Let’s face it. A Disney World trip and saving money are two concepts that rarely seem to fit together naturally. In fact, in one day in the parks you are likely to pass at least a half a dozen moms or dads wearing “Most Expensive Day Ever” T-shirts. Despite the fact that Disney World has become a notoriously expensive vacation for many; there are some tips and tricks you can employ to save some money and maximize the value of the money you spend. Keep reading for my 10 cost saving tips for you to get the most for those precious vacation dollars.
Tip 1: Make Good Use of Rewards Credit Cards
If you have a credit card with a rewards program that can be used toward travel purchases, it can be a great way to save money on a Disney World Trip. The key here is to make sure you are diligent in paying your balance before accruing interest.
Many rewards cards offer anywhere from 1 to 5 percent back on purchases you make. If you start using this credit card for your regular purchases at the grocery store, gas pump, etc. You can really start seeing those rewards stack up. If you do not currently have a rewards credit card, you could consider applying for one, many offer some great introductory promotions including extra airline miles or rewards dollars once you spend a certain amount on the card.
Chase offers a the Disney Chase Visa Card in both a standard and premier version. The standard card has no annual fee and earns 1 percent back on all purchase while the premier card has an annual fee of $49 and earns 2 percent back on select purchase and 1 percent back on all others. The rewards earned can be loaded onto a redemption card that can be used at the parks and resorts. The Disney Visa Cardholders also receive some in park perks and receive discounts at select dining and merchandise locations.
Tip 2: Use The Disney Gift Cards Hack
Another cost savings tip is to use what is frequently referred to as the “Disney Gift Cards Hack”. The hacks work like this, purchase Disney gift cards from a location that offers them at a discounted price and then use them to pay for your trip, food, and merchandise during your trip. This trick can save you around 5% on your total trip cost if you purchase gift cards for everything.
So where do you get these discounted Disney gift cards? If you have a Target Red Card, purchases from Target with this card receive 5% off the purchase price. Wholesale clubs like BJ’s, Sam’s Club, and Costco are also known to sell Disney Gift Cards at a Discounted Price. In fact you purchase from a wholesale club you can combine Tip 1 and Tip 2 together to stack your savings.
A word of caution! Even after you have used your cards to pay a deposit or make payments on a trip, make sure to save the cards! In the event any money you spent needs to be refunded to you, it will go back to those gift cards and you want to make sure you still have the cards (or at least the card numbers) to access the refunded money.
Tip 3: Pick The Right Hotel To Meet Your Needs
There are a WIDE range of hotel options and price points when it comes to selecting a hotel for your Walt Disney World vacation. There are some very beautiful and luxurious options that can break a budget very quickly.
I recommend that you consider what you see your vacation days looking like. Are you expecting to spend all your time in the parks to maximize the amount of rides and attractions you experience, or are you expecting to spend some time lounging and relaxing at your resort? There is no need to book a large suite at a resort with luxurious on property amenities if you will not be there to use them. Conversely if you have a larger family and expect to spend time in your room, you may want to consider a family suite or a villa with a kitchen or kitchenette and to save money on dining expenses.
Admittedly, picking the right hotel is a complex topic of its own. See my post on selecting the right hotel for you.
Tip 4: Pick The Right Time of Year (or Avoid the Wrong Time of Year)
There used to be slow times where there would be great deals to be had. Fall months would frequently see free dining plan promotions and room discounts. While room discounts can still be found from time to time. Free dining offers became more limited in recent years and disappeared since the COVID closures. And it seems the secret of the slower months have gotten out and these times of year are no longer notably slower than the rest of the year.
However, there are still times of year that are notoriously busy and more expensive. Most hotels (Disney included) yield their rates, so as rooms are booked up, remaining rooms increase in price. This means busy times of year can become particularly expensive.
Some times of year to avoid if your goal is to save money include holiday weekends, the two weeks around Christmas and New Year, and any times of year U.S school children are out of school.
Tip 5: Consider Skipping Add-Ons Like Park Hopper & Genie +
There are several WDW add-ons that can seem like great options. Some of these add-ons include Genie +, Individual Lightning Lane, Memory Maker, and Park Hopper Tickets. Don’t know what these things are? Check out my article, WDW Lingo for 1st Timers. However, if you are trying to save money, several of these add-ons may not be right for you.
For example you are willing to be an early riser on your vacation and rope drop the parks; you can often get many major attractions done in the first hours without Genie + or Lightning Lane. This is particularly true if you are a Walt Disney World Resort Guest eligible for early park entry.
Likewise, the Park Hopper add-on to your ticket can also be an unnecessary expense. Sticking to one park per day can work for most guest and allows you to save money on your tickets.
Then there is Memory Maker, which can be a nice add on if you want those special magic shots or ride photos. However, Cast Members and other park guests are usually more than willing to take a photo for you with your own camera.
