How To Save Money On A Disney Vacation – Tips For Moms

Every family should experience Disney World, and how to save money on a Disney vacation will make a big difference in your wallet. Nothing beats the smile on the face of your kids after they’ve had a day filled with loads of fun activities. As a parent, this gives you a sense of fulfillment and contentment. And the perfect spot for all the undiluted fun and activities is the famous Disney World. It is home to our favorite cartoon characters, beautiful castles, water parks, theme parks, animal kingdom, and much more. It is undoubtedly one of the happiest and most magical places on earth.

Disney World

Disney World receives about 52 million guests every year and remains the dream vacation spot for both children and adults. The fact that it is in high demand makes it an expensive holiday spot as prices are increased yearly.

A Disney World vacation trip can cost anywhere from $1,000-$5,000 USD per person. That’s a tremendous amount of money to spend on a holiday. Especially if you’re on a strict budget or the family has other pressing expenses.

However, those willing to carry out a little extra research may find that there are, in fact, ways to make that Disney vacation a lot more affordable.

Before you travel to Disney World, you and your partner have to make some decisions as a family. These decisions will affect your budget and how much money you will end up spending on holiday;

When are we going on this trip?

Some seasons are known as peak times, while others are the off season. The time of the year you plan to visit Disney World affects the price, and we will explain how to pick a budget-friendly date later in the article.

What’s your family’s demographic?

Are some of your children teenagers who would be needing their own space and a separate room? Are your children toddlers who you can share a suite with? The ages of your children will affect your schedule and in turn, cost.

Children under the age of 3 also get free admission to the facility.

How long do we plan to stay?

The length of your trip will either increase your per day head costs or significantly reduce it.

Where are we staying during the trip?

You can decide to either rent apartments surrounding the resort or get rooms on the Disney World property. Keep reading to determine which suits your budget effectively.

What’s our mode of transportation?

If you’re not in Florida and the state where you reside is far from Orlando, you need to decide whether you are flying into Florida or considering a road trip.

What to pack for the trip.

Your answers to the questions above will influence what to pack as essentials for your trip.

What are we doing at Disney World? – This entails the experiences that your family is planning to get, purchasing souvenirs and meals. All these factors should be considered in creating a detailed vacation budget and schedule

If you’re able to answer all these questions, planning for your trip will be easy, and you eventually factor your budget into those plans.

Below are some cost-effective tips that will give you a cheap yet cheerful experience in Disney World.

Disney World Budgeting Tips for Moms

Your Date Matters

Even though the pricing structure changes yearly, some months are known to be cheaper than others.

As mentioned earlier, Disney World’s off-seasons offer parks tickets at discounted prices.

To get lower prices, it is wise that you plan your visit at these times. The off seasons are in the second week of January to the first week in February, the end of February, the last week of August till the first week in September.

It’s not surprising to note that these are the seasons when school is in session. Summer months, spring break season, Christmas, and Easter are the most expensive months to travel..

Disney does this reduced pricing to avoid overcrowding during some periods and to distribute their crowds throughout the year evenly.

The good thing is that as the parks tickets for Disney World reduce in price, the hotel rooms are also valued cheaper during those seasons. It’s also worthy to note that weekdays are always less expensive than weekends.

If you’re on a budget, these are the seasons to plan your visit to the fascinating Disney World with your family.

Don’t be afraid to pull the kids out of school for a few days to enjoy this incredible experience.

Another advantage of these off seasons is easy navigation and less crowding. Your family will be able to savor every part of the experience without being hindered by the enormous crowd Disney World receives typically.

Search for Discount Tickets

After you have decided what month of the year your family is going to travel for vacation to the magnificent Disney World, the next line of action is to find discount tickets. Buying your tickets in advance would also save you some bucks.

You need tickets to be admitted into the resort and its fun theme parks. The tickets have been known to be notoriously pricey because they are always in high demand. But discount tickets can be easy to find if you know where to look.

Looking for discounts on the Disney website is like looking for a needle in a haystack. You’re not going to find it. But some third party platforms have juicy deals that won’t bore a hole in your pockets.

Third-Party Platforms

Getawaytoday.com

Getawaytoday.com offers very competitive prices and no booking fees. They also offer package deals for hotels & restaurants, cruises, and transportation.

Official ticket center

Popularly known as Orlando’s #1 Ticketing Agency, the Official ticket center offers reasonably priced parks ticket for Disney World. They have great reviews and are the most recommended by tourists and families.

Undercover tourist

They are an authorized seller of Disney tickets, and they offer deals that save you as much as $100. If that is not music to any mom’s ears, we don’t know what is.

Disclaimer: While scavenging for deals, beware of prices that are too good to be true from individuals. There are lots of people looking to scam those who want to travel to Disney World.

To be safe, purchase your ticket from any of the companies listed above.

Transportation to Disney World

If you’re not lucky enough to reside in Florida or its environs, you may have no other option but to fly to Florida.

As every bargain hunter knows, you get the cheapest flight when you book months ahead. An app that can help you with this is SkyScanner.

SkyScanner is an app that will save you a lot of money. It’s a search engine for flights.

This app searches through different airlines and gives you all the available flights for the day you’re hoping to travel. It starts with the cheapest and subsequently the most expensive.

Sometimes SkyScanner provides you with cheap flights you will never find on the airline’s website. Note that weekdays are more economical to fly than weekends. So this should inform your chosen date.

If your family decides to drive, be sure to make sure your car is in excellent condition and pack affordable but unlimited snacks and water for the kids.

Budget-Friendly Accommodation

Some may argue that staying on-site is an expensive choice, but Disney World hotels & restaurants have more perks than just the rooms. If you are staying on-site, there are some perks you enjoy that may cost you money if you are in a neighboring hotel.

Free Transportation

Guests on the property get free transportation via a shuttle service that takes you to any theme parks or restaurants on the property. You also get free parking, which is a huge steal considering that parking at Disney World costs $25 per day.

Extra Magic Hours

Disney World Extra Magic Hours are extended theme park hours for only guests. During these times you can enjoy the park before it’s open to the general public or before it’s closed at the end of the day. The Extra Magic Hours can either be in the morning (7 am-8 am) or in the evenings (2 hours after closing time).

Disney Magical Express

This is a tailor-made airport pickup and dropoff option for guests who have a reservation at Disney Resort Hotels. You can save as much as $50 on taxis and Ubers with this service. You only have to make a reservation as soon as possible.

Disney World has some relatively affordable hotels called Value Resorts. The cheapest option values at $96/night.

Always Bring Your Own Stuff

Bring your snacks, bring your water, bring your stroller. Most items are very overpriced at the Disney resort. Food, for example, costs an arm and a leg. Children are always hungry and asking for food. Pack some sandwiches, finger food, fruits, and some granola bars.

If you want a dine-in experience as well, some Disney restaurants are affordable, and they serve large portions that you can share as a family.

If your children are still young, strollers cost about $13-$30 daily, and most parks have stroller parking. It seems more pocket-friendly to travel with your stroller, especially because airlines always check them in for free.

These little expenses add up and eventually cause damage.

Disney Free Activities

You are planning to visit the Disney World for the experiences, and not all memories have to cost money. The resort has a schedule of daily activities for resort guests. You can watch a Disney movie under the stars, plan to visit the Disney Springs or have a nice picnic with your children on the beautiful lawns of the Disney resort.

A scavenger hunt is an activity to consider because it gives the children some excitement while stimulating their brains even while on vacation.

Engaging in these activities allows you to meet other families and make new friends.

Buying Souvenirs

Resist the temptation to buy every cute Mickey souvenir on the property. Due to proximity, a lot of stores in Florida have Disney World souvenirs for sale, and they cost half the price of the ones at the Disney resort.

Learn how to save money on a Disney vacation today!

Thinking of heading to Harry Potter World? Well, be sure to also check out “Harry Potter gifts for the Wizards and Muggles in Your Life” for ideas on fun gifts.

Every family should experience this magical Disney resort, and the tricks above will help you in budgeting for disney world and make a big difference in your wallet.

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