15 Tips To Save Money at Disney World

Everyone of us has an undying love for Disney in our hearts, and being there is nothing less than a dream.

But going to Disney World is undoubtedly an expensive choice. Walt Disney World in Florida is frequently mentioned as the world’s busiest theme park. However, travel costs are soaring, and prices at Disney World have increased.

This certainly doesn’t mean that there are no ways to save money while being on a Disney trip.

In this article, we have compiled 15 tips that would help you save money on your next Disney World vacation.

15 Tips To Save Money at Disney World

Here are a few methods to save a few bucks while being in Disney World.

1. Stay off Site

Disney Resorts are undoubtedly very luxurious, and anyone would love to stay there. They have stunning decor, beautiful themes, and perfect pools, but you will have to pay for all this too. So if you want to save money, staying there can make or break your vacation.

There are a lot of hotels and resorts in Central Florida where you can have reasonable accommodations for a fraction of the price of what you will be paying at Disney Hotels. So the first tip from us to save money on a Disney trip is to stay off-site.

2. Skip Genie+ and Lightning Lane

Genie+ and Lightning Lane are two options Disney provides, using which you can skip the wait lines by paying a certain amount of money. While these can save you time, when traveling as a group, using these options would save up a lot of money.

So it is suggested to be a bit strategic by doing homework related to the peak hours of each ride concerning the crowd.

In this way, you will be able to have your favorite ride and save $15 per day per person and maybe altogether have some more rides from the money saved. Isn’t it a good idea?

3. Use Credit Cards and Points

Okay, so this trip might not suit everyone as some people have opposite views on using a credit card for vacations as it might make them buy things they don’t need and make them pay later. But the points collected in your credit card can for sure get you some off on hotel rooms, airfare, and meals.

Moreover, if you have no points already collected, you can use your card on the trip and get some points that can be used later. So if you are not on vacation, this tip would help you save money in the longer run.

You may have a love-hate relationship with credit cards, but no one can deny that if used responsibly, they can help save a significant amount of money.

4. Plan Meals Efficiently

We all agree that food is a significant part of a Disney trip, but if you plan what you eat carefully, you can save money on that too.

• Table service options at Disney can be very pricey, so choosing a quick service option can be a good money-saving technique.
• Another way can be to avoid Disney restaurants and eat from outside places. In the past year, these restaurants have revised their prices multiple times. So there are some excellent options in Central Florida that not only serve delicious food but also are way less expensive. This doesn’t mean that we suggest you have all your meals outside Disney World; of course, it will cost you transport and more time too. The strategy is that in order to save some bucks, you should plan your meals efficiently.
• In case you only want to eat at Disney, we have some tips for that too. Many quick-service eateries have certain options available for kids’ meals. Although they are named kids meals, to your surprise, they are not actually that small. If you are someone who doesn’t have a big appetite, this meal would be enough to fulfill you. So this is a good option to save money and time too since you are eating inside the park.
• One more thing that we would like to suggest is that don’t opt for the buffet if you are not a foodie. Disney buffets are expensive, and if you don’t eat much, you will be fulfilled by maybe one course. So opting for buffets won’t provide you the value for your money.
• In the end, if none of the above tips suit you, then the safest option is to carry your snacks and enjoy them while strolling in the porks.

5. Get Groceries Delivered to Your Room

There are a lot of options available to deliver groceries to your room with a small delivery fee, and it is much cheaper as compared to buying goods from Disney gift shops. Also, it is a win-win situation as you can get whatever you want from the comfort of your room at a lower price.

As per our previous recommendation, it is good to keep a few meals off-site. So you can order some quick breakfast items and keep them in your room. This way, you can get two giggles from one tickle as it is much less expensive than eating in the hotel food court or the park and also saves you time.

Moreover, you can have nutritious food for breakfast and energize yourself for the fun-filled day ahead.

6. Go at Off-Peak Time

It is strongly recommended that you travel to Disney World during the off-season. As folks say, Disney World has no off-season, so we can better refer to it as off-peak time. The obvious benefit of traveling in these times is fewer crowds.

Also, everything is more affordable, including airfare, park passes, hotel rates, and buffet costs.

Moreover, as the crowd will be less so, you will not have to use Genie+ or Lightning Lanes, which further reduces your trip costs. So traveling in off-peak times is a win-win situation and is highly recommended.

