Every week I’ll pose a question for you to share your experiences and tips. If you have a question that you’d like me to post, I’d love to hear from you!
Our family has been invited to attend a Toy Story 3 event at Disney World this weekend, and this will be our first time taking the kids. They’re all beyond excited about meeting their favorite characters and riding the rides, but I know the expenses of a Disney vacation can quickly add up. I’d love to hear your best tips for making the most of our Disney experience without breaking the bank!
What’s your best money-saving tip for Disney? What souvenirs, experiences or meals do you think are worth splurging on? What have you regretted spending money on?
Update: Make sure to check out the Disney discussion on Facebook for more tips. You guys are a wealth of information!
Join the discussion — add your two cents to previous Ask DSM Readers questions too!
Sarah
I say brown bag the lunch. Eating there is expensive. Plus, a lot of time is lost waiting in the lunch line that could be spent in ride lines! Also, if staying on disney property, take advantage of the free shuttles to the parks to forgo parking fees.
Crissy S.
If you are staying on property, parking is free. If you are staying off-property and taking advantage of shuttles (which I really do not recommend for first timers), make sure you really research how reliable the buses are at that hotel.
Michelle
I agree ~ the most expensive things are the parking & food! If you can take plenty of snacks & use the shuttles you will save the most that way!
Katie
Buy gift cards ahead of time. Then the trip is paid off when you get there. If you buy them at Dom’s or Jewel, you can use a $5 of $50 or $6 off $60 or whatever you have. Hey, it may seem small but it’s a 10% savings!!!!
Stacey
We are going to Disney in October and i am trying to save where i can! :) I saw your post on Dealseekingmom. What or where is “DOM or Jewel?” And are these just visa gift cards or actual disney gift cards?
Amber
I purchase small Disney toys at Walgreens or Target to avoid the high prices in the parks and I then I surprise my kids when they start begging for things. The only thing my kids care about is that it has their favorites Disney character on it. This saves money and reduces begging for toys! They don’t know I brought them with us! =)
Jessica
Actually if you’re staying on Disney property, you’ll get a free parking pass good at all the parks for the length of your stay. You’ll be able to bring some snacks into the parks but nothing too extravagant. You have the option of going back to your hotel (particularly if you get a place in Downtown Disney with a kitchenette) for lunch, but that’s a huge time suck (parking yourself if quicker) and if you have kids eager to see everything, it might not work. Try to sell it with a trip to the pool to beat the heat. Of course, I recommend planning a trip sometime between late August and early October, where rates are lower and Disney often offers free dining plan (and the park attendance is markedly lower as well), which is a HUGE savings.
Still, for this trip, having such short notice, the best thing you can do is budget how much you want to spend on food and souvenirs and buy Disney gift cards for that amount at Giant Eagle or Kroger. They’re good in the parks and you’ll get fuel credits at home.
Jessica
Also, check out http://www.mousesavers.com.
Jennifer
Book everything (hotel, park tickets + dining plan) through the Disney travel service–(1-407-WDISNEY). This is the only way to take advantage of the DIsney meal plan. The plan is fantastic, saves a ton of money, has many, many options for where to eat + you get sooooo much food! Also, when booking through DIsney you only have to buy 2 days of park tickets to get the dining plan for your entire stay…you can then buy additional theme park tickets at a discounted price from AAA or undercovertourist.com for your remaining days. And, while staying on Disney property avoid renting a car + take advantage of the Disney Magic Express bus that will take you free of charge to + from the airport–they even get your baggage!
As for our must do–we ALWAYS have dinner at the “Hoop-Dee-Do-Revue” at Fort Wilderness. It’s a great show with unlimited fried chicken, ribs, etc…
Crissy S.
