The Resorts Gal Guide to Creating a Budget for Disney World (Part 1)

Creating a budget for a Walt Disney World vacation might initially seem overwhelming. But guess what? You’ve got this! We can teach you how to plan a vacation with a budget that will get you nearly down to the penny in terms of how much you’ll spend.

How? Our step-by-step process breaks down each planning element into five simple steps. Those steps are:

1. Make a List of Expenses
2. Calculate Those Expenses
3. Make Decisions and Establish a Budget
4. Subtract Expenses as You Incur Them
5. Stay Accountable During Your Trip

How Our Budget Plan Works

Many experts might tell you to start with a set budget amount when planning a Disney World vacation. Anyone can go online, add the cost of a hotel and tickets, and say, “The average cost of a Disney World vacation is $5000.00.” We even use that number in our resort quiz.

But is it realistic to start with a set amount and hope to stay within those guidelines? No. You cannot budget for something when you have no idea how much it costs.

That’s why you need a plan. Our planning process will help you identify critical expenses for your Walt Disney World vacation. (We’ve thought of everything!) After calculating those expenses, you’ll review the overall number, make final decisions, and establish a budget. If you’ve already determined that you can spend $5,000.00 on your vacation. That’s fine. But if your expense list comes in at $6200.00, you’ll have to do some pruning. At least you’ll know where!

Are you ready to get started? Let’s create a budget for Disney World!

Step 1: Make a List of Expenses

As mentioned above, you have to know how much a Walt Disney World vacation really costs. This part will be the toughest because you need to account for everything you will spend, down to the cost of a soda in the parks.

I’m not kidding. If you’re a family of four and purchase two sodas each in one day at Magic Kingdom, you’ve spent at least $40.00. (Drinks average $5.00 each. Ouch!) If you continue that habit for six days, you’ve spent $240.00 on soft drinks alone! And you probably never even realized it. But your bank account did, and you might be in for a surprise when you get home and realize how much you spent!

Here’s how you’ll plan for expenses. Make a list of each item that applies to your trip and calculate the total expense for each category.

Budget Category: Transportation

• Airline Tickets
• Car Rentals
• Gas
• Bus to and From the Airport
• Uber/Lyft
• Minnie Vans
• Parking Fees (where applicable)

Budget Category: Tickets and Accommodations

• Resort Hotel
• Tickets (Account for Ticket Upgrades)
• Resort Hotel + Ticket Package
• Off-Site Hotel
• Off-Site Hotel Resort Fees
• Off-Site Hotel Parking Charges

Budget Category: Dining Reservations

• Character Dining Meals
• Table Service Restaurants
• Signature Dining

Budget Category: Quick Service Meals, Snacks, Drinks

• Quick Service Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)
• Snacks
• Sodas, Water
• Cocktails
• Beer/Wine
• Coffee
• Grocery Delivery
• Resort Refillable Mugs

Budget Category: Souvenirs, Lightning Lanes, Extras

• Lightning Lane Multi Pass (For every park)
• Individual Lightning Lanes (Lightning Lane Single Pass)
• Souvenirs
• Seasonal Party Tickets
• Disney After-Hours Tickets
• The Memory Maker
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• MagicBands
• Fireworks Party Tickets
• Savi’s Workshop (Lightsabers)
• Droid Depot (Droids)

I know it’s a lot, so start with the essentials like travel arrangements and hotels. Then, lay out your dining plan for the week.

Warning: Be realistic when accounting for snacks, beverages, and more. You might think you’ll be strict on some of these things. But when it feels like 100 degrees outside, and you’ve spent half your day standing in line, it often gets to the point where you give in, and everyone gets a Coke and a Mickey ice cream bar. So, account for these things upfront! (You and I both know the best-laid plans often go awry.)

When you finish this guide, see part two: How to Create a Realistic Expense List for Disney World.

Step 2: Calculate Those Expenses

Now, it’s time to calculate your expenses. After gathering the numbers, it’s time to add them all up. Make sure to add every single line item. We like to add a 10% contingency to our total just in case we forget something and we recommend you do the same. We can all agree that you’ll be much happier going home with money left over than the other way around!

Keep reading for a quick solution to help you confidently create your Disney World Vacation Budget.

