*FREE* Disney Vacation Budget Planner

Deciding Travel Dates

Choosing your travel dates is crucial because it affects availability, pricing, and the overall experience. Consider these things as you decide your dates:

• Weather – “Whether” (see what I did there) you plan to visit during the cooler months or on sunny days with sunscreen in hand, be sure to consider other factors like tropical storms and hurricanes if you’re heading to the parks in Florida
  • *Pro Tip – If you visit during the warmer months, you can take advantage of the resort pools and work that into your day as a break from the parks. We’ve gone to the park early in the morning and stayed until early afternoon. Afterward, we headed to the hotel for a swim and then returned to the park once it had cooled down. It was a nice way to avoid the hottest part of the day!
• Crowd Levels – There are many factors at play that can drive crowd levels up or down such as holidays, school breaks, and Disney Special Events. Whenever I’m planning a Disney trip or a day at the parks, I always rely on Touring Plans | Disney World | Disneyland | Universal Orlando – Vacation Planning Tools. Although, it does require a subscription, it’s well worth it for figuring out the least crowded days. It also provides daily event information which could impact theme park hours, etc. Another site I heavily rely on is 2024 & 2025 Disney World Crowd Calendar | Avoiding the Crowds (ziggyknowsdisney.com). No crowd calendar is perfect so it’s nice to compare information from both sites.
• Seasonal Theme Park Events – Walt Disney World and Disneyland have some fun events like Food & Wine Festival, Oogie Boogie Bash or the International Flower & Garden Festival.

Planning Your Budget

The cost of a Disney trip can vary depending on factors like party size, timing, and package add-ons. I’ve planned trips both on my own and with the help of a Disney-certified Travel Agent, and there’s no wrong way to go about it. If you choose to book on your own, I strongly recommend thorough research—you can find great deals if you know where to look. If you’re choosing to book independently, Disney World on a Budget | Cheapest Way to Go in 2024 (ziggyknowsdisney.com and Walt Disney World Discounts & Deals – MouseSavers.com are great sites to check out. Alternatively, using a Disney-Certified Travel Agent can simplify the process of booking your magical getaway and possibly save you money. I recently used Small World Vacations Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and they found me up to $500 in deals!

• *Pro Tip – If you’re traveling on a budget, you’ll want to look for non-peak “busy” days. You can also sign up for a Disney Rewards Visa credit card (I use this card for all my purchases then use my “reward dollars” towards trips). And check for seasonal deals.

Now let’s dive into lodging, theme park tickets and all the extras that can impact your budget…

Booking Your Stay

With countless hotel options available, the key decision is whether to choose an Onsite or Offsite location. Staying offsite can be more budget-friendly, but staying onsite offers perks such as early park access, free transportation to all the parks (big perk here), and immersive themed experiences. Personally, I love staying on site to fully soak up all the Disney magic and enjoy the entire Disney experience.

For Disney On-Site Resorts – If you’re staying on-site, Disney classifies their hotels in “categories” = Value, Moderate and Deluxe. The “value” resorts are the least expensive and as you go up in the tiers the cost goes up as well.

I like using tripadvisor.com when choosing which resort we stay at. The reviews are always so helpful!

• Here’s a complete listing of all 20 Walt Disney World On-Site Resorts
• Here’s a complete listing of all 3 Disneyland On-Site Resorts

Booking Theme Park Tickets

Now for the tougher decisions. You’ll need to determine how many days you want to spend at the Theme Parks and which Theme Parks to visit. All of these decisions depend on your family’s preferences. For a Walt Disney World trip, most families find that 5-7 days is ideal to fully experience the parks, with at least 4 days allowing a full day at each park. For Disneyland Parks, 2-3 days is generally sufficient, with a minimum of 2 days needed to explore each park thoroughly. Check out my complete list of WDW and Disneyland theme parks to help guide your decision.

