Let’s face it — Disney World is expensive.

There ARE definitely ways to save money on your vacation, but if you want to do as much as possible in Disney World — from character meals to skipping the lines to staying in a resort near the parks — you’re gonna dish out some cash. However, we bet you’re wondering how a Disney World trip compares to other kinds of vacation. So, we’re here to tell you about some vacations that are actually CHEAPER than a trip to Disney World!

Obviously, vacation costs at Disney World can vary greatly depending on what you choose to do, how long you’re there, and where you choose to stay. So, to get a decent baseline of costs, we’re going to take a look at 7-day, 6-night Walt Disney World vacation in mid-May of 2023 for 4 people — 2 adults and 2 kids.

We’re choosing for our family to stay at a moderate resort, since they have price points in the middle of all of the Disney World resorts. And, they’re going to get 5-day Park Hopper tickets since they will be in Disney World for 5 full days. But, keep in mind that costs could be lowered if they took a day off to hang out at the resort or if they got 1-park-per-day tickets.

The cost of staying at Port Orleans Riverside for 7-days and 6-nights is $1,982.27 for a standard room. Then, when we add on 4 5-day Park Hopper tickets, it brings our total up to $4,661.64.

Keep in mind that this is JUST the cost of the hotel and the park tickets. We’re not including food, souvenirs, or add-ons like Disney Genie+. Food costs can vary greatly depending on where you choose to eat, and how often your family eats. And, obviously souvenir costs can be different for everyone depending on what you want to buy.

Now, let’s take a look at some vacations that cost less than our Disney World trip!

Mediterranean Cruise

We took a look at a 7-night Western Mediterranean Cruise on Royal Caribbean for May 2023, and the total for 4 people came to $4,396 before tax and fees, this is $1099 per person. However, cruise companies often have sales, so when we looked at the sale that was happening at the moment, the total was only $3,390.12, so $751 per person before taxes and fees.

So, not only is this cruise cheaper than our Disney World vacation, but it’s also longer and includes food! Plus, you get to travel around Europe…which is just a liiiittle bit cooler than going around the world in EPCOT. 😉 Do note that this doesn’t include airfare though, but neither does our Disney World vacation. Those costs totally depend on where you’re traveling from!

Disney Bahamian Cruise

You can still take a Disney vacation without paying more than a you would to go to Disney World by taking a Disney Cruise! Note that there are a TON of different options when it comes to Disney cruises, but we took a look at a 4-night Bahamian cruise on the Disney Wish leaving from Port Canaveral in May of 2023.

The total for 4 people came to $4,102 before taxes and fees. This is a shorter trip than our trip to Disney World, but it does include food! And, you would get to sail on Disney World’s brand new cruise ship — the Disney Wish — which has a lot of exclusive activities and amenities. Not to mention, you’d get to visit Disney’s private island in the Caribbean!

What It Costs to Take a Disney Cruise

Trip to St. Lucia

If you’d rather stay on land in the Caribbean instead of being on a cruise ship, you can check out a stay at a resort! We took a look at the Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort on St. Lucia for 7-days and 6-nights. The cost for a 1-bedroom ocean view room (that sleeps 4) came to $3,810 before taxes and fees.

So you’d be getting an ocean view room for less than going to Disney World! And, this cost also includes BREAKFAST! So, you wouldn’t have to worry about budgeting for at least one meal during your vacation. A week chillin’ in paradise? Sign us up!

Universal Orlando

Okay, but what if you DO want to spend your vacation in the theme parks? Well, you can head on over to Universal Orlando Resort! We took a look at the cost for a 7-day, 6-night stay at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in May 2023, and it came to $206.88 per night, so $1,396.47 total.

Then, we factored in a 5-day Park-to-Park ticket for 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) and it came to $1,495.96. Keep in mind that Universal Orlando does only have 2 theme parks compared to Disney World’s 4, though. But still, the cost of this vacation is $2,892.43, which is significantly less than our trip to Disney World. And, travel costs would be almost exactly the same, since both resorts are located in the Orlando area.

So, there’s your look at some other vacation options that would cost LESS than a trip to Disney World! Obviously, these costs can change depending on your choices, but it should give you a general idea of what you can get for your money.

For more on planning for a Disney World vacation, check out 5 ways to save $1,000 on your Disney trip, our NEW tips for saving BIG in Disney World, and what to do if you can’t get the Disney World hotel reservation you wanted.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news, info, and updates.

The Planning Tips You Need to Know About Before Your Next Disney World Trip

Tell us about some other vacations you’ve taken that have been cheaper than Disney World in the comments below!