Our family loves taking trips to Disney world. We took our first Disney Cruise this year and now are saving up to visit Tokyo Disneyland in the next few years. Disney does not come cheap so I look for ways to save money any way I can.

Travel during value season

First just booking our trip during an “off” season instantly knocks down our hotel cost. Disney knows that most people visit when the schools are out, so visiting during summertime is going to cost you more. The same is true for the weeks surrounding Christmas and New Years and the schools spring break. Our family has always traveled during the fall months and the price for our room is fairly low. This time of year is not as crowded and so Disney may also run special offers such as discounts on rooms or our favorite Free dining.

Watch for Disney special offers

Disney World has a dining plan that you can chose to add on to your trip. There are 3 different plans so you can pick what works best for your family and if you book your package while this offer is available you will save a good chunk off your budget. We opt for the standard dining plan which gets you a quick service meal, table service meal and a snack each day. You will still have to pay gratuity at the table service meals but that means our family will eat for only $20-35 per day and its always more food than we can eat. Purchasing the dining plan outside of the free dining promotion could be a money saver for you as well it just depends where you are planning to eat while there.

Purchase park tickets from authorized discount sites

Now if you book a package like free dining you will have to purchase your theme park tickets through Disney if not you can find discount tickets. Check to see if your employer offers discounts, luckily mine dose through a site called Tickets at Work. I have also heard of people buying through Undercover tourist. Just use caution when buying through so called discount sites and I would never recommend buying them off eBay or Craigslist. You can just buy the basic 1 park per day ticket, this is the cheapest option. For an additional fee you can add park hopping(more than 1 park per day) and admission to the water parks. We have never done the water park option just because our resort pool is good enough for my kiddos.

Watch for airline sales

To get to Disney World we have always flow, we live far enough away that driving would take several days away from our vacation time. We drove once when we went on our cruise only because we booked last minutes. We usually fly Southwest but I’ve heard Jet Blue usually has well priced flights. I love that you get up to 2 free bags on Southwest and they have good fare rates. We have flown with Frontier in the past but you get what you pay for, the tray tables are tiny and no food/drink is included. They also did not refund our money when we had to cancel during the covid Disney shutdown. When you are starting to plan your vacation you can check sites like Skyscanner that compare to find cheapest flights. If you are staying at a Disney resort hotel you can use the Magical express bus, for no additional cost to and from the airport. If you choose to drive be aware that Disney now charges for parking at the resorts.

Buy discounted Disney gift cards

But my biggest money saver is buying discounted Disney gift cards. You can use gift cards to pay most of your trip if you plan it through Disney. If you have a Target redcard you can save 5% off the cards. If you buy $2000 worth of Disney gift cards you will save $100 which may not seem like much but that could buy some souvenirs in the park or even a nice lunch. You can also find discounted gift cards at big box stores like Sams club, Costco and BJs. I also have the Disney rewards Visa from Chase. You earn %1 back in reward dollars that you can use toward your vacation or use in the parks. There are also other benefits of using it in the park like discounts at certain stores and special cardholder photo opts.

Travel when the kids are little

There’s no doubt about it that it is expensive to go on vacation. It will benefit your budget if you are traveling with babies and/or toddlers. Kids under 3 get into the Disney parks for free which will save you a few hundred dollars depending on the length of your stay. In regards to dinning on Disney property kids under 3 can share off an adults plate or if you dine at one of the buffets there is no extra charge. Most hotels do not charge for children under 3 staying in the room. If you are flying most airlines allow kids under 2 to fly free (as a lap child), you will need their birth certificate to prove age. This is why we have gone when the girls were babies, they were practically free. I say practically because I did spend money on cute costumes and Disney theme clothes to wear on our trip.

I use most of these tricks every time we have gone on vacation and saving money is what helps us be able to keep going back (because trust me you will want to).