How to plan a Disney Budget in 5 easy steps

A Disney trip is a magical memory-packed investment- wouldn’t it be great if you knew how to plan ahead? Here’s your guide!

Plan a Disney Budget in 5 easy steps

A Disney vacation can be an unforgettable experience- full of awesome memories you can’t quite make anywhere outside of a Disney park- but it also comes with an awesome (and not the good awesome) price tag! There are many things to consider when you plan your Disney Budget- how you get there, where you stay, how many days of park tickets you buy, what “magical extras” you add- the list could go on. Read on to arm yourself with the knowledge you need to plan a comprehensive Disney budget!

This blog is all about how to plan a Disney budget.

You’re going on vacation- do you really have to plan out every dollar you are spending?

Yes and no- there will always be some spontaneous moments on your Disney vacation, but having a well-planned Disney budget can help make more room for those moments. From the pre-trip planning (see my 9 Insanely Helpful tips to plan a Disney vacation for help with this) to the endless amount of “magical extras”, these costs and steps can quickly add up. Knowing the cost categories and setting up a plan can save you the sticker shock stress and headaches later on.

1. Hotels, flights, tickets…oh my!

Ok, so you are going to Disney- how are you going to get there?

Flights

Budget– your cheapest option, if you need to fly and live in the U.S., is a budget airline. These include airlines like Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant, and JetBlue (sometimes considered a moderate or full service). If you are considering this option watch out for the add-on fees- they will charge you for your seat (usually a separate charge for each leg of the flight), carry-on bags, and checked bags. Our family saves money by packing very light in a “free personal item” bag and only paying for 1 carry-on. I realize this doesn’t work for all families, but as a family of 5, we need to save money wherever we can! As of the writing of this post flights on these airlines can vary greatly in price depending on dates and where you live- anywhere between $100-$225 per person round trip. It’s cheaper to fly Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday on most of these airlines. In off-seasons, and if you live in a big city that has frequent flights to Orlando or Southern California, you can get flights for as little as $120 per person all in if you pack light)
Moderate or “full service”– the more moderately priced airlines include Southwest (their prices can sometimes fall between budget and moderate- and when you consider you get free carry-on bags and 2 checked bags you really should run the numbers as they can often be cheaper or equal in price to the budget airlines), Delta, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines. The reason I don’t love the term full-service is that these airlines often price gouge you too (except Southwest), and often charge for luggage. These flights can run you a bit more, and you still may have to pay baggage fees, so make room for $250 per person and up arena for these airlines for your Disney Budget.

Driving

If you are lucky enough to live within driving distance or have the time to drive this can be a great option- you can save money on your Disney budget (be sure to calculate the cost of your gas and your time- flying can be cheaper if driving requires you to take more time off work and therefore lose more money).

Hotels

The next step would be to consider where you want to stay. Do you want (or is it realistic for you) to stay in the heart of it all, within walking distance to the parks? Or do you just want to crash at the end of a rope-drop to final kiss goodnight action-packed park day?

Let’s look at your on-site (i/e Disney owned) resorts or Disney-adjacent Good Neighbor hotel options:

