Whether you’re deep into planning or just starting your research, you’ve probably come to the realization that a trip to Disney World can get very expensive very fast. We’ve put together a list of 5 easy ways to ease the heartburn and save some money on your next visit to the “Happiest place on Earth”.
1. Drive If You Can
If you are within a 7-hour drive of Disney World in Orlando, Florida, then it is an absolute no-brainer that driving there is the best option…especially if you are traveling with the whole family in tow. Airline tickets are quite costly – and with the elimination of the Magical Express transportation buses from the Orlando airport to the Disney property, the options of how to even get to your hotel are fairly limited (or fairly expensive). Uber is certainly an option if the people in your party are old enough to not require a car-seat (or if you’ve brought all the car-seats with you, ouch my back!), but keep in mind that the average price of a one-way trip between the Orlando airport and the All Star Sports complex is $50 for a car that (comfortably) seats 4.
Driving does come with its expenses (in terms of both dollars and mental health), but there are some benefits beyond the obvious cost savings on airfare. You will forget something at home (it is inevitable) – and having a quick/easy mode of transportation to run out to the Walmart Supercenter (~3.8 miles away from the All Star Sports resort) is quite a luxury. You may find deals on some things in the resort sundries gift shops, but given that a bottle of soda will run you about $5, expect to pay a premium for the convenience.
Parking is another one of those expenses that you will have to pay if you choose to drive your own car (or the one you rented from the airport), but there is good news! If you are staying at a resort on Disney property, you only have pay for parking once (at the resort) – you can drive to the theme parks and not have to pay for parking again (but bring your most comfortable sneakers as you may have to walk).
To give you an idea of the potential savings, here’s a quick comparison for a family of 4 leaving from Atlanta. (Of course there are a lot of variables here and results may vary, but this will give you an idea of the potential savings)
2. Use Discounted Disney Gift Cards
WARNING! It is extremely important that you understand that there are several different types of Disney gift cards (shout out to the Illinois family who mistakenly bought the Disney+ gift cards! – and made the news) – but the type of Disney gift card we are talking about here is this one:
The Disney Gift Card can be used to purchase Disney theme park tickets, at Disney resorts, on the Disney Cruise Line, at the Disney Store, at www.shopdisney.com, for Disney dining, and so much more! If having a cute card with Mickey on it wasn’t enough, you can enjoy real savings by purchasing a Disney Gift Card at a discount. Both Sam’s Club and Raise.com offer discounted Disney Gift Cards and the savings can be anywhere from 3-5% (which is better than a lot of those cash-back credit cards)! There is one thing that you should remember: the Disney Gift Card has a maximum value of $1,000 that can be loaded onto it (or by combining up to 6 Disney Gift Cards), so it’s important to plan ahead for your gift card purchases.
3. Skip the Pricey Resort (but stay on Disney property)
It’s the age-old question – should I stay at a Disney resort or stay off-property? The answer is that it is entirely possible to stay on Disney property without splurging on the resort. The perks of staying ‘on-property’ — the free (and numerous) transportation options, the 30 extra minutes of morning park time before the crowds arrive, that little bit of extra magic that one can only experience while strolling across the resort grounds as your little one snoozes on your shoulder after a full day at the Magic Kingdom — are truly priceless. But when price is an option, Disney offers 3 tiers of on-property resorts: Deluxe, Moderate, and Value. Don’t get me wrong – the Deluxe resorts pull out ALL the stops and have ALL the bells and whistles, but the Value resorts sometimes get a bad rap. Staying at any of the (Value tier) All Star Resorts will get you access to the same free transportation and early-bird special park time as the (Deluxe tier) Grand Floridian Resort – just for a fraction of the price. The Art of Animation Resort (Value tier) is also a great option…especially because it has multiple transportation options (Buses + SkyRail)
4. BYOS – Bring Your Own Snacks
You heard that right — Disney World allows outside food and drinks to be brought into the parks!
We’re not saying skip the Dole Whip at Aloha Isle in Adventureland (Magic Kingdom) or the Mickey Pretzel at (most) every snack cart in Epcot – all we’re saying is that kids are ALWAYS thirsty and ALWAYS hungry…so save yourself some cash by bringing snacks of your own and reusable water bottles to the parks. Disney World has a water fountain on practically every corner, so pausing for a quick refill is totally doable. Plan ahead and sprinkle some extra pixie dust by bringing homemade Disney-themed snacks like Mickey-shaped Rice Krispies Treats! Bonus: if you are already pushing a stroller around, you can stash a few extra treats underneath!
5. Use Your Disney+ Subscription for Extra Perks
Right now, Disney is offering a FREE Dining Plan with the purchase of a non-discounted 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel and a theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option—for arrivals most nights from July 1 to September 30, 2024. That is a savings of over $1,500 for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children ages 10 and up)! If you don’t already have a subscription you can sign up here:
Additional Details: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/disney-plus-room-offer/#block6