If you have ever attempted to plan a trip to Disney, then you know how expensive a few days at the park can be. There are a ton of great ways to save money on your vacation so you can stay longer, travel for less, and even get more magic for your dollar! Here are 10 ways to help you save $1,000 on your Disney vacation.
Use a travel agent to book your trip
It’s a common misconception that travel agents make your trip MORE expensive. In fact, it’s often the opposite! Disney Certified Travel Agents (like this one) don’t cost you a penny and can help you save a ton of money on your Disney vacation. Disney travel agents know about all of the special offers going on at Disney and will help you take advantage of them. When we booked our last trip we were able to save $150/night on our resort stay through our agent.
Disney agents can work with almost any budget to plan out a vacation that you (and your pocketbook!) will enjoy. I highly recommend using a Disney travel agent, as it really does take the stress out of your vacation. You can grab a quote for your Disney vacation with our preferred travel agent here.
Get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package… Guaranteed!
Stay off the property and commute to the parks
Disney properties are magical, but not required! Staying off of those Disney properties will help you save a huge amount off of the cost of your hotel. Many of these locations even offer shuttles to the parks. Check out booking.com to compare prices of Disney resorts and other Orlando area hotels. There are a lot of great hotels in the Disney Springs area that are close to the parks and are a fraction of the cost of Disney resort hotels.
Check out our ultimate guide to planning Disney for the first time for more pointers for your next Disney vacation!
Skip the Disney Dining Plan
The Dining Plan is expensive and really unnecessary! Although having dining ‘prepaid’ does add some level of convenience, most people will not find the dining plan worth it when you compare true costs. Save that money and instead spend it on other parts of your trip.
You don’t need a Disney dining plan to dine at Disney world restaurants! Check out our list of the hardest dining reservations at Disney world. You are going to want to book these awesome restaurant experiences in advance!
Split meals at quick service dining locations
Many of the quick service meals are way too big for one single person. The sides are huge! Instead, have your kids or adults split meals to help save money.
Bring your own food to the park
Disney allows outside food into their parks and this is one of the best ways to save a ton of money at the park. You can easily save $100 a day by bringing your own food. Stop at a grocery store before your trip and pack snacks and meals to go! Or, for convenience, consider ordering items on Amazon Fresh for delivery right to your hotel or rental.
Skip the Park Hopper option
As the parks continue to grow and add attractions, it starts to not make much sense to use the park hopper option. Park hopper tickets come at a large premium it just doesn’t make sense for most people to park hop unless you are really short on time. You can barely do a whole park in a day now, so skip the park hopper when planning your trip.
Plan your trip as early as possible
If you want to save a huge amount on your vacation, you need to start planning your trip as early as you can. You’ll find more opportunities to save on everything from flights to accommodations if you book 6 months to a year or more in advance. Set up a price alert for flights in a program like Skyscanner to save big on flights! You can set up your price alert here.
Set a budget for your trip
If you set a budget, you will be more likely to keep track of your spending. This will have an added bonus of even saving you money unintentionally!
How much money do you need for Disney? Check out this post to understand the cost breakdown of a trip to Disney.
Don’t spend all your time at the parks
If you want to stay at Disney longer, don’t go to the parks every day! Disney Springs is a great option for a day window shopping and enjoying a great meal. It’s also worthwhile to plan a day enjoying your hotel or resort. Hang out by the pool and catch some much-needed R&R after a long and exhausting trip to the parks.
Look for discounts on tickets
If you are a Florida resident, AAA member, or have any other kind of discount card, you could save quite a bit off your tickets! If not, try to find someone who is and can help you score discounted tickets! Grab a quote for your Disney vacation and ask about discounts here.
Whether you are just going for a few days or weeks, these tips will help you save at least $1,000 if not more on your trip!
Pin for later!
