Ways to Save Money at Disney World
Are you looking for ways to save money at Disney World? You’re in the right place!
I’m a self-confessed Disney adult. I went to Disney World fairly often when I was younger (about once every other year), but I’ve only grown to love the theme parks even more as an adult. I’ve now been to Disney World in Florida 25+ times, and that theme park will be the focus of today’s guide. (Although you can definitely apply most of these tips to any of the Disney theme parks around the world!)
As much as I love Disney World, I don’t like spending a lot of money there. In fact, I tend to be on a mission to spend as little as possible, especially with the current sky-high prices for just about everything. This never feels like I’m depriving myself, or like I’m missing out on the best Disney experience.
I truly enjoy Disney World more when I take a “minimalist” approach to spending. I treat finding ways to save money like a game, and I hope you will take that approach too. You’ve probably worked very hard to afford a trip to Disney World, and you want to get the best value for your money that you can.
So without further ado, let’s get into my top tips for saving money at Disney World…
1. Choose the right dates for your trip.
Disney World uses dynamic, date-based pricing for its tickets, so ticket prices for each park differ and vary by the day. August and September are almost always the cheapest months to visit Disney World. The weather at this time of year is downright swampy, but it’s the best value and usually light crowds too!
Ticket prices around any major holidays or school breaks tend to be priced the highest, although you can still find “pockets” of good dates even during the most popular seasons at Disney World.
Tom at Disney Tourist Blog is my go-to resource for all things Disney World, so I recommend consulting his guide to the cheapest dates to visit (as well as searching for any other in-depth info there!)
2. Visit on weekdays, not weekends.
If you have flexibility in your travel dates, visiting on weekdays and not weekends can also save you a good amount of money, as tickets that fall on weekends tend to be noticeably more expensive.
I know a lot of people like to minimize the amount of time they need to take off from work by traveling over weekends, but if your park days can be on weekdays instead, it’ll be a lot cheaper overall.
3. Look for ticket deals and discounts.
Buying a multi-day ticket is always significantly cheaper than buying single-day tickets. The more days you stay at Disney World, the more money you save by lowering the effective daily ticket price.
But there are further ways to save money on tickets. Disney often releases seasonal ticket deals and discounts, and you can always get discounts if you are a Florida resident or a member of the US military.
Websites like Undercover Tourist offer discounted Disney World tickets that anyone can buy, and you may also be able to get discounted tickets if you are a member of something like AAA or Sam’s Club.
4. Skip the Park Hopper tickets.
This one might be controversial, but I really don’t see the value in Park Hopper tickets. Why would I want to pay $75+ per day per ticket, just for the ability to leave one theme park and go to another?
All four Disney World theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) are full-day parks, with maybe the exception of Animal Kingdom (and that’s why it closes earlier than the other parks and has the cheapest tickets.) There’s really no reason you ever need to park hop.
If you really want to leave the theme park you’re at before it closes, you could take a mid-day break at one of the resorts or Disney Springs, then return to your theme park in the evening. But personally, I like to maximize my time and money by arriving right when a park opens, and staying (usually) until it closes.
5. Stay at a Value Resort.
At Walt Disney World Resort, there are 25+ on-site hotels to choose from. These are classified as Deluxe, Moderate, and Value Resorts. And naturally, Value Resorts offer the most bang for your buck.
There are five Value Resorts: Disney’s Art of Animation, Pop Century, All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, and All-Star Movies. They’re all fairly basic hotels, but they offer most of the same on-site perks as the Moderate and Deluxe Resorts at a much more affordable price point (usually $150 to $200 per night.)
Perks include free parking at the resort and at the theme parks (normally $30 a day for off-site guests), free bus transportation to the parks, and 30 minutes of Early Entry at every park every morning.
6. Consider an off-site resort.
Off-site resorts can be worth it depending on what you’re looking for. Some of the “off-site” resorts at Disney World essentially function like on-site resorts. My favorites are the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, two nice hotels that are walkable to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
These hotels are operated by Marriott, and as someone who frequently stays at Marriotts around the world, I like that I can earn points when I stay here, or redeem points or free night credits here. However, you get benefits like 30 minutes of Early Entry at the parks, plus an unbeatable location.
I’ve written more about the best off-site hotels at Disney World. All of these hotels offer Early Entry, as well as free transportation to the parks. One thing to keep in mind is that if you stay off-site, you’ll have to pay for parking at Disney World if you drive yourself, and this can add up significantly over a few days.
