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Tag Archives: Saving Money at Disney World
10 Money Saving Tips for your next Disney World Vacation
Want to take the kids to the Disney World, but money a little tight? With this economy who’s budget isn’t tight…With a little planning it can be done: here are ten ways to save on your next Disney World Vacation.
- Stay at a Disney Value Resort Hotels - While on property you still get all the extra’s as someone staying at the larger resorts. Such as Disney Transportation, extra magic hours, Disney Dining Plan, and much more. The rooms might be a little smaller but your just there to sleep right?
- Stay at a resort or vacation home off Disney property. If you have to there are plenty of decent hotel rooms available all around Lake Buena Vista. If you have a larger family (more than four people), the savings are even greater. You can get a vacation home with a private pool for a week but remember you will need your own transportation.
- Watch for Disney Promotions. Who doesn’t love free food? Lately Disney is almost always running some sort of discount on their website. (Keep in mind Chip and Company constantly keep you up to date on current Disney promotions so check back with us often) Also Disney is known to send out special promotions via postcard and email. How do you get them to send you one? Its a mystery, but signing up to receive one of their vacation planning videos and registering at www.disneyworld.com will help. Read my previous article on the elusive Pin Codes here.
- Purchase a dining package. Disney offers dining packages to guests staying at their resorts. These packages have to be booked in advance and you can save 30% or more on your dining if you buy one of these plans. Essentially the dining plan is a meal plan that you pay for in advance. Sorta like a lay-away. Check out this article talking about to Meal Plan or Not To Meal Plan.
- Travel during the “off” season. Disney resort and dining prices fluctuate depending on what time of year it is; the same trip over Christmas week will cost you a whole lot less the first week of December. There is much debate when the off season is. One guideline to follow is when school is out it will be busy. If you check on a Disney Cruise you will see the same trip almost double for Spring Break or in the Summer.
Saving on Souvenirs at Walt Disney World
For many of us the trips we plan to Disney are about making memories, family time and good old-fashioned fun. For our kids it’s about all that…and the souvenirs. Let’s face it Disney is pretty good at tempting us adults too! They have exclusive Park Only merchandise and the cutest little sweatshirts, stuffed toys, trading pins…OH MY! I could go on and on. They have not been in business for this long without knowing how to merchandise. Here are a few tips to keep your wallet happy as well as your kids (and you).
1. Buy Before You Go. Check out the Disney Store or Disneystore.com for small gifts you know your kids will enjoy. The key here is small as you are going to bring them with you on your trip. Little princess cell phones, McQueen bouncy balls, stuffed Tiggers are all good ideas. Looking for these items on sale is the objective. Even other stores like Target, Kohl’s or Toys R Us carry Disney items. Pick up what you can and put it aside. Tip: If you are flying and have so much of this stuff that you require an extra piece of luggage, you probably aren’t saving money. If it makes sense you can also mail packages to your resort ahead of time. Again weigh the cost here of shipping.
Save money on your next Disney World Vacation with these 10 tips
Want to take the kids to the Walt Disney World Resort, but don’t want to break the bank? With a little planning it can be done: here are ten ways to save on your next Disney World Vacation.
- Stay at a Disney Value Resort – While on property you still get all the extra’s as someone staying at the larger resorts. Such as Disney Transportation, extra magic hours, Disney meal plans, and much more. The rooms might be a little smaller but your just there to sleep right?
- Stay at a resort or vacation home off Disney property. On the other hand if you have to there are plenty of decent hotel rooms available all around Lake Buena Vista. If you have a larger family (more than four people), the savings are even greater. You can get a vacation home with a private pool for a week but remember you will need your own transportation.
- Watch for Disney Promotions. Disney is running a Free Dining Program for October through December which is excellent for saving money! Who doesn’t love free food? Lately Disney is almost always running some sort of discount on their website. (Keep in mind Chip and Company constantly keep you up to date on current Disney promotions so check back with us often) Also Disney is known to send out special promotions via postcard and email. How do you get them to send you one? It’s a mystery, but signing up to receive one of their vacation planning videos and registering at www.disneyworld.com will help. Read my previous article on the elusive Pin Codes here.
- Purchase a dining package. Disney offers dining packages to guests staying at their resorts. These packages have to be booked in advance and you can save 30% or more on your dining if you buy one of these plans. Essentially the dining plan is a meal plan that you pay for in advance. Sorta like a lay-away. Check out this article talking about to Meal Plan or Not To Meal Plan.
Disney World Dining on a Budget – Tips & Tricks to Save Money
Not everyone out there can always afford to get the mack daddy Disney Deluxe Dining Plan, especially with so many people waiting for Free Dining Deals to come out. It would be safe to say that many people are on a budget. With our economy still struggling everyone is learning to maximize what they have.
With that in mind I have compiled a list of Tips & Tricks I have learned over the years visiting Walt Disney World to help you save money.
Disney World Vacation Souvenirs for the Budget Conscious
Anyone who has ever tried to plan a Disney vacation on a budget probably knows this scenario: you spent weeks, maybe months looking at every aspect of your trip to see where you can save money. You have compared accommodation options, looked at Disney promotions to see what is the best deal for you, planned your meals with the precision of a general going into battle, scoured the internet looking for the lowest airfare, and maybe even purchased discounted Disney park tickets.
In short, you have exhausted every possible option to help you have an affordable Disney vacation.
And then you arrive at the Magic Kingdom and your little princess erupts into tears because she wants that pixie-dust encrusted Cinderella ball gown that costs “HOW much?”
Whoops. There goes the budget. 