Step 3: Make Final Decisions and Establish a Budget

Now that you know how much your Walt Disney World vacation will cost, it’s time to sit with that number. Ask yourself:

• Is my budget too much? Can we afford this trip?
• Should we save more to get to do the things we want?
• Have I genuinely accounted for the bulk of our expenses?
• Did we plan too many expensive meals?
• Should we do the Disney Dining Plan?
• Can I cut items from the budget to make this trip more reasonable?

You’ll need to consider the answers to these questions and any other doubts you have about your budget. When you’re satisfied, it’s time to establish a real number. Take your finalized expenses and set a realistic amount for this vacation.

Step 4: Subtract Expenses as You Incur Them

Okay, now it’s time to put those numbers to work. You’ll need to subtract every vacation-related expense from your budget between now and your vacation. You can make a list on paper or create a spreadsheet. Write your total budget at the top of the sheet. Then, subtract each item as you pay for them. You’ll probably start with items like your hotel deposit and airfare. But you must remember to account for each item to stay true to the budget you set.

Step 5: Stay Accountable Throughout Your Trip

Walt Disney World is truly the Most Magical Place on Earth. It’s also a place where guests often break the budget. This next step is important, especially if you’re on a tight budget. It requires that you maintain accountability throughout your trip. Trust me, if you can stay true to yourself and your budget during the trip, you’ll thank yourself later.

I doubt anyone ever left Walt Disney World in tears because they were responsible and didn’t break their budget. But I have a feeling it’s an everyday occurrence that people walk around the parks and return home with money anxiety. Which one would you rather?

So carry your balance with you, and every time you purchase something, continue to subtract it from your total budget. If you find a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt or a pair of Minnie Ears that you have to have, take a moment, subtract it from your budget, and then you can decide if it’s worth it or not.

If you don’t want to calculate items in the parks, you can save your receipts and balance your budget at the end of each day or first thing the next morning. But make the time to do it! (We have a solution below that will simplify this process!)

Balance Your Budget After the Vacation

At the end of your vacation, it’s time to balance the budget. If you’ve been subtracting each expense from the start, you already know how you did. Did you stay on budget, or did you get off track? If so, where?

You can compare your original list of expenses to the ones you incurred. Did you spend more somewhere? Did a character meal cost more than you expected? Did you end up buying that sweatshirt or Minnie Ears after all? With the facts in hand, you should be able to identify any extra expenditures or places where you miscalculated.

I love this part! Congratulations! If you took the time to do this, you’ve come full circle. You are ahead of the game and can apply these same practices and techniques to your everyday life (if you haven’t already).

You can also use your budget as a guideline for planning your next Walt Disney World vacation!

Here’s How We Can Help

Do you want to create a Disney World vacation budget with confidence? Are you unsure how to estimate these expenses accurately? We’ve created a system that will help you identify your vacation expenses ahead of time and quickly calculate a budget.

Introducing The Resorts Gal Budgeter – A Magical Way to Plan

Our budgeting spreadsheets contain the following information.

• Our Exact Formula for Calculating Your Walt Disney World Vacation Expenses (After gathering the numbers, our formula magically calculates a realistic budget for your vacation.)
• A Dining Table that Leaves No Surprises (Don’t start your vacation day with a pit in your stomach after receiving the check for an outrageous character meal!) Our dining table estimates the price of each meal (with tax and tip) based on the number of people in your party. 
• Make room for Snacks, Transportation, Accommodations, and more! Our tab system helps you account for everything before your trip!
• Before, During, and After Editable Electronic Spreadsheets: Our primary spreadsheet helps project your overall budget beforehand. Another allows you to keep up with expenses during your vacation. (If you take a few minutes daily to track expenses while traveling, you can quickly make adjustments if needed.) A final tab lists your estimates versus what you spent. You can use these numbers to help plan your next trip!

Our budgeting tool will help you confidently and quickly create a budget for your Disney World vacation. It’s never been easier!

Or, if you’re not ready to commit, start with our free email course, which includes a complimentary starter budgeting spreadsheet.

You have completed part one of the Resorts Gal Budgeting Series. To continue the series, try the following:

• Part Two: How to Create a Realistic Expense List for Disney World
• Part Three: Free Cost Calculator for Planning a Disney World Vacation