One of the most important questions to answer when planning a Disney Vacation is: “How much does it cost to go to Disney World?” Figuring out the average cost of park tickets, hotels, food, and transportation is important to know when setting up your budget.
You probably know the cost of a trip to Disney World is high, but just how expensive is it really?
In this post, I will explain the price ranges and break down all the expenses you will have on your trip. Since everyone has a different budget, I will give you options no matter if you are doing a Disney World Vacation on a value, moderate, or expensive budget.
If you have never been to Walt Disney World before, then you should know up front that it’s not a cheap vacation. The average price per person has been rising for years and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. That’s not to say it’s not worth it, but you should be prepared ahead of time that it isn’t going to be a cheap trip.
A baseline Disney World vacation for five nights for a family of four (two adults, one child 10+, one child 3-9) costs $6,320 ($316 per person per night) in 2023. This includes flights, transportation to and from Disney World, a five-night stay at a value resort, five day tickets without park hopper, Genie+ at two parks (recommended Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios), and quick service meals, snacks, and two table service meals.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to plan a Disney World vacation, there’s a wide range of price points available to you. For a family of three or four, you’ll probably want to assume you’re spending at least $3500, with $5000-6000 being a comfortable amount, and $10,000 being enough to make anyone’s dreams come true. But you can go way up from those numbers, and you can probably penny-pinch to get under them.
What is FREE are my services!
The Sunshine Flyer shuttle service has first-hand knowledge of the greater Orlando area, Orlando International Airport, and The Walt Disney World area properties are embedded into a uniquely fun 1920’s rail experience. Sunshine flyer usually have you on a bus within 20 minutes of checking in at the airport. They pick you up from your hotel about three hours before your flight to bring you back to the airport
Mears Connect is a shuttle service that offers transportation back and forth from Orlando International Airport and the Walt Disney World Resort. Mears usually have you on a bus within 20 minutes of checking in at the airport. They pick you up from your hotel about three hours before your flight to bring you back to the airport Express service available for $250 up to 4 passengers. Online reservations accepted up to 24 hours in advance.
Walt Disney World really cannot be seen in any reasonable, finite amount of time. People easily fill ten-day trips at the resort. From rides to dining to ticketed events like Mickey Not So Scary Halloween Party, there’s always so much to do at Walt Disney World!
If you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World, take this as a good thing. It means you shouldn't be focused on “doing everything,” because you simply cannot.
Typically, a trip in the range of four to seven days is appropriate for a visitor from within the contiguous United States. Guests from abroad or Hawaii / Alaska may want to plan for ten to fourteen days, adding some days at Universal Studios (or other nearby activities) if they’re concerned about overdoing Disney.
Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure are theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort, a resort complex a few miles from Walt Disney World. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is found in Universal Orlando, not Walt Disney World.
While you can visit the Universal Orlando parks (including their Harry Potter areas) from Disney property, you'll need to do a bit of work. The Universal tickets will be separate tickets you'll need to purchase (Get a free Universal Studios quote.) and you'll need to figure out how you’re going to get from Disney property to Universal (I recommend Uber).
Adding to the confusion is that one of the four parks at Walt Disney World is “Disney's Hollywood Studios,” a theme park that, like the Universal parks, is themed around cinema. Again, though, the parks have nothing to do with each other.
Chances are by now you've figured out Walt Disney World requires planning. Nowadays you should at least have a strategy in mind for the parks.
As far as strategy for visiting the parks…there’s a lot. That why booking with a Disney park travel advisor is helpful. About Me
Disney has officially shared that both Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours will continue for visits through 2024.
There are two distinct ways you can get extra time in Disney World parks.
One such way is Early Theme Park Entry, which grants Disney World hotel guests 30 minutes in the park of their choosing before opening time.
Another way is Extended Theme Park Hours, which apply only to Deluxe Disney World hotel guests, and take place on select nights in select Disney Parks, giving guests an extra two hours in the park.
Disney Resort hotel Guests who purchase a vacation package starting with stays beginning Jan. 9, 2024, will have the option to add the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan.
Disney Quick Service Dining Plan
Everyone in the travel party (ages 3 and up) will receive 2 Quick-Service meals per night and 1 snack/nonalcoholic drink per night of their package stay* - along with 1 Resort-refillable drink mug**.Meals and snacks can be redeemed at any time during the stay.
*Specific number of meals and snacks is determined by the number of night included in the package stay. Meals and snacks can ve redeemed at any time during your stay. Unused meals and snacks will roll over day to day and expire at midnight on day of checkout. Meals and snacks are nontransferable between party members.
**Resort-refillable mugs are eligible for refills from self-service beverage is islands at any Disney Resort hotel Quick-Service location.
Everyone in the travel party (ages 3 and up) will receive 1 Table-Service meal per night, 1 Quick-Service meal per night, and 1 snack/nonalcoholic drink per night of their package stay* - along with 1 Resort-refillable drink mug**.
