Disney World is crazy expensive. I can help.
Best Ways to Save Money at Disney
Here are over 100 tips and tricks that will help you save money at Walt Disney World.
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Park Tickets
Park tickets will eat up most of your budget, regardless of when you go. And unfortunately, there isn’t anything significant you can do to help you save a ton of money.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
1. Visit on cheaper days
Disney World park ticket prices vary depending on the time of year or even day of the week.
That’s why you should try to visit on a weekday, or better, during the slow season which is around early-January to Presidents Day weekend and mid-August to late-September.
2. Buy your park tickets from Undercover Tourist
It’s not gonna save you a crazy amount of money, but by going through an authorized Walt Disney World ticket seller like Undercover Tourist, you can save anywhere between $6 to $72 per ticket.
3. Skip a park
If a park doesn’t interest you, save your money and skip it. So instead of buying a 4-day ticket, you can easily just do 3 days.
4. Add an extra day
The more days your ticket is for, the cheaper it gets per day. For example a one day Park Hopper ticket starts at $187 per day, while a 2-Day starts at $152 per day.
For a full breakdown of ticket prices, check out this chart I made.
5. Skip the park Hopper option
The Park Hopper add-on, as cool as it is, costs about $70+ extra per ticket.
If you plan on visiting for at least 4 days and don’t mind doing one park per day, this is a great way to save hundreds of dollars.
6. Visit when the kids are 2 and under
Kids 2 and under are free so this is the perfect time to go to Disney World and not have to buy them a park ticket.
7. Get an Annual Pass but only….
If you visit at least 11 park days a year and live out of state, a Disney World annual pass is technically cheaper than buying multi-day tickets.
Here’s a complete guide on how many times you need to visit to break even.
8. Figure out how many days you actually need
Don’t get me wrong you can easily spend a full week at Disney World and still feel like you need more days.
But do you actually need 7 days when 4 days is just enough?
9. If you arrive after 12 pm on your first day, don’t go to the parks
Shoulder days (which are the days that arrive and leave) are pretty annoying because you really can’t do much, especially if you arrive in the afternoon.
That’s why I recommend that you don’t start your park visits until your first full day, that way you have some buffer just in case your flight gets delayed or if a certain park closes early.
10. Use AAA to save money on tickets
AAA Members get exclusive members-only discounts on tickets which can save you up to $40.
11. Get the military tickets
An active duty or retired military personnel (and their families) can purchase heavily discounted 4-day tickets with park hoppers for around a 40% discount.
You can learn more here.
12. Skip the Lighting Lane Single Pass
Don’t get me wrong, these are nice to buy if you prioritize saving time over money. But if you don’t mind waiting in line or fighting for virtual queues, then I would save my money and skip this paid service.
13. Don’t buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Although the Lightning Lane Multi Pass can be a huge time saver, it can cost up to $39 per ticket per day.
You can still go on all the major attractions without Genie Plus. Here’s how.
14. Keep an eye on the Special Offers page
The special offers page on Disney World’s website is constantly being updated with discounted ticket deals.
Inside the Parks
Here’s how you can save money on food, drinks, souvenirs, and other experiences:
1. Skip breakfast inside the parks
Trust me, I’ve been trying to find viable breakfast options inside the parks, but it’s so limited. You might have a few good things here and there but at the end of the day, its’ better to just eat at your hotel or off-property like Chick Fil A.
2. Buy the refillable popcorn bucket
The refillable plastic popcorn bucket inside the parks costs $13 with refills costing $2.25.
If you were to buy