Big spender or super saver? There's a Disney World™ trip for you!

It may be loved by travelers from across the world, but a trip to Disney World™ in Orlando, Florida, can be expensive! But in truth, it's not significantly more (or less) expensive than many other bucket-list trips in the USA. And make no mistake: this is a bucket-list experience. It's not just a big day out, it's a rite of passage.

At the age of four, my daughter refused to watch movies, yet she was obsessed with Elsa from Frozen. So, my husband and I took her to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to see the live show, meet Elsa and Anna in the flesh, and feel the princess magic. The whole thing cost us about $1500, and it was perfect.

It was six years later when we repeated the Disney experience, this time following the Florida peninsula south, but the memory of that first trip was so core to us that when we stepped on the Frozen ride at Epcot and Ana started singing "for the first time in forever," we looked at each other with tears in our eyes.

Was it expensive? Sure. Was it worth it? Absolutely! But there are still ways to save if you want to see Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck without the, ahem, big bill. Here's what you need to know to plan the perfect trip to Disney World in Orlando. 

Does a trip to Disney World have to be expensive?

Most visitors find that Disney World is much pricier than Disneyland, once you factor in the ticket prices and the cost of your stay, but the principle remains: you can find a way to do the trip your way, on your budget.

You can mix and match your budgeting options – for example, by staying in a cheaper resort, but booking Lightning Lane passes to beat the queues. You could carry in all your meals, but book one Character Dining dinner, or do a Character Dining breakfast (it's cheaper and just as fun).

A lot comes down to planning and knowing your options, but most importantly, don’t worry too much — no matter what your budget and timeframe, Disney will meet you where you are.

How about accommodation at Disney World?

When you start planning a trip to Disney World, kick off with the accommodation. Before you start looking in greater Orlando for a place to stay, just don’t. Disney World is a complete destination in itself, and if you book at a Disney resort, your parking (if you’re driving in) and all your transportation within Disney World are included in the price.

If you’re flying into Orlando, there are plenty of transport options for getting from the airport straight to Disney World (for an extra fee). Not only that, but on a Disney resort stay, you can get into the parks early and stay later. Trust me, it's worth it. 

Save: Like to camp? Book a tent or RV site at Fort Wilderness, Disney World's camping resort. You can even bring your beloved pet along for the fun. People love to decorate their sites and get to know their neighbors, and there's a huge pool with a water slide and experiences like horseback riding and archery.

Kids are well catered for – there is a campfire sing-along with Chip and Dale, and you can roast marshmallows under the stars. Wanna know how to get to Magic Kingdom? You ride a boat. Isn’t that so cool? 

Spend: If you’re traveling with the kids and hotels are more your speed, check out Art of Animation. This resort smacks of Disney fun from entry all the way through to your hotel shower, and the lobby is lined with larger-than-life sketches of favorite characters pulled from the Disney vault.

The pool is filled with Nemo and all his friends, Ursula and King Triton square off in grandiose form, and the rooms are themed. Like, really themed. If you ever wanted to spend a night under the sea, this is the place to be. The rooms are on the smaller side, but they come in a variety of different configurations, so you can find one that suits your family best.

Spend more: Animal Kingdom Lodge has my heart. If you’re not planning to stay in Disney's on-site safari park, can we even be friends? I’m kidding. There are so many resorts to splurge on at Disney, and they all have their own special flair, but if you want to feel like Snow White and fling open your curtains every morning to be greeted by bird song and a slow parade of giraffes gliding past your balcony, this is the spot I'd recommend.

One morning, my kids and I sat on the balcony in our jammies and gazed in awe as animal after animal slowly munched their way towards us. On the balcony above us, we overheard another family with small children chatting, their tiny voices naming the antelopes Annie and Andy. It made my heart melt into a puddle. 

But what I cherished most about Animal Kingdom Lodge was the way this resort is so quiet and calm. The music is subtle, and the lighting is a soft yellow, like it's always golden hour on the savanna. After the crush and rush that is a Disney theme park, this gentle oasis felt like a balm. 

Book your park tickets

Before discussing how many days to spend in the parks, let's talk about Lightning Lanes – Disney's express ride pass system. I think you should purchase at least one Lightning Lane single pass to get the best from your trip to Disney World. You don't want to spend all day queuing, after all. 

If you have tiny humans and don’t need to ride the more intense roller coasters, this advice is not for you, but if even one person in your party wants to try the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride (and I highly recommend you do), you should purchase a Lightning Lane single-pass for it. Time equals money on vacation, and if you spend an hour and a half in line for a ride, you’ve wasted a major part of your day. 

