It goes without saying that Disney World can be expensive. But the good news is, there are plenty of ways to save money in Disney World and still have a great time.
The items on this list are meant to give you a variety of ways to cut back on your Disney bill, depending on the experience you want to have and which parts of the Disney World experience matter to you most.
Here are 10 ways to save money in Disney World.
Look into Standard View rooms
If you’re staying at a Disney World resort, you might be able to save a little money by selecting a Standard View room.
These are the rooms that are the most basic, and likely don’t have a very spectacular view. Depending on the resort, they also may be farther from the lobby.
Disney has a wide range or room options, and they often promote the more expensive ones. If you’re on their website, you may have to scroll down to find the standard view rooms. And if you’re calling, you may have to make sure that’s the option your Disney travel agent is giving you.
Rent DVC Points
If you’re someone who likes to stay at the Deluxe/Disney Vacation Club resorts, you may be able to save money by renting Disney Vacation Club points from an owner who isn’t using them.
The Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s timeshare option. Points are the currency timeshare owners use to book their resort stays. If an owner can’t use their points in the allotted time, they may opt to rent them.
Point rentals are often much cheaper than if you were to book the room via Disney’s website.
This isn’t something I have experience with, but if you’re interested in learning more about this, check out this post from MouseSaver.
Keep an eye on the Special Offers section of the website
Disney always has deals running on their website! You can learn more about the current deals by clicking on the “Special Offers” page towards the bottom of Disney’s website.
Here, you’ll find all the discounts being offered.
You should also keep an eye on this section after you book your trip. Disney will allow you to add new discounts to existing reservations if something comes up after you book.
Stay in a Non-Disney World Hotel
There are plenty of non-Disney World hotels that are one Disney Property. They run shuttles to the park and are almost always cheaper than a Disney World resort.
You won’t get the Disney World Themeing that you’d get in a Resort hotel. But if you’re planning on spending most of your time in the park, the hotel might be one area to save in.
Rent strollers, cribs, etc from third party companies
You can rent pretty much everything you would need for your child from a third-party company and have it delivered to your hotel.
This is likely cheaper than paying to fly your stroller and pack and play down to Florida. It’s also often cheaper to rent a stroller this way as opposed to in the parks.
You typically get a nicer stroller that you use from the time you leave your room to the time you return.
Unfortunately, this is something you’d have to do more of your own research on. I don’t have kids, so I have never used these services, but I know they exist and are cost-saving, so I wanted to let you know.
Bring your own food
Disney food can be more expensive than average–especially if you consider the table service restaurants. As a result, you’ll likely save a good amount of money if you bring your own food to Disney World.
You can either bring this food in your suitcase, or use a grocery delivery service and have your food delivered to your hotel.
Stick to snacks and counter service locations
If you don’t want to bring your own food, but want to save some money, you can easily get by on snacks and counter service locations.
Portion sizes are usually pretty generous and the average price range is between $5-$15.
Adults can order kids meals at counter service locations
Another cost-saving tip is that adults can absolutely order kids meals at counter service locations. So if you get a look at the average Disney portion size and know you can’t eat all that, you can order the kid’s size even if you’re not a kid.
No one at a counter service location is going to make sure the meal is going to a child.
You also may be able to do this at some table service locations. However, some will simply give you an adult size/price of a kid’s meal item, so it’s best to ask your server before you order.
Don’t rent a car
If you’re driving and that’s saving you money, that’s one thing. But if you’re flying and considering renting a car, it’s probably not the most cost-effective option.
If you’re staying at a Disney resort, you’ll have to pay to park your car for each day of your stay.
Unless you have a reason to leave the property or are staying in a rental, it’s likely going to be more financially beneficial to use your hotel’s transportation or Disney Transportation.
Don’t get the Park Hopper
Park hoppers allow you to visit more than one park per day.
This can be nice, but it comes with an added expense. Additionally, you can’t opt to have a park hopper for a day or two. If you add the park hopper option, you’re adding it to all of your park tickets for your entire trip.
If you’re the type to spend the whole day in the parks, the travel time that comes with hopping can actually eat into your park time.
However, if you’re the type to hit the parks in the morning, take a break mid-day, then head back in the late afternoon, it may be more practical. But overall, it’s still less expensive to stick to one park for the entire day.
If you’re on the fence about Park Hopping, you can buy a single park-per-day ticket to start. If you find on the first day of your trip that you want to park hop, you can add the park hop option to your trip.
You typically can’t remove a park hopper option once you’ve added it, which is why it’s best to take this approach if you’re unsure.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: What tips have helped you save money in Disney World? Tell us about it in the comments!