How much do you spend on Disney?

peekaboo716

DH and I want to take the kids to Disney one day, but I have no idea how much to even budget for. I can estimate airfare and car rental. I can check sites that tell me how much tickets are, but I was hoping that I could hear some "real life" idea to help me plan. We have two kids, ages 5.5 and 3.5.

MrsStubbs

Our room and 3day ticket for the 3 of us was $743. We drove because it's only 6hrs to Ca. Total for us is under $1200. 

   

LillyGrrl

peekaboo716:

DH and I want to take the kids to Disney one day, but I have no idea how much to even budget for. I can estimate airfare and car rental. I can check sites that tell me how much tickets are, but I was hoping that I could hear some "real life" idea to help me plan. We have two kids, ages 5.5 and 3.5.

First WDW or DL?  That makes a difference.

For WDW I am not going to be good because we get massive discounts for rooms, food, merchandize and I have never had to pay for a park ticket.

I just wanted you to clarify for others which one you meant so they could help you plan better.

shopgirl78

Luckily, my mother finances our trips : ) MH wouldn't go for it.  Its usually me and grammie taking the kids since MH is self employed.

I know our 5 night stay at Poly, dining plan (SD, QS, and snack) and flights were 4.5K.  2K was the flights alone ($1600 for my 4 and $300 for my mother).   My father was military but still gets the discounts. I think the tickets for the parks were $500 (but through the military).  They are 4 day park hopper (its all the military offers from what I am told). 

Our last trip was cheaper but it was all through the ITT (military) office.  ITT doesn't do deluxe hotels (or so my mother says) 

MrsStubbs

LillyGrrl:

First WDW or DL?  That makes a difference.

For WDW I am not going to be good because we get massive discounts for rooms, food, merchandize and I have never had to pay for a park ticket.

I just wanted you to clarify for others which one you meant so they could help you plan better.

Ok, now I want to know how you get such great deals? Family work there? 

Ned&Nora

We went during a free dining period, and stayed for 5 nights/6 days.  We ended up paying for about 4 meals outside of that.  For us, with food, souveniers and experiences (princess boutique for DD), we probably spent around $600 extra.  DS was under 3 so he was free.  For the 4 of us (keeping in mind DS was free), room, airfare, hotel (Port Orleans), transfer and free dining it cost us $2400.  So just about $3000, and we had a WONDERFUL trip. 

 We plan to go back in 3 years and stay at the Polynesian for 7-8 days.  We are budgeting about $7-8000 for that trip.  But if our finances don't allow that, we'll head back to Port Orleans and would have no hesitation.

Disney can be done any multitude of ways depending on your finances.  I think not stretching things so you are comfortable with the trip is the smart thing to do and then plan around what you are comfortable spending.

patty78

We are going in 17 days! We got in on the free dining and my dh had enough frequent flyer miles we all got free tickets, but the hotel and park tickets for 5 nights was 1800 at the carribean beach resort.  I have 1000 budgeted for extras.

peekaboo716

LillyGrrl:

peekaboo716:

DH and I want to take the kids to Disney one day, but I have no idea how much to even budget for. I can estimate airfare and car rental. I can check sites that tell me how much tickets are, but I was hoping that I could hear some "real life" idea to help me plan. We have two kids, ages 5.5 and 3.5.

First WDW or DL?  That makes a difference.

For WDW I am not going to be good because we get massive discounts for rooms, food, merchandize and I have never had to pay for a park ticket.

I just wanted you to clarify for others which one you meant so they could help you plan better.

I was thinking WDW.

I love seeing these responses.

boysx2

MrsStubbs:

Our room and 3day ticket for the 3 of us was $743. We drove because it's only 6hrs to Ca. Total for us is under $1200. 

   

This seem insanely cheap, even for the cheapest hotels they offer.  Makes me wonder, is DL that much cheaper than WDW......From what I have seen with WDW, a 3 day ticket for 3 people can be $700 alone 

KrisBriMcBunny

We are going the last week in March.  We are staying at Port Orleans Riverside with a 6 day hopper pass and free dining that was upgraded to the deluxe plan.  That package cost $3400 for the 3 of us.  FIL paid for airfare with his frequent flyer miles as a christmas present to the 3 of us.

 

jlw2505

I think it really depends on how you want to do the trip - stay onsite at a really nice hotel, camp or stay off site or one of the million other options.  Do you just want the parks or do you also want the cruise?  It can be very overwhelming.

