that some airlines charge you for bags, although Southwest lets your first two bags (per person!) fly free.
If you don’t live within about 6 hours of the Disney parks, you probably need to fly. Whereas if you have more time to enjoy the ride to Orlando, a good road trip can be quite enjoyable. Once you have arrived at the Orlando airport you will need transportation to your hotel and the parks. There’s so much to see and do at Walt Disney World and so many free ways to move around the parks that unless you are staying for more than a week, you probably will not even use a rental car for more than getting to and from the airport.
If you do decide to drive, you will need to make sure that your vehicle is in good working order as nothing can spoil the fun as much as being stranded on the side of the road when you should be delighting in a little pixie dust magic. Of course, there is always renting a car. If this is your plan, take into account the number of miles from your distance, whether you can make the trip in one day and if not, the cost of hotel stays on the way, the fuel, and the insurance and how often you will hear, “are we there yet” coming from the back seat. I once made the trip from Knoxville, Tennessee all the way to the shining gates of the park with my children thinking we were going on a beach vacation just to avoid hearing that for 10 hours straight. Although, nothing can replace that look of excitement and awe on their faces when they finally figured it out!
Where Are You Going To Stay?
Now, we have stayed both on and off Disney Property. And, honestly there are some perks for both. If you stay off site, you will definitely want some form of transportation as not all hotels offer shuttle service and you will probably want to grab a bite to eat somewhere. But being the Disney Die-Hard that I am, I prefer to stay onsite. Only you can decide for yourself, but here’s why I’d choose a Disney Resort.
First off, did you know you can book your resort up to 499 days in advance online at the Disney site? That is absolutely amazing! You choose your package, pay the initial deposit of $200 and have until 30 days before your arrival to pay the full balance. It’s a vacation lay-away plan that can’t be beat. There is no interest and no fees. Plus, you get to set up your own payment plan and any further promotions that become available are automatically added to your account…although I highly advise to be on the look out for them yourself, just to be sure. There are many family friendly and budgeted hotels to choose from. I’ve stayed at many. They are all quite nice. Plus you get the magic hour for staying at the park.
As a big fan of rewards points I thought you may be interested to discover that Disney World Resorts now has three resorts where you can use your Bonvoy Resorts Points. Don’t have a Marriott Bonvoy card? You can apply for one here. Both Disney Swan and Disney Dolphin are owned by Marriott and on September 30, 2021 they are opening the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. I mentioned that recent trip where we spent $22.00 on flights? Well, our total cost of hotel in Walt Disney World Swan Hotel…located on Epcot Resort Boulevard, for ten nights, was roughly $300 total after using reward points.
In addition, for all those Service Members and their families out there…
Did you know that the only Armed Forces Recreational Services in the U.S of A. is located at Walt Disney World? Created just for our service members, their families and guests, Shades of Green offers a high quality, affordable resort with military discounts right on Lake Buena Vista. It’s comparable to Disney’s Polynesian Resort and there’s even an AAFES exchange on site! Please see the Shades of Green link above for all the eligibility requirements. If you are serving, have served, or are the un-remarried spouse and family of a service member who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, you are eligible. So, all of you out there, Thank You For Your Service.
Park Entry Tickets
Another large part of your expense will be in the entrance to the parks. Disney World has four parks to choose from:
- Magic Kingdom park.
- Epcot.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.
You will need to look over each one to decide how much time you plan to spend going to each. Keep in mind the parks are HUGE. The Magic Kingdom is 142 acres, Epcot is 300 acres, Hollywood Studios 154 acres and Disney’s Animal Kingdom an incredible 500 acres! We easily put in 20,000 steps a day during our most recent 10 night trip and we still didn’t see and do everything. Good walking shoes are highly advised.
In addition, Disney’s water park Blizzard Beach is open and if you are a golfer , there are some incredible greens to choose from. You can check out the rates for each course here. And, of course there are some amazing pools at many of the resorts that are included with your room cost.
If you are booking online at the Disney site, look over the options carefully as you may not need park hoppers if you are not planning on trying to see multiple parks in the same day. You’ll notice that the more nights you stay, the less your entrance costs per day, so keep this in mind as you are booking your hotel. Many offsite hotels also offer discounted theme park entrance tickets, so be sure to ask about them at the time of booking.
