Here is the grand total on the cost of our 2013 Walt Disney World vacation:
Disney Parks Play Food – $15
Disney Parks Magnet – $15
Drum from the Animal Kingdom – $17.95
Drum Stick from the Animal Kingdom – $8
Alabama Disney Pin – $8
Minnie As The Little Mermaid – $15
American Disney Hat – $20
Beach Club Magnet – $7
Disney Parks Pens – $10
Mickey Measuring Spoons – $8.95
2013 Picture Frame – $20
2013 Photo Holder  – $16
Face Painting at the Animal Kingdom – $27
Pixie and Pirate Dust at the Magic Kingdom – $10Â
Mouse Ears for the 4 of us – $80Â
Approximate Cost Spent on Park Souvenirs: $278
Dinner at ‘Ohanas – $125
Lunch at Rainforest Cafe – $60
Dinner at Garden Grill – $133
Groceries for the week – $132
Lunch at Sunshine Seasons the day we arrived – $62
Be Our Guest Restaurant for lunch – $45
Snacks in the Parks – $34
Total spent on food: $591
$935 – One Week in 2 Bedroom Beach Club Villa. I have a friend who was unable to use her DVC points for this year, so she was kind enough to use them to book us a week at the Beach Club and in exchange we paid her enough to cover her annual dues for the year. Since we are traveling with my mother in law and nephes, we split the bill. We are paying 2/3rds of the bill and she is covering the other 1/3rd.
$538 – 4 round trip airline tickets on Southwest.
$1389 – Approximate cost for 2 Adult Park Hopper and 2 Children Park Hopper tickets from Undercover Tourist. We went with Park Hoppers on this trip since we are within walking distance to Epcot.
Total Spent: $3731
Total Left: $8.48 to deposit into our next Disney Fund!
Overall we did great! Since we saved more than we had planned on, we indulged in some extra souvenirs like the new Mouse Ears. We use the Mouse Ears to decorate the playroom, so it was a win-win purchase for us. We did really well with eating in the room and bringing snacks to the park. I am so proud of us!
I just realized this total was for WALT DISNEY WORLD. Me and family plan on going to DISNEY LAND,
ANAHEIM.Do you have a “Grand Total” post for Disneyland,ANAHEIM?
The shopping bags that stores give you are good souvenirs! I have a Disney Store bag hanging on my bedroom wall!
That’s a good idea! They have nice bags :)
Excited to see the first deposit for the new fund!
Hi Kristin!
I loved seein the pictures of your trip and seeing the breakdown of the costs. But, I really missed the write up of your trip. It is so much fun reading all about your daily activities in WDW! Also, are you starting your next trip fund yet? Thanks so much for all that you do!
I can’t wait to see the start of your 2013 (looks like maybe for a 2014 trip?) fund. it’s always so inspiring to me to see all the ways you save!
We haven’t decided yet when the next trip will be but I’m start posting the new Fund soon :)
I LOVE how you broke this downs nd with the pics, thanks so much, I love your site! One day we will go (it will cost us a lot more airfare..but we will make it!)
Tammy
From Winnipeg, MB
Way to go on your trip.
How did you book your plane ride so cheap?
I could use all the tips you got for next trip. We are a family of 3 and both trips to WDW we have spend around $850-900 for our round trip tickets on Southwest. You did much better than us.
Thank you
Hi Kristin! Thanks for this great breakdown of costs. It is helpful! Also, I was wondering if you could maybe do an article on what it was like to be on a diet while at Disney? Did you feel deprived? Did you even care? Were surprised by anything?
Where did you get the park play food at? We are going in 2 weeks and that is a must bring home for us!
How many days were your tickets for??
The tickets were for 8 days. :)
We usually drive to disney (from ohio!) but we’re thinking of flying this november on southwest…mainly because of their “first 2 bags checked free”. However, having flown southwest before (just my husband and I, to vegas), I know they don’t do assigned seating and both ways, we did not get to sit together. I’m nervous about us each not being able to sit by one of the kids. We have 2 girls, 6 and 9 and I refuse to let them sit alone by strangers… How did you overcome that on southwest? Or did they actually sit alone and you/they didn’t mind?
Thanks!
