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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Realistically how much for Disney world/Florida?

79 replies

Thedarksideofthemoon30 · 07/01/2021 07:43

Hi :)

Dd4 has been asking to go Disney for a year now and the older two (13&11) have been asking to go America for years so we thought we would kill two birds with stone. Wouldn’t be until next year.

The questions are-

Villa or hotel?

Which parks?

What to do around the area that isn’t parks?

How long to go for?

And more importantly how much spending money?

Thank you!

OP posts:
KitKat1985 · 07/01/2021 08:59

Where you stay partly depends on if you feel comfortable driving in Florida (as if you stay in a villa you will need to drive to the parks) and whether you want the freedom to do some stuff outside of the Disney / Universal theme parks (like the space centre etc). If you mainly want to do Disney then you may be better off staying on site for ease of getting to the parks. It also depends how much you value space / privacy (which will be better in a villa). Staying on site in Disney accommodation is usually the most expensive way to stay, followed by a villa, followed by non-disney hotels, but obviously that varies a bit.

In terms of budget, I'd say you need at least £10k realistically, and ideally closer to 12k to really relax and enjoy yourselves (after flights, accomodation and car hire you also need to factor in Disney pass tickets which are about £400pp for a 14 day ticket, plus money for food and souvenirs). Food in the parks is expensive, but if you are staying off site you can take picnics into the parks and eat out at IHop, etc in the evening. If you do stay off site car parking at the Disney parks is quite expensive (I think it's about $25 a day from memory). Remember tipping is expected on all sit-down meals (usually around 18-20%) and also retail prices are shown without tax so everything you buy in a shop is actually slightly more expensive than the price tag.

I'd try to go for at least 2 weeks. Time of year is worth factoring in. Hurricane season tends to be around September, and summer is often so hot and humid it's uncomfortable for many people. Spring is usually around the 'best' time weather wise, but some people prefer to go around autumn / winter for the Halloween / Christmas celebrations respectively.

In terms of stuff to do off site, the Nasa space centre is good especially if you have children interested in space, and airboat rides are a nice way to see nature.

It is an amazing trip though and at 11 and 13 they should be old enough to do pretty much every attraction which is great. I've been twice now and am starting to put some money aside each month as I'm hoping to go again in 2023.

Shodan · 07/01/2021 09:00

I'm planning our 5th holiday there for next year. We've tried different combinations of accommodation/transport/times and have decided that our favourite combo was a villa off Disney, last 2 weeks of the UK summer holidays. No car hire- we used Uber/Lyft, which worked really well.

We stayed at Saratoga Springs villas one year and had the meal package, but it was quite heavily discounted that year for some reason (Olympics maybe?). I did enjoy the ease of that but found it a bit repetitive towards the end.

I usually reckon on about 2.5 -3k per person, which includes all flights/tickets/accommodation etc, but we're not great shoppers so don't spend a lot there. This time though we're adding Universal so it'll be a good few hundred more pp.

ShaunaTheSheep · 07/01/2021 09:10

Depending on what offers are available (everything is different in Covid times), with a family of five we found the most cost effective arrangement was to book our own flights, and buy a hotel, ticket and dining package direct from Disney.

If your older DC are willing to share a queen bed, the Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou rooms have a pull down bed for the smallest DC. We upgraded to the full dining plan for a bit extra so we could do table service and character meals.

A week at February half term was £5k including flights. 10 nights in August was about £5k for the Disney stay, but as part of a bigger trip which included New York and Universal Studios.

Unihorn · 07/01/2021 09:13

We've been around 8 times and always stay in Disney for two weeks. I actually just found an invoice from 2009 and two of us stayed in the Pop Century in September for £1400 including tickets and dining!! We then paid £800 for flights and £180 for two day Universal tickets. I didn't even really think about the exponential rise in costs until I found that...

For a family of 5 hotel options are sadly more limited but if you were looking at Disney then Carribbean Beach would be cheapest. Child tickets on flights are normally up to 12 and in Disney they're up to 9 so you're essentially looking at 3-4 adults and 1-2 children depending on your 11yo and the date you go.

If you're tied to school holidays the last two weeks of August are normally the cheapest part of summer, but if you could do manage to miss one week off school then tagging it on to a half term would be best. It's about 40 degrees real feel from June to September, and hurricane season can obviously cause problems, though central Florida very rarely gets badly hit. We've been there for storms and hurricanes and it's been really rainy for a few days but not actually dropped much below 20 degrees.

We always book flights after doing a price comparison on Skyscanner, and being flexible with departure and arrival airports. Indirect is obviously cheaper and not always that bad. Flying via Ireland used to be cheaper but it's difficult to accurately gauge prices of anything right now!

