The Cheapest Disney Vacation You’ll Find

For budget-conscious followers, choices for taking a Disney trip are slim. Disney ticket costs can add up rapidly, and paying further for line-skipping privileges like Lightning Lane and Genie+ is virtually crucial for a memorable journey.

Then, there’s meals, inns and different inevitable add-ons, from Mickey Mouse ears to princess makeovers. But hidden throughout the realm of Disney’s choices lies a surprisingly accessible choice: the Disney cruise.

Whereas the notion of a Disney trip could evoke ideas of dear indulgence, embarking on a Disney journey at sea ranks among the many greatest examples of do Disney on a finances.

FinanceGrabber analyzed whole common journey prices throughout lots of of pattern itineraries for the next U.S. locations:

• Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

• Disneyland Resort in California.

• Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii.

• Disney Cruise Line voyages departing from U.S. ports.

FinanceGrabber additionally broke down journeys into three value tiers — Worth, Average and Deluxe — to characterize vacationers’ vary of frugality versus luxurious (e.g., Worth cruise cabins have been inside with no home windows, whereas Deluxe cabins confronted outdoors and included a balcony).

Learn extra about FinanceGrabber’s methodology on the finish of this text.

For seven-night journeys, right here have been the common costs per particular person (assuming double occupancy) throughout every Disney vacation spot:

Assuming double occupancy, weeklong Disney cruises value lower than $2,000 per particular person, on common. Even a cruise with all of the frills (like port excursions, spa therapies and upgraded meals) nonetheless prices lower than a worth journey to Aulani.

Whereas cruises have a excessive price ticket upfront, most all the things is included on board. And for people who make the most of all of it — that means the all-you-can-eat buffets, the children golf equipment and the exhibits — the online value of a Disney cruise usually seems decrease than that of every other Disney journey.

It is sensible that vacationers are turning to Disney cruises. Within the second quarter of 2023, The Walt Disney Co.’s home income elevated by 14% yr over yr, which the corporate attributed to Disney Cruise Line, in accordance with its second-quarter earnings report.

Although outcomes at Disney’s home parks and resorts have been barely unfavorable to the prior-year quarter, the corporate’s cruise arm stood aside “resulting from a rise in passenger cruise days,” which included the addition of the most recent ship, the Disney Want, which took off with its first passengers in 2022.

For what it’s price, a Disney cruise isn’t essentially the expertise that involves thoughts when most vacationers suppose “Disney trip.” There are not any rides — until you rely one thing just like the AquaMouse on the Disney Want, which is billed as Disney’s first attraction at sea (however is extra like a waterslide on steroids).

However many different features of Disney parks exist on the cruises, together with meet-and-greets with characters and stage exhibits. And typically, the cruise expertise outperforms the theme parks. For instance, there’s sometimes shorter strains to fulfill characters (and extra time to spend with them whenever you do).

On a nightly foundation, the common seven-night Disney cruise begins as little as $279 per particular person — just below the $293 nightly value to spend seven nights at Disney World on a worth finances.

To calculate the estimated journey prices above, FinanceGrabber aggregated and analyzed journey prices throughout 4 classes:

• Park tickets (and add-ons, similar to Genie+).

• On-property resort room charges or cruise cabins.

• Meals at Disney-owned eating places.

• Add-on actions, similar to spa therapies and excursions.

As a result of Disney cruises are largely all-inclusive, the evaluation accounted just for room charges and add-on actions. Certain, cruises command a excessive “room price,” however remaining prices are decrease as a result of there are not any park tickets to purchase and commonplace meals are included (the extra meals prices are non-compulsory extras, like alcohol and bottled water).

But fewer classes contributing to the sum whole doesn’t essentially assure decrease prices. Simply look to Aulani, Disney’s resort in Hawaii. Whereas free facilities embody swimming pools, Aunty’s Seaside Home (a membership for teenagers ages 4-12), Disney character photograph ops and nighttime tales round a campfire, most different issues are a la carte — and an costly cart at that.

Room charges begin at about $760 per evening, on common, and it’s unlikely vacationers would go with out experiencing the Ka Wa’a luau, which begins at $175 for friends ages 10 and up. Spa therapies, snorkel leases, yoga lessons and excursions value further, too.

It’s true that journeys to Disney’s theme parks aren’t fairly as costly as Aulani: Meals and park tickets can common $154 per day at Disneyland and $160 per day at Walt Disney World.

In case your coronary heart isn’t set on Disney, there are cheaper methods to cruise. At Carnival Cruise Line, passengers spend, on common, $219 per particular person, per day, in accordance with Carnival Corp. income and passenger information from its 2023 first-quarter earnings report. That’s far decrease than FinanceGrabber’s estimated $293 day by day spend for Disney cruises.

For folk looking for a Disney journey, particularly, there are different methods to take a Disney trip on a finances. FinanceGrabber’s calculations assumed theme park friends stayed at Disney owned-resorts, however loads of different, cheaper inns (usually bookable on factors) are inside strolling distance of Disney properties. And for guests who nonetheless need to expertise Disney with out shopping for theme park tickets, there are many free or low cost issues to do at Disney World.

And as is the case with any sort of journey, be versatile together with your journey dates. Generally even shifting departure dates by a number of days may end up in lots of of {dollars} in financial savings. Normally, touring in the course of the shoulder season or the offseason means even deeper reductions.

FinanceGrabber analyzed greater than 75 cruise charges, 200 ticket costs and 550 resort room charges at Disney-owned inns, plus costs for greater than 100 extra actions and restaurant menu objects. FinanceGrabber broke journeys into three value tiers: Worth, Average and Deluxe (the identical classifications Disney World makes use of for its inns).

FinanceGrabber’s journey prices begin when you’re on resort property or on board the cruise, thus they don’t account for parking, airfare or driving prices. Right here’s what’s included in every value tier:

From there, FinanceGrabber used common prices to construct pattern journey budgets.

• Journeys assume three meals per day and in a single day stays at a Disney-owned resort.

• Lodge charges are primarily based on check-in dates that correspond with cruise departures.

• As a result of Disney Cruise Line doesn’t supply discounted single-occupancy fares, all general prices are primarily based on two vacationers (with resort costs additionally assuming double occupancy) however offered as per-person prices.

These budgets ought to be used to estimate moderately than decide your individual Disney journey prices. For example, you would possibly spend much less if you happen to pack your individual snacks, otherwise you would possibly spend extra if you happen to spring for miscellaneous prices (e.g., taxis, Mickey-shaped balloons or PhotoPass).