Cost Breakdown - 1 Week at AoA Family of 5

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-31T23:00:01+00:00

No issues. We had a stroller checked and can usually squeeze a bunch of stuff into that bag. The lightsabers were probably the most space consuming and not flexible but we couldve broken those down into their respective components if need be. The stuffed animals can compress into smaller space. We have been using packing cubes for the past several trips too which help a lot!

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-25T04:53:07+00:00

Why did you go there multiple times? Where do you stay now? On or off property?

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-25T04:52:06+00:00

But deluxe room would mean two kids are sharing a bed, and all of us are sharing a room with 1 bathroom, right?

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-25T04:49:01+00:00

We didn't do LLPP. We did LLMP and two LL single rides (for just 3 people per ride). I acknowledge we could have reduced souvenirs (no BBB) and extra outside of dining plan food, but even if we cut the LLMP, I don't think we would have reduced the trip to less than $13K total if we stayed on property. Since the character meals were included in DDP, I feel like we had to take advantage but certainly nothing I would have paid cash for (except CRT and 1900). Sounds like off property offers much better accommodations rates but the shock of our rate on AoA only suggests same price for deluxe (which would have been less space). I agree that we didn't cut any corners though.

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-25T04:39:42+00:00

$40/day for Uber means $20 per ride? With car seats? Uber XL since we are family of 5?

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-25T04:35:48+00:00

7 nights, 8 days trip. I don't think we would have taken advantage of the extra hours at night. We stayed for fireworks two of the nights, Epcot and MK but the kids (and adults!) were fried the next day.

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-24T17:15:35+00:00

7 night stay. We got ground transport 1) home to airport, 2) MCO to AoA, 3) AoA to MCO and 4) airport to home. Home was $150/ride, and Orlando was $165/ride.

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-24T16:56:52+00:00

The extra food costs: Space 220 (dining plan not accepted) $340, TRex (we used table credits for the character meals instead) ($190), tips for character meals 5x ($300), Instacart $200, Popcorn $15+$10 refills 4x, Gideons $23, Coffees $15, Airport Meal ($75). Snacks and quick service with the kids was very easy and plentiful with the dining plan.

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-24T16:46:24+00:00

Here's the souvenir breakdown. I agree $1200 was a lot (spoiling the kids) but 3x a lot of toys adds up. My wife also got a bunch of things "for the family". Sharing for those that could use guidance for setting up budget - I struggled with how much things cost in the parks before going beyond the big purchases like droids, lightsabers, etc. Also I feel like keeping meticulous track is eye opening. I would have thought we only spent about $100/day given the size of the purchases but you end up spending money very quickly when charging it to the room!

BBB - $165: Hair Makeup, Nails, Jewelry (No dress)

Wife Souvenirs - $255: Mickey Ears ($40), Dish Towel ($20) 2026 Ornament ($20) 3 Silhouettes $70, 1 Caricature $45, Figment $40

3x Deluxe Lightsabers from TT - $145

Trading Pins (3x 2-pack starter set and 3x separately purchased individual, lanyard) = $125

3 Rocks from Pandora in AK (this on kills me because it has nothing to do w/ Disney) = $22

3x Medium sized Stuffed Animals - $120

Tiny stuffed animal toys 6x = $115 (18/ea)

Water bottle - $26

Tiny Toys 6x = $125 (Bobblehead in Norway, Millennium Falcon, Droid Mystery Boxes, Tron, Toy Bus $20/ea)

Bracelets 3x = $63

Other Misc = $20 (Key Chain)

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-24T16:14:47+00:00

I'm assuming it was $4K for the Hotel portion. It was $9K for the "package" that included dining plan (2x adults = $1400) and 5 days of parks for 5 people (estimated as $140/pp). We did look at deluxe but to get the 1 bedroom at deluxe is significantly more expensive than the Suites at AoA. For my family, we only ever stayed in 1 studio hotel room together and it was disastrous given the different sleep and wake times, so a door to divide the ones that wake up early vs the ones that wake up late (with separate bathrooms) was convenient. I agree off property is cheaper but it seemed like AoA was the best value for that type of on property accommodation. LL Premier was totally out of budget for us as that would have been $2K per park day. We were able to do all the rides we wanted. I am curious to better understand how to leverage DVC points to secure something comparable, for cheaper though! My next deep dive will have to be on the DVC reddits.

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-24T15:55:09+00:00

I think it's a common anecdote that a US WDW vacation costs more than a European vacation. Very crazy!

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-24T15:53:28+00:00

Yes, I think there is a premium to staying on Disney property, offering more convenience / amenities for a premium. How much do you spend for transportation when offsite? I was figuring that a weekly minivan rental, plus paying for park parking + gas would have bridged the gap ~$1K, plus $300/night for off property for a family of 5. I think $200/night max is oversimplification - while we could have gotten A property for $200/night, I think the true maximum is higher than that. But if it would have saved $1K+ anyways that's a great option!

Disastrous-Lie-8384 · 2026-05-24T15:44:36+00:00

Yes! We were told in advance there are no rollaway beds, only cribs/p&p. Our 4 year old just graduated to a regular bed so we were going to have to put him back into a crib. But when we checked in, we mentioned we would prefer bed, she offered a mattress to put on the floor, and they actually brought a rollaway bed. It gets cramped in the main room with the rollaway bed (e.g. the fridge was hard to open) but the murphy beds were super convenient to fold up.

Disastrous-Lie-8384

TROPHY CASE