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| How to Save Money on a Disney Vacation © Katrena |
The downside is the price. A trip to Disney World can quickly drain one's vacation budget and more, but there are some practical ways to spend less on a Florida vacation.
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| Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World © Katrena |
Altering a schedule by a week or two or even a couple of days might result in significant savings on accommodations. Those who home school or who have children not yet in school might want to schedule a Disney vacation when the public schools are in session – this might also result in shorter wait times as well.
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| Animal Kingdom Parade at WDW © Katrena |
It pays to comparison shop to determine the best deals for getting to and from WDW. If driving, ensure that the vehicle is prepared for the trip. The heat can be grueling. Many vehicles break down and folks then find themselves on the side of the road on Florida interstates.
Those who are flying are wise to consider several different dates and compare rates. Some packages may include air fare and transportation to and from the airport.
If planning to camp at Disney, count the cost of the added fuel and ensure that you are saving money overall. Some people find Disney camping to be particularly appealing because they can get the perks of staying on Disney property for less and also have the option to bring their pets.
Lots of folks can find some nice deals with great perks on accommodations outside of Disney property. If you aren't interested in the extra Disney hours and if the hotel offers a free shuttle, you may find some excellent prices nearby. Just be careful to watch for pricey hidden fees and ensure that you add parking fees into your overall budget if you are comparison shopping.
Parking can get quite expensive when visiting the parks unless you are staying at certain Disney resorts, in which case parking is free. Disney also provides free transportation for guests at the resorts, which can save time and money. If you don't wish to use that free transportation, you might consider packing a cooler with food to keep in the vehicle while at a park and utilize free same-day re-entry. We were able to bring some food into the theme park when we have visited. If using transportation provided by a hotel outside of Disney, you may be expected to pay a gratuity each day, which should be considered when comparing prices.
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| Disney Pop Century Resort in Florida © Katrena |
The Disney web site often offers special deals. Residents of Florida, Disney employees and their families often enjoy significant savings. Those who are members of the military can usually enjoy Disney World accommodations and entrance into the parks with discounts as well. If you are willing to sit through a timeshare sales pitch, you might find that you can get free Disney tickets.
You might also find Disney-themed credit cards that offer Disney benefits like Disney gift cards, Disney rewards for using the card, and special offers. Be careful to pay the balance each month and to consider the fine print such as a yearly fee for some of these cards.
You might check to see if your health insurance company or special rewards programs offer Disney rewards. Although it might take a while to earn these points, the free gift cards can add up over time.
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| How to Have Fun for Less at Disney World © Katrena |
Tickets for the theme parks are usually a significant portion of the vacation budget for Disney. You may save money by purchasing tickets in advance as the ticket prices tend to increase each year and may be higher at the gate. Generally speaking, you'll find better deals if you purchase tickets for more days. Quite a few options are available for items such as the ability to "hop" between parks. If you are traveling with smaller kids, you might do well to plan to stay at one park per day to avoid overloading little ones.
Only certain parks will have extra Disney hours each day, so it can help to check the calendar on their web site and plan your itinerary accordingly. Those parks will tend to be more crowded on dates that extra hours are offered, so some guests find that they wish to avoid those parks and enjoy shorter lines. Sometimes the extra Disney perks may change. For example, we found the extra hours to be invaluable the first time we used them at Animal Kingdom because we could ride the safari ride over and over without a wait. It was one of the highlights of our trip! The next time we visited, we discovered that the regular hours were longer, and all of the animal exhibits were closed during the extra hours.
If you plan to visit the theme park during different vacations on different years, add the no expiration option. Unfortunately, you have to add the option to the entire ticket rather than only to the remaining days (I'd love to see more versatile options in the future). An annual pass may be the best deal for those who are planning to visit Disney World for more than six days in a given year.
If you visit Disney and have remaining days with no expiration, it helps to put a note on the ticket indicating how many days are left on it and ensure that you keep the ticket in a safe place. The last time I traveled to Disney, I had planned to purchase tickets early online but could not remember how many days I had left on tickets I had previously purchased with a no expiration option. When I contacted Disney to inquire about that, I was told that I would have to wait until we arrived at the resort to find out how many days were left on the tickets.
Tickets cannot be transferred, so if someone tries to sell you a ticket with days still remaining, that plan is likely not to work because the ticket is tied to the person who first used it.
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| Animal Kingdom Mystery Objects! © Katrena |
You might save a significant amount of money by packing your own food. Some of the Disney resorts might not have microwaves in the rooms, which can make it a bit more difficult to feed a family. You might want to plan to eat a large breakfast before heading to the park and then plan to eat a late lunch.
If a refrigerator is not normally available in a room, you may request one. Those with medical needs may be able to get a refrigerator in the room for free.
We found the baby stations in the parks to be quite helpful. They let us use a microwave for heating food for our kids who have multiple food sensitivities, and these areas were air conditioned and tended to have toilets without automatic flush.
A few of the gas stations on Disney property had more reasonable prices on drinks and some snacks than were offered at the parks and resorts. You may find several places that will give you a cup of ice for free in the theme parks. Remember that kids may get dehydrated quicker than adults, and the temperatures and humidity may be brutal during warmer months.
Special meal plans for Disney may be available, which can greatly help if you plan to eat at the parks rather than packing your own food. If calling to make reservations at a Disney resort, make sure to mention the special deal or accommodation discount because they do not tend to offer that information unless asked.
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| Photos with Fairies at Disney World © Katrena |
Pack shoes with soles that can withstand sizzling Florida heat. Sidewalks can feel like frying pans, especially if one's shoe soles are thin. You'll also want to pack sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses. We found it very helpful to have water bottles with fans for a quick way to cool off – many of the folks in the parades also appreciated a quick spray! We didn't find any great bargains on that type of item within the theme parks and were glad we had packed our own.
My kids thoroughly enjoyed trading Disney pins at WDW. I saved a significant amount of money making a bulk purchase of official pins on eBay. It is a good idea to buy ones that the kids don't consider to be their favorites because they will probably be trading them. If you purchase Disney pins individually on Disney property, you will spend a lot more. We decided to put the pins in plastic containers with lids because the backs tended to come off the pins when carrying them on lanyards.
Packing an umbrella stroller was particularly helpful to me as we traveled from one area to the next at Disney World and saved money on renting one. The ones that are lightweight and open and close easily are particularly nice when moving from place to place. The handles also worked well for hanging items like the water bottles.
Allow the option of spontaneous fun if you are visiting Disney with kids. It is a big temptation to run around the theme park and see every single thing to get your money's worth, but the kids may have other ideas. We discovered that our kids particularly wanted to get their pictures made with some of the characters, even if it meant standing in line for 45 minutes to do so. We have met some interesting people while waiting in lines, and it also helps to have snacks, bubbles, look for Hidden Mickeys, or decide what you plan to visit next while waiting.
Take advantage of FastPass tickets – these are free and can drastically cut down on wait times. The most popular rides often run out of FastPasses, so you might want to search for these early in the day. Using these passes can allow you to enjoy more rides with less waiting. Those with older kids may want to utilize the single rider lines for quicker wait times.
Many rides offer parents the ability to swap and ride again with an older child if a child(ren) in the group are too small to ride. Inquire about this at the ride because each one may have a slightly different process for swapping.
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| Enjoying a Beautiful Sunset at Epcot © Katrena |
Although a Disney vacation will not be cheap, many people spend more than necessary. We have utilized many money-saving tips that have enabled us to enjoy Disney World much more than we would have otherwise. I hope that some of these tips may help you to enjoy this amazing place for less with your own family!
Find more travel tips and reviews with pictures at my Love 2 Travel site map.
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