What Does a WDW Vacation Cost, Really?

[BrerGnat]

Our most expensive trip to date was our honeymoon at WL in 2001.

Our final hotel bill was $3750. This included the Honeymoon Suite at WL for 8 nights, and all our food/souvenirs.

We paid approx $470 for our 5 day park hopper plus tickets

We paid $450 for airfare from CA.

We got a Towncar. $140 RT with tax.

We took $300 in cash with us. Spent it all on tips/etc.

That put us at a little over $5000, but for a honeymoon, that's not bad!

Oh, yeah, we also got married AT WDW...to the tune of $10,500. So, yeah, gotta count that too. Parents paid for 1/2 of that, we picked up the rest.

[disneycouple2004]

We are DVC..so we add that in to our costs..for 10 days per year the average for all things is 5,000.00....no matter how you slice it...Thats just me and the wife and we fly every year...we almost always have money left over, but not much

[RoosMomKanga]

I'm reminded after looking at others numbers that with the new ticket system it really benefits you to take a longer trip (tickets are $$$ with short stays). We used to go for 10 days with the kids and boy could we maximize the old + system (we used to budget $1000/person for a 9-10 day trip).

I budgeted our upcoming trip...2 Adults, 3 nights POFQ, 3D PH + PI (discounted conference tickets), No DDP, frequent flyer ticket= about $1400-1500. So let's just say $500 per day for 2 people not including airfare or souvenirs.

We can have a nice vacation at the beach for the whole family and Grandparents for way less per day. But it isn't Disney!

[Noahrk]

We were there during value season in Nov. early Dec 2007 for 10 nights. We stayed at the Poly. We had the following in our party-2 adults, 2 children (one over 10 so he payed adult dining plan rate), and 2 kids under 3 (our twins). Because the twins were under 3 we were able to stay in one room at the Poly. We did do the dining plan. We drove down from Ohio. All together, including souveniers and Christmas presents that we purchased we spent around $7500. A lot more than what we normally spend staying in values. We have already booked our next trip and because the twins will be over 3 we now have to get 2 rooms-ouch

[WDWizard]

Having WDW just a 4 hour drive away from us makes our trips much cheaper since we stay in less expensive area hotels and drive up on weekends, so trips for us are usually a thousand dollars or less, depending on what we do and how long we stay.

It's interesting to note that WDW has the most expensive theme park ticket price out of all the Disney theme park resorts worldwide.

Walt Disney World - $71
Disneyland Resort Paris - $69
Disneyland Resort - $66
Tokyo Disney Resort - $54
Hong Kong Disneyland - $37

*Based on single-day adult tickets in U.S. Dollar (USD)*

[Tink#64]

There are four of us, myself, DH, & 2 DS's. Both DS's will count as adults for our trip this year! (Only one was considered an adult for our last trip!) But we'll have around 500 - 600 Disney Visa points that we'll use toward food, or souvenears, so this trip shouldn't cost us any more, even with higher tix!

We stay at a value & average an 8/9 day trip. We fly & park hop, and spend more for souvenears than we do for food!

We spend around $4,000 - $4,500.00 for each trip!

[RoosMomKanga]

It's interesting to note that WDW has the most expensive theme park ticket price out of all the Disney theme park resorts worldwide.

Walt Disney World - $71
Disneyland Resort Paris - $69
Disneyland Resort - $66
Tokyo Disney Resort - $54
Hong Kong Disneyland - $37

*Based on single-day adult tickets in U.S. Dollar (USD)*

I think the difference is all in the *fine print- given that our dollar is so weak, I feel a lot better about the price I'm buying them for this trip to WDW, then the trip to Paris (about $100/ticket-yikes, and then I've got to upgrade to PH...6 of us, 1 day, I don't want to think about it )!

[JWB3]

For the three of us (DW, DS14, me) on our last trip down in Jan 2007 approx:

airfare/parking (Albany, NY on SW): $630
car rental ($120 plus $30 gas): $150
hotel (POR) 7 nights @ $140/night: $980
7 day park tickets @ $244 ea: $732
meals, snacks, souveniers, etc.: $1,200
total: $3,692

And can't wait to go again!!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I just booked our Dec. 20-30, 2008 trip
Room, tickets, and Dining (Pop Century) for 3 of us is $3766.00....Also

Rental Car-700 for 2 weeks
Gas-300
tips-200
Out of Pocket Meals-200
Christmas and Spending Money-800
Hotel for return trip-100
MVMCP-150

Grand Total for 3-$6250

[Tygger7]

I wouldn't say I "go all out", but I don't go budget either. Here's the details on our 2006 trip, and upcoming 2008 trip. This is based on me, DH, DD(15), and one of her friends, also 15.

