Disney World Money Saving Tips

Anyone else get really excited when you get your receipt from the grocery store or Target and see you save over $5?! I love a good sale and to save money! I rarely ever buy anything full price anymore. What can I say, having kids made me cheap!

We all know that going to Disney is an expense, but there are ways to save! I am going to share my top ways to save some money when planning a trip to Disney and while you are there. I will try to break this down into a few parts to help it make the most sense because it is A LOT of information, but I hope it can help!

First things first, deciding on where you are going to stay and how to save on your resort:

1. Look for deals through Disney. A lot of times Disney will run specials on their resorts when booking within a certain time frame. For example, last year when booking a stay between April 1st - September 12th you could save up to 25% off.

2. Rent DVC points - This is one of my favorite ways to book our stays at Disney. You can stay at a DVC(Disney Vacation Club) resort for a great price! There are a few things to know about this option though. First, you have to pay for your room balance in full at time of booking. Second, you can't modify or cancel your reservation. Lastly, you will want to book fairly far in advance. I would say at least 8-10 months, if not earlier to increase your chances at getting a room at your desired resort . I usually use David's Vacation Club Rentals when booking this way.

3. Priceline & Hotwire - I have never used these option, but know people who have. You can sometimes find a Disney Resort as a "hot rate" or "express deal" - but, you will not know where you are booking until after you pay. Just like renting DVC points, this is a non-refundable option. Also, since booking with an outside source, you cannot add the Dining Plan to your reservation. There is a lot up to chance with this option, but if you are flexible on where you are going to stay and looking to book a last minute trip, this can be a great option to save you some money.

How to save on Park Tickets:

This one is a little trickier because there are not many "deals" on park tickets that I have seen. Disney is currently(up through September 30th 2020) doing a 4 Day, 4 Parks ticket which is a little cheaper than buying a regular ticket. With this option, it does restrict you to one park per day. Park hopping would not be an option.

One site that I often use to look for discounted tickets is undercovertourist.com. You can occasionally get tickets for a few dollars less than going directly through Disney. (They also offer deals on resorts)

Lastly, check with your employer! Some employers have a discount site for their employees for all types of things. Disney can be one of them! We have been able to get tickets up to $40 cheaper per person by doing this!!

Other ways to save money:

- Get a Disney Gift Card when you turn down Mouse Keeping(housekeeping) - When staying on property(with the exception of renting DVC points), you can turn down Mouse Keeping at select resorts and get a gift card for $10 per night for the length of your stay minus your last night. For example, you are staying at Pop Century Resort for 5 nights, you would get a Disney Gift Card for $40.

Water is FREE anywhere on Disney property so there is no need to buy water everyday. You can walk up to a counter that has fountain drinks and ask for a cup of water.

Skip the dining plan - This is just a personal preference for me and will really depend on your family and your needs. The last time I used the dining plan was over 8 years ago before we had kids and at the end of our trip, we had so many meal and snack credits left over. Now, I prefer to bring food for breakfast, lunch and some snacks snacks. Did you know that you can bring food into the parks?! If you are using a cooler, it has to be soft sided and cannot be larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high. Dry ice and loose ice is also not allowed. Be sure to use ice packs or bagged ice. During our last two family trips, we spent WAY less on food then we would have if we had purchased the Dining Plan.

To piggy back off meals - Share meals or order kids meals at quick service. I have found that kids meals have plenty of food for me. This is save on money and wasting food.

Pack for all weather. This is one where I need to take my own advice! As much as an over-packer that I am, I almost always need to buy something because the weather has shifted last minute and I don't have enough clothes to adjust with it.

Bring your own ponchos, glow sticks, bubbles, autograph books, water bottles, souvenirs, pretty much anything you can buy before hand!

Although there are other ways to save at Disney, these are just some of my favorites. I hope you found this helpful and will be able to use some of these tips on your next trip to the most MAGICAL place on Earth.

Do you have a favorite money saving tip to share in the comments? I would love to hear it!!

Laura

xoxxo