Cost vs. Value

Disney is a little pricey so lets look as some real costs

2001
One Adult
One 5 year old
4 Nights 5 Days
Park Hopper with Water Option
Dinning (2 full service meal credits per night)
Non Stop flight for 2 from Pittsburgh PA to Orlando FL

• About $2200 for the Package (Paid for 45 days in advance)
• Took $600 in spending money for souvenirs, stroller rental, additional food/snacks and gifts (Had $100 left and spend that to develop the 10 rolls of film I had taken)

2011
Group of 8 with two rooms

One Adult
One 15 year old

4 Nights 5 Days
Park Hopper with Water Option
Deluxe Dinning (3 Full service 2 snacks)

• About $300 Driving Trip (after split the cost 3 ways
• About $1600 for the package for two (Total package cost split 8 ways)
• Guessing about $250 but I really have no idea about spending money...  Did not keep good records (but I did not spend much as I was being conservative)
• Estimated $220 in tips, this was a big non-budgeted cost on this trip as each meal was $50-100 per person my average tip ended up being about $20 per meal to cover the 2 of our part of the meal

2013
Two Adults
9 days 8 nights
Park Hopper with Water Option
Deluxe Dinning (3 Full service 2 snacks)

• $750 Driving Trip ($250 Food (5 days of travel as we are with relatives on the way down and back), $180 Hotel (staying in FL the night before our package and the night after, $320 Gas) (I would fly if it was up to me but my husband would like to drive and I just want to go)
• $3100 package (This will go down if we can get free dining, which we should be as it is a common discount for the time we are going)
• $400 tips for dinning
• $500 Spending Money (plan to do our Christmas shopping at Disney)

I think that Disney vacations are a tremendous value.  You can get all your tickets, hotel, and dinning in one predetermined price and pay it before you leave (45 days) then have time to replenish your saving before you actually go it encourages you to plan ahead.  Rather than spending money all week somewhere only to have to check out and pay the big hotel bill as you head home leaving you a little discouraged as you head home.  Paying ahead let you know you already could afford your trip so you can enjoy it and only think about the money you are spending on souvenirs.  I have taken my daughter to the beach (shared a room with my sister and her two boys) and ended up with $300 in gas, $300 in hotel, $400 in food, and $300 in spending money and admission tickets for 3 days at the beach and 2 travel days.  So when I look at $1300 for 3 days of fun or $2800 for 5 days of fun it may be a bit more expensive but the enjoyment level is much higher.  So, in my opinion, Disney is not the place to vacation every year but if you only vacation every 3-5 years due to schedules or having pets at home than it does give you a very big bang for your buck.

In short everyone should visit Disney World once in their life (twice if you have kids once with them and once without them).  Just plan for it and realize it is ok if you have to start saving along time in advance, but when you go make sure you don't go in the summer it is way too busy and hot!