Nearly every family dreams about going to Disney World, and it’s no wonder why these holidays are often filled with magic that the whole family can enjoy. There are castles, thrills, fairytales, animated stars bought to life, what more could you asked for?. The only problem is it is viewed as a ‘dream’ and not reality, whereas this doesn’t need to be the case. Yes, it is one of the most costly vacations that a family can take especially as prices keep on rising year on year, but there are ways to cut cost and do Disney on a realistic budget.
Photo by Jayme McColgan on Unsplash
Have a look here at some of the top tips for seeing Disney World on a budget:
Visit During Non-Peak Times
It’s no hidden fact that doing anything out of season is going o save you money, whether it’s house repairs, a vacation or buying something after a festive season like Thanksgiving chance are if you avoid the peak times you will avoid the substantial cost too. The same also applies to Disney World. There is no perfect time to visit or any hidden suer cheap weeks, but if you avoid certain times of the year, you are sure to cut the prices considerably.
Some of the times to avoid include:
- Summer- Even though it’s hot, it’s best to avoid the whole of summer.
- Festive Periods- Halloween, Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving are all of the cards, go in between. (The events and decore are still in place when it’s not the first weeks of an event.
- Special Events- Things like film launches, new ride launches and anniversaries.
And, of course, if you are only visiting for a few days visiting during the week is always going to be so much cheaper than on the weekend. Disney World has a handy calendar that you can view to see which days their better prices are on too; it’s a good idea to make use of this.
Shop Around
This should be a rule with any trip you plan let alone when you’re planning Disney. You should never accept the first price you find or are quoted as chances are you will find a saving somewhere. And on the rare occasion that you don’t, you can relish in the fact you’re becoming a fantastic bargain hunter. Discounts for Disney can be complicated an extraordinary to come across; unless you know where to look. Sites such as Mousesavers and Undercover Tourist can be a brilliant tool with finding cut-price hotels and vacation packages. If you work for a large company, you may find that they have secured deals with Disney to offer to employees as incentives so this is always worth checking out too. If you have been looking at Disney Holiday for a while you may a have noticed that sometimes the prices can change within a day, you need to be careful with this. If you’re happy with the price, you have found you go ahead and book you don’t want to risk it going up in price. Yes, sometimes you may be caught out, but you should rest easy knowing that you looked at your budget price.
Buy Your Tickets In Advance
Planning when it comes to your tickets is one of the best ways to save money on the essential tickets that you’re going to need. It always seems to be the way that every day that you spend in the park extra saves you money too, for example, it works out better value to but a weeks ticket than a day. It’s a good idea to make sure you shop around before you purchase your tickets as you never know where you might fall on the best deal. To get the best tickets for you, sit down with your family and choose what you want to see and how long you want to spend there so you can buy the cards that are going to cover the parks that you want to see.
One way to avoid budget-busting bills is the avoid buying park hopper tickets. The ‘luxury’ of hopping between parks in a single day is expensive and time-consuming unless it’s completely unavoidable you shouldn’t be drawn into these thinking it’s a good deal because it includes more than one park. You’re likely staying long enough to dedicate one day to each as a minimum anyway. Plus the park hopper passes don’t include the water parks.
Photo by Valerie Sigamani on Unsplash
Take Advantage Of Free Activities
Disney World is its very own small vacation zone, which means there is plenty to discover including free activities to sink your teeth into. People often underestimate the exciting and cool things you can do other than just the parks.
Some of the things you could see are:
- Animal Kingdom Lodge– It may be one of the most luxurious places to stay at Disney World, but non-guest are more than welcome to have a wander around the site to see if they can spot any of the animals, maybe a Zebra or Giraffe will take your fancy.
- Campfire sing-alongs with Chip ‘n’ Dale- On the evening you can take part in a beautiful experience with smores included!
- Catch An Evening Movie- Every night at Fort Wilderness there is an open-air screening of a different Disney Movie – You could take part in the magic and catch one, two or maybe even three movies with no reservation required.
- Disney Springs- Ok, so shopping isn’t free unless it’s window shopping but packed with shops, restaurants, and shows for all ages Disney Springs should be on your list of freebies.
- Boat Ride- Take a free boat ride from one end of the boardwalk at Disney Springs to the other.
- Lego – if you have a lover of Lego with you, why not take a trip to the store where there are legs tables that you can play with for hours on end.
Stay On-Site
You may be thinking, how on earth can we stay on-site and work to a budget? But you may be surprised to find that staying on-site can help with keeping to a budget rather than blow it. You will always have the people who argue until they’re blue in the face the staying on-site is pricey and should be avoided; however, you get so much more than just a room. Ok, so value hotels like Pop Century may not be the most glamorous choice, but it gets the job done, there are several budget-friendly options available to choose from. If you’re looking for the ultimate budget, you can always camp at the Fort Wilderness Resort, which is guaranteed to add a sense of adventure to your vacation.
Some of the advantages include:
- Shuttles – You gain complimentary around-the-clock shuttles to every Disney park, which means you are saving with absolutely mean zero parking and rental car fees. (massive cost)
- Disney’s Extra Magic Hours – Having use of the shuttles means you can more easily take advantage of the extra hour’s perk, often people who stay away from the park and drive in a struggle to use these.
- Magic Bands- These are electronic bracelets that are your tickets to the park, you only have these is you stay on-site as they as allow you access to your hotel and room. They are a nice little perk as they are free.
Plan, Plan, Plan
It is almost impossible to do Disney World on any budget if you’re not willing to put in any planning or organizing. Disney World, let’s face it, can be overwhelming. With everything to think about like the dreaded lines, the meals, which character to see, the shows, the shops and the time you want to spend relaxing at the resort the time flies by. While it may seem like a huge hassle and probably headache-inducing to plan everything out in advance, you’ll be thanking yourself later.
Some people look at making charts, but if you don’t want to take it that far then make sure you research the most popular rides and activities then plan around the busy times. The less time you spend in lines, the better the value your tickets are. Download the Disney app to track the waiting times for rides, have easy access to a park map and organize your fast passes (if you have splashed out for them). You want to be able to plan the best walking routes around the park so that you are making the most of your time.
When it comes to food, you should think about picking where to have lunch and dinner in advance so you can not only secure a reservation but also avoid impulse spending. If you know where you’re eating and when you will be able to pre-budget for how much spending money you will need for food, this comes in handy when you’re sticking to a budget. If you don’t make reservations, you can sometimes be left with the priciest restaurants and pizza joint being the only options which can quickly blow through any budget. Some of the hotels have self-catering facilities too, so there is no harm whatsoever in packing lunch for the middle of the day to save even more.
This is just a short guide to help you save money when booking a Disney World on a budget. Do you have any tips for saving when it comes to Disney? If so, please share them in the comments below.
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