A trip to Disney World Resort Florida is the ultimate bucket list holiday, but with so many attractions, rides, add-ons and meals, it can get expensive – but it doesn’t have to!
So, here’s our 59 top tips to save money when visiting Disney World Florida.
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How To Save Money on Your Walt Disney Trip to Florida
From tickets to accommodation, travel to souvenirs, here’s our quick-fire list of tips that will help you keep an eye on the purse strings during your upcoming Disney trip.
Tickets and planning
1. Buy tickets in advance – Whilst tickets on the gate are the same price as buying online in the US, you may miss out on perks, discounts and bundle savings. Plus, depending on the ticket type you get, you might need to make a theme park reservation too – and you don’t want to turn up and find they’ve sold out!
2. If you’re going for more than 7 days, buy a 14 day pass – From the UK, you can only buy 7-day and 14-day passes, and the latter is actually only a few pounds more! Plus, these passes include park hopping, water park access and a Free Memory Maker worth $210.
3. Don’t feel like you need to stay for 14 days – It may feel like a ‘waste’ if you don’t use every day of your pass, but just remember that every day costs you even more in accommodation and daily costs.
4. Limit days in the park – Similarly, you don’t have to spend every day at Disney. Add in a rest day to enjoy your hotel pool or build in other budget activities.
5. Only pay for what you’re going to use – the 14-day pass is a great deal but only if you want to go on a longer trip, park hop and visit some water parks. If not, you may want to…
6. Check the ticket prices from the US – You can buy daily passes when you arrive in the US (or by using a VPN to change your location to the US) which could work out cheaper than a 7- or 14-day pass depending on what you need. Just don’t forget that tax is added to the ticket price!
7. Don’t get the Park Hopper – If not included in your ticket, ask yourself if you really need to visit more than one park a day.
8. Visit off-peak – Ticket prices are lower in January and February, late August and September. And there are fewer crowds then too. A real sweet spot is the very start of September when most kids have gone back to school, and the higher chance of rain puts other travellers off.
9. Avoid Spring Break – Whilst not really a major season in the UK, Spring Break is a really popular time to visit Disney World for Americans. So check dates between mid March and late April, as they bring high ticket prices and big crowds.
10. Check multiple ticket sellers for the best price – Check direct and also with authorised sellers like AttractionTickets and Floridatix to see who is offering the best prices for your dates.
11. Search for promo codes – Authorised third party sellers can have flash sales, so sign up to their newsletters and make sure to check to see if there are any promo codes.
12. Check cashback websites – Third party sellers may also be on cashback websites so check on TopCashback and Quidco. After all, every penny back counts!
13. Check package holiday deals – Especially if booking for next year, there may be offers available when you’re booking your hotel and tickets at the same time. For example, a free dining and drinks offer could save you a fortune.
14. Avoid lightning lanes every day – lightning lanes mean you can skip queues, but don’t pay for these every day. See them as a treat and reserve for busy days, or days where you’re ready to commit to a busy day exploring the park!
15. Check current Disney offers – they’ve pulled a helpful page together to cover them all!
Accommodation
16. Stay in a Value Disney resort – There are Value, Moderate and Deluxe Disney resorts and as you would expect, they go up in cost! But if you want that Disney feel without breaking the budget, stick to the budget resorts.
17. Stay off-site – In general, hotels get cheaper the further from the parks. Check out International Drive and Kissimmee for a good compromise.
18. Book a hotel with free breakfast – Load up on the buffet restaurant and maybe sneak a banana in your bag for later!
19. Share accommodation – If you’re in a big group, think about getting a villa or an Airbnb and sharing the cost. That, or see if there’s another family you know who wants to split the cost!
20. Prioritise a full working kitchen – Check what cooking facilities are in your room, as even some that have a small kitchen area may only have a microwave. This is going to help save you a fortune on food and drink!
21. Stay in a non-Disney hotel on site – There are some hotel chains in the Disney grounds that are close to all the action and have plenty of perks too! A great example of this is Marriott’s The Swan and The Dolphin.
22. Use hotel points – If you collect points with a particular hotel chain, know that as well as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt also have hotels around Disney World.
23. Check resort fees – A hotel may look cheaper on the face of it, but make sure to check if there’s any hidden fees including resort fees. So click through to the end of the booking process, and check all the small print!
24. Consider split stays – Some dates will be cheaper than others, even across the same week! So why not split your stay across a couple of different hotels? For example, stay in a cheaper off-site hotel first and then treat yourself at the end of your trip!
25. Book with free cancellation – If booking early, lock in a price and then keep an eye out for offers or price drops. You can track hotel prices using Pruvo.
Food and drink
26. Pack snacks – Bringing snacks from home means you can begin your trip with the money saving intentions you set out with – even before you manage to do the food shop!
27. Make a food plan – Overshopping is a thing, so make a food plan and stick to it.
28. Do a food shop early – If you do plan to do a food shop, don’t wait as it’s incredible how quickly those expenses can start to creep in – and it can be hard to keep it at bay once you’ve begun!
29. Use a food delivery service – Not got a car or don’t have the time to do a food shop? There’s loads of grocery options on Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Door Dash. Check for promo codes if you’re new to the app too!
