Disney + airfare under 5k - can it be done?

[mefordis]

Back in 2006 our family of 4 would go to Disney for 5 nights for around 5k. My neighbor has two small kids and is trying to do a trip next spring for under 5k (food, airfare, everything included!). She wants to stay at AoA Little Mermaid room. Is this even possible today? I don't even know if they have specials around that time since it's spring break.

Any suggestions I can pass along to her?

Edit: With her kids being 4 and 7, I'm almost tempted to suggest she just get a 2 day ticket and maybe use it for Magic Kingdom both days? Then take advantage of the Skyliner to visit the Boardwalk for some free entertainment. Or maybe MK + Epcot ?

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Has she not priced it out?

That's about all we would be doing if we knew all the details about dates, airport etc.

If she wants food included then she should take advantage of the fact that kids get a free dining plan with adult purchase of dining plan for 2026.

Also make sure she's checking the special offers page of the website.

The thing is I'm sure it CAN be done for SOME people but maybe not for others.

 

[mefordis]

Has she not priced it out?

That's about all we would be doing if we knew all the details about dates, airport etc.

If she wants food included then she should take advantage of the fact that kids get a free dining plan with adult purchase of dining plan for 2026.

Also make sure she's checking the special offers page of the website.

The thing is I'm sure it CAN be done for SOME people but maybe not for others.

I went and priced it out for her. She's totally new to Disney. I am recommending 4 nights, 2 parks (Epcot and MK) and I told her they may release specials closer to that date. With the QS dining, at AoA I got $3594. If she books that offer she can maybe trade for a better offer if it comes out.

She can take the Mears bus to from the airport to save $$, too. I've never taken it but I heard it's a budget friendly option.

Now, airfare is another story but Spirit is probably her best bet?

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I went and priced it out for her. She's totally new to Disney. I am recommending 4 nights, 2 parks (Epcot and MK) and I told her they may release specials closer to that date. With the QS dining, at AoA I got $3594. If she books that offer she can maybe trade for a better offer if it comes out.

She can take the Mears bus to from the airport to save $$, too. I've never taken it but I heard it's a budget friendly option.

Now, airfare is another story but Spirit is probably her best bet?

What airport is she flying out of?
The ultra low fare airlines often only have a couple flights per week between certain airports.
Plus then there's an upcharge for absolutely everything including personal items on some.

My other suggestion would be go with one of the All Star resorts instead.
The LM aren't even updated as far as I know where the other value resorts are.
AOA is a waste of a lot of money IMO.
She could probably add more park days for less money if she went with a cheaper resort.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Spring break is one of the most expensive times of year to go. (Had many spring break trips w college kids.)

It definitely can be done for $5K but there may have to be some tweaks.

AoA, even the regular rooms, are more expensive than other Value rooms.

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/little-mermaid-room-review/

Would they consider staying at Pop Century, or even one of the All Stars, instead?

Would they consider an August/September or January/February trip to take advantage of Value Season?

How to plan meals is very individual and depends on how people, including the kids, eat. We always got a grocery order and had breakfasts in the room, and packed some snacks, fruit and sandwiches for lunch. It saved a lot and not much went to waste. Eating one meal per day at Disney is a lot more affordable than eating three meals there.

We just came back and they had a ticket special for three parks. We also got $69 airfare going down, and under $100 coming back, on SWA. We like having a car rental and prices aren’t as bad as they were a few years ago. We got a full size SUV for ~ $300. Mears transportation costs can add up, too, and the car gives you a lot more freedom, but again, it’s individual.

I would encourage first timers to balance park time with resort time for a less stressful vacation. We saw so many little ones sweaty, screaming and crying around the parks. If the kids enjoy relaxing pool time, to them, that’s a great thing too. Maybe consider a moderate resort for a better resort experience, ie something quiet. I’ve seen moderate rooms priced just a little more than the better Value resorts at times. Consider POR.

 

[kylenne]

I think a lot of this comes down to her willingness to pull the kids out of school. If she’s comfortable with that then they can go during shoulder seasons when things are less expensive, not just rooms but also airfare. Airfare is crazy during spring break. Early May otoh is a good time for less expensive everything.

You already got some good advice on resort and food so I’ll talk about airfare tricks. Pricing is going to vary wildly depending on home airport tbh. My best suggestion is to set up alerts on Google Flights to track prices once her dates are set. The Hopper app is an alternative with a price prediction algorithm that tells you when to buy. I would use those to find the best deals and then book directly on the airline site. Just be careful that these searches default to including Basic economy fares that charge extra for seat selection and are less flexible. And like PP said be very careful with the ULCCs (Spirit, Frontier). They are generally fine if you understand their fee structure and everything goes right, but in the case of delays or cancellations you could see a very hard time due their business model.

If JetBlue is an option where she lives, they have flash sales every few months where you can score some really good deals. Sign up for their emails. I got a crazy cheap JetBlue flight home from Vegas last week on a fall flash sale.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

I'm just going to add on to the other great airfare advice you got and this is really for anyone...if you are good with your finances and you are disciplined and know you can pay off monthly bills on time...then the credit card points game is how to afford any flights these days. I won't get into the specifics, there are a lot of videos and blogs out there, but once you start accumulating credit card points and transfer them to airline points it opens up a whole new world of affordable flights...affordable because they're essentially free.

 

[Genie+]

What weeknights you stay can make a big difference on cost. In a given week there might be a lower price for Mon Tues and Wed, higher for Sun and Thurs, and highest for Fri and Sat. And now it seems many/most WDW room discounts only apply Sun-Thurs night.