2006 (7 days, 7 nights)
Cost to drive (RT): $300 (with meals)
First night (stayed at AS Music): $85
Woods view, WL, Regular season, on the dining plan (no water parks): $3875
Add'l food: $450
Souvenirs: $700
Total: $5410

We decided that 7 days still wasn't enough, so this year:
2008 (11 days, 11 nights)
Cost to drive (RT): $450 (with meals)
First night (Staying at Pop): $110
Std. view, WL, Regular season, on the dining plan (with water parks): $5950
Add'l food & tips: $1100
Souvenirs: $900
Total: $8510

So, we "cut back" by driving and only going every other year. On "off" years, we stay home and do nothing, so the cost averages out. That being said, our next trip will be more modest...but since this year is our 20th anniversary, we had to splurge a little.

[disneyjo-91]

To be honest I am afraid to break out the price...

My DH may never let us go again!!!!

[adoptionislove]

We are doing the Land n Sea in March:

It will be DH, Myself, DD, DS

Land n Sea: 4 nights at Poly
3 nights on ship (verandah) 7,200

Airfare: 2,400

We are going during spring break so I know that the prices are a little bit higher, but, it is only $, right!!!!

[mickey&missy]

I was interested to see how the WDW costs add up to other vacations. So I took a look a the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. This is a place DH and I keep talking about going.

For a water view room the same date we are going to WDW (3/8 - 3/15) the cost is $3430, that's not the cheapest room or the most expensive. Plus the cost of dining, plus activities that cost more (arts & crafts, kids programs, classes, etc) Plus the fact they have a casino. Plus airfare for 5.

We're talking at least $6500.

Personally, I'd rather go to WDW for my $6500

[illini]

Oh, I'm definitely delusional about it. Just ask my DH.

This past trip, 7 nights at Poly, 2 adults, 3 kids w/dining, driving to WDW from TX was right around $5300. The room/pkg was about $4100, another $800ish on room charges, and about $400 for travel. Had we flown, it would have been about another $1200.

That's definitely not exact, but pretty close. I don't want to know exactly, because then I'd have to admit to it the next trip.

[Aurora]

Our last trip was in December: four adults, four days. Our totals were:

Accommodations: $347
Airfare: $715
Food: $714
Tickets: $770
Souvenirs: $800
Transportation: $270
Total: $3,616

Which, by the way, is way more than I thought it would be, especially since we don't pay much for the room. (See below.) But obviously our souvenir total is pretty high.

Here's how it broke down:

We stayed at a DVC resort (parents own) for three nights. Estimated cost: $347. (*See bottom for how I calculate cost for the room.)

We had the dining package which totaled $514 for the four of us. We also spent $80 on snacks for the room (WAY too much, because we ate so well on the dining plan that we almost never wanted any other food). Food at airport and day we got in (that wasn't covered by the dining plan) was another $120.

Airfare (total) was $715 from Chicago.

Tickets were hard to figure, because we used days from a previous trip and bought one new 10-day ticket. We visited the parks for three days. Averaged out for the four of us that was a total of about $770.

I bought about $400 worth of souvenirs, and the rest of my family probably bought another $400.

We had a rental car that cost $230 for four days. Gas was about $40.

We didn't do any extras like MVMCP or tours or anything else.

I think when people write "priceless" and "worth it," they mean it for them. This trip was the only one I have taken with my parents without DH and kids for, well, since before I was married 15 years ago. We had a lovely time and I will never forget it.

For others, no trip is worth such a cost. But they don't mind spending hundreds and sometimes thousands on movie, theater or sports tickets or eating out throughout the year.

It's all subjective.

*I calculate cost for the room per visit this way: Total cost of membership, divided by number of contract years, divided by number of points, added to dollars per point annual dues, multiplied by points used on this trip. I find this is the most direct way to figure out what the approximate room cost is.

[tinkerbell04]

We were there in December, but that was a really short trip, just over a weekend. I will use June's trip to report. We are DVC members so our lodging doesn't cost us per say at the time of the trip, so I don't count that into anything. Also, we have AP's that expire every June, so this trip included those, but the next couple of trips won't. We always take our nephew with us, he is 8 now, he is like our firstborn and our daughter who was 5 at the time of the trip. Next year when Zack is up to adult prices, I am sure we will really start to feel the difference!

