Saving at DisneyWorld

We have a guest post today from Jayme. Jayme is an independent Disney travel agent for Wishing Well Travel. She’s had a lifetime of experiences at Disney Parks on both coasts and overseas. Jayme is always happy to share her tricks and tips as part of her free service to clients. You can look her up anytime on Facebook or jayme@wishingwelltravel.com

Disney can be an expensive place to visit, but there is room for savings. I’ve seen people spend as little as two thousand or as much as ten thousand on one trip for the same duration. Needless to say there are many little tips to help you along the way.

Packages

One of the first decisions you’ll make can also be one of your most costly, which is when you will travel. If you are able and willing to travel during off peak times (fall and winter except the holiday season) you can save significantly on your booking price. Many items will be discounted such as rooms and dining experiences. Traditionally during these times Disney has also offered Free Dining promotions which allow you to purchase your room and tickets and then receive a certain number of counter service or table service meals. This can shave hundreds of dollars off of your package cost.

If you are planning to stay in Orlando for a week or longer typically it is less expensive to pay for additional days at the Disney parks then to pay full price for attractions outside of Disney. For one day at the Disney parks you’ll pay $89, two days $176, three days $242, but you can enjoy four days for only $256. By day five the cost is only $268 and it is only $10 per additional day after that.

Food

Even if you are lucky enough to be traveling during free dining, unless you are signed up for the deluxe plan you’ll still need at least one meal per day and snacks. If you are not traveling during free dining, cutting food costs is a must.

All Disney resorts have mini-fridges available. This means that having food available to save on breakfast is easy. Disney also allows you to bring food into the parks as long as there is nothing in glass and any coolers are small and soft sided. There are lockers available at the entrance to all parks if you would like to stash a quick lunch there or you can always come back to your hotel for a mid day break and quick lunch in the room. I highly recommend carrying snacks with you. Disney has an amazing variety of delicious snacks, but there’s nothing worse than being hungry and stuck in line. Granola bars and other foods that keep can do wonders. These items are easy to bring if you are driving, but even if you are flying you can have a delivery service such as GardenGrocer bring food to you on arrival day.

If you are dining in the parks, many meals can easily be split between two people or an adult and a child. Similarly, any of the counter service restaurants will give you a free glass of ice water, whether you are eating or not. Especially if you are traveling during the summer, I encourage you to take advantage of the free water to avoid dehydration. It is easier on the bank account than the paying for bottled water and it’s usually cooler as well.

While you cannot split a meal at the buffets and character meals, you can save by timing your meal for a late breakfast. The cost between breakfast and lunch at many of the character meals can be significant. If you are willing to have a quick breakfast in the hotel and schedule your character dining at 10:15 or 10:30 it can save you significantly as well as providing lunch for the day.

Bring What You Can

Bring what you can with you if possible. Ponchos, light up toys, even souvenirs for the kids can be purchase before arriving to significantly cut down on costs. To keep things special, find a way of making the magic. Our children knew that if they were well behaved, Tinker Bell would drop off a gift from one of their favorite Disney characters with a note. The small stuffed animals, shirts, hats, and other gifts that were ‘delivered’ cost less than half the price at home than they would have in the parks. Similarly, while waiting for the night time shows I was sure to have some of the light up bracelets and the like available so that there was something to distract them from the multitude of light up toys Disney sells.

There are some relatively low cost souvenirs available. At Downtown Disney your children can stuff a box full of Mr Potato Head parts (remember to bring a Potato Head from home to not waste valuable box space!) for right around $20. There is also a build your own lightsaber station at both Downtown Disney and Disney’s Hollywood Studios where children can customize a light saber for around $20. Compared to the $20 cost of one small stuffed animal I consider both of these fun and great deals.

Free (or less expensive) in Park Activities

Of course once you are inside a Disney park all the shows and rides are free, but there are also some additional offerings that add to the magic.

At the Magic Kingdom you are welcome to join in on the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game. All you need to do is stop by Guest Services to get your free pack of cards and start. The cards can be used at interactive portals around the Magic Kingdom for some added fun.

If you’d rather be a pirate than a sorcerer you can head over to Adventureland and join in on the Pirate Treasure Hunt. You’ll pick up a free map which guides you on an interactive treasure hunt through Adventureland.

And finally, did you know you can actually get your hair cut at the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street? Prices are between $14-19. If you have a little princess, they’d be happy to sprinkle some glitter in her hair and make her feel special. And if you’re there for your child’s first hair cut you’ll get a set of mouse ears and certificate. Just be sure you call in advance to make your appointment!

Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios your child can join in the Jedi Training. This runs year round and lets them get up on stage and have official Jedi training (certificate included) and the chance to fight a bad guy (usually Darth Vader). You need to sign up first thing in the morning and they’ll tell you when to come back, and it’s completely free.

Epcot can sometimes be boring for the younger crowd. Disney realized this and started offering a free game called Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure. You pick up a communicator at any of the booths and head off on an interactive adventure where you need to find the clues and solve the mystery. It’s another one of the fun free offerings that most people don’t know about.

At Epcot be sure to visit the KidCot stations. Your child will be provided with a paper puppet that can be colored on (sometimes a mask, sometimes Duffy the bear). There’s one station at each country and the people from that country will write something fun or draw their national flag on the mask (or bear) and your child can color a bit more at each station.

No matter which park you’re in if it’s someone’s birthday, your first visit, or you’re celebrating something make sure you stop by guest relations for your free button. While these buttons don’t give you special treatment, many of the cast members do notice them and will wish you a happy birthday, welcome you to the parks, or ask you what you’re celebrating. My six year old had a delighted grin on his face all day long with all the happy birthdays he was receiving.

Free Entertainment Out of the Parks

If you desire a little break from the parks, there is still a lot of fun free stuff to do around the Disney Resort.

Transportation is completely free on Disney property and depending on where you’re going you can travel by bus, boat, or monorail. Sometimes it’s relaxing to just ride around on the monorail looping the lagoon.

For some free night time entertainment you can catch the Electrical Light Pageant. While not huge, it does run every night in the lagoon. It can be seen from the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, or Contemporary Resort quite easily. If you wait to see it from the Polynesian you can also catch the Magic Kingdom fireworks show from the beach (they even pipe the music in!).

For a lasting memory you can head over for a campfire and sing-a-long with Chip and Dale, followed by a movie at the Wilderness Resort. It is completely free and you can bring your own s’mores or buy them there to roast.

Some great fun can also be had just by checking out the various Disney hotels. The public areas are free to all, and some even offer free tours. You can wander down the Boardwalk and watch the street performers or watch the animals on the Savannah at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The new Art of Animation Resort has a variety of neat statues you can pose with, including characters from the Cars movie. It would take days to see and appreciate all of the variety of resorts and they are an excellent free entertainment when you need some down time.

I hope you found some good ideas from the above list. I am happy to help at anytime with questions on budget travel or travel in general to any Disney location!