The way to get better seats is to log on online exactly 24hrs before your trip to get your boarding passes. That assigns you a boarding number – we always do it exactly 24hrs earlier and are in the A group (which means we all get to sit together – and we are a big family!)
Thank you Cara!
It still kind of makes me nervous since there’s no guarantee of sitting together. How many times have you been able to pull off sitting by one another? Thanks!
Thanks, Kristin, for posting vacation updates and your budget! I love reading your posts and everyones comments. It is helpful to collaborate with everyone here. My husband is one that doesn’t get excited about the planning stages as he would be happy winging it! I on the other hand always know what all is available to do thanks to my researching. Disney is too expensive for us to do every year (fly from Indy) but I still enjoy all the enthusiasm here in saving because we do take an annual trip. We are saving for two small trips this summer (Kelleys Island- camping and staying in a cottage in Michigan) Hope to do Disney again in 3 years when our baby girl should really enjoy it. Until then I keep all the posts when I see a “must do” for our next trip. Thanks again!
So glad you shared your trip and budget with us! One question…how did you factor in airport parking? Was that in your travel budget line? Parking can get pretty pricey!
We got the same drum! I play it in the mornings to help get my little sleepyhead out of bed. It doesn’t work so great to get her up quickly, but she does FINALLY get up with a smile. Love the Minnie as Mermaid, too.
Good job with your budget, Kristin! Especially on the food! With a family of 6, that always seems to be our biggest expense, even when we eat breakfasts in our hotel room and usually eat park meals at quick service spots. Did you like Garden Grill? Also, I thought I remembered you had planned to eat at the 50s Prime Time Cafe… Did that plan change? Great that you even had money left over. Love that!
You did a really good job. I really enjoy reading your blog and how you had planned it out.
Since you have had the experience of the dining plan previously, did you find it a lot of extra work to cook for your family? We just had the opportunity to experience the dining plan and I loved not having to think about any food or snacks, but I’m assuming you can save a lot of money cooking yourself. I would love to hear you personal thoughts!
Thanks so much for posting. Looks like you had a great time. You are so inspiring :)
Thanks for sharing! I love the pixie and pirate dust in the hair! We are going in December with a group of 17 people. We will be renting a big house together. I can’t wait!!!!
O’Hana’s is our big-time favorite for a sit down meal. We try to go two times during our trip. We love it!
So when is your next trip?
Thanks for sharing all the details.
We are talking about January of 2014. :)
Great job! I love reading your posts, and all the comments after. It’s so inspiring.
My hubby told me I wasn’t allowed to plan another vacation for at least two years, after our trip to WDW in June. I’m stashing away a little at a time so that we can hopefully go on a Disney Cruise next year. Trying to do this as a surprise to him, so no money out of our paychecks can be used… Wish me luck.
Great plan!!!
Wow! Looks like you guys had a fantastic time and did a great job staying on budget. Thanks for “taking us along” for your trip!
GREAT PICS!! You all enjoyed the trip!! What’s not to love about disney? Can’t wait for our trip this summer i saved alot of $$ for this trip by renting a private 3 bedroom poolhouse for a week($478) instead of a hotel($700)
How much is one person st o’hanna’s for dinner? We r going in June and I didn’t book it because I thought it would be too pricey. I will have 4adults and 2 children in my party. What would u estimate the cost to be??
With tip, it would probably be right around $200 – $225. I believe it is around $40 for adult and $18 for children.
Thank you for sharing! Looks like you had a blast.
That’s awesome! That’s almost the same amount we spent on our vacation the week before yours! There were only 3 of us, which cost less, but our airfare was WAY more and then we went on the cruise for half the time, so that was more – and it almost balanced – only $200 or so difference between our two budgets! Crazy!
I also decorate with my Disney hats! I take them with me on each trip ( season appropriate) and always add a new one to the collection. I get compliments in the parks because of my collection.
How did that many people stay in a 2 br??? I have 5 kids and I rent a house (WAY cheaper) and buy lots of souvenirs and eat out a lot but never spend more than 2500. I do miss the cheap airfare from Allegiant…we flew for $27 each round trip out if Tri-Cities last time. That was awesome!! How much was your rental car?? Did you eat anywhete off property?? We love going all around Orlando and doing other things outside Disney for a day or two. Looks like everyone had a great time!!
