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Disney Vacation Example Budget

One of the hardest things to estimate about your first vacation to Disney World is the cost for each line item in your budget. In this post I want to share an example budget that might help you predict more of the secondary costs. Obviously each family has different needs, but I think this is a decent outline of what to expect.

Disney World Family Budget Example

Sample Disney Vacation Budget:
– Smith Family – 2 adults and 2 children under 9 years old
– Traveling from Cincinnati, OH
– 6 day / 5 night vacation
– Summer 2013: Leave 6/23/13 – Return 6/28/13

Travel Costs:

– Direct Fight Airline Tickets (round trip) = $1259.29

– Mini-Van Rental Car (with 2 child seats) = $618.00

– 2 Bedroom Suite at Nickelodeon Suites Resort (1 mile away) = $2351.00

Park Admission

– 4 Day Magic Your Way Park Hopper Ticket from Undercover Tourist
2 Adults @ $268.64 each & 2 Kids @ $251.25 each = $1039.78

– 1 Day Admission to Universal Studios
2 Adults @ $91.90 each & 2 Kids @ $85.95 each = $355.70

Food Budget and Misc.

– Food ($70 adults per day & $40 kids per day) = $660.00

– Souvenirs ($60 per day) = $360.00

– Gas for Rental Car = $100.00

– Emergencies and Special Treats = $500.00

 Total Disney Vacation Budget   $7243.77

A couple things to note about this particular example…

– I found room nights as low as $129 while researching this budget, but I used the Nick Resort because I know it is close, fun for kids, and the separate bedrooms are a big plus for parents.

– The food budget is a little high, especially if you bring snacks with you.  Nonetheless this budget allows for flexibility in your dinning selections.

– If you do a little research you can find complimentary alternatives to renting a car.  However, having a car lets you explore more of the Orlando area and is much more convenient then waiting for shuttles.

– The Universal Studios trip is obviously optional, but it can be fun to see other sites outside of the Disney World resort area.

– The summer time frame is considered peak season at Disney World.  Cheaper rates on flights and hotels can be found in off seasons like February, April, September, and October.

– Driving from Cincinnati (instead of flying) would save about $1600 on flights and rental cars if you figure 1500 miles/28 miles per gallon x $3.60 per gallon. With these calculation the price of gas would be $192.

5 thoughts on “Disney Vacation Example Budget”

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  3. A good way to reduce cost to a Disney vacation is to come with a larger group.

    If 2 families come together they can rent a vacation home and share the expenses of accomodation and food . The vacation homes come in 3 to 7 bedrooms a 4 bedroom home can sleep up to 10 people. All homes have their own swiming pool, which makes is a lot easier to keep the kids entertained while parents are either getting an easy meal ready, watching some TV, playing a game or having a drink at the end of a busy day!

    We hear a lot of guests’ testimonials that the kids LOVED the pool in the house so much that they didn’t want o go back to the parks… Of Course everyone wants to go the parks while in Orlando, but if you plan smart you can separate the attractions by age and buy a park hopper ticket for 2 or 3 days and see it all!

    You will save a lot on the accomodation and food budget by preparing breakfast at the house and maybe dinner some of the days. With so many delivery options and pre-cooked meals offered on the local supermarkets, moms don’t need to worry about cooking..

    Accomodation on a 4 Bedroom home that sleeps up to 10 = $1,464.00 – Comes down to 146.40 /person for all 5 nights instead of $328.50 ($1314.00 / 4 guests)
    *Rates based on the example above: – 6 day / 5 night vacation
    – Christmas 2008: Leave 12/28/08 – Return 1/2/08

    Another tip: Leave the shopping for the last day! First time you see all the things you can put mickeys years on , you just want to get it all! After a few days you and your kids will choose the ones that you really liked and will actually use.

  4. Thanks for the tips Uncle Scrooge. It really does makes sense to combine your trip with other families to save money!

  5. ive been to disney world over a dozen times, and can do the whole trip for under 3000.00 without skimping much of anything,, just go offseason, fall early winter.

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