Disney World is the most magical place on Earth. These are some money-saving tips we’ve learned over the past several years to help keep your bank account balance from disappearing. We think you will be able to use at least a couple of these to save money on your next vacation to Orlando.
1 – Stay off Disney property
This may be hard for people who are flying, but if you’re driving to Disney World or willing to rent a car this may be the way to go. On-site properties can be very expensive. In particular, if you have a larger family or a larger group going.
With options available like AirBnB and Home Away, accommodations can be very affordable in the Orlando area. We particularly like to stay in Kissimmee. It has lots of options and is very close to Disney property. Winter Garden is also a neat, hip area if you want more of a local feel.
If you’re interested in booking accommodations with AirBnB, we have a link that gives you $40 in credit toward any stay. To sign up for AirBnB and receive $40 in credit, click here. This post contains affiliate links. You can view our Disclaimer for more information.
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2 – Bring souvenirs with you if you have children
Going on any vacation can be tough on your pocketbook without buying souvenirs. However, we all know we love them. And while there are certain things that can only be found on Disney property, there is still a lot of merchandise to be found off property. We suggest that if you have small children you take a trip elsewhere for these items beforehand. Then you can bring the items with you to the parks and surprise them later in the day. The children will never know the difference. Also, this can avoid mindless shopping in stores only to buy a couple of overpriced items and wasting good ride and attraction time.
A few of our favorite spots to get Disney merchandise includes the Disney Character Warehouse in Orlando, but also just your local Target, Wal-Mart, or Dollar General Store back home. You’d honestly be shocked at what you can find in your local stores when you simply look.
Disney Character Warehouse is located at the Orlando Premium Outlets in Orange Co., FL. This is approximately 4 miles, or 12-16 minutes, from Disney depending on the route you take and they are open until 11pm. Here you can find items that were once sold in the parks, but now at discounted prices. They receive items straight from them once they are out of season, not selling well, or quite frankly, the park got something new. Which is pretty often. Personally, we have stocked up here for family members back home. We do not currently have children of our own, but we have nieces and nephews plus ourselves who love all the merch. Everything from clothes, dolls/toys, coffee mugs to Christmas ornaments; they have it.
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3 – Buy Disney gift cards at Target or Sam’s Club
One of the more simple but not as well known money-saving tips is that you can save 5% when you buy Disney gift cards at Target or Sam’s Club. At Target, you just need to apply for their Red Card, which they offer as a debit or a credit card. We recommend going with the debit card here. You’ll just need to bring a voided check with you when applying.
With Sam’s Club, you just need to be a member to get the 5% back. They also will have the annual pass for a little discount if you’re interested in that.
5% may not seem like a lot, but it really does add up. When you think about buying park tickets, accommodations, food, etc, 5% can be a pretty hefty saving. This also allows you to spread out your cost when trying to budget for Disney World.
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4 – Eat off Disney property as much as possible
If you are anything like us, we love to try new foods, but when you are on vacation, this can get pricey quick. We suggest meals be eaten off property as much as possible. If you can, eat a big breakfast, pack a few snacks (more info below) then take a break from the parks later in the day around 2-4pm, for a late lunch/dinner. Or you can plan for only one meal to eat on property and still save.
Disney allows you to leave the parks and come back as many times as you want so you will not have any trouble getting back in. This is just another perk of Disney parks.
Now, once you leave the parks, the possibilities are endless. I’d say you are guaranteed to still find at least one restaurant you have not eaten before or do not have locally where you are from. Also, of course, the prices will be more affordable for a whole family to eat on.
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5 – Share meals
It sounds like a no-brainer, but let’s be honest. Have you ever thought about this option? To get the most out of our money, we often share meals.
As I’m sure you are all aware, Florida heat is no joke and you definitely don’t want to get sick. This makes sharing meals a great option because you won’t get overly full, furthermore ruining the rest of your park day.
Now, along the same lines of not being as full, and also saving money by sharing meals, this gives you a larger ability to try more than one thing. Later in the day, you may find another food item you really wanted to try and by utilizing these money-saving tips, you can.
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6 – Bring your own snacks and water to the park
Something a lot of people don’t know is that Walt Disney World does allow you to bring in your own snacks and drinks. Contrary to what most would think, they are not strict when it comes to this.
As mentioned before, eating off property is best when possible, and bringing your own snacks for the daytime can make this a lot easier. We know kids get hungry and even adults. The worst thing you can have is a “HANGRY” family member when on vacation. We have been there.
Water is a must! We would definitely advise you to bring in your own water bottle to drink on throughout the day. Water fountains are located inside the parks as well and at any beverage cart, you should be able to get a cup of ice or ice water for FREE if needed. Whatever your soda beverage of choice is we suggest to bring, but mainly water for hydration.
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7 – Don’t get the park hopper ticket
The park hopper allows you to go to multiple parks on the same day. Many times, people get this thinking they need it and never end up utilizing it. We don’t recommend getting the hopper, especially if it’s your first time visiting Disney. Each park really requires more than a day to fully experience. You won’t run out of things to do.
Now, all of the parks have something to offer during the night-time hours. It used to be that Animal Kingdom would close down early, but now that’s not the case. Each park has its own night-time show and all of them offer their own unique feel after the sun sets.
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8 – Share the Memory Maker
If you’re going to Disney with a large group, you can share the Disney Memory Maker. Memory Maker allows you to have unlimited digital photos through your online Disney account. Cast members will be scattered throughout the park and available to snap your photo. You just have the cast member to scan your magic band and the photos will appear on your My Disney Experience app.
Everyone in your group will need to be linked under the same account. This will give everyone access to the photos and access to edit as they wish. These photos include ones from rides and attractions, some dining, and posed group photos. By sharing the Memory Maker, you can split the cost between the number of families you have represented which makes it a lot more affordable.
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9 – Use Skyscanner to find cheap airfare
Skyscanner is a great website to use when looking for deals on airfare. It has pretty much every airline you’d want and is very easy to use. You just put in where you’re departing from, where you want to go, your dates, and it will show you the cheapest way to get there.
Another great site for finding cheap flights is Airfare Watchdog. They’ll send you alerts when there’s a good deal on a destination you’re looking for. If you are interested in a cheap flight, you could also check out our post How to Get a Free Flight to Disney World.
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10 – Buy tickets through Undercover Tourist
Another one of our money-saving tips is to buy your tickets through a website called Undercover Tourist. They always gave their tickets for cheaper than if you bought them directly through Disney. This site is 100% legit as we’ve used it many times ourselves.
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11 – Use a travel agent
Letting a travel agent take care of booking your vacation can be a good way to go. They’re going to get you the best deal for whatever your situation is. Disney sometimes will offer multiple deals at the same time and you’ll have to choose which one you want. For example, they may offer free dining or a 30% discount on your room. Your agent will help you find which deal will save you the most.
Having a travel agent book your vacation is one of the best money-saving tips, but they also can be a great time-saver. If you don’t have the time to do all the research and planning for your Disney trip, you can have someone take care of that for you.
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Here are some more money-saving tips from WDW Info.
We know there are many other creative money-saving tips you guys have learned. Leave us a comment below to let us know what we missed, or to share how you’ve utilized the tips we listed.
