Trip cost these days?

[jtdl]

I know this is totally subjective but just wondering what your "round-about" cost is to go to WDW these days? Just adding up ticket costs for 3 of us I am coming up in the area of $2000 US for 5 days at WDW and 3 at USF! That doesn't include airfare, hotels, rental cars or food. I'm thinking it must be $6000+ for a week? Now I realize it all depends on where you are flying from, where you want to stay, etc., but like I said, just wondering round-about costs and/or how cheaply it can be done.

It has been a long time since we have been to the Florida theme parks and I was thinking maybe in the next year or two we might go again, but at those prices and our current exchange rate.......not unless I can find some awesome deals.

 

[ngm]

We're doing this pretty much as cheaply as we can while still getting all the park-time we can.

For a family of 4 we're looking at: $1000 for flights (got a great deal on Transat), USD $1800 in park tickets (for US and WDW, and that is using AM for two US tickets), USD$250 for hotel (we're using points for 5 days offsite), USD$80 for parking (we're staying onsite for 3 days, paying for parking for 4), $50 car rental (using AM, so this is the tax payable), plus figure we've got to budget at least $1000 for food/souvenirs/gas.

Figure that to be about $5000 all in for a week.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Our trip was $4896 at Christmas for three adults. We live in Ontario but flew from Buffalo. That total included literally every out of pocket cost: our park & fly hotel, flights (including upgrades to even more space seating), car rental, fuel, a week's accommodations in a two bedroom/two bath offsite villa, food/tips/groceries, attraction tickets (SeaWorld, Aquatica, Wild Florida airboat and animal park, Orlando Eye w/Frostival upgrade, Sea Life Aquarium, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Fun Spot America, mini golf at Pirates Cove), Quick Queue and specialty Christmas dining at SeaWorld, a cabana rental at Aquatica, and an extra night at the end of our trip in Niagara Falls. It worked out to be $163.23 per person, per day: 9 nights, 10 days total.

 

[Kiren]

My husband and I are going at the end of May, Staying a week in the Contemporary and flying from Victoria we are looking at just over 7000 CDN! We booked when the dollar wasn't the greatest. But we are secure in our price so if the loonie plummets suddenly we aren't going to be forking out an exorbant amount.

 

[simplyton]

Our 2 weeks in Jan/Feb cost the following (conversion based on when I paid it)

$1660 CAD - Flights direct with Westjet
$3400 CAD - 5nights/6days at CBR with DDP (play,stay,dine offer) $2700US
$1070 CAD - 3 Days park to park Universal with Air Canada Vacations
$370 CAD - 10 Days Jeep Compass with Alamo
$200 CAD - Memory Marker $149US
$170 CAD - 4 X TBL NHL tickets $135US Stub Hub
$56 CAD - 4 Admissions to Clearwater Marine Aquarium $80US/half price voucher
$800 CAD - Rough % share of the villa with family
$225 CAD - Legoland - 4 Admissions B1G1F
Not much change out of $8,000 CAD
Over and above that we probably spent $2000 on gas, food outwith Disney and some souvenirs (our shopping was drastically reduced this visit)
So roughly $10,000 for 2 weeks of bliss - worth it? Yes

 

[mernin]

I hadn't done the math. Trip was Dec 2015.

2 adults, DD7, DD2 (so she had free park tickets). 2 flights on points, car rental on points, seaworld on points, legoland on points, 8 nights offsite condo, 5 day hoppers, Christmas party tickets, food & souvenirs - $8000 CAD! Not including the cash I spent, so closer to $8500. I though I was doing it on the cheap! The exchange makes it add up so quickly.

 

[Yahweh]

I'm a bit scared to do the math but here it goes. 7 night trip from Halifax Ns. 1 night at AKL 6 night at Boardwalk, renting DVC points for both. November 27-December 4.

Taking my parents and my wife and two girls- 6 people in total and two rooms.


Renting at 2 BCV for 6 nights - 245 night*2=3425.00 US total (4650.00 Can)
Renting 2 AKL studio villas for 162 night *2 = 324 Us total (434.00)
Plane Tickets- 2400.00 Can.
Park Tickets PH= 2600.00 (3600 Can)
Food 1600.00 (2140 Can)

Total -13174.00 Canadian!!!!!