Food
Everyone always thinks they are going to eat more than they actually do when visiting the parks. Disney does offer a dining plan which, if you think you will eat quite a bit, are a good value for the amount of food you get. Unfortunately they are still currently unavailable, and Disney has yet to announce when the perks will return. But we have been assured that return they will. As if the latest available dining plan, here are four tiers to choose from. The great part about the plan is that you prepay for the food and therefore you don’t get blindsided by extra costs later. This can really keep you on budget.
Whether you are able to use the plan or not, if you are wanting to do any Disney Character Dining option, it is best to make reservations early as the seating sells out quickly. However, as there are cast members all over the park, you can still get the opportunity to see your favorite Disney Character at many of the quick-service dining areas. So, if Character Dining is on your list, but the specialty restaurants are not in your budget, you won’t miss out.
There are food carts available through-out all Disney Parks where for about $10 you can grab a turkey leg or a quick bite. There are quick-service-over the counter dining locations where you will typically spend around $15-$25 a person, table service that runs around $35-$100 a person (plus tip) When planning your budget, please don’t forget to include what you will spend on tips. Be aware that with parties over six people an adequate 18% is automatically added to your bill. Of course, if you have a kitchenette in your room you can purchase grocery items to be delivered directly to you.
Souvenirs
As a mother who has visited Disney Parks many times, believe me, if you do not plan for this you can easily blow your budget in this category. Mouse ears, autograph books, lanieres and pins. Not to mention Disney themed shirts, stuffed animals, and anything that lights up the night and your child’s eyes. You can easily spend a small fortune. And although you think your child will be fine without these items, rest assured, they won’t and they will vociferously let you and everyone within miles who can hear know. So, plan ahead if you need to stay on budget.
You can buy any number of Disney related items before you go and just tuck them aside to hand out at the opportune moment. Dollar Tree, Walmart and Target all carry items that you can use. The Disney store offers sale items for those teens who just can’t live without the Disney label no one but them will ever see and, if you are crafty and want to save a hefty $40 each, there are videos galore online on how you can make your own beautifully constructed mouse ears for literally cents on the dollar.
Some may disagree, but I think the Disney Magicband with FastPass and the Disney Memory Maker Package are well worth the money spent. If you are like me and just can not pass up on those amazing photos they take of you on the rides, or if you would like to actually be in the photos with your family in front of all the incredible, magical spots all over Disney World then you should check out the links above. Because not only do you get all the spectacular photos throughout the park and on the rides but Disney throws in a little more magic by adding videos, like the one above all for the one price that you pre-pay.
So no carrying around the ride pictures that you purchase, no missing shots of you on all the rides or and no extra cost for all the character photos. And speaking of character photos! Did you know that you can use a Disney Debit card, like the ones you can get for no cost with your checking account at Chase Bank, to go to the front of the line at some of the character shoots? We did it ourselves, saved a ton of time by not waiting in long lines and had amazing photos taken with great characters including Darth Vader!
Although not exactly a souvenir, in the most literal sense of the word, but if you are bringing a go pro or video camera, buy the largest capacity micro card/adapter that is available before you get to the parks. You will take hundreds of pictures a day more than likely. You do not want to have to buy the cards in the park. That also goes for phone chargers. Make sure you have an extra in case you lose one. There’s no sense in spending three times the amount what you can spend at home.
Emergencies
If you are traveling to the magical world of Disney during the summer plan on getting rained on. That’s not plan in case you get rained on, but rather, plan for when you do. Do yourself a favor and buy some inexpensive ponchos for your trip. You aren’t going to let a few drops of rain ruin your vacation, so at least keep the cost down by preparing ahead of time.
In addition, bring your own head and body ache medicine, band-aids, and any other items you may need should the cause arise. If where you are staying has a laundry room, you should also bring your own laundry detergent. And, unless you are checking your bags or driving, you’ll want that to be either pods or powder to avoid having TSA throw it away as you pass through luggage check.
Conclusion
Although this post is written specifically with Walt Disney World, Orlando Florida in mind, you can use the basic outline of this budgeting post for just about any trip you plan to take. A trip to the Magic Kingdom should be a fun, exciting, and enjoyable experience. If you plan ahead, cut your costs, and set a budget that you can afford…you will ensure that its a trip that dreams are made of.
Have fun on your Disney Adventure. Hopefully this has helped you plan your trip. If you have any tips of your own, please leave us a comment. We’d love to hear your ideas and inspirations.
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