$5500 budget - what would be on your itinerary? Family of 4, 2 boys aged 5 and 7.

[MeridaMerida]

***We do not need to use any of the budget towards flights, covered w pts.
Where would you stay? (want to hear your opinion on more days at lower cost or fewer days at deluxe?)
How many nights?
Which restaurants would you make sure you hit?

 

[jimmymc]

Just checked rates in early December, which has average rates and is one of my personal favorite times to go. 5 nights in most moderate resorts plus 4 day tickets OR 6 nights in Pop Century plus 5 day tickets both come out to $4400. Add $100 for Genie+ on your MK day, $80 for Rise of the Resistance or Flight of Passage lightning lanes, and $120 for rides to and from the hotel, that leaves $800 for food. Use $100 of that to get groceries delivered to cover breakfast every day and lunch on resort days, plus snacks. $700 for 5 lunches and 6 dinners gives you 2 standard table service meals for $100 each plus 9 quick service meals for $55 each. You can mess with the numbers a little bit, but I would recommend at least 5 nights so each park gets its own day, and budgeting that $100 for Genie+ at Magic Kingdom.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

When are you going?
Have you done any information gathering, i.e. this resort, number of days etc.?
Are you planning on buying G+ or LL's?
We personally always go with more days over a "so called" better resort.

 

[DisneyHardin]

2 standard table service meals for $100 each

I don't think you would be able to get a table service meal for 4 people and the tip for $100 very easily unless people were sharing.

 

[Disnid]

I had thoughts for a big write up, but it really just comes down to sometimes less Disney is actually more Disney. Do you want your kids remember long lines in hot weather waiting for a bus with other families? Or should they remember walking from the hotel to the park, eating INSIDE the castle (while expensive is the only consistent dining experience for us), and going on every single ride they wanted at least once with nearly no wait at all.

I would rather stay 3 nights in a deluxe than 6 nights in a value. Those two park days would be high end with every Genie+/IndividualLightningLane/MealReservation I could get my hands on. In contrast those four park days in the value would be constantly trying to stretch out that last dollar. I have lived both of those experiences and for me short and sweet is the way to go.

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

It's all very subjective, and answers will vary. If you ask someone what their favorite restaurant in the United States is, you'll get all sorts of responses.

We prefer monorail resorts, so would probably stay at Poly or Grand Floridian. We also prefer eating outside the parks... it's less chaotic and more enjoyable. So our table service usually consists of Grand Floridian Cafe, Kona Cafe, Ohana, etc.

But again, that's just us. I recommend looking at all the dining options here. It should help you decide where to eat.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/

 

[KellyKateri]

If you are thinking summer/warm weather months, don't skip out on YC and BC! Even Swolphin is good. I am a deluxe or bust guest, if you are going to go, do it the way you want, even if it means pushing the trip out a little bit to save up a bit more.

 

[glocon]

At that age I think the kids would like one of the All Stars or Pop the best.

I’ve never stayed at an All Star, but did like Pop (and I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did- it was our first foray into a value resort).

The values are just so “Disney- in-your-face” and would be fun for younger kids.

Staying value would leave more of your budget for upgrades like a character meal or a dessert party.

The Swan and Dolphin though more budget friendly than a Disney deluxe aren’t Disney themed, but do offer the deluxe extra evening hours if you think the kids can stay up that late.

Personally I’d pick Pop for you.
It’s a fun resort, the rooms are nice, has a decent food court and the option to use the skyliner.

 

[jimmymc]

I don't think you would be able to get a table service meal for 4 people and the tip for $100 very easily unless people were sharing.

2 kids meals for $12 each and 2 entrees for $28 each, plus tax and tip. You could probably go over, or do one more extravagant TS meal and switch the other to QS.

 

[bbak30]

I would stay away from table service meals if trying to save money. Maybe pick ONE character meal that both kids will enjoy. Disney is getting soooo expensive and the food is very mediocre. We have done may of the table service restaurants and there are only a few stand outs. We enjoy just doing quick service and maybe 1 or 2 sit downs.

 

[CrystalClear82]

I would go in the "off season" if possible when its not so hot. Stay in a deluxe resort. Maybe rent points verse staying in a general hotel room. Do two park days and two resort days. Order groceries in while budgeting for one dining meal out.
Keep it simple. I think often we all over complicate the planning experience when its really about spending time and making memories with our family.

 

[TwoMisfits]

***We do not need to use any of the budget towards flights, covered w pts.
Where would you stay? (want to hear your opinion on more days at lower cost or fewer days at deluxe?)
How many nights?
Which restaurants would you make sure you hit?

7 day base tickets in July at some of the slowest points are still $2500 for your group.

So, I'd allocate $3K for tickets, and then think "how am I gonna make a nice weeklong vacation with the other $2500?"

To do this, I'd split the money in 1/2 - 1/2 for hotel and 1/2 for food. I'd stick to groceries and CS to stay in the food number and then I'd look offsite or at a value for the hotel, hoping to get a discount to make it all work (to include the travel to and from the airport).

With a party of 4 and Disney tickets, $5500 doesn't go that far, just b/c of the high, high cost of tickets. But once you're there, you might as well for extra days so you can avoid even more costs (like LL and G+)...

 

[Miffy]

I didn't add up the numbers like other posters nicely did, but since you're flying in, you should stay on-site. Sure, off-site hotels are cheaper, but then you have to add in the cost of renting a car (very expensive right now) and paying to park at the parks (also not cheap) or using rideshare, which can also really add up.

