Thinking of a Disney vacation? You’ll want to read these 5 insider tips to save money at Disney World!
When we planned our Disney family reunion for last month, I knew there were going to be some places we needed to cut corners to make it work. We had been hoping to take the kids to Disney for years, but just not at the price tag that I hear most of my friends spend.
I’m sharing 5 Ways to Save Money at Disney World today. I hope it inspires you!
Stay off property.
We rented a house on VRBO. The house was about 25 minutes from the Disney main gate. While we did have to pay for parking everyday, it was still cheaper for a 5 bedroom home with a game room and swimming pool than it would have been to stay on Disney property for 14 people.
Pack food!
One of the biggest perks about staying off property was having access to a kitchen. Disney is super family friendly and I was shocked at what you are allowed to bring into the parks.
We packed water bottles, drink packets, snacks and sandwiches in cooler backpacks. This got us through most of the day until about the afternoon when we were out of resources.
We bought a snack (our favorite were the Mickey pretzels) and if you go up to any food service counter, you can get complimentary cups of ice water.
Cash in on gift cards.
I had a lot of gift cards from different reward programs I work with that could only be used for online purchases. I used them to buy Disney gift cards. We used the gift cards to buy food, souvenirs and even parking at the theme parks!
Buy souvenirs off property.
I picked up some Mickey themed blank notebooks at our local dollar store before we left for our trip. The kids thought they were perfect for autograph books for the characters to sign. What no one told me before we left and I wish we knew was how all of the local Walmarts and stores surrounding Disney in Orlando have a lot of adorable and affordable Disney themed products.
Disney’s Salute to Heroes
This was our 2nd time taking advantage of Disney’s military salute. If you have served in the military, you are eligible to buy up to 6 Disney tickets to use through the end of the calendar year. This was an amazing savings for us. For 4 4-day park hopper passes it came out to $888.
What are your favorite ways to Save Money at Disney World?
Anosa Malanga
Wednesday 11th of April 2018
Yes, I definitely agree with you. We can cut and budget some of the expenses when going there. Staying on other place using airbnb definitely makes us save a lot on accommodation.
Heather
Tuesday 10th of April 2018
These are all great tips! I'm not sure many people know that they allow you to bring food and drinks into the park. For us, that's been the biggest money saver!
brianne
Tuesday 10th of April 2018
These are such wonderful tips on saving money at Disney! Having a rental car is key, we stayed off property to try and save money last time but our cab and uber bills basically made up for the expense! These are such great tips!
Allison Cooper
Tuesday 10th of April 2018
Love these tips girl! Smart idea about staying off property. I'm hoping to go back when Blake is 4 and plan on doing just that!
Wendi @H20 Bungalow
Tuesday 10th of April 2018
These are all great tips for helping save money while visiting the happiest place on earth! Thanks for sharing.