30. Get breakfast that works for your room – Got a fridge? A microwave? Neither? Check what facilities you have on hand and plan your breakfast around it. Even just a piece of fruit and some cereal each day will save you so much.
31. Bring your own food into the parks – Great news, you are allowed to bring food and non-alcoholic drink into the Disney parks from outside. As well as snacks.
32. Bring tupperware and sandwich bags – It’s all well and good having food to take in – but how are you going to take it with you?! Another helpful item is a small cool bag to keep everything chilled. Remember, most hotels in the US have ice machines so pop some ice in a sandwich bag to keep it all cold!
33. Stick to Quick Service Meals and stalls – If you are going to eat in the parks, both the Quick Service meals and stalls don’t demand a tip which can save you a fortune.
34. Share meals – In the US, portions are huge compared to the UK – one main meal can easily feed two adults! If you feel nervous about the etiquette around this, take the pressure off with a Quick Service Meal where you collect your food and seat yourself.
35. Order the kids meal – Just you or don’t want to share? Don’t forget you could also add a kids meal for yourself. Who’s gonna know once you take it back to your seat?!
36. Eat at EPCOT – If you want to sample a few bits, EPCOT allows you to try smaller dishes from around the world and many of them were under $10.
37. Check for food and drink that includes sales tax – Many of the food stalls at EPCOT ‘included sales tax’ unlike other parks, and so we simply paid the price we saw!
38. Free iced water – There are loads of water fountains (so bring your refillable bottles!) but if you want iced water, just ask at Quick Service locations or Joffrey’s and you’ll get it for free!
39. Check if soft drinks are refillable – In some Quick Service locations and select restaurants, soft drinks are refillable so make the most of it! I had this at Yak & Yeti in Animal Kingdom and they even gave me a full paper cup to takeaway.
40. Treat yourself to breakfast or lunch rather than dinner – Wanting to enjoy a sit down meal? Breakfast and lunch tend to be cheaper!
41. Cancel your restaurant bookings on time – At peak times, you need to book your restaurants in advance, so I understand the desire to get lots locked in. However, if you find you’re not hungry enough for a slap-up meal, remember to cancel at least 2 hours before your booking otherwise you may get fined $10.
42. Don’t pay extra for meals with characters – Just meet them in the parks for free instead!
43. Check to see if dining plans work for you – Dining plans will make your life easier, but may not always work out the best value – although they will be if you find a bundle where they’re included for free. Or if you maximise the fact that you can have an alcoholic drink with meals which would otherwise cost you more.
44. Buy a popcorn bucket – There is a refillable mug for soft drinks, but I think the better deal is the popcorn which costs around $15 for one bucket, with refills at $2.25. This could work well for kids who want a Disney themed treat, and you could even share the bucket between them!
45. Eat off-site – Restaurants outside the parks can be cheaper but remember to factor in transport costs!
Travel and transport
46. Fly off peak – As well as off season, look at flights midweek for some of the best prices. Use our guide on how to find the best prices!
47. Don’t avoid budget airlines – Airlines like Norse and JetBlue may be less known, but they’re great options that you should definitely consider for your flight out
48. Check car hire prices early – Car hire prices go up with demand so lock in a price early, but also consider…
49. Skip car hire and just use Uber or Lyft – Taxis are plentiful and affordable, and mean you don’t need to worry about parking or petrol. Plus, if you’re in a group, you can split the cost easily.
50. Choose a hotel with a free shuttle – All Disney resorts have access to free transfers to the park, but many non-branded Disney hotels do too! But check reviews to see how dependable and frequent they are.
51. Use the Disney transfers anyway – Not staying at a Disney World resort? Don’t worry! You can still use the buses, skyliner, monorail and boats for free. It can be cheaper and less busy to get a taxi to one of these points and then make your way into the park for free.
52. Don’t get stung by parking costs – If you do hire a car, choose a hotel with free parking. It also may still work out cheaper to get taxis than pay for parking each day so do check!
Extras and souvenirs
53. Pre-buy secondhand merch – Shop online for things like Disney ears and t-shirts, you can often find merch that is still in the shops!
54. Buy new merch off site – Shops like Target and Uniqlo all have Disney merch and it’s a lot cheaper than buying it from the Disney stores.
55. Buy official merch at a cut price – Visit Orlando Premium Outlets Character Warehouse for older official merch with a discount
56. Limit souvenirs – Set a budget for your kids by giving them a gift card with a fixed amount. It’s then theirs to decide what they do with it!
57. Get a free souvenir – Things like celebration buttons (free from guest services), park maps and Kidcot Fun Stops at EPCOT are little keepsakes that cost nothing.
58. Bring a poncho – Pack one with you for the water rides and any sudden showers!
59. DIY your photos – skip the PhotoPass photographers and ask fellow Disney fans to snap a photo of your family or buy a cheap tripod with a bluetooth button so you can take them yourself!
Make the Most of Your Budget at Disney World Florida
Follow our trips for ways to save money to enjoy the magic of Disney World Florida for less. Just the experience of being there will be so wonderful for the kids, you don’t need to stay in the fanciest hotel, buy all the merch or see absolutely everything. Plan your days, pack plenty of snacks and don’t forget to plan in some down time. Enjoy your trip!
