Yay, let's chat all things budgeting for Disney! Realised this morning I forgot to mention parking too - $15 for value hotel guests per night, so need to add $210/£150(ish) to the car bit too. Anything else I might have missed? Let me know!
As food goes you both can always get a kids meal at any time so that helps as well. That’s what we normally do for breakfast and sometimes lunch, and then share snacks
I agree with this. I was going to share an adult quick service meal with my daughter but recently discovered they don't come with a drink but kids meals do!
This has genuinely helped so much. I’ve just booked my first Florida holiday for next year,and all the budgeting,planning,etc is stressing me out a bit 😅. So this has really helped.
For anyone really wanting to budget (if you’re a couple) we saved a fortune just getting Uber/Lyft compared to renting a car. We hired a car company from airport (Tiffany town car) they pick u up and give you an hour to food shop, then drop you to hotel. We then just used Uber /Lyft, so saved on fuel and park parking etc also they drop you right at the entrance of parks which is great!
Orlando resident here 👋🏻👋🏻 A little advice for what it’s worth. Tolls are expensive, yes! However, if you are someone who is here for a limited time, the cost of the tolls is worth paying for the time you save going the non toll routes . They are designed to get you around town quick and somewhat painlessly, and it’s well worth it. Depending on how much you’re going to be using them, I’d consider the option of buying a sun pass transponder (you set up an online account & can save per toll that way also) and you can bring it back with you year after year ☺️ They sell them at Publix.
Every time I price up WDW my husband always says “but we could tick three places off our dream travel list, for that price” . So far he has won haha. Although with all the changes I don’t know if I will ever go to WDW. Whenever we go abroad we head to the supermarket and get cereal and almond milk for breakfast , it saves a fortune . We do have breakfast out some days but it’s an easy way to save some money :)
Brogan, I absolutely love how organized you are. We live in the Orlando area so none of this directly applies to us. But, I was completely fascinated by all your organizational skills and have watched this vid three times now lol. We are Disney passholders and do plan on using the paid Lightning Lanes because of the packed crowds. And 100% yes, I would recommend booking a night at Lowe’s Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay at Universal because the included unlimited Express Pass works on both your check-in and check-out day. Such an amazing perk. So much better than $100 per person per day.
Hey! My other half watches your channel a lot, and we are going beginning of May aswell! Will keep our eyes peeled for you and Benji! Let the countdown begin! 💫
So excited to finally be discussing disney trips and them be a reality again!!! I'm going from Australia in November 2022 and I can't wait. When we went in 2019 we didn't budget our food because we didn't want to restrict ourselves. But in saying that the meals are so big we ended up doing breakfast or lunch not both and dinner with some snacks because it's so much, it's hot and sometimes you just forget
Loved this Brogan, we’ve been twice as a family of 4 and managed to do it in just under £10k both times, but that was with free dining, free fast passes and free on-site parking! we always do a split stay at Disney and universal (Coronado springs and cabana bay last time) with a car but I’d like to try one of the fast pass hotels at universal next time. Can’t beat that magical feeling of Disney! Can’t wait to see the vlogs, hoping to go back in 2023 ❤️
🙌🏼 this is getting me all excited! So happy we can finally say there is a good chance we will get there next year 😍 we are at port Orleans french quarter next May, but the new set up has blown my mind! What we do every time we go which works well is get a garden grocer to be delivered the day we arrive. We stock up on basic snacks but also cereal and breakfast items to eat in the room before we go out. Then we used to use the quick service credits for lunch and dinner. Although we always had soooo many credits left at the end. So I reckon breakfast in the room and midday snacks and an evening meal will be just right! So excited. Seeing you talking Disney smiling gets us all excited for our upcoming trips xx
I have absolutely no plans yet to go to Disney (2 young kids, no budget for it!) nor have I ever been but I am just so captivated by your videos on it! 😅 there’s just something about how you talk so passionately about it that makes it so watchable 😁 xxx
Also, for Orlando we usually do about $50 per person per day, if we bring our water bottles and use that for a QS lunch to cut costs. We normally have 1 TS per day and prices for them vary. We don’t eat breakfast and we rarely get snacks because of the heat. Since you love to plan though, a fun thing I personally like to do is once you’ve decided on the restaurants you want to eat at, look through the menus and make a pretend order for each location to get an idea on costs and then work from there.
Such a helpful video! We’re hoping to book a trip for 2023 hopefully so it’s a big help to hear rough costs so you’re not going in totally blind. Seems a bit of a shame they’ve taken away some of the big benefits of staying on site but have no doubt it’ll still be a magical trip! X
Hi Brogan! Firstly I have binge watched loads of your videos over the past few weeks as we have booked our first holiday to Florida in 2023! We are taking our two girls. We have never been abroad with them and are keeping it a secret until the time we go! Secondly, your videos are such a huge help to watch for advise and places to go. We are going to Universal and Disney for 2 weeks, totally wishing the next year and bit away!
It goes without saying that eating off property is cheaper, but eating breakfast outside of Disney is sooooo much cheaper. It depends whether you're big eaters at breakfast but we always go for an all you can eat breakfast buffet off property which means we're less likely to spend lots of money on snacks throughout the day and only require a small light lunch in the parks which is always cheaper. But I do appreciate that trying all the Disney snacks is part of the experience! 💕
I'm off to Hawes in Yorkshire a week on Saturday & I absolutely cannot wait!! Roll on the open fires, red wines and *hopefully* the dry weather for some walks! 😊🤗🤞🏻 Xoxo
Ah this video is getting me excited for my 2022 trip to Florida Disney! Similarly to you, we booked in 2019 and had to change it three times! This video is so helpful! Hopefully both our trips go ahead next year 🥰
Finally got round to watching this! Thank you so so much for doing this, its helped so much to give us an idea of cost! I’ve got 351 days, which I’m counting down for the third time, for my honeymoon after getting married last year! The benefit of it being delayed is that it has allowed us to save more money (for all the merch of course!) It would be amazing if you would do another video after you get back so you could compare to what you planned to spend and what you actually spent! I’m so excited to see new Disney vlogs from you, I keep re-watching all the old ones, reliving all the magic!! 😘
Just as a bonus, I think the UK is replacing the returning to the UK pcr test with the standard lateral flow so that'll save you a few pennies! Very excited for all the Disney content returning 🥰😁
I love this budget Disney trip vlog. For all of my past Disney trips to help save money we always got groceries for our breakfast & snacks. But that didn’t mean we didn’t got to Ohana’s for breakfast & Be Out Guest. I also made a separate category for Starbucks cuz I love Starbucks at least twice a day lol.
Such a helpful vlog Brogan! Thanks for doing this one. It can all feel so stressful now, but you make the planning feel a bit easier. I can't wait to watch your vlogs and assessment of everything next year. Oh and you look absolutely gorgeous in your spirit jersey and ears - that hair of yours is fabulous! xxx
Keep in mind that if you book one night in a premier hotel at Universal, you get two days of the express unlimited pass. Check in and check out day. Totally worth the cost to me. Plus the water taxis to the parks are an awesome perk.
Really interesting to hear other people’s budgets! Ours was priced at £7k because my travel insurance is over £1k due to health conditions. Unfortunately those health conditions have meant I’m not well enough to fly but really excited to keep planning and saving for when we finally get to go for the first time!!
This summer we stayed at Endless summer universal resorts and you get early admission included. If you want express passes you need to stay at the expensive universal resorts. Transportation between all parks is included. I would maybe look at booking a universal hotel direct and paying in dollars!!
We purchased cereal, milk and some snacks from target to help keep food costs down. We packed bowls (plastic) and spoons in our suitcases. We had breakfast out every third day. We still had lots of meals out, takeaways and snacks in the parks. If I remember right only spent $700 ish on food for 2 for 2 weeks. Definitely doing it again.
@@eeelvia yeah, I’ve been once and have to say it’s magical, just would take us absolutely ages to save for it! It’s a shame they’ve made it harder to get access and they’ve made less privileges for when you do get there. xox
@@DisneyDud3s yes, I agree! But would take your average family a long time to save up for it, and they’ve made it even harder to holiday there too and added more costs. xox
I honestly had no idea how expensive disney was!! i travelled asia for 6 months for less money - crazy! how exciting for you guys though, i would absolutely love to go to disney one day. sending love!
We always do a universal stay on top of our villa. We get there for 8am the day your staying so you can us the pass all day and store luggage there then go back about 3/4ish check in chill or pool then go back to the parks and then also have an evening at city walk too. Then we use the pass the whole day the next day too! X
Same, we always do extra stays on top. Also means you can just nip over there with an overnight bag, rather than packing, un-packing and lugging all your stuff.
I remember seeing Cirque du Soleil perform La Nuba at Downtown Disney in Orlando when I went with my parents. It was a spectacular show and the venue was amazing. I remember sitting in “pink seats” and the view was great but, like you’re saying, the artists fly and jump around so it’s probably pretty hard to get a bad view. I would love to go see Drawn to Life when I’m there in May. :)
I'm going to WDW on new year's day and have booked Drawn to Life tickets for our first Saturday. It's my first time to both... I'm gonna loose my ever-loving mind! 😁🤪💯
I’m so glad this video popped up in my recommendations. I’ve been obsessed with Disney since I was a little girl. We had very little growing up so every year my mum would say maybe we could go next year. I’m in my 30’s now with children of my own and i want to share my dream with them. I’ve been binge watching videos to find out all I can about planning our trip and this video is so insightful especially because I am also from the UK so I haven’t got a clue about it all 😂
It's more possible than you think, we aren't wealthy at all, but we have been in 2015 ( didn't stay on property )and 2019, we're also going next year. It was just a pipe dream years ago, but we just started saving and those 2 weeks are worth every single penny. The only thing is, Tenerife or Lanzarote just don't cut it now. When you go once, you'll want to go every year. We're going to make sure we go once every 3 years or so. I hope you get to accomplish that dream.👍
Love this video it’s nice to see your planning which is soo similar to when we go! 😍 my dad would often be the driver in Florida as I was never old enough without paying the fee! Sooo he would get the virgin fly drive and add the insurance with them! Virgin have 3 tiers on the insurance and my dad always get the middle option! But I know some people do differently 😊
Wow!! I’ve Realised how much more it is to stay on Disney property! I went in May 2019 flying premium with TUI. We stayed in a villa (5 bedroom 2 storey) with a car, had 14 day Disney tickets/3 day universal/sea world & buschgardens. For 3 of us it cost £1600 each before spending money. I think I spent around $800 ish. Xx
We are currently budgeting for a WDW trip for our family of 5 and found if we do it all separately we can get an extra week for the same price as virgin for 2 weeks but we are still looking at just under £10,000! Plus spending money 😅 however we have decided to go DLP first withing the next 18 months to get all the magic and then go when our kids are like preteen. My husband says really? We could have like 6 holidays for that price but I keep saying its so worth it though as been twice before and ot was absolutely amazing! Love the fact you have got real with the budget it's so nice to see and see some of your plans so thank you
Hey Brogan 🤗 love a Disney planning video as I think we can always pick up tips and help each other. It can add up quite quickly but I do think it’s about thinking about where you can save money and where you might want to splash out a bit. You really have thought of everything and don’t do what I am doing at the moment which is watching all these Tik Tok / Amazon travel must have videos 🙈 they are dangerous. Oh yeah, and you’ll have your new bag to take ☺️ I honestly can’t wait for you to get out there and for your vlogs 🥰 xxx
Really enjoyed this video. We are off in July staying at Pop century and the poly, can’t bloody wait!!! You are super organised with your budget. I should definitely take a leaf out of your book. Can’t wait for the vlogs ❤️
Yes, love this! I’m going end of April next year, trying to work out my budget with the changes is hard, this has helped so much thank you! Glad you mentioned cirque du soleil I’ve been debating what seats to go for going to book middle range tickets! xx
Universal sells bundled tickets and express on the US website. It’s hard to find but cheaper than buying separate . $547 plus tax for the 3 day tickets. For two people that would likely be less than getting the express thru premier hotel. The prices of the universal premier hotels have really increased. Just an option for people who have not bought tickets to universal to consider.
I loved this! I get excited hearing about other peoples trips. It’s been my forever dream to go to Florida but we aren’t in a position to go any year soon lol but we are 30/31 now and I can’t wait until I’m 40 😒 so I need to start planning realistically. It is great to know how much it costs broken down though because I roughly thought it was about this when I had a look previously but wasn’t sure about anything I might have missed. It’s nice to know so we can figure out how to save for it. Thanks for sharing - I know some people don’t like to talk about money but it’s real helpful. I’m already looking forward to the vlogs omg! Going to be amazing xx
Hey Brogan!! So happy we are talking Disney!!! 😍 We just went to Florida in March and we rented a car for the first time. The tolls are extremely confusing (we do not have them where I am at in Washington). Our rental car company gave us a flier in the car and it gave us a base fee that was part of our rental car fee, then we were sent a toll bill a month or so after our trip in the mail. There are a lot of toll booths that require exact change or some say no cash so we just drove through. I think we ended up paying about $10 on our bill and we drove from Orlando, to Tampa, to Cocoa Beach then back to Orlando. We took buses while in Disney and they were great. Express pass and staying at Universal - DO IT!! Universals express pass is SO much better than Disney’s and it’s 💯 worth it. We stayed at the Royal Pacific just to get the pass for free and it was great. Hope this helps! 😊
Hi Brogan. Mandy here. All exciting now we can make some plans & bookings! My friend & I have also booked for Drawn to life - paying £100 each for pretty good seats. I’ve seen 4 shows &, as you say, practically all seats are good. We also have the 50th Anniversary package with the gift card, hamper & dining credit (we have $61 per day) which will come in handy but your budgeting vlog has really helped! Thank you. Take care & see you soon
Thankyou so much for this video, we plan to go in the next few years and we have never been before. It's very daunting the thought of budget planning and this has simplified things so much! Love your vids, enjoy your trip! X
I’m also so lost with how much to budget for food. We like eating table service and usually have the dining plan. It’s terrifying how quickly our 2022 holiday is adding up. Still very excited though.
Last time we had a car and stayed at Caribbean beach resort. We used disney transport for all of Disney and the car for other places. Our car hire came with full tank and said we could return on whatever gas was left. Think it depends on who you go with but we loved having a car for that accessibility x
Thank you for the details of your budget planning! We are actually also thinking about going to Disney World next year and I presume that we might have similar expenses. So that was really helpful :)
Aww will just miss you in Disney, me and my family are going from 18th May so will just miss the chance to bump into you in Disney but can’t wait for the disney clogs coming back
This past April I booked at Hard Rock while still booked at Pop. I did it for one night for the express passes. It was nice to still have that room at Pop and only pack an overnight bag versus having to pack up everything to to go Hard Rock and then everything again to go back to Disney. It was worth it.
Can’t wait for new vlogs ☺️ I’ve just upgraded to Polynesian resort Oct 22 , originally booked in suite at art of animation. Was very little difference between the two cost wise so treating ourselves. I’m so stressed over dining planning, so far as a rough estimate based on the cost of dining plan for 2 weeks. This will be our 3rd visit so roughly know where we like to eat and how much. I know it’s a bit early, I have ASD and Disney planning is my obsession.
