So, you’ve thought about taking a trip to Disney World, until…

You start reading articles about the cost and how Disney has priced itself out of the regular family being able to visit or you wonder what you’re going to do all day long and is it worth the money?

I’m excited in this blog to show you that Disney can be affordable and enjoyable and how it compares to other activities that you might take part in on other vacations.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised by all that you can do in Disney World.

Let’s start with activities you might want to do on other vacations and how much time and money they will cost.  (It was after speaking with multiple friends I could determine that below are the averages of how much time you might spend at each activity).   How about starting with a fun but unusual activity, a 2-hour horseback ride – $60 per person?  Maybe you enjoy visiting a museum – $25 per person (3 hours).  A zoo is always fun to visit – $25 – $60 -depending on the zoo (3-4 hours).  The beach is always nice, and usually free (3-4 hours).  Just depending on you and your family these activities might take longer or shorter and really depend on the location that you are looking at for that amazing family vacation.  There are multiple 1-2 hour activities that are fun on any vacation ranging from $10 – $20 per person.   So, let’s see how much an average day might be if we did all or some of these in an 8-hour period.  $25 at the museum, $40 at the zoo and a less expensive      1-2-hour activity, $20.  Subsequently for that 8 hours the cost would be $85 and jam packed with fun and excitement.  (I am only talking about the cost of the activity, not costs for parking or food)

How about a one-day adventure, let’s go skiing.  The average time spent on the slopes is 6-7 hours and ranges from $140 and $200 for a lift ticket and ski rental.  This all just depends on the resort you choose and your location.  (These figures are from Colorado resorts)

These are just a couple of scenarios and might seem kind of expensive when you really start thinking about how much each activity is going to cost per person during that 8 hours.  Again, it all depends on how much activity your family enjoys and how much relaxation time you want to include in each day.

Now let’s look at what Disney World has to offer on a daily basis that is included in your ticket purchase.  Based on the average family vacation being 6-days, I’m going to show you the cost of a Disney World theme park ticket and what is included in that ticket.  If you were to purchase a 6-day, 1-park per day ticket, it would be $59.17 per person per day.  If you decided to upgrade to the 6-day, park hopper ticket, you would spend $70.67 per person per day.  Just depending on whether your family wants to jump from park to park, or just stay in one park per day, would determine the best theme park ticket for your experience.  (When you purchase a multi-day ticket, remember that Disney World has 4-theme parks that you can visit).  Within that ticket price includes on average 12 hours of jam packed fun depending on the park and time of year you go.  (At slower times of the year, some of the parks operate on a 10-hour schedule).  Many people think only about rides when it comes to theme parks.  However, in Disney World you also have access to their big-as-Broadway shows, museum style attractions, parades, fireworks and street shows.  Most families choose to spend about 8-hours a day in the park, often breaking up the activities with pool time, or heading to Disney Springs for dining and shopping.  This also allows time for some rest and relaxation time.  (Good thing those pools are nearby).  As you can see from the costs for activities above, Disney isn’t any more expensive than doing multiple activities on different vacations.

As with all family vacations you can choose to do as little or as much as your budget will allow.  This is no different in Disney World.  The activities listed above are included for everyone when you purchase a theme park ticket.  But if you’re looking for that extra special something to do, Disney has countless events and activities to choose from for additional fees.  Maybe you want to learn more about Disney and get behind-the-scenes.  There are a variety of tours that would take you to do just this.  You might also be visiting at a holiday time of year and would be interested in purchasing tickets for the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  This is a fun way to celebrate the holidays and be in the park for special parades and fireworks.  Is it possible that swimming with dolphins or playing 18 holes on a PGA golf course has been on your bucket list?  Disney World has that to offer as well.  As with any vacation you probably won’t be able to do it all or afford it all, but Disney can be affordable depending on what you are looking for in a vacation.

I hope that by reading this blog you have been able to see that a trip to Disney World is possible and affordable, just depending on what you want to see and do on your vacation.  Let me know how I can make your magical dreams come true and I’ll show you other ways in which you can save money and still do tons of activities.

To Infinity and Beyond Travel – Traci