We then book accommodation and tickets directly with Disney, and buy Universal and SeaWorld tickets separately (we don't always visit). People often seem to say that Universal is more suited to adults and Disney to children, but my siblings and I were teenagers when we first visited and we loved everything about Disney! Granted Harry Potter was obviously not open at the stage though.

I'd budget around £2-4000 for flights depending on dates, and £6-8000 for accomodation, tickets and dining. Use the Skyscanner, Trivago, Universal and the Walt Disney World websites for an idea of prices, but this is the most changeable time at the moment unfortunately! Ocean Florida and Kenwood are normally good for packages and deals if you want someone else to sort it for you though. We have also used the American travel agent Magical Vacations Travel for super cheap September deals before (pre children!)

CouchPommeFrite · 07/01/2021 09:23

@Thedarksideofthemoon30 This truly is how long is a piece of string question but it slightly complicates things as I am assuming you have 3 children, 13, 11 and 4.

So this is a marathon, not a sprint, you lose an entire day just getting there so 14 days is good. So this is either Easter time (very busy and a bit cooler) or August, last 2 weeks are best as US schools are back at school. But hotter and humid. I have been in April, May and August twice. We would only consider August now but that is personal preference and whether you can cope with the heat. The lowest night time temperature was 23 degrees!

August flight is around £850-£1k per person, not much discount for a child. That is a direct flight. You can reduce the cost flying indirect but it lengthens the journey. We fly from Dublin which is cheaper than leaving from a UK airport but you have to get to Dublin first. There is also a 5 hour time difference so when we land at 8pm it is really 1am UK time. Very tiring but you clear immigration/customs in Dublin so just collect your cases and leave.

Tickets are going to be the killer. In the US magic kingdom is over $100 per person for a day. So Attraction Tickets (great ticket seller) are selling a 14 day Disney ticket for the price of a 7 day ticket for £429 per adult and £409 for a child, that is anyone under 10, £2125 for just Disney tickets but that is all 6 parks and allows hopping so you can do one park in the morning and another park later on the same day.

Universal 14 day 3 park (includes the incredible Volcano Bay water park, watch YouTube video for Krakatau a water roller coaster and fearless river) costs £275 for adults and £267 for children, £1367 total.

Cost so far before accommodation and food is over £8K.

Accommodation - villa you will need to hire a car or use uber, onsite you get perks (early entry to parks) and transportation but it costs more. We have stayed in Port Orleans Riverside (Disney) which is our go-to but for Universal we have done Hard Rock Hotel, Royal Pacific and Cabana Bay. We have stayed in club level which works out well for us at Royal Pacific because I have teenage sons who eat a big breakfast. Plus we have stayed at a budget hotel for Seaworld/Aquatica. You are a family of 5 though so some hotels will have a roll away bed for you, most of them come with 2 doubles as standard. You could look at Universal Endless Summer resort. You have to decide if you are staying at one hotel or whether you will hop, we always do Universal then Disney but we have done a 3 hotel hop too.

Disney usually offer free dining which is a real money saver and the variety of food you can get and the number of restaurants participating is great. Universal costs quite a bit, menus are online for CityWalk restaurants, we love Cow Fish and Bread Box.

Basically, yes it costs, a lot. It is the reason it is considered by a lot of people the once in a lifetime. I went when I was a child and then Dh and I set up a savings account specifically to fund this trip. But like a lot of people we returned. We should have been going back this summer.

The Dibb is a great source of information on everything, incredibly friendly. Yes your question will have been asked a thousand times but everyone will just answer you.

CouchPommeFrite · 07/01/2021 09:27

Cross posted with unihorn due to typing. Yes the 14 day is standard but we have been for weird numbers of days as you can often get reduced flight prices so we have done 17 days and 19 days.

Port Orleans and Carribean Beach both have a pull down murphy bed for a child. So they sleep 5. YouTube channels, I think (and have met! Joe and Ashley) from SeeYaReelSoon are a great channel because they show you Disney transportation, food, and a hotel in Disney.

LockedDownLife · 07/01/2021 09:33

We've spent at least £10k each time. It is expensive.

It's also incredibly hot so be prepared for that! Last time we went the last week in September, first week October. Expected warm, balmy pleasant but it was incredibly, unbearably (for the kids) HOT. Never again. Doing January next time!

ImAllOut · 07/01/2021 09:36

@CouchPommeFrite

Cross posted with unihorn due to typing. Yes the 14 day is standard but we have been for weird numbers of days as you can often get reduced flight prices so we have done 17 days and 19 days.