For families with multiple tiny humans, I recommend getting Lightning Lane Multi Passes – you know you don’t want to wait an hour to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This pass will get you onto the rides you really want to try in express time, and because this is Disney World, even the lines will convince you the magic is real. 

Save: Get a three-day package with at least one Lightning Lanes pass, and a Park Hopper day pass (allowing you to visit multiple parks in one day). You'll fly in early one morning, drop your bags at the resort you’ve booked, and then head straight to Magic Kingdom. You can spend the second day at Animal Kingdom with an evening at the pool, or head back to Magic Kingdom for fireworks and after-dark rides.

Split the third day between Hollywood Studios and Epcot. If you can manage to fly out late on the fourth day you can squeeze in one more park visit. If not, you’ve still had three nights in the resort and three days at the parks, and we bet you’ll be exhausted. We were – read about how we did this quick trip.

Spend: If you have the time, and money, get theme park tickets for four full days and five nights at your resort. With four full days, you can spend one solid day in each park, which feels downright leisurely. Park Hopper passes are really great for this; we loved leaving for a resort dinner and then going to a different park in the evenings. It made the scheduling less stressful for me, and it made the whole experience feel a bit more flexible.

I will interject a personal observation here. My four-year-old was not into this trip like his sister was when she was four. He had fun, but with more time at the pool and less time in the park, I think his experience would have been better. If you can squeeze in a fifth day and sixth night, I highly recommend spending a day just at the resort.

Spend more: With a big budget, stay a week and get Park Hopper passes with Lightning Lanes Multi Passes, and also book single Lightning Lanes for all the most sought-after rides. Honestly, you could easily fill seven days with Disney magic and you still wouldn’t have done everything the parks have to offer.

With five to six days, you can have a resort day as well as riding all the best rides. You can leave the parks as the mood takes you, and go back to the hotel for a siesta and a swim before heading out for a nice dinner and an evening of rides at Magic Kingdom. You can sink into the Disney experience as if it were your everyday life, and that, my friends, is adding pixie dust to dreams to make them come true.

Decide on your dining options

Disney World has more than 550 food vendors, including quick service fast food carts, mid-range restaurants and even a Michelin-star restaurant. This means you can eat whatever, whenever and however you want. For a more peaceful dining experience, check out the restaurants at the resorts. No matter where you’re staying, you can make a reservation at any resort restaurant. 

Save: Did you know you can Instacart groceries to any Disney World resort? Most of them have in-room refrigerators or drink coolers that you can use to keep food cold if you want to assemble your own ingredients for a picnic. Disney is more than happy for you to bring a picnic to any of its theme parks, along with soft drinks and anything else non-alcoholic. Just leave glass containers behind.

There are plenty of places to refill your water bottle, so bring your own. There's a lovely spot for a picnic at Hub Lawn near the Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom, or head to Tom Sawyer’s Island — there are no rides here, so it stays calm and it's the perfect place to settle down for a bit. 

You can purchase a refillable popcorn bucket for $14.99, and each additional refill costs just $2.99. We kept ours full and enjoyed it between rides. You can also purchase a lidded mug for $21 that you can fill up (for free) at any self-service soda fountain in the parks or resorts. 

Hot tip: Any kiosk selling food can give you up to two cups of ice water for free. 

Spend: As well as picking posher sit-down restaurants for meals, Disney World is chock full of quick-service stands, and they all sell different things, making it possible for each stand to do its own thing particularly well. The spring rolls outside Adventureland in Magic Kingdom are a perennial favorite. The fish tacos from the Cantina in Hollywood Studios made a wonderful lunch, and I’ve heard great things about the tacos from Smiling Crocodile in Animal Kingdom.

There are whole blogs devoted to this, so I don't need to tell you which snacks and treats to try around the parks. However, I will encourage you to look at the quick-serve options at the resorts as well. You may find something you’d love to try at a resort you’re not staying at. 

Hot tip: Don’t skimp on the frozen lemonade and popsicles. They kept us going on our trip. 

Spend more: The upscale, sit-down dining restaurants at Disney World are thoughtfully designed and add a bit of sophistication to the kitsch. For an amazing view, book a window table at Ohana at the Polynesian Village resort just before sunset, then make your way to the beach area outside to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

The bread service at Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge was recommended to me three times by three different people, and it did not disappoint. I recommend looking at all the options and booking a table at a place that speaks to you, both with the menus and the ambiance, because you can’t go wrong.

