When planning a Walt Disney World vacation, every dollar counts. With the dozens of upcoming changes coming in the next few years, it’s unlikely that vacations to the Most Magical Place on Earth will get cheaper. Planning your dream Disney trip isn’t just about how much money you save. It’s about making sure that money goes as far as possible during your stay.
Last week, we gave you six easy hacks to save money on your next trip—things as simple as buying certain souvenirs ahead of time, making your own breakfast, and draining low balance gift cards to cut the edge off of expenses in the parks.
We found six more ways for you to save big on your next Walt Disney World vacation. Some of these require a little foresight, but the savings on your vacation budget can prove invaluable.
1. Have a battle plan for dining
Image: Disney
Flying by the seat of your pants may be a fun concept for a ride (how has Disney not thought of this yet?), but it’s not a great way to save money at Walt Disney World. In our first article, we discussed the fact that Disney banks on guests making impulse buys once they’re in the parks. Nowhere does this cost visitors more money than in Disney dining.
We’ve all done it. You’re walking through World Showcase, determined to make your Frozen Ever After Fastpass+ reservation. You know you have a lunch reservation shortly afterwards. You didn’t bring any snacks and the Florida sun has drained your strength. The aroma of sweet pastries assaults you in France. You linger and stare at giant pretzels gleaming with salt and butter in Germany. A guest skips by licking a gelato cone in Italy. By the time you make it to Norway, you find yourself standing outside Kringla Bakeri with a troll horn, a tall soda, and a sandwich plate wondering what happened.
When it comes to Disney dining, the best way to save money is to have a battle plan.
Image: Disney
Before your trip, research both table service and counter service restaurants that you want to visit. You can view menus at Walt Disney World’s website and can even see pictures of food here at ThemeParkTourist or at popular Disney food blogs.
Those who have used the Disney dining plan may be familiar with the strategy of planning your table service and counter service credits carefully. If you’re looking to save money, don’t plan on eating table service for every meal. Know what the average entrée price is at the restaurants you have in mind. Buffets get wonderful mileage for Disney dining plan credits but may prove expensive for light eaters paying the standard way. We already mentioned the hack of making your own breakfast most of your trip then splurging on one awesome Disney dining breakfast.
The key is make reservations at the places you want to visit the most, then have a list of counter-service restaurants in each park that you can head to for one of your daily meals. When you eat counter service, don’t just automatically assume that you have to pay for combos. In many cases, you can ask cashiers to leave side items off for a slightly discounted price. As we mentioned in our previous article, skip the sodas (drinking from a personal water bottle instead) and bring your own snacks so you can limit the treats you buy to the ones you want most, not just what you need to keep going.
Most importantly, come up with a budget and stick to it. You can plan for some flexibility, but many a guests pocketbook has gotten away from us when our stomachs start making decisions. Go in prepared, knowing where you want to go, and don’t let impulse buys change your plans.
2. Skip the rental car
This particular trick works best if you are staying on Disney property. Many guests visiting Walt Disney World don’t realize that you really don’t need a rental car. Even guests planning on exploring Florida do not need a rental car every day of their trip.
Take advantage of Disney’s Magical Express to get from Orlando airport to your resort. While the bus system isn’t perfect, our experience has generally been pleasant, particularly the off season. Kids love the cartoons playing during the trip! It’s a free and convenient way to get to and from the airport, so long as you don’t mind a little extra travel time.
Once you’re at Walt Disney World, Disney’s transportation system generally leaves little need for guests to have a personal car. Particularly if you are visiting Magic Kingdom, the extra time required to park (which you may have to pay for), find a parking lot tram, then take a Monorail from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the main gate will often far outweigh the time you would take using Disney’s busses. Passholders who get free parking visiting a non-Magic Kingdom park during the off-season may be able to beat the busses, but most visitors will not.
If you have strong legs and are staying at an Epcot resort, you’ll be able to reach a number of destinations by walking or taking Friendship boats. In exciting news, it was also announced at D23 that guests staying on property over the next few years will find new transportation options in Disney’s “Skyliner” gondolas and “Minnie Van” services.
Image: Disney
If you are planning on visiting Universal Studios or other Orlando sights, Mears shuttles or other transportation services may save you a fair deal over getting a rental car. Even if shuttles are not ideal, you can make arrangements with rental car companies in Orlando to get a rental car for a few short days of your trip rather than a whole week.
The one area where many guests find the busses lacking is in resort to resort transportation, such as what you would need for dining reservations. Fortunately, there’s a good solution for guests with that need.
3. Use free rides and get cashback on Uber
Image: Spiros Vathis, Flickr (license)
While cabs were a decent option in the past for parkgoers to get around easily, Uber and Lyft have become something of a godsend for Disney guests looking for an alternative to Disney transportation. It’s a fast and easy way to navigate the property without some of the hassle of cabs, and the apps are more convenient than ever.
