As someone that is a self-proclaimed "Disnerd", I know quite a lot about Disney and one of the most important things that I know about it is that it's expensive. I am also quite frugal, which allows me to be able to go to Disney with my husband and still have an amazing time while on a budget. So if you are looking for a few tips that will save you some money, you've come to the right place.
If you live in Florida:
- Get an annual pass! My husband and I have the weekday pass which is just over $200. We pay a monthly rate of $10 and are able to go to Disney every few weeks. Tickets for a 1-Day visit with no park hopper option run around $89 per person plus tax, so for the price of 2 days, you can go all year with the exception of some block-out dates. But here's the thing, the block-out dates are the busiest days of the year and trust me, nobody wants to go then. Plus, you can use the passes for merchandise and some restaurants (It saves 10%).
- If you don't want the annual passes, make sure to get the Florida Resident Rates! If they are unavailable when you call Disney, call back again before your trip to see if they are available and then have the cast member lower your room rates. There are a limited number of Florida Resident Rate rooms, so call ahead to make sure that you get them! My family has done this a few times and every dollar helps.
- Stay at a value resort! I love moderate and deluxe resorts as much as the next person but when I go to Disney, I go for the parks, not the hotels. So to me, it isn't worth it to pay over $400 a night when all I'm going to do at the hotel is sleep. Plus, if you have little kids, the photo opportunities at the All-Star Resorts are better than French Quarters. Little kids want pictures with Mr. Potato Head, not alligators. This tip could also apply for someone from out of state as well!
General tips:
- Bring your own snacks and drinks to the hotel! When my family and I go to Disney, we pack things like chips, sodas and water bottles to keep in the room so that we don't have to buy $15 worth of food from the food court every time we get hungry. So go to the local supermarket and get some food before you go! You'll be glad you did!
- Buy the souvenir cups! Disney offers souvenir cups in the hotel food courts for about $14 and they are for free refills throughout your stay at the hotel. Drinks cost over $2 a pop and you'll save much more money using the reusable cups because when you're out at the pool, you probably won't feel like walking all the way back to your room just for a drink and the pool is right next to the food court.
- Bring food to the parks! Disney will let you bring in your own food with just a few restrictions. They're pretty reasonable requests, like no glass jars, no sharp objects, etc. So bring some Ziploc bags of some snacks and some water bottles to carry in a backpack and you're good to go!
- Bring ponchos! When it rains at Disney ponchos can get really expensive and become a necessity. So go to your local Dollar Store and get some beforehand, so that you don't have to spend a lot of money to keep your kids dry. Plus, you don't want to spend the money that you could spend on a churro or a Mickey doll on a poncho.
- If you have small children, bring your own strollers! Disney does provide stroller rentals but it is much more sensible to not pay the extra money if you don't have to.
- Take the bus! Although it does become a hassle to wait for the bus sometimes, it isn't worth paying $15 to park your car and have to walk through that massive parking lot at the end of the day. You'll be tired enough and the buses are complimentary because you paid to stay on Disney property. (This tip is for people that choose to stay at Disney resorts only, not at resorts such as a Hilton in the Orlando area.)
- If it is your birthday, wear a pin! Sometimes you'll be lucky enough to get some free stuff depending on the cast members and where you are! There are also some free samples of food around the bakeries on Main Street!
I really hoped that I helped some of you guys out! If you have any more money-saving suggestions, comment below and share them with everyone! We could all use a little help saving some money without sacrificing our Disney Magic! Have a magical week everyone!
Chelsea
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