The Real Cost of a Disney Vacation: How Much Debt People Are Adding Onto
Written by
Nicole Symon
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Disney is supposed to be the happiest place on Earth, “where dreams come true.” These days, though, the price tag attached to a Disney vacation can feel more like a nightmare. Tourists who want to go to Disney parks but can’t afford the hundreds or thousands of dollars it will cost may end up taking on debt to cover those expenses.
But how much does a Disney vacation actually cost? And how much debt does the average Disney tourist have?
In a recent YouTube video, personal finance influencer George Kamel asked random tourists at Disney Springs in Florida how much debt they have. Here’s what he found.
How Disney Expenses Add Up
The first expense you probably think of with a Disney vacation is the park tickets. Today, a Disney World theme park ticket costs $119 per day. For a family of four, that’s already nearly $500 for just one day at the park.
Then you also have to consider travel costs, such as gas or airfare, accommodations and food. It all adds up very fast. One family in Kamel’s video said they spent around $8,000 for an eight-day trip to the park.
How Much Debt Do Disney Tourists Have?
Many of the tourists at Disney featured in Kamel’s video were carrying tens of thousands of dollars in debt. The first tourist, for example, had around $35,000 in student loan debt and an additional $1,000 in credit card debt. Another person in the video said he had credit card and car loan debt totaling around $60,000.
Student Loans
The bulk of the debt that the video participants talk about isn’t from their Disney vacations. Student loan debt was one of the largest debt categories among people Kamel spoke to at Disney Springs, and it’s no surprise. Americans collectively owe over $1.8 trillion in student loan debt. More than 43 million Americans, around 1 in 6 adults, owe money on federal student loans.
Car Loans
The people in Kamel’s video also frequently referenced car loans as a significant contributor to their overall debt. In 2025, the average new car buyer borrowed over $40,000 to finance their purchase. That’s an average auto loan payment of $745 per month on new cars and $521 per month on used cars.
Credit Card Debt
Credit card debt came up a lot in Kamel’s video as well. One video participant described putting about half of the cost of the Disney trip on a Disney credit card in addition to about $5,000 in existing credit card debt. Kamel made a point of asking these participants about their plans to pay off their debts and how long they expect that to take.
While there was some talk of balance transfer cards and other special offers on credit cards with a low or no initial interest rate, it’s worth noting that credit cards typically have very high interest rates compared to other types of debt. In August 2025, the average credit card interest rate was 21.39%. Given that the average credit card balance is $6,735, the interest on that debt adds up quickly. It can take many years to clear all that debt, especially if you’re only making the minimum payments.
Creating a Financial Plan for a Disney Vacation
Using debt to pay for a Disney vacation is tempting. It may feel like the only way to access the special experience of visiting the Disney parks. However, the best approach is to take a big-picture view of your finances and financial goals. Consider how much the Disney vacation will cost you, whether you can cover those expenses out of pocket and if that spending fits into the larger plan for your financial future.
In his video, Kamel concluded, “The American people are resilient. In spite of their crippling debt, they’re still going to make it even worse by spending a couple of thousand bucks to come to Disney.”
The takeaway is to weigh your short-term desires against your long-term goals. If going to Disney is very important to you, consider saving up and waiting until you can cover the expenses without debt. The trip will be less expensive (without the added cost of interest payments) and less stressful when you know you have the costs covered.
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