You've got me all fired up for our August 2022 trip now!! I absolutely love your Disney planning vlogs so I was made up to see this drop this morning! Our trip is rescheduled from 2020 and is our first time going. I had everything planned for last year but there's definitely some adjustments that need to made now that there have been so many changes! We are staying at the Carribbean Beach resort for two weeks but plan to have two days at Universal mid holiday. I am planning on booking the Hard Rock hotel so that we can benefit from the Express passes (there are four of us) so I was interested to hear you talking about this! You've got me so excited now, isn't it great to be finally able to plan again? Can't wait for more planning vlogs from you!!
Hi Brogan! I think this was really interesting - it’s amazing to see how much it has gone up since I went in 2019, but that’s definitely down to the dining plan I think. I had next planned to go in 2024 for my 30th but I think I’m just going to wait and see what happens over the next few years and seeing what other people think of the changes. Until then I’ll live vicariously through your vlogs - I’ve rewatched them so many times during lockdown 😂 xx
Morning Libby! Yes, I agree. Makes it hard to budget for food when we've previously relied on the dining plan. Obviously have some 'credit' but make the whole thing different. Good idea, there's no real rush, it's always going to be there and in the meanwhile, we will certainly give our honest tips and advice on what you need to know! Thank you!! Hopefully not long until new ones haha xx
Our trip cost has slowly crept up, we booked in 2019 our first trip to WDW and also Disney Cruise out of Canaveral - what an expensive 2 weeks - but so looking forward to it! I've spent ages trawling through for the right cover travel insurance, food I've based on an rough cost of X amount of TS, QS and snacks per day (tip inclusive etc), still need to look at Genie etc. Safe to say the spreadsheet is in constant flux, but for me and my sister its our big bang treat yourself trip - no matter what shopping budget I set, won't be sticking to it lol, so I've not set one :') I totally booked Cirque du Soleil tickets as soon as they were released, so excited to see it - saw O in Vegas and was incredible! Just so happy to be finally going yayyyyy! Much planning to do but we'll all be out there and sure we'll all love it xx
Yes to the spreadsheet constantly fluctuating!! So hard to know exactly what we might need but at least we’ve got a rough estimate. Love that, yay!! Xxx
We’ve had 2 trips to WDW cancelled due to the pandemic but next year we had always planned to go to Disneyland California so we are sticking to that plan and then fingers crossed WDW & our first Disney cruise the year after! Just need to save like mad now 🤣 I want to squeeze as many magical trips in before my girls grow up and go off doing their own thing! (Currently age 14 & 11). Thank you for this video Brogan, always enjoy your Disney/holiday chats xx
This is so helpful thank you! My girlfriend and I are going to the same hotel around the same time as you guys & have also already booked Cirque du Soleil ✨ Can’t wait - this really helped as a comparison, thank you! 😊
We are hoping to get 3rd time lucky in May 22. We booked in Jan 2019 for my hubby’s 40th in 2020, sadly it was cancelled 2 weeks before we were due to fly. Our 2021 rescheduled trip was also cancelled so we have rebooked again and thankfully it has only cost us a few extra pounds, which I’m grateful for as I genuinely don’t think we could afford today’s prices. I’m keeping my eyes peeled to see how genie works and see if as UK guests we get any extra perks as our tickets were always such fantastic value compared to gate prices. We go just after you return, so I’ll be closely following your blogs for any new post COVID tips. I’m a bit of a seasoned Florida goer- but maybe you can teach this old dog some new tricks! 😘
Brogan I used to watch your videos a few years ago, but unsubscribed, for some reason or another…… However, Over the past few weeks I’ve began rewatching your channel and have spent many hours getting up to date! I have since resubscribed, and just wanted to let you know, I think you’re doing an amazing job!! I love ALL your travel videos, including your recent Travel the UK weekends. I think you and Benji are honestly so loving, funny and just a beautiful couple! I’m also a little obsessed with Bonnie. She is super sweet.
I last went in 2019 and it cost me £3000 in total. That included free Disney dining, fast passes, stayed onsite (moderate) for 2 weeks and we paid £300 for universal and stayed there for a night to get the express pass and I took a good chunk of spending money too. Disney express is going but Mears travel are actually putting something in place instead so it’s worth looking out for that before you get a car incase that’s cheaper. It’s also cheaper if you get a taxi from Disney springs to the outlets or universal than it was from Caribbean Beach which is where we stayed. I can’t wait to go back! Fingers crossed for 2023!
This was really helpful! I’ve never been to Florida, and really wanted to go before having kids but the pandemic has taken nearly 2 years of our timeline away, so now unsure what to do! Could you do a video on how to save money at Disney? Like the best affordable food places, uber costs etc? As like you say, it’s the small things that add up! X
Used to work with Enterprise car rentals. Majority of the time, additional insurance is not needed; however, it is literally no questions asked if you purchase more.
Usually the heat puts us off eating, so we have a snack at Starbucks for breakfast (could easily be replaced with something from target), then share some fries or a meal at lunch time and have a big meal in the evening. We usually also get an ice cream or more drinks throughout the day. With a car you might be able to experience some cheap dining places off-site, that we don't get in the UK (chick-fil-A, Millers Alehouse, Wendy's etc.) Especially if you go to the parks in the morning, leave the parks for food once they start to get busy in the afternoon, then come back after dinner. We also usually split stay - first at Disney, then at Universal and then rent a car over to Clearwater. Clearwater beach and the Tampa area are beautiful for a beach day btw. From what I remember we only had to fill the car once in almost 2 weeks. We also never came across tolls roads - i think you can set your satnav to avoid them.
A really informative and honest budget video. Personally hubby and I would spend way more than that on food but we were spoiled with the deluxe dining plan on our honeymoon in 2019. You are fortunate to avoid school holidays as I cannot even get an indirect flight for less than 800 each next August. For great budget food I totally recommend signing up for the vouchers for the chain restaurants on I drive we saved a fortune doing that or got a free entree or whatever. Chillis is great! .... for disney food pricing the DFB is really informative and the new Disney space restaurant at epcot looks a must! You mention la cellier, with wine and 2 courses plus tip you are looking at 150 dollars for that meal alone so some budget meals in between may help on your non disney days. Highly recommend the Sunday brunch at the top at california grill - so worth the money for the view and food quality - unlimited mimosas also great date style brunch :) enjoy and look forward to the vlog series :)
Hi! This is a long comment but I think it will help. Note, all of my notes are in US dollars. Also, wow, you can do a two week trip for not significantly more than we do for one week...our flights and ticket/hotel packages are more expensive within the US. 1) Your gas budget is reasonable, but if you drive to the beach it will be more. 2) Tolls. You will likely need double your budget, depending on how often you leave Disney property. There are no tolls on Disney property, but as soon as you leave they get you both ways. Also, they are switching away from cash tolls so you'll need a sunpass transponder. You can get it on the Sunpass website, they mail it to you. You stick it on your rental car and load money to your account as you go. Look into it. 3) Keep an eye on the Universal Express cost. It changes. When we were there in June it was $289 per person per day! Also, if you end up getting a one night hotel for Universal, I would suggest keeping your night at Disney so you don't have to take all of your luggage with you 😉
We booked a fly drive with Virgin many years ago. It worked out cheaper to pay for a separate hire car with fully inclusive insurance than pay the extra insurance that Virgin insist you pay. Don’t let the reps sell you extra insurance as you only need cdw. Also if you download maps of the areas you are visiting to google maps you can set it to avoid tolls saving the need for a sun pass, just pay for a few tolls to get you from the airport
Loved this! We are also going back may 2022 after our Disney holiday was cancelled last year! However, couldn’t have our Disney dream due to prices so we’re doing universal instead🥰 can’t wait to be back in the sun🤩☀️
Love hearing how different everyone does their Disney/Orlando holiday. We’ve been many times & stayed in villas, Disney hotel &/the most recent one in 2019 was Universals Cabana Bay as it was a quick last minute holiday. As a family of 4 with one adult daughter & a teenage daughter, Staying at Universal really suited us. It was so quick & easy to pop into the parks so for once our Florida holiday was a perfect balance of fun & relaxing by the pool or at Volcano Bay. We are booked to stay there again for Xmas this year which we are so excited about. We still absolutely love Disney & there are so many new things to see that we will definitely be hitting Disney too but it will be interesting getting around by Uber or Lyft as we decided to not hire a car this time. So happy we’re able to travel to the USA again. Any recommendations for where to go for a meal on Xmas day greatly appreciated. X
I think the only think me and my boyfriend James would consider would be more for food as we are big foodies and probz more for merchandise but we would probably stay off site to cut that price down… although we would book one or two nights in a Disney hotel for a treat! We are now looking at adding a mini Disney cruise onto ours as we both turn 30 in 2023! ❤️
In regards to food, I typically plan out where we are going to eat (roughly if I am not 100% sure) and then I look at their menu on the Disney website - it includes the prices of each item. So then I add up what I think we will get (or I add up the most expensive things to give us wiggle room). Then I know roughly how much each place will be. Then because you know how much you think you will spend, its easy to determine tipping ahead of time too - I always allow 20% but that's just me and not everyone's opinion. Hope this helps! We are going in April and can't wait!
