Vacationing at Disney Orlando is everyone's dream. Being able to walk among its parks, enjoy the incredible attractions that are becoming bolder every day and being able to take a picture with your favorite animated character are just some of the things you can do here.
To fully enjoy your Disney experience, you must plan your trip very well. Try to take into account transportation, lodging, food, entrance to the parks, among other minor expenses, to avoid inconveniences that ruin your fun.
Here we will give you some tips so you can organize your trip to Disney and have an excellent experience.
What must be taken into account to include in the budget?
For your trip to Disney to be a satisfying and unforgettable experience, you must take into account many elements. First, plan the trip well in advance, as this way you can be prepared for any inconvenience.
Then you must choose - according to your budget and possibilities - the time of year in which you are going to travel. Believe it or not, this is a relevant aspect, because depending on whether you travel in high or low season, you will spend more or less money.
Specify the way to get to Orlando. If you are traveling from outside the United States, the important thing is to locate the best flight to get there, considering the various options you can find.
Once you have located the flight that will take you to Orlando, the other essential aspect that you should consider is the accommodation. In this regard, there are multiple alternatives: hotels within the Walt Disney World complex or hotels outside the park. Each has its own pros and cons.
Food is also a determining factor. You can choose to eat inside the parks or bring your food. It all depends on how your budget is.
The highlight of a trip to Disney is a visit to the many theme parks that the complex houses.
You must be clear about how many days your trip is going to last, which parks you want to visit (there are six!) And how many days you are going to dedicate to each park. Based on this, you can estimate the amount of money that you should allocate to the recreational part.
Depending on the hotel where you stay, transportation can be expensive or cheap. It also depends on whether you decide to rent a car or not.
Another element that you should take into account is the purchase of souvenirs. This is optional, but you should keep it in mind, well ... who does not buy a souvenir when traveling to Disney?
What time of year is it best to go?
When we travel to a place that is highly visited, we must always take into account what time of year it is best to go, as the season will directly influence all aspects of the trip.
In high season there is a greater influx of visitors, which translates into queues to access services and attractions; This takes away your enjoyment time and adds unnecessary fatigue.
In the case of the parks of the Orlando Disney complex, you should bear in mind that the time of year when there are the greatest number of visitors is during school holidays, since these parks are the favorite of the little ones.
The high season covers the following periods: March-April, mid-June to mid-August, and mid-December to mid-January.
On these dates, travel expenses increase, because there is greater demand for all services: lodging, plane tickets, food, among others.
The low season covers the months of May, September, November and early December. In these months there are fewer queues you will have to do and it is possible that you will get the plane tickets and the prices of the most accessible hotels.
On specific dates like Christmas, New Years, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Black Friday, It is very crowded, which will force you to queue up to hours to get on an attraction.
If you can make your trip in the low season months, do it! This way you will save on your ticket plane and in the lodging. The prices for the parks are the same throughout the year, but if you go in low season you save the crowds of people.
Airline tickets to Orlando
Once you have decided in which season of the year you will travel to Orlando, it is time to purchase your plane tickets.
Before, looking for the ideal flight was cumbersome, since you had to go to a travel agency (paying more for the service) or, even worse, go directly from airline to airline looking for the best price.
Now it is much easier with the large number of search engines that the web offers you so that, from the comfort of your home, you can find that flight that fits your budget and needs.
To choose the right flight, you must take into account the date you are going to travel, since if you decided to travel in high season, you must book it well in advance.
You must consider the amount of money you have available, whether or not you want to make layovers and if you want to travel in economy, business or first class.
If you want to save a little, you can consider taking a flight with a layover, since these are generally cheaper, although it will take a little longer to reach your destination.
If you travel from Mexico in high season and in economy class, your tickets will have a cost that ranges from $ 443 to $ 895. If you do it in low season, the price ranges from $ 238 to $ 554.
If you come from Spain, in high season and economy class, the cost of tickets ranges from $ 2,800 to $ 5,398. If you make the trip in low season, the average investment will be between $ 1035 and $ 1369.
The season in which you travel greatly influences the value of airline tickets, so if you can do it in the off-season months, do it. The money saved can be invested in other areas such as food and lodging.
Where can you stay at Disney Orlando?
When coming to Orlando, there are two options to stay: in the hotels that are inside the Walt Disney World complex or in those that are outside it.
Although many think that staying in a hotel within the Walt Disney World complex is more expensive, this has its advantages.
You can use Disney transports without any additional monetary contribution. They even have a shuttle that picks you up at the airport and takes you to the hotel.
If you travel in your own car or in a rented one, as a guest of a Disney hotel you will be exempt from paying for parking in the parks (about $ 15).
Another benefit of staying at a Disney hotel are the so-called “Magic hours”.
This consists of having access to the parks 1 hour before they open and 1 hour after they close. This allows you more enjoyment without having to queue to access a specific attraction.