Value Disney Resorts– these are the most affordable Disney resorts and include Pop Century, All-Star (Music, Movies, or Sports), and Art of Animation at Walt Disney World, and the upcoming Pixar Place at Disneyland (this was an existing resort at Disneyland and has recently received a Pixar themed update), and is not really a value resort but is the cheapest on property resort at Disneyland. Value resorts offer free Disney transportation, Disney-themed pools, early entry to the Disney theme parks every day (30 minutes as of this writing), Disney theming and gift shops, and quick-service restaurant options (think food court-style eateries). In late 2023 these resorts will cost you anywhere from $172-$300/night at Walt Disney World (and sometimes cheaper with discounts), Pixar Pier runs in the $400-$500 so again, not really “value”. See my planning blog to show you what the cheapest times to visit are!
Moderate Disney Resorts– these resorts are more affordable than Deluxe resorts, but not as affordable as Value Resorts. They offer everything that the Value resorts do but with sit-down table restaurants, better pools, and more spacious grounds to explore. At Walt Disney World they include Port Orleans French Quarter or Riverside (one being Mardi Gras themed and the other Tiana/Princess and the Frog themed), Caribbean Beach, and Coronado Springs. The current pricing on the moderate Disney resorts is $280-$380/night, depending on the time of the year.
Deluxe Disney Resorts– these are the fanciest Disney-themed resorts and include all of the above plus more delicious sit-down dining restaurants including character meals at or near most of them, multiple pools, lounges, fitness centers, clubhouses with activities for kids, and extended evening hours at Walt Disney World (Epcot or Magic Kingdom, depending on the night, are open for an additional 2-3 hours to Deluxe Disney resort guests and it’s truly a blast). Walt Disney World Deluxe resorts include the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Beach Club, Riviera, Boardwalk, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs. Some of these resorts are even within walking distance to the theme parks- at the Polynesian, Contemporary, and Grand Floridian you can walk to the Magic Kingdom or catch the monorail or riverboats, or at the Beach Club or Boardwalk you can watch or catch a friendship boat to Epcot or Hollywood Studios. At Disneyland, the premium priced/optioned resorts are the OG Disneyland hotel and the Grand Californian, and you can easily and quickly walk to Disneyland or California Adventure (the Grand Californian has its own private entrance to California Adventure)! These Deluxe accommodations will run you a hefty price tag- of $480-$1972/night, depending on the time of year and if you rent a “villa” which can be anything from a studio to a cabin or even a Polynesian bungalow! You can save money by booking a DVC villa through a rental company like DVCrentalstore.com OR by staying at the Disney Swan or Dolphin Hotel (actually Marriott owned but it is considered a Deluxe resort when booking a package). The Swan or Dolphin has all of the perks above with a cheaper (though still expensive) price tag (the current price per night runs around $300-$500/night and there is an additional resort fee of $35/night).

Good Neighbor Hotels- both Walt Disney World and Disneyland have neighboring hotels they consider Good Neighbor Hotels that are usually more affordable and have free transportation to the parks, and at Disneyland are often within walking distance of the parks! These parks usually count as “Disney approved” hotels for early entry- at Walt Disney Word. As of this writing, Disneyland doesn’t allow early entry for Good Neighbor Hotels (I will update this post if this changes). These hotels also often offer free breakfast, and sometimes free happy hours, snacks, and/or even dinner. That can save you anywhere from $15-$30 per person per day! These hotels can be as cheap as $75 and run up to $200 (but that’s for a junior suite at a WDW adjacent hotel), Disneyland Good Neighbor hotels can run from $150-$500 per night.

Tickets

Ticket prices vary by date, not by when you book them, so you can book your hotel first if you like as some popular resorts can sell out, and book your tickets later. The park pass reservation system, which started during the pandemic, is now changing and making it easier to book later. Per an announcement earlier this year, as of January 9th, 2024, if you buy a date-based ticket (i/e you buy your ticket online ahead of time booked for a certain time period), you will not need to make a park reservation. However, if you prefer to budget by paying a small down payment and making payments as you get closer to your trip, then booking a hotel and ticket package with a Disney Agent (and I can help, just send me an email on the contact form) is the way to go as you only pay $200 upfront.
The cheapest tickets at Walt Disney World now as of this writing are $112 they can range all the way up to $153 per ticket per day during the most expensive times of the year. At Disneyland, they vary from $83-$244 per ticket per day. The longer you stay the less you pay per day- so keep in mind that the price per ticket per day can go down from the above prices.
Plan to add $60-$95 or more (depending on how many days you have tickets for) per ticket for a park hopper pass. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or you don’t go very often, or it’s a special occasion you may want to consider this at Walt Disney World. It’s great to have at Disneyland too, considering the parks are within walking distance of each other. But it’s not necessary there either, unless you are pressed for time and only have a day or two.

2. Food, drinks, and merch

Walt Disney World and Disneyland have both “quick-service” restaurants and sit-down table restaurants. The quick service restaurants are walk-up fast food (but many are better than your average neighborhood fast food joint) style places. Table service restaurants are a more elevated experience with signature items and cocktails. They can cost quite a bit more than quick-service restaurants.
- Quick Service- plan on spending $9.99 (for a kids meal, but adults can order these and they are often a generous portion)-$19.99 on average per meal per person.
- Table Service- this can vary widely as some table service restaurants are very fancy, while some are not. On average the range is $20-$40 per person per meal. The fancier the meal the higher the price, and adding on cocktails/alcohol, appetizers, and desserts will obviously add more. Character dining are table restaurants that offer character interactions. This can be a great option to avoid the long lines in the parks (more so at Walt Disney World, Disneyland has walk-around characters) but the cost is on average higher than many other table service options- costing $39.99-$75.00 or more per person (children under 9 are a bit cheaper, and breakfast is cheaper than lunch or dinner). Cocktails, specialty drinks, and beer/wine can cost between $12-$20 per drink.
You can save money by bringing your own food! Yes, that’s right- you can bring any kind of food/drink excluding alcohol, or anything in glass containers. You also cannot bring in medium or large coolers, ice, or knives.

