The Cost of Walt Disney World: Magic Doesn't Have to be Expensive

Many people think that Disney vacations are too expensive or just a waste of money. Honestly, it doesn't have to be. Granted, it can be if you make it that way, but for the most part, it's not too outrageous. You may not come home with something physical, but the memories are worth every penny.

To start off, I should tell you a little about myself. I am 30 years old and have been to Walt Disney World in Florida about 25 times. I went pretty much every year as a child and have been continuing that into my adult life. Many people thinking I'm obsessed, and the fact is, Disney World is part of who I am. Watching my children just beam with excitement shows me why my parents always took my sister and me there. There's nothing like it in the world.

FOOD: A lot of people think the food is too high priced, but the fact is that we went to Six Flags Great America this summer and the food was MUCH higher priced than Disney World. Honestly, eating at Walt Disney World is no different than going out to eat when you're NOT on vacation. They even offer a dining plan that will get you so much food that you'll have a hard time going hungry!

HOTELS: So many people think the hotels are way overpriced. Even so much that for many people, they truly believe that staying off-site is the best decision. I strongly disagree. I will never stay off-site. When I say never, I mean NEVER. The value resorts are great resorts and they are value priced. You can go all out and pay quite a bit for a deluxe resort if you'd like. For me, I would absolutely love to stay at the deluxe resorts, but I just don't see how it would be worth it for us. We don't spend much time in the room anyway. The value resorts are just as great of themes as the deluxe. TICKETS: Yes they may seem expensive, but it gets cheaper per day the more days you purchase. They offer add-ons as well. I would suggest always getting the park hopper option. It's not too much per ticket and it's worth it. You can go from park to park instead of being limited to one park per day. We have never done the water parks and have no plans to unless it's a free add-on for a promotion or until the kids get older. Another option to think about if you're planning on making at least 2 trips in a year, consider an AnnualPass. There are quite a few perks with an AnnualPass such as dining discounts, event ticket discounts, resort discounts, and much more! We actually purchased annual passes one year and got 3 trips on them. It was very much worth it.

SPECIAL EVENTS: I wouldn't pass these up. Things like the Halloween party or the Christmas party are things that you just can't experience anywhere else. Yes, some do require extra admission, but why not do it while you're there?

GETTING THERE: If you drive there, great! We always do. We pull into our parking space at our resort, unpack, and we don't get back in until we leave. It's so nice! No charges for parking either if you stay onsite - I'll touch on parking in the parks later on. If you fly, that's great too! Disney offers this thing called Magical Express that is just another example of how Disney goes above and beyond to make their guests happy. They will pick you up at the airport (for free) and get your luggage for you as well, then deliver it to your room later on in the day. How much easier can it be??? You don't have to pay for airport transfers or rent a car - wow!

DISNEY TRANSPORTATION: When Disney does something, they go all the way with it. If you stay on Disney property, you have unlimited access to their transportation. They do buses, boats, and monorails. This is why when we drive there, we don't touch our vehicle for the time we're staying. To me, the transportation is almost as exciting as everything else in Disney World!

Here are some other little tidbits for you. Disney World knows no age. It doesn't matter how old or young you are - there's always something for you to do! It's truly a magical world that everyone can enjoy. It also tends to bring that inner child out that everyone has inside of them. Many think that they can't take young children because of the hassle and that they won't remember it. I can tell you this: Our kids have always "known" Disney and don't remember it NOT being part of their lives. I credit that to taking them so young.

My goal with this article is to hopefully help someone be a little more open minded about the thought of taking a vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida. If I can help put magic in at lease one person's life by helping them experience a little Disney magic, then I feel I have done what I came to do.

Please keep in mind that this article is based on my personal feelings and experiences ONLY. I am not affiliated with any company, group, or anything else.