Tip 6: Consider an Annual Pass
Currently at the time of writing this Annual passes are not available for sale, but that won’t always be the case.
If you are planning on taking more than one Disney trip in 12 months time or are taking a longer trip, an annual pass may be more economical. Even if your family does not plan on taking a longer trip or coming back in 12 months, it may be worth considering an annual pass for one member of your party. This is because an annual pass comes with some cost saving perks.
For example, Disney frequently runs resort discounts for annual pass holders. Annual passholders also receive discounts on dining and merchandise and benefit from free parking at the theme parks. So when planning your trip you may find forking out the money to make one person in your party a passholder may result in an overall savings on your trip.
Tip 7: Eat Strategically
There are several strategies you can employ regarding meals and snacks at Disney World that can help save you money or at least help you get the most value from your money.
One way is to pick up groceries or have some delivered to your hotel so you can make some of your own meals or have snacks on hand. Disney does allow you to bring food into the parks, so having some of your own snacks or meals with you can help save some money.
If you are eating meals in the parks it is helpful to know which meals and snacks will give you the most bang for your buck! Now I will say Disney is frequently adjusting portions and prices, but there are some locations and items that have been known to be quite a value and can help you stretch your dollar. See my Top 10 Disney World Foods With the Best Value post for more info.
Another cost saving food strategy is to eat any table service meals at lunch time when menu prices tend to be lower. Bonus tip, mid-day buffet or “all you care to enjoy” style meal can also be used to fill you up enough for lunch and dinner. While these buffet or “all you care to enjoy” style meals can be more expensive than a regular meal, there are some locations are reasonably priced and are less then some of the higher end table service meals. Some of my favorite options on Disney property are Beirgarden, Crystal Palace, Garden Grill, Cape May Cafe, and Ohana. An added perk is that some of these options are also character meals allowing to save some park time by getting to meet characters while you eat and without waiting in line.
Tip 8: Do NOT Buy Bottled Water at Disney
At the time of writing this post a bottle of water at Walt Disney World will run you $3.50. To stay hydrated an adult should be drinking approximately 100 oz of water over the course of the day. If you are purchasing Disney bottled water you could be spending over $21.00 per person per day!
If you must have bottled water, either purchase bottled water at an off-site grocery store or utilize a delivery service to have bottled water delivered to your hotel. Alternatively you can bring a refillable water bottle to the park and fill up at water fountains. Counter service locations will also give you ice water if you ask. Now some people are not a fan of the Florida tap water taste. If you think this may be you, I recommend bringing something to flavor your water.
Tip 9: Set A Souvenir Budget
Disney World has some really awesome and unique souvenirs but if you’re not careful you can find yourself spending a lot of money on them in no time.
I recommend setting a budget for your family on what each person can spend on souvenirs. ShopDisney.com is a great place to get a feel for what the cost of souvenir items will be so you can plan accordingly. Although keep in mind that ShopDisney does not sell all items that may be available in the parks so you may find something completely unique and different in the park that you wont see on ShopDisney.
With my kiddo’s I often pack a few Disney branded gifts for them at home at Walmart or Target and save them to give to them during the trip when they are wanting something from the gift shops. Young kids likely won’t know your gift is not Disney Parks specific and are just happy to have a plush, hat, or toy of Mickey or their favorite character. Of course get them that Disney Parks specific gift too. But for me this tip has saved me both money and aggravation. Disney has strategically made many of their attraction exits lead you into a gift shop. When my kiddos see all the toys on display and start itching for a new goodie I can pull out one of my pre-purchased gifts to curb their desire for something new and shiny from the shops.
Tip 10: Consider Using A Travel Agent
I have always enjoyed the process of planning vacations myself so I never used to use a travel agent. However over the last 5 years, I have discovered a huge benefit of booking all my Disney trips through a Travel Agent (TA).
A good Travel Agent that is well versed with Disney can sometimes save you money! This is because a good TA can book your trip and alert you if new deals or promotions become available that may save you money.
If you feel reluctant to use a TA because you love to do the planning, I hear you because this used to be me too. And I have found that just because you use a TA doesn’t mean you can’t do the planning yourself. I typically go to my TA with a full plan of what I want and let them do all the leg work to book it. Then I can relax and know that if a better deal comes along, they have my back! In fact your TA may know about new deals and promotions before you even hear about them yourself. Booking with a TA should not cost you any more money than booking directly through Disney, so there is no cost to you to use them. TAs make their money by earning a commission from Disney on trips they book for you.
Another huge benefit to using a TA is they can save you tons of time (time is money after all)! Your TA will contact Disney to make your booking and can call them for any thing that may come up regarding your booking. Recently, wait times to speak to Disney have been hours long, so getting this service from a TA for free is certainly a great value!
Those are my 10 cost saving tips for Walt Disney World. What tips have you used in the past or plan to use for your next trip? Are there other cost saving tips you think I missed? I would love to hear from you!