We are going with my parents so 4 adults and 2 kids and we are doing the 4 night cruise and then 3 nights at the Poly (on the monorail and with a view of the Magic Kingdom) with a 4 day park pass and we are spending around $10k plus food and airfare. 

We are going in the fall during the off-season.

DH and I have often said since we started planning this trip that when we take the kids back when they are older - we will plan a way different trip and spend at least half that amount if not a lot more less.

amberdl28

My sister just went in december with her family. Im thinking it was about 2500 for a family of 6 although one was a baby. I will ask her how much it was when she gets home. She did do the free dining and stayed at the port orleans hotel. She buys a lot of disney things here and then gives them to the girls when they are there. You can buy a mickey t shirt for 10 bucks here or 25 in the store. I will ask her all her secrets.

MrsStubbs

boysx2:

MrsStubbs:

Our room and 3day ticket for the 3 of us was $743. We drove because it's only 6hrs to Ca. Total for us is under $1200. 

   

This seem insanely cheap, even for the cheapest hotels they offer.  Makes me wonder, is DL that much cheaper than WDW......From what I have seen with WDW, a 3 day ticket for 3 people can be $700 alone 

Check out getawaytoday.com they always  have the best prices. For the price I would rather stay at a less expensive hotel and go more often. We stayed at the Paradise Pier one year and I can't say it was any better of a trip. The best western is good enough for us. 

 

  

rebs

amberdl28:

My sister just went in december with her family. Im thinking it was about 2500 for a family of 6 although one was a baby. I will ask her how much it was when she gets home. She did do the free dining and stayed at the port orleans hotel. She buys a lot of disney things here and then gives them to the girls when they are there. You can buy a mickey t shirt for 10 bucks here or 25 in the store. I will ask her all her secrets.

This is genius- I am totally going to do it for my kids.

We are going at the end of March (I know, high season, but no chioce as I am a teacher).  We have paid about $850 for 2 day passes for the four of us, one night in a value resort (all star sports) and a princess breakfast.  I am jealous of the deals some of you have- how the heck do you get a free dining plan??? I am sure it is not offered during high deason:( 

p1nklemonade

7 days 6 nights the last week of may 2010 we spent about $3k including everything. airfare, tickets, moderate resort (port orleans), dining plan, extras.  that includes all souvenirs, snack money, etc.

tammy79

We are going in just 23 days, this will be our first trip, we wanted it to be very special for the kids, even though DS#1 will probably be the only one who remembers it, we are staying at the Wilderness Lodge villas , it's a one bedroom condo, got it a great deal which included the park tickets with Hoppers, and regular Dinning plans for 6 nights and 7 days, for $4500, way more than I wanted to spend really, but Disney gave us a great deal, it would have been a lot more otherwise. 

 

justEK

Good lord am I glad I live 45 minutes away! I would have a heart attack if I had to spend that much money to go to an amusement park. 

AggieCouple

We drove.  Stayed at the mid-level resort hotel.  Stayed 7 days 6 nights.  TB was still free at the time for the parks.  The resort stay included a $600 g/c which we used for food and souvenirs.  Around $2000 total, including the hotel we stayed in on the way back.

Heidisean

Port Orleans with Park Hopper, air, 7 days was 3000 for 2 adults 1 child and free meals

Animal Kingdom Lodge, savanna view room, park hopper, air, dining plan 7 days 3900 and not worth the extra thousand for the savanna view room.

We LOVED port orleans french quarter and it was much cheaper!!!!

Spending money- If you have a daughter Biddity Boddity Boutique is a must but getting my daughter done up as Belle was 250.00 and as Tiana was 150 but they didn't have shoes or wand (they were sold out that day). If you have boys do the pirate makeover which I believe is 150....enjoy, we are fanatics:)

j-w

For 2 adults, 2 kids, we spend about $2200 on the hotel/free meal plan/park tickets with hopper for 4 days (no tickets on first and last day).  Our airfare is roughly $1000.  And, then we bring about the same in spending money (although half of it is 'free money' from rewards).  So, our total is roughly $4200.  And, that is at a moderate resort.  I can't justify spending the extra money on the deluxe level resort when we are in the room so little.

LillyGrrl

MrsStubbs:

LillyGrrl:

First WDW or DL?  That makes a difference.

For WDW I am not going to be good because we get massive discounts for rooms, food, merchandize and I have never had to pay for a park ticket.

I just wanted you to clarify for others which one you meant so they could help you plan better.

Ok, now I want to know how you get such great deals? Family work there? 

Yup, two family members actually and one is a manager