Proven Ways to Save On Your Family's Disney Vacation

Proven Ways to Save on  Your Family's Disney Vacation



So it's that time of year again. Summer is here. Kids are out of school and as parents we are compelled to take the kids on a nice summer vacation. The one that comes to most parents mind is DISNEY WORLD. It truly is a magical place where dreams do come true. Of course between transportation to Orlando whether you drive or fly there and the high cost of everything associated with DISNEY, it is hard to keep it all straight. 
. Everyone will still have lots of fun, but with less stress and less spending. After all, isn't that what everyone aspires their vacations to be like.
Disney has the potential to add up very quickly. One single vacation can easily cost you anywhere from $3000-$10,000 depending on where you stay and what exactly you do while there. But Disney World isn’t just for kids. There is really something for every age bracket and personality type at this magical Orlando resort. Comprising 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 25+ hotel resorts – and restaurants, lounges, nightlife, sporting activities, and shopping galore – boredom is never an option!

I am going to detail some of the proven ways to save on your Disney vacation:



1. Go on the off season. Talk about a no-brainer that most people don't usually think about when making vacation plans. The price is lower, lines are shorter, and dining reservations are easier to make.
Although Disney frequently adjusts room rates based on demand, you should always expect higher rates during weekends, holiday periods, and peak periods which often include summer vacation when children are out of school. 


2. Stay at a Disney Value Resort. 
One thing that Disney has a lot of is value resorts. Disney owns and operates over 25 resort hotels on its property. There are 3 tiers of Disney resorts: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe.

While the accommodations are admittedly basic (similar to a chain motel), Value resorts do come with all of the perks of any other on-site Disney resort: fun (kid-friendly) themes, free shuttle service to/from the parks, free transportation to/from Orlando International airport, Extra Magic Hours, advance booking for dining and FastPass+ reservations, beautiful pools, and more than adequate quick service food courts.

There are 5 Disney Value resorts to choose from All-Star Movies, All Star Music, All-Star Sports, Art of Animation, and Pop Century.

All three All-Star resorts have similar accommodations, share bus service to the theme parks, and are priced in the same range. With room rates starting around $110 per night (2018), the All-Star resorts are the least expensive lodging at Disney World.

3. Planning A Character Meal- Do It At Breakfast and Save 35%

The breakfast buffets are awesome, and if you fill up at breakfast, you’ll save money by only needing a light lunch.

4. Buy Ponchos Before Going into the Park

Ponchos in the park can cost you upwards of $15 each. Buy at Walmart prior will cost you $1 each.

5. SKIP THE DISNEY DINING PLAN

Whether the Disney Dining Plan is worth the money is an age old debate (well, at least as old as the Dining Plan is). If saving money is your primary concern, it’s very difficult to argue in favor of the Disney Dining Plan. Yes, you absolutely can (still!) save money on the Disney Dining Plan, but that assumes a certain type of vacation style. Namely, one focused on eating steaks or other expensive entrees and eating a lot of food, or taking home snacks so as to not waste snack credits.

Few people “need” as much food as the Disney Dining Plan offers, and certainly no one “needs” to eat steak for every meal. (Although this might be a cool medical condition I wouldn’t mind having!) If saving money is a priority, you can eat far more economical meals off the Disney Dining Plan than on it.

If you’re looking to save money, the question to ask here is “how little could we spend on food and still have a good trip?” and compare that number to the cost of the Disney Dining Plan, not “how much would the same amount of food we’d get on the Disney Dining Plan cost if we paid for it out of pocket?”

6. Skip the Disney Park Hopping

As much as it pains me to say this since I love Park Hopping, but if you’re on a budget, it might be wise to skip it–depending upon what park ticket discounts are available when you book. It’s tempting to upgrade to the Park Hopper tickets because they usually aren’t that much more, but if you aren’t going to Park Hop much, it’s still a waste. Plus, for your family, the “small” cost of Park Hoppers does add up quickly, and you might be able to save $250 or more simply by skipping the Park Hopper option.

Many guests, especially those with young kids, aren’t staying late at night anyway, and calling it an early night rather than park hopping to the one that’s open latest each night isn’t going to be a big deal to them. If you are on a tight budget, consider how important Park Hopping is to you, and whether you can do without it.