Disney vacation cost?!

Be real with me! I haven’t been to Disney since I was like 18... what does a week long vacation run these days for a family of 4?! We are pretty simple people I don’t need a crazy hotel or anything... am I nuts for thinking $3k is good for Disney? Is that too low?! I’m hearing like $6-$7k lately

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

We just went in May for 8 nights, 6 day park pass, 2 Adults 2 Kids

Art of Animation in a double queen room was $1800
6 Day Park Hopper was $1900 (I get a small discount through work, saved about $100)
Flights from Islip were around $850

We spent easily at least $2k while there on food, souvenirs, activities, etc. probably closer or over $3k if I really calculated it all. And I tried to not go overboard.

Message edited 7/23/2018 9:02:23 AM.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

For a 5 night stay, we spent close to $6K. This includes everything - $1,400 flight for 4, value or moderate hotel, 3-4 days park tickets, restaurants, and souvenirs. We eat out a lot though and do a lot of the expensive character restaurants. You can easily save hundreds if you avoid the character meals.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

I'd expect more of the $6-7k range. Ours is different because we're staying on property using my aunt's DVC points, but the flights and park tickets alone ran almost $2k and that's with DD not needing a park ticket (under 3 is free). We also got a meal plan for the adults in our group- at about $70 a night per person. You cannot get a meal plan without a park ticket so DD's food will be out of pocket or shared with us. The meal plan includes 1 table service meal, 1 quick service meal, 2 snacks, and alcohol. We have a kitchen in our hotel so we plan to order breakfast foods to keep for the week and use our meals for lunch/dinner.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

I am going for 4 nights over Rosh Hashanah. Kids are 12 and 15 and for 3 of us its 3k. Got free dining plan which sealed the deal for me to go. We are staying at art of music. My kids are going to know we are not there to eat, shop or spend time at hotel. We will be doing 1 park each day and we are there for that experience.

My disney chase card rewards should give us some spending $ for incidentals and souvenirs.

One reason I waited this long to go is because I thought you needed 10k and a PhD in disney to go lol

Would i rather do an all inclusive by the beach for same price and longer stay? Of course! But i do want my DDs to have the experience better late than never.

Btw i would never go into debt for a trip to disney!

Message edited 7/23/2018 9:22:55 AM.

Disney vacation cost?!

If you can swing it, go before you kids turn 3!

Then they are free to get into the parks and all character meals/buffets.

We stay at a value - Pop Century, which is always fun! Its nothign fancy, but feels disney and is clean. Honestly, sign onto the Disney website and just price out a few different hotels. Chances are, there will also be a deal for certain hotels when you're going also.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

We are a family of 4 and went in May and stayed 6 nights at Port Orleans- Riverside. 6 day parkhopper to all the parks and did Disney dining plan. We paid about $6k for all, including airfare. I think $3k is low.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

I just spent $3k this past spring for a week-long vacation with my family of four, but we didn't stay at Disney and only went to the parks for two days. My kids were 4 years old and an infant, and I have extended family in the area so we were there primarily to visit them. We stayed near Disney at a rental house in Windsor Hills in Kissimmee with a private pool; it was great. I recommend doing something like this if your kids are small and you want to return for a bigger trip.

After the trip, I asked my older daughter what her favorite part of it was. She said it was playing with her cousins and swimming. The girl met Elsa and Anna for God's sake and it didn't make a huge impact?!?

Disney vacation cost?!

we are a family of 4 have gone about 3 times. I would say definitely more like $5-6,000

Disney vacation cost?!

I have 1.5 years before they are 3! We are just beginning to look but I can’t fathom spending 6-7k. I have a platinum Amex and plan to look for hotels/ flights with my points. I have about 200,000 points I’ve had that I haven’t touched for a few years (thankfully they don’t expire) but I have no clue if that will even cover 1 night! Even if we went around 2, we plan to get 1 plane seat and 1 lap seat. They need space so that will be extra too! Thanks for the feedback!! I feel like it’s disney or replace things around the house!!! why does it need to be so expensive?!

