Hiya, Pal! I am so excited you stopped by planDisney with your questions about planning a trip to the most Magical Place on Earth!
You have so many options within
Walt Disney World Resort that you can craft a vacation that fits you. No matter how you budget - very cost-conscious or YOLO - magic awaits!
Let's start with your resort stay. Did you know there is a resort exclusively reserved for active and retired US military members?
Shades of Green is near Disney's Polynesian Resort, and it is eligible for many of the Disney Resorts Collection benefits like
Early Theme Park Entry and purchasing
Lightning Lane passes 7 days in advance. You can check the
eligibility criteria to see if this might be an option for you. There are also
special offers directly through Walt Disney World. There is currently one for
military families to save 20-30% on resort stays on specific dates in 2025. There are resort and room configurations for every budget, from value to deluxe.
Disney also offers special rates on theme park tickets with
Disney Military Salute Tickets. Currently, it looks like a 5-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket with Park Hopper Option is $389 per person plus tax, and a 4-day ticket is $369 plus tax. While offers are subject to change, this one includes tickets through December 19, 2025. Check the site for details, including eligibility information.
For food, like the resorts, there are so many options. Generally speaking, we budget for a quick-service lunch and spend about $15 per person. Kid's meals (for children 3-10) are probably closer to $7-8. Two of my favorites are
Columbia Harbour House and
Satu'li Canteen. These will defy your expectations of a quick-service meal. For dinner, there are amazing restaurants that serve a la carte, and some are buffets. There are also dinner shows and character dining. For a standard a la carte restaurant like
Skipper Canteen and
Kona Cafe, you can expect the entrees to be in the $30 range.
A few buffets, like the
Biergarten Restaurant and
Liberty Tree Tavern, generally cost around $45-50 for an adult and $25-30 for a child. My family of four, all over 10 years old, spends about $300 per day on meals, with table-service dining and character dining on our list.
I recommend looking at the resorts available with the military discount. Enter the dates and see which best suits you. Then, add the price of the theme park tickets and a general budget range for how you like to dine.
I hope this is helpful to you. If you have any more questions as dreaming turns to planning, come see us again at
planDisney.
Adventure is Out There!
Jana