Solo Cost?

[TheHundredth]

I'm 18 and always wanted to go to Disney solo. I'm going to be saving to go to Disney on my first solo trip in three years when I'm 21.

Can anyone give me a general idea of how much i might need?

 

[karly05]

There are so many variables - where you choose to stay, how long you choose to stay, what time of year you plan to go... Check out a site like MouseSavers or AllEars to look at the current resort seasons and rates; prices will be higher in 3 years, but that will give you an idea. I think the resort is the biggest chunk of your expense, since you have no one with whom to split the cost. If you can, try to go during one of the "value" seasons; my dates in February this year fell within the cheapest rates of the year, plus Disney put out some good discounts closer to my trip that I was able to get.

Doing WDW solo is a blast! And it's never too early to start planning!

 

[ilovezach33]

Well, it depends on where you decide to stay and what season. I could give you a rough price of each "division" of Disney resorts (value, moderate, deluxe.) but I don't know what season. You can look on disney's website for this info, though. Of course there is always the option of staying off-site, or renting DVC points.

A standard park ticket currently costs $288 for 7 days.

The dining plan (standard) costs roughly around $385 for 7 days per person.
^Of course, that is optional (but is only an option if you stay on-site!!)

Just remember, prices always increase and you'll need to take that into account, too.

Also, I love that your trip is three years away but you're already semi-planning! My first trip to Disney World is two years away - but I already have where I want to eat, stay, and what attractions I'd like to do planned out.

 

[Cafeen]

As the others have said, it's all in the variables. What level of resort (and on-site, off-site, dvc rental), how many days (3, 4, 14?), what kind of dining (plan, no plan, mostly QS, all QS, all TS, all Signature), what time of year (super low, moderate, super busy)? All of these will play big roles in your total cost.

As an example, my trips have been running me ~$2500-$2800. These are 10 day trips at a moderate resort in September with Deluxe Dining and park hopping utilizing either Free Dining (this year) or 30% room discount (2010, 2011). I could easily get away cheaper or I could just as easily spend twice as much*.

As an illustration of the range and how dependent it is, let's throw some numbers...

Two trips, both 7 nights (Wed - Wed, it's cheaper to fly during the week). One in mid-Sept, one over Christmas.

ASMu - September, 8 day base tix and room = ~$1,000
ASMu - Christmas, 8 day base tix and room = $1,500
Poly - September, 8 day hopper tix, room, Deluxe Dining = ~$4,200
Poly - Christmas, 8 day hopper tix, room, Deluxe Dining = ~$5,600

Note that neither of these packages have any discounts applied, which are relatively common in the low seasons (so, September in this example), so those prices may drop a bit. Note also that there is a lot of middle ground between value with base tickets and no food plan and deluxe with hoppers and deluxe dining. Without knowing what you're looking to experience though, it'd be tough to give an estimate with any accuracy at all.

What I would do in your shoes, is price up the packages for next year when they come out (rumored to be on July 11) for approximately the time you'd want to visit and see what you can come up with. Figure ~10-15% increase per year just to get a closer estimate (none of this is exact, and it's better to overestimate and underspend, than the reverse )

*By easily spend twice as much... I mean I could come up with a trip that costs twice as much. I'd not be able to pay for it though

 

[joeyrose]

get on disney's email list...send promo info to you. they are always running some kind of promo in the slower seasons. i would guess about $2k is a good budget, do not book rack rates! moderate resorts are very nice. value are kinda fun but noisy and full of kids. renting points can save some money, ssr is often a very good deal. good luck!

 

[DCTooTall]

As others pointed out.... There are so many variables that can impact the price you pay. the biggest, and honestly, only "solo-upcharge" is in the accommodations since you aren't splitting that base room charge among several people.


Beyond that, it really is going to depend on how and when you go. Personally, Some recommendations I would probably make... with some tips on how to potential either save money, or make it easier to set aside the money for Disney.

1. I'd highly recommend going off-peak. Since you are 21, maybe even shoot for Food and Wine? One reason I'd suggest off-peak for your first solo trip is that a lot of peak-time suggestions and hints tend to assume you have someone else in your party, whether it be someone to run and get fastpasses for the group.... or even someone to help with getting a table or stuff you need at a counter service location. The lower crowds in off-peak times will just make things simpler for you. [plus, cheaper]

2. i'd probably recommend against doing a full package at Disney... for a few reasons....[which I'll go into more details below]

3. Want to save yourself a nice chunk of change? Buy your Disney Tickets ASAP, preferably thru a site like Undercover Tourist. Even if you aren't planning on going for 3 years, the Tickets don't expire until 14 days after your FIRST use. That means that if you buy the tickets now, not only can you get the UT ticket discount, but you'll save yourself the price increases the next few years.