7. Have a Refillable Water Bottle

A day at Disney certainly means a whole day of exploring and walking, and if you are planning your trip in summer, then add in the heat too.

So instead of buying a water bottle to quench your thirst now and then, keep a refillable water bottle with you. A lot of quick-service-style restaurants would be there to refill them for you. Just go there and ask them for a refill, which would be done for free.

Moreover, if you are a big soda or coffee fan, you can keep a refillable mug with you and refill it whenever you want at a much lower price than you would be paying to buy a new can every time. This way would save you a lot (we mean A LOT) of money from your overall trip.

8. Bring Your Autograph Books / Other Essentials

Kids love to take autographs from all the characters they meet, so they might want you to buy those fancy autograph books they see at the gift stores. But it would be a good option for you to carry along a few autograph books with you.

Things at gift stores are no doubt very charming, but at the same time, they are expensive compared to the local market. So bringing them with you will save you a few bucks.

The same goes for all other items that you might need during your trip. The weather at Disney can be very unpredictable, as it rains a lot in Florida.

So it is better to bring those ponchos and warm clothing with you from home instead of buying them from the stores at Disney at a higher price. And even if you don’t need them, it is always better to overpack than pack less and spend extra money. Right?

9. Set a Budget for Souvenirs

Every time you the souvenirs in those well-decorated shops, you dote on them and want to buy them all? We feel you!

But buying them from onsite stores can cost you a lot. Think of how many extra attractions or even trip days you can buy from the money you save from the souvenirs, and make some everlasting memories. That is why buying them from the local market before or after the trip is a good idea to save money.

Or if you feel your little one would really want to buy that stuffed Mickey or Goofy’s sweatshirt during the trip, it would be good for you to set a budget for souvenirs beforehand.

10. Bring Necessary Medicines

Keep your medicines and other essentials handy if you have any known allergies or travel sicknesses. You can buy them from gift shops, but again you would have to pay a pretty penny. So, bringing them with you would keep you from buying them at higher rates and allow you to stay hassle-free.

11. Book Early

As soon as you plan your trip, try to book all those things on your list. This will keep you at ease. Also, whether it is a hotel reservation or a flight ticket, early birds will always get the best rates.

12. Keep an Eye on Discounts After Booking

You should continue to look for ways to cut costs even after you have made your reservation and paid a deposit. If Disney World offers a promotion or discount, you can apply it back to your reservation if it meets the deal’s requirements. Mostly you can apply and save an amount.

Unless you travel at peak times, such as the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Finding a discount will be challenging in this case. However, calling Disney and asking for it to be implemented is worthwhile.

13. Bring Your Own Stroller

It will cost you $15 per day for a single stroller and $31 per day for a double stroller to be rented from Disney World in the parks. These are plastic strollers that are good for getting your kid a short distance but are not that comfortable and also don’t provide much storage.

So the least expensive choice is to bring your stroller from home. Almost all airlines will let your child fly with a stroller, so just use yours during the entire journey for no additional expense.

If, for some reason, you cannot bring your own strollers, several companies in Orlando will rent you comfortable strollers at much less price. Also, they can pick it up from your resort, get it cleaned, and drop it back to you if you want.

14. Check Out the Hotel a Day Earlier

One more simple and efficient tip to save money is to check out the hotel a day earlier. When it is the end of your trip, pack your stuff and checkout before the time they charge you for the next day. Hotel management would be happy to keep your luggage for as long as you need.

Head to the parks and enjoy the remaining time, possibly a whole day, before you return to the hotel, pick up your luggage, and say goodbye to the magical Disney World.

15. Stay More To Save More

Adding more days to your Disney trip will, of course, increase the price. However, if you plan to visit different parks every day, you should know that adding days to a Disney ticket would cost less than buying separate ones.

So if you are really on a tight budget, spending more days at one park and keeping the others for the next trip would be the smartest decision to save money.

If you go to parks frequently, you should definitely compare the cost of an annual pass to what you will spend on park tickets. Moreover, if you come for long periods or peak times of the year, you will be happy to find that the annual pass will give you regular hotel discounts and some bucks off on dining options and merchandise too.

Takeaway

So, that’s all, folks!
We hope that our tips will help you save some money and enjoy your next Disney trip.