Merchandise

The gift shops are abundant and well-stocked with all kinds of Disney merchandise- anything from snacks, to adorable plushes, to home decor! You will find gift shops at your resort hotel, all of the Disney parks, and at Disney Springs (Walt Disney World) or Downtown Disney (Disneyland).

You will save money if you travel with pre-purchased Disney-themed items from Target, Walmart, or other discount stores and bring them with you or have them delivered to your resort hotel. This is a great tip for little ones as they will undoubtedly be asking for something every time they pass one of these shops!

3. New Changes that can affect your budget

Disney has had some changes over the last few years that could add more to the bottom line.

Bye-bye free airport transportation- Walt Disney World used to offer free transportation for its Disney resort guests by way of a bus from the airport called the Magical Express. Unfortunately, this is no longer an option. You have the following options to get to your resort or hotel from the airport:
- Mears Connect driven by Sunshine- this is a paid bus service that costs $12 one way per child, and $15 each way for adults. They have more expensive express options also. In Southern California there are a variety of vans and buses depending on what airport you fly into, and can cost from $12-$85 per person.
- Uber or Lyft- the average cost from MCO (Orlando airport) is on average $35-$50 (surge pricing can apply) so this is often cheaper for families/groups of 4 or more, though larger parties will require a larger car which usually costs more. Southern California pricing is roughly the same, if not a bit more, depending on the airport (John Wayne is the closest and LAX is the farthest airport from Disneyland)
- Renting a car- this is the least economical option, though it can be helpful if you are visiting other theme parks like Universal, or traveling to other parts of Florida or California. As of the writing of this, the average rental car in Florida is $9-$60 per day, and in California $25-$75 per day, which is more affordable than many parts of the United States. Fortunately, Walt Disney World returned to offering free parking at their resorts, Disneyland is currently charging $35 per night for guests at their resorts.
Genie-plus- again another free perk is gone- RIP Fast Pass Plus, we miss you dearly! There is no longer a free skip-the-line service at either Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Now Genie plus is your only option, and it (as of this writing, they are constantly changing it so stay tuned) must be purchased the day of your visit. Luckily, you can purchase it day by day, so if you don’t want to use it every day you don’t have to.
- Walt Disney World- the pricing is now based on the park, and it can vary from $16-$25 per person per day, with Animal Kingdom being the cheapest, followed by Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom being the most expensive (but it is the park with the most attractions so this makes sense).
- Disneyland- usually the cost is between $25-$30 per person per day, and this comes with photo pass photos!

4. So, let’s put this all together

You can plan on average for your Disney Budget:

Transportation
1. Flight $100-$250 per person round trip
2. Transportation to the hotel, $40 based on using a ride-share service
Hotel/resort (based on Disney resort pricing value to moderate) $175-$300 per night based on a standard hotel room
Tickets (without parkhopper) $120 per day on average
Dining- an average of $70 per person per day
Merchandise $75 (can be much more or much less)
Genie + if you decide to purchase it average $20 per person per day

This roughly adds up to $3000-$5000 or more for a four-day trip for a family of 4. Obviously, this number can go up, and maybe even a bit down depending on how you travel and where you like to eat, stay, and buy.

5. Saving money

A Disney trip is not a budget trip, but it’s not your average family trip- there is so much to do, see and experience, that the extra cost is well worth it.

In review, let’s look at some ways to save (some we have mentioned and some are bonus tips)

Choose a budget airline and travel light
Choose a Disney value resort or a Good Neighbor hotel
Buy your merchandise ahead of time at an outlet store, discount store, or online
Travel during off-season times like September, late January- early February, or even during the summer months (sometimes)
Pack your own food and drink and bring it to the parks
Have food groceries delivered to your hotel/resort for breakfasts, afternoon snacks, or light meals
Check the Walt Disney World or Disneyland apps/websites to look for discounts. The resorts regularly offer discounts for Disney + subscribers, Florida residents (both on tickets and hotels), Summertime travel, off-season travel, and even early Holiday season travel.
Be sure to pack essentials like ponchos, over-the-counter medications, sunscreen, etc. See my Ulitmate Disney Packing guide pdf or blog to ensure you don’t forget a thing!

This blog was all about how to plan a Disney Budget.