I’m planning our first trip ever for our family of 7 (2A, 5C) and it’s looking like we will be at right around $5000, not including meals.
The $5000 is for RT flights, 8 nights offsite 2-BR resort hotel, 5 days WDW w/o hopper, 1 day LegoLand, minivan rental from arrival to departure, and WDW parking. We will probably stick to CS and offsite meals. I only have one ADR and it’s for T-Rex.
7 years ago when I began planning a first trip (that we never took), we had 3 less kids an WDW cost less so it was going to be about $2500.
Note: I purposely chose a low season (end of August) for cheaper costs and lower crowds.
Well, I’ve calmed down a bit. I’ve cancelled two of the dessert parties, saving about $320. (What was I thinking?)
Also I saved $70 on my hotel room at the airport by joining the preferred guest programme for free – this gave me access to much better rates on the same room.
Another thing to consider is that airport parking. Do you really need to drive there? With all the horror stories about parking rip-offs, and the fact you’re staying at the airport hotel, can you use a train or bus to get there? As well, when you get back you’ll be arriving very early, possibly 6 am, maybe a bit later. An overnight flight, not much sleep probably, you’ll be shattered. The last thing you’ll want to do is drive home.
I’m spoilt because we’re not far from our airport and just get a taxi (or tube if flying from London), but if you can avoid driving I would!
I could use the train – though the money I save from the parking (which is included in the hotel rate and isn’t that bad) will be cancelled out by the train fare.
I’ve umm-ed and ahh-ed about taking the train versus parking. I’m going the night before my flight out of an abundance of caution. I’d be stressed if I travelled to the airport on the day – I’d worry about things going wrong and missing my flight. I like the control that comes with driving and the door-to-door nature of it.
But I could take a train. It wouldn’t matter if it was late or delayed as I’m going the night before.
We budget $250 per person, per day, which includes EVERYTHING - airfare/getting to/from airport & parking, accommodations, food & beverages, tickets, tickets to the MNSSHP, tips, boarding our dogs, any clothing/shoes/sunscreen/sunglasses we need for the trip, souvenirs, and scooter rental. We expect to come in under budget, since I like to overestimate each category for peace of mind. We used to spend less, but that meant cooking in the room. We’d rather go less frequently and have it be a vacation for everyone, including the family chef. How long we can go depends on the deals that are available and whether we have credit card rewards to offset the cost. It also affects where we stay - there are 7 of us so for our upcoming trip the best value was doing a free dining package deal in a 2BR at Saratoga Springs. In order to stay within our budget, we have to travel in less popular times, like September for a longer trip (we’re going to be there 8 nights) or go for a shorter trip if we have to travel in expensive months.
I probably shouldn’t add in the shoes & clothing, however with 4 kids shoes and clothes have been somewhat disposable, and it was always an unpleasant surprise in the weeks before the trip to realize that bathing suits were worn out or someone had lost their sunglasses. With adults, that won’t be necessary! Although I should probably start mentally preparing for our budget to eventually increase as the kids add spouses and children, LOL.
We live in Canada and I definitely went overbudget for our trip. Originally my goal was to spend $5,000 CAD all-in. However the more I started planning the more the price started to skyrocket. Right now we are at $7300 CAD. That includes our flights which I got a great deal on. $700 roundtrip for two people from our small city in Western Canada, uber rides to and from Universal and a cigar store stop that I promised to my husband,all our food including some signature dining dinners and drinking around the world for one day at Epcot, park tickets, and hotel accommodations. It could be cheaper but I know my husband will not go to Universal without the express passes so I got us a room at Royal Pacific at Universal which is almost double what our rooms at Disney are costing us to stay at Pop Century. We are going for 13 days so it’s working out to being about $280 per person per day which is still cheaper than going to Jamaica for two weeks.
I spreadsheet everything before I go, and I was pretty accurate with our 2016 trip costs. I budgeted $4000 for 6 nights at POR and 4 days in the parks for 4 of us, and that’s pretty much what we spent. This year we are staying at WL for 7 nights with 5 days in the parks plus MNSSHP on another day, and I’m budgeting $6000 for the 4 of us. Since all the restaurant menus and prices are online, I was very accurate estimating food costs. The flights, tickets and hotel prices are known and partially paid ahead of time. We are military and are using the Armed Forces Salute tickets and hotel discount (I don’t know if I’d spring for WL otherwise), and I got a fabulous deal on Frontier for the airfare. We could definitely cut down on the ADRs if I needed to trim the budget, and maybe I’ll do that later if I start feeling extra responsible. I already cut the rental car except for a one day rental to visit relatives in the area.
Let’s just say I’m cheap, and normally would never even spend $2000 on a beach trip. Never. I think that’s an outrageous amount if money to spend on anything for one week that is just gone. Now a tv or something which you own get enjoyment out if for 5-10 years we’ll sure maybe. But once I looked into Disney I realized we just had to blow the bank. After looking into hotel and tickets I hoped we’d spend $5000. We probably spent closer to $6000, but after $5500 I stopped counting. It just is what it is. And amazingly I can’t wait to go back and do it again. They have figured out a way to scientifically and systematically ( and secretely) brainwash you. And if other agencies ever figure it out we are all in deep sh*t.
