Money Saving Tips for your Walt Disney World Vacation
A Walt Disney World vacation is an investment in family fun. Saving money on a Walt Disney World Vacation is possible with some planning and guidance. Walt Disney World can be a pricey vacation but make sure you use these money saving tips on your next Walt Disney World vacation.
Photo: Disney
Disney Gift Cards
One important way to save money for a Walt Disney World vacation is to buy discounted Disney gift cards. My favorite place to buy discounted Disney gift cards is Target. Owners of the Target RedCard save 5% on Disney gift cards all year.
It is important to not wait until the last minute to stock up on gift cards for your trip. A security of the credit card may lock your account if you plan to buy thousands of dollars of gift cards in one transaction. It’s easier to stock up on the gift cards in the months before your trip. You can also combine all the gift cards at Disney’s gift card website Disneygiftcard.com to combine the gift cards in increments of $1,000.
Sam’s Club and BJ’s Warehouse are also a good place to buy discounted gift cards. Certain times of the year, such as Black Friday, Sam’s Club will offer discounts of up to 10% on Disney gift cards. But they almost always have a maximum limit you can purchase, so again you need to plan in advance.
Resort Choice
Walt Disney World has over 25 hotels to choose from when planning your Disney vacation. Disney also has good neighbor hotel options nearby. One way to save on your Disney trip is to pick a Value hotel. I recommend staying on site because of the perks that Disney offers.
Although the price of staying off site might seem like a good price you also need to factor in resort fees, transportation, car rental, etc. Staying at a Walt Disney World resort you have free transportation to and from the parks. A lot of the off-site options either do not offer transportation or charge a fee. Using an authorized Disney Vacation Planner, like MickeyTravels, can help navigate these options.
Food
One of your major costs of a Walt Disney World vacation is food. Food at Disney can be expensive. One way to save with this is to prepare some food on your own. We typically stay in villa studios on property and use grocery delivery. We use Amazon Prime but that are lots of options in the area including local businesses who will deliver to your hotel. Bell Services will store your food until you arrive at the resort that day. You can pay a $6 fee to have bell services deliver to your room or pickup for free.
The villas at deluxe resorts have a microwave, mini fridge, coffee pot, toaster, pantry, and small kitchen sink. We find this very useful for breakfast each morning. Our kids will usually have cereal or toast. Many of the other resorts have mini fridges and you can access microwaves in food courts such as Art of Animation.
We also always have water bottles and snacks delivered. Our kids are constantly asking for a snack, and this is a less expensive way to provide snacks throughout the trip. Bring a reusable water bottle on all Disney trips.
Disney will also allow guests to bring food in the parks. You cannot bring a giant cooler, but you can bring small items into the park with you. We usually bring snacks and bottled water.
Disney will also let you share meals in most cases. The only time this is not true is at buffets and family style meals. Oftentimes my husband and I will share an entree and also share an appetizer or dessert. This is great way to try out several options while not breaking the bank. Also focus on quick service meals instead of table service to save money.
Source: PortOrleans.org
Disney Vacation Club Members, Annual Passholders, and Disney Visa card members can also save 10% at certain table service restaurants.
Water
All quick service locations throughout the park will also provide free iced tap water. Just walk into any quick service location and they will provide you with water. Many times, they will have a whole section of premade ice waters sitting on the counter for this purpose. Getting bottled water can quickly add up so this is a great option for those hot summer months.
Plan Your Visit
Walt Disney World can be less expensive just by planning your trip during the off season. Avoiding Spring Break, the Holidays, President’s Day, etc can be one way to save. In the past summer used to be more expensive but I’ve noticed the last several years that summer can actually be quite the bargain. Other times of year to save are September, January, and February not around major holidays.
Credit: Disney
Earn Airline Miles
One way our family saves on traveling to Central Florida is by earning and redeeming airline miles. All major airlines have ways to earn miles such as obtaining their credit card. You can turn everyday purchase into free flights. Delta, United, American, Southwest, Alaska, Allegient, all offer a cobranded credit card in which guests can fly for free. Most airlines also offer free luggage by owning their card. Earning enough miles to fly for free can take some time, so you’ll need to prepare for this in advance.
Photo Credit: Videvo.net
Skip the Rental Car
If you are flying into Orlando International Airport and staying on Disney property, I recommend skipping a rental car. Rental cars can be costly, and most hotels charge overnight parking fees. Disney provides excellent free transportation to the parks so having a rental car is not needed. You can use Uber, Lyft, Mears, Sunshine Flyer, or a taxi to get to and from the airport for less money than renting a car in most cases.
Disney Discounts
Working with a Disney Vacation Planner is a great option to help you decide the best time to visit. Disney will periodically release discounts throughout the year. Working with an agent will ensure that you know about the discounts and can have them added to your reservation. Disney will not automatically add discounts to your package. Typically, Disney has general public, Florida Resident, and Annual Passholder discounts on their resorts. In the past they have even offered the free dining but we have not seen this option post COVID. Fingers crossed it will return again.
Do you want more help planning your next Disney vacation? As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, my goal is to help you plan the Magic your way. I also create customized itineraries, book advanced dining, monitor for discounts for your vacation, and much much more! Guest who book at Disney Cruise with me also receive a FREE on board credit. Also, did I mention that my services are FREE!!!! Contact me at SLoehrlein@MickeyTravels.com or follow me on Facebook @MickeyTravelsShannonLoehrlein
