Travel to Europe for Less than Disney World!

We’ve been lucky enough to be able to experience both Disney World and traveling internationally and they both have pros and cons that I’ll share. However, what always is interesting to us is that international travel is seen as ‘extravagant’ but Disney World is seen as a must do for families.

I want to share with you how you can make an international trip fit within your Disney budget, if that is something you’re interested in!

What’s a Better Family Trip?

The truth is, both types of trips can be incredible, and both can get pricey if you’re not intentional with your choices. But if you’ve ever thought, “We could never afford to take our family abroad,” you might be surprised.

We’ve broken down the actual costs of a 4-day Disney World vacation compared to some of the international trips we’ve taken – and in many cases, the numbers are pretty close. In fact, with some careful planning, you might even be able to spend less on an international adventure than a few days at the parks.

So let’s take a look at how the two stack up – what you get for your money, what the experiences feel like with kids or teens, and how you can make international travel feel just as doable as Disney.

When most American families start thinking about a “big vacation,” Disney is often the first thing that comes to mind. And don’t get me wrong – my kids LOVE Disney World. It really is an incredible adventure for kids of all ages (and adults!). No one makes more amazing rides and more immersive experiences than Disney. We’ve visited all 4 parks in Disney World multiple times, as well as Disney Land and have some amazing family memories. But after planning multiple Disney trips and traveling abroad with our kids, we started wondering:

Is Disney really the best way to spend our vacation time (and money)?

Why Compare?

So, why am I comparing Disney to international travel?

Because, regularly, we get told that traveling internationally is ‘extravagant’ and ‘so expensive’. And, while it’s not cheap, and we certainly recognize how privileged we are to be able to take vacations like this… it can really end up being much cheaper than Disney World!

So, I want to debunk the myth that traveling internationally is unreachable as a vacation option.

We recently crunched the numbers and compared our Disney World trip with a few of our international adventures – and the results might surprise you. If you’re on the fence between planning a Disney trip or taking your family abroad, here’s what we learned.

Let’s Look at Costs

So, lets compare Disney to our recent trip to Poland for a family of 4.

In this scenario, you spent 6 nights in a hotel at each location. At Disney, you go to 4 parks with one pool day. In Poland, you can visit both Krakow and Warsaw in 6 nights, tour a former concentration camp, eat pierogis all day long and explore some interesting museums.

There are other miscellaneous expenses each trip may have, but this will give you a good overall picture of what traveling internationally could look like compared to Disney World.

	Disney	Poland
Flights	$150 * 4 = $600	$500 * 4 = $2000
Lodging (6 nights)	$350 * 6 = $2100	$120 * 6 = $720
Food	$15/meal/per person ($45/pp/day) $45 * 4= $180/day total 180 * 6 = $1080	$3 breakfast, $8 lunch, $12 dinner ($23/pp/day) $23 * 4 = $92/day total $92 * 6 = $552
Activities	Tickets (4 parks, no park hopper): $2400 Lightning Lane: $500 Parking: $80	Auschwitz Tour: $180 Various Museums: $60 Zoo and other activities: $60
Total	$6760	$3572

Savings!

With just that one comparison, you can see that a trip to Europe could be half the cost of a trip to Disney World! Obviously this is just one comparison and both trips could be done cheaper or more expensively.

And, this is not, by any means meant to say either is cheap or a super budget destination.

However, it is meant to start a conversation around how international travel does not necessarily mean it is expensive travel.

One of the best ways that we save money traveling internationally, is basing our destination on the cost of flights. We have a long list of places we want to go, so if we see a cheap flight (like to Poland!), we take it. Often flights to Europe cost $1300+ per person, so it would get a lot more expensive if you’re traveling peak season and not getting any deals. But, saving up miles and points from our credit cards, and picking destinations based on deals makes for a ton of savings!

Different Types of Trips

Comparing these two trips may not be fair… they are very different experiences. Here are my overall thoughts on the differences:

Disney World gives you:

• An incredible, immersive experience
• Amazing rides – really the best out there!
• Endless fun activities, food and fun
• An exhausting trip with 20k+ steps per day, long lines and intense heat!

International travel gives you:

• Some amazing cultural experiences that get you out of your comfort zone
• Local food that is often very affordable and delicious
• Flexibility to pick the pace of your day
• Experiences and memories for your family!

Final thoughts… Disney vs International

Disney is magical, no doubt. And, we probably will end up going back there some day soon, but there’s something deeply enriching about exploring the world together as a family.

So if you’ve always dreamed of exploring outside the U.S. but assumed Disney was the easier or safer choice – don’t rule out getting outside the country. It might be more accessible (and more affordable) than you think.

Need Help Planning?

We’ve done both – Disney and international trips with teens – and we know how much research and decision making goes into both kinds of vacations. If you’re stuck trying to figure out which is best for your family, or you just want someone to help you plan the trip that feels right, reach out! We’d love to help!

We can show you how we save money on Disney lodging using our favorite hotel credit card… how we pick amazing international destinations for our kids, and how we find great deals.