How to do Disney World on a Budget

One of my first worries as a single mom was how I was going to have a budget for any kind of vacations with my daughter let alone a Disney World vacation. Growing up, I was very fortunate that my parents took my sister and me on trips each school breaks. And I was lamenting that I would not be able to afford to do the same with my daughter.

Then one day, I discovered that kids under 3 enjoyed free admission at Disney. My daughter was 2 1/2 at the time. I decided to book the trip: 3 days/2 nights in Orlando. Found airfare for under $150 for the both of us. Used points to book a room at the Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista. Bought a 2-day ticket to Magic Kingdom for myself (my daughter got in for free). I decided to stick to Magic Kingdom as I felt that the rides were more age-appropriate for her.

On the plane, I was still apprehensive about spending that much money on something I knew my baby girl would not even remember. However all my worries immediately dissipated when we got to the park. She was having the time of her life! The look on her face when she first saw Mickey is one I would treasure forever. I had tears streaming down my cheeks and probably embarrassed the poor Disney Cast Member. But I did not care. My heart was overjoyed I was able to do this for my little girl.

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So here I am, writing this blog post and hoping to share some saving tips I picked up along the way. Let me be very honest here: a visit to the House of Mickey is going to set you back no matter how you slice it. The good news is that it is also worth every last penny. It is entirely possible to stretch your hard-earned dollars without sacrificing the experience. I am happy to share my experience planning a budget-friendly Disney World vacation while still making it memorable.

Let’s dive in!

When to Do to Disney World

First things first: deciding when to go. Going on non-peak days will save you money as that’s when ticket prices are at their lowest. Non-peak days are usually weekdays mid-January to early March and late August to mid-October.

It is also important to maximize your time at the parks. For that, you’ll want to minimize wait time at rides and attractions by knowing the best times to visit. The Undercover Tourist is your friend here. They are really great at predicting crowd levels all year round. Their crowd calendar is a great tool to use.

If Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an absolute must for you, know that those will be the most crowded times of the year. Prepare yourself mentally to encounter 2+ hours wait time at the most popular rides (although you might be lucky enough to score a Fastpass, but more on that later) Furthermore, there is always the chance of park closure if a park reaches capacity. Yes even Disney has to follow fire codes!

On the other hand, Disney does those special events extremely well, adding an extra dose of magic to an already magical place. They go all out with the decorations, food, and entertainment. Those special events are truly spectacular.

Personally, my favorite time to visit is in early Spring right before Spring Break starts. Weather is ideal. Crowds are low to moderate levels. It also coincide with Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.

Where to stay

To stay or not to stay on Disney property? That is the question

If you are flying into Orlando and only planning to visit Disney World, your best option might be to stay at a Disney property. Budget resorts like Disney’s All Star Movies Resort start at $117 a night. Staying on property, you will be able to enjoy the many benefits:

• you can make your fastpass reservations 60 days in advance instead of 30 days
• access Extra Magic Hour. Resorts guests can enter a park 1 hour earlier or stay up to 2 hours later than the general public (park and schedule vary)
• make dining reservations 10 days ahead of the general public
• ride on the Disney’s Magical Express, the airport shuttle. They even deliver your luggage straight to your room so you don’t have to go to baggage claim
• depending on the airline, you can check in directly at your resort for your return flight

Accommodations is usually where I can save the most on a Disney World vacation. Orlando is home to hundreds of hotels from budget to luxury. And with that many hotels competing for your money, you can stay at a decent for one very cheap. We’ve stayed at the Magic Moment Resort and Kids Club in Kissimmee for under $70 a night and at the Calypso Cay Resort as part of a timeshare presentation (= free but I had to say no a gazillion times) Also look for deals from a Good Neighbor Hotel.

Where to Score Cheap Tickets

Unless you are a military family or Florida resident, there aren’t many deals on Disney World tickets. I scoured the internet for a Groupon deal or anything else to lessen the price tag. And with a starting price of $109 (it varies by day with weekends usually more expensive), it is a pretty hefty one.

Still, there are ways to score a little discount. Please do use caution as there are many scammers out there, selling heavingly discounted tickets. Those tickets are most than likely fake.

Here are ways to save money on tickets based on personal experience:

• Some reputable resellers like The Undercover Tourist or Mouse Savers offer slightly cheaper tickets
• purchase gift cards bundles at a discount from a wholesale club like Sam’s Club. You can then use your gift cards to pay for your tickets.
• If you have a Target RedCard, buy gifts cards at Target at 5% discount.
• Depending on the time of year, Disney releases Mid-Day Magic tickets. These special offers start at $79 with 2 day minimum purchase. The big caveat is you cannot gain access to the parks before noon
• As I mentioned earlier, kids under 3 years old go in for FREE
• Skip the Park Hopper and visit one park a day instead. Moving from park to park can be time-consuming and frankly it is exhausting. We did this last year, hitting 3 parks on my daughter’s birthday (it was her birthday gift) and we were pooped. If you really must add Park Hopper, visit Magic Kingdom last that day.
• Best deal I found to date is the 4-park Magic package. At $89 a day, these tickets gives you daily access to each of the parks (one day at Magic Kingdom, one at Epcot, one at Hollywood Studios and one at Animal Kingdom)

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How to Make Disney World Fastpass Reservations

What’s a Fastpass you ask me? Simply put, a FastPass FP allows you to skip the standby lines. Disney World offers this service for FREE to ALL patrons. You can reserve up to 3 FPs ahead of time. Once used, you can make additional FP reservations one at a time.

Reservations opens at 7am 30 days before your visit to a specific park (if you are a resort guest, you can do this 60 days out) I prefer using a desktop versus on the My Disney Experience app. I find it can be slightly faster.

The logic here is to use a FP for all the popular rides thus avoiding long lines. But since everybody and their mothers/brothers/whole family will have the same strategy, how do you score those coveted FPs?

• Prepare a list of FPs you would like to get ahead of time. Must-haves are: Seven Mine Dwarfs, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom), Flight of Passage, Na’vi River, Everest Expedition (Animal Kingdom), Soarin’, Test Track and Frozen Ever After (Epcot) and all the Toy Story Land rides at Hollywood Studios.
• Make your reservation right when the system opens at 7 am (set up your alarm if you have to!)
• Get all your FPs back-to-back first thing in the morning
• If at first you don’t succeed in getting your preferred FP, book something else and keep checking back OFTEN. I usually find it easier to change an existing FP reservation than to make a brand new one.

Finally, once you have all your FPs sorted out, draw a plan. Disney is the perfect place to be OCD in terms of planning so don’t be afraid to go overboard. Personally, I always use Touring Plans. Their customizable step-by-step plans are simply the best in the industry.

Where to Eat

The list of restaurants at Disney World is quite impressive. There is something for every taste buds and budgets. Character dining, table service and a few quick service restaurants require Advance Dining Reservations. To make a reservation, you will need to log into My Disney Experience (either download it on your phone or log in online) and proceed from there. From My Disney Experience, you can also order your food ahead through the Mobile Ordering option. Available at some 20 locations, Mobile Ordering allows you to order food and beverages in advance thus spending less times in lines.

In all honesty, character meals are only worth the splurge when your kids are on the younger side. My daughter started losing interest a year ago as she’d rather hit the rides instead. With the exception of last year, we have done one character meal each Disney trip. We’ve eaten at Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and Friends; at Hollywood and Vine with appearance from Disney Junior characters. We also had fun with Lilo & Stitch, Pluto and Mickey at ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian.

Tip: If you want to book a character meal, going for breakfast or lunch will be cheaper compared to dinner.

Because I have yet to stay on Disney property, I have never purchased the dining plan. However from what I’ve read from fellow budget-minded Disney lovers, forgo the meal plan and pay as you go, in cash. It will save you money in the long run.