If fine dining is your thing, this is a worthy splurge. The Dining Room at Victoria & Albert’s, located in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, has earned a Michelin star for its innovative, imaginative tasting menus. 

Let’s talk about Character Dining

If you’re wondering if paying extra for a Character Dining experience is worth it, stop wondering. This is the best opportunity to meet characters in a relaxed and easy setting. My kids had a great time dancing with Minnie Mouse and having Mickey come to their table to sign their autograph books. They felt so incredibly special.

Save: Book a breakfast. These are the least expensive Character Dining options at Disney World and the breakfast is a fun and easy meal to get started on the right Disney foot. Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast at the Cape May Resort is the least expensive option. The New England beach theme is charming, and Minnie, Daisy, Donald and Goofy will entertain you and your family while you enjoy the breakfast buffet. 

Spend: If you want to do things in style, and can handle the budget, look at Chef Mickey’s at the Disney Contemporary Resort. Breakfast is served until 12:30pm and costs $59 per adult and $38 per child (3-9 years). Dinner starts at 4:30pm and is $69 per adult and $44 per child. It's a traditional buffet with so many options, and the food tastes better than a typical buffet, in my opinion. There was even a tofu curry that I enjoyed.

But I liked this one mostly because you get to meet the fab five: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto. Plus, it's at the Contemporary Resort, which has the coolest mid-mod design, and you can ride the monorail from Magic Kingdom, so it's easy to work into a day on the rides.

If princesses are more the goal, check out 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian.  You get to meet Tiana, Aladdin, Cinderella and Mirabelle, which is a great collection of favorite characters. 

Spend more: Can we say Cinderella Castle? The ultimate splurge at Disney World is a dining experience at the iconic castle at the heart of Magic Kingdom. This is one of the only ways to go into the castle, and it's a grand three-course dining experience in an idyllic setting.

You’ll meet any number of princesses – although who makes an appearance is subject to change, Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel are almost always there. Might I suggest booking your reservation right after a trip to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique? Their costumes are highly recommended. 

You know you want a souvenir 

Save: Collect pins! Pin trading is an inexpensive and easy way to collect souvenirs. Buy a box of trader pins and every time you see the felt Mickey ears at a kiosk, you can check to see if there is a pin that calls to you. Simply put one of the ones you’re willing to trade on the board and take the one you love. You can add to your collection with boxes or buy individual ones that start at $12.99. 

My daughter was super interested in pin trading, but we knew nothing about it, so we walked up to a pin trading kiosk in Animal Kingdom and asked what it was all about. The cast member reached into his pocket, pulled out three pins for her, and said, “I love getting people started on trading.”

She took those three pins, chatted with some other pin traders, turned three into four, and ended up with two Tinker Bells, an Alice, and a Cinderella pin over the course of our stay. The search for the best trades added value to our trip and cost us nothing. 

Spend: Buy ears and an autograph book. In my opinion, a set of Minnie or Mickey ears and an autograph book is the perfect souvenir. I like the autograph books that are sold at the Disney Resorts because they all have sleeves for photographs. We look at our old one all the time, and my kids are always pestering me to print out their photos. A Minnie headband, autograph book and pen cost me $94, which is pretty pricey, but the memories it created are exactly what we were going for. 

Spend more: Make an appointment for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Your littles will be transformed into the princess or prince of their choice. As they walk around the parks, they will feel as if they have fallen through the imagination portal and landed right smack in the middle of a dream. If you have a princess-loving little one, this is for them.

When she was four, my daughter picked Tinker Bell. She wore the costume for three days, and got called "Your Highness" everywhere she went. Peter Pan even took her by the hand, called her "Tink," and marched with her around the park. When I say she was spellbound, I mean this child believed she was officially Tinker Bell. It was worth the splurge.

You can also design your own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop at Hollywood Studios. This is good fun for fans of that galaxy far, far away. You'll be ushered into a secret studio where you can customize all the different parts of your saber until you are ready to join the Resistance and learn how to use The Force. 

Finally, the MagicBand+ is totally a Disney nerd thing, but being able to get into all the parks, scan for ride photographs, and get into my room using this watch-like band made me feel like an insider, which was a feeling I deeply appreciated. 

Sarah Stocking and her family were guests of Walt Disney World Resort. Lonely Planet does not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.