Port Orleans and Carribean Beach both have a pull down murphy bed for a child. So they sleep 5. YouTube channels, I think (and have met! Joe and Ashley) from SeeYaReelSoon are a great channel because they show you Disney transportation, food, and a hotel in Disney.

Always good to see a fellow DIBBer!
derenstar · 07/01/2021 10:14

Costs will vary enormously as there are so many factors but as a family of 4 staying onsite at Disney and Universal for 2 weeks, we typically spend £10-15K all in. This includes flights, accommodation, park tickets, car hire, food and spending money.

I disagree that Disney is only for little ones. We have been going to WDW for years, first as a couple and then as a family. There is more than enough to keep anyone of any age occupied - with 4 parks and 2 waterparks. Universal has 2 parks and 1 water which are little more geared towards older children but not exclusively so.

Accommodation costs will vary depending on when you go and the type of experience you are after. An onsite stay is more immersive and convenient if you want to be close the parks. It can be more expensive but Disney has a broad range of accommodation to suit every pocket. Value resorts have great theming and are good for little ones but the standard rooms are very small and the amenities a bit basic. Moderate resorts in my view is a great compromise and deluxe resorts provide more comfort. For moderates, expect to pay between £200-3000per night and £350-500++ per night for deluxes in the summer.

It's not clear whether you have 4 children or whether your youngest is 4; this matters because this will impact on your accommodation choice. A few Disney hotels sleep 5 but not many (unless you want to pay for 2 rooms or a suite)

Offsite, there are a million different options - a villa in one of the communities in Kissimmee will provide lots of space, your own pool and away from the hassle and bustle and it can be more cost effective. It's been a few years since we did a villa stay but our last was a 4 bed in Cumbrian Lakes which cost us £1400 for 2 weeks in July 2015. It's not the best option if you don't drive and the traffic to get to parks and into town can be considerable. There are also plenty of other hotels, resorts and townhouses that you can get at very reasonable prices in Orlando and the surrounding areas.

Park tickets are pricey, no two ways about it - we've paid £439pp for 14 day Disney ultimate tickets for our planned trip this year. In 2019 we paid £399pp. If you want to visit Universal, you're looking at around £250+ for a 14 day ticket, you can get it for a bit less if you go for a 2/3 day ticket but often the savings are minimal. Universal has its own onsite hotels - 3 of them (Portofino Bay, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific) will get you front of line access to most of the rides in the parks with your stay

Direct flights in the summer will be between £800-£1k per person but you can find decent deals if you are willing to go indirect.

If you hire a car, expect to pay around £300-400 for 2 weeks for a standard SUV but you might need a bigger car depending on your family size. You will also have to pay for parking if staying onsite at Disney or Universal and of course fuel.

Spending money depends on whether or not we stay on site with the dining plan (free or otherwise) or offsite. Our typical spend for 2 weeks (food, souvenirs, shopping, tips) offsite is £3k and £1-1.5K onsite.

Other experiences such as trip to Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, Legoland etc will be extra on top but in my view these are not necessary for a first trip. If you want to get away from the parks, you can do a few days in the Keys, Clearwater or Anna Maria island which have lovely beaches for a more chilled break. I would stick to either Disney Parks Only and/or Universal only to keep costs down.

Finally, Disney trips can become a very expensive addiction so think carefully about going down this route. Head over to www.thedibb.co.uk and forums more advise and information.

ImAllOut · 07/01/2021 10:20

It can be worth looking at Disney Springs area hotels too as their shuttles run more often than a lot of the I-Drive hotels. They also used to get Extra Magic Hours although I think that's been stopped for a bit, and often have free breakfast or kids eat free offers. Plus walking distance to Disney Springs is great!

CouchPommeFrite · 07/01/2021 11:42

@ImAllOut I try not to gush too much on MN about Disney, Grin I save it for The Dibb. We were due to go back again this year (was there 2019) but that is shot to hell. Sad It is quite lovely thinking someone might experience Flight of Passage and feel the breathing!

Our next try is 2022 for Universal/Disney. Club level is calling me at RPR anda long stay at POR obviously. I cannot tell you how much we love it there.

ImAllOut · 07/01/2021 11:53

[quote CouchPommeFrite]@ImAllOut I try not to gush too much on MN about Disney, Grin I save it for The Dibb. We were due to go back again this year (was there 2019) but that is shot to hell. Sad It is quite lovely thinking someone might experience Flight of Passage and feel the breathing!