I also think Pop Century would be a great fit for you. If you start looking at Disney Deluxe hotel, you're going to be cutting your vacation very short, compared to the prices at Pop. And, for me anyway, longer is better.

Because of your budget, I vote against table-service restaurants. Stick with Pop's food court and quick-service restaurants in the parks. A grocery delivery would also come in handy, as perhaps you could have breakfast in the room, depending on what your idea of breakfast is.

Go during one of the low seasons. If you go at, say, Christmas week, you're looking at a huge expense for everything. Check out mousesavers.com, which has a list of historic rates for all the on-site hotels, as well as a listing of historic discounts, including when they were released. If you can take advantage of a hotel discount, that will really help out your budget.

 

[glocon]

Also, if you do a package thru Disney, you can get tickets for less amount of days than you are actually staying at the resort.

So, say you are staying for 6 nights.
You can get tickets for 4 days.
Do parks for 4 days and have 2 resort days to sleep in and hang around the pool.

At a value resort there are affordable food options at the food courts.
You can get some groceries delivered for easy breakfasts and snacks, even sandwich fixings and chips and fruits and veggies for picnic lunches on pool days, then eat at the food court for dinner.

And with a package you get free mini-golf vouchers that you can use on non-park days.
(Granted I’m not an aficionado on packages because I’m doing my first one ever on our next trip, but I believe I’m right about the free mini-golf).

Also, on non- park days you can maybe have a pool day then go to another resort for dinner.
If you go to a quick service at a monorail resort for dinner, you can stay and watch the Electric Water Pageant from the beach.
And ride the monorail around the circuit just for fun.
Or ride the skyliner just for fun.

Pool days are a big hit with kids that age… a win-win situation for fun and savings!

 

[DizneyFamof4]

As a couple of other posters mentioned, I would definitely look into Pop, it would be great for your boys at that age and you have access to the skyliner (which they will also love) to 2 parks BIG plus. Our family also love staying at the deluxes but we know we are only doing it as a splurge and truthfully we have found that we have just as great of a trip at the other level of resorts. Also, in POP you have a murphy bed that folds up into the wall and really opens up the room, if you are worried about room size. A big question is, how much time will you be spending at the resort? If not a lot, then why pay more $$ for a resort that you are not at much. I will say that, for our family, we do not need a bigger room, balcony, etc. to enjoy ourselves at a resort, but if you or your husband do, then a value may not be right for you. The big plus that we do really like at a deluxe is the extra evening hours at MK and Epcot on certain nights.

 

[snikki]

I would do Pop during a slower season for 5 nights/6 days and do a Sunday to Friday which is cheaper than the weekends.

Get 5 or 6 day base tickets if your flights align for you to go to a park on arrival and departure days. Get an early flight in and a late flight out.

I would do 2 MK days and one day at each of the other parks. If you get 6 days do a late start at Epcot or DHS mid trip.

As for food, buy snacks and breakfast foods for the room. Maybe do one character meal and then quick service the rest of the trip. There are so many good places to eat that aren’t the usual burgers and chicken nuggets if that’s not what you want.

 

[MeridaMerida]

I just looked at prices! It's insane. We went during covid and spent less than half the price for a 5 day trip at a deluxe. So it's now like 10k to go to Disney for 4 days at a deluxe w flights?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I just looked at prices! It's insane. We went during covid and spent less than half the price for a 5 day trip at a deluxe. So it's now like 10k to go to Disney for 4 days at a deluxe w flights?

It all depends on where & when. Flights can be $50-$750 depending on where you’re flying from, even when it’s “free” on points don’t forget bag fees and possibly seat fees, airport food if you have a layover. Park tickets range from expensive to breathtakingly expensive depending on your dates since the switch to date-based pricing. The last two years have seen crazy ticket price increases. Hotel prices vary by season and depend heavily on if you get a discount or not.

Start with your ticket price since that’s a fairly fixed cost. Then you’ll have a budget for deciding hotel & food choices. I disagree with a PP on off-site. Rideshares are cheap so sometimes it does math out to stay offsite and use rideshares. Also some off-site hotels offer shuttles at fixed times, not as convenient as Disney buses but still an option.

 

[HerzerHerrick]

***We do not need to use any of the budget towards flights, covered w pts.
Where would you stay? (want to hear your opinion on more days at lower cost or fewer days at deluxe?)
How many nights?
Which restaurants would you make sure you hit

 

[HerzerHerrick]

Depends on how you vacation. If you do it like me and want to hit the parks every day and maximize your time go for the Value level resorts.(all I really need is the 30 minute park entrance perk, free parking, and a place to lay my head). If you want to maximize park days without the price buy single park tickets and spend one day at each park instead of buying a hopper each day. Hoppers add like 35 -40 percent to the cost of a ticket. For example 4 single day tickets is probably cheaper then 3 days with park hoppers.(although I would have to look at the math). Portion sizes are pretty big at most quick service restaurants two smallish kids can easily share one adult meal.( for that matter two small adults can share one adult meal). I bring bottle water and limit the kids to one souvenir a day to save money. Also if you want to ride the awesome Tron and Guardians ride research Virtual ques and watch a video about how to nail them. My favorite one is by a guy with Ear scouts he does a great job of describing Virtual qs and Genie +.