Ways to save:
- Travel off-season, but note that the parks close earlier, they offer fewer parades and fewer fireworks shows. Gauge your own priorities carefully.
- You can rent a condo or house near Disney for less than $100/night -- but it's a different experience than staying on-site. I like both, but be realistic about what experience you want.
- If you opt for a single hotel room (which is quite doable for kids the age of yours), consider buying a small tent that can fit in the corner. It gives them "their own room" and provides a bit of privacy for both parents and kids.
- Is your four year old still in stroller? If so, bring your own. Renting can add up.
- Disney has recently been offering a 4-day ticket /1 entry into each park -- no hopping, no repeats (so you must visit each park exactly once). It's a little cheaper than the standard tickets.
- Buy your tickets from a reputable online discounter.
- Do not buy used tickets from any individual (ebay, Craigslist). Too many people have been ripped off, and they have NO recourse.
- Don't buy a ticket for your arrival day (or your departure day). No point in paying full price for a day when you can't take full advantage. If you feel you must "do something", the resorts offer plenty of activities (and character meals). Some resort activities are even free.
- Our family's arrival-day tradition: We check into our room and then have dinner /a Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream. (First time we did this, I excused myself to the rest room and
quietly ordered the monster-sized sundae. The waitress flashed on/off the lights, walked it around the room telling everyone all the things it included ... my girls were drooling ... then she stopped at our table, and they realized it was THEIR OWN. Everyone in the room saw them get this dessert-to-end-all-desserts. People were taking pictures of it, and several other tables immediately ordered one. It's one of my girls' favorite Disney memories.)
- Don't buy a ticket for every day of your week. Allow yourself a "break day" mid-week. Sleep in, hit the pool, whatever. You'll be recharged for the end of the week.
- Avoid all the options for "extras". Early mornings, dessert parties, special tours. Sure, they're great, but they're also quite expensive. Too many people buy into the idea that you need to have "something special". Isn't a Disney trip enough?
- We tend to eat breakfast in the room every day EXCEPT our mid-week break day. I splurge on grocery-store junk food that we don't usually eat (i.e., Pop Tarts or pudding cups), and the kids used to think it was great. Don't forget to pack paper plates and spoons.
- We don't bring food into the parks -- we carry nothing that won't fit in our pockets. Plus, we like to "take a break" mid-day in a restaurant where we can rest, soak in plenty of air conditioning, and hydrate with multiple drinks. Typically this mid-day meal is our only "real meal" -- we round things out with snacks, then eat something fairly hearty back at the hotel /house.
- When we want drinks, we ask for free water at quick-service restaurants. If you don't go for Florida water, you can carry the "powdered sticks" of Hawaiian Punch, or whatever your family likes.
- The cheapest meal you can have at Disney is pizza delivery to your room, and that's something we do fairly often -- we fill up on snacks all day, then have a $20 pizza late at night. We really enjoyed this when the kids were small because small kids only have so much "good" to use at restaurants.
- What's the name of the free collect-cards game at the Magic Kingdom? Keys to the Kingdom?
- Join the "clubs" for Rainforest Cafe, Earl of Sandwich and Sprinkles ahead of time. You'll get a few dollars worth of free food from each. Similarly, I'm a teacher, and people are always giving me Starbucks gift cards (I don't drink coffee), and these can be used in the Disney parks' Starbucks for breakfast biscuits.
- If you're going to be eating off-site, look at GoogleMaps to see what chain restaurants are nearby and see what coupons or rewards points you might have already. Watch for specials on chain restaurant gift cards.
- Be SURE you pack plenty of basics: Tylenol, sunscreen, water bottles and sodas, bandaids, and so forth. You can buy them in the parks, of course, but you'll pay WAY MORE than you'll pay at your local Walmart. In this same vein, bring a pocket-sized phone charger.
I've given this advice for YEARS regarding free dining.The saving point between out of pocket and free dining is very tight.
You've been right for YEARS. For people who are on the fence, study the online menus (I like All Ears) and add up what your family would realistically order. My family'd never reach the break-even point.
Consider, too, that if you work at "getting your money's worth", you're spending time in restaurants -- not riding rides. Consider your priorities.
Souvenirs. Lots of people talk about buying them in advance so you have something to give to your kids each day. For our family, we talked about expectations beforehand. We explained to the kids that there were going to be stores EVERYWHERE selling things, and they would need to be really smart.
Yes, this! When our girls were really small, we realized that shopping for souvenirs wasn't a good use of our time, and it could quickly become the focal point of a vacation. So we nixed ALL souvenirs. Turns out, the kids didn't care. They bought into the idea of less spending = more trips (not just to Disney). If we buy a souvenir, it must be something very special and unique -- it's not going to be a tee-shirt or a stuffed toy. If you want them to have Disney tees, etc. to wear on vacation, buy them ahead of time (preferably used).
Do make sure that your kids understand that pretty much every ride "exits through" a gift shop.
- Drive there. It takes 20 hours to drive. It takes about 6-7 to fly (with all the airport and trasportation time) for us in NY. It costs $350 in gas, $1500-$3000 to fly (for family of 4). Parking adds $15 /day, but you can go off site for food and groceries
Someone correct me if I'm wrong: parking is now $25 per day? Outrageous.
). I was a Costco member for years before I realized the awesomeness of their travel site for rental cars.