For many, the dining plan can be a waste. If you want your focus to be on rides, taking full advantage of the dining plan can use up time. Especially if your family is used to cereal or donuts or other items for breakfast that can be consumed in the room. I would suggest bringing your own snacks. I pack granola bars and slim jims in my purse because they are small and take up very little room. I also pack those powders you add to drinks because I think cups of water are free and definitely healthier even with the powder than sodas.
joy
MEAL PLAN! LOVE IT! They have several different plans so you can customize it
Carrie
We buy things ahead of time, like toys etc. The disney store has great deals. That way you can take them with you. If driving by car there is a great disney world outlet not far from the theme parks. We always stay on property. This allows us free parking and close proximity to the parks. We like to take advantage of the free dining and the disney dining plan. The character meals are pricey but well worth it. I would try to do one at least. We love Chef Mickeys and the crystal palace. Another perk to staying on property is the extra magic hours! You can enter the park early on certain days and stay late on others. Garden Grocer is a great way to buy things like bottled water and snacks etc and have them shipped right to your room. Or stop at Target or Walmart if you have a car. We save a ton on water this way. In the parks it is expensive. I could go on forever! I have alot of tips since we go every year! Shoot me an email if you have any specific questions! Have a great trip!!
caroline
The Wal-Mart in Orlando has lots of Disney souvenirs, bathing suits, towels, etc with Disney characters without the markup.
LouAnn
Unless you’re on the Disney dining plan don’t eat in the park unless you have to! It’s way more expensive. You can take small backpacks with snacks and bottled waters into the park. We also go in September when the crowds are much lower!
Cherie
Get the burger combo which all come with two burger patties and get an extra bun. Some places will allow you to get 2 slices of bread and there is peanut butter and jelly over by the condiments. Cosmic Ray’s at MK has a full chicken/mashed pot/green beans that two can share. :)
LouAnn
if you are going in september and staying on property, you can get the dining plan free – which is awesome and has a lot of food!
Brandi
Pack a couple of small carry coolers. We put fruit and drinks in one and our lunch or dinner in the other. We rent a locker, approx. $7 but you get $5 back when you turn in your key, so that they stay cool. We refill our water bottles at the water fountains. Water is $4 a bottle there!!! If you’re not staying in the park, park your vehicle at downtown disney and take the tram into the parks. You do not have to pay a parking fee then, approx. $10-15 a day. Also the tram can take you to all the hotels where you can board shuttle boats to take you to the parks for free. We like to take the kids to the value resorts so they can see all the enormous characters. There’s a huge buzz and woody.
Crissy S.
At every park entrance, you will have to allow them to search your bags. You will not be able to bring in a cooler on wheels, but small collapsible coolers will probably be fine.
Alicia
Disney has a little-known policy that any food seller in any of their parks will give you cups of ice water for free. You just have to ask!
Heather H.
We eat a large breakfast before we go and make sure to eat carbs and protein. We take bottles of water with us and 16.9oz drink mixes. Once we finish the water, we refill from water fountains and use the drink mixes. We also take light snacks and only plan on buying one meal in the park and will sometimes even share that. If still hungry nothing is better than a treat of Mickey ice cream. Make sure to stop by the information area on Main Street to get the kids “My First Visit” buttons. A free souvenir of the trip.
Cherie
We have gone recently and they will allow any drinks that are in plastic containers, no straws at Animal Kingdom (so no juice boxes or Capri Sun), drinks are $2.50 including water. There are several places in each park that have fountain drinks with free refills. You can bring just about any non-perishable snack into the parks as well. You can take advantage of Free Disney Dining Plan and save quite a bit of money. http://www.mousesavers.com and http://www.allears.net are both great sites for deals and discounts. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is a great book for everything Disney. Magic Strollers has discounted strollers for kids up to probably 3 or so. (i guess i should say they are discounted compared to Disney’s). Also, pay for your strollers for the entire stay….it saves you $3 per day. And if you’re really brave :) you can get a Disney Visa. THey offer special discounts, 1% back on all purchases to be used for everything Disney, and give you 6mths no interest to pay for your DIsney vacation when you book a vacation package. Also, use Small World Vacations to help with travel planning. I use Angela Dail. Most of the agents are SAHM’s. It is free for you to use their service. Try to go in the fall when it’s cooler and less crowded.. You will get more for your money this way. http://www.touringplans.com has Crowd Calendars that can tell you the crowd level for any given day of the year as well as has touring plans that really work.
Mel
A must “splurge” are the Mickey ears. They aren’t too expensive anyway, and my kids (4 and 2) are still playing with them now.
We enjoyed the 1400 park fare dinner with Cinderella and Prince charming (the step mother and evil step sisters are there too). You will need to make reservations for that.
We also bought the way overpriced balloons, which were just a hassle. That would be something to avoid!