Hi Brogan, we always split our Orlando trip up wherein we do Universal in the middle, and we check out of Disney and into a Universal hotel. If you stay 1 night at a premium uni hotel (we like Loews Royal Pacific) you get the unlimited express pass for 2 days, checkin and checkout. Definitely recommend doing the universal days consecutively to take advantage.
Definitely look at the insurance for the car. The first time we hired a car the insurance with travel company was only basic, you will need fully comp. sort before you go as it can be quite pricey! Excited for your trip, we are booking for next September🥳❤️
Really enjoyed this, we are going next August and trying to look at our budget. We have changed our holiday 4 times so really looking forward to going x
It might be a good idea to stay overnight in the Hard Rock you get 2 days express pass included - the day you check in and the day you check out. Lovely resort too and works out cheaper than buying express pass.
The car rental situation in Orlando (MCO especially) is astronomical right now! I have also heard so many stories of car rental companies at MCO who have had 3+ hour waits AND they have over-sold their care fleet and left people stranded with no car. I would suggest just paying the Uber costs to and from the airport (around $30-$40 each way). The price of the car, the hassle, PLUS the hotel daily parking fees are a lot more expensive than just using uber for the airport, especially if you have Disney transportation for the rest of the holiday
I think you'll save if you do Universal at the beginning of your trip. Just so your first 2 nights at Universal and then go to Universal the first 2 days then go over to WDW. That's what we're doing for our November trip
I loved pop century. Great value resort - my favorite. And the price is right for a two week trip - my family is staying at beach club in December for five nights for a similar price that you are getting for two weeks!
I am so excited for you and for us to have international travel and Cast Members returning to Disneyworld! You will LOVE Pop Century and you will have the Skyliner! Did you budget for parking.? Have a wonderful trip.
I know you talked about possibly going to the beach. If you do, come to the gulf coast! I know its a bit more of a drive to head to the gulf than to go to the east coast, but you won't be disappointed! Anna Maria Island (gorgeous clear water and white sand) and Fort Desoto (great shelling beach) are two of our favorite places to go. Oh and if you want to visit the Tampa area be sure to have something to eat at Armature Works. Excited for y'all to come back to Florida! °●°❤🐚🌴
Honestly we have stayed at two resorts at universal and it’s totally worth the price and perks for the fast passes especially if your a huge universal fan. We love the portifinio and stayed club level bc the meals are so good helped saved us for meals while at universal by budgeting for just paying out of pocket for 1 meal a day and then had the other meals at club level. Vlogged those experiences so you can check those out in our 2019 & 2020 vacations. As far as your Disney meals I would budget a little more per person per day bc without the dining plans you forget the snacks can get a bit pricy and those are things you may have been forgetting when budgeting overall in the parks - when I went in may of 2021 I purchased 4 gift cards at $300 each for snacks and merchandise and still ended up spending more bc drinks like water and pop ended up sucking down a lot of what used to use from my snack credits ($5 per person for just water goes fast especially bc it’s so incredibly hot in may). Other than that I think your budget is on point we have looked at our meals and pre-planned what we will be actually round about eating so that we can also plan out a more exact amount for our totals per sit down meals. As far as Genie + goes we are less likely to pay for that as our next vacation in January we will be in the parks for 10 days and are planning on spending more of our money on merch & food and figured on using Genie + only towards the end of the vacation if we haven’t been able to get on rides like Slinky dog, Rise or Rattatouie so my suggestion use it only after you have been there to see crowd size and wait times that will possibly save you a bit more in the long run. You will love Hagrids and Rise best two rides by far at both parks. I will be possibly going on a solo trip in May as well when your there and be prepared however that there might be a lot of cheerleaders there since they have nationals and worlds championships going during those first two weeks in may. It was a bit packed but not too bad particularly in the middle of the week Tue - Thur best days so plan on those days to be your must do Disney big ride days and then the weekend time head over to universal or water parks to avoid the cheerleader crowds. Hope that helps! Can’t wait to see your magical journey finally coming back to the states!!! 😀🤩
Yay, let's chat all things budgeting for Disney! Realised this morning I forgot to mention parking too - $15 for value hotel guests per night, so need to add $210/£150(ish) to the car bit too. Anything else I might have missed? Let me know!
Don’t forget theme park parking 😊
Ooh just remembered our ESTA’s too 😅
I was going to tell you about the parking ❤️ so happy you remembered 🏎🏎
@@thegingerlife8995 If you stay on-site you don’t pay to park at Disney parks, only at the hotel.
As food goes you both can always get a kids meal at any time so that helps as well. That’s what we normally do for breakfast and sometimes lunch, and then share snacks
Great tip!!
I agree with this. I was going to share an adult quick service meal with my daughter but recently discovered they don't come with a drink but kids meals do!
No one will come with me to Disney World and so I don’t really need to watch this video but will I watch anyway just incase? Yes, yes I will ✨🥰 ✨
Oh bless you!! Thank you Clare xx
Loving all of this Disney chit chat - it's so nice to relate to someone who loves their Disney trip just as much as me hehe
Thank you Hayley!! Love chatting all things Disney with you hahah x
This has genuinely helped so much. I’ve just booked my first Florida holiday for next year,and all the budgeting,planning,etc is stressing me out a bit 😅. So this has really helped.
I love that we can all get excited for WDW again! Eeek I just cannot wait for new vlogs 😍😍💕
Yes!!! Xx
For anyone really wanting to budget (if you’re a couple) we saved a fortune just getting Uber/Lyft compared to renting a car. We hired a car company from airport (Tiffany town car) they pick u up and give you an hour to food shop, then drop you to hotel. We then just used Uber /Lyft, so saved on fuel and park parking etc also they drop you right at the entrance of parks which is great!
Thank you!
Orlando resident here 👋🏻👋🏻 A little advice for what it’s worth. Tolls are expensive, yes! However, if you are someone who is here for a limited time, the cost of the tolls is worth paying for the time you save going the non toll routes . They are designed to get you around town quick and somewhat painlessly, and it’s well worth it. Depending on how much you’re going to be using them, I’d consider the option of buying a sun pass transponder (you set up an online account & can save per toll that way also) and you can bring it back with you year after year ☺️ They sell them at Publix.