• *Pro Tip – Typically, you won’t need a theme park ticket for arrival and departure days depending on times.
• Are you interested in Park Hopper tickets? They come at an additional cost and allow you to visit multiple parks in a single day.
• Will you want to purchase Park Upgrades like Lightning Lane passes? If so, make sure to include these costs into your budget for each park and each visit. I’m guilty of purchasing this for every trip because I’m not a fan of waiting in really long lines but having it helps guarantee riding the rides that are most important to me. However, the cost can add up quickly for a family or group and you need to have a good understanding of how to use it. To summarize, I feel like it’s worth it but please make sure to do your homework if purchasing. 🙂

Booking Disney Extras

Disney Extras are bountiful, and they’ve literally thought of every unique experience imaginable. Disney Enchanting Extra Experiences allow you to personalize your vacation even more by choosing one of 72 Walt Disney World Enchanting Extras – my personal favorites are the Caring for Giants Tour at Animal Kingdom and the Fireworks Dessert Parties: Seats & Sweets at Magic Kingdom. Or at the Disneyland Resort, you can discover 11 Disneyland Resort Enchanting Extras where some top favorites include Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Hand-Building a Lightsaber, and the World of Color Dessert Party.

You can also purchase Disney’s Photography service where photographers snap photos and capture all your special moments throughout the park. At Walt Disney World it’s called the Disney’s Memory Maker and at Disneyland it’s referred to as the Disney Photo Pass.

Food, Food, Food

Food can be a significant expense, and without planning, you might end up spending a fortune! It’s important to budget for food expenses and decide where you want to dine. Dining options vary, including Counter Service (no reservations needed), Casual Dining, Fine Dining, and Character Dining, which typically require reservations. Explore the selection of mouthwatering restaurants listed below:

• Full Walt Disney World Restaurant List (More then 200 Options!)
• Full Disneyland Resort Restaurant List (137 Options!)
• *Pro Tip – Character Dining and Sit-Down Restaurants require reservations and those can be made up to 60 days in advance. Securing the perfect Dining Reservations can truly add that extra sprinkle of pixie dust to your vacation. They go fast so you’ll want to grab those the day they become available. For those hard-to-get dining reservations I’ve used Disney Dining Reservation Alerts – MouseDining to receive alerts for my desired restaurant and it has helped me snag the reservation I wanted every single time. Tusker’s House inside of Animal Kingdom is one of my all-time favorites!

If you have any additional questions you can go straight to the experts at planDisney Panel. Find helpful advice or answers to specific questions provided by the PlanDisney panelists.

Book your Disney Trip!

*FREE* Disney Vacation Checklist

Once you’ve booked your enchanting adventure to Disney, take time to CELEBRATE! You are about to create thrilling moments, filled with unforgettable experiences, magical adventures, and sights that will be treasured forever!

Time to Count Down

• First thing you’ll want to do is create a Disney Experience account for the Disney park you’re visiting. There’s a unique login for Walt Disney World and for Disneyland. Then, download the ‘My Disney Experience’ park app on your phone. Using the park apps is how you’ll access your vacation information, theme park tickets, purchase your Genie+, order food from any Quick Dining, check on dining reservations or even check ride wait times.

• 60 Days before…
  • Make those Dining Reservations!
  • Order your Disney MagicBands. MagicBands+ are even more special and they light up, vibrate, and interact with nighttime experiences, making you feel fully immersed and engaged in all the magic.
• 1 week before…
  • Pre-Order Walt Disney World‘s Disney’s Memory Maker or Disneyland‘s Disney Photo Pass
  • Check for Disney Special Events to ensure they do not impact your schedule
  • Check for Disney Ride closures so you can plan ahead
  • Check the weather so you can pack appropriately
  • Start packing!
• Night Prior to the start of your vacation…
  • Charge your phones, iPads and MagicBands
• The morning of your Theme Park Day…
  • Purchase Genie+ and book your Disney FastPass+