I may need some time alone

 

[Hopeful8]

Okay, here goes my calculation: 4 of us, staying offsite in the spring. Offsite rental, 5 day tickets (UT), plane tickets: on points, Costco car rental, food (we eat in the rental & picnic lunch), DC one day, spending = $5500 CAD. Thought it was going to be less!

 

[alc571]

We have two trips planned this year, and the following are our budgets:

June 4-12 - Coronado Springs with Free Dining - 3 flights direct from Toronto to Orlando - rental car - airport parking - Annual Passes - spending money = $9000 CDN

Sept 24 - Oct 1 - AllStar Sports / Saratoga Springs (rented DVC points) - 3 flights direct - rental car - airport parking - spending money = $6000 CDN

 

[jtdl]

Wow!!! Some of those totals are way out of my budget for a week long vacation I will have to do some talking to the family. I know DS (now 14) will not be interested in going to WDW (although that is my fav place in the world) and that would cut it down immensely. But do I really want to go to Florida, not get on a cruise ship and not go to Disney???? Hahaha, I think not! I guess there are ways to do things a little cheaper if I really want to - such as cutting back the number of days at WDW, staying off-site, etc, and I could always hope for free dining during a time we could go

Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[Frank4202]

Approx $1800 Canadian for the trip my girlfriend and I want to take.

End of October from a Wednesday to a Tuesday staying at Pop with the quick service dining plan. 5 day tickets with no park hopper or water park. And includes from to and from Detroit to MCO.

We put approx $40 a week into our vacation fund or any other extra money we might have at the end of the week. We both have $500 per person so far.

 

[tammytam]

I'm taking my daughter to Disneyland at the end of April.. so just 1 adult and 1 child.

Flights (Victoria to LAX) - $682 total CDN
Hotel for 7 nights (Tropicana, offsite, but right across the street from DL) - $834 USD/$1115 CDN
5 day park hoppers - Airmiles (yay!)
Airport transfers - budgeting $100 USD
Food - budgeting $700 USD (I expect this might go over, but I'm planning on eating breakfast at the hotel, packing in snacks.. not eating at the pricey places in DL)

Total: $2,867 CDN

We'll spend a bit more likely on souvenirs, etc. But I'm happy if I can keep it around $3,000!

 

[simplyton]

Wow!!! Some of those totals are way out of my budget for a week long vacation I will have to do some talking to the family. I know DS (now 14) will not be interested in going to WDW (although that is my fav place in the world) and that would cut it down immensely. But do I really want to go to Florida, not get on a cruise ship and not go to Disney???? Hahaha, I think not! I guess there are ways to do things a little cheaper if I really want to - such as cutting back the number of days at WDW, staying off-site, etc, and I could always hope for free dining during a time we could go

Thanks for everyone's input!

For the 5 nights we spent onsite at CBR with the play,stay,dine promotion it cost us 1400US more than buying the tickets only option
Then on top of $1300 for tickets we had 5 days car hire ($150) and 5 days parking ($100). We budgeted $100 a day for food ($500) plus we had an ADR booked at H&V for DS4 birthday ($100)
So then even with a cheap hotel for 5 nights we are not far off the same cost as the Disney package
By going the Disney route we got to experience the Disney Bubble for the the 1st time with magic bands, EMH's & more Character Dining and we loved it

Im not trying to to justify my expenditure here but just trying to show that often the cheaper/budget option doesn't work out that way in the end
Once we decided we were doing Disney we found there was no way of doing it cheaply and just tried to figure out getting the most for our money

 

[thetallone101]

I hate to do the math...
I rented DVC points for OKW for Dec 1-11/16 for 2 studios - $3900 CDN
Airfare - $3150 for 5 people return from Edmonton
Food - $2500 budgeted to include a couple character meals
Spending money - $5000 (will be shopping at outlets for clothing, etc...not just Disney lol)
Park passes - airmiles!
Debating whether we will rent a car for a few days so that's undecided...

Presently our total for 11 days is - $14550

 

[ssmurphy28]

We went just over a year ago (January 21-31, 2015). It was two adults, a 2YO and 10 month old. We obviously saved a lot taking kids that were that young...

