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Which Is Cheaper: Disneyland or Walt Disney World?
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With lower airfares compared to last year, this summer is a great time to take your kids to a Disney theme park. But which park offers the most Donald Duck for your buck?
Got kids in love with all things Disney? Then this is an especially good year to visit California’s Disneyland or Florida’s Walt Disney World because airfares are down an average of 22% to Los Angeles, 16% to Orange County and 21% to Orlando, according to Hipmunk, the travel booking site. Which park to choose? While East coasters and West coasters head to their closest mouse house, the rest of the country wonders which is the best deal. Hipmunks’ second annual analysis of Disneyland versus Walt Disney World takes the work out of figuring out the bottom line.
In calculating costs, Hipmunk conjures the proverbial family of two adults and two children ages 3 to 9 and includes airfare from one of 30 top marketing destinations, four nights lodging, and four days’ admission without a Hopper pass. Hipmunk excludes costs for food and transportation to and from hotels or the park.
Hipmunk’s Disneyland versus Walt Disney World
Disneyland
Disneyland’s prices are down 5-7% versus 2015 for the Hipmunk four night “package”. The 2016 costs are $3,110 if you stay at a non-Disney property and $4,426 at a Disney lodging compared with $3,279 and $4,762 respectively in 2015.
To save more money:
Fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), further away from Disneyland than John Wayne International Airport (SNA), Orange County. Typical fares from Newark, NJ (EWR), to LAX are $360 compared with $587 to SNA. From the East Coast the average airfare to Disneyland from LAX is $284 versus $384 to SNA, a savings of $100 per seat. From Cleveland, a typical flight costs $252 to LAX and $451 to SNA. The average airfare is $292 to LAX versus $386 to SNA, a saving of $94 per ticket.
Stay at an Anaheim hotel. The average price per night at an Anaheim hotel is $149 compared with an average of $478 to stay on property at Disneyland.
Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World’s prices are only negligibly less for Hipmunk’s four-night “package.” Despite higher-priced park tickets and higher fees for lodging onsite and in Lake Buena Vista in 2016, this year’s four-night vacation costs $3,006 for a non-Disney hotel and $3,826 at a Disney property. In 2015 prices were $3,023 for a non-Disney hotel and $3,848 for a Disney onsite stay.
Average 2016 flights to Orlando: $241 from the East Coast; $200 from the South; $201 from the Midwest; and $372 from the West.
Stay in Lake Buena Vista to save money. A Lake Buena Vista hotel averages $183 per night and a Walt Disney World hotel averages $388 per night.
Which Disney park is your favorite? Would saving money change your choice? Comment below or connect with me on Twitter, @familyitrips.
