Hi Gina! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
Our family always travels on a tight budget. We really try to keep our cost under $2,500 whenever we travel. I am not sure of your family size but I would say that if you are a family of four, staying at a Walt Disney World Resort is very doable for under $3,000. I would recommend staying 5-7 nights. Obviously your budget will have to guide you along when making choices. If you are looking to keep your cost down you can buy your tickets for the length of stay that you choose and opt to have base tickets. Park hopper tickets are great because they allow you to travel to different parks within the same day but I have found that I can save a bunch of money by opting to not purchase that option.
We always stays at a “value resort” and our favorite is
Disney’s Pop Century Resort. This resort takes me back to my childhood. It is themed after the fads from the 1950’s through the 1990’s. The food options are great, I don’t feel that the resort is too large, and it has always been very clean and inviting.
When choosing a dining plan, our family opts for the quick service plan. This allows two counter service meals and one snack per day. You also get a resort mug that is refillable at your resort hotel for the length of stay. Since we plan on only doing quick service meals, we do budget for one sit down meal during our trip that we pay for out of our pocket. For this meal we usually let our kids choose the character meal of their choice.
I think that traveling on a budget just like yours is not only a smart idea but is a very reasonable way to plan! I hope that you are able to plan the vacation of your dreams! Please come back with any other questions! I love helping guests just like you!
~Heather~