We flew from Calgary, stayed 10 nights at AKL Standard view, had 9 days of park hoppers + Memory Maker, and paid OOP for all of our food, souvenirs, etc. In total we spent around $6,500CAD.

I am a firm believer that if you want to Disney World, there are ways to do it cost effectively. For example, for ten nights, we could have saved over $1000.00 if we had selected a Value resort. We always order from Garden Grocer to help control our food costs, but we probably could have easily saved another $500.00 by not splurging on meals during the trip (example - not doing Character meals, not doing Fantasmic dining package, etc).

There are certain things like flights and park tickets that you can't necessarily control the price of, but lots of the other costs are controllable to an extent. With a couple of simple changes, we could have done our trip for $5000.00, and if we wanted to, we probably could have got the number down even further. If a trip to Disney World is of value, I think there is always a way to make it happen while controlling costs.

 

[Heluvsme]

Wow, the spectrum is amazing! As expensive as $14,000 and as low as $1800.

It CAN be done on a budget of that's where you are. Value resorts, or even off-site (I just paid for 7 nights, 3 BR townhouse with a splash pool for a total of $635 first week of June), 4 day tickets so you can see each park, no hoppers, purchase easy breakfast foods to keep in your room, buy your own bottled water, counter service meals....it can be done!

On the other hand, if you're fortunate enough to splurge and go high end all the way.... Yay!! I love to read your trip reports and experience all the glory vicariously!

 

[PinkMagnolia]

Our family of four went to ASSp last August 2015 for 7 nights with a QS FD BB, 6 day base tix, and we flew from Buffalo for US $99 each way - the whole thing cost us around CAN $4000 (for everything: memory maker, airport parking, etc..)

While I was there, I booked a BB for August 2016 at Pop and it was a LOT more. With the FD deal now, you now have to get Park Hoppers or Water Parks & More, which you never had to before. Resort and ticket prices have gone up as well.

We decided to go a different direction this year and booked a 4 night RC Cruise and 5 nights at Cabana Bay (Universal). 10 day vacation will cost us CDN $6K (including flights, tix, transfers and what I've budgeted for food). I cancelled the WDW reservation. We've been four years in a row, and are looking forward to checking out something new. We will be back (I'm in love with the place), but it won't be until they open up Pandora and Star Wars.

I've always felt the "cheapest" a Disney vacation can ever be is about US $1000 per person (for everything, for the whole week). I keep that number in mind when I try to plan.

 

[TommyJK]

We did a week in February. Here was our cost breakdown for 2 adults and 2 kids after US exchange

Flights from YYZ to MCO = $1478.92
2 Nights at Cabana Bay (Universal Studios Onsite) = $300.62
5 Nights at Liki Tiki Resort (2 Bdrm Condo Resort) = $673.52
Car Rental (Fullsize Car) = $215
1 Day Magic Kingdom tickets = $604.87
2 Day park to Park Universal Studios ticket, 3 via Aeroplan miles so only paid for 1 = $252.66
Spending on Food, Gas, Airport Parking, in the parks, minor shopping etc. = ~$1,200
Total = $4725

 

[Shanti]

I always lose my ability to add when scheduling these trips. I pay for each part (flights...resort...special events...tickets...food) at separate times. It really does add up, but it's worth it to me now. We're making memories. I also feel that my son works incredibly hard all year: he has to do 2-3 hours of homework nightly for school (5th grade), plus he does homeschool work for hours every weekday during the summer. This is in addition to Boy Scout requirements. Since he works harder than the average kid, I don't mind rewarding him more than the average kid with these special trips.

We won't keep going at this rate forever- I think in a few years my son will be over WDW, and we'll move on to other destinations. We've already changed next spring break from Disney to national parks. I'd like us to do Christmas at the World once, then we'll back off for a while. But while we're still at it, I like doing it right.

 

[Aladora]

Flights Victoria-Orlando $2700.00 (3 people)
DVC rental, 7 nights: $1500.00 (AKL)
6 day non-hoppers: $1400.00 (3 people, sadly at 10 our son is an adult!)
Food, souvenirs, etc.: $3000.00

Total: $8600.00

Holy heck, that is more than I thought.