4. For your first solo trip, I'd suggest against getting the Disney Dining Plan. the DDP pricing keeps going up, and with your being Solo, it might be much harder for you to get your money's worth. It's very easy when Solo to find yourself skipping a meal or substituting a small snack or side item for a full meal since you don't need to accommodate someone else's food schedule while going around the parks. (Example.... You decide to do a late lunch.... and then when Dinner comes around, you aren't hungry enough to warrant a full meal which you'd feel obliged to do for the DDP)

5. To help set aside Disney Money.... Purchase some gift cards. You can buy $100 gift card here and there and before you know it you'll have a couple thousand $$'s saved up which could cover your room, dining, and souvenirs around the park. Since the Gift Card is locked into Disney, You won't be tempted to pull the money out of savings to get something you want around home.... You can now even get Disney gift cards from places like your local grocery store (Which some credit cards will even give you bonus rewards for grocery purchases which the GC purchase will appear to be).



With 3 years to save, You should have plenty of time to save the $$$. With $2k+ you'll easily have plenty of money to enjoy a very enjoyable trip.

 

[KittyKitty]

I am cheap!

1. When I travel alone, I stay on site at a value resort. $100 a day. Leave $2-3 tip a day.

2. I budget $50 a day for meals.I do not buy dining plan, as I don't like to do that many sit down dinners, and you pay 18% tip. There is quick service dining plan, but I sometimes buy child's meals, usually breakfast, better portions.

3. I do not buy souvenirs. $0

4. I like to go in the fall, but if heat and humidity does not bother you, Sept is the best time to go. I'm not sold on free dining, because you pay rack rate for the resort. With only 1 person in the room, it's not a bargain.

5. I buy airfare. For me, that is $400-500 roundtrip.

6. Use Disney's bus to get to resort and back to airport. $0,

7. Ticket. I think you could buy a 1 park per day to save money. I agree to buy the ticket as soon as you can. And if you want, add hopper when you get there. $300.

8. Another $100-200 for a buffer in case you see the perfect.......

9. Start saving now. Those 3 years will come faster than you think!

Have fun planning!

 

[tinkerbella16]

Like everyone else has said, it all depends on how long you go, where you are looking to stay and when you are going. I am going on my first ever solo trip at the end of September so I can give you a run down of what my trip ended up costing..

I received Free Dining for "value season" 9/23-9/28
Staying at POFQ- River View (it was the only room I could get w/FD)
6 day Park Hoppers my total came to $1,400.00
Flights Roundtrip- $225

I did not think that was bad at all for the package and since it has been a few years since my last trip, I just wanted to go so badly!!!!! I am not buying many souvenirs this trip (maybe a few things lol), but I have purchased a Disney Gift Card that I will be using on my trip for odds and ends.. and I have been putting a little bit of money on it each week.

Prices do go up each year and you're not planning on going for 3 years so these prices will increase by then for sure.

 

[yecats]

As stated above, the cost depends on what you want as the outcome of your vacation. Your best bet is to keep on saving right on up to the vaca. Best to buy your ticket now as it will be cheaper than when you go. You will need to define your perameters. I have done many vacations here. Offsite is usually a little cheaper than onsite, but onsite is generally the safer option and you wouldn't require a car rental. I always go in the offseason usually prior to Thanksgiving as the weather is nearly perfect. I also have learned how to bid on hotels using Priceline (and a sister site regarding bids won called Biddingfortravel.com). You can start studying the Bidding site and will know what your doing and how much your willing to spend should you go this way as your dates approach (this type of bidding is only to be used when your ready to lock in your dates as they will be unrefundable once their accepted). Most of my past vaca here are for 7-9 days with a few of them about 2-3 nights won from Priceline at a downtown disney resort (ie. Hilton, doubletree) with the last 5 or 6 nights onsite at a Moderate or DVC resort. As far as food you really need to keep the figure up around $40-$50 a day if you don't purchase the Food plan. One way to help keep this figure down is to either bring some with you or go on a small shopping trip when you first get there. Breakfast is the easiest to cook in your room. Bring packets of oatmeal/grits and use the coffeemaker/microwave to heat up the water . I've known a few people who purchase a cheap toaster when they get there so that they can make poptarts, toast bread for sandwiches, pancakes or waffles, etc. and then they leave the toaster in the room when they go. Pack some bags of popcorn at home and pop them in your room. Believe it or not these little things save money there in the end. Whenever I enter the parks, I always carry 2 bottles of water and usually a snack or two (bag of cookies, candy bar or popcorn in a ziplock). This saves the $ and time in standing in line waiting to pay $$ for the exact same thing. Disney knows at some point your going to buy a soft drink or icecream along the way so they still make the $$. Lastly, it's better to be realistic in your budgeting and budget more just in case things don't go the way you expected. At worst, if everything gets budgeted correctly, then you'll have that extra money to save or buy a few extra souvenirs. Have fun planning.