If you or someone in your party with a cell phone hasn’t used Uber or Lyft before, you can get a discount (or even a free trip) on your first ride using a promo code like “p1z52ue” on Uber or “WEHAVELYFTOFF” on Lyft (these two codes are from Denver but also work in Orlando). If you know anyone who drives for either of the services, ask them for their promotion code. The popular grocery savings app, Ibotta, also now offers Uber users some small savings (currently a dollar back) on each ride.
Always try to go with a driver who has a good rating if possible. If you get a driver that has a low rating, your best option is to cancel the trip and try again to see if you can get another driver (your driver is assigned based on who is closest). If you strike out with one service like Uber, try Lyft instead. If you absolutely love a driver, see if they have a business card and offer trips on call. Some drivers do this. Though it’s never mandatory, it’s always a blessing for drivers to get tips.
4. Use cashback cards to purchase gift cards, hotels, and more
Image: CL Photographs, Flickr (license)
Disney experts have some seriously insane ways to save huge amounts of money using cashback and rewards credit cards. Used wisely and with good financial sense, credit cards that give reward points or cashback can save guests hundreds on Disney trips. With enough time and effort, one gentleman supposedly planned a whole Disney trip for just the price of dining and souvenirs. This is an extreme example, but the savings offered by this method can’t be ignored.
First off, you can use cashback cards like Chase Freedom or CapitalOne Quicksilver to make major purchases for your trip and get 1-5% cashback, depending on the situation or promotion. Even getting something as simple as incidentals for your trip this way can add up.
One of the most popular hacks for cashback cards involves buying Disney gift cards from Target.com. If you buy your Disney Gift Cards using a Target REDCard, you get a 5% discount with each purchase. Instead of spending $500 in cash on your trip, using this method to get Disney gift cards would save you $25. You can then use these gift cards to get your tickets, pay for dining and souvenirs, or possibly even pay for your resort in some circumstances.
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
You can also do your research well before your trip and sign up for a card with your favorite airline—Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards is a good option, as are general travel cards like CapitalOne Venture and Chase Sapphire Rewards according to Nerdwallet’s latest estimates. Use your card to pay off bills in the year leading up to your trip (be sure and pay it off quickly to not damage your credit) to save on your flight to and from Orlando.
You can also earn points towards a stay at Disney using American Express’s Starwood Preferred Guest card. This would give you access to potential free nights at the Swan and Dolphin hotel, which is not Disney-owned but still offers many of the perks of Disney resorts.
Even just doing something as simple as purchasing your tickets from Undercover Tourist using a cashback card will save you some money on your next trip. Every dollar counts!
5. Plan a no parks day
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@MyKingdomForAMouse Instagram)
The advantages of a no-parks day stand out the most for families visiting with a large group or those visiting for a short time. Disney tickets get incrementally cheaper each day you add on, so there’s definitely a temptation on longer trips to just eat the cost to add on another day (since it may only be $20 for two people).
However, for families, a no-parks day can prove an excellent way to save a little bit. Disney Springs and Disney’s Boardwalk are both free for guests to visit. Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland mini golf require a small cost of admission, but can make a very fun way to spend an afternoon. Resort hopping is a particularly fun way to burn some non-parks time.
If you’re visiting near a birthday, you can also use a no parks day to cash in on a wide breadth of birthday freebies and discounts available to visitors. Most of these are found in Disney Springs!
6. Rent Disney Vacation Club points
Image: Disney
In our previous article, we mentioned Disney’s DVC resorts as a great option for those looking to save money thanks to the kitchens provided in room (which make doing breakfast quick and easy rather than splurging in the parks). However, the prices Disney asks for its Villa resorts can give any potential guest a serious case of sticker shock. Joining the Disney Vacation Club is a great way to save for frequent guests (and those with enough cash to buy in), but for the rest of us mere mortals there’s another alternative.
Rather than buying directly from Disney, guests can actually rent points from Disney Vacation Club members. While some guests perform these transactions directly with DVC owners, the most secure way to do this is through mediatory sites with a good reputation and sound guarantees like David’s Vacation Club Rentals and the DVC Rental Store. Instead of paying $2000 to book a stay at Wilderness Lodge or Beach Club Villas through Disney, guests renting DVC points may pay half of that!
Image: Disney
The DVC resorts across the board are charming, convenient, and comfortable. The advantages for families with kids cannot be overstated, particularly if you get a 2-3 bedroom villa with a kitchen. The primary disadvantage of DVC point rental is that DVC resorts only offer very limited housekeeping. However, with the ability to do your own laundry for free, the tradeoff is pretty good.
The other disadvantage is that your reservation is controlled by the DVC points owner. That is why renting through a respected company like David’s or DVC Rental Store is a good idea. If you have a friend who is a DVC owner who is willing to rent you some points, you can save even more! A family that may have only been able to afford a stay at Port Orleans Riverside may very well be able to upgrade to the Boardwalk or Beach Club Villas for the same price.
What is your favorite hack for saving money at Walt Disney World?
