How We Did Disney and Universal on a Budget (and Had a Blast!)

We love traveling together as a family. One of our favorite trips was to the Disney Theme Parks in Orlando back in 2021. Ever since then, we were determined to plan an affordable family trip to Disney and Universal Studios—and still make it magical.

I know theme parks aren’t for everyone, particularly those who don’t do well with large crowds. We haven’t ever really minded the large crowds and lines at Disney. We've found that standing in line together gives us time to talk, play games, and just enjoy each other's company.

One of our biggest challenges with a Disney World vacation is just how expensive visiting can be—especially for a family with kids. So, after our 2021 trip, we decided to find a way to visit again as inexpensively as possible while still keeping the trip enjoyable.

Over the course of the next three years, our kids fell in love with Harry Potter, and we knew that if we were going to Orlando, we needed to figure out a way to add visiting Universal Studios to our trip, so that our kids could experience the Wizarding World.

In this blog, I’ll tell you how we managed a seven-day trip to Orlando, spending three days in the parks for just over $4,500.

Budget-Friendly Travel to Orlando: Flights and Rental Car with Points

One of the biggest cost savings for us was utilizing our credit card points to purchase our flights and our rental car.

I’m not a fan of using credit cards to pay for expenses if we don’t have enough money to cover the cost. However, we are very diligent about paying off the credit card balance at the end of every month (we have it set to auto-deduct).

By using our credit card reward points, we were able to book flights for all four of us ($1,600 value) and our rental car ($300 value), which was a major cost savings.

Affordable Lodging Near Disney and Universal: WhY We OPTED FOR AN AIRBNB INSTEAD OF A RESORT

Another big cost savings for us was choosing NOT to stay at one of the theme park resorts. The reason we decided not to stay was twofold.

Staying at an Airbnb was cheaper than any resort we found for Disney or Universal. Getting early access to the parks would have been nice, but it would have cost approximately $250-$500 more over the course of the trip for the cheapest resorts.
The main reason we chose to stay in an Airbnb rather than a hotel or at a resort was to have a refrigerator and a kitchen, so we could make our own meals. Being able to buy groceries and cook was a big factor in our being able to meet our budget. We also had a LOT more personal space than what the resorts offered.

Eating in the parks or at restaurants near them can be very, very expensive. So, we opted to eat breakfast at our Airbnb each day, and packed lunches and snacks for us to eat in the parks.

We bought a few food items in the parks, but planning ahead and bringing food with us allowed us to be budget-conscious when making our in-park selections.

Where to Stay Near Disney on a Budget (What We Paid)

We found an Airbnb condo in Kissimmee that was about fifteen minutes away from Disney and thirty minutes away from Universal Studios. The total cost for seven days was $1,535.

The three-bedroom, two-bath condo had a private pool and a couple of cabinet arcade games. There was also a clubhouse nearby that had a really great pool and fitness center. There were literally hundreds of condos like this one available for around $220 a night within fifteen to thirty minutes of the park.

Having a personal pool was really, really nice for our family. It allowed our kids to get in some swim time without the hassle of visiting a public pool. That’s not to say we didn’t visit the public pool multiple times at our condo, as it was really great. But having one in our literal backyard allowed my husband and me to relax and get some sun while the kids swam in a nice, peaceful, and quiet environment.

Feeding a Family on a Theme Park Budget: What We Ate (and What We Spent)

The total amount we spent on food for the week was $678. This included all our groceries ($180), meals at restaurants ($300), food purchased in parks ($140), and treats and coffee at local spots ($58). The key to us being able to afford visiting Orlando was making breakfast and lunch at the AirBNB to save on money.

I’ll include a complete breakdown of everything we spent at the end of this blog, including what we spent on and in the parks, on groceries, and accommodations.

How Much It Costs to Visit Disney World on a Budget

DAY ONE: MICKEY’S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY BREAKDOWN

We spent two full days exploring Disney World theme parks as part of our budget-friendly Disney vacation, which cost just over $1,200 for park tickets and parking for two adults and two kids.

The first day we attended Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which was so much fun! This was our first time ever visiting Disney for this event, and seeing the park festively decorated, particularly at night, was spectacular.

If you’re not familiar with this event, I’d definitely recommend checking it out. It’s a separately ticketed event, which meant we weren’t able to get into the park until 4 pm. BUT we got to stay until midnight (which gave us 8 total hours in the park), and found that after the park closed for general admission, the lines for rides got shorter (though the park still felt quite full).

Kids and adults are invited to dress up in their Halloween costumes. There are a dozen or so candy stations throughout the park that give out loads of candy. And there’s lots of fun, exclusive entertainment like Mickey’s Boo-To-You parade, Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular, and a fantastic fireworks display.

We had an early dinner before walking in at 4 pm, and then brought PB&Js and snacks to munch on in the park. Doing this allowed us to avoid spending money on meals in the park.

The festivities for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party didn’t start until sundown, which happened around 8 pm (if memory serves me correctly). That gave us three whole hours to hop on rides before the party began. In those three hours, we were able to hop on some of the classics like Peter Pan’s Flight, It’s A Small World, and even ride TRON.

We got in line for Haunted Mansion once the sun went down, and it was a great ride to “kick off” our spooktacular evening! We also happened upon Mickey’s Boo-To-You Parade after getting off Haunted Mansion, which was fun to see.

Some of our favorite moments from this day were:

Riding TRON three times
Teacups, Dumbo, Astro Orbiter, and anything that spun
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (my kids love trying to beat my husband’s score)
Riding Haunted Mansion at night
Mickey’s Boo-To-You Parade
Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Fireworks Display! (loved this!)

Total amount spent at Magic Kingdom for Disney’s Not So Spooky Halloween Party = $643
($153 x4 for tickets + $30 for parking)

DAY TWO: A FULL DAY AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

We spent our second day at Disney World in Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios is our favorite Disney theme park thanks to Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and Fantasmic. We arrived right when the ropes dropped and spent the entire day there until it closed at 9 pm.

Before arriving at the park, we had a big breakfast at our Airbnb. We also brought PB&Js and snacks into the park with us, so we didn’t have to spend much while we were there on food. However, we did decide beforehand to eat dinner at Hollywood Studios.

My son is now old enough to ride some of the more intense rides. So, my husband was excited to take him on one of his favorite rides: The Tower of Terror. While they did that, my daughter and I went to the nearby Beauty and the Beast show. Then we made our way over into Galaxy’s Edge.

Some of our favorite moments from this day were:

Star Tours (I know most people don’t like it, but my daughter fell in love with it!)
Everything in Galaxy’s Edge (especially Rise of the Resistance & Millennium Falcon)
Alien Swirling Saucers
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Toy Story Mania

For dinner, we ate at The Backlot Express nestled between Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Star Tours. This isn’t really a themed restaurant, and it’s pretty no-frills inside. However, the food was decent, no reservations were needed, and the prices were lower than other restaurants in Hollywood Studios. It only cost $58 for all four of us to eat dinner, which I thought was very reasonable.

Later on in the evening, we let the kids get some ice cream ($13), and my husband and I got coffee ($9).

The last time we visited, the Fantasmic show wasn’t operational, so we were excited to see that it was up and running again for this visit.

Total amount spent at Hollywood Studio = $670
($140 x4 for tickets + $30 for parking + $58 for dinner + $9 for coffee + $13 for ice cream)

Universal Theme Parks + How Much We Spent In Park

My husband and I had visited Universal Studios fifteen years ago, but we had never been there with our kids and weren’t quite sure what to expect. Our kids were very excited to visit the Wizarding World, and it didn’t disappoint!

We love Disney, but honestly, we felt that Universal Studios was just as good and even better in some ways!

My only regret about visiting Universal Studios was that we only spent one day there. We could have easily spent two days, given how much my kids enjoyed it.

My son, especially, loved that Universal Studios had a lot more thrilling rides than Disney. The crowds were also smaller (except in the Wizarding World! That was always packedddd), and we didn’t have to wait as long to get on rides, which was really nice.

We got the park hopper (since we were only visiting one day) so that we could visit both Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure. Having the flexibility to go between the parks was very nice. The park hopper also enables you to take the Hogwarts Express between parks, which was something we definitely wanted to do.

We arrived at Universal Studios Orlando when the park first opened. There was a bit of a mad dash for everyone to get to Diagon Alley in the Wizarding World (including us), and by the time we got there, it was really full. Most everyone had gotten in line for the Escape From Gringotts ride.

Rather than get in line with everyone else, we ducked down into one of the alleys to get some photos and then got in line at Ollivanders Wand Shop. We only had to wait ten minutes to get inside (the line was much, much longer later in the day) and only had four other people placed in our group.

If you aren’t familiar with what happens at Ollivanders Wand Shop it’s a really cool interactive experience where you’re invited into Ollivanders to see one lucky wizard (my son was picked!) get chosen by their wand. This is meant to be reminiscent of the iconic scene in the first Harry Potter where Harry’s wand chooses him.

My son got picked for the experience, and he was really, really excited. If you buy the special wands at Ollivanders, you can “cast spells” throughout the park. We got wands for both of our kids ($65 each), and they had fun casting spells all around the park. (See how it works here!)