Every time I price up WDW my husband always says “but we could tick three places off our dream travel list, for that price” . So far he has won haha. Although with all the changes I don’t know if I will ever go to WDW. Whenever we go abroad we head to the supermarket and get cereal and almond milk for breakfast , it saves a fortune . We do have breakfast out some days but it’s an easy way to save some money :)
Brogan, I absolutely love how organized you are. We live in the Orlando area so none of this directly applies to us. But, I was completely fascinated by all your organizational skills and have watched this vid three times now lol. We are Disney passholders and do plan on using the paid Lightning Lanes because of the packed crowds. And 100% yes, I would recommend booking a night at Lowe’s Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay at Universal because the included unlimited Express Pass works on both your check-in and check-out day. Such an amazing perk. So much better than $100 per person per day.
Hey! My other half watches your channel a lot, and we are going beginning of May aswell! Will keep our eyes peeled for you and Benji! Let the countdown begin! 💫
So excited to finally be discussing disney trips and them be a reality again!!! I'm going from Australia in November 2022 and I can't wait. When we went in 2019 we didn't budget our food because we didn't want to restrict ourselves. But in saying that the meals are so big we ended up doing breakfast or lunch not both and dinner with some snacks because it's so much, it's hot and sometimes you just forget
Loved this Brogan, we’ve been twice as a family of 4 and managed to do it in just under £10k both times, but that was with free dining, free fast passes and free on-site parking! we always do a split stay at Disney and universal (Coronado springs and cabana bay last time) with a car but I’d like to try one of the fast pass hotels at universal next time. Can’t beat that magical feeling of Disney! Can’t wait to see the vlogs, hoping to go back in 2023 ❤️
🙌🏼 this is getting me all excited! So happy we can finally say there is a good chance we will get there next year 😍 we are at port Orleans french quarter next May, but the new set up has blown my mind! What we do every time we go which works well is get a garden grocer to be delivered the day we arrive. We stock up on basic snacks but also cereal and breakfast items to eat in the room before we go out. Then we used to use the quick service credits for lunch and dinner. Although we always had soooo many credits left at the end. So I reckon breakfast in the room and midday snacks and an evening meal will be just right! So excited. Seeing you talking Disney smiling gets us all excited for our upcoming trips xx
I have absolutely no plans yet to go to Disney (2 young kids, no budget for it!) nor have I ever been but I am just so captivated by your videos on it! 😅 there’s just something about how you talk so passionately about it that makes it so watchable 😁 xxx
I’ve missed having your Disney trip planning videos to look forward to! So excited for you and Benji to go back and give us another great series! 💜💜💜💜
Also, for Orlando we usually do about $50 per person per day, if we bring our water bottles and use that for a QS lunch to cut costs. We normally have 1 TS per day and prices for them vary. We don’t eat breakfast and we rarely get snacks because of the heat.
Since you love to plan though, a fun thing I personally like to do is once you’ve decided on the restaurants you want to eat at, look through the menus and make a pretend order for each location to get an idea on costs and then work from there.
Mid morning new Disney vlog while I’m doing housework!! You’re spoiling me 😍
Enjoy!! Xx
Such a helpful video! We’re hoping to book a trip for 2023 hopefully so it’s a big help to hear rough costs so you’re not going in totally blind. Seems a bit of a shame they’ve taken away some of the big benefits of staying on site but have no doubt it’ll still be a magical trip! X
Yes! Glad this helps! I agree x
Hi Brogan! Firstly I have binge watched loads of your videos over the past few weeks as we have booked our first holiday to Florida in 2023! We are taking our two girls. We have never been abroad with them and are keeping it a secret until the time we go! Secondly, your videos are such a huge help to watch for advise and places to go. We are going to Universal and Disney for 2 weeks, totally wishing the next year and bit away!
It goes without saying that eating off property is cheaper, but eating breakfast outside of Disney is sooooo much cheaper. It depends whether you're big eaters at breakfast but we always go for an all you can eat breakfast buffet off property which means we're less likely to spend lots of money on snacks throughout the day and only require a small light lunch in the parks which is always cheaper. But I do appreciate that trying all the Disney snacks is part of the experience! 💕
I'm off to Hawes in Yorkshire a week on Saturday & I absolutely cannot wait!! Roll on the open fires, red wines and *hopefully* the dry weather for some walks! 😊🤗🤞🏻 Xoxo
Ah this video is getting me excited for my 2022 trip to Florida Disney! Similarly to you, we booked in 2019 and had to change it three times! This video is so helpful! Hopefully both our trips go ahead next year 🥰
Yay!! Fingers crossed for us all xx
This video has me so so excited for you! Cannot wait to see these vlogs!
Thanks Julianna! I can’t wait to share them 🤩
Finally got round to watching this! Thank you so so much for doing this, its helped so much to give us an idea of cost! I’ve got 351 days, which I’m counting down for the third time, for my honeymoon after getting married last year! The benefit of it being delayed is that it has allowed us to save more money (for all the merch of course!) It would be amazing if you would do another video after you get back so you could compare to what you planned to spend and what you actually spent! I’m so excited to see new Disney vlogs from you, I keep re-watching all the old ones, reliving all the magic!! 😘
Just as a bonus, I think the UK is replacing the returning to the UK pcr test with the standard lateral flow so that'll save you a few pennies! Very excited for all the Disney content returning 🥰😁
That would be SO helpful 😀
@@brogantatexo Wouldn't it! Im so happy the borders are opening but it's already expensive, extra costs just make it crazy! X
I love this budget Disney trip vlog. For all of my past Disney trips to help save money we always got groceries for our breakfast & snacks. But that didn’t mean we didn’t got to Ohana’s for breakfast & Be Out Guest. I also made a separate category for Starbucks cuz I love Starbucks at least twice a day lol.
Such a helpful vlog Brogan! Thanks for doing this one. It can all feel so stressful now, but you make the planning feel a bit easier. I can't wait to watch your vlogs and assessment of everything next year. Oh and you look absolutely gorgeous in your spirit jersey and ears - that hair of yours is fabulous! xxx
Keep in mind that if you book one night in a premier hotel at Universal, you get two days of the express unlimited pass. Check in and check out day. Totally worth the cost to me. Plus the water taxis to the parks are an awesome perk.
Really interesting to hear other people’s budgets! Ours was priced at £7k because my travel insurance is over £1k due to health conditions. Unfortunately those health conditions have meant I’m not well enough to fly but really excited to keep planning and saving for when we finally get to go for the first time!!
This summer we stayed at Endless summer universal resorts and you get early admission included. If you want express passes you need to stay at the expensive universal resorts. Transportation between all parks is included. I would maybe look at booking a universal hotel direct and paying in dollars!!
We purchased cereal, milk and some snacks from target to help keep food costs down. We packed bowls (plastic) and spoons in our suitcases. We had breakfast out every third day. We still had lots of meals out, takeaways and snacks in the parks. If I remember right only spent $700 ish on food for 2 for 2 weeks. Definitely doing it again.
Genius! Great idea Lauren, it’s all you need in the AM on a hot day x
I am so glad to see a Brogan video - I'm floored with a cold and your videos cheer me up - ESPECIALLY Disney 💕
Thanks Ellie! Oh no! Get better soon! xx
Wow it is a costly trip isn’t it!! It’s crazy, kind of puts me off - as magical as it is! xox
It’s worth every penny though!
It is expensive, but I swear it is worth it!
@@eeelvia yeah, I’ve been once and have to say it’s magical, just would take us absolutely ages to save for it! It’s a shame they’ve made it harder to get access and they’ve made less privileges for when you do get there. xox
@@DisneyDud3s yes, I agree! But would take your average family a long time to save up for it, and they’ve made it even harder to holiday there too and added more costs. xox
I honestly had no idea how expensive disney was!! i travelled asia for 6 months for less money - crazy! how exciting for you guys though, i would absolutely love to go to disney one day. sending love!