By staying in a hotel within the complex, you have the advantage that, when making your purchases in the stores of souvenirs, you can avoid having to be loaded with bags, as you can request that they be sent directly to your room.
All Disney hotel guests receive a magic band, which is very useful, due to its multifunctionality. The magic band It will allow you to access the parks, unlock your room and you can even affiliate your credit card to it to make purchases.
The most obvious advantage is that you will find yourself close to the main most attractive places: the theme parks. Most of the people who travel to Orlando do so attracted by the magic of the Disney world, mainly its amusement parks.
Disney hotels offer you an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort, imbued with the magical charm of Disney. For those who have stayed in them, it is an experience worth living.
How much would a stay at a Disney hotel cost? There are several options, since at Disney there are approximately 29 hotels with the most diverse prices. However, we can tell you that the price ranges go from $ 99 to $ 584 per night.
What about hotels that are not within the Walt Disney World complex?
In the Orlando area there is a wide variety of hotels that are of a very good quality. The most recommended are located in an area known as International Drive. Here, apart from hotels, you can find food establishments, pharmacies and even a Walmart.
Among the wide variety of hotels there are, prices are also diverse. You can find rooms with a cost of $ 62 and up per night.
The main advantage of staying in a hotel outside the Disney Complex is that you can save a certain amount of money that you can invest in other things.
But if you go without a car, what you save you may end up spending on transport. While many hotels outside of Disney have transportation to the parks, there are others that do not have that service.
Here we will not tell you which one to decide on, because it is a very personal decision. What we are going to tell you is that you analyze your options well, make an account and decide on the one that best suits your budget, without undermining your opportunities to spend some insurmountable days.
Theme Parks: How to buy your tickets and what benefits do they include?
If you come to Orlando, most likely one of your motivations is to visit the different theme parks there are, especially the Disney ones.
However, buying tickets is not that simple, since there are different varieties, depending on how many parks you want to visit or if you will dedicate one or more days to them.
In Walt Disney World there are four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios; as well as two water parks: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach. The ideal is to visit them all.
If that is your intention, then you must pay attention to the different ticket packages offered by the Disney company.
The first thing you should know is that there are three types of tickets: the normal, normal ticket + Hopper and normal ticket + Hopper plus. The second is that the tickets do not discriminate between one park and another.
Normal admission includes admission to one park per day. The normal + Hopper ticket allows you to visit more than one park in a day. In other words, with this ticket you can visit several parks, including the four thematic ones in the same day.
Finally, the normal + Hopper Plus ticket includes same-day admission to all 4 parks, plus visits to a water park plus other activities.
The cost of the tickets depends on how many days you buy them. The longer you buy them, the cheaper they are. For example, the normal ticket for a single day is $ 119, the normal + Hopper ticket is $ 114 and the normal + Hopper Plus ticket is $ 174.
If you have enough time to explore the parks at your leisure, say about 5 days, the costs are reduced a bit.
If you buy the tickets to be valid for 5 days, the costs would be as follows: regular ticket $ 395, Park Hopper option $ 470 and Hooper plus option $ 495. The figures may seem high to you, but we guarantee that it is worth it and you are still saving a little.
If you have enough time, it is best to buy your tickets for several days, in this way you can visit the parks more than once and thus enjoy all their attractions.
Food
Food is an important issue when planning your trip. There are several options for you to choose the one that best suits you.
If you decide to stay at one of the Disney hotels, you can access one of the meal plans that they have available.
The plans are as follows:
Disney Quick Service Meal Plan
If you are a practical person, this plan allows you to eat at quick service places on an informal basis. To enjoy it, it is not necessary to make restaurant reservations; you just show up, show your magic band and your request will be taken care of.
This plan includes: 2 quick service meals and 2 snacks, as well as the possibility of refilling your glass of drinks unlimitedly in the self-service of fast food outlets.
Each meal consists of a main dish and a drink. The snacks You can get them at quick-service restaurants, outdoor food stands, and select stores.
Disney meal plan
If you choose this plan, you can eat at any of the more than 50 table service restaurants in the parks. This plan includes: 1 quick service meal, 1 table service meal and 2 snacks.
Each table service meal includes: 1 entrée and one drink, a full buffet or family-style meal. In the case of dinner, a dessert is also included.
You can also eat in exclusive restaurants that are more elegant and present you with more elaborate options of African, Indian, Mediterranean gastronomy, among others. Meals at these types of restaurants are worth two meals at table-service restaurants.
Remember that, to use these services, you must request them at the time of your reservation in the hotels and to enjoy them in each establishment it will be enough only to present your magic band and indicate how many meals you will redeem. More comfortable, impossible!
If you are not a guest of a Disney hotel, there are also multiple options that will allow you to keep track of your expenses.
