Going to Disney World unplanned? One dad pays price, goes viral after spending $1,400

Indianapolis Star

13-05-2025

It's no secret that Disney World is expensive, but just how much of a hit will your wallet take? Well, one dad from Florida went viral after breaking down the price of his $1,400, unplanned visit to Disney World.
Craig Stowell, a professional YouTuber based in West Palm Beach, Florida, took his family to Walt Disney World in April, during Easter weekend and had some sticker shock after he spent a grand total of $1,391.91 on parking, tickets, food and drinks, he told USA TODAY.
"Know that everything is more expensive than it used to be," said Stowell. "It's not just a quick trip up to Disney anymore. It's the cost of my son's first car."
Stowell's family was visiting him from New Hampshire on Easter weekend, when they decided to do an impromptu Disney trip, Stowell said. So, they packed their things and drove to Orlando, Florida, from West Palm Beach, Florida, which is around 170 miles southeast of Orlando.
In a video he posted about his day, he talks about just how much money he and his family spent on a day trip to Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs.
One of the first big purchases was the tickets, he said. For Stowell, his wife and three kids, including his son who was younger than 10, entrance to Hollywood Studios cost $974. The tickets were purchased on the day they visited the park.
Tickets are broken up into two categories, according to Disney's website. Tickets for children who are 3 to 10 years old are a bit cheaper than tickets for adults, who need to be purchased for anyone who is 11 and older to enter the parks. Children younger than 3 enter the park for free.
The remaining $345.91 was spent on parking, which is $30 per car, food and drinks.
Spending Memorial Day weekend at Disney? See crowd calendar, weather
Since the family visited the theme park on a holiday weekend, their tickets were more expensive due to a holiday surcharge, Stowell said.
One-day tickets for Florida residents on Disney's website start at $119, and can be even cheaper for Florida residents planning to visit the park for multiple days.
Yes, tickets for Florida residents and non-Florida residents will be more expensive during Memorial Day weekend.
During the holiday weekend, tickets start at $159, according to Disney's website. The price of admission for each park varies.
Listed below are the prices of one-day tickets to enter the Disney parks on Saturday, May 24 for both residents and non-residents:
A family of five, with one child younger than 10 years old, would pay $947.87, including taxes, to enter Hollywood studios during the holiday weekend, according to Walt Disney World's website.
That price tag doesn't include the additional costs of parking, Lightning Lane passes, photo packages, hotel stays or food.
Stowell recommends that people trying to save some money plan ahead and skip the parks during holiday weekends and go during the off-season instead.
Florida residents can also save money on their Disney trip by purchasing tickets for multiple days, according to Walt Disney World's website.
While a one-day Florida resident ticket starts at $119, three and four-day tickets start at $87 and $72.
The Florida Resident Summer Magic Ticket, which is valid from May 18 to September 27, offers an even more inexpensive experience.
The summer magic tickets will cost the following, according to the resort's website:
Non-Florida residents can also take advantage of the 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket, which will allow guest admission to only EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Hollowood Studios, and excludes Magic Kingdom, stated the resort's website.
Prices for the ticket start at $89 per day, and are valid until September 22, according to Disney World. The tickets must be used within five days of the selected start date.
Finally, Stowell offered one more piece of advice for Disney guests above the age of 21:
"Don't buy the alcohol," said Stowell. It "would have saved a lot of money for me."
This story was updated to add new information.