Walt Disney World is not just a playground for children. Disney World has some areas that are not kid-friendly. Victoria & Albert’s, the elegant restaurant that won a AAA Five Diamond Award for its cuisine, does not allow children under 10 years old. Jellyrolls is a dueling-piano bar reserved only for adults over 21.
Couples or friends who are older can enjoy a trip to Disney World. Disney trips for two are not inexpensive, even without children to increase the cost.
Disney World can cost up to $4,000 per adult for a 7-night stay, even for the most frugal of travelers. Couples looking to spend on the best rooms, restaurants and experiences should set aside at least $10,000 to cover seven nights.
NerdWallet conducted an analysis to determine the cost of a Disney World trip for two, taking into account all four line items:
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Tickets for the park (and any add-ons like Genie+ ).
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Hotel room rates on-property.
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Restaurants in parks serving food
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Additional activities such as spa treatments or tours.
Since Disney has options to suit a variety of budgets and tastes, NerdWallet classified the cost of an average Disney vacation for two people into three categories: Value, Modest, and Deluxe. (This is the classification Disney World uses in its hotels.)
The Value Hotel may be the best choice for a frugal couple who want to save money. They can choose a hotel that has minimal frills, and offers only counter service or food carts. Other adults may choose to upgrade their experience by purchasing extras, such as line-skipping privileges and larger rooms. All variations are accounted for when calculating the estimated average prices. You can read more about NerdWallet’s methodology by reading the article at its end.
Based on your travel style, here’s what you can expect to spend per person per day (hotel prices are based upon double occupancy).
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What is the average cost of Disney World for two adults?
NerdWallet has estimated the cost of a Disney trip for two people, based on travel styles and duration of vacation:
The Disney budgets listed assume daily tickets to theme parks, three meals a day and an overnight stay at a Disney hotel.
Disney World ticket prices
Disney World tickets prices are different depending on the park and dates.
Magic Kingdom Park one-day tickets are usually $160. This makes it the most expensive theme park in Walt Disney World. Magic Kingdom is the most famous and has romantic places like Cinderella Castle, perfect for Disney proposals. But it’s the family-friendly theme park with more strollers.
Epcot is the least expensive Disney park, which can be a bonus since it’s considered to be one of the most popular Disney World parks for adults. World Showcase is about half the size of Disney World. It consists of 11 themed mini-sections, such as Norway, China, and Morocco. Some of the countries have food, beverages and rides.
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Disney World tickets prices decrease the more you stay. The average price of a five-day ticket with one park per day is $643, or $129 per daily )..
Upgrades to Disney tickets include Lightning Lanes (priority queues) for some attractions and Park Hopper Tickets, which allows multiple visits each day. Here’s what you can expect to pay for Disney tickets for 2 adults based on the number of days at the theme parks.
Disney World hotels
Disney’s hotels are available at a variety of price levels. Disney has a wide range of hotels, from the All-Stars, starting at just $128 per person, according to Disney’s trip-planning website Touring Plans. These are Value-priced properties, to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa which is priced at $780.
While specific room rates can vary depending on the check-in dates and properties, NerdWallet has analyzed average costs by trip type and length.
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Disney’s lowest priced hotel rooms cost more than other hotels in Orlando. According to Visit Orlando’s 2022 Travel Industry indicators, the average room price in Orlando is $186.49 per day. This is about 35 percent less than the average cost of the lowest-priced Disney resort, which costs $286.
Disney World Food
NerdWallet conducted a study to estimate the cost of Disney World food. The value meals included an entree, a drink and a dessert. Meals in the moderate or deluxe tiers (served at restaurants that have wait staff) had an additional appetizer or dessert.
Below are the average Disney World meals prices for each person, according to restaurant level:
Additional Activities and Expenses
NerdWallet did not include miscellaneous purchases and souvenirs in their calculations. You may want to consider these items when you estimate your Disney World trip.
Disney’s “Enchanting Extras Collection” is what Disney calls its add-ons. These include golf lessons, scuba-diving and dessert cruises that sail in time with the fireworks. These extra costs were not included in the NerdWallet calculations for short trips because most visitors would spend their time at the theme parks ).
A tour behind the scenes at Epcot that is affordable would be the Behind the Seeds Tour, which takes place in the fish farm and greenhouses. It costs $35 for an hour. The $199 Wild Africa Trek Tour at Animal Kingdom includes three hours hiking in safari vehicles, as well as a traverse of a ropebridge.
NerdWallet’s estimates of how much you need to budget extra for Disney World (for two people), if you are a couple taking a seven-night trip:
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Value: $284.
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Moderate: $443.
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Deluxe: $911.
Although not all travelers will choose these extras, some adult travellers may include them in their Disney World budget.
Couples can enjoy Disney World at a reasonable price
Couples can expect to pay a minimum $700 for a one-night stay on Disney’s property and if they visit the park for ONE DAY.
Costs increase to $1,800 for a three-night stay (and two days at the theme parks). If you are a low-frills traveler, a seven-night stay with five theme parks days will cost at least $4,000. If you want to keep up with your friends, then you may spend over $10,000 in seven days. This is all without considering the costs of getting there.
Couples planning to visit Disney World with a limited budget can use these strategies:
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Disney Good Neighbor Hotels are owned by large hotel chains. Disney Good Neighbor Hotels offer cash rates that are cheaper than Disney hotels. They can also be booked free of charge if you use hotel rewards points from frequent stays and credit cards.
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Disney offers free public transportation. Families may need a car rental to bring their car seats, but adults are able to rely on Disney’s vast transportation network, including its monorails and buses, as well as the gondolas.
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Do not be scared to order kids meals. If you are dining in a restaurant with counter service, nobody will be able to tell if the item is from a children’s menu and being consumed by an adult.
Methodology
NerdWallet collected more than 200 tickets prices, 550 Disney hotel rates, and 100 prices for additional restaurants and activities between April 2023 to April 2024. NerdWallet compiled these figures in order to create sample budgets for trips based on the travel style, trip duration and cost.
NerdWallet doesn’t include parking fees, driving or airfare costs in its trip cost calculations. What’s included with each price level?
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Due to the fact that Walt Disney World tickets vary in price by park, we based our one-day ticket pricing on Magic Kingdom entry. The two-day tickets were priced based on Magic Kingdom plus Epcot. NerdWallet did not include Park Hopper Tickets, which provide access to several theme parks in a single day.
These budgets are meant to be estimates, not to determine your Disney trip cost. Couples that bring their own food may spend less at Disney. Disney trips that are used as shopping excursions should include souvenirs and other extras, such as PhotoPass.
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