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There are so many variables to consider when it comes to the cost of a Disney World vacation.
In this article, we’ll answer the age-old question of, “How much does it cost to go to Disney World?”, as well as review potential expenses using our Disney World Cost Calculator 2022.
With the total cost of a Disney vacation depending on your length of stay and how much you choose to splurge on food, accommodations, and other extras, the total cost will vary significantly.
By using our Disney World cost calculator, however, we’ll show you a real-life example of our family of 5’s total Disney World vacation price (with a FREE printable too!)
*Updated for 2022.
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Table of Contents
Let’s get started in working through the steps of our Disney World cost calculator so that you can custom-fit your Disney vacation to meet the exact needs of your family and budget.
One of the easiest decisions to make regarding your Disney World cost calculator will be on how you will get to Orlando.
You’re either close enough to drive (or are up for a long haul road trip!) or you’ll have to arrive by air.
When considering your Disney vacation estimator, let’s take a look at both!
Orlando is serviced by two main airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International.
Most airlines fly into Orlando International which is a convenient 30-minute drive from Walt Disney World.
When considering flights, your Disney cost calculator will vary according to the time of year and where you fly from.
For the cheapest rates, it is recommended to search for flights that arrive and depart mid-week.
Also, know that the least expensive months to fly to Orlando typically tend to be from late August to mid-November. And again, from mid-January to mid-February.
Additional planning tip: Purchase airline tickets 4 months in advance in order to guarantee the best pricing.
Airlines such as Delta and Southwest have Disney World packages that include airfare.
These are worth checking out if you’re looking to bundle your expenses.
Disney has announced that their complimentary Magical Express transportation service will be discontinued in January of 2022.
Orlando International Airport (MCO) is serviced by ride-hailing services including Lyft, Uber, and airport taxis.
Other transportation options include hotel shuttles and car rental services, with Alamo being our most recommended. (Use their Skip the Counter option to go straight to your rental car.)
And next, as a replacement for Disney’s Magical Express, Mears Connect will be offering shuttle service to the Disney Resort area (from the airport) beginning on January 1st of 2022.
Unlike Disney’s Magical Express, Mears Connect isn’t free, however.
Instead, there are two tiers of service: standard vs. express.
Standard service is a shared ride that makes a few stops en route to your hotel with waits of up to 20 minutes after checking in at the Mears reception area at the airport.
Express service provides a direct ride to your resort with no other stops and “limited to no wait time.”
You can find a list of current resorts that Mears Connect will pick up and drop off from, as well as pricing and the option to book your rides at Mears Connect’s site.
Additional planning tip: The resorts that Mears Connect services will appear in the drop-down menu when reserving. The list is expected to expand throughout 2022.
If a road trip to Orlando makes more sense, or if you are looking to travel to Disney on a budget, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Be sure to calculate the cost of gas by determining daily gas prices, as well as account for a hotel en route and meals along the way (if coming from far away).
In addition, most hotels, including Disney hotels, charge a daily parking fee that sh
Be sure to verify and account for that additional expense if you plan to drive and/or rent a car.
Park tickets will account for a large portion of your Disney World cost calculations.
Disney World considers ‘children’ to be between the ages of 3 – 9 years old. Any person age 10 and older needs to pay adult ticket prices, and those 2 and under are free.
Disney World ticket prices also vary based on the season, how many days you’ll visit the parks (Multi-park tickets), and if you plan to travel between parks on a given day (Disney Park Hopper tickets).
They can be purchased directly through Disney and can often be found bundled in Disney World packages that include resort accommodations.
Disney park tickets can also be purchased at discounted rates from authorized wholesalers, such as our favorite, Undercover Tourist.
Additional planning tip: Don’t forget to account for Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon water park tickets if you plan to venture to one or both of Disney’s two water parks.
Disney tries to get you to play in their parks as long as possible.
This is why purchasing multi-day park tickets will always be the best value when it comes to overall ticket prices.
For instance, the average daily rate is discounted by almost 50% when you buy a 7-day park pass versus a 1-day pass.
Simply put, the longer you stay and the more parks you visit, the more you will save on admission and on your overall Disney World cost.
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Historically speaking, the best time to visit Disney World is during the months of mid-January to mid-February, late April to mid-May, and again from mid-August through September.
You can expect to save up to 20% when visiting during these months.
The most expensive weeks, however, are around Christmas, President’s Day, and other U.S. holidays, as well as during Spring Breaks in the entire month of March.
You can almost guarantee that things will cost 50% more than during non-peak times.
Other factors like weather and other special events that may be taking place at Disney greatly affect the park crowds.
*If you’re heading to Disney for a special event, there are many additional costs and considerations to consider. Here’s an example of how much a runDisney race weekend will cost, for instance.
Guests at select Disney Resorts can travel to and from all 4 theme parks by complimentary bus, boat, monorail, or Skyliner.
Complimentary resort transportation begins 60 minutes prior to Disney theme park opening time and up to 90 minutes after Disney theme park closing time.
Additionally, buses operate until 2:00 AM from the Disney Springs area.
Keep in mind that most of Disney’s deluxe resorts have well-lit, paved walking paths to at least one of the theme parks.