Here are some ways I’ve saved money on food:

• We always eat breakfast at the hotel. If possible, I try to book hotels that offer free breakfast. If not, it is very easy to grab breakfast items from a grocery store.
• We pack tons of snacks with us: sandwiches, chips, crackers, fruits, cookies, juice boxes/pouches… I try to throw some healthy snacks in there. Disney guests are not always aware that they can bring outside food into the parks. They just cannot be in glass containers and cannot require heating or reheating. You can see their full policy here
• We bring our own water bottles and have them refilled at quick service restaurants
• Our dinner usually consists of grabbing takeout at a nearby restaurant on the way back to the hotel (fried rice or stir fry from a Chinese restaurant is my go-to) After a full day at the parks, I’ve learned not to make my daughter sit down for dinner at a restaurant.

After saving all that money, I don’t feel guilty splurging a bit and getting my daughter some fun snacks: a Mickey ice cream, the famous Dole Whip, a Night Blossom drink from Pongu Pongu at Pandora, etc. This way we don’t skimp on the experience.

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How to Get There

There are many ways to access the different theme parks depending on whether you are staying at a Disney property or not.

If you are a Disney resort guest, your best bet is to use the free Disney transportation system (Magical Express, monorail, ferry and buses). If you feel the need to drive to the parks, you will receive complimentary parking. However, new since last year, Disney resorts guests will now have to pay to park their cars overnight at their resorts (prices vary so make sure to check with your resort)

For non-resort guests, parking is $25 per day. Small silver lining is the daily parking pass is valid at all parks. All Good Neighbor Hotels offer complimentary shuttle rides so it may be a good idea to leave the car at your hotel and hop on the shuttle. Make sure to take note of the drop off/pick up times and locations.

Ride-sharing services can be a cheaper alternative if you’re not staying on property. With Uber and Lyft also present at the airport, it might even be a better option to renting a car for the duration of your stay in Orlando.

Note: when trying to decide where to stay, do not forget to include transportation and parking costs

What to Pack for Disney World

Save yourself some money and do not buy/rent these at Disney World:

• For your sanity, you will need a stroller at the parks if your kids are under 5 (maybe 6 even). However save yourself $15 on the cost of a daily stroller rental by bringing your own.
• Do not purchase the Disney Memory Maker. Instead ask (nicely) the Disney photographers to take your pictures using your own phone/camera. They will happily oblige.
• Bring your own water bottle. Quick-service restaurants will fill up your bottle with water and ice free of charge.
• Download the My Disney Experience app on your phone
• And talking about your phone, you will need a power bank
• Ponchos cost $15 for adult size and $10 kid size. Do yourself a favor and buy them before you go to Disney.
• Purchase other merchandise ahead of time like ears for example. It will be a lot cheaper than buying them in the parks.

Visit my Amazon Store for my complete Disney essentials and Travel essentials lists.

Bonus: Free activities

Disney World has so much more to offer than just its parks. Do you know that there are several ways to enjoy Disney World without spending a single penny and staying within your budget!

• Visit Disney Springs
• Stroll along Disney Boardwalk
• Wander around the Disney resorts
• Visit Disney Wilderness Preserve
• Hike the trails around the resorts (you can also rent a bike for a fee)
• Use Disney transportation: ride the monorail or take a scenic boat ride
• Watch a movie Under The Stars (must be a Disney resort guest)
• Watch the fireworks from Disney Polynesian or Grand Floridian
• Check out the exotic animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge

Tip: if you don’t feel confident wandering around a resort without being a guest, feel free to make a small (or big) purchase (coffee, ice cream, etc. ) And remember: resorts are home to several restaurants, bars, lounges and shops. They will not turn you, a potential customer, away.

Well there you are. I hope this guide can help you a plan your own Disney World budget vacation without breaking the bank. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.

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FOR MORE ORLANDO THEME PARKS, READ:

• Universal: spend a magical day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Universal: are interactive wands really worth the price at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter?