A family of 4 will spend a whopping $half dozen,033 on a typical Disney World trip. Here'southward the total breakdown.

rich family of four paid too much for disney world 4x3

Matt Stroshane/Disney Parks; Samantha Lee
  • When Walt Disney Earth opened its gates in 1971, a ticket cost $3.50. Now it starts at $109.
  • In that location are enough of boosted costs, from nutrient to lodging to souvenirs to transportation.
  • For a family of iv, a typical trip tin can cost upwards of $6,033. Read our full breakup below.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

This story is part of our inside wait at how Disney has dealt with COVID-19. Read the other stories in the series hither.

From $3.50 to $224 in 50 years

A ticket to Disney Globe in 1971 cost $3.fifty.
Reuters

When Walt Disney World opened its gates in 1971, a ticket cost $3.50.

Today, if you arrange for inflation, that translates to near $23. But the toll of a single-mean solar day ticket has far outpaced that — now it costs between $109 and $224, depending on when you travel and the ticket selection you lot choose.

Transportation, lodging, and food expenses further increase the cost of a Disney vacation. Hard-and-fast prices tin can change for a variety of reasons: occupancy rates, "peak" travel days, Disney Vacation Lodge benefits, Florida residency discounts, number of days visiting, and more.

As such, the numbers beneath are bailiwick to change. But all in all, a typical five-day trip tin can price a family of four $vi,033.

Admissions tickets: $2,316

Security officials checks bags as people enter Walt Disney World'due south Magic Kingdom in 2001.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A one-mean solar day standard ticket to Walt Disney Earth starts at $109 and increases on pinnacle travel days. Between Christmas and New year's day's, for instance, daily rates increase to $159.

Calculation the selection to "hop" between Disney World'south iv theme parks increases the price of a peak ticket to $224, or $191 on nonpeak dates.

The cost of calculation additional days to the same visit drops the price of each sequent day. A nonpeak, non-park-hopper ticket, for example, will toll $107 on the second day, all the way downwards to $52 on the 10th day, at which point the discounts cut off.

All up, a family unit of four could pay $2,316 plus tax for five days' worth of nonpeak, park-hopper tickets. (Those are prices for guests 10 and up; those ages 3 to nine receive a slight discount on their daily ticket price, and children two and under enter for free.)

Nutrient and dining: $ane,100

Topolino's Terrace at Disney'due south Riviera Resort.
Matt Stroshane/Walt Disney World Resort/Getty

There are more than than 400 places to eat at Disney World, with at least 90 total-service restaurants to choose from. Meal prices vary, but quick-service restaurants, where meals range from $xv to $20 apiece, are the most economical option.

There are besides dining plans. The least expensive is the quick-service plan, which provides two quick-servicemeals and ii snacks each day. The pre-pandemic price for this plan was $55 per person age 10 and older and $26 for children ages 3-9.

For our hypothetical family of iv, this comes out to $1,100.

Graphic symbol dining experiences can costs $62 per person ten and older or $37 for younger children. At higher-end restaurants similar Tiffins in Animal Kingdom, entrées like the surf and turf can set you lot dorsum $65.

Snack costs also add upwards: a funnel cake with whipped cream at Sleepy Hollow in Magic Kingdom costs $7.99; a Mickey pretzel is $6.79; and a churro is $vi.19. A cup of soda starts at from $3.99, and alcoholic beverages start at $10.

Accommodations: $2,617

The Walt Disney World Dolphin resort.
John Greim/LightRocket/Getty

At that place are more 25 Disney resort hotels to choose from in value, moderate, deluxe and deluxe villas categories. Staying off-property tin sometimes be a less expensive alternative to Disney-themed hotels.

A nonholiday weekend stay at a "value" resort in July costs $259 per night for a standard room, or $581 per night plus fees for a family suite.

A four-nighttime stay in one of these family suites will price $2,617, plus tax. Almost all of Disney's rooms take a iv- to six-person limit, as well, so if your political party is larger, programme on paying for an extra room.

Meanwhile, a nonholiday weekend stay in December at a "moderate" resort costs $379 per night for 2 queen beds in one room. A weekday-only stay in April at a "palatial" resort is $1,056 per night for a standard room with a view of the park. And a 1-night weekday stay at Disney'southward Polynesian Villas & Bungalows will fix yous back $3,491.

Transportation

The parking lot at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
Joe Raedle/Getty

At the moment, Disney World offers complimentary "Magical Express" transportation from Orlando's international airport to Disney hotels, though the company plans to cutting that service in 2022.

Additional complimentary transportation options be, including buses, water taxis, monorail, and aerial gondolas, from Disney properties to each theme park.

Still, guests choosing to rent a machine or drive their own should program on additional fees. Airfare, of class, is some other expense, and tin vary widely depending on location and time of year.

Per-night parking fees start at $xv at Disney's value resorts, $20 at moderate resorts, and $25 at their palatial and deluxe villa resorts. Theme-park parking ranges from $25 to $45 per day with standard and preferred parking options available.

Merchandise, souvenirs, and additional expenses

Guests at Disney Globe expect alee toward Cinderella's Castle.
Disney Parks

With nearly 300 places to shop at Disney World, there are plenty of places to spend extra cash.

Pin trading is an peculiarly pop hobby for many Disney aficionados. Costs of a single pivot start at $9.99 or $15.99, depending on the details and intricacies of the pin; "jumbo" limited-release pins price as much as $120 each.

Guests tin can besides rent a Disney tour guide to accept them through alternative entrances of pop attractions, bypassing the lines. Costs start at $425 per hr, with a seven-hour minimum required.

Memory Maker is a popular add-on photo service that allows guests to buy the rights to all of the photos taken by Disney PhotoPass photographers. Information technology's nonrefundable and costs $169 if purchased in accelerate or $199 if purchased in-person. A $69 unmarried-day option is also available.

For $177, yous can reschedule or cancel altogether otherwise nonrefundable vacations.

Ways to relieve money

Disney World'south Epcot park in 2003.
Matt Stroshane/Getty Images

Purchasing annual passes, watching for seasonal promotion offers, saving $200 by purchasing the vacation with a Disney-brand credit bill of fare, or becoming a fellow member of Disney's Vacation Club are some of the tricks that savvy Disney goers accept taken advantage of to save money.

Dining plans are another large way to lessen the financial burden of a trip. In nonpandemic times, guests are allotted a sure number of snack and meal credits. Information technology's also possible to share meals or bring outside food and drink.

Still, guests must continue rail of their ain dining credits, and any unused credits expire upon checkout — so if you don't use all of them, y'all might cease up wasting money.

Nearly five months of mortgage costs

A trip to Disney World doesn't come inexpensive.
SOPA Images/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Insider

In sum, for a family of four all 10 and older that visits Disney World for five days:

  • Park-hopper, nonpeak tickets for everyone: $two,316

  • Iv nights in a family unit suite at one of Disney'due south most economical hotels: $two,617

  • Disney'southward to the lowest degree expensive dining plan for everyone: $i,100

The grand total: $vi,033.

That doesn't accept into business relationship airfare or any other transportation costs, which vary greatly from family to family.

In sum, fifty-fifty the most price-conscious five days at Walt Disney World requires a family to coughing upwardly about v months of mortgage payments — an amount that could deter some, but not all.

"I've traveled to Disney World more than a hundred times," the Oregon-based travel agent Bonnie Sawyer told Insider. "I think information technology's an experience that anybody should have at to the lowest degree once in their lifetime."

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