Likewise, many off-site hotels offer a free or fee-based shuttle to the various Disney parks and properties.
If you do end up driving to the parks, however, parking is $25 a day at Disney.
This parking fee applies to all of their parks and comes with in/out privileges.
Click the following image to get your FREE family vacation packing list and BONUS Disney Day Bag packing list that is both customizable and printable!
Lodging is a big determinant of your Disney vacation cost calculator.
Quite honestly, this is where you can either spend or save a huge chunk of money.
There are literally a ton of options when it comes to Orlando accommodation options, and prices can range from $100 a night to $800 a night or more.
Your individual selection will come down to your budget, space requirements, location, and availability.
Hotel accommodations are available in the following four categories:
There are currently more than 25 on-property Disney-owned resorts to pick from when staying at Walt Disney World.
Disney World Resort hotels are categorized with price categories of Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villas.
There are some off-site hotels that provide nearly all of the benefits that you’ll find at an on-site Disney World resort.
Hotels with Disney benefits include: The hotels located in Disney Springs plus Shades of Green, The Four Seasons, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria, and the Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts
For the most space and cheapest rates, Orlando is packed with off-site hotels in close proximity to Disney World.
Amazing deals can be found on websites like Mousesavers that frequently feature hotels with excellent quality and outstanding value.
We’ll never regret our choice to stay at Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista and would highly recommend it as an affordable, off-site option.
Many people choose to stay in vacation homes in nearby Celebration or Kissimmee, Florida.
Vacation homes are great since they come with fully-equipped kitchens and come in all different sizes and price ranges.
With so many vacation homes to choose from, it helps to first consult on how to pick the best rentals.
With a Disney World vacation costing anywhere from $1000 – $5000 USD per person, one of the biggest determinants of your overall cost is the amount of money spent on food and dining.
After all, Disney World has a variety of restaurants to choose from, as well as special dining opportunities such as (currently modified) Character Dining experiences.
Disney resort guests also have access to purchasing a Disney dining plan.
Essentially you prepay for a set number of meals and snacks to be used at different types of restaurants throughout your stay.
Your Disney dining plan cost calculator will be based on which Disney Dining Plan that you choose in terms of how many meals, snacks, and drinks that it includes.
If you want to reduce the amount you will spend on food, however, your best strategy will be to pack your own meals.
After all, you are allowed to bring food and drink into all Walt Disney World Parks.
We found a ton of value and convenience in stocking our Disney day bag with water bottles, sandwiches, fruit, and other healthy snacks to avoid the high cost of meals on-site.
Your Disney World trip calculator should account for extras such as:
Along with determining approximately how much your Disney Vacation will cost, I highly recommend you put time into planning your days at the parks.
Basic planning will aid you in saving time, avoiding long lines, and helping to stick to your budget.
For your convenience, be sure to consult our best Disney World tips and review our Disney packing list (that includes the top 9 most forgotten items to bring to Disney!).
In addition, our 1-day Disney touring plans can be found here:
Answering the question of, “How much does it cost to go to Disney World” is tricky, as you can now see.
Disney is definitely not a one-size-fits-all family vacation.
The following is a breakdown, using the components of our Disney World cost calculator 2022, of what our family of 5 spent during 1-week in Orlando.
As an overview, we rented a minivan from our home state of Minnesota and drove to Orlando.
We stayed off-site, visited 3 Disney theme parks, used complimentary hotel transportation, and did not purchase a Disney dining plan.
Other shortcuts for us involved eating breakfast (from our own groceries) in our hotel every morning and shopping for souvenirs off-site.
Your Disney trip cost calculator will be more expensive if you fly to Orlando, stay on-site, visit all 4 parks, and purchase a Disney dining plan.
Click here for a free pdf version of our Disney World cost calculator that outlines our bottom line price of $5,030. (Photo image below.)
How much did you anticipate spending on your Disney World vacation? Was there anything that surprised you when using this Disney Vacation calculator?
Jen
Disney World Touring Plans:
Disney World Ride Tips:
Disney World Planning Tips:
Disney World Cost:
*Before leaving, be sure to check our Travel Resources Page to find exclusive travel discounts and to book hotels, rental cars, and guided tours.*
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Jen Brommer is a family travel expert. She has been featured as an authority on several notable travel websites and is a member of the Family Travel Association (FTA), Midwest Travel Network, and TravMedia global media network.
A prominent content creator and influencer on Instagram, Jen has over 150K unique monthly blog readers from countries all over the world. She has spent the last 16 years planning fun, and hassle-free family vacations for her family of 5.
I love how you spell it out. Disney can add up quickly, and this helps people think through everything.
Jen says:Thanks Kirsten! It was fun to sit down and write this article….my husband actually helped me on this one 🙂
Colleen Lanin says: So helpful! A WDW vacation expenses can get out of hand if we’re not careful! Jen says:Right. Without planning a big beforehand, the expenses can get totally out of hand 🙂 Thanks for your note!
Claudia says: This is very handy cost calculator for Disney, which is often more expensive then one thinks! Jen says: Thanks! I love seeing the cost of something laid out step-by-step 🙂
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