For a family of four, our family trips run from about $1,741 (Great Wolf Lodge) to $9,395 (Disney World), with the hidden costs included. On family trips those extras add about 45%, so the safe rule is to keep your bookings to about 69% of what you can spend.
Traveling as a family is a different sport. Every price on the page gets multiplied by four, the snacks are non-negotiable, and somebody is going to need a bathroom the minute you pass the last exit for 40 miles. The good news is that family trips follow a pattern, and once you see it, it's much easier to plan.
What family trips really cost
We set ten of our family-friendly calculators to two adults and two kids and added the costs families forget. The last column shows what one more child adds.
| Trip | Length | Looks like | Really costs | One more kid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Wolf Lodge | 2 nights | $1,214 | $1,741 | +$147 |
| Gatlinburg & Dollywood | 3 nights | $1,943 | $3,139 | +$477 |
| Florida Beach Trip | 5 nights | $2,502 | $3,867 | +$371 |
| National Park Road Trip | 6 nights | $2,705 | $4,327 | +$566 |
| Washington, D.C. | 4 nights | $3,420 | $5,088 | +$896 |
| Beach House Week | 7 nights | $3,846 | $5,517 | +$344 |
| Disneyland | 3 nights | $5,330 | $7,104 | +$1,525 |
| Universal Orlando | 4 nights | $5,720 | $7,243 | +$1,508 |
| Disney Cruise | 4 nights | $6,000 | $8,826 | +$2,084 |
| Disney World | 5 nights | $7,090 | $9,395 | +$1,953 |
Notice the split: the trips you can drive to cost a fraction of the ones you fly to. Four plane tickets and four checked bags are often the biggest line in a family budget before anyone has had any fun.
Where families overspend
Checked bagsoften $360 a trip
Most major airlines charge about $45 for the first bag, each way. Four people, round trip, adds up to $360.
Shrink it: Pack carry-ons and do laundry once. Kids' clothes are small, which is the one advantage of kids' clothes.
Line-skip passesabout $600 at Disney World
At theme parks, paying to skip lines is the single biggest optional cost, and it's very easy to buy every day without deciding to.
Shrink it: Buy it only for your busiest park day, and get to the gates early on the others.
Snacks and treatsa few hundred dollars
Park snacks, ice cream on the boardwalk and the pretzel that saved everyone's afternoon.
Shrink it: Pack a bag of snacks every day. Buy the one treat that's special to the place.
Souvenirsabout $40 to $50 a person
Every gift shop is placed exactly where tired kids walk past it.
Shrink it: Give each child a souvenir budget on day one. Let them decide how to spend it. You'll be amazed how careful they get.
Eating every meal outthe quiet budget killer
Three restaurant meals a day for four people is the biggest daily cost on most trips.
Shrink it: Book a room with a fridge or kitchenette. Breakfast in the room saves a surprising amount.
A simple family budget plan
- Start with the number you can actually spend, including what goes on the credit card.
- Keep part of it for extras. On our family trips the hidden costs add about 45% to the bookings, so book no more than about 69% of your total.
- Decide on the splurges together. One special meal, one big activity, one souvenir each. Kids are much better at this than at "we'll see".
- Drive if it's under a day away. It's often the single biggest saving available to a family.
- Travel off-peak if school allows. The same week outside school holidays can cost much less, especially for hotels and theme park tickets.
How we got these numbers
Each row comes from that trip's calculator, set to four travelers at its typical length, with typical airfare from a US airport where you'd fly, and the forgotten costs that are on by default. The "one more kid" column is the same trip for five. Prices are checked against published rates every month.
Run your own numbers
Every figure here comes from a free calculator. Change any number to match your trip.