How much does it cost for a family of 5 to go to Disney World? In this article we will break down the costs of a trip to Disney World for a family of 5.
What is the Disney vacation cost for a family of five? Is there an average Disney vacation cost?
These are the questions I often get when I share about our Disney vacations. The cost of traveling to Disney World with a family of five can vary depending on a lot of factors.
Today I am sharing details on what our Disney vacations cost and give you an idea of the average cost of a Disney World vacation for a family.
What Goes Into the Cost of a Disney World Vacation
The average cost of a Disney World vacation continues to increase each year. I am not going to lie, that increase is making it much more difficult to plan a vacation to Disney World for a family of five.
With rising costs and my little kids growing into big kids, we need to save more and longer between our Disney trips.
Disney costs can vary but expect to spend between $4,000.00-$8,500.00 including hotel accommodations for a week, 4 day park tickets (not including park hopper), and food.
A family of 4 will be on the smaller end where a family of 5 will be higher because only 4 can fit in a standard room.
Transportation and extra spending will vary as well as personal preferences on dining and extras.
Basic Costs of a Disney World Vacation for a Family of Five
These costs are what everyone has to plan for when going on a family vacation. Whether you stay on-site or off-site, purchase 3 day tickets or 6 day tickets, eat at table-service or quick-service, you can expect to have these basic Disney vacation costs.
- Hotel room
- Ticket Costs
- Food
- Transportation
If you want to do Disney on a budget avoid spring breaks and the holiday season. Consider visiting during the cheapest time of the year, the off season.
There is not a traditional off-season at Disney World anymore but the best time to visit when on a tight budget is when kids are in school.
September and January are some of the least expensive times to visit.
Additional Cost for a Disney World Trip
The reason a vacation to the Walt Disney World resort varies so much is because of extra things you can purchase.
- Will you purchase the park hopper option?
- Are you planning on using Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lanes?
- Will you attend special events?
- Will you visit the Disney water parks?
- Will you purchase the Disney Dining plan?
These are not things you must purchase. You can go to the Disney theme parks and not use Genie+. You can skip the park hopping and water parks too.
I go into more details in my article: How to plan Disney on a Budget that includes ways to save.
For the purpose of this article I want to break down the cost of a Walt Disney World vacation and set up your expectations for what a typical Disney trip will cost.
How Much Does it Cost to Go To Disney World
You will need to consider these things when pricing out your Disney World vacation:
- Age of Everyone Traveling (at the time of the trip)
- Preferred Resort
- Time of Year You are Traveling
- How Many Parks You Will Visit
- What Type of Dining Do You Want to Include
- Transportation Costs
- Extra Costs, Souvenirs, etc.
What Are the Ages of Your Traveling Party
This may come as a shock to most people traveling to Disney World with a family of five but a child is considered 3-9.
That means when your child turns 10 they are considered an adult at Disney World.
That means we have 5 adults when we book our Disney World vacations because everyone is over 9 years old.
From a cost perspective you pay adult prices for tickets as well as table service restaurants that is pre-fixe.
Let me explain the dining a bit.
If you have reservations at a table service restaurant and you pay per person, like at a characters meal or buffet the price will be adult pricing.
If dining cost $59.99 a person for adults includes anyone over the age of 9 regardless of what they actually eat.
If you are ordering off the menu it is at the discretion of the cast member. Usually they will allow you to order off the kids meal but you will receive kids portions.
Keep that in mind when booking table service.
For quick service meals (counter service) that you order by mobile ordering or walk up, most of the time anyone can order from the kids menu.
I have ordered off the kids meal myself and have never had an issue. This really helps in keeping our Disney World cost down.
If you have a child under 3, your child is free for tickets and dining at character meals.
We took full advantage of this for our first visit in 2013. I share how much that Disney trip cost at the end of this article.
What is the Cost of a Disney World Hotel
The cost of a Disney World hotel can range from $170.00 to $1000.00+ a night. Disney World resort categories are Disney Value Resorts, Moderate Resorts, and Deluxe Resorts.
This will be a large cost of your Disney vacation and it depends what you are looking for.
Staying on-site at a Disney property includes transportation to and from the parks and Disney Springs, but you will pay more per night than staying off-site.
