As I was preparing this post, Dan looked at me and said, "Why aren't we following this list?" Nice. Actually, we do many of these things and will do more on our next vacation.
Many people assume (rightfully) that Walt Disney World is outrageously expensive, and probably out of the realm of possibility for their family. This sentiment is particularly true among larger families, which often require two hotel rooms or larger, more expensive Disney Vacation Club accommodations. Here are some ideas to make your trip less financially daunting - pick and choose the ones that work for you.
1. PLANNING. Without this simple first step, lots of time and money will be lost. Remember that Walt Disney World is twice the size of Manhattan - and you'd never go to Manhattan without a plan, right?
2. Never pay full price for tickets or room accommodations. Whether you stay on or off Disney property, you'll almost never have to pay full price. Legitimate discount tickets are available at multiple sellers. Room prices are always discounted for some reason or another. Vacation packages are sometimes on sale, particularly through AAA and at slower times of the year.
3. Travel during the off-season. If this is at all feasible for your family, this is the time to go: you can visit WDW when temperatures are more moderate, crowds lower, and prices at their lowest.
4. Limit add-ons to your tickets. Consider the number of days you'll be visiting and whether you'll really use the "Water Parks and More" feature. Do you have time to visit Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, or Disney Quest?
5. Camp. Staying at Fort Wilderness is your cheapest route, and from all reports it's one of the nicest campgrounds in the U.S. You can even rent tents and equipment from Disney if you wish (although that might defeat the purpose of camping by increasing the price).
6. Join AAA. This works whether you plan to drive or not. You receive 20% room discounts and are eligible to purchase discounted vacation packages. Also, there are other perks - infrequent dining discounts, preferred parking and the like.
7. Buy souvenirs at discount stores. This includes disneyshopping.com, the Disney Store's clearance section, "big box" stores, and the Disney outlet malls surrounding WDW. If you have a car, this last choice is great - the outlet stores stock actual "Walt Disney World" branded merchandise, but some of it might date from the previous year or two.
8. Remember that when you buy Magic Your Way tickets, the cost of additional days is ridiculously low - the difference between 6 and 7 day tickets is $2, for example. However, the additional costs in lodging, food, and souvenirs might off-set the discount on your ticket. Carefully weigh this when planning your trip. For us, it's less expensive to have a longer trip than two shorter ones because of the distance it takes to get to WDW in the first place.
9. There are LOTS of free things to do at WDW, including: riding the monorail, taking boat rides, visiting other resorts, etc. See the Mousesavers website for more ideas.
10. Get your fixed costs (lodging and tickets, transportation to WDW) as low as possible, and then try to reduce your flexible costs (food and souvenirs) as well.
11. Instead of paying big ATM fees in the parks or at the resorts, cash a personal check at your resort's concierge desk. It is a free service.
12. Watch for codes, pin numbers, and discounts on the DisBoards or at Mousesavers.
13. Save for your trip before you leave. Pay yourself a set amount monthly - $50 or $100 - and you'll have a head start on paying for your trip.
14. Save money on dining! Food is EXPENSIVE at WDW. There used to be an unenforced rule at WDW about not bringing food into the parks; that has since been discarded and snack foods and drinks are welcome at the parks. You cannot bring in a cooler of any kind, but whatever fits in a backpack works.
15. The least expensive (but very good) non-character buffets at WDW are the Trails End at Fort Wilderness and the Mara at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
16. The cheapest character meals are: Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom, 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian resort, and O'Hana at the Polynesian Resort.
17. Consider splitting large portions with those in your traveling party. Parents and children can usually do this without difficulty, as long as they can agree on what to order!
18. One of the cheapest snacks on property is also one of the healthiest: fruit! Each theme park has at least one stand where fresh fruit is sold, usually for $1 a piece. You can also choose cut fruit in a cup (like pineapple) for no more than $4.
19. All Disney counter service locations will provide you with a large cup of ice water at no charge. If the funky Florida water isn't to your taste (and it won't be), bring along the small Crystal Light On-the-Go packets and put one or two of those into the water.
20. There are a few places at WDW that actually do provide a good value. One of these is the Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney. For around $10 a person (or less) you can get very good sandwiches and fresh salads.
21. Eat breakfast in your room. All Moderate and Deluxe resorts have refrigerators, and refrigerators can be rented for $10/day at the Value resorts. You can store milk and juice, buy a couple of boxes of cereal or granola bars, and be all set for the week. (Dan would vote for buying those gross little chocolate donuts.) All of these items are on sale, at inflated prices, at each resort's gift shop. A better choice is to get to a Publix grocery store or a Super Wal-Mart.
22. Less-expensive souvenirs are sometimes more. Mickey ears cost around $12 a person and are the quintessential Disney souvenir. You could also buy postcards, pressed pennies (located all over the theme parks and resorts, they cost 50 cents to create plus the penny), take pictures, etc.
23. If you have a family with more than 4 or 5 people, consider staying off-property at an All-Star Vacation Home. Alternatively, if you really DO want to stay on-property, you can try for the All Star Music Family Suites. One other on-property option is to rent Disney Vacation Club points. For around $10 a point, you can stay at any DVC resort for a small fraction of the cash price.
Here are a few links:
MousesaversDisBoardsAll Star Vacation HomesDisney Vacation Club Rent/Trade InformationThe bottom line at Disney World is never terribly low, but it doesn't have to be outrageous either. Consider too that you are getting an incredible amount of entertainment and amenities for the price you're paying.
My advice? Go if you can. If you can't go right now, but you'd like to someday, start saving
something now. You'd be surprised how small amounts can add up.
Do you have any ideas to contribute? Post them in the comments section!