*Specific number of meals and snacks is determined by the number of night included in the packages stay. Meals and snacks can be redeemed at any time during your stay. Unused meals and snacks will roll over day to day and expire at midnight on day of checkout. Meals and snacks are nontransferable between party members.
**Resort-refillable mugs are eligible for refills from self-service beverage is islands at any Disney Resort hotel Quick-Service location.
Good News! Starting January 9th, 2024. Park Passes will NOT be needed AT ALL for those who have date-based tickets!!! In other words, people who buy theme park tickets that are tied to a specific date or set of dates won’t need park passes to get into the parks at all. This change will take place starting January 9th, 2024.
Date-based tickets are what Disney describes as the “standard” ticket option offered to guests.
Park Passes will, however, continue to be required for other “admission types” including those who do NOT have date-based tickets. This would include Annual Passholders (the adjustments made recently that do NOT require Passholders to have a Park Pass to visit most parks after 2PM will remain in effect) Cast Members, and other non-date-based ticket types like those who get non-date-based tickets for conventions, as part of student groups, and select promotional tickets.
What ticket types WILL and Won't require a Park Pass starting January 9th, 2024.
Visiting on or After January 9, 2024
Starting with visits on January 9, 2024, theme park reservation will no longer be required for date-based tickets. A date-based ticket requires you to choose a start date when you purchase.
For other admission types, theme park reservation may be required.
No Them Park Reservation Required
Theme Park Reservation Required
For admission types requiring theme park reservations, be sure to reservation availability prior to purchase. Please note that theme park reservation are limited in number and subject to availability. Availability can change until the theme park reservation is finalized.
Once you purchase your admission, you can make your theme park reservations.
Know Before You Go
Annual Passholders may visit the theme parks after 2:00 PM without a theme park reservation, except on Saturday and Sunday at Magic Kingdom park. Applicable pass blockout dates apply. Annual Passes are subject to the Walt Disney World Resort Annual Pass Terms and Conditons and are subject to change without notice.
Link tickets to your My Disney Experience account. It’s important that you link them to your My Disney Experience account. Among other things, this will ensure you’re able to use Genie+ / Lightning Lanes if you choose.
Character Meals. Character dining is a fixture of Walt Disney World. At a character meal, you’ll typically dine as characters pass by your table one-by-one greeting you. The characters at a given meal tend to be the same, but the restaurants retain the right to change them.
I've provided a chart to show where popular characters appear. Appearance of each character is not guaranteed.
Note: My Disney Experience App
Relevant to this post, most of the information on character greetings is in this app. Here’s the official Disney page for the app.
My Disney Experience is the app & website where registered guests can update their profiles, view reservations, and vacation packages, plan itineraries, see Disney PhotoPass photos, and add/remove people from friends and family lists. Use it in conjunction with the Disney Genie+ app to help you determine which rides you should go on next!
Note: My Disney Experience App
The “My Disney Experience” app is the official app for Disney World. At least one member of your party should have this app and be familiar with it if you want to have a good time at Disney World. Here’s the official Disney page for the app.
(I suggest going to your app store and loading the My Disney Experience app on to your phone as soon as we make your reservation)
Disney Genie+ is a complimentary service (with optional add-ons available for purchase) within Disney World’s My Disney Experience app and the Disneyland app. Disney Genie+ provides on-the-go planning tools and customized itineraries to help guests maximize their time in the parks.
MagicBands are colorful wristbands that act as an all-in-one device to effortlessly connect you to the vacation choices you made with My Disney Experience. They are used to enter the parks, unlock your Disney Resort hotel room, buy food and merchandise, and more. MagicBands are no longer free, but if you want your MagicBands before your trip, you can purchase them online or in a Disney gift shop for $19.99 for a basic band or $29.99+ for the designer exclusive Magic Band. Just remember you don't have to purchase a new MagicBand in order to use your park tickets and hotel key. You can always use magic mobile, a physical card or previous MagicBand instead.
Walt Disney World parks are typically less crowded from January 2nd until just prior to Presidents’ Day week (third Monday in February), the week after Labor Day until just prior to Thanksgiving week, and the week after Thanksgiving weekend until the week prior to Christmas.
As a general guide, when schools are in session, WDW is usually less crowded.
Walt Disney World parks generally experience their highest attendance around school breaks. These include around Presidents’ Day week (third week in February), the Spring Break time frame from mid-March through late April, Memorial Day weekend, Summer (mid-June through Labor Day), Thanksgiving week, and Christmas week through January 1st.
All Disney hotels offer online check in through the My Disney Experience app.
Online check-in allows you to completely skip the check-in desk when you arrive at the hotel.
Your Magic Band or NFC-enabled phone can unlock your room door once the app tells you your room is ready!
Guests of Disney hotels can have merchandise purchased at the parks delivered back to their hotel so they don’t have to carry it around.
The Disney Magic Your Way Park Hopper allows guests entry to more than one theme park per day. Park Hopper hours will start at 2 PM each day
Park Hopper tickets are more expensive than standard park tickets, but they allow for much more flexibility during the day.
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