We love Disney World, but it’s expensive. To enable us to visit as often as we’d like we use money saving tips we’ve picked up on our trips. So here are our do’s & don’ts to save money on your Disney holiday!
Don’t buy a dining plan
If it’s being offered for free as part of your package then great, you should absolutely take advantage. But if it’s not included and you’re considering buying one of the dining plans offered by Disney because you think it will save you money, don’t. It will almost always cost you more doing this compared to paying out of pocket as you go along. The 2020 prices for the dining plans are:
Quick Service Dining Plan (2 quick service meals, 2 snacks, refillable resort mug) Adults $55 per night / Children $26 per night Regular Dining Plan (1 quick service meal, 1 table service meal, 2 snacks, refillable resort mug) Adults $78.01 / Children $30.51 per night Dining Plan Plus (2 meals – quick service or table service, 2 snacks, refillable resort mug) Adults $96.40 / Children $35 per night Deluxe Dining Plan (3 meals – quick service or table service, 2 snacks, refillable resort mug) Adults $119 / Children $47.50 per night
It’s a lot of money, and a lot of food. In the past when I’ve been on the dining plan I’ve had snack credits left over and just ending up using them on treats to bring home. And although it is nice knowing that your food is taken care of in advance, the convenience will cost you. Unless you’re planning on eating at the most expensive restaurants and ordering the most expensive items for every meal, you won’t end up better off paying for a dining plan. A better idea is to load up X amount of money on to a Disney gift card or prepaid card and use that for to pay for your meals. By the end of your trip you will have spend less than buying a dining plan.
Don’t buy souvenirs at the parks
We love our Disney merch, so I appreciate this one may not be for everyone. But if you’re willing to, you can save a ton just by not buying your souvenirs at Disney World. Target, Walmart and various gift shops throughout Orlando all sell Disney related items for so much less than anything you’ll find on Disney property. We tend to buy things like pens, key rings and magnets here to bring home for friends and family. If you still want park official merch I recommend visiting the Disney Character Warehouse at the outlet malls. They sell slightly older stock for just a fraction of the original price. It can be hit or miss here at times, but I always manage to find some great deals.
Don’t buy bottled water
Unsurprisingly, bottled drinks at Disney are very expensive. It’s Florida… it’s going to be hot, humid and you will need to be drinking lots throughout the day. So don’t waste your money spending $5 on a bottle of coke! All counter service locations provide free iced water and there are water fountains everywhere. Disney have now started introducing water bottle refill stations throughout the parks and some resorts. If you don’t like the taste of the water in Orlando be sure to bring something to flavour it with. We use Robinsons Squash’d and it has saved us spending so much on drinks in the parks.
Don’t bring a car
Whenever we stay at Disney World, we never hire a car. Due to the complimentary transport provided by Disney it just isn’t needed. From the Magical Express that picks you up from the airport to the buses to take you to the parks, Disney make it so easy for those without a car. Although onsite guests are entitled to free parking at the theme parks, they do have to pay a resort parking fee. Depending on which hotel you’re staying at this is between $15 – $25 per night. So save yourself the car hire fee and parking charges and use the free transport options instead.
Do stay offsite
Of course we love staying onsite at Disney… but it’s expensive. So when we’re having a budget trip we have no qualms about staying offsite. The price difference can be staggering. From £45 per night you can find a decent hotel on International Drive – that’s less than half you’d pay for the cheapest hotels at Disney World. Many hotels even offer complimentary shuttle buses to Disney which can save you even more money on parking charges or taxis. You don’t get the onsite guest benefits like free magic bands and extra magic hours, but you’re still able to book FastPasses 30 days in advance.
Do use a food delivery service
Eating at the parks every day for every meal can get expensive, especially if your holiday is a week or two long. A way to drastically cut down how much you spend on food during your trip is to have groceries delivered to your hotel room. Instacart, Amazon Prime Now and Garden Grocer are just a few places that offer this service. You can place your order before your trip and have them delivered the day you arrive. Or, if you’d prefer, head to Walmart and stock up on the essentials – we’re typical Brits & love Walmart, so we tend to do this! All Disney hotel rooms have a fridge in them, so you can easily eat cereal in your room before hitting the parks, and make a sandwich to take with you for lunch. And if you like to have a drink in the evening this will definitely save you money – a beer in Disney World will probably set you back around $10!
Do shop around for your tickets
Park tickets are one of the biggest expenses for a Disney World trip. Here in the UK our 14 day Disney tickets are great value – but only if you’re going to spend a significant amount of your holiday at Disney. If you’re visiting Orlando for 14 days but are planning to do everything – Disney, Universal, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens, Kennedy Space Centre and more – you’ll likely only be at Disney World for a few days. So the 14 day tickets aren’t actually needed. Sites like Undercover Tourist sell 3/4/5/6 day tickets, and if you’re on a budget this is a great option. Families can save hundreds of pounds doing this.
So there are our top money saving tips for a Disney World holiday. Do you have any others?
See you real soon
Josh & Becky
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