Our Real Florida Budget: 12 Days, Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, $4,545

Three theme parks, a rental car, beach days and outlet shopping with a four-year-old. What it actually cost, down to the tolls.

These are our final numbers, not estimates. Everything was booked and paid by us, with no tour operator.

The trip at a glance

We flew into Miami from South America, picked up a rental car and drove north to Orlando. Five nights there for the theme parks, then four nights near Fort Lauderdale for beaches and shopping before flying home from Miami.

Day	Base	Plan
Tue 10	In the air	Overnight flight to Miami
Wed 11	Orlando	Drive Miami to Orlando, Costco, Disney Springs
Thu 12	Orlando	Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 10 am to 6 pm
Fri 13	Orlando	Legoland until 5 pm, dinner at T-Rex Cafe, Disney Springs
Sat 14	Orlando	Aquatica water park, dinner at 4 Rivers Smokehouse
Sun 15	Orlando	SeaWorld Orlando, 9 am to 9 pm
Mon 16	Sunrise	Drive south, Sawgrass Mills outlets
Tue 17	Sunrise	Beach, lunch at Kelly's Landing
Wed 18	Sunrise	Beach, lunch at Costco, dinner at Flanigan's
Thu 19	Sunrise	Beach day
Fri 20	Miami	Last beach morning, flight home

Walkabout Waters, a colorful water play structure at Aquatica Orlando, with a child's life vest and sandals by a lounge chair — Walkabout Waters, Aquatica OrlandoOur photo

The full budget

Item	US$
Flights Taxes and fees; fares paid with miles	272
Hampton Inn & Suites Orlando Intl Dr N 5 nights	810
DoubleTree by Hilton Sunrise, Sawgrass Mills 4 nights	1,078
Flights and hotels	2,160
Busch Gardens pass Also covered Aquatica and SeaWorld	777
Legoland Florida	234
SeaWorld extras	29
Theme parks	1,040
Rental car	336
Parking Theme parks and beaches	193
Gas	85
Mobile internet Holafly eSIM	74
Tolls	60
Car and internet	748
Food All meals, 10 days	597
Total trip	4,545

Where the money went

Whole trip, US$, 12 days

Flights for $272: how we used miles

Our flights were the smallest line in the budget. We paid the fares with American Airlines AAdvantage miles, earned with an American Airlines co-branded Visa Platinum card, and only paid $272 in cash for taxes and fees.

The takeawayIf you already put everyday spending on a card, an airline card can turn it into flights. Compare the annual fee with what the miles are worth to you before applying.

Hotels: $210 a night on average

The outdoor pool at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sunrise, with a pool lift in the foreground and the pink hotel tower behind — The pool at the DoubleTree Sunrise, with a pool lift for easier accessOur photo

We split the stay in two. In Orlando, a Hampton Inn on International Drive at $162 a night, central for the parks. In the south, a DoubleTree next to Sawgrass Mills at about $270 a night, a short drive from the beaches of Fort Lauderdale.

A blue lifeguard tower painted with palm trees on Fort Lauderdale beach, with a yellow flag flying — Fort Lauderdale beach, a short drive from our hotelOur photo

A palm-lined beachfront promenade along Fort Lauderdale beach, with the ocean on the left and the road on the right — The beachfront promenade, Fort LauderdaleOur photo

Orlando without Disney: $1,040 for four parks

A flock of pink flamingos on a lawn surrounded by tropical trees at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay — Flamingos, Busch Gardens Tampa BayOur photo

King and Adélie penguins on snowy rocks at SeaWorld Orlando — Penguins, SeaWorld OrlandoOur photo

We skipped the Disney parks and still had four park days. The biggest saving was one Busch Gardens pass that also covered Aquatica and SeaWorld Orlando. Legoland was a separate ticket.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is in Tampa, about an hour and a half from Orlando by car. Plan a full day.
Legoland Florida is in Winter Haven, about 45 minutes from Orlando, and is built for younger children.
Aquatica and SeaWorld are both in Orlando, so those are easier days.

Two orcas leaping side by side at SeaWorld Orlando's Orca Encounter — Orca Encounter, SeaWorld OrlandoOur photo

The Legoland Florida entrance arch, built from giant Lego bricks — The entrance to Legoland Florida, Winter HavenOur photo

The SeaWorld Orlando lighthouse beside a lagoon, with a roller coaster loop in the background — SeaWorld OrlandoOur photo

Budget for parkingTheme park parking is charged per day, and it adds up. Parking at parks and beaches cost us $193, more than half the price of the rental car.

The car: $674 all in

In Florida, a car is close to essential. The rental itself was $336. Add gas, parking and tolls and the real cost was $674 for ten days of driving.

Rental: $336
Parking: $193
Gas: $85
Tolls: $60

Staying connected: $74

For mobile data we used a Holafly eSIM, which cost $74 for the whole trip. An eSIM is installed on your phone, with no physical SIM card to swap.

Food: $60 a day for three

The green-lit bar at Flanigan's, with sports on TV screens and nautical decor — Flanigan's, a South Florida classicOur photo

A lobster roll on a toasted bun with a side of steamed broccoli — Lobster roll at Kelly's LandingOur photo

Food came to $597 for ten days. We shopped at Costco twice, on arrival day and again near Fort Lauderdale, and ate at its food court. We also ate out at places like 4 Rivers Smokehouse, T-Rex Cafe, Kelly's Landing and Flanigan's.

A yellow Legoland cup filled with cinnamon-sugar apple fries — Apple fries, a favorite park snack at Legoland FloridaOur photo

A pepperoni and cheese pizza in a cardboard box at a Costco food court — Pizza at the Costco food courtOur photo

The Costco food court menu board, with a hot dog and 20 oz soda for $1.50 — Costco food court: a hot dog and soda for $1.50Our photo

Sunset over a lake at SeaWorld Orlando, with a roller coaster loop and cormorants on floating platforms — Sunset on our last park day, SeaWorld OrlandoOur photo

What happens next

We're working on separate guides for the parks, the miles and driving in Florida. Subscribe to The Weekly Go to get them first.