We enjoyed eating at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is African food, but they have all the mainstays for the kids.
Have a good time!
Breezy
I save money by not going to any Disney parks. It is SO expensive. The one day pass alone is darn near $100 per person. I don’t understand how a family of 4+ can afford such a vacation. Add on airfare, hotel, food. Whew, out of my budget. For those who can afford to go… ENJOY! Have a great day.
AC4
Check out the off season rates. The hotels on site can go for under $100 a night. This year they have a program to volunteer a day somewhere and get a Disney ticket. The whole family can do this for a free day. You can plan a few days at Disney very cheap if you look hard enough.
Carla
The volunteer program is full – so if you aren’t already signed up, you’re out of luck. :(
Cherie
Remember too that tickets get cheaper with the additional days purchased. The difference from a 4day to a 7day ticket is only $6. Don’t add on park hopper if you can plan to go to one park per day. Planning is key. http://www.mousesavers.com has links for discounts on tickets. They are usually free shipping. Buy the tickets a little along. They do not go into effect until the first day you USE them. We recently stayed at Sheraton Vistana Villages for $86 per night. It’s a 2 bedroom CONDO that sleeps eight. There are great deals to be found out there I promise. Not to say that some planning and saving might be necessary but the memories made will be worth it.
Emerald
I am a single mom and I am taking my two children next feb with a large group of other moms. We are staying in a beautiful resort, renting vans, getting the group rate on park tickets, cooking all of our meals in room, and I am getting a good deal on airline tickets from CA to Orlando. Expected price tag? $1200-$1500 for a weeklong vacation. Not too shabby if you ask me. And definitely within my budget.
LORNA
the one thing i found when i went to Disney is the price of b everages is ridiculous. there are water fountains everywhere. I bought large refillable water jugs for each kid. froze them 1/2 way at nite with water and then filled them the rest of the way.
if they ran out of water we refilled at a fountain..
Becky
We shipped a box down in advance (to save on luggage charges) with snacks, KoolAid Sugar Free packets (to add to water), reusable water bottles, sunscreen, “glow things” for the kids to have in the evenings (purchased on Ebay for very little), etc. Since we were going with my brother and his family, we chipped in on the box and loaded up for both families. HUGE box for so much less than the cost of one extra bag on the plane.
We purchased a meal plan for our week and found that there was way more food than we could consume. (These little ones can only eat so much that we just shared ours with the kiddos).
By taking the glow things, we really reduced the need / desire to purchase those kinds of things that are sure to grab any kids attention!
We also purchased Disney bucks in advance so the kids knew – once it’s gone, it’s gone. I would recommend the Bucks over the gift cards because you can get CASH back on the bucks. Anything not used on the card will stay on the card.
HAVE FUN TARA!!!
Lea
I agree with the posters above who advise bringing your own food, snacks, and water. The last time we went to Disney, I also brought along those little flavor pouches you add to bottled water.
Buying souvenirs off-site is also a good idea, but for kids who are old enough to remember (and grown-ups who are particular), it’s important to get a “real” Disney souvenir on-site. The Mickey Mouse ears are one way to go. Another way to go is through what I like to call “double-duty items.” These are things like keepsake travel mugs and plastic popcorn tubs. They are usually around $4-$7 and you get a keepsake with a snack or beverage in it.
Also, pack rain ponchos for everyone. Standing in the rain in overpriced weather gear purchased at the Magic Kingdom can quickly make it seem like it is not the happiest place on earth…….
Christy
Oh my goodness, how exciting!! My youngest would be thrilled about the Toy Story 3 event. I am sure you will have a fabulous time.
My kids have a ton of fun trading pins with the cast members. I have a post on my blog explaining all about the pin trading and how to do it cheaply. If you are interested, you can find it here:
https://www.thriftyandthriving.com/2010/04/disney-on-a-budget-pin-trading/
We also save money, by packing in our own food and water bottles. It’s fun to splurge a little at the Disney parks, I don’t have any regrets. Have a wonderful time!
Irene S.
We were just there end of March. Definitely buy rain ponchos before you go. They are pricey inside the parks–I know because we had to get them! Also, at every beverage stand, if you ask them for a cup of ice water, they give it to you for free. Just take the flavor packets of juice mix to stir into it because the water there is a bit strong. Souvenirs at Wal-Mart are cheaper too, if you have transporation to get there. It’s about 5-6 miles away. We stayed in a cabin at Fort Wilderness. All the amenities of home, the full size beds were a bit small considering we’re used to queen+, but they gave you everything from the dishwasher soap to the shampoo. Have fun!!!
Kylee
We are possibly going in October, so I have been researching a lot lately. One blog I follow and love is https://www.couponingtodisney.com she has a lot of tips, money saving ideas, and resources. She actually just went to Disney.
Good luck!
Tommy
Some of this was mentioned ahead of time but here it is… Bring Everything Ahead of time. The most espensive part of trips to the park (besides the tickets which you can only, legally, buy from the parks anyway) is what you buy when you get there! Here is a quick comparison and list of what too bring—Ponchos-$8.00 – Walgreens-3 for $.99—- Squeezebreeze-$14.99-Walmart-$1.99—-Food, Quicksvervice(cheapest food)-between $11-30.00 per person -Any store-Sandwiches probably like $1.00. Get my picture?
Shannon
There are a couple of legit ticket brokers that you can purchase Disney tickets from. One is Undercovertourist.com. I have purchased from them a few times with great success. I believe the other one is mapleleaftickets.com. Mousesavers.com has all the info on these places. One thing to remember when comparing prices is that these brokers add in sales tax/shipping (or ship for free) in their prices, while disney does not.
Cherie
http://www.allears.net has menus for all restaurants, including quick service to help you plan for pricing, places to eat, etc.
Diane
I agree with what many of the posters above say about bringing toys from home. It is also a good idea (especially for little girls) to bring a few “princess outfits” to surprise them with in the morning. Then they won’t get jealous and beg for the extremely overpriced version.
Tonya
We always pack breakfast kinds of food to eat in our room (which we usually get at 40% off passholder rate) before we go to a park each day. We take our own snacks and drinks, and just eat one big meal in the park mid-afternoon. That leaves us pretty full, and we just enjoy a treat (cookie, ice cream, popcorn) late in the evening while we watch fireworks.
For that meal we have in the middle of the day, my husband and I usually share a huge combo meal. The kids usually have at least one of the sides leftover (grapes, applesauce) from their meals, so we have another snack for later.
Lindsey
If staying on Disney property, I like the refillable mugs. You can fill them for free at any Disney resort with soda, hot chocolate, etc. You can also get free water (ice or hot) at any counter service (places you walk up and pay at a register) for free.
If dining in the park (especially Epcot) eat at the counter service instead of the sit down restaurants. You can eat the same food (or similar to it) at it’s neighboring counter service spot for cheaper.
If you want to sit down, try to eat at lunch instead of dinner. Many of the restaurants have cheaper pricing for their lunch menus. You can see restaurant reviews as well as menus and pricing at allears.net. Also, I highly recommend making advanced dining reservations if this is your plan. You can book online at disneyworld.com.
As for souveniers, I recommend shopping ahead of time at Walgreens, etc. We are going in the fall and I have already started. Right now, Walgreens has princess and toy story light up spinner-things for 2.99 with a band that goes around your neck so you can wear them. These are great for night (esp. fantasmic, ect) and my kids LOVE them. Also, since my kids are younger, I bring coloring and activity books to keep them entertained. Wags has these 2/$1 in the summer section, as well as larger ones 2/$5 by the books.
However, we do have a few favorties in the park. One of these is the Mr. Potato head stuff you can get in a few stores. We get the fill a box for $19 and get tons of cute disney parts like suitcases, autograph books, mickey ears, buzz lightyear parts, etc. We have enough potatoes, so we just get the parts, but if you need one, you can fill the inside with parts too. For our son last time we did the make your own light saber at Once Upon a Toy where you can choose everything about it (color, style, 2-sided, etc). It comes with batteries and when you go to check out they’ll ask if you are going to use it for good or evil. Depending on your answer, they will either give you an official jedi or sith trading pin. I think they’re about $20 to make, but my son loves it and still plays with it so it was worth it for us.
I could go on and on…so I’ll finish with agreeing with Jessica about mousesavers.com. It’s a great site for saving money and I use it all the time! Have fun!! It’s our favorite family vacation!!
