I recently returned from Orlando, Florida, where I met my father and his partner as they holidayed in the United States from Australia. The direct flight from Bermuda to Orlando made it an ideal spot to catch up for a few days, and for me, as I had never been to Orlando, I was excited to visit Kennedy Space Centre and go to Disney World — something I have wanted to do for so many years.

Looking back, I think the cheapest part of the trip was the airfare. Disney World might be known as the most magical place on Earth but, for me, it certainly comes at a cost. From the accommodation to the food to the park passes, I honestly went in blind and came home broke.

Given Disney World is designed for families, it made me think about exactly how much it would cost for a family of four to fly over for a long weekend. With that in mind, I thought for this week’s article I would look at how much to budget for a family of four (two adults, two children under the age of 12) to go to Orlando for four nights and three days at Disney World.

1, Flights

• Total for two adults and two children for Bermuda-to-Orlando round-trip: $2,500 to $2,800 (depending on the type of economy you select)

2, Accommodation

Your choice of resort hotel is the greatest variable. Disney categorises its hotels into Value, Moderate and Deluxe tiers, each offering distinct differences and experiences.

• Value resorts (such as Disney's All-Star Movies or Pop Century): these are the most budget friendly on property options, featuring lively theming and basic transportation. For 2025, expect a standard room to cost $160 to $250 per night, totalling $640 to $1,000 for four nights.

• Moderate resorts (such as Disney's Caribbean Beach or Port Orleans — Riverside): offering more spacious rooms, often with better landscaping and additional dining options, these represent a middle ground. Prices will likely range from $280 to $400 per night, or $1,120 to $1,600 for the stay.

• Deluxe resorts (such as Disney's Contemporary or Animal Kingdom Lodge): for premium theming, superior locations (often with monorail or Skyliner access), and finer amenities, you pay a premium. Budget $450 to $750-plus per night, leading to a resort cost of $1,800 to $3,000-plus.

We stayed at a Moderate resort (Port Orleans — French Quarter), so for comparison purposes I will use the same category for accommodation pricing.

• Total of four nights’ accommodation at Moderate resort: $1,600

3, Food and dining

Disney dining ranges from quick-service burgers to elaborate character meals with interactions, so what you choose directly affects the associated cost.

• Budget conscious (quick-service focus): relying on meals from food courts and quick service locations (e.g. chicken nuggets, pizza, salads), plus bringing your own snacks and water, a family can spend about $80 to $120 per day, or $320 to $480 for the trip.

• Moderate (mixed dining): This includes a mix of quick-service meals, one table-service meal per day without alcohol and snacks. Plan for $150 to $250 per day, or $600 to $1,000 for the trip.

• Premium (character and signature dining): incorporating popular character breakfasts (such as Chef Mickey’s) or signature dinners can easily push daily food costs to $300-plus, or $1,200-plus for the stay.

Based on a friend's recommendation, we took the boat from our resort to Disney Springs for several meals. The area has some lovely restaurants and, unlike other Disney venues, the prices were not overly marked up.

Even so, dinner for two with a bottle of wine averaged about $150. Adding lunch (we typically skipped breakfast) brought our estimated daily total for food and drinks to around $250.

With that in mind, for a family of four — two adults and two children — and including three meals per day for four nights, I would estimate $400 per day or $1,600 for the trip.

• Total of food and beverage over four days: $1,600

4, Park passes

When my husband and I bought a one‑day park pass, I have to admit I thought the price on the website was a typo. Needless to say, it was expensive to enter the Magic Kingdom for the day, and I soon discovered that the cost depended on whether it was midweek, the weekend or whether there was a special event on.

The biggest decision that needs to be made is whether you are going to visit one theme park only or use the Park Hopper option (meaning visiting multiple parks during your stay), which, based on the people we spoke with, seems to be the norm.

Another thing to note is that Disney states a child’s pass is for ages 3 to 9. Anyone older than that but still under the age of 12 is classified as an adult when it comes to tickets. To keep it consistent, we will therefore include four adult tickets in the pricing and apply the Park Hopper option. This would range per ticket at $510 to $720 per adult (I will apply an average of $600 for easy maths).

• Total for four adults with a three-day entrance including Park Hopper = $2,400

5, Transportation

One thing Disney has done right is making it very easy for families to get to the parks, visit restaurants or even head to the cruise terminal. They have thought of everything and provide this transportation free of charge.

With that said, travel to and from the airport does come at an expense, but nothing earth‑shattering. It cost us about $40 each way with Uber, depending on whether it was a peak time. Of course, it was more to go to Kennedy Space Centre as this is not Disney; we used Uber to get to and from the Space Centre, and that ran to a pretty penny, but it was well worth it.

• Total for transportation = $150

6, Extras

Disney has branded anything that can be branded, and one thing I discovered is that families heading to Disney like to make sure they are supporting the brand. Minnie and Mickey ears, along with T‑shirts, made up at least 95 per cent of what everyone was wearing at the Magic Kingdom the day we went.

With that in mind, souvenirs need to be budgeted for, and I would be comfortable using $100 per person.

• Total for souvenirs: $400

7, Shopping

Stop the press — my husband and I still rave about the shopping in Orlando (and I do not mean Disney). After a bit of research, I discovered the Orlando Premium Outlets, which carry both outlet and regular retail stores. It was enormous, and the quality, prices and selection were absolutely amazing.

To put it simply, I would return to Orlando just to shop there, skipping Miami altogether. It is the best mall I have ever visited in the United States.

With that in mind, it would be important to include a small shopping budget at $250 per person.

• Total for shopping: $1,000

Based on the above, here is the breakdown per category, along with the total cost for a family of four to spend a long weekend at Disney:

As I stated earlier, Disney might be touted as the most magical place on Earth, but it can also be the most expensive place on Earth if you do not do your homework and budget correctly.

• Carla Seely has 25 years of experience in the international financial services, wealth management, and insurance industries. During her career, she has obtained several investment licences through the Canadian Securities Institute. She holds the ACSI qualification through the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (UK), the qualified associate financial planner (QAFP) designation through FP Canada, and the associate in insurance (AINS) designation through The Institutes. She also completed a Master’s Degree in Business and Management through University of Essex

• For further inquiries or suggested topics, e-mail justaskcarla@outlook.com