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We love Disney, don’t get me wrong. We’ve had annual passes. Living in Florida, we still go multiple times per year. This isn’t a post to say “Don’t go to Disney”. In fact, if you’ve never been, take your kids to Disneyworld! It’s truly magical. The looks on your kids’ faces when you walk down Main Street toward the Castle, or meet Cinderella, or take off through the dark on Space Mountain is 100% worth the cost. Sorry, this is turning into a Disneyworld post. I can do one of those, but this post was designed to be the opposite of that. Oops.
As much as I love going to Disney, it is not the most affordable destination on Earth. Even with our Florida resident discount, we still spend around $600 for multi-day tickets for a family of 4. Despite this fact, it is still the go-to vacation destination for most families. I know many who go once at year and even more who go once every few years. There is a ton of information online about the average cost of a Disney vacation. See here. Or here. Or here. Below, I’ve done some rough calculations. I’m assuming you are flying, and I’m averaging flight costs from 5 different cities during the”low cost” season at Disney. This is not intended to be an exact $ for $ comparison, but rather a reference. A quick Google search will give you a ton of different data points on Disney costs.
Disney Vacation Costs
Budget Option: $3,300
- Flights: $1,000 ($250 per person choosing the cheapest dates I found)
- Hotel: $500 (On-Property Value or Moderate Off-Property)
- Tickets: $1,500 (non-Park Hopper)
- Food: $200 (Most Meals Off Property, Free Breakfast in Hotel)
- Misc: Souvenirs, Parking, Etc.: $100 (very minimal extra purchases)
Mid-Range Option: $5,700
- Flights: $1,200 ($300 per person assuming some flexibility)
- Hotel: $1,500 (On-Property Moderate Resorts)
- Tickets: $2,000 (including Park Hopper)
- Food: $800 (2 meals on property each day, minimal character dining)
- Misc: Souvenirs, Parking, Etc.: $200 (several extra purchases)
Splurge Option: $8,500
- Flights: $1,500 ($300 per person assuming specific dates needed)
- Hotel: $3,000 (On-Property Deluxe Resorts)
- Tickets: $2,000 (including Park Hopper)
- Food: $1,500 (Almost all meals on property, including multiple character dining)
- Misc: Souvenirs, Parking, Etc.: $500 (assuming more souvenir purchases, more taxis and Uber/Lyft)
So Where Else Can I Go?
Using the pricing above as a budget, here are three options as an alternative to a Disney vacation. The pricing is assuming a family of 4, the budget option for a 5 day vacation similar to all of the Disney options above. The mid-range and splurge options assuming a 7 day vacation. The food is just an average per person, per day assumption that increases as the total trip cost increases. I budgeted roughly the same amount for miscellaneous expenses in each destination, with the exception of Paris, which tends to be more expensive and to allow for more touring options. These are obviously rough estimates, but are based off actual prices I found today.
Budget: Watch Ships and Surfers in Panama for $2,750
(Flights- $1,400 + 3 or 4 Star Hotel- $450 + Food- $400 + Tours, Transfers, Etc.- $500)
Spend 5 days in Panama. Start in Panama City exploring historic sites and visiting the Panama Canal. End in Bocas del Toro, with its colorful scenery and crystal blue waters.
Mid-Range: Carousels and Croissants in Paris for $5,600
(Flights- $2,000 + 4 Star Hotel- $1,800 + Food- $1,000 + Tours, Transfers, Etc.- $800)
Fly to Paris and spend a week exploring this magical city. There are gorgeous carousels to ride and delectable pastries to eat. Take a boat ride on the Seine or head underground to explore the spooky secrets of the Catacombs.
Splurge: Sand and Sea in the South Pacific for $8,600
(Flights: $4,400 + 4 or 5 Star Hotel- $2,100 + Food- $1,600 + Tours, Transfers, Etc. – $500)
A week in Fiji sounds like a dream that’s only on bucket lists. It doesn’t have to be! Spend a week here relaxing in your private villa, lounging on picturesque beaches and/or exploring breathtaking underwater ecosystems.
There are so many options to choose from when planning your next family vacation. Hope this gives you a different perspective when planning travel. These are just rough ideas and a minuscule sample of what you can do. I’m sure there are ways to do Disney cheaper than the Budget option I mentioned above and much more expensive than my Splurge budget. The same can be said for my options, as well. For example, as of writing this, you could find flight deals from multiple cities to Fiji for around $900 per person (versus my $1,100 per person) and hotel deals for $200 per night at top-rated resorts (versus my $350 per night).
A little creativity and some guidance is all you need to plan your next great family adventure!