The 2 bedroom sleeps up to 8. We did not have a rental car but I have a local friend who picked me up to take me to the store. :)
Love your pictures, Kristin! Looks like a wonderful vacation! We are going to Disney World soon. What were your thoughts on Ohana? Did you guys like it? Also- where did you buy your Disney parks play food? Great souvenirs! Thanks!
Ohana is amazing!! Our favorite restaurant at the parks!
We loved Ohanas! And the Disney parks play food came from MouseGears in Epcot. :)
Great pics! Cute kiddos! Thanks for sharing! Loved seeing the souvenirs!
As far as the cheap airfare goes, I think she had a post awhile back that said she got it on a fare sale. Southwest has some great ones if you know when to look. My hubby and I have been able to fly really cheap with them too. Trick is look for the fare sales! :D
Looks like you had a great time! And didn’t spend all your savings! My husband and I just got from Disney a few days ago. We spent a little over 1,500 for flight, hotel, and food! And I only bought a 2013 trading pin for $10. I’m already ready to go back again!
That’s awesome!!!!!
Thanks for sharing not only the pictures but also the run down on the money. You guys got awesome deal on the southwest tickets. I thought I was doing good at $212 round trip from Nashville. How did you do that?
We watch for them to go on sale and since our airport isn’t too far from Orlando, we got such a great deal. :D
love the pluto paint!
Where did you find the play food items? I’m going sunday and that is right up my 1 year olds alley.
We got them at Mouse Gears in Epcot. It is so fun!!!
I also want to know how you got the cheap airfare. We are lookin at going in October and would like to get some cheap airfare like that! :)
We fly Southwest and I signed up for the newsletter. I watch our flight dates like a hawk and buy when they put them on sale. I got them for about $120 round trip. We are in Birmingham, so it’s not too far from Orlando which is why they are so cheap.
SWA is starting daily flights from Memphis (were we live) in Aug! Hopefully it their flights will be less than Delta and/or put some major pressure on Delta to lower their fares. It is so expensive to fly out of Memphis :(
Even thou SWA is not in Memphis I get their emails, we are a few hours from Nashville and Little Rock and would be happy to fly out of those cities to save $$$
The price for Ohana is totally worth it, don’t you agree? It’s our favorite place to eat!
Oh yes, it was awesome!! But I wish we had ordered water and soda to drink. When our cups ran dry during the main course for about 5 minutes, that was awful. Happened the last time we ate there too.
I just booked a trip for us in December… renting points it’s costing me less than staying in a value and we’ll be at Animal Kingdom Lodge with a savannah view room. I buy souvenirs at the outlet store and buy pins in lots on Ebay (less than $1 a pin). Also all of our flights will be free using Southwest’s credit card points that we got for free (this will be our second trip getting round trip flights for free!)
AKL is beautiful!!!! You will absolutely love it. :D
Can you tell me how you got such cheap airline tix?
Sign up for Southwest emails. They have flash sales all the time. Tuesday is usually the best day to look for tickets on Southwest. Both Southwest and Jetblue will adjust your fare to a lower one for no fee. You get a credit to use within the year.
I love the souvenirs!! I have a frame that says disney 2011!! We are planning to go again this fall. I am also interested in how you decorate with the mouse ears too!!
I think you did an awesome job! You stayed at a deluxe resort, ate fabulous meals, got fantastic souvenirs, and flew for an unbelievable price!!
I would like to know how you got the airfare so cheap? We are planning a trip for 3 and need three round trip tickets, but I haven’t come across any tickets that cheap~!
We fly Southwest and I signed up for the newsletter. I watch our flight dates like a hawk and buy when they put them on sale. I got them for about $120 round trip. We are in Birmingham, so it’s not too far from Orlando which is why they are so cheap.
We always go during the off-season when they offer the dining plan for free and spend WAY less than this. Like, half this amount for our family of four. I am frugal with a capital “F”, so I do everything I can to find the cheapest way to enjoy our favorite vacation spot!
We were traveling with my mother in law who is a diabetic, so we decided to try something different on this trip. The Beach Club was AMAZING!! Usually when the dining plan is offered for free, hubby has a really hard time getting off work because he works retail. :(
We go in early June and don’t do the dining plan and we spend a lot less than this also. We don’t care about doing table service meals though and we definitely spend a lot less on souvenirs.
