A mom of 2 spent $1,113 on a day trip to Universal Studios. She posted a TikTok breaking down the cost to help other parents see if they can afford it in this economy.

• Miranda Pearce took her two children to Universal Studios Florida at the beginning of September.
• She put together a breakdown of the cost of the trip and shared it with her TikTok followers.

A mother of two filmed her day trip to Universal Studios Florida, showing her TikTok viewers how much she paid for each element as a way to help others navigate the cost of family trips.

Miranda Pearce, 31, who works as a marketer based in the Cheshire, England, posted the video on September 3, and it quickly blew up, receiving 1.7 million views.

According to receipts that she shared in the video, which were also seen by Insider, she spent $1,113.40 overall on the September 1 trip, which included spending $483.66 on tickets, $396 for fast passes, $62 on lunch, and $27 on parking.

Pearce told Insider she believes most of her TikTok followers are parents working in the medical field, and she thought that making a video about the cost of her trip would be useful for them.

"They're all just like me: moms, middle-aged women, who have aspirations to go to Disney and Universal. So I knew they would be interested in the cost," she said.

Pearce told Insider that some of the prices were "shocking" and that she did not "expect it to be that much."

"I'll be honest, I was a bit like 'wow,' when I was just getting my credit card out so much," she added.

According to specialist theme-park news outlets Inside the Magic and Pirates and Princesses, Universal Studios increased the prices of its annual passes and prime parking passes in 2022. Other US theme parks have also announced plans for raising ticket prices this year.

Pearce told Insider she thinks her video went viral because it reflected the general trend of inflation and the increased cost of living, which she believes has made life harder for many families.

In the UK, where Pearce is based, the economy is currently undergoing a cost-of-living crisis, partly due to soaring energy bills, and Pearce told Insider she thinks parents on TikTok are increasingly interested in watching content about finances and spending.

"People are now really interested in how much things are costing. I've seen people talking about this in the supermarket, all coming together and doing a sharp intake of breath at the cost of butter," she said, adding that she thinks her video appealed to other parents who are trying to work out whether a vacation like hers "will be something to dream for, or whether it's just out of reach" in the current economy.

Commenters under Pearce's video discussed their thoughts on the prices, and whether they would be able to afford a similar trip.

"That made me feel uneasy. I'm never leaving my room again," one commenter wrote, while other comments read, "Cheaper than I was expecting," and, "It's actually a fair price."

Some commenters said they had been to Universal Studios before, and shared tips in the comments section about how to save money on such a trip.

"Skip the fast passes, eat before you go, bring granola bars in your bag, share a snack in the park, eat dinner after you leave," one person wrote.

"Interestingly, a couple of people stitched my video and gave me some even clearer instructions about how you can save money," Pearce told Insider, saying she is glad that her TikTok generated practical discussions about budgeting.

Pearce said that while she enjoyed her trip to Universal Studios, and is glad that her video helped other parents, she realized that she did not necessarily need to spend so much to give her kids a special day. A few days after her trip, she said she took her children, aged six and nine, to a watch-party event for the launch of a NASA rocket.

"That was free and we just stayed the whole day on the beach and it was wonderful," she said, telling Insider that her main advice for other parents is that "you can do things that are cheaper and still make beautiful memories."

Universal Studios Orlando did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.