We all know Disney vacations are expensive! Airfare or gas…hotels…park tickets…food…souvenirs…those costs add up! There are ways to save some of your Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacation. Here are my top ten tips for saving money on a Disney vacation.
10. Spend a day at your resort or at Downtown Disney – Save money on park tickets by skipping a day in the parks. Relax at the pool at your resort or explore Downtown Disney. One of our favorite free activities is resort hopping on the monorail. We love seeing the different resorts and the kids love riding the monorail.
9. Buy souvenirs on the last day – A friend of mine told her kids that they could not buy anything until their last day of their Disney vacation. They still window shopped, but it gave them time to decide what they wanted most and stopped them from endlessly buying small toys throughout the trip. (This would be fine with my kids, but not me, since my favorite Disney activity is shopping.)
8. Use Disney transportation – Between the Magical Express that will bring you to your hotel and the Disney buses, you don’t have to spend a dime on transportation during your Disney vacation!
7. Bring Water – Bring bottled water for your family and refill the bottles the day to save money on drinks. Terri is a fan of this filtered water bottle!
6. Don’t upgrade your resort view – At Disney resorts, you pay for the best locations. You can save money by skipping the park views or the savannah view rooms. This makes a lot of sense for families who won’t be in their rooms much during their trips.
5. Don’t go deluxe – Instead of a suite at Bay Lake Towers, choose a super fun (and much less expensive!) suite at Art of Animation. Choosing a moderate or value resort will save hundreds of dollars per night.
4. Don’t park hop – You pay extra for a park hopper option and can save by visiting one park per day. We always park hop, so for me, this expense is worth every penny, but many people are content with one park at a time.
3. Save sit down meals for lunch – Lunch is almost always less expensive than dinner. If you’re looking to try a sit down restaurant, you can save money by eating there at lunch and opting for a quick service meal at dinner.
2. Carry snacks – Much like water, you’re more than welcome to bring snacks to the parks. Pack your bag with small bags of pretzels, granola bars and other portable snacks to save a bit of money. It’s also especially helpful to have snacks on hand for children who get cranky quickly when hungry!
1. Choose value season for travel – Most people choose to visit Disney when school is out so Disney makes those times the most expensive times to visit. If you decide to go at Christmas, you’re going to pay a premium. Try to visit over a long weekend when the kids have school or another time when crowds will be low and you can save a decent amount on your trip.
I hope these hints help save you some money on your next Disney trip. What are your favorite money saving tips for Disney?
Happy saving!
Amy
Recent Comments