“How much spending money do I need for Orlando?” is one of those questions where the answer can genuinely be anything from sensible to absolutely terrifying.
You can do Orlando fairly cheaply once the big stuff is paid for. You can also walk into Disney Springs for a quick look and somehow leave £300 poorer.
We separate the holiday into pots
Rather than choosing one giant spending-money figure, we find it much easier to think about food, shopping, parking and tolls, souvenirs and a backup amount separately.
That way, your food budget doesn’t mysteriously disappear because everyone went feral in the outlets on day three.
Food is where it adds up
We don’t eat out for every single meal. If we’re in a villa, we’ll normally buy breakfast bits, drinks, snacks and easy food from Publix, Walmart or Target, then choose the meals we actually want to eat out for.
There are loads of cheaper options too. Chipotle, Panda Express, Raising Cane’s and quick-service meals can keep costs down, and portions in the US can be big enough to share.
Remember tax and tips
This catches a lot of UK visitors out. The number you see on a menu or shelf often isn’t the final amount you pay. Sales tax may be added, and table-service restaurants generally mean budgeting for a tip too.
The hidden bits
Parking, tolls, resort fees, pool heating, baggage, car hire extras and little convenience purchases can make a surprising difference over two weeks.
And then there’s shopping. If you know you’re going to hit the outlets, give yourself a separate shopping budget. We love Ralph Lauren, Coach, Kate Spade, Tommy Hilfiger and Marc Jacobs, so pretending we’re “just having a look” has never really worked for us.
Cash or card?
We mostly use cards and normally take around $100 to $200 in cash as backup. We’ve found Starling useful for spending abroad, but always check the current terms for whichever card you use.
Where we’d cut the budget
If we needed to knock £1,000 off an Orlando trip, we’d look at accommodation, car hire and how often we eat out before cutting the experiences we’re travelling all that way for.
A slightly cheaper villa and a few dinners at home can make a much bigger difference than obsessing over saving $2 on every snack.
Our biggest tip: decide what you actually care about spending money on. Budget properly for that, then save on the bits you don’t.