We always do a universal stay on top of our villa. We get there for 8am the day your staying so you can us the pass all day and store luggage there then go back about 3/4ish check in chill or pool then go back to the parks and then also have an evening at city walk too. Then we use the pass the whole day the next day too! X
Genius!!! x
Same, we always do extra stays on top. Also means you can just nip over there with an overnight bag, rather than packing, un-packing and lugging all your stuff.
I remember seeing Cirque du Soleil perform La Nuba at Downtown Disney in Orlando when I went with my parents. It was a spectacular show and the venue was amazing. I remember sitting in “pink seats” and the view was great but, like you’re saying, the artists fly and jump around so it’s probably pretty hard to get a bad view. I would love to go see Drawn to Life when I’m there in May. :)
I'm going to WDW on new year's day and have booked Drawn to Life tickets for our first Saturday. It's my first time to both... I'm gonna loose my ever-loving mind! 😁🤪💯
I’m so glad this video popped up in my recommendations. I’ve been obsessed with Disney since I was a little girl. We had very little growing up so every year my mum would say maybe we could go next year. I’m in my 30’s now with children of my own and i want to share my dream with them. I’ve been binge watching videos to find out all I can about planning our trip and this video is so insightful especially because I am also from the UK so I haven’t got a clue about it all 😂
It's more possible than you think, we aren't wealthy at all, but we have been in 2015 ( didn't stay on property )and 2019, we're also going next year. It was just a pipe dream years ago, but we just started saving and those 2 weeks are worth every single penny. The only thing is, Tenerife or Lanzarote just don't cut it now. When you go once, you'll want to go every year. We're going to make sure we go once every 3 years or so. I hope you get to accomplish that dream.👍
Love this video it’s nice to see your planning which is soo similar to when we go! 😍 my dad would often be the driver in Florida as I was never old enough without paying the fee! Sooo he would get the virgin fly drive and add the insurance with them! Virgin have 3 tiers on the insurance and my dad always get the middle option! But I know some people do differently 😊
This video reminded me to book cirque du soleil for my May trip 😂😂 which has got me SO EXCITED
Such a helpful video Brogan! Really want to get planning a Disney trip ASAP! You’ve really put me in the mood for magic! 🤩 xxx
Wow!! I’ve Realised how much more it is to stay on Disney property! I went in May 2019 flying premium with TUI. We stayed in a villa (5 bedroom 2 storey) with a car, had 14 day Disney tickets/3 day universal/sea world & buschgardens. For 3 of us it cost £1600 each before spending money. I think I spent around $800 ish. Xx
Loving the Disney chat! Would love a video on your plans for the trip. Eg how many days in each park you are planning etc.
We are currently budgeting for a WDW trip for our family of 5 and found if we do it all separately we can get an extra week for the same price as virgin for 2 weeks but we are still looking at just under £10,000! Plus spending money 😅 however we have decided to go DLP first withing the next 18 months to get all the magic and then go when our kids are like preteen. My husband says really? We could have like 6 holidays for that price but I keep saying its so worth it though as been twice before and ot was absolutely amazing! Love the fact you have got real with the budget it's so nice to see and see some of your plans so thank you
Thank you for this. I am going on my first trip September 22 and with all the changes I have no idea how to budget for disney now xx
No problem Nicole! I hope this helps a little by sharing ours xx
We are going the 18th! Can't wait, the dining credit and $100 card was a bonus, basically knocking a grand off the holiday.
Hey Brogan 🤗 love a Disney planning video as I think we can always pick up tips and help each other. It can add up quite quickly but I do think it’s about thinking about where you can save money and where you might want to splash out a bit. You really have thought of everything and don’t do what I am doing at the moment which is watching all these Tik Tok / Amazon travel must have videos 🙈 they are dangerous. Oh yeah, and you’ll have your new bag to take ☺️ I honestly can’t wait for you to get out there and for your vlogs 🥰 xxx
Really enjoyed this video. We are off in July staying at Pop century and the poly, can’t bloody wait!!! You are super organised with your budget. I should definitely take a leaf out of your book. Can’t wait for the vlogs ❤️
Love a Disney chat 🙌👏 so exciting to start planning again. Actually starting to feel within reach again 🙏🙌🎉
Yes, love this! I’m going end of April next year, trying to work out my budget with the changes is hard, this has helped so much thank you! Glad you mentioned cirque du soleil I’ve been debating what seats to go for going to book middle range tickets! xx
Thanks Emma!! So glad this helps. Can’t wait to see cirque, feel excited for that date night we’ll do xx
Universal sells bundled tickets and express on the US website. It’s hard to find but cheaper than buying separate . $547 plus tax for the 3 day tickets. For two people that would likely be less than getting the express thru premier hotel. The prices of the universal premier hotels have really increased. Just an option for people who have not bought tickets to universal to consider.
I loved this! I get excited hearing about other peoples trips. It’s been my forever dream to go to Florida but we aren’t in a position to go any year soon lol but we are 30/31 now and I can’t wait until I’m 40 😒 so I need to start planning realistically. It is great to know how much it costs broken down though because I roughly thought it was about this when I had a look previously but wasn’t sure about anything I might have missed. It’s nice to know so we can figure out how to save for it. Thanks for sharing - I know some people don’t like to talk about money but it’s real helpful. I’m already looking forward to the vlogs omg! Going to be amazing xx
It's easier than you think. If, like us, you can save £300-£500 in a month for 3 years, that's enough to have a dream holiday in Orlando.
Really exciting! I'm going in May too! We've decided not to hire a car this time as Disney now charge for parking per night at the hotels! xx
That’s the comment I was looking for!
We’ve considered not getting a car for this reason too! I guess you would use Uber? How much are you budgeting for getting around? x
we’re booking for 2023 in november so your vlogs will come at the PERFECT time 😍😍
Amazing!! That'll come round before you know it, and we can give you all the best tips! xx
Hey Brogan!! So happy we are talking Disney!!! 😍 We just went to Florida in March and we rented a car for the first time. The tolls are extremely confusing (we do not have them where I am at in Washington). Our rental car company gave us a flier in the car and it gave us a base fee that was part of our rental car fee, then we were sent a toll bill a month or so after our trip in the mail. There are a lot of toll booths that require exact change or some say no cash so we just drove through. I think we ended up paying about $10 on our bill and we drove from Orlando, to Tampa, to Cocoa Beach then back to Orlando. We took buses while in Disney and they were great.
Express pass and staying at Universal - DO IT!! Universals express pass is SO much better than Disney’s and it’s 💯 worth it. We stayed at the Royal Pacific just to get the pass for free and it was great.
Hope this helps! 😊
Hi Brogan. Mandy here. All exciting now we can make some plans & bookings! My friend & I have also booked for Drawn to life - paying £100 each for pretty good seats. I’ve seen 4 shows &, as you say, practically all seats are good. We also have the 50th Anniversary package with the gift card, hamper & dining credit (we have $61 per day) which will come in handy but your budgeting vlog has really helped! Thank you. Take care & see you soon
Thankyou so much for this video, we plan to go in the next few years and we have never been before. It's very daunting the thought of budget planning and this has simplified things so much! Love your vids, enjoy your trip! X
So glad this helps break it down! Thank you Victoria!! Xx
Loving this first thing - just what I needed 🤩
Thanks lovely!! Have a great day xx
I’m also so lost with how much to budget for food. We like eating table service and usually have the dining plan. It’s terrifying how quickly our 2022 holiday is adding up. Still very excited though.