Check out the perks of staying on-site at Disney World.
Making the choice of where to stay depends on your prioritize. We like staying on-site even though it can cost more than off-site.
It is a good idea to compare the prices of off-site and on-site accommodations. Be sure to consider rental car costs as well as parking and resort fees for off-site hotels.
Related Posts: 5 Best Disney World Accommodations for Large Families on a Budget
What is the Most Expensive Time to Visit Disney World
The most expensive time to visit Disney World is during the busiest times. This usually means July, end of December, and mid-March-April will be the most expensive times to visit.
What is the Least Expensive Time to Visit Disney World
The lease expensive time to visit Disney World is during low crowd times. This is September, January and early February, and the end of August.
If you can visit during the least busy times I would. When our kids were younger we would avoid school breaks and holidays.
What are the Ticket Costs at Disney World
Tickets costs at Disney World will be one of the biggest costs of the entire vacation. Ticket prices start at $109.00 a day for 10 and up.
For our family, one day at a Disney park costs $658.88. This does not include dining or any extras we may purchase.
The more days you purchase the less expensive per day the Disney parks tickets costs. If you purchase a 5 day ticket the daily ticket price is $89.00 a day.
Keep in mind depending on the season you visit you can expect to pay up to $159.00 a ticket for busy season.
I checked December 25th ticket price for one day and it was $159.00 per person.
We find it beneficial from a cost perspective to plan multiple days during our Disney vacation because the per day price is less the more days you visit.
I always suggest starting with prices from the Disney World website.
What are the Dining Costs at Disney World
Dining is the one place where we do a great job of staying on budget! We often stick with quick service options because there are so many great ones at the parks.
We don’t like wasting time with sit down meals and only plan one or two during our trips.
If you visit Disney World and want to sit down to a table service meal daily be prepared to spend a lot.
Dining is not cheap at the parks and a sit down meal at Disney World will cost you over $100.00 a meal for a family of 5.
On a recent visit we spent $136.00 for lunch at a resort restaurant for the five of us. If you want to sit down for a meal a day be sure to factor that into the cost of you vacation to Disney.
I will say quick service meals at Disney World go well beyond the typical theme park food. Some of our favorite meals are at quick service locations and we prefer to spend less time eating and more time enjoying the attractions.
What are the Transportation Costs to Visit Disney World
Disney World discontinued the Magical Express service which was bus service from Orlando International Airport to your Disney Resort. As of January 2022 this will no longer be offered.
You have a few options for transportation. Book a car or Mears transportation to and from the airport. Mears cost $16.00 each way for adults and $13.50 for children. (As of 9/2021)
Rent a car. Walt Disney World resorts do not charge a nightly parking fee.
Guests staying at the resort will be required to pay for parking at the Disney World theme parks.
Disney offers on-site transportation to and from your resort and the theme parks. These vary by resort but are either monorail, bus, boat, or the Disney Skyliner.
How Much Spending Money for Disney World
A once in a lifetime visit may require a larger spending budget on extras during your Disney World vacation.
We like to visit a few times a year and because of that we keep a very small limit on our daily extra spending.
If you plan to purchase souvenirs at every park or one item for the entire trip, consider the cost into your overall trip. Set your expectations on this before you start your vacation.
Disney Vacation Cost for a Family of Five for 2024
Below are prices for a 6 night vacation, 4 day park tickets (Not Park Hopper), for a family of 5. Kids are all over 9 years old.
A 4 day park ticket will allow you to visit Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom for 1 day each. (Not the same day.)
The dates are February 17th-February 23rd. Prices are subject to change and this is just an example.
| Resort | Walt Disney World Price | Undercover Tourist Price |
| All Star Movies (Value Resort) 2 Rooms | $6103.80 | $6244.63 (they were sold out of standard rooms.) |
| Art of Animation Family Suite (Value Resort) Read our Art of Animation Review | $7493.58 | $7108.95 |
| Caribbean Beach Resort (Moderate) This resort is on the Disney Skyliner if that is a priority. | $5651.96 | Not Available |
| Disney’s Riviera Resort (Deluxe) Read our Riviera Resort Review | $9771.70 | $8,430.41 |
Don’t be discouraged by initial costs. Disney World has been offering special deals and discounts. Always check the Walt Disney World website first to see the best discounts.
