Are Disney Vacations Affordable ?

Are Disney Vacations affordable - that is a question that many people ask.

Happily, in most cases the answer is usually yes. The bottom line is that there is such a variety in accommodations that something is available to fit just about every budget. From campgrounds, to hotels and motels, to upscale resorts, to luxury vacation homes - Orlando has it all.

Before I begin, there are 5 main components to how much a Disney trip costs. First, there is the travel, second, the accommodations, third the food, fourth the DisneyWorld tickets, and fifth is souveniers. Everything else is fluff.

Travel

Travel is pretty straightforward. Finding cheap flights to Orlando is easy with sites like Expedia, Priceline, etc. One thing that many people forget about when planning their vacation is the cost of a rental car. Of course, if you are staying at one of the Disney Resorts - then the best option is to take advantage of the Magical Express Bus service - in which case you won't have to worry about this cost.

Hotels

The accomodations piece is where you have the most flexibility in making Disney vacations affordable . In a nutshell, they can either be very cheap or very expensive. Also, the length of the trip matters here. A one week trip could cost less than a two week jaunt - but not always. Often for longer trips, families will seek out rooms or suites that have kitchenettes and laundry facilities. While several of the hotels on property are set up for longer stays - you may find a better deal by staying in the surrounding areas. Keep in mind that many tourists think of central Florida as Orlando. In reality downtown is actually quite far from the Disneyworld theme parks. Obviously staying on property will give you the shortest commute - however, the surrounding areas of Kissimmee and Lake Buena Vista are pretty darn close as well.

Food

Food is another big cost center. If you are a Disney resort guest then you have the option to purchase the Disney Meal Plan deal. Again, individual appetites need to be considered. My family is always hungry - so this worked out well for us and I found the cost to be reasonable compared to what I would have spent off the plan. Also, eating outside the parks will be cheaper - but how often will you be in your hotel at mealtimes. Take your touring plans into consideration as well.

Tickets

Finally, the cost of Disney tickets needs to be factored in. This is one area in which there is not a lot of flexibility. Any which way you look at it - these are expensive.Making Disney vacations affordable seems difficult when you consider the high cost of admission.

But now that the Mouse has implemented the Magic Your Way passes - at least you can customize the features that you need. And each additional day is considerably less than the day before - if that makes sense.

Incidentals

If you are really good at sticking to a budget, then maybe you won't spend so much on this. But if you have a few kids in tow - then you will probably be dropping a few dollars here and there. Whichever way you turn in the Disney Parks - you will find lots of fun toys, souveniers, pins, and tasty snacks just waiting to snatch your last buck. So adding a spending allowance to your budget will take the pressure off - when the kids ask for just one more thing.

So you tell me are Disney Vacations affordable or not? The way I gauge the price is by figuring out how much an alternative would cost - say a beach resort vacation. Then I compare this to my theme park plans and figure out the difference. Now I can easily choose how much I want to spend and where I want to go.

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Check out some more budgeting advice for affordable Disney Family Vacations here.

And here are 10 tips for planning Affordable Disney Vacations.