But I think off-site hotels can be worth it, especially if you want to stay somewhere nicer than a Value Resort. “Real world” hotels in the four-star and five-star range are often more affordable than their Moderate and Deluxe Resort counterparts. But you’ll have to consider if the tradeoffs are worth it to you.
7. Create a trip budget.
If you look up money-saving tips for Disney World, you might see many of the suggestions on this list (they’re tried-and-true methods, after all!), but people rarely talk about this one simple thing.
The best way to prevent overspending at Disney World is to create a trip budget before you go. Calculate exactly how much flights, hotels, tickets, transportation, parking, and any other fixed expenses will cost. Then set yourself a strict limit for spending money each day on meals, snacks, and souvenirs.
Don’t just spend with abandon on your trip and deal with the credit card bill when you get home — go into your trip with a plan, and you’ll feel more confident and stay on track with your spending.
8. Buy discounted gift cards.
Discounted Disney gift cards are often available at retailers like Target, Kroger, Costco, Sam’s Club, and Best Buy. They’re usually 5% to 10% off, meaning you can buy a $100 gift card for $90 to $100.
This is a great way to save a bit of money, and you can also use this as a budgeting hack. For example, give yourself one $100 gift card to spend on souvenirs. Once it’s depleted, you’re done spending.
9. Travel hack with credit cards.
Travel hacking with credit cards is something I only recommend if you always pay off your balance in full each month. If you carry a balance and accrue interest, it instantly negates the benefit of this.
If you aren’t familiar, travel hacking involves putting all your expenditures on credit cards that offer rewards like cash bonuses, points, or miles, which you can then spend on travel. There is a Disney-specific Visa credit card that I used to have but no longer recommend because it’s not as good of a value these days.
Instead, I recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa credit card. The sign-up bonus for this card is usually worth $750+, and you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points on hotels, flights, and more.
10. Be strategic about Lightning Lanes.
One of my biggest gripes about Disney World is the introduction of Lightning Lanes. Once upon a time, there was an amazing service called FastPass that was free for all guests… and now it’s been replaced with Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass, both of which cost money.
Single Pass is a paid skip-the-line service for individual rides (one or two ride options per park) where you’ll pay $15 to $25 for the privilege of waiting in a shorter line for a popular ride. Multi Pass, on the other hand, allows you to select three rides (not the Single Pass options, though) for expedited access.
This will cost you $15 to $35, depending on the park and day you’re visiting. Once you use your three initial Multi Pass selections, you can choose more (you can usually snag one or two more reservations.)
I can’t deny the convenience of Lightning Lanes, but again, it infuriates me since this used to be a free perk for all guests. If you’re going to get Lightning Lane Multi Pass at any park, it’s most worth it at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. It’s not necessary at Epcot, and it’s a total waste at Animal Kingdom.
If you want to avoid Lightning Lanes entirely, you can still have a great trip. I recommend arriving early and staying late to maximize how many rides you can do. The first hour and the last two hours of the day are usually the slowest times, and you can get many rides knocked out with minimal waits.
11. Avoid upcharge events.
There are many events at Disney World that come with an extra charge. This includes evening events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom, Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios, and Disney After Hours at several of the parks.
These events cost more than a single-day ticket for the parks, and only last for five to six hours, so the math just doesn’t make sense. A lot of people love these special nighttime events, but I promise you can still enjoy the holiday festivities at Disney World without paying extra to attend them!
12. Don’t pay for Memory Maker.
All throughout Disney World, you’ll see PhotoPass photographers who can capture shots of you in different areas around the park (for example, posing in front of Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom.) However, if you want to access these photos, you have to pay close to $200 for the Memory Maker add-on.
Rather than shelling out the extra money for this, you should know that you can also simply ask the PhotoPass photographers to take a photo of you with your own phone or camera.
13. Skip the Disney Dining Plan.
The Disney Dining Plan is something that might seem like a good deal at first glance, but it almost never works out to be worth the money. It’s supposed to make things “easier” by giving you prepaid credits for meals that can be used on snacks, quick-service restaurants, and table-service restaurants.
However, to break even on the cost, you have to eat a lot, and it reduces flexibility in your dining plans. It is almost always a lot cheaper to just pay for your food costs out of pocket at Disney World.
The exception to this is when Disney occasionally offers a free Disney Dining Plan promotion. It’s usually available when booking a ticket and hotel package through Disney. In this case, it’s totally worth it!
14. Order off the kids’ menu.
One of my favorite money-saving hacks at Disney World is ordering off the kids’ menu at both quick-service restaurants and table-service restaurants. The entree portions might be smaller, but kids’ meals normally include a side or two as well as a drink, for around half the price of a single adult entree.
If you aren’t feeling super hungry for a meal, this is a great option. Now, you can always do this at quick-service restaurants where you just order at the counter, but it can be hit or miss at table-service restaurants. Personally, I’ve never had a problem ordering off the kids’ menu even at a sit-down restaurant.
15. Bring your own food to the parks.
Some people don’t realize this, but you’re allowed to bring your own food into the theme parks, as long as you aren’t using glass containers and it’s not food that requires heating or preparation.
Snacks like fruit, chips, or granola bars, and food like sandwiches are totally fine! This can save you a lot of money on food if you want to pack a picnic to enjoy for one of your meals at the parks.
16. Never pay for bottled water.
Out of all the exorbitant costs at Disney World, I find charging $4.50 for a bottled water to be one of the most egregious. Staying hydrated at Disney World is very important (especially if you’re visiting in the summer), but you shouldn’t be forced to spend money on bottled water in order to do so.
At Disney World, you can get water for free at any table-service or quick-service restaurant (by ordering at the counter or using the self-serve refill station if they have one.) You can also ask for a free cup of water from some of the snack stalls around the parks (not the ones that just sell water, sodas, and small snacks like popcorn or ice cream, but the ones that have a slightly larger “kitchen” attached to them.)
There are also water fountains and water bottle refill stations around the parks, so bring a large, refillable water bottle with you and you’ll be able to top up throughout the day and stay hydrated.
17. Skip sodas and snacks.
One more food-related tip is to skip the snack carts around the parks that sell overpriced sodas and basic snacks like popcorn, pretzels, and ice cream bars.
If you really want a soda, it’s better to order one in a restaurant that offers free refills (rather than paying $4.50 for a single bottle of soda) or better yet, bring your own! You can bring (non-alcoholic) drinks into the parks as long as they aren’t in glass bottles. So I always like to bring my own Diet Coke with me!
Similarly, skip the snacking in the parks and bring your own granola bars, trail mix, chips, or whatever else. These will save you when you just want a quick, small bite to eat between meals.
18. Limit meals at table-service restaurants.
I’ve mentioned table-service and quick-service restaurants several times now. The distinction is that table-service restaurants offer a nicer, sit-down dining experience with a waiter, while at the more casual quick-service restaurants, you order and collect your food at the counter, then seat yourself.
As you can imagine, table-service restaurants are a lot pricier. However, I don’t think you should skip them entirely, because Disney World has some really cool table-service restaurants! Instead, I recommend prioritizing a few table-service restaurants you really want to try during your trip.
But you definitely don’t want to be eating every meal at table-service restaurants, because that will blow through your budget very fast! Disney World also has some great quick-service restaurants, so you won’t be missing out on good dining. Once again, I recommend Disney Tourist Blog for restaurant reviews.
19. Pack necessities to avoid surprise purchases.
Trust me, you don’t want to have to buy any of the following items at Disney World, unless you enjoy paying an absurdly high mark-up: phone charger, sunscreen, or rain poncho. These are all among the items you should pack in advance so you don’t have to worry about a surprise purchase at the parks.
I’ve written about all of the Disney World essentials to buy in advance, so I highly recommend checking that out and making sure that you have everything you need before your trip starts.
20. Skip the souvenirs.
Finally, one of the best ways to save money at Disney World is to skip the souvenirs. I’m not a big shopper in the first place, so this is easy for me. I’m not really interested in Disney merchandise. But I know for a lot of people, this is where impulse buys can take over, and you can end up spending a lot.
Avoid temptation by avoiding the many souvenir stores at Disney World entirely, or give yourself a strict spending limit in advance. You can also buy some popular souvenir items (like Mickey or Minnie ears and character autograph books) on Amazon in advance of your trip, and it’s way cheaper.
Also, here’s one quick tip for a fun, free souvenir: You can ask any Guest Experience Cast Member for an “I’m Celebrating…” button. This can be personalized for you to celebrate any occasion, like a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation, or even just your first trip to Disney World!
How to Save Money at Disney World
This guide showed you the best ways to save money at Disney World.
There’s no denying that Disney World is an expensive travel destination. But if you’re smart about money and go in with the right expectations and mindset, you can find many creative ways to save. You don’t need to have an extravagant trip to Disney World in order to have an enjoyable trip to Disney World
Enjoy your trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!
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