The Average Family Spends This Much on a Disney World Vacation

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The average family spends well over $5,000 on their trip, not including airfare. Check out how you can save money. 

The average cost of a Walt Disney World vacation doesn’t tell the full story. There are some big variables, such as your choice of hotel, whether you eat sit-down meals or opt for quick service, and whether you fly or drive. And these are just a few examples. In other words, I live within driving distance of Walt Disney World, so the cost of a trip for my family isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison with someone who lives across the United States and needs to fly.

Having said that, some travel experts have done their own analysis. And because there are so many variables, let’s look at a couple.

The average cost of a Walt Disney World vacation

For example, the popular Disney-focused travel site MouseHacking.com found that a “baseline” Disney World trip for four people costs $6,320. This assumes five nights at a budget-oriented Disney hotel, five-day theme park tickets, four round-trip flights, and a total budget of about $1,500 for dining.

Another Disney travel site, MagicGuides.com, found that a seven-night trip would cost about $5,240, assuming park tickets for six days, Genie+ service, and quick service meals throughout the trip. Notably, it doesn’t account for flights or travel costs to and from the airport like the MouseHacking.com estimate does.

If you splurge on any luxuries (like finer dining), the costs can add up quickly. I can tell you firsthand that it’s very easy to spend $200 for a family of four at a mid-level sit-down restaurant located in a park, for example. If you stay at one of Disney’s higher-end hotels, it could literally add thousands of dollars to the price tag.

In fact, looking at a six-night stay in June 2024, the difference between Disney’s Pop Century Resort (which the MouseHacking.com estimate was based on) and Disney’s Contemporary Resort would add nearly $2,400 to the cost of a six-night stay at the resort. The difference in room prices is $229.50 versus $627.67 per night.

Ways to save money on your next Disney trip

As you can see, a Disney World vacation isn’t exactly cheap even if you stay at a value-friendly Disney hotel and never eat a sit-down restaurant meal. But there are some ways you can potentially make your trip significantly cheaper than average without sacrificing any of the fun. Here are just a few of my favorite tips.

Stay off-property

Pretty much all of the Disney World trip estimates, including the two discussed earlier, assume you’re going to stay at a Disney hotel. While there are some perks to doing this, it’s important to keep in mind that there are some very nice hotels within a 15 minute drive of the parks that cost far less than a comparable on-property hotel.

Bring plenty of snacks

Many people don’t realize it, but you can bring your own food and (non-alcoholic) drinks to Walt Disney World parks. One of the best money-saving tips that my family uses every time we visit Disney World is to pack plenty of bottled water, juice boxes, and snacks so we keep our food purchases to a minimum.

Get a Disney credit card

There are two different Disney credit cards, one with a $49 annual fee and one with no annual fee. Not only do you earn Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases made with these cards, but both cards will get you a 10% discount on most dining and merchandise purchases while you’re at Walt Disney World. Both have fantastic welcome offers that can help offset the cost of your vacation as well.

Go at an off-peak time

I get it; there’s a reason you might want to go to Disney World over your kids’ spring break or as soon as they get out of school for the summer. But everyone else wants to go during these times, too. If you can manage to get away during a less-busy time, it can be a big relief to your personal finances. One-day Disney World tickets range from $109 to $189 per day, depending on when you go. The savings of going at a slower time can really add up for a family of four over a multi-day trip.

The bottom line

A Disney World vacation can be expensive, but there are some ways you could save money and still have a great time. With these suggestions, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your Disney world trip, so keep them in mind while you’re planning.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Matthew Frankel, CFP® has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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