My kids really don't ask for many souviners because we are a few times a year. We really loaded up with souviners when they were little, but now they usually choose one thing that they like to take home. We don't tell them no on other things, it just seems like they have so much already. They would rather spend it in the arcarde or on a tatoo or hair wrap

Ok...10 nights at WLV with DVC points
DVC dining plan for 10 nights, 2 adults, 2 kids 1000 dollars
Airfare for 4 round trip from BWI-650
Rental Car for the entire trip-135
Groceries for the room, beer, soda, water and snacks etc. 75
Souviners about 300
Misc, arcade cards, hair wraps, crafts at the lodge etc, 150
Total-2310

Annual Passes for 2 adults, 2 children- about 1500

So...grand total is 3810

I am so totally like you though, I really don't want to know and I pay for things ahead of time so it doesn't feel like I am spending that much at one time! We pay for airfare ahead of time. I also take extra money all year and buy Disney Dollars, that is how we pay for dining. So, the money that we take is usually fun money

[jpH/keD]

For our Thanksgiving week trip 07 we stayed 8 nights-9days at ASMovies. We went to MVMCP. DD6 went to BBB (270.00)the only thing I kept the receipt for! lol!! We used the DDP. We did about 300.00 in pin trading and about 250.00 spending on souvies. We are a family of 4. 2-kids aged 6 and 4. And we flew from Dulles to Orlando and back.

All together it was about $5,000.00

But next time it will be MORE because I refuse to wait in line for All Star bus transportation! We will be staying at the Contemporary! Monorail here we come!! (I know- AK and DHS- I think I will rent a car for those days! $$$)

[Catzle]

Each year it's different, but here's an estimate for a ten day trip for 4 people.

Resort - $2,500
Airfare - $1,000
Food and snacks & drinks - $1,000
Tickets - $1,000
Extra's - $200
Water park tickets $110

Grand total - Approx: $5,800

We pay for airfare a few months before we go and buy one park ticket a month so it doesn't all come at us at once.

[diz_girl]

For my past two trips (the only ones to WDW for the past decade):

Poly - 2007 Value Season
6 nights at WDW - 8 total
Garden View Room - 2000
Tickets - 2 adults - 500
DDP - 500
OOP Food (breakfasts) - 150
Extras/Souveniers - 350
Hotels on Road - 200
Food on Road - 150
Fuel from NJ (Jetta Diesel Baby!) - 150
Total = 4000


WL - 2005 Value Season
5 nights at WDW - 9 total
Standard Room - 1150
Tickets -2 adults - 500
OOP Food - all meals - 700
Extras/Souveniers - 300
Hotels on Road - 400
Food on Road - 250
Fuel from NJ (Jetta Diesel Baby!) - 150
Fuel (DH motorcycle) - 150
Total - 3600

Our next trip is in December. We'll have a toddler with us, so we won't be doing a nice sit-down dinner every night like the past two trips. I plan to take advantage of the great food values at Trail's End, the Crystal Palace and 'Ohana (dinner).

I estimate:
WL - Value Season - 6 nights at WDW w/8 total
Wood's View Room - $1400 (max - poss. future discounts)
Tickets - 2 adults - 820 (I can get 10 day no-expire - which is $41 per day and I can use the remaining 4 or 5 days on my next trip)
OOP Food - all meals - 730
Extras/Souveniers - 400
Hotels on Road - 250
Food on Road - 200
Fuel from NJ (hopefully the Jetta) - 200
Total 4000

These are Deluxes, but the bulk of the cost is not the hotel, so staying at a moderate can save you some $, but not as much as you think.

Good luck with your planning.

[ljv1975]

Here are our estimated costs for our trip the first week of March. (29 days! )

Magic Your Way package for 2 adults and 1 child age 2 (including dining plan, 5 nights at CS with a king bed, and 5 day park tickets with the free park hopper, water parks upgrade): $2043
P&P Tickets: $94
Pre-Paid Photopass: $100
Auto Train to FL (sleeper car, meals included): $695
Gas and Hotel back to PA: $350
Souvenirs and Misc. expenses: $1000

Estimated total: $4282

I rounded up and guessed as well as I could for the unknowns like gas and souvenirs. Depending on the extra things we buy our total could be less. I guess we will have to wait and see. The bulk of everything was paid on the Disney Visa which I paid off with our tax return money. This will give us Disney reward dollars to use as well, which I didn't factor in. I will say this is one of the most expensive trips we've taken, but it is all for our DD , so it's money well spent!!