Walt Disney World is magical. To quote Belle, it’s full of “far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise….” Interested? A Disney vacation is yours… for a price.
But my family (at least my daughters and me) can’t resist. My three and four-year olds will soon make their sixth trip! Sounds crazy?! My husband is nodding his head. Perhaps it is a little nuts. But we’ve found some ways to save money.
#1 Stay at a Budget Resort
Disney All-Star Resorts average $100 per night at these “value” resorts. Our girls love them! Each building has a theme. Our favorite with All-Star Movie featuring 101 Dalmations, Toy Story, Might Ducks (super cool hockey rink pool), the Love Bug and Fantasia. There’s plenty of space to room and explore at night. There’s also a special evening book reading for the children.
All resorts have on-site dining, mini-fridges, park transportation, Magic Hours (select parks stay open an extra hour or open an hour early for resort guests), movies at night, running trails, on-site concierge, pools, Magic Express (free shuttle to and from Orlando’s airport), complimentary parking, cribs, bed rails for small children and bars.
Here are the differences:
- Value and lower moderate resorts (ie Port Orleans, Caribbean Beach, Coronado) use bus transportation around Walt Disney World. Value hotels ONLY have ONE stop. This is a huge perk for anyone with small children. Port Orleans and Caribbean Beach have multiple stops on that same resort property. At times, it took us 30 minutes just to get out of the resort.
- Value rooms have fridges. Moderate rooms also have coffee makers.
- Moderate resorts offer additional amenities, like playgrounds, campfires at night (s’mores $), bike rentals ($) and carriage rides at Port Orleans ($).
- Decor is nicer at higher levels.
- To stay on the monorail system, you will be paying a premium price at the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian Resorts.
- Character dining options are only available at the deluxe resorts.
#2 Plan for at Least 3 Days in Park
Once your stay with park tickets hits 3 days, park tickets cost less per day. You’ll save at least $20+ dollars per day once your trip hits the 3 day mark. The hopper option costs additional money. But I do recommend having the option to “hop” between parks. This option doesn’t limit you to one park per day.
#3 Avoid Park Hopping on Shorter Trips
Save your money by bypassing the park hopper on shorter trips. Use your limited time to focus on fewer park(s). Hopping between parks does take time. Plus, this option is an addition $50 per ticket and It’s not a quick 15 minute trip. If it’s a short trip, it’s a waste of time and money.
#4 Skip the Dining Plan
The dining plans are a great hassle-free way to eat. Or at least, it was before Magic Bands. Now, you can link a credit card to your band, leave the card in the room safe and simply swipe your band and enter a pin to purchase food.
We’ve used the basic plan (Quick Service). It’s two meals and two snacks a day. A meal consists of one entree and one non-alcoholic cup. You also get a refillable cup that can ONLY be filled at your resort. But unless you eat every meal at Be Our Guest in the Magic Kingdom or Wolfgang Puck Express in Disney Springs, you will not be saving money. Kids under three eat free at buffets. We also found it was too much food. The kid’s meals are HUGE for small children with an entree, carrots, fruit and a drink. We’ve never used all the food. As a result, we’ve ended the vacation by bringing home quite a few treats to cash out the plan.
Here’s what we do:
- Pack breakfast bars and to-go snacks in your luggage (or make a quick stop at a grocery store on your way in if you are driving). It makes our breakfasts and those waits for characters, transportation, rides and parades easier.
- Save unopened bags of fruit or veggies from kid’s meals as snacks.
- Brown bag it. Make your own sandwiches to carry into the park for lunch.
- Ditch on the “extras” like special buckets that some kids meals are served in. Hold any items, like bacon or cheese, that you don’t want.
- Share large counter meals. Some entrees, like baked chicken and green beans, are large enough to serve two adults.
- Order a pizzas for a quick, inexpensive dinner. (But AVOID this if you are on the dining plan. It’s not much food for the amount of credits you lose.)
#5 Purchase a Memory Maker
The Memory Maker costs $149 if you purchase it BEFORE your trip. It’s $169 later. I’d recommend this IF you plan on being at Disney for more than a day. Digital downloads are $14.95 per picture. The photographers are stationed throughout the parks and even inside Story Time with Belle in the Magic Kingdom. The photos are great. Pictures taken on rides, like Splash Mountain, are also include as part of this package.This allows you to enjoy the experience of seeing your children interact with characters. They even have some special effects that can be added to some pictures, like putting Tinkerbell in your hand. Just ask!
#6 Cash in on Freebies
Not everything at Disney comes at a price.
- Free celebratory buttons for a 1st visit, birthday, engagement, anniversary or wedding are available. We also got a signed picture of Minnie and Mickey for our engagement. Just tell a cast member at check-in.
- Cast members often carry stickers.
- Take advantage of pool parties and movies at the resorts.
- Finally, all the Walt Disney World parks offer scavenger hunts, like Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom and Wilderness Explorers.
- Also, spend time exploring the deluxe resorts. My girls love riding the monorail, walking around the lagoon, seeing Christmas decorations and the giant Gingerbread House at the Grand Floridian, and the animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
#7 Consider a Disney Visa Credit Card
You earn points for all of your Disney purchases. It won’t get you a lot of cash back. You do get 2% in rewards for Disney purchases. However, you can save money on purchases made in Walt Disney World stores simply by showing it. Discounts are also available at The Disney Store and online. Card members get access to a private StarWars character experience at Disney Hollywood Studios. Special financing is also available on some vacation packages. Plus, there are often sign-up offers that result in a few hundred dollar credit toward your statement. You can get cards for multiple members of your family.