Message edited 7/23/2018 9:59:37 AM.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

Posted by TwinMommyToBoys

I have 1.5 years before they are 3! We are just beginning to look but I can’t fathom spending 6-7k. I have a platinum Amex and plan to look for hotels/ flights with my points. I have about 200,000 points I’ve had that I haven’t touched for a few years (thankfully they don’t expire) but I have no clue if that will even cover 1 night! Even if we went around 2, we plan to get 1 plane seat and 1 lap seat. They need space so that will be extra too! Thanks for the feedback!! I feel like it’s disney or replace things around the house!!! why does it need to be so expensive?!

Disney vacation cost?!

Staying off site will save you some money. Also, packing lunches and snacks will save money as well. And if you stay off site you can go to the Disney outlet to get souvenirs which are much cheaper than in park.

Disney vacation cost?!

There’s a ton of great resources out there. Allears.net, Mousesavers, and the Smart Moms Planning Disney Facebook group. We went this past February (family of 3).

Disney vacation cost?!

With 200,000 miles you can likely get 4 airline tickets and 2-3 nights at a hotel.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

Posted by spartagoose

I just spent $3k this past spring for a week-long vacation with my family of four, but we didn't stay at Disney and only went to the parks for two days. My kids were 4 years old and an infant, and I have extended family in the area so we were there primarily to visit them. We stayed near Disney at a rental house in Windsor Hills in Kissimmee with a private pool; it was great. I recommend doing something like this if your kids are small and you want to return for a bigger trip.

After the trip, I asked my older daughter what her favorite part of it was. She said it was playing with her cousins and swimming. The girl met Elsa and Anna for God's sake and it didn't make a huge impact?!?

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

Im going over Rosh hashonah for 5 nights (4 days though). I am probably paying 4000 including everything. It's for a family of 4 (10 and 4 year olds) and I got a great deal for flights (900 for the 4 of us I believe). I got free dining too and we are staying at all sports.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

Posted by Leb

Posted by spartagoose

I just spent $3k this past spring for a week-long vacation with my family of four, but we didn't stay at Disney and only went to the parks for two days. My kids were 4 years old and an infant, and I have extended family in the area so we were there primarily to visit them. We stayed near Disney at a rental house in Windsor Hills in Kissimmee with a private pool; it was great. I recommend doing something like this if your kids are small and you want to return for a bigger trip.

After the trip, I asked my older daughter what her favorite part of it was. She said it was playing with her cousins and swimming. The girl met Elsa and Anna for God's sake and it didn't make a huge impact?!?

Stayed offsite too and went for daughters 3rd birthday so she was free bc technically hadn’t turned 3. Air was like $400pp from LGA. Only did magic kingdom two days. The other days spent at the beautiful resort and pool. Went to Disney springs at night once too, and bc the resort had a kitchen I packed food. It was great. The food on site to me is disgusting, expensive and you wait online for a long time.

Packed healthy lunches and ate dinner at crystal palace and be our guest. Crystal palace was a $50pp buffet of horrible food. Be our guest wasn’t much better but a better show.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

Posted by TwinMommyToBoys

Posted by Leb

Posted by spartagoose

I just spent $3k this past spring for a week-long vacation with my family of four, but we didn't stay at Disney and only went to the parks for two days. My kids were 4 years old and an infant, and I have extended family in the area so we were there primarily to visit them. We stayed near Disney at a rental house in Windsor Hills in Kissimmee with a private pool; it was great. I recommend doing something like this if your kids are small and you want to return for a bigger trip.

After the trip, I asked my older daughter what her favorite part of it was. She said it was playing with her cousins and swimming. The girl met Elsa and Anna for God's sake and it didn't make a huge impact?!?

Stayed offsite too and went for daughters 3rd birthday so she was free bc technically hadn’t turned 3. Air was like $400pp from LGA. Only did magic kingdom two days. The other days spent at the beautiful resort and pool. Went to Disney springs at night once too, and bc the resort had a kitchen I packed food. It was great. The food on site to me is disgusting, expensive and you wait online for a long time.

Packed healthy lunches and ate dinner at crystal palace and be our guest. Crystal palace was a $50pp buffet of horrible food. Be our guest wasn’t much better but a better show.