Last time we had a car and stayed at Caribbean beach resort. We used disney transport for all of Disney and the car for other places. Our car hire came with full tank and said we could return on whatever gas was left. Think it depends on who you go with but we loved having a car for that accessibility x
me and my family are going at the end of next month!! so excited and this was really useful to help with food budgets etc :))
Thank you for the details of your budget planning! We are actually also thinking about going to Disney World next year and I presume that we might have similar expenses. So that was really helpful :)
Aww will just miss you in Disney, me and my family are going from 18th May so will just miss the chance to bump into you in Disney but can’t wait for the disney clogs coming back
This past April I booked at Hard Rock while still booked at Pop. I did it for one night for the express passes. It was nice to still have that room at Pop and only pack an overnight bag versus having to pack up everything to to go Hard Rock and then everything again to go back to Disney. It was worth it.
Can’t wait for new vlogs ☺️
I’ve just upgraded to Polynesian resort Oct 22 , originally booked in suite at art of animation. Was very little difference between the two cost wise so treating ourselves. I’m so stressed over dining planning, so far as a rough estimate based on the cost of dining plan for 2 weeks. This will be our 3rd visit so roughly know where we like to eat and how much. I know it’s a bit early, I have ASD and Disney planning is my obsession.
Amazing!! Have the best time. Disney planning is my jam too, it helps me understand the costs and what I’m working/saving towards too xx
You've got me all fired up for our August 2022 trip now!! I absolutely love your Disney planning vlogs so I was made up to see this drop this morning! Our trip is rescheduled from 2020 and is our first time going. I had everything planned for last year but there's definitely some adjustments that need to made now that there have been so many changes! We are staying at the Carribbean Beach resort for two weeks but plan to have two days at Universal mid holiday. I am planning on booking the Hard Rock hotel so that we can benefit from the Express passes (there are four of us) so I was interested to hear you talking about this! You've got me so excited now, isn't it great to be finally able to plan again? Can't wait for more planning vlogs from you!!
Hi I enjoyed your emphasis on adults only and all your budget categories!
Hi Brogan! I think this was really interesting - it’s amazing to see how much it has gone up since I went in 2019, but that’s definitely down to the dining plan I think. I had next planned to go in 2024 for my 30th but I think I’m just going to wait and see what happens over the next few years and seeing what other people think of the changes. Until then I’ll live vicariously through your vlogs - I’ve rewatched them so many times during lockdown 😂 xx
Morning Libby! Yes, I agree. Makes it hard to budget for food when we've previously relied on the dining plan. Obviously have some 'credit' but make the whole thing different. Good idea, there's no real rush, it's always going to be there and in the meanwhile, we will certainly give our honest tips and advice on what you need to know! Thank you!! Hopefully not long until new ones haha xx
Our trip cost has slowly crept up, we booked in 2019 our first trip to WDW and also Disney Cruise out of Canaveral - what an expensive 2 weeks - but so looking forward to it! I've spent ages trawling through for the right cover travel insurance, food I've based on an rough cost of X amount of TS, QS and snacks per day (tip inclusive etc), still need to look at Genie etc. Safe to say the spreadsheet is in constant flux, but for me and my sister its our big bang treat yourself trip - no matter what shopping budget I set, won't be sticking to it lol, so I've not set one :') I totally booked Cirque du Soleil tickets as soon as they were released, so excited to see it - saw O in Vegas and was incredible! Just so happy to be finally going yayyyyy! Much planning to do but we'll all be out there and sure we'll all love it xx
Yes to the spreadsheet constantly fluctuating!! So hard to know exactly what we might need but at least we’ve got a rough estimate. Love that, yay!! Xxx
We’ve had 2 trips to WDW cancelled due to the pandemic but next year we had always planned to go to Disneyland California so we are sticking to that plan and then fingers crossed WDW & our first Disney cruise the year after! Just need to save like mad now 🤣 I want to squeeze as many magical trips in before my girls grow up and go off doing their own thing! (Currently age 14 & 11). Thank you for this video Brogan, always enjoy your Disney/holiday chats xx
Thankyou for that Disney vlog so useful . We are going May 9th for two weeks for the first time so excited . Can’t wait 😀
This is so helpful thank you! My girlfriend and I are going to the same hotel around the same time as you guys & have also already booked Cirque du Soleil ✨ Can’t wait - this really helped as a comparison, thank you! 😊
Loved the vlog just bugeting our trip was great watching and getting ideas excited to see your vlogs xx
We are hoping to get 3rd time lucky in May 22. We booked in Jan 2019 for my hubby’s 40th in 2020, sadly it was cancelled 2 weeks before we were due to fly. Our 2021 rescheduled trip was also cancelled so we have rebooked again and thankfully it has only cost us a few extra pounds, which I’m grateful for as I genuinely don’t think we could afford today’s prices. I’m keeping my eyes peeled to see how genie works and see if as UK guests we get any extra perks as our tickets were always such fantastic value compared to gate prices. We go just after you return, so I’ll be closely following your blogs for any new post COVID tips. I’m a bit of a seasoned Florida goer- but maybe you can teach this old dog some new tricks! 😘
You’ve given me some inspo! Have booked flights to CA to do Disneyland next spring … and that’s all so far !
Brogan I used to watch your videos a few years ago, but unsubscribed, for some reason or another…… However, Over the past few weeks I’ve began rewatching your channel and have spent many hours getting up to date! I have since resubscribed, and just wanted to let you know, I think you’re doing an amazing job!! I love ALL your travel videos, including your recent Travel the UK weekends.
I think you and Benji are honestly so loving, funny and just a beautiful couple! I’m also a little obsessed with Bonnie. She is super sweet.
Love the video. I love budget videos in general and this video is very insightful!
I last went in 2019 and it cost me £3000 in total. That included free Disney dining, fast passes, stayed onsite (moderate) for 2 weeks and we paid £300 for universal and stayed there for a night to get the express pass and I took a good chunk of spending money too. Disney express is going but Mears travel are actually putting something in place instead so it’s worth looking out for that before you get a car incase that’s cheaper. It’s also cheaper if you get a taxi from Disney springs to the outlets or universal than it was from Caribbean Beach which is where we stayed. I can’t wait to go back! Fingers crossed for 2023!
This was really helpful! I’ve never been to Florida, and really wanted to go before having kids but the pandemic has taken nearly 2 years of our timeline away, so now unsure what to do! Could you do a video on how to save money at Disney? Like the best affordable food places, uber costs etc? As like you say, it’s the small things that add up! X
Used to work with Enterprise car rentals. Majority of the time, additional insurance is not needed; however, it is literally no questions asked if you purchase more.
Loved this it’s gave me an idea where to start, we are planning our first trip for 2023 and had no idea how to start budgeting xx
So glad this helps!! xx
Usually the heat puts us off eating, so we have a snack at Starbucks for breakfast (could easily be replaced with something from target), then share some fries or a meal at lunch time and have a big meal in the evening. We usually also get an ice cream or more drinks throughout the day. With a car you might be able to experience some cheap dining places off-site, that we don't get in the UK (chick-fil-A, Millers Alehouse, Wendy's etc.) Especially if you go to the parks in the morning, leave the parks for food once they start to get busy in the afternoon, then come back after dinner.
We also usually split stay - first at Disney, then at Universal and then rent a car over to Clearwater. Clearwater beach and the Tampa area are beautiful for a beach day btw. From what I remember we only had to fill the car once in almost 2 weeks. We also never came across tolls roads - i think you can set your satnav to avoid them.
