Solo trip on a Budget?

yohoadisneylifeforme

Once a Cast Member...Always a Cast Member...
Joined
Sep 17, 2010
Hey y'all! So I am planning on taking a solo trip to WDW in September 2019, and I am wanting to stay on property while keeping it as cheap of a vacation as possible! I know it's Disney, so it'll still be a pretty penny to go on this trip...but do y'all have any pointers or suggestions on how to not completely bankrupt myself while taking a 5 day trip??
 
Hi!
I do a lot of solo trips so I try to do them as cheaply as possible.
My dates are pretty flexible, so this may or may not work for you.

I am always checking southwest for good rates. If I see one, I start checking Disney for any resort discounts. I have an AP so can usually find one.

I always opt out of mousekeeping and take the $10/night gift card instead. I use this for meals.

I stick to counter service or the resort food court for meals.
I mostly get the children's meal, it's pretty much the same food but a lot cheaper. And I have room for a mickey bar for dessert.

I bring my own teabags and some snacks for the room .

I look but don't buy souvenirs!

I have a trip planned for January.
Air is $157, ASMo for 9 nights is
$1056 for a preferred room.


Good luck and have fun planning!
 
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Take a look at the Downtown Disney hotels. I’ve stayed at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista for $89/night. It’s a really nice hotel, has complimentary transportation to the parks and is a 5 minute walk to Disney Springs, where you have access to the WDW buses. For a solo trip on a budget, it’s hard to beat!
 
Have you ever thought about doing a long weekend instead of 5/6 days? Possibly 3 nights? As a solo traveler, you can get a lot done in 3 nights/4 days. I usually take the first flight out Friday morning and arrive home late Monday night. This gives me almost 4 full park days with only using 2 vacation days at work. This will save you on your park ticket (don’t add park hopper), room nightly charge (3 nights at a value is doable), and flight tickets (flights very early/late are usually cheaper). Hope this helps!
 


You could try priceline express deals for your hotel, while you can't be sure if it's a Disney hotel until you've booked there are ways to increase the likelihood of finding one. AP/room/package discounts can help a lot as well as avoiding weekends (Fri-Sun) as hotel prices are always higher.

I would also avoid table service restaurants and set a budget for F&W since you'll be there in September. Food is where you can easily inflate your budget if you're not careful.

You should be able to do a 5 Day/4 Night trip for $1K-$2K; I did 10Days/9Nights for a little over $3K without budgeting myself on food, cross country flights, and doing MNSSHP.
 
I always try to be mindful of the budget as well, especially with our Canadian exchange rate. I bring instant oatmeal or protein shakes for breakfast to make in the room. This does save money but more importantly, it really saves time in the mornings so I can make rope drop at the parks.

On my last trip, I went with my sister. We ordered a case of water and this lasted for our full 9 days. I tend to only drink water so that saves money, although I will have a beer or a glass of wine once in a while We only did 3 TS but one was a splurge with the Candlelight Processional. A couple of times, our lunch was a dole whip! :rolleyes1 I do tend to eat healthily though. We did not spend nearly as much on food as we had budgeted for but we never felt deprived.

My favourite resort is POR but this trip we stayed Pop Century for 5 nights and POR for 5 nights. I would have been very happy staying at Pop the whole time though.

I try not to buy souvenirs although I always seem to buy a few.

Good luck and enjoy yourself!
 
There might be free dining offered for some dates in September. Wait and see and plan your time off accordingly.
 


Just in, free dining has been announced. There are a limited amount of rooms available for this deal.
You can get a FREE Disney Dining Plan when you purchase a 5-night/6-day non-discounted Walt Disney World package that includes a room at a select Walt Disney World Resort hotel and a ticket with a Park Hopper® option or Park Hopper® Plus option for arrivals July 5-September 30, 2019 when you book through February 10, 2019.

You get quick service included with a Disney value resort. You can upgrade your package for additional cost to get one table service meal included each day with this dining package promo.

Don't wait too long. The value resorts go quickly with this free dining deal.
 
Power bars are cheaper than meals, and super filling.
Like Camping? Sometimes you can get a campsite at Ft. Wilderness for $50 You can bring your car, and sleep in that too.
Ive stayed at Disney Springs resorts, but I didn't find the transportation to be super reliable, so i'd avoid that.
Bring a friend- split the cost of the trip- though that would negate the purpose of a solo trip.
Rob a bank. (don't actually do that)
 

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