10½ Money Saving Tips for a Disney World Vacation
Walt Disney World is a magical place that captures the hearts of those young and old. Unfortunately Disney vacations can be extremely expensive, I think you could actually bring the family to Hawaii for less than most spend on a Disney vacation. But fear not, there are plenty of ways to save money while visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth!
Disney Monorail Passing through Epcot (stock image)
1. Plan ahead: Research and pre-book tickets, accommodations, and meals to avoid last-minute price hikes. Although I often book things last minute I would advise the opposite for a Disney vacation, book as far in advance as possible!
2. Visit during the off-season: Avoid peak times like holidays, spring break and summer months when prices are higher.
3. Stay at a budget-friendly hotel: Consider staying at a value resort or off-site hotel to save on lodging expenses. If you’d like to stay on Disney property consider the All-Star, Pop Century, or Art of Animation hotels. The Swan and Dolphin are usually the best price 4 star properties, and my family spends a lot of time at the Fort Wilderness campground which is the most affordable option if you don’t mind sleeping in a tent!
4. Bring your own food and drinks: Pack snacks and drinks to avoid buying expensive food and drinks at the park. Frequent Disney traveler Nicole has a few tricks of her own… “I usually place a Walmart delivery order and have food delivered to the hotel. Buy the popcorn bucket and get $2 refills at the parks for your whole trip. You can buy the Disney mug and get free refills at the resorts.”
Disney Skyline (stock image)
5. Use Disney transportation: Use the complimentary transportation provided by Disney to save on rental car and parking fees. You can also use Uber and Lyft instead of a rental car, both are readily available throughout Walt Disney World.
6. Purchase souvenirs wisely: Purchase souvenirs outside the park or wait until the end of your trip to buy them. It will almost always be most expensive on Disney property.
Disney’s nightly fireworks display at the Magic Kingdom can even be seen from outside the park! (stock image)
7. Take advantage of free entertainment: Enjoy free entertainment and activities, such as parades and fireworks shows. One of my favorite memories as a kid was watching the nightly campfire & movies at Fort Wilderness, still free every night to this day.
8. Bring reusable water bottles: Bring your own water bottles and refill them at water fountains throughout the park.
9. Consider a park hopper ticket: A park hopper ticket allows you to visit multiple parks in one day, saving you money on multiple tickets. The more days the more you save.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios - May the savings be with you! (stock image)
10. Use credit card rewards: Use a credit card that offers rewards to earn points for future Disney vacations. Love those points! Check out some of my favorite cards here.
10½. Military Discounts: Disney has generous military discounts, so if you or anyone in your family is in the military don’t leave them at home! Nicole said, “Our biggest savings is the military discounts on tickets and Shades of Green is a super affordable Disney hotel for military with an exchange (store) inside that has regular priced items not Disney markups and no sales tax.” To those friends serving in the military I thank for your service to our country!
Say hello to Mickey for me. Happy travels! ✌️
