Going to Walt Disney World can be a fun and exciting thing to do – but it can also be expensive, which is why having a few Walt Disney World money saving tips can be helpful.
If you want to know how to save money at Walt Disney World (or Disneyland!), here are some ways to do it:
Plan Early: Often if you plan your trip early, you’ll be able to take advantage of the extra time to comparison shop and hunt for bargain packages and deals. Waiting for the last minute unfortunately means you will likely pay full price for just about everything!
Comparison Shop: Visit a number of travel agencies near you, and don’t forget to also look online as well for various packages available for your vacation. The more you look and research, the better deals you’ll be able to uncover and find.
Bring Your Own Drinks and Snacks: Bringing your own drinks and snacks can be well worth it, especially if you place the items in a cooler and keep the cooler in a locker during your trip. Park drinks are very expensive, so it really helps to have your own!
Bring Your Own Fun Toys: Kids always seem to want the glow in the dark toys or a stuffed animal or something of that nature. A way to get around this is to find it cheaper before you go on your trip, then pack them in a special bag that you can keep out of sight. That way, when the kids are ready for the stuff and start asking for it, you’re prepared.
Wear Sunscreen: Even if the weather isn’t hot and sunny, it helps to wear sunscreen in order to avoid burning. This is especially important for kids, because you don’t want the extra expense of having to go to a doctor or having to miss out on the fun of your trip!
Factor Everything: Anytime my husband and I go on a trip, we always make sure we think throughout the whole entire day for every day of the trip to think of what we might need and bring it with us. You can easily spend a lot more money than you expected if you don’t plan for this! We bring everything from laundry detergent to even aluminum foil because you just never know!
Check Hotel Rates: Sometimes it is cheaper to get a package where you stay in one of their resort hotels, other times you may find it much less expensive to stay in another hotel a half an hour away if you’ll have a car.
Remember Packages Aren’t Always Cheaper: Packages and bundles can often save money, but not always, since they are mostly a matter of convenience. Before booking a package, see what the price will be if you purchase your airfare, hotels, and everything else individually first.
Souvenir Shop Elsewhere: Souvenirs are expensive, and usually not even that high of quality of an item. If you have kids, explain to them that the next day or later that night or whenever during the trip that you will be taking them to the best store in the world where they can get twice as many things for the same price. If you shop around, there are a number of bargain and discount souvenir shops in the general vicinity of the area.
Be Watchful of Scams: There are a number of scams and various fraudulent things where people will promise you a free trip to Disney World, or sell you fake tickets at a very cheap cost. Not only does this put you at risk of getting in trouble, but it can also end up causing you to give your hard earned money to a con artist instead of spending it on the trip! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Go Off Season: If you go during the off season, it can be much more fun than when the place is crowded and busy, and it will also save you money. I’ve gone to Disney twice in May and while that is a little busier than the winter months, it’s not nearly as crazy as it is in the summer time!
Plan an Itinerary: Having an itinerary and knowing exactly what you’ll be doing and when is a great way to make sure you have time to do everything as planned, as well as ensure you have factored in enough down time and meal times. Having an itinerary makes it much easier and you won’t overpay for things you won’t use or not be prepared to do the fun things you hoped to do.
Eat Away From the Park: Getting meals at restaurants outside of the park, or even cooking your own food at a campground or in a suite is much less expensive and will help you save money at Disney World.
Get a Group: You can sometimes qualify for group rates if you ask them about it and plan on bringing a lot of people. Partner up with coworkers, people at your local church, family, friends, or other groups and clubs and you might be able to get some very good deals that way as well!
Have any tips for saving money at Walt Disney World? Share them in the comments section below!