For example take a week March 2026 at AoA. If somebody stays Sun-Thurs the rack rate would be $1266 (including tax) and with a discount around 15% off could be under $1100k. But if they instead stayed Thurs-Mon rack rate would be $1386 and getting a discount around 15% would likely not apply to Fri/Sat so the offer price probably still over $1300.

Same week, choosing 4 nights, and could be near $250 overall difference.

https://www.mousesavers.com/2025-art-of-animation-room-rates-season-dates/

 

[MattB2G]

Spring Break flights are close to double the cost over normal flights, which is why we usually fly out the Thursday night before our vacation week and then fly back on the Wednesday or Thursday during the vacation week. Saves a ton of money. For the ages of 4 and 7 it probably isn't a big deal about skipping school for a few days, but some school districts have different requirements for attendance. Also, the crowds in airports during spring break are crazy, so it is nice to fly out early and return early.

 

[Miffy]

And a word about Spirit--this airline should be avoided if at all possible, since they could very well be out of business by the time your friend's flight would depart.

 

[mefordis]

What airport is she flying out of?
The ultra low fare airlines often only have a couple flights per week between certain airports.
Plus then there's an upcharge for absolutely everything including personal items on some.

My other suggestion would be go with one of the All Star resorts instead.
The LM aren't even updated as far as I know where the other value resorts are.
AOA is a waste of a lot of money IMO.
She could probably add more park days for less money if she went with a cheaper resort.

She really wants to be on the skyliner. Are the LM rooms looking tired?

 

[Disneylover99]

She really wants to be on the skyliner.

A standard room at Pop would save them some money over a LM room.

 

[mefordis]

A standard room at Pop would save them some money over a LM room.

Here is what I found for 4 nights, 2 park day, QSDP, travel protection:

AoA LM: $3,780.54
Pop standard room: $3,596.04

Does anyone think there will be a promotion released that's better than the free kids QSDP?

 

[mefordis]

And a word about Spirit--this airline should be avoided if at all possible, since they could very well be out of business by the time your friend's flight would depart.

Oh my gosh, thanks. Never flew them before.

I'm hoping she can find flights for under 1k. However, on Google Flights right now there is nothing under 2k total flying out Tues - Sat (nonstop since they have small kids and it would be a royal pain to have a stopover not to mention the potential delays and missing the connection).

 

[mefordis]

I think a lot of this comes down to her willingness to pull the kids out of school. If she’s comfortable with that then they can go during shoulder seasons when things are less expensive, not just rooms but also airfare. Airfare is crazy during spring break. Early May otoh is a good time for less expensive everything.

You already got some good advice on resort and food so I’ll talk about airfare tricks. Pricing is going to vary wildly depending on home airport tbh. My best suggestion is to set up alerts on Google Flights to track prices once her dates are set. The Hopper app is an alternative with a price prediction algorithm that tells you when to buy. I would use those to find the best deals and then book directly on the airline site. Just be careful that these searches default to including Basic economy fares that charge extra for seat selection and are less flexible. And like PP said be very careful with the ULCCs (Spirit, Frontier). They are generally fine if you understand their fee structure and everything goes right, but in the case of delays or cancellations you could see a very hard time due their business model.

If JetBlue is an option where she lives, they have flash sales every few months where you can score some really good deals. Sign up for their emails. I got a crazy cheap JetBlue flight home from Vegas last week on a fall flash sale.

Thanks so much! Never tried the Hopper app.

 

[mefordis]

What airport is she flying out of?
The ultra low fare airlines often only have a couple flights per week between certain airports.
Plus then there's an upcharge for absolutely everything including personal items on some.

My other suggestion would be go with one of the All Star resorts instead.
The LM aren't even updated as far as I know where the other value resorts are.
AOA is a waste of a lot of money IMO.
She could probably add more park days for less money if she went with a cheaper resort.

DTW

 

[bluezy]

Here is what I found for 4 nights, 2 park day, QSDP, travel protection:

AoA LM: $3,780.54
Pop standard room: $3,596.04

Does anyone think there will be a promotion released that's better than the free kids QSDP?

There are usually promotions throughout most of the year other than the absolute busiest times. The "Kids Eat Free QSDP" isn't a promotion. It's just a benefit for 2026. They would be able to use that along with any promotional rates that may apply to their travel dates.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Here is what I found for 4 nights, 2 park day, QSDP, travel protection:

AoA LM: $3,780.54
Pop standard room: $3,596.04

Does anyone think there will be a promotion released that's better than the free kids QSDP?

I believe you can have the kids dining plan promo PLUS another promo.
But whether there will be one is a matter of when her dates are.
You really haven't given much info to go off of.

And yes LM rooms are looking old since they have not gotten a refurb.

If she has to be on the Skyliner go with POP as you can see from your math it is cheaper.

 

[mefordis]

I believe you can have the kids dining plan promo PLUS another promo.
But whether there will be one is a matter of when her dates are.
You really haven't given much info to go off of.

And yes LM rooms are looking old since they have not gotten a refurb.

If she has to be on the Skyliner go with POP as you can see from your math it is cheaper.

I'm sorry, dates are week of March 30 - first week of April.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was going to say, price it up without the dining plan, but I see in the OP, she wants food included. My son’s family was with us last week and the kids and their mom eat almost nothing, plus DS watches what he eats. It probably wouldn’t be the best thing for them but they did buy the mugs. (Dining plan still includes those, I imagine.)

One thing I’d pass along to your neighbor is to start including Disney items (clothing, accessories, etc.) and gift cards for birthdays and holidays for this year and up until the time they go. That helps a lot with costs while there and in planning outfits and packing.