Natasha
Coolers: Believe it or not you can take coolers into the Parks. I had no problem taking two soft coolers each day-I did this two years ago as well without any problems. I had heard only soft coolers were aloud, but I did see a medium 18 inch by 24 inch hard rolling cooler while we were there. The coolers saved us a lot of money on snacks, lunch, and drinks by carrying the food in ourselves.
Stroller Pass: These things are awesome! We didn’t understand this last time we went but took full advantage of them this time thanks to my sister-in-law. If you have children who are to small for a ride and only one parent can go at a time you can ask for a Stroller Pass. BEFORE you enter the ride line ask the Disney attendant for a Stroller Pass (they will be at the beginning of each line). The Stroller pass works exactly like a Fast Pass except for the fact that you can take two other people with you when you go, so each Stroller pass is a Fast Pass ticket for up to three people! This worked really well for us because the older kids didn’t have to wait they got to go with mom and dad on all the rides.
Disney Refillable Mugs: I was quite disappointed to find out that these mugs are location specific as to where you buy the mug. We verified this with two different people just to be sure. If you buy the mug at your resort you can only get refills at the resort and no where else. Same with the parks, each park has it’s own mug so you will only get refills in the park you buy the mug. This turned out to not be a great deal so we didn’t take advantage of it.
Fast Pass is the way to go! These passes will save you lots of time in line. During our entire 6 days in the park we always tried to have a Fast Pass in hand. Instead of waiting in line for an hour we could get through in 10 minutes. Sometimes we’d have a runner to get Fast Passes while the rest of the group went on a ride. Some of the rides that went really fast were Soarin’, Peter Pan, Mount Everest, Toy Story Mania. and Rockin Roll Roller coaster.
Cherie
Fast Pass is free. Overheard a family recently say they couldn’t get the Fast Passes because they didn’t buy them. Universal charges for theirs but Disney does not. They simply issue so many per hour until they are all gone for that ride. You are given a time to return, although if you get stuck somewhere (ie. eating, in another long line) and your time expires, they will still honor it. For example, your fast pass is to return between 100pm and 200pm but you don’t get there until 230pm. They will still let you use the Fast Pass.
AC4
We stopped on the way at the grocery store and bought milk, cereal, lunchmeat and bread. We ate almost every meal in our room. The kids were so excited and happy about everything they didn’t think twice about eating in the room.
For souveniers we decided ahead of time exactly what each kid would get. We stopped at the outlet and everyone was happy.
In a place full of material things, you can step back and just enjoy being with the family at Disney. I can’t wait to go back!
Becky
This is not something you can do at the last minute, but for those planning on a Disney vacation I recommend getting a Disney Visa. You will earn Disney dollars on every purchase (and, a 6 month no interest option on Disney vacations that are booked using the card), and if you pay your balance in full each month you won’t get slapped with interest. Each time we have gone to Disney I have mananged to accumulate enough Disney dollars to pay for all our souvenirs and miscellaneous snack expenses (usually over $200 worth of ‘stuff’ for FREE!).
Holly
We’ve been 3 times in the last 4 years. I found The Unofficial Guide to WDW (white paperback book) this last trip – my 5th to the park – and it changed my whole way of thinking about Disney. You MUST get it. I’ve recommended it to the last 5 friends who have gone and all agree it is a requirement.
As for savings, I’m a big believer in Disney Dollars. I get them at the Disney Store ahead of time and they are a currency (Monopoly Money?) you use in the park like cash. I get a certain amount and that is all we use for the incidentals, goodies, snacks, parking, etc. If you know how much you have going in, you won’t spend as much.
Mary
Buying the little toys beforehand is a huge savings. Don’t even go into the souvenir shops. I also bought Disney pjs from the dot com on clearance, they were brand new for the trip.
The coffee is awful there. Bring your own, or now there’s Via! I agree about the character breakfast. You don’t chase characters down as much in the park.
Have a plan. Focus on the fun means you won’t get taken in by all the buying opportunities. I do think an expensive Micky PBJ sandwich is a cool splurge, though.
The biggest tip is to start early each and every day. You get most of your rides packed into the morning, then you can do shows, less popular rides and swimming later in the day. Investing in the ride software is a great idea. It worked perfectly for me. Put in what you want to ride and it prints out the most efficient route.