Hi Joseph,
Welcome to planDisney! I’m so glad you stopped by with your question, and I’d be happy to help you plan an unforgettable and affordable visit to The Most Magical Place On Earth.
When it comes to budgeting for a Walt Disney World Resort vacation, there are a few key choices that will shape the overall cost of your visit. You'll want to consider how long you'll be staying, where you'll be staying, what type of Theme Park tickets to purchase, and whether to add one of the Disney Dining Plans. Each of these decisions can help you keep your expenses in check while still enjoying the full Disney experience.
Let’s start with your resort stay.
Disney Resorts are grouped into Value, Moderate, and Deluxe categories. If your budget is your biggest priority, I’d recommend looking at one of the Value Resorts. A favorite of mine is
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Not only is it themed perfectly for families, but it’s also located on the Disney Skyliner. That means you’ll have easy access to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
And don’t forget that another great perk of staying at a Disney Resort Collection hotel is the
complimentary transportation. Whether you're heading to a theme park or back to your hotel after a magical day, you won’t have to spend a single extra cent to get around the Resort.
Next,
tickets. Disney offers different ticket options based on how many days you plan to visit and whether you want to explore more than one park each day. If your trip is shorter and you're trying to see as much as possible, the Park Hopper ticket lets you visit more than one theme park in a day. That flexibility is great, but it does cost more than the standard ticket. If you’ll be staying four days or longer, the base ticket is a more budget-friendly option and allows you to visit one park per day, which is perfect for experiencing all four Walt Disney World theme parks during your stay.
Now for the food.
Disney Dining Plans are back, and they can help you manage meal expenses ahead of time. With different options depending on how much you want to eat in the parks, the dining plans give you the convenience of prepaying for meals and snacks, which can help you stick to your budget once you arrive.
There are also a few simple tricks I use to keep costs low while visiting. First, I always purchase the Resort Refillable Mug when I check in. This gives you unlimited refills on coffee, tea, and soft drinks at any Disney Resort for the entire length of your stay. It’s a great value, especially if you enjoy morning coffee or an afternoon soda break. In the parks, I always buy the Refillable Popcorn Bucket. It’s an affordable and delicious snack that you can refill throughout your day. I also like to place an online grocery order to have snacks, bottled water, and easy breakfast items delivered right to my Disney Resort hotel. It’s a great way to save on meals and pack snacks for the parks, so you don’t need to purchase something every time someone gets a little hungry.
I hope this helps get you started with your vacation planning. If you have any more questions or want to explore more ways to save, I’d love to help. Be sure to check out the
Special Deals, Offers, & Discounts page too!
See you real soon,
Brent