Survey Shows That Families Who Most Want to Go to Disneyland Can’t Afford It

If you have kids, you’re probably shelling away money to go to Disneyland at some point. While notorious for being an expensive trip, it’s also something most families dream of doing at least once.

There’s nothing quite like the magic of Disneyland—the characters, the rides, the way the kids light up at the enchantment. But, unfortunately, not all families get to experience it because of how costly it can be.

In fact, a recent poll by Insider found that the people who want to go to Disneyland the most are actually the ones to be least likely to have the means to afford it. Those people are typically middle-class families making less than $75,000 a year. And while that’s a respectable salary, stats show that it would take about three years of saving $200 a month to save for the cheapest version of a Disney vacation for a family of four.

The park’s admission rates continue to climb as each year passes. The cost of a ticket was $3.50 in 1971, or about $22 today with inflation.

These days? It’s a bit more steep. Insider recently published an average price breakdown for a family of four on a trip to Disney for five days, stating that a one-day standard ticket can start at $109 and can be as high as $159 on peak travel days (like between Christmas and New Years). Additionally, if you wan to add the option to “hop” between Disney’s parks, tickets can increase to $191 to $224 per person.

“All up, a family of four could pay $2,316 plus tax for five days’ worth of nonpeak, park-hopper tickets. (Those are prices for guests 10 and up; those ages 3 to 9 receive a slight discount on their daily ticket price, and children 2 and under enter for free.),” Insider reports.

None of that, of course, includes dining and lodging. Insider says that the most economical meal options can range from $15 to $20 a piece. There are also dining plan options, with the same family of four coming out to $1,100. As for accommodations, Insider finds that a four-night stay in a typical family suite will cost $2,617, plus tax.

Insider also calculates the average cost of transportation, souvenirs, and additional miscellaneous expenses. When all is said and done, a family of four is looking at spending $6,033 to visit Disney—and that isn’t even including airfare or other transportation costs, which can vary depending on where you live.

Have you visited Disneyland in the last few years? Did you realize how expensive a trip like this can cost? Do you think it’s worth it to have kids experience the magical land?