I was offered free use of a house in Orlando. I jumped at the chance and figured I’d get away with spending about £2,000.
It started well. I found an incredible flight – just over £500 in the high season! Throw in some Disney tickets and a daily food allowance and I’d easily be on budget.
But then I started researching. The original plan only allowed five days in the parks. It was clear this wouldn’t be enough. Especially when I read about Harry Potter at Universal Studios. So I extended my stay. This had a catastrophic effect on the cost of my flight: it tripled.
And that was only the beginning. I started reading restaurant reviews. Suddenly I “had” to have a BOG reservation. And then I discovered dessert parties, MNSSHP and VIP days.
The budget ballooned to £5,000. I justified this on the ground that this vacation was going to be a trip of a lifetime. I’m unlikely to come back – the time and flight costs are not something I could do every year. I may as well make the most of it. I had all kinds of plans for my upcoming (two years time) 50th birthday. Well, this trip has become that celebration.
I lucked out on getting a couple of 0% credit cards, which is what is partly funding the trip.
I’m over my £5,000 budget and like @cervonil I’ve stopped counting: “It just is what it is.”
Let’s call it £5,500 for two people for ten days in the parks.
If you scratched half the things off your list you’d still have the time of your life. At BOG we got cupcakes, we just wanted to see the castle. Dessert parties - nope didn’t need them. HEA is absolutely incredibly phenomenal and free Star Wars fireworks we got a funnel cake and sat down 30 minutes prior.
I found what blew my budget last time was the pre-vacation shopping spree on shoes, clothes, and supplies. I easily blew $500 on Amazon right before we left buying ponchos, sunscreen, glowsticks, fans, etc. And I failed to really budget my grocery order, which was probably more than necessary. It wasn’t the airfare/tickets/hotel stuff that hurt (I had planned for those costs) - it was all the extra junk I bought in the furor of being prepared (and probably didn’t really need). This time I am trying to be more careful about ancillary stuff.
I don’t normally like to talk money about stuff like this but it might give people a look at what was spent to get a holiday like what we did.
I’m from Australia and got given a redundancy package from work so I figured I would do the once in a lifetime trip, so I didn’t spare any expense (as such) with our trip but I still squirreled out as many deals as I could but because I wanted to do a LOT on the trip and stay in some nice hotels, the price ended up ballooning from what I thought it would be.
What we did
Flights - ADL -> MEL -> LA - MCO and back + 1 year subscription to United Economy Plus (up to 8 people) to ensure upgrade on all flights there and home for my entire party
6 Nights Wilderness Lodge - Standard Pool View 2 Queen Bed
4 Nights Lowes Royal Pacific - Standard 2 Queen Bed
2 Nights Animal Kingdom - Savannah Room
3 Nights Art of Animation - Lion King Family Suite
10 Day Disney park hopper w/water parks
Disney Photo Pass + Memory Maker
4 Day Universal park hopper w/ fast pass
I knew it was a LONG way away from home and with DW and DD in tow it was going to be a big trip. I thought it would cost me about 16k AUD with some spending money for food and stuff around the place… so I budgeted 20k in AUD (about 15k USD). Ended up going over by about 2k in total by the end.
I’m happy to try and pull out some of the receipts if that helps people at all?
Our family visiting Orlando is a once in a decade type trip
So when we do it we like to do it well
The 14 day tickets to UK guests for disney may look great value but for our family they are just one of three tickets to buy
We fit Universal and Sea World etc into an 11 night trip on top of Disney parks
Because we have a lot to fit in and want to do it well we always stay in a Universal Hotel or a Disney Hotel and we always take advantage of fast pass upgrades at seaworld and busch gardens etc
So it’s always going to be a very expensive Holiday for us
I have never been to WDW, wanted to since I stepped foot in DLR in 98. So we are finally going and I have no budget. We are staying Poly, standard room, Free dining (yay!) and MNNSSHP and Hard Rock / Universal for 2 nights. Kids and I are potter mad. My kids 14/11 will have there own spending $ but basically if I want it I am having it. When I went to DLR with kids they were then 8/5 I didn’t have time to shop and buy what I wanted. Too busy watching they weren’t breaking stuff lol. And our trip after that week continues to New York, San Fran, Yosemite, Maui etc. I think our trip all up will cost as much as a very nice brand new car. But, when I am not being indulged with expensive holidays I am working and saving like Scrooge McDuck. My husband runs a company and his job is very stressful. So this holiday is a big deal and not something we will ever do again. My kids have chores and are taught to save their pocket money and don’t generally get given things willy nilly. So they may get more than one souvenir from Disney/ Universal. I truly cannot wait! Enjoy your trip!
I can’t imagine flying from the UK to Orlando is cheap. The first big trip you plan always goes over budget. It’s hard to plan something if you’ve never done it! We’re a family of three flying from Michigan, staying moderate 5 days/4 nights, 3 days of tickets and the christmas party. Oh and we have dining. My budget is $4,000 and I’m right on track. That includes souvenir money and boarding our dogs.
I already cut the rental car except for a one day rental to visit relatives in the area.
Star Wars fireworks we got a funnel cake and sat down 30 minutes prior.