How Much Spending Money to Take to Orlando, Florida (2026)

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Orlando is one of the most-visited cities in the world, and between the major theme parks and dozens of smaller attractions, it’s very easy to overspend (I speak from experience). So how much spending money do you actually need?

We recommend budgeting an average of $125 per person, per day. This covers parking, gas, Ubers, food, drinks, snacks, miscellaneous spending (think band-aids & penny pressing machines) as well as the occasional souvenir but not theme park tickets or hotels.

Prices verified April 2026 against Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, the Florida Department of Revenue and other official sources.

Things to Budget for an Orlando Vacation

How much you’ll spend in Orlando depends on a few key things:

• Trip length
• Hiring a car
• Where you stay
• Party size
• Time spent at theme parks

Whatever your situation, spending money breaks down into five core categories:

• Transport
• Attractions
• Food & Drink
• Souvenirs
• Miscellaneous

I’ve broken this post down into each of these five categories with the costs and ways to save for each.

Transport

There are two types of transport you’ll need to consider for your trip to Orlando:

1. Getting to Orlando
2. Getting around Orlando

Since we’re discussing spending money, I assume you’ve already booked transport to Orlando, so this section focuses on getting around once you’re there.

There are two ways you can travel around Orlando:

1. By car (rental, or your own if driving in)
2. Rideshare such as Uber or Lyft

Driving in Orlando

Driving in Orlando has got pricier over the decade I’ve been visiting, so it’s worth comparing the price and convenience of a rental car against rideshares before you book.

If you’re hiring a rental car (or driving in your own vehicle), you’ll need to factor in the additional costs involved. These include:

• Gas
• Hotel parking
• Attraction parking

Gas

I recommend budgeting between $7 and $15 per day for gas. However, the exact amount will depend on:

• Type of vehicle
• Trip duration
• Amount of driving

Hotel Parking

Parking at a hotel in Orlando can cost as much as $50 a night. So if you’re hiring a car you’ll want to factor the cost of parking into your hotel comparison. For example, a $100 hotel with $30 parking really costs $130, so a $120 hotel with free parking works out cheaper.

Theme Park Parking

Self-parking at most major Orlando theme parks costs $35 per day. Combine this with hotel parking of up to $50 per night and you can easily find yourself spending $85 per day just on parking.

Rideshare, Public Transport & Walking

If you don’t hire a car then there are three ways you can get around Orlando:

1. Rideshare
2. Public Transport
3. Walking

You’ll likely use a combination of all three with the majority being rideshares such as Uber and Lyft.

Travelling around Orlando in this way can be cheaper, especially when you factor in the additional costs that come with renting a car. However, it can also reduce the flexibility and spontaneity of your travel plans.

Now that we travel to Orlando with young kids we always hire a car because the flexibility is worth the cost. However, when we visited Orlando as a couple in the decade prior we were happy using alternative transport methods.

In my experience, the success of travelling around Orlando without a car depends significantly on where you stay.

• Downtown: If you’re on an adults only trip to Orlando and don’t plan to spend a lot of time at the theme parks then I suggest staying downtown since it’s super walkable.
• Universal Orlando: If you plan to spend a lot of time at Universal Orlando you can stay on-site with free transfers or in either a hotel within walking distance or a hotel with a free shuttle.
• Walt Disney World: If you are planning to spend a lot of time at Disney World you can stay on-site with free transfers to the theme park or in a hotel with a shuttle.

Staying on-site at Disney World or Universal Orlando typically costs 20% more compared to similar level hotels in the area. However, the savings on complimentary transport instead of paying for Ubers and Lyfts often make up the difference.

Airport Transfers

Rideshare costs from each Orlando-area airport to most hotels:

• Melbourne (MLB) or Tampa International (TPA): around $100 each way
• Orlando International (MCO): around $40 each way
• Sanford (SFB): around $60 each way

Attractions

My estimate of $125 per person, per day assumes you’ve already booked your major theme park tickets. On theme park or water park days you’ll typically spend more than on a pool day at your hotel. Transport costs, in-park food, and impulse souvenirs all add up.

However, attraction spending doesn’t end there as most Orlando trips pick up impulse attraction costs that aren’t part of the original budget. These include:

• Walk-up attractions: ICON Park, mini golf, escape rooms, axe throwing.
• Add-ons: Express Pass at Universal, Lightning Lane at Disney.
• Extra Experiences: Dinner shows, character meals booked on the day.

I’d budget an extra $50 to $100 per adult, per trip for impulse attractions. If you know you’ll want Express Pass or Lightning Lane, factor that in separately because those alone can run $90 to $200 per person, per park day.

Food & Drink

Food and drink can make or break your Orlando budget. Unlike transport or attractions, which you mostly book in advance at fixed prices, food is decided in real time and so one unplanned table service dinner can wipe out an entire day’s budget.

The amount you spend on food and drink can vary dramatically depending on how you approach it:

• $40 to $55 per person, per day: Mostly budget-friendly restaurants, quick service meals, supermarket snacks, and cooking at your accommodation.
• $90 to $115 per person, per day: Skipping breakfast, quick service lunch, and a table service dinner with two courses and a glass of wine each evening.

We typically eat at family-friendly table service restaurants once or twice on a one or two-week trip, and spend the rest of the time on quick service meals, takeout, and cooking at the apartment. Our average works out to about $55 per person, per day.

You’ll spend the most on food and drink during theme park days because in-park prices are higher.

The single best way to save is to bring your own snacks. A bag of chips inside Walt Disney World costs roughly four times what you’d pay at Walmart, Walgreens, or Target and most theme parks allow outside food and drink as long as it meets their security rules.

Florida heat and humidity rule out anything that melts or wilts. Instead, snacks that travel well in our experience include:

• Chips & crisps
• Croissants & pastries
• Pretzels
• Cereal & granola bars
• Breadstick & cheese dippers

Souvenirs

Souvenir spending is another highly variable line in your Orlando budget. I’ve watched people drop $1,000+ in a single transaction at Magic Kingdom, while others go home without buying a thing.

When we visited Orlando as a young couple we didn’t have much money. So we budgeted $25 each for a souvenir and then focused on saving any extra money for future trips.

As we’ve got older and got more disposable income, we picked up things like a Harry Potter robe and one of the wands from the Wizarding World, plus Memory Maker for our Disney photos. And now that we travel with kids, well our souvenir spending is creeping up, and up, and up.

One of the easiest ways to save on Disney souvenirs is visiting the Disney Character Warehouse. There are two locations in Orlando both selling genuine Disney merchandise at significantly lower prices than the parks.

1. Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets
2. Orlando International Premium Outlets

Both are 15-20 minutes from Walt Disney World by car or Uber, and easily worth the trip if you’ve got a few hours to spare.

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous expenses are the easiest to forget and the hardest to plan for, but they add up. Common ones we’ve hit on Orlando trips include:

• Dietary needs (gluten-free or allergen-friendly products)
• Tips at restaurants, hotels, and for valet parking
• First aid and pharmacy purchases
• Excess baggage charges
• Laundry fees
• Pushchair and wheelchair hire
• Airport spending on the way home

We budget $100 per person per trip (so $400 for our family of four) and rarely go over. But having that buffer means an emergency laundry run or unexpected wheelchair hire doesn’t blow the rest of the budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions I’m often asked about Orlando spending money: