How to Save Money at Disney World: 17 Tips for Frugal Fun - Trip Canvas
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How to Save Money at Disney World: 17 Tips for Frugal Fun
Published: April 12, 2023
Written byAAA Travel Editor, CW
Disney World in Orlando attracts millions of guests from around the globe every year. The average family of four can expect to spend over $6,000 on a typical visit. With costs that high, figuring out how to save money at Disney World is often the difference between going and staying home.
But with the rising costs of tickets, hotels, food and events, a trip to Disney World can quickly feel out of reach for the average family’s budget. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to make a Disney trip more affordable. This guide will show you practical strategies for how to save money at Disney World without missing the magic.
1. Purchase Discounted Tickets
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One of the high costs you’ll incur when planning a trip to Disney World is the cost of admission to Disney World. Disney World features four unique theme parks, all a part of the Walt Disney World Resort. You can opt for a one-park-per-day pass or choose a Park Hopper ticket, which allows you to visit multiple parks in one day.
Regardless of the ticket type you decide to purchase, the best way to make your trip affordable is to snag discounted tickets. For AAA members, this is easy. If you have a AAA membership, you’ll enjoy special discounts for the park. Often, this can save you up to $100 off gate prices. While your ticket prices will be lower than if you purchased them directly through Disney World, you’ll still receive the same perks.
2. Stay at a Nearby Hotel
Staying at a Disney Resort hotel is a magical experience, but you can also save money by booking a hotel nearby. Many hotels surrounding Disney World, such as Lake Buena Vista, cost significantly less. Not only that, but because these hotels are trying to compete with Disney World Resorts, they often feature luxury amenities and spacious rooms.
For AAA members, this is another opportunity to save even more on their trip. AAA members can access discounts on major hotels throughout the Orlando area.
3. Use Free Transportation
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Parking a car at the theme parks costs a flat $30 every single day. On a five-day trip, that adds up fast — $150 spent on parking alone. Travelers using ride shares face a similar financial burden, with daily round-trip costs to the parks often exceeding $40.
The more affordable move is to use Disney’s free transportation system. Disney's network of buses, boats, the Monorail and the Skyliner is free for all park guests to use. The system connects the theme parks, resorts and Disney Springs, generally running from 45 minutes before a park opens until an hour after it closes.
4. Opt For an Off-Season Trip
Prices at Disney World are not static. The cost of park admission, food and events changes throughout the year. For this reason, one of the cheapest ways to do Disney World on a budget is to schedule your trip for the low season.
If possible, plan your trip for late January, February or early November — when the park tends to see the fewest number of visitors.
Not only will this help you save money, but it will also translate to spending less time in lines. With fewer lines, you'll see more attractions in less time — helping you make the most of your trip and possibly spend less on lodging.
5. Buy Discounted Disney Gift Cards
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You can buy Disney gift cards for less than their true value at several big retailers. These gift cards work like cash for nearly every on-property expense, including park tickets, hotel room charges, food and merchandise. A 5% discount on a $5,000 vacation budget saves you $250.
Target consistently gives a 5% discount on gift card purchases made with its RedCard. You can also find them at wholesale clubs like Sam's Club or BJ's, typically for about 3% to 4% off the card's value. After buying the cards, you can also visit the official Disney gift card website to combine them. You can merge multiple balances onto a single card —up to a $1,000 — so you don't have to juggle several cards in the parks.
6. Purchase Merch and Souvenirs Outside the Park
Another way to keep your budget on track while you enjoy a visit to Disney World is to purchase souvenirs and merchandise outside of the park. Hats, sweatshirts, pins and memorabilia are all sold at a premium within the park’s gift shops.
However, you’ll find plenty of Disney souvenirs and trinkets at stores like Target, Disney Outlet and the Disney Character Warehouse, often at a fraction of the price for the same things you can buy in the park. You might even consider ordering online, so your souvenirs are waiting for you at home when you return.
7. Plan a Free Day
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While the main focus of your trip might be visiting the iconic parks, consider choosing one day in the middle of your trip to be a “free” day. Outside the parks Orlando, Florida, is packed with things to do. Not only can it help you save money, but a free day can also help break up the trip and give you and the family a chance to recharge.
Ideas for a mid-trip free day include the following:
Visit a beach: Enjoy the sun and surf on Florida's coast at one of the many free beaches within an hour of Orlando.
Relax day at the hotel: If you’re staying at a hotel or resort with a swimming pool or other amenities, spend a day enjoying it all.
Head to downtown Orlando: Stroll the downtown streets and enjoy Lake Eola Park.
Drive the coast: Pack a picnic lunch and head to the coastline. There are tons of quaint, charming towns along the coast.
8. Dine Strategically
A big part of how to save money on food at Disney World is handling meals and snacks yourself. Even something as small as a bag of chips or a cup of soda can be costly in the park, so doing it DIY can cut costs fast. Consider packing a lunch and bringing your own snacks. Similarly, stock your mini fridge with yogurts, pick up a bag of oranges and keep granola bars on hand.
You can also book a hotel that includes a free breakfast to cover the day's first meal. For dinner, try one of Orlando’s restaurants. They may not have Disney branding, but, they're great for sampling local cuisine without breaking the bank.
9. Buy Kids Meals
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Adults can order from the kids' menu at any Quick-Service restaurant in Disney World, saving between $4 and $7 per meal.A typical kids’ meal costs around $8 and includes a smaller main dish, two sides like apple slices or fries and a small drink.
The tactic works well at popular places like Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn in Magic Kingdom or Sunshine Seasons in Epcot. Use the Mobile Order feature in the My Disney Experience app to buy the kids' meals directly from your phone. Plus, the portion size is often more than enough for a meal.
