Keeping Costs Down at DisneyWorld
You may be looking on this blog at all of our Disney travel tips, but still thinking “There is no way I could afford to go to DisneyWorld!”
It can be a very, very expensive holiday (trust me, we went for breakfast one day in a resort that would have cost $35,000 for our whole 10 day trip!!) BUT it doesn’t have to be that expensive.
Here are our top tips for keeping the costs down at DisneyWorld…
Flights
Shop around for flights! Use the Skyscanner and Skiplagged apps, and check Google Flights using the anywhere function. Make sure that you search using a private browser or ‘secret mode’. Using indirect flights can be a lot cheaper, as can flying into Tampa (about 1 hour’s drive away) instead of MCO. If you are flying indirectly, make sure to give yourself enough time during the layover to allow for late running connections and getting through security again. We flew into Newark on the way to America and went through security there rather than at MCO, meaning we had very little time before getting our next connection.
Tickets
Again, shop around! Don’t always assume that buying direct with Disney will be cheapest - it quite often won’t be! We found that for longer stays and a combination of on and offsite attractions, attractiontickets.com were the best option, but for shorter stays, you may be better off with day passes either bought from Disney in advance or on the gate. If you’re a US resident, certain members of the public may get discounted entry, such as US military families.
Snacks
It’s no secret that the hidden cost of Disney (i.e. the food and souvenirs purchases in the parks) can be equally as expensive as just getting there in the first place! My top tip would be to hit a Publix store when you first arrive - there are plenty of snack items you can get for much cheaper than anything Mickey shaped in the parks. I’m DEFINITELY not saying you should skip all of the Disney themed food, but cutting down on how much you need to buy in the parks will seriously help your bank balance! A refillable water bottle will also help as there are refill stations throughout - a necessity in the hot Florida heat! Why pay to hydrate when you have access to that water for free?
Souvenirs
Finally, you may be thinking there’s no way you can avoid buying souvenirs from DisneyWorld, and you may be right! But let’s do it smarter. Give your kids a pre-paid giftcard so that they can spend their own money. It’s then totally up to them to choose how to spend it and what to spend it on. No more nagging for this, that and the other!
For younger kids who don’t quite yet get the concept of money, I would suggest heading to Walmart. They have TONS of Disney items such as plushy soft toys and other things for so much cheaper than you would buy in the parks. Getting something from here early and letting your little ones take it into the parks with them may help you keep those souvenir costs down while still making sure your kids have a great time and bring something home from Florida!
