Yes, I believe Disney can be done inexpensively. And as an extra bonus this year, you might stumble upon some extra magic as you can see above!
By way of history, I had a full trip booked for September, 2010 with my spouse and my son. There was to be only 1 day of school that first week due to the dates of the Jewish holidays. I rightly assumed that the week following Labor Day would be the best week to go, i.e., the smallest crowds. With a school age child the thought of going to any Disney property when the rest of the country is also on vacation seemed maddening.
I booked a great deal through a contact from my brother-in-law. They had stayed at an expensive property (The Boardwalk) for half price. That’s how I like to do it. This woman who did that booking also scared me into thinking Disney is so expensive that she suggested a car service to the hotel with a supermarket stop. My point here is that because of her training, I now look at every which way to be at Disney without spending any extra money. Turns out it is not difficult and you don’t need any supermarket stops!
There are properties at Walt Disney World for all price points. Some properties can be $100 a night. And the wonderful Disney magic is the same at the $100 a night property as it is for the $600 a night property: free bus from the airport, free transport between hotels and park, early and late hours hours at the parks, and Fast Pass! I have already saved you hundreds of dollars.
My last trip was half paid for by Disney. The second half was paid for by me. So I look at how to stay at Walt Disney World from a thrifty stand point. I recommend the meal plan if you are staying on property, this way you can book several meals before you leave home and get some character meals scheduled for the kids. We did not have the meal plan for our extra 2 days. We would have 2 1/2 years ago if my son hadn’t decided he couldn’t get on an airplane that year. Personally we didn’t have time for sit down meals, and I am cheap, so all our meals ended up being sandwiches and hamburgers at little more that $10/person/meal each day. I live in NYC and think that is not over priced. Certainly if you have a large family, you may want to shop beforehand and bring your own food into the parks. Many rooms all over Disney have full kitchenettes so making sandwiches for your family of 6 will not be difficult.
I have been to Disney twice and received full park tickets. This is a big expense. Looking at paying for park tickets objectively, I would say that for my family the park hopper wold not be a necessity. We spent 11 hours at Hollywood Studios and I could easily do that with any park. Who wants to spend time traveling between parks which takes time away form the rides! Just a cost saving alternative! My feeling the least expensive way to do the parks is to buy a pass for each park as you need them and if you need the pool, take 1 day off and do other things like swim and go to Downtown Disney. Look over your options carefully, I did notice that the more days you extend your passes, the less expensive every successive day costs.
You could spend the half day of arrival or departure at Downtown Disney, go bowling, go shopping, eat, and not pay for the park ticket that day. If you have younger kids, my newest recommendation is to take the kids to the Art of Animation property and tour it. It is like being in the movie! Cars, Nemo, Little Mermaid, Lion King,. I am 53 and my son is 9. We were equally thrilled hanging out in Radiator Springs and taking pictures! The dining area there was not inexpensive, but it was reasonable. Again, if we can pay $10 for a meal, I will not complain, but we are only 3 and we are used to NYC prices.
Departing Disney is made so easy it is shocking. I checked and confirmed, you can check your bags at your resort with an actual TSA agent. Additionally, I was shocked to find my boarding passes printed and waiting for me on my door when I awoke on my last day. You not only save money be taking the very comfortable bus to the airport, you also get the royal treatment! This could not have been more convenient for us as we said good-bye to this Magical Place!
Disclosure: I attended a sponsored event at Walt Disney World. This post had nothing to do with that event. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.
Denise McDonuts says
The magical express ride back to the hotel is what my fellow disney addicts and I call “tragically depressed” lol
You made some great points here!
I also have a great way for us to save huge and our kids not have a whole bunch of crap to bring home. We buy each kid a Disney gift card and they know that is all the money they will have! That is it.
We go at least once a year and it has saved so much money and space by doing that with the kids.
Also if you need a car (we do because my dad is handicap and it is just easier for him.) you wait until last min and find coupon codes all over the internet!
A great way to make out like a bandit on your meal plan as well is finding the most expensive snacks! We love to “travel the world” and only use our snack credits on expensive snacks. Instead of buying a bottle of water.
OH and on the bottle of water subject you wouldn’t even have to buy any water. All you have to do is walk up to any quick service and ask for a cup of ice water. BAM free.
Sorry about all that! I just get to wrapped up in my excitement and love for Disney!!!
Esti says
Mitch, thanks for the great money saving tips. The minute I was leaving the Art of Animation Resort (loved it!) and boarding a plane for rainy New York, I was thinking of how to get back to Walt Disney World ASAP! Now, with your tips, I have the resources!! My 75 year old mom, my 4 year old son, and I (44 and counting) all had the most incredible time at Walt Disney World! I call my mom everyday and say, “remember how great the hotel was” and I can see her the smile form on her face!! It is true, Disney vacations make the best memories!!
Pamela Halligan says
Thanks so much for this post. We are planning our first trip to Walt Disney World this April and are on a tight budget. I appreciate all the advice I can get. We are so excited.
Gigi S says
We promised our kids a trip to Disney in 2013, but I honestly am scared of booking it because there are so many things to consider and it doesn’t seem like it would be a vacation but a marathon. Luckily we scored a great deal on our first disney cruise and disney world is on hold for at least 1 more year
German Lopez says
Those are some really good tips. We are planning a trip to Disney this year for my sons birthday. Although we will be going to Disney Land in California (in part so visit my parents), im sure some of these tips can be used for that park. We were thinking about trying to book everything ourselves but with the overwhelming choices ie. different park passes, meal options, resorts vs non resorts; we decided to go to a vacation booking agent. Hopefully they’ll have access to better deals.