A family vacation to Disney World can appear to be an investment, but it doesn’t have to clear out your life-savings. It is in fact, possible to visit the Mouse on a budget! There are a few different ways to “save” money on your Disney World vacation, and here they are…
The first way to save comes when you are looking at times to travel. Throughout most of the year Disney offers various promotions and discounts, for example Room Only, Free Dining, Stay, Play, and Dine. These offers, especially Free Dining, can save you a whole lot of money. The dining plan that is included depends on what resort you stay at, but you can also buy up to the next plan by paying the difference between the two plans, should you wish. Food is fuel and is needed to keep you going throughout your days at the park – it is amazing just how much money you could spend on food. Room Only discounts could also be a great option for you – you could save up to 25% on select rooms!
Another thing to consider about when you travel, besides discounts, is whether or not it is “value season”. There are some months of the year that are much more affordable to travel. September, January, and February are considered the off or value season – so resort hotel rooms are cheaper during these months. The summer time and December are the most expensive months to travel to Disney, so avoiding these months will help you to save.
Where you stay can also determine how much your trip is going to cost. Disney World has five beautifully themed Value Resorts that can save you a bundle, and they still offer all of the perks of staying on property. Fort Wilderness Resort also offers campgrounds for an awesome price! If you’re interested in tent camping and still staying on Disney property (with all of the perks) then this option is perfect for you!
If you’re not taking advantage of the Free Dining promotion, purchasing a dining plan can actually help you to save money, as well. With all of your meals and snacks prepaid there is no reason to spend any more money on food while you’re in the parks. My family has used the deluxe dining plan on each of our trips, and we have tallied up who much we would have spent on food after our trip. The amount we paid for the dining plan would have been the same or even slightly less than we would have paid if we had paid for our food out of pocket. There are three different dining plans, one of which is perfect for you!
Souvenirs from the parks can cost A LOT! A great way to save and still experience the magic of Mickey ears and shirts is to make your own or to purchase them beforehand. Craft supplies are relatively inexpensive, so if you’re creative – go for it and make your own magically fabulous park goodies! Dollar stores also have a lot of great and really cheap Disney stuff.
This won’t really help you to save money, but don’t stress when you see that number on your screen. You do not need to pay for your entire trip at once! At that is needed is a $200 deposit and you can make payments on the rest. This should help to ease both you and your wallet’s pain.
Gift cards are great! You can use them to pay for your vacation package, food, and/or souvenirs. You can also save on your gift cards! If you a Target Red Card holder you can save 5% on your gift cards. Also, if you are a Sam’s Club member you can get $150 worth of Disney gift cards for $143 – that’s a $7 savings. This always makes me feel better about buying gift cards to use on our trips!
What is your favorite way to save? Tell us in the comment box.
Each Disney World vacation is a once in a life time opportunity, you will never have same exact experiences on more than one trip. You can however, vacation with Mickey and his friends for less that you think! Contact me at miriyawhitaker@worldofmagictravel.com and let’s see just how much I can help you save.
Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.
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Share meals to save money, they are large enough. You can also bring your own food into the parks. We rent a locker so we don’t have to carry the food all day. Drink water, which you can flavor with packets. Tap water is free at all restaurants. You can also eat breakfast in your room. Eat a late lunch and have a snack for dinner.