Our next try is 2022 for Universal/Disney. Club level is calling me at RPR anda long stay at POR obviously. I cannot tell you how much we love it there.[/quote]
Grin We were hoping for October 2021 for out two preschoolers' first trip but think it will be summer 2022 now sadly. We're big Saratoga or Old Key West fans but with three children now I think it will likely be Carribbean Beach or even Art of Animation!

LongIslandIcedT · 07/01/2021 18:50

[quote CouchPommeFrite]@ImAllOut I try not to gush too much on MN about Disney, Grin I save it for The Dibb. We were due to go back again this year (was there 2019) but that is shot to hell. Sad It is quite lovely thinking someone might experience Flight of Passage and feel the breathing!

Our next try is 2022 for Universal/Disney. Club level is calling me at RPR anda long stay at POR obviously. I cannot tell you how much we love it there.[/quote]
I loved flights of passage, I didn't love the 4hr wait time for it though.

OP, we've done 2 weeks in Orlando with Disney tickets for £8.5k (2016 and this time last year).

Housing101 · 07/01/2021 19:09

Both times we've been we have spent £3,500.
2adults & 1child.
Moderate disney hotel for 10 days.
Including flights.

EvelynBeatrice · 07/01/2021 19:22

We always hire a car and have previously based ourselves nearer Universal Studios staying in a condo at Vista Cay. Getting a bit dated but well priced huge apartments with all facilities including large complex pool and next to Publix supermarket and excellent pizza parlour (New York Pizza) that will deliver to your door. If you have a fortnight having a lazy morning or afternoon at pool every 2nd or 3rd day makes sense. There is actually quite a lot for tinies at Universal - Dr Seuss part of park very good. The older kids will love it - Harry Potter, Jurassic Park etc. Really not to be missed. Disney is great to do once - Magic Kingdom best all round; Studios not great and Epcot more one for parents, though a few interesting rides and usually some great play park for little ones. I’d be dubious about getting there this year, but maybe next - would like to think so. I wouldn’t consider summer - too hot and humid/ rain. Easter has always been fantastic. Feeling nostalgic ...children approaching uni age so may never be back...

HerRoyalNotness · 07/01/2021 19:28

Both times I’ve gone I’ve stayed at a hotel apartment type place. 2-3 bed, full kitchen and laundry, on site pools, for about US$100-120 per night. I’d like to do the snorkel water park (can’t remember the name) but it has a minimum age.

billybagpuss · 07/01/2021 19:31

@AliceinBunniland

I am interested in responses too. I have been to Disney Paris and California but years ago with my parents.

All those saying avoid Sea World for animal welfare reasons, I understand why you are saying that, but what do you think happens to the killer whales if Sea World closed / has no money to keep going?

In order to ‘empty the tanks’ they would try to get the remaining whales into sea pens so they can live out their lives at least feeling the natural motion of the sea. Other whales like Lolita in Miami seaquarium has spent 30 years alone in a pool the size of my local lido, she needs company, there is a possibility that members of her pod the southern residents near Vancouver are still alive, i would want to see her on a sea pen, I would also want to see the logo parque whales that also belong to SW in pods. Some of the sea world dolphins were captured (dolphinnapped) from the wild and dolphins have been successfully released. The two whales released into Iceland sea pens in the John bishop documentary (def worth a watch) this is certainly a possibility for some of the whales. The cost would be astronomical but there are so many people who feel so strongly about this I would certainly donate.
ImAllOut · 07/01/2021 20:14

@EvelynBeatrice

We always hire a car and have previously based ourselves nearer Universal Studios staying in a condo at Vista Cay. Getting a bit dated but well priced huge apartments with all facilities including large complex pool and next to Publix supermarket and excellent pizza parlour (New York Pizza) that will deliver to your door. If you have a fortnight having a lazy morning or afternoon at pool every 2nd or 3rd day makes sense. There is actually quite a lot for tinies at Universal - Dr Seuss part of park very good. The older kids will love it - Harry Potter, Jurassic Park etc. Really not to be missed. Disney is great to do once - Magic Kingdom best all round; Studios not great and Epcot more one for parents, though a few interesting rides and usually some great play park for little ones. I’d be dubious about getting there this year, but maybe next - would like to think so. I wouldn’t consider summer - too hot and humid/ rain. Easter has always been fantastic. Feeling nostalgic ...children approaching uni age so may never be back...
"Studios not great" Shock maybe if you're a heathen who doesn't like Star Wars or Tower of Terror... As for Epcot, snacking around the world is a good way to get kids to enjoy it!
AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 07/01/2021 20:23

We went in 2019 - just me and DS (at the time he was just turned 19). We stayed in a decent offsite hotel, didn't have dining plan or anything, and didn't have a car (I can't drive for medical reasons, DS wasn't old enough to hire a car).

We paid £2900 for the hotel and flights (Virgin premium economy, hotel room only). Transfers to and from the airport were included. We paid about £800 (maybe a bit more) for the Disney tickets, then another £120ish for tickets to the Disney Halloween after hours event. Budgeted about £350 for cabs (uber or lyft) but didn't spend that much. Ate out for at least one meal every day, sometimes two, but we also went to Walmart for stuff for our hotel room. Because DS couldn't legally drink, we bought rum at the duty free and then beers in Walmart for round the pool.

Altogether for two adults, I think I spent about £6k. I wouldn't think you would get much change out of £8-10k for two adults and two teens. Much more if you stay onsite.

CouchPommeFrite · 08/01/2021 07:18

"Studios not great" Shock maybe if you're a heathen who doesn't like Star Wars or Tower of Terror... As for Epcot, snacking around the world is a good way to get kids to enjoy it!

I agree, Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster and Slinky Dog Dash. Star Tours and now the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge! Fantasmic at night.

Epcot eating round the world, we always do Morocco for lunch.

@Housing101 did you stick to school holidays and was this recent because the £/$ has made for some hefty price jumps in the last few years. It is better now but has seen some eye-watering prices.

@LongIslandIcedT we have been incredibly lucky with fastpasses for FOP and even 7 Dwarves mine train, we were on it within 2 days of it opening!

@Thedarksideofthemoon30 I forgot to mention one of the best and easy information sites, which is EasyWDW as Josh produces "cheat sheet maps" which are very accurate. here

CoolShoeshine · 08/01/2021 07:25

Depending your budget I would recommend a split stay, eg 6 nights at Disney, 4 nights at universal and then 4 nights somewhere completely different like the beach.
You cannot beat the hotels at Disney and universal, they are a wonderful experience, Disney has outdoor movies at night and they both have fires for cooking s’mores. So atmospheric, even the ‘cheaper’ ones. The issue is that they do tell up quite expensive and it is nigh on impossible to get park tickets for a few nights, it works out cheaper to get a 14 day ticket but then you feel as though you want to stay longer to get value for money! I’ve never done a villa, what has put me off is that the rest of Orlando is pretty meh imo so I like to be in the atmospheric bubble of the hotels. However, whether or not I could afford to go again is another matter!

EvelynBeatrice · 08/01/2021 15:33

Sorry! Offended all those who love Disney Studios! I forgot about my love for the gentle ET ride and Star Wars is good ( but much poorer than Hogwarts and Gringotts rides Universal!). I think they are / have shut Tower of Terror? This illustrates that there are Disney people and Universal people and never the Twain shall meet!
That said, last time - possibly our last ever as a family - we treated ourselves and stayed at Hard Rock Hotel so five mins to Universal parks. Was great but had no plans to visit Disney .... well we ended up splashing out and going for a day anyway - it has a charm unmatched by anything else I’ll admit.

AliceinBunniland · 08/01/2021 15:56

@billybagpuss I think most of us would like to see the whales in pens but there would be a cost to upkeep and without SW to do it there would need to be another source. I'm sure many would donate but there are no guarantees that the whales would be maintained if SW went under especially when we are in uncertain times as it is. I'm not disagreeing with your POV but there are a lot of people who say "don't go to SW as I watched blackfish" but it's a simplistic view and doesn't actually solve the problem.

billybagpuss · 08/01/2021 17:01

@AliceinBunniland

If you have watched blackfish that is the tip of the iceberg, the problem is Seaworld refuse to acknowledge that the captivity model is wrong, the US have passed several laws to prevent breeding of captive whales and the import of them, so these whales will be the last in captivity in the US, Seaworld have fought this every step of the way. After Blackfish you should watch the cove, this deals with the drives where they capture, mainly dolphins but these are then either slaughtered or sold to marine parks. You should also be aware that the Seaworld model is being rolled out in China and across the Middle East, so by buying a ticket to Seaworld you are validating this as an ok way to do business.

If Seaworld were to acknowledge the existing model is wrong and outdated and move to seapens and moving away from the captivity model then they would be supported but until they do the only way to make a difference is to not by a ticket. There is plenty of reading out there for those who are interested, and people have been working on sea pen alternative for several years now.

Sorry to derail your thread OP

AliceinBunniland · 08/01/2021 17:41

@billybagpuss Perhaps I wasn't clear. I know Blackfish is the tip of the iceberg. I have read and watched a lot on the subject. Many of the posters talking about SW and Blackfish have not and their interest ends at "don't go to SW" which is probably based on watching one documentary and not much else/

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