After Ollivanders, we made our way to Kings Cross Station to ride the Hogwarts Express! Because most people were still in line for Gringotts, the line to get on the Hogwarts Express was next to nothing. I think we waited a total of five minutes.

One really neat little experience (and great video opportunity!) at Kings Cross is getting to “walk through” platform 9 & ¾ to board the Hogwarts Express. Be sure to have your camera ready!

The Hogwarts Express is a real train ride (you MUST have a park hopper pass to board) that takes you over to Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure. The ride itself is only about 4 minutes long, but it’s quite magical and definitely worth doing if you have a Park Hopper pass. It’s not thrilling, but does have a brief appearance from some Dementors, so if you have little littles, they may get scared as that brief moment feels somewhat intense.

We got off the Hogwarts Express and walked into Hogsmeade, which was also quite packed at this point in the day. Even still, it was very cool to walk through Hogsmeade and really made you feel immersed in the Wizarding World. My kids, who are big Harry Potter fans, loved the experience.

From Hogsmeade, we went and rode Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which is a 4D ride. The line takes you through Hogwarts Castle, which was super cool and had lots of interactive elements.

After the ride, we visited Honeydukes and then hopped back on the Hogwarts Express to get back to Diagon Alley. By this point, we had been in the park for a couple of hours. My husband and son rode Escape From Gringotts (which was too intense for my daughter, though we stood in line with them to get the experience of walking through Gringotts and seeing the goblins) and then walked around Diagon Alley casting spells and enjoying the immersive experience.

After lunch, my husband and son went off to ride some more thrilling rides, while my daughter and I went on a hunt to find rides that were more her speed (and that spun).

Some of our other favorite moments from this day were:

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (Permanently Closing Sept 2025! :( )
Jurassic World Velocicoaster
Revenge of the Mummy
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train

I have to give a special shout-out to Seuss Landing at Universal Islands of Adventure. My daughter loved this part of the park–I felt like she was smiling ear to ear the whole time we were there. Her favorite ride was The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train, but she also loved the other rides there. She also really enjoyed taking pictures with the little character statues around and being immersed in the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss.

All in all, we had a fantastic day at Universal Studios, and my only regret is that we didn’t have more time!

Total amount spent at Universal Studios Orlando + Islands of Adventure = $912
($187.50 x4 for park-hopper tickets + $32 for parking + $130 for wands)

Other Things We Did On Our Trip

We visited Disney Springs a couple of times during our trip. It’s a pleasant outdoor shopping complex with plenty to do and see. Disney Springs was where I bought my souvenir–a Disney-inspired Yahtzee set!

We spent a considerable amount of time at the water resort that was included with our condo. It was a big selling point for us on booking that location, and I’m sure glad we did as it was a hit with our family.

We also made it a point to visit some local spots like the Twistee Treat for some ice cream, and visited some of the souvenir shops to get much cheaper souvenirs than those that were available in the parks.

One of the best restaurants we ate at was Bartaco. I got falafel tacos and they were so tasty! My husband loved the mexican street corn. And my kids loved building with the wooden blocks. Total cost for our meal was $48. It was a very nice, kid-friendly restaurant!

Another unique thing we did in Orlando was visit the world’s largest McDonald's. It’s 19,000 square feet, has a playplace AND an arcade, and has unique menu items like Belgian waffles, cheesesteak, and fettuccine alfredo (which is what I got and it was actually really good!).

Budget Breakdown: How Much We Spent on Our Disney & Universal Trip

The final total for the amount we spent for our seven-day Orlando adventure was just over $4,500. This included all of our lodging accommodations, food, restaurant visits, park tickets, and souvenirs. I’m sure a more savvy budgeter could do this trip for less money, but I was happy with how much we spent and the value we received from our experience.

If you’re looking to plan an affordable family trip to Disney and Universal Studios, we hope our experience helps you budget smarter and have just as much fun!

QUICK Tips for Visiting Disney and Universal Studios on a Budget with Kids

Use credit card points for flights and rental cars.
Skip the resorts and book a family-friendly Airbnb with a kitchen and water resort.
Pack snacks and meals to save on park foods.
Choose one or two parks to focus on.
Look for separately ticketed events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for added value.
Buy groceries and limit restaurant dining.
Consider park hopper passes strategically for Universal Studios if only visiting for one day.
Consider getting souvenirs at local Orlando shops rather than in park to save money.
- PRO TIP: Give your kids a budget for souvenirs before arriving. Then let them make the decision on how they want to spend it.

Disney World and Universal Studios on a Budget: Full Cost Breakdown & Money-Saving Tips