That’s awesome– Love the face painting and the hair sparkles! Nothing better than happy kids on a sweet Disney Vacation! It looks like ya’ll had a blast!
i just wanted to know how you got tickets for the plane so cheap?? i’m from PA and they always want alot
We fly Southwest and I signed up for the newsletter. I watch our flight dates like a hawk and buy when they put them on sale. I got them for about $120 round trip. We are in Birmingham, so it’s not too far from Orlando which is why they are so cheap.
Did you use a meal plan or pay out of pocket? We are going in the Spring and are leaning towards paying out of pocket. We did a breakdown of each meal and it turned out to be about $200 less then buying the meal plan.
I agree Kelly. I’m done the math using all different restaurants and combinations of food and can’t see where you can save 30%. Not the way they’ve cut it back. When it first started, you sure could, but not anymore, unless maybe you can get the dining plan free. The other thing is, will you eat all the food that is included on the plan. If I was buying out of pocket, I wouldn’t be buying everything that’s included. I just went with friends that did a meal plan and their kids were 10 and 12 so they had to pay for them as adults, but the kids only wanted to eat the kids meals (because they don’t eat as much as an adult and don’t like the fancier food) so it was a total waste of money.
I love the dining plan… so much so that I might just pay OOP for it this time around (we’ve gotten it free the last two times). The deluxe plan is a LOT of food but for me, it’s getting to experience something that I normally would not have the chance to. By saving money on the rest of the trip, I splurge when it comes to meals and having that many sit down meals is a nice way to let the kids relax from the heat.
We were there 10 days ago and I loved being on the Quick Service Dining Plan, but every family is different. I thought it was well worth it for us and we probably under-utilized it, but it was still the best for our family! Our entire package of resort, dining and park tickets was just over $800, so using rough estimates, if you take off $300 for three nights at a $100 hotel, then take off $300 for three park admissions, and another $100 for a rental car for a couple days since Disney transported us for free, you are down to $100 that we spent on food for 9 meals – there is NO WAY we could have done that and with the dining plan we got meals, drinks, desserts and snacks.
We paid out of pocket on this trip for the few meals that we did eat in the parks. We like to shake it up. I always tell people to price what you would buy without the meal plan and figure out if the meal plan saves you money or not. Sounds like you did exactly that!
So when is your next trip?
Probably January of 2014. We loved that time of year!
Congrats! We just got through spending 11 days at WDW and came in under $2200. I thought we did pretty well. But we also stayed off site so that helped with hotels and food.
For your meals was that just for your family of four or did that include your mother in law and nephews? Just wanted to know so I can let my clients know.
That was our cost for the 4 of us. :)
Going to try this 2013
How did you get suck cheap airline tickets?
We fly Southwest and I signed up for the newsletter. I watch our flight dates like a hawk and buy when they put them on sale. I got them for about $120 round trip. We are in Birmingham, so it’s not too far from Orlando which is why they are so cheap.
Glad you had such a wonderful time. If you are like me….as soon as I get back I start thinking/planning the next trip! So nice of you to share your experience with us!
Great job, all the way from the beginning by saving, surprising the kids, and having spare money from the budget!
Do you have pictures of your play room decor? I need some good ideas on how to display our mouse ears!
Our kids get a new set of ears every trip to Disneyland. I put them up around the top of their room (to protect them from little cousins), even above the closet door frame. I used command hooks on the wall, and then used binder clips on the hats themselves. The girls can get down any hat they want, leave the binder clip on the hook and it is easy for them to put them back up.
I used this to put their fedoras up as well but since those are used a bit more often, I hung them lower.
As soon as I clean the playroom, I’ll take some pictures for you and post them! ;)
Awesome! I am so ready to go again!!!!!!!!!!!
Great job with your budget!! Looks like you had a wonderful trip!
So fun to read! Thanks!
What great planning! You got an incredible deal on airfare, too! What’s your secret?
We fly Southwest and I signed up for the newsletter. I watch our flight dates like a hawk and buy when they put them on sale. I got them for about $120 round trip. We are in Birmingham, so it’s not too far from Orlando which is why they are so cheap.
LOoOooVE IT!
Looks like you had a great time! I’m impressed with your budget savvy planning!
Wow! Looks like you had a great time and still have $8 left! woo! :) Your son is too cute with his face painting lol