Ouch, this hurts Mickey!
If you have ever sat down and really started to look at what it costs to go to Disney World these days, you most defeinetly will have some sort of sticker shock. To add insult to injury, the price increases over the year for seemingly less value... really hurts Mickey! But while, the total price will never be what it was a decade ago, you can use the following tips to help navigate your budget for your upcoming Disney World trip!
Let's talk Genie +. It made it's debut nearly a year ago. Completely replacing the previously free fast pass system. And while it started at $15 per person per day, we now know that price will be ever-changing. Depending upon the day & month, Genie + price will flex. As of right now $15-22 is the range.
Here's the real talk. Disney is expensive, and will continue to be more and more each year.... Why?
People aren't stopping, or even batting an eye at the price increases, In fact demand is now more than ever.
Set your budget
Let's do this. To make it easy, I break my budget into five parts- Resorts, Tickets, Food, Extras and pre-planning. Not all these may be nessicary for you. But hey, they really work for us for the past 5 years or so. And you can see what the actual total cost will be this way!
Pre-Planning- Budget set for clothing, travel items, and all the extras you will be packing for your trip. Is it time to invest in a baby carrier? Or a stroller bag? These items tend to add up quick! So setting a realistic budget before hand is very helpful for our family!
Resort- How much do you want to spend on your resort stay? Really? Will you be spending a lot of time at the resort? What amenities are a must for your family?
Tickets- This includes not only your park tickets, but any extra events! Mickeys not so scary Halloween party, or Christmas party are big add ons to budget for! How many days will you be a the parks? Is it cheaper to just do a one day ticket rather than park hop tickets daily... etc?
Food- This is one area of the budget where you can have a big influx of small decisions and believe me they add up! Bringing your own breakfast is a huge way to save money!
Extras-This would be all the fun stuff- souvenirs , and Genie +, Lightening Lane as well!
Take advantage
Using blogs, and other resources to take advantage of their knowledge to get the most dang for your buck!
For example, still one of my favorite money savings snacks is the popcorn refillable bucket! Such a great value, and most popcorn stands will let you use one from a previous year! So really take advantage of those who come often, pick their brains!
Places you can save
Bring your own food.
Stay off property.
Choose a one day ticket.
Don't visit all the parks in one trip.
Pre- buy souvenirs for kids.
Do your research
So if your like us and decide to go ahead and eat on property lunch and dinner. I like to go ahead and pick those places. Look through each menu and get an estimate of what each meal/day will really cost. You can do so easily through the My Disney experience app. Simply locate the map, when you pull it up you will see it naturally shows the wait times. You can zoom out to any area on property. And change the wait times from the drop down menu to "Dining". This will show you ALL your food options, both restaurants and quick service. I use this to look through each menu.
Sounds like a lot of work, but I love to be prepared, and not end up Disney broke at the end of our trip!
Be flexible
Lastly, be flexible. Disney World is a big investment, our last week long trip cost us $5000-$6000. I want to vomit just writing that. lol But for us, one a year is totally worth it. We also chose to stay in a deluxe resort which was the bulk of that price. But save up, know what you will be spending and stay realistic with your budget!
Comments