The best tips I can give you for saving on a Walt Disney World vacation is to prioritize where you want to spend your money.
If you will be at the theme parks most of your vacation don’t over spend on a resort. Consider choosing 1 or 2 table service meals and try quick service for most of your dining.
Should You Spend Money on a Disney World Vacation
The cost of a trip to Disney is definitely high and be sure it is something your family really wants to do.
Often I hear people say they “have” to take their kids to Disney World. That is not true.
I recommend not going to Disney World if you don’t like theme parks. It is not for everyone and that is okay.
We love visiting the Disney theme parks. We have visited Disneyland California and Disneyland Paris.
For us it is worth the money. Only you can decided if it is worth the money for you.
Disney Vacation Cost for a Family of Five for 2023
We are starting to plan our visit to Disney World for 2023. I put together this table to help get you started on what you can expect to pay for a Disney World Vacation with 5 in 2023.
I used March 5th-March 11th 2023 as my dates. This cost for Disney World is a 6 night vacation, 4 day non-park hoppers, for a family of five. 2 adults, 3 kids ages 14, 12, and 10.
I wanted to show what you can get in the value, moderate, and deluxe price range as well as the price difference when you book through Undercover Tourist.
Undercover Tourist can save you money on your vacation that can be used towards transportation or dining costs. I highly suggest you check the prices during your research.
*Prices are accurate at time of search and can change at any time. These are not quotes. Please check the website for the most up to date pricing.
As you can tell it makes a difference on your Disney vacation cost to run numbers. Special offers and deals also change often for Disney World and Undercover Tourist.
| Resort | Walt Disney World Price | Undercover Tourist Price |
| All Star Movies (Value Resort) 2 Rooms | $5671.37 | $5423.39 |
| Art of Animation Family Suite (Value Resort) Read our Art of Animation Review | $6605.53 | $6369.27 |
| Caribbean Beach Resort (Moderate) This resort is on the Disney Skyliner if that is a priority. | $4,992.27 | Not Available |
| Port Orleans Riverside (Moderate) | $5090.15 | Not Available |
| Disney’s Riviera Resort (Deluxe) Read our Riviera Resort Review | $8,576.53 | $8,430.41 |
Example Cost of Disney Vacation (August 2021)
I thought it would be helpful to share the cost of our Disney Vacation from August 2021.
7 Nights at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
2 Adults, 3 Children (13, 11, and 9), 5 Day Non-Park Hopper
- Resort and Tickets: $4672.88
- Dining: $945.28
- Transportation(Flight): $1100.00
- Total: $6718.16
Disney is certainly a pricey vacation. There is no way getting around it. I will say we had to make a last minute change to our resort and didn’t get the best deal on our package.
Dining is where we really saved. We did all of our meals at quick service locations except for one table service brunch during a non-park rest day.
We also split meals at times or I often purchase a kids meal. It is worth looking over the menus before you arrive to help you plan the cost of your trip to Disney.
Example Cost of Disney Trip (February 2013)
5 Nights at Disney’s Pop Century
2 Adults, 3 Children (5, 2, and 1), 4 Day Non-Park Hopper
- Resorts and Tickets: $1695.15
- Dining: Included in Resort and Tickets Package
- Transportation (We Drove)
- Total: $1695.15
I ran the numbers for 2022 and Pop Century was not available. I checked prices for All Star Movies and the total came to $2,131.51, this does not include dining like our trip in 2013.
This trip was years ago and I don’t want to give the impression that cost is anywhere near this now BUT you can save a lot of money visiting Disney before your kids are over 3 years old.
A lot of people wait because they want the kids to remember it but if you want to go and see your kids experience the magic of visiting Disney World it will be the least expensive Disney trip you will ever take!
I will never forget dining with the princesses, watching the night parade, and eating a Mickey bar with my kids at that age. They may not remember but it is a memory I will cherish forever.
Also be on the lookout for free dining offers. Disney has not offered them since the start of the pandemic but they will most likely bring them back in the next year.
I hope this overview of a Disney vacation cost helps you plan your next Disney trip. We are always looking for ways to budget for our Disney trip and plan more visits!