How do you get to and from the parks staying offsite? Can you bring your own food into the parks? My twins will not get the concept of we will eat back in the room when they are hungry it’s ugly

Message edited 7/23/2018 12:38:00 PM.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

Posted by TwinMommyToBoys

Posted by Leb

Posted by spartagoose

I just spent $3k this past spring for a week-long vacation with my family of four, but we didn't stay at Disney and only went to the parks for two days. My kids were 4 years old and an infant, and I have extended family in the area so we were there primarily to visit them. We stayed near Disney at a rental house in Windsor Hills in Kissimmee with a private pool; it was great. I recommend doing something like this if your kids are small and you want to return for a bigger trip.

After the trip, I asked my older daughter what her favorite part of it was. She said it was playing with her cousins and swimming. The girl met Elsa and Anna for God's sake and it didn't make a huge impact?!?

a

Rent a car, use Uber. Yes, you can bring a soft Cooler

Stayed offsite too and went for daughters 3rd birthday so she was free bc technically hadn’t turned 3. Air was like $400pp from LGA. Only did magic kingdom two days. The other days spent at the beautiful resort and pool. Went to Disney springs at night once too, and bc the resort had a kitchen I packed food. It was great. The food on site to me is disgusting, expensive and you wait online for a long time.

Packed healthy lunches and ate dinner at crystal palace and be our guest. Crystal palace was a $50pp buffet of horrible food. Be our guest wasn’t much better but a better show.

How do you get to and from the parks staying offsite? Can you bring your own food into the parks? My twins will not get the concept of we will eat back in the room when they are hungry it’s ugly

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

I always bring my own snacks and waters into the park...I don't like the water that they sell (Aquafina) and my kids snack a lot...it also passed the time on lines! We always have protein bars for breakfast, since my kids like to eat early. We prefer staying onsite for the Disney transportation, but we've done both and it isn't horrible to park a rental car, except at Magic Kingdom...it is a bit more of a process there, but you just need to make sure you get there early so you don't have to park a million miles away! There are a lot of ways to keep the costs down, especially on food...there are blogs that are devoted to that and there are some really great ideas. One that we continually use is eating at certain quick service restaurants where the food is good and the portions are big...there are some where we only need 2 or 3 meals for the 5 of us!

Disney vacation cost?!

we spent about 7K-8K.although we stayed at polynesian with two adjoining rooms. I had the kids in their own room. (got really good bonus that year). We also had the deluxe meal plan, 3 full meals and snacks were included.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

I've been to Disney once and have planned our second trip which is in Nov. You can do the resort and hotel for about $3,000 if you are flexible with your dates, can land in free dining and don't do a full 7 days. I did it but that won't include your flight.

First time we went September 2017 we booked AOA but than free dining came out and well that discount was too good to pass up so we switched the only on property hotel left which was All Star Movies. For a family of 4 including all our dining, park passes and hoppers for 5 nights it cost us $3,100. In the park on souviners and extra stuff it was about $800 (you def don't have to spend that much). Our flights were $1,800.

This year we are going in Nov for 6 days staying at POR in a royal room, paying for dining plan and no hoppers. Resort/tickers $4,600. Flights were $1,300.

Message edited 7/23/2018 1:04:42 PM.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

IMO I would not stress about getting there before they are 3. If you can manage it, great. We went for the first time when DD was 9. She had a great time, and she remembers it. We just went again (she is 11 now) and she still wanted to do character meals and wear her ears.

I was chatting with a woman on the shuttle on our last trip. Her kids were 3 and 4 and she told me her kids really weren't into it and she wished she's waited. Whenever you go, it'll be special.

I think we spent about $5k without plane tickets for 6 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge- they had some kind of special because I feel like it wasn't much more than our first trip when we stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter. That also doesn't include a day at Universal, food, or souvenirs.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!

I would never waste the time and money taking kids that are that young to Disney. You will be spending a lot of money, and it's a LOT of work with kids that young, for something that they will not even remember. I would do something like Sesame place for a couple of nights before dragging my three kids on a plane to go to Disney. Wait until they are 5 or 6 and can truly enjoy and remember it. Maybe even a little older than that.

Re: Disney vacation cost?!