First of all, you should choose a hotel that includes breakfast in the cost of the room, so you will save paying for this meal separately. There are many that include delicious and hearty buffet breakfasts. It's just a matter of finding out in advance.
Regarding lunch, you will surely have to do it in the park you are visiting, since visits usually last the whole day.
Thanks to the fact that the parks allow you to enter with food, you can bring your own snack or sandwich. You can buy them at the Walmart in Orlando. Here you will find affordable prices, such as a pack 24 bottles of water at $ 3.
You can eat inside the parks, but follow these tips: before you start your trip, do a little research about the restaurants in them so that you can choose the options that allow you to make the most of your budget.
In the parks there are restaurants that serve generous portions, so that with one plate two people can eat. This would be a good option to save. There are also some that offer buffet meals.
In park restaurants, the price ranges from $ 14.99 to more than $ 60 per person. It all depends on what you want to eat and how much you are willing to spend.
For meals outside the park, we can tell you that in Orlando there are a lot of restaurants with prices for any budget. Those who are "all you can eat" are particularly recognized.
If you are determined to save by eating outside the parks, when you start planning your trip, you should do your research on these options.
What we can tell you is that, if you manage your budget well, you can indulge yourself in certain tastes within the parks, such as the inevitable and delicious turkey legs. You can't leave without trying one!
Transportation in Orlando
It is extremely important to know how you are going to get around once you are in Orlando. Again it makes a difference whether you stay at a Disney hotel or not.
If you decide to stay at one of the many Disney hotels at Walt Disney World, you can enjoy free transportation from your arrival in Orlando to your departure.
When you arrive in Orlando, the Disney’s Magical Express awaits you at the airport that will take you to the door of the hotel where you are going to stay, at no additional charge to the one you canceled when making your reservation.
To move from your hotel to the various parks and vice versa, there are internal transfer buses, which you can take at the exit of your hotel and, when you go back, to the outskirts of the parks, specifying the destination hotel.
Buses are not the only mode of transportation at Disney. Here you can also move through the water, making use of its magnificent fleet of boats. This means of transport takes a little longer than buses.
In the parks there is the monorail, which basically consists of a kind of train that travels long distances. On board this transport you can go from some hotels to Magic Kingdom and vice versa. Epcot Center also has similar transportation.
If you stay in hotels outside the Disney complex, you must invest part of your budget in the transfer to the parks.
One of the options is to rent a vehicle. The approximate price of this service ranges between $ 27 and $ 43 per day. The vehicle can be delivered to you at the airport when you arrive.
If you decide to use other alternatives, there are companies that offer transfers from the hotels to the parks, with an average cost of $ 18. You should search the web for the companies that offer the service and make the reservation well in advance.
You can also use the Orlando public transportation service, which is provided by the Lynx company. If you choose this type of transport, many times you will have to make combinations between lines to get to your destination, which will take you much longer.
The price of a public bus trip is $ 2 for people over 10 years old and $ 1 for children up to 9 years old. The payment must be exact, since they do not give change.
How much does a week-long trip to Disney cost?
Now that you know in detail all the elements that you should take into account for your trip to Disney, we will make a summary of the approximate expenses of a trip lasting one week. We will differentiate between staying inside or outside the complex.
Accommodation at a Disney hotel
Airplane ticket
From Mexico: approximately $ 350
From Spain: approximately $ 2,500
Lodging
$ 99 for 7 nights for a total of $ 693
Transport
Free 0 $
Foods
With Disney meal plan: $ 42 per day for 7 days, for a total of $ 294
Without Disney meal plan: about $ 50 per day for 7 days, for a total of approximately $ 350
Entrance fees to the parks
Park Hopper Option: $ 480
Purchase of souvenirs: 150 $
Weekly total
If you come from Mexico, approximately $ 1997
If you come from Spain, approximately $ 4,113
Accommodations outside of Disney
Airplane ticket
From Mexico: approximately $ 350
From Spain: approximately $ 2,500
Lodging
$ 62 for 7 nights, for a total of $ 434
Transport
With a rented car: $ 30 per day for 7 days, for a total of $ 210, plus fuel costs
Without a rental car: about $ 15 a day for 7 days, for a total of $ 105
Foods
$ 50 per day for 7 days, for a total of $ 350
Entrance fees to the parks
Park Hopper Option: $ 480
Purchase of souvenirs: 150 $
Weekly total
If you come from Mexico, approximately $ 1964
If you come from Spain, approximately $ 4114
NOTE: This calculation is only an estimate per person.
The important thing when coming to Disney Orlando is that you start planning your trip in advance, making the most of the possible offers and promotions.
Come to have fun! Disney Orlando is a place full of magic and dreams that everyone should visit at least once in their life.
See also:
- How Many Disney Parks Are There Around the World?
- 20 Things You Must Do In Miami
- The 15 Best Breweries In San Diego, California You Need To Visit