A really informative and honest budget video. Personally hubby and I would spend way more than that on food but we were spoiled with the deluxe dining plan on our honeymoon in 2019. You are fortunate to avoid school holidays as I cannot even get an indirect flight for less than 800 each next August. For great budget food I totally recommend signing up for the vouchers for the chain restaurants on I drive we saved a fortune doing that or got a free entree or whatever. Chillis is great! .... for disney food pricing the DFB is really informative and the new Disney space restaurant at epcot looks a must! You mention la cellier, with wine and 2 courses plus tip you are looking at 150 dollars for that meal alone so some budget meals in between may help on your non disney days. Highly recommend the Sunday brunch at the top at california grill - so worth the money for the view and food quality - unlimited mimosas also great date style brunch :) enjoy and look forward to the vlog series :)
Hi! This is a long comment but I think it will help. Note, all of my notes are in US dollars. Also, wow, you can do a two week trip for not significantly more than we do for one week...our flights and ticket/hotel packages are more expensive within the US. 1) Your gas budget is reasonable, but if you drive to the beach it will be more. 2) Tolls. You will likely need double your budget, depending on how often you leave Disney property. There are no tolls on Disney property, but as soon as you leave they get you both ways. Also, they are switching away from cash tolls so you'll need a sunpass transponder. You can get it on the Sunpass website, they mail it to you. You stick it on your rental car and load money to your account as you go. Look into it. 3) Keep an eye on the Universal Express cost. It changes. When we were there in June it was $289 per person per day! Also, if you end up getting a one night hotel for Universal, I would suggest keeping your night at Disney so you don't have to take all of your luggage with you 😉
Loved this vlog! My boyfriend and I will be in Disney the first two weeks of May too! Will be the first WDW trip for us.
We booked a fly drive with Virgin many years ago. It worked out cheaper to pay for a separate hire car with fully inclusive insurance than pay the extra insurance that Virgin insist you pay. Don’t let the reps sell you extra insurance as you only need cdw. Also if you download maps of the areas you are visiting to google maps you can set it to avoid tolls saving the need for a sun pass, just pay for a few tolls to get you from the airport
Loved this! We are also going back may 2022 after our Disney holiday was cancelled last year! However, couldn’t have our Disney dream due to prices so we’re doing universal instead🥰 can’t wait to be back in the sun🤩☀️
Love hearing how different everyone does their Disney/Orlando holiday. We’ve been many times & stayed in villas, Disney hotel &/the most recent one in 2019 was Universals Cabana Bay as it was a quick last minute holiday. As a family of 4 with one adult daughter & a teenage daughter, Staying at Universal really suited us. It was so quick & easy to pop into the parks so for once our Florida holiday was a perfect balance of fun & relaxing by the pool or at Volcano Bay. We are booked to stay there again for Xmas this year which we are so excited about. We still absolutely love Disney & there are so many new things to see that we will definitely be hitting Disney too but it will be interesting getting around by Uber or Lyft as we decided to not hire a car this time. So happy we’re able to travel to the USA again. Any recommendations for where to go for a meal on Xmas day greatly appreciated. X
This video was so helpful Thankyou… we’re also going first two weeks of May cannot wait 3 months to gooooooo
I think the only think me and my boyfriend James would consider would be more for food as we are big foodies and probz more for merchandise but we would probably stay off site to cut that price down… although we would book one or two nights in a Disney hotel for a treat! We are now looking at adding a mini Disney cruise onto ours as we both turn 30 in 2023! ❤️
In regards to food, I typically plan out where we are going to eat (roughly if I am not 100% sure) and then I look at their menu on the Disney website - it includes the prices of each item. So then I add up what I think we will get (or I add up the most expensive things to give us wiggle room). Then I know roughly how much each place will be. Then because you know how much you think you will spend, its easy to determine tipping ahead of time too - I always allow 20% but that's just me and not everyone's opinion. Hope this helps! We are going in April and can't wait!
Hi Brogan, we always split our Orlando trip up wherein we do Universal in the middle, and we check out of Disney and into a Universal hotel. If you stay 1 night at a premium uni hotel (we like Loews Royal Pacific) you get the unlimited express pass for 2 days, checkin and checkout. Definitely recommend doing the universal days consecutively to take advantage.
Definitely look at the insurance for the car. The first time we hired a car the insurance with travel company was only basic, you will need fully comp. sort before you go as it can be quite pricey!
Excited for your trip, we are booking for next September🥳❤️
Really enjoyed this, we are going next August and trying to look at our budget. We have changed our holiday 4 times so really looking forward to going x
It might be a good idea to stay overnight in the Hard Rock you get 2 days express pass included - the day you check in and the day you check out. Lovely resort too and works out cheaper than buying express pass.
I’m going to Disney with my boyfriend in October I’m so excited
The car rental situation in Orlando (MCO especially) is astronomical right now! I have also heard so many stories of car rental companies at MCO who have had 3+ hour waits AND they have over-sold their care fleet and left people stranded with no car. I would suggest just paying the Uber costs to and from the airport (around $30-$40 each way). The price of the car, the hassle, PLUS the hotel daily parking fees are a lot more expensive than just using uber for the airport, especially if you have Disney transportation for the rest of the holiday
I think you'll save if you do Universal at the beginning of your trip. Just so your first 2 nights at Universal and then go to Universal the first 2 days then go over to WDW. That's what we're doing for our November trip
I loved pop century. Great value resort - my favorite. And the price is right for a two week trip - my family is staying at beach club in December for five nights for a similar price that you are getting for two weeks!
I am so excited for you and for us to have international travel and Cast Members returning to Disneyworld! You will LOVE Pop Century and you will have the Skyliner! Did you budget for parking.? Have a wonderful trip.
I know you talked about possibly going to the beach. If you do, come to the gulf coast! I know its a bit more of a drive to head to the gulf than to go to the east coast, but you won't be disappointed! Anna Maria Island (gorgeous clear water and white sand) and Fort Desoto (great shelling beach) are two of our favorite places to go. Oh and if you want to visit the Tampa area be sure to have something to eat at Armature Works. Excited for y'all to come back to Florida! °●°❤🐚🌴
Honestly we have stayed at two resorts at universal and it’s totally worth the price and perks for the fast passes especially if your a huge universal fan. We love the portifinio and stayed club level bc the meals are so good helped saved us for meals while at universal by budgeting for just paying out of pocket for 1 meal a day and then had the other meals at club level. Vlogged those experiences so you can check those out in our 2019 & 2020 vacations. As far as your Disney meals I would budget a little more per person per day bc without the dining plans you forget the snacks can get a bit pricy and those are things you may have been forgetting when budgeting overall in the parks - when I went in may of 2021 I purchased 4 gift cards at $300 each for snacks and merchandise and still ended up spending more bc drinks like water and pop ended up sucking down a lot of what used to use from my snack credits ($5 per person for just water goes fast especially bc it’s so incredibly hot in may). Other than that I think your budget is on point we have looked at our meals and pre-planned what we will be actually round about eating so that we can also plan out a more exact amount for our totals per sit down meals. As far as Genie + goes we are less likely to pay for that as our next vacation in January we will be in the parks for 10 days and are planning on spending more of our money on merch & food and figured on using Genie + only towards the end of the vacation if we haven’t been able to get on rides like Slinky dog, Rise or Rattatouie so my suggestion use it only after you have been there to see crowd size and wait times that will possibly save you a bit more in the long run. You will love Hagrids and Rise best two rides by far at both parks. I will be possibly going on a solo trip in May as well when your there and be prepared however that there might be a lot of cheerleaders there since they have nationals and worlds championships going during those first two weeks in may. It was a bit packed but not too bad particularly in the middle of the week Tue - Thur best days so plan on those days to be your must do Disney big ride days and then the weekend time head over to universal or water parks to avoid the cheerleader crowds. Hope that helps! Can’t wait to see your magical journey finally coming back to the states!!! 😀🤩