How to Budget for a Family Trip to Disney World

Here are some tips for saving money at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Among the most important things when budgeting for a trip to Disney World are not theme park tickets or plane tickets, but hotel prices.

There are more than 25 Disney-owned hotels at Disney World. According to the price tracking site Disney Touring Plans, rooms cost as little as $128 per night at affordable Disney All-Star properties, but that assumes you book during the off-season. In reality, prices are much higher.

NerdWallet analyzed hotel room rates throughout 2023 across the three tiers Disney uses to rank its hotels to better understand how much Walt Disney World hotel rooms really cost. Here is this distribution:

The best Disney World hotels for families vary based on needs (e.g. proximity to certain parks, theme, amenities, and affordability).

Disney's All-Star Music Resort offers the best budget option for family suites at Disney World. Rooms sleep up to six adults and include one queen bed and two queen murphy beds, as well as two full bathrooms and kitchenettes with coffeemakers and microwaves.

The cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort are also some of the best Disney World hotels for families. They can accommodate up to six adults and include a bunk bed. Their large size can make them ideal for a multi-generational family trip. Additionally, the cabins are also accepted animalsallowing up to two dogs per room (for an additional fee).

Although more expensive, there are two resorts that stand out as being great for families (and could save you money in the end): Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. Both have monorail stations, providing easy access to Magic Kingdom (which can mean savings on parking or carpooling). Both properties recently underwent renovations that added more Disney character touches.

In 2021, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort reopened with “Moana”-inspired furniture and accessories, and Disney's Contemporary Resort's retro-modern renovation introduced characters from Pixar Animation Studios' “The Incredibles” films .

While booking a cheap hotel down the street from Disney can be tempting, booking a Disney-owned hotel can pay off for families. Besides the immersive Disney theme and proximity to the parks, Disney World hotels offer some money or time-saving benefits:

• Facilitated public transport: Buses take guests between hotels and theme parks. Depending on the route, unique transportation methods include boats, monorails, or an aerial gondola called the Disney Skyliner.

• Free parking: Theme park parking is free during your stay, which can be helpful for families needing their own car seat (otherwise, daily parking rates start at $25).

• Early Theme Park Entry: Disney hotel guests can enter theme parks 30 minutes before everyone else (park entry is required), which could help avoid paying extra for skip-the-line privileges.

• Extended evening hours: On certain nights and at certain parks, guests at Disney's Deluxe Resort hotels or luxury villas are allowed to stay longer (usually two hours after standard closing time), which may mean fewer people and more time to enjoy theme park tickets.

That said, there is a happy medium that could offer the best of both worlds: the aforementioned benefits with a lower price when the Disney name isn't attached.

Disney officially recognizes dozens of hotels in Orlando as Good Neighbor Hotels, and they rank among the best family hotels near Disney World. They are generally less expensive than Disney-owned hotels and often offer other savings such as breakfast, a kitchenette, or pet-friendly rooms. Most also offer shuttles to the park, allowing you to avoid the rental car. Additionally, Disney Good Neighbor Hotel perks sometimes mirror what actual Disney hotel guests get, including early entry to theme parks.

Some of the best family resorts outside of Disney World in the “Good Neighbor” category are just steps from Disney property, bordering Disney Springs.

Disney Springs area hotels bookable with loyalty points include:

Disney explicitly states that guests can bring outside food and non-alcoholic beverages into the parks, with only a few stipulations (such as no glass containers).

Pack snacks to keep in your bag and enjoy throughout the day, and bring a water bottle to fill at the fountains. If your hotel offers free breakfast (many Good Neighbor hotels do), take advantage of it. This will save you money and avoid wasting time once you are in the park.

There is two types of tickets for the Disney Parks: The 1-Park Per Day ticket, which, as its name suggests, allows entry to one park per day, and the Park Hopper ticket, which allows entry to several parks each day.

Park Hopper tickets are much more expensive – potentially hundreds of dollars more per day for families. And they're probably not worth it.

If you absolutely must visit all four of Walt Disney World's theme parks but don't have a four-day vacation, then the Park Hopper might be unavoidable. But if you're there for several days, save money by visiting one park per day. Either way, the best way to do Disney World is to focus on one park at a time.

At Disney World, the theme parks are spread out, meaning you waste time traveling between parks, rather than getting there.

Good Neighbor hotels sometimes offer Disney World family packages. Offers vary, but often involve freebies like meals or parking. Many hotels are also willing to bundle discounted Disney tickets.

Disney Gift Cards can be used at almost any Walt Disney World location for restaurants, Disney-owned hotels, park tickets and souvenirs.

If you register for a Target REDcard™ Credit Cardyou can save 5% on eligible Disney gift cards and other specialty gift cards.

Stopping at a convenience store or shopping on Amazon before your visit can help you save money while you're at the parks. Consider impulse purchases such as rain ponchos, fans/water misters, sunscreen, and other weather-related items. This will likely cost you more at the parks, so it's best to be prepared.

If you have children, buy that princess dress from a cheaper retailer before your visit. Buy glow sticks in advance so you can give them to children when they ask for the glow toys sold before the nightly shows. You can also find a wide variety of cute (and affordable) mouse ears on websites like Etsy. When it comes to Disney shirts, you can find reasonable prices at stores like Walmart and Target.

Free or inexpensive activities outside the Disney parks allow you to avoid purchasing theme park tickets for each day of the trip. It's easy to spend time window shopping and listening to live music at Disney Springs or Disney's BoardWalk, two outdoor entertainment complexes. Enjoy free rides on the Disney Skyliner or on one of the Disney boats or monorails.

Orlando is full of free and affordable family attractions. Options include the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Boxi Park (an outdoor entertainment complex made from recycled shipping containers), and Old Town (a shopping district with its own rides). If you want to visit a major theme park, consider Universal Studios.

(Top photo, courtesy of Disney)