However, you can only order kids' meals as an adult at Quick-Service or counter-service locations. The sit-down, Table-Service restaurants restrict the kids' menu to children aged 9 and under.
10. Bring Refillable Water Bottles
A single bottle of water costs about $5.50 inside the Disney parks, which adds up quickly for a family. To save money, you can bring a refillable water bottle, which you can fill up at one of the many dedicated bottle-filling stations near many restrooms. You can also ask for a free cup of ice water at any Quick-Service food counter.
11. Pack In Personal Items
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At Disney World, most common day essentials are marked up and a poncho that'd cost $2 at home can cost $12. The same high prices apply to other items you'll almost certainly need, like sunscreen, portable phone chargers, pain relievers and blister bandages. Packing these small things ahead of time saves you from paying inflated prices.
Disney's rules on what you can bring into the parks are generally very accommodating. Before you go, it's a good idea to search for the “Park Rules” page on the Walt Disney World website. The page shows you the most recent list of items that aren't allowed, like selfie sticks or coolers that are bigger than a certain size.
12. Bring Your Own Stroller
Renting a single stroller at a Disney park costs $15 a day and a double stroller is $31 a day. That means renting a double for a five-day trip can add over $150 to your budget. You can cut this cost by bringing a stroller from home —most airlines let you check one on the plane for free. Having your own stroller is also useful for the many otherthings to do in Orlando beyond the theme parks.
13. Use Credit Card Rewards
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The right credit card can turn your everyday spending into a savings fund for your trip. A good sign-up bonus on a new travel card is often worth $500 or more, which can be enough to pay for round-trip flights. You can also use a simple 2% cash-back card for your purchases in the year before you go, building up hundreds of dollars to use for park tickets or food.
Airline-specific cards from carriers like Delta or Southwest work well for booking flights with points. Cards with flexible rewards, such as Chase Sapphire or Capital One Venture, let you pay for hotel rooms. The Disney Visa Card from Chase lets you earn “Disney Reward Dollars” and gives you a 10 percent discount on select merchandise and dining inside the parks.
Identify your biggest trip expense, whether it's flights or lodging and find a card that directly rewards that type of spending.
14. Be Strategic With Lightning Lanes
The main line-skipping service, Genie+, has a variable cost that can go above $30 per person, per day, which means a family of four can spend over $120 a day. Disney's most popular rides, like Guardians of the Galaxy, also require a separate purchase called an Individual Lightning Lane that costs another $20 or more per person.
For those who choose to pay, Genie+ gives the most value at Magic Kingdom, where there are many attractions. At a park like Epcot, you can skip Genie+ and just buy a single Lightning Lane for your must-do ride. Guests staying at a Disney hotel can also take advantage of the 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry benefit to skip the lines at the most popular rides.
15. Use a Travel Agent
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A skilled travel agent helps you stretch your budget by finding exclusive discounts and package deals that aren't always visible to the public. They also keep an eye on new promotions after you book. If a better deal comes out before your trip, they can even rebook your vacation at the lower price.
A travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations is often free to you because Disney pays them a commission. AAA members, for example, can use AAA travel agents at no cost. These agents can build a complete vacation package around all thethings to do in Orlando with kids, not just the theme parks — and can help you find the best value options for your family.
16. Take Advantage of Free Entertainment
Skipping the parks for one day can save a family of four over $500 in ticket costs alone. A non-park day is also a great way to rest and recover, letting you enjoy the Disney atmosphere without the intense pace of a park visit.
Many of the best free activities are at the deluxe resorts. You can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian Village Resort, where they even pipe in the music or see the Epcot show from the BoardWalk. At Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can see giraffes and other animals roaming the savanna from the public viewing areas. Chip 'n' Dale's Campfire Sing-A-Long at Fort Wilderness offers a free character event open to all guests. You can also spend an evening at Disney Springs for live music and take a Monorail ride to explore nearby hotel lobbies.
17. Share Meals and Snacks
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When asking how to do Disney on a budget, one of the most underrated things you can do is to share meals. You can often turn one Quick-Service entrée into a meal for two at Disney World. The portions are frequently large enough for a parent and a young child to split — or even two adults who want something lighter. Splitting an entrée this way cuts your lunch bill in half, saving you $12 to $15.
Look for combo platters and “loaded” dishes, which are the easiest to divide. The Fajita Platter at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn in Magic Kingdom and the Ribs and Chicken Combo at Animal Kingdom's Flame Tree Barbecue are both large enough for two. At Hollywood Studios, try the “Totchos” at Woody's Lunch Box — or even a giant Mickey-shaped pretzel, which can double k as a light lunch for two.
FAQ
A few FAQs might come up when talking about the cheapest way to go to Disney World.
What is the cheapest time of year to visit Disney World?
The cheapest times to visit are late August through September and most of January through early February. Ticket and hotel prices are lowest when most schools are still in session.
Is it worth buying the Park Hopper?
The Park Hopper adds a high cost to each ticket and is rarely a good value for saving money. Traveling between parks takes up a large part of your day, especially on shorter trips.
Do longer Disney World trips save money on tickets?
Yes, the per-day price of a theme park ticket goes down the more days you buy. A seven-day ticket, for example, offers a much lower cost per day than a three-day ticket.
What's the cheapest way to do Disney?
The biggest savings come from visiting during the off-season, staying at a hotel with a free breakfast and shuttle as well as bringing your own snacks and drinks.
Save On Disney with AAA
Knowing how to save money at Disney World comes down to many small decisions. Packing your own stroller, sharing a meal and using a travel agent all add up to a much lower final cost. A thoughtful budget makes a great vacation possible, whether you focus on Disney or explore all thebest theme parks in Orlando.
A AAA travel agent can use these same principles to build a vacation package for you, saving you not just money, but also time and stress. Become a AAA member to get free access to these travel experts and start planning your trip today.
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