How much does your average Disney World vacation cost?

[King Panda 77]

 

[G00fyDad]

Last year it set us back around $6500.
7 nights
4 people (all adults)
Pop Century
Out-of-pocket food cost (one QS and one TS per day)
Genie+ cost

 

[JIMINYCR]

This trip in October, for DW and I staying at POFQ, (DS paying for his own resort room and tickets) 14 days, Park tickets w/ PH, dining plan, MNSSHP for DS and I, Wild African Trek for DS and I, Cirque du Soleil for DW and I, cost over 10k. Weve budgeted and saved for the trip we want and paid off our entire trip before going. We will get rewards from Dis Visa, and have $ set aside for any incidentals we decide to splurge on. We dont fly we drive so theres cost in gas, tolls, meals, hotel along the way.
Yes its expensive but we arent going broke or using funds we dont have to enjoy life by taking a Dis trip. I would like it if every expense in my life would be less but nothings getting cheaper and you must judge what its worth to you to do things you want to do. Dis still has enough value to us to keep returning.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I voted "under $2500, but it is a lot under because my current situation means that I would go solo. Always remember that two can go as cheaply as one, but only half as long. Sorry for altering that old statement.

 

[Ayla]

Do you foresee the value equation changing to the point where you’ll return? If so, what do you think is going to happen and how long do you expect it will take?

I truly hope so, but I don't believe it will.

 

[nickys]

wonder what the financial demographics are for that price range. Like, are most household incomes under or above $100,000 if you spend $5k-$10k?

Nowhere near for us. We save for 3-4 years for a trip.

Now that both ‘boys’ are working, they’ll contribute to the cost. And once I retire we can come off-peak which will cut the airfares from $5k+ to more like $3k or even less. But then we’ll have less income, so it’ll still be expensive.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Nowhere near for us. We save for 3-4 years for a trip.

Now that both ‘boys’ are working, they’ll contribute to the cost. And once I retire we can come off-peak which will cut the airfares from $5k+ to more like $3k or even less. But then we’ll have less income, so it’ll still be expensive.

Have you gone to Disneyland Paris? I went there in 2015 and had a great time. I recently looked into it again and it seems like a lot has been added since I was last there. The place I would really love to go is Tokyo but that is cost prohibitive living on the east coast of the US, but I could handle going back to Paris at some point.

 

[nickys]

Have you gone to Disneyland Paris? I went there in 2015 and had a great time. I recently looked into it again and it seems like a lot has been added since I was last there. The place I would really love to go is Tokyo but that is cost prohibitive living on the east coast of the US, but I could handle going back to Paris at some point.

Yes, we went last year and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Per person, per day it’s more expensive because we’re DVC members so don’t pay for accommodation at WDW (tho we usually do add some nights on cash). But without the astronomical air fares it’s “cheaper” to get there, and much quicker and less hassle.

But it’s a short break not a family vacation with all Florida has to offer.

 

[mf1972]

i think last year we upgraded from FQ to YC due to a discount offer. i think it was $8400-8600 total for 10 days base ticket, but i could be wrong. we took advantage of the bounce back offer & staying at YC 1 more time this december for 10 days base ticket for $9025.

 

[J4546]

just me and the gf so the 2 of us, 2 years ago we went to epcot and the 3 universal parks cause we had never been before and it was around 1200 for us for 4 days/nights. flight from LAX was about 450 round trip for both of use, hotel was 80 a night and really close to universal we walked to the parks so 320 in total, and then park tickets we actually got universal free cause my gf used to work there so that saved 600 haha, but still like 200 for epcot tickets. then we spent probably 3-4 on food and items while we were there. so like 1200 but again we saved 600 on free tickets so it was a bargain.

I dont stay in the more expensive resorts that saves a ton of money, we spent just over 300 at Avanti and it was well within walking distance to the universal parks and had a really nice pool. We also dont really get many souveneirs either we just like the parks.

 

[Marionnette]

This next trip is going to be very pricey because we are paying for our daughter, her husband and two grandkids as well as ourselves. The baby will only be 13 months old so she will be eating from our plates, flying as a lap child and won't need a ticket.

That being said, the dues alone on a 2BR BWVfor 10 nights is around $3700. The 14-day tickets that I bought on attractionstickets.com (4 adults + 1 child) cost us $4160 after taking the exchange rate into account. First class round trip for 5 plus the lap child was $4952. Dining will probably cost us in the range of $3700. MVMCP and Jollywood tickets for 2 adults for $784. Rental of a 7-passenger minivan plus gas & tolls around $1100. Total damage = $18K+. And that's without taking souvenirs and last-minute purchases into consideration. Everything has already been paid for with the exception of the rental car and dining cost. Boy does it add up!

 

[Nubs70]

Just did Portugal for 16 days for around 7-8K for 2 persons.

 

[hopemax]

I have shared this before. My Mom was a CM, and had met the eligibility requirements for my Dad to keep his Main Entrance Pass following her passing. He lives north of MK. So tickets and lodging are free. I only have to pay for my plane ticket, and whatever I chose to spend in the park. Which has become less and less due to cutbacks and nonsense. The most recent ones being raising prices on merchandise (pins that were $19.99 2 years ago are now $29.99, inflation has been an issue but not 50%!) and eliminating the Nutella & fruit waffle at Sleepy Hollow.

After my Dad is unable to visit, no longer local, or has passed DH and I see no reason to return to WDW (or honestly FL). Our Disney will shift back to Disneyland (what we did before my parents moved to FL) and International parks.

 

[Goofyernmost]

just me and the gf so the 2 of us, 2 years ago we went to epcot and the 3 universal parks cause we had never been before and it was around 1200 for us for 4 days/nights. flight from LAX was about 450 round trip for both of use, hotel was 80 a night and really close to universal we walked to the parks so 320 in total, and then park tickets we actually got universal free cause my gf used to work there so that saved 600 haha, but still like 200 for epcot tickets. then we spent probably 3-4 on food and items while we were there. so like 1200 but again we saved 600 on free tickets so it was a bargain.

I dont stay in the more expensive resorts that saves a ton of money, we spent just over 300 at Avanti and it was well within walking distance to the universal parks and had a really nice pool. We also dont really get many souveneirs either we just like the parks.

So without the free tickets it would have been $1800.00+?

 

[hismattjesty]

More than this.

View attachment 813456

I mean, that's about $30 U.S. currently. Doesn't even cover my first round of drinks at the Tambu Lounge or Victoria Falls.

 

[Goofyernmost]

This next trip is going to be very pricey because we are paying for our daughter, her husband and two grandkids as well as ourselves. The baby will only be 13 months old so she will be eating from our plates, flying as a lap child and won't need a ticket.

That being said, the dues alone on a 2BR BWVfor 10 nights is around $3700. The 14-day tickets that I bought on attractionstickets.com (4 adults + 1 child) cost us $4160 after taking the exchange rate into account. First class round trip for 5 plus the lap child was $4952. Dining will probably cost us in the range of $3700. MVMCP and Jollywood tickets for 2 adults for $784. Rental of a 7-passenger minivan plus gas & tolls around $1100. Total damage = $18K+. And that's without taking souvenirs and last-minute purchases into consideration. Everything has already been paid for with the exception of the rental car and dining cost. Boy does it add up!

Knowing that my month long adventure was back in Oct/Nov 2015 total for two of us. This included everything. Airfare, Hotels, Train passes, Days in Paris (including Disneyland Paris), Venice, Rome, Pompeii, a ten day trans-Atlantic cruise back to the states with 5 ports of call in the Mediterranean including Barcelona, Pisa, Florence and Wine tasting in Tuscany, Majorca plus a stop in the Canary Islands, 5 days at sea, all Meals (included on the Cruise) and souvenirs for a grand total of $15K.

Obviously a much different experience than WDW, but I have already made 48 visits to WDW and when one considers the degree of experiences over that month it makes numbers like that for 10 nights seem like a lot of money. I know the difference between 5 people and 2 people is quite large but by the day. 18K for 5 people for 10 days at WDW equals $360 per person per day. 15K for 2 people for 30 days seeing new sites and cultures equals $250 per day per person. So 10 days for 5 on my trip would have cost $12.5K. On the other hand that would have made 30 days at WDW, for all 5, would have been $54K.

I know that whole last paragraph was done mostly to just wake my 76 year old brain wake up this morning, but there was a point to it all but after all that math I'm not sure I remember what it was other than to express how much that same time would have cost in an unequal comparison. I did do a 9 person, 7 day family trip from Vermont where I paid for all to WDW in 2008 and it cost a total of $7.5K. My how things have changed but to be fair I stayed offsite, in a 6 bedroom villa, two rental cars, 7 day tickets for all, airfare and other transportation and about 25% of the meals. Full disclosure: Absolutely none of it other than the Villa was first class. Tourist all the way. The villa alone made it difficult for all of us Green Mountain rural people to leave to go back home.

 

[DisAl]

Do you foresee the value equation changing to the point where you’ll return? If so, what do you think is going to happen and how long do you expect it will take?

Probably never. The removal of the Liberty Belle and the Rivers of America when they had plenty of other land for the new attractions pretty much ruins that part of the park for me.

 

[networkpro]

Giving up on something is quite different that quitting something. I know its semantics, but giving up is because they are not having success, or when they stop doing something they have been doing for a period of time, while quitting is letting go of something that is not serving its intended purpose.

I see neither condition being met, just kibitzing on something one no longer does for whatever reasons. Obviously at one time they experienced success at vacationing at a Disney location, but are hesitant that it would no longer work for them, hence the sideline banter.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

People need to learn the times to go and the times not to go. Also, they need to learn not to get suckered into the extra things they are told they need. Go in the fall or other times when the tickets are cheaper. Do NOT get the Genie+. All you are doing is paying Bob Iger's Yacht payments. It isn't needed. We were in Magic Kingdom last year and did not use it and went the old school '90s route (eg. finish your land as it minimizes your walking, come back to a major attraction later if need be) because to tell you the truth no one does it that way anymore and it pays dividends. While you were burying your head in your phone I never had mine out other than to take a picture and I saved $15 per day per person. And wouldn't in a million years pay for the lightning lane. Ditto for Universal too. Both parks. It is the classic "start trending towards the back of the park and them come forward" mentality. It's free, and effective. Ask us how much we missed in Universal? 1-2 rides combined. Ditto MK.

Secondly, you don't need an expensive meal plan. Half the time we bring in snacks to tide us over and we might grab chicken tenders or whatever just to have some sort of dinner. If I had time, I'd love to just lounge around and eat the finest foods, but I am trying to get on the attractions. Also, have a heavy breakfast before hand.

This is why we do the under $3500k option. We can do it. We stay off-site, but still do a lot of exploring on-site.

Sadly Disney - especially WDW - is turning into a rich man's vacation. Not the thing Walt intended, and it is too bad none of his family is involved to rein in the company anymore, because I remember this quote about Disneyland he made:

"While Disneyland might have a carnival-like feel to it, it is not going to be a place where people will be soaked for their money."

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Between flights, hotel, tickets, food, drink and souvenirs I’d say we average $1000 per day between the 2 of us, we typically go for 4-7 days so I chose over $5k as an average.

$1000 a day is also about what we expect to pay for a DCL cruise so we’ve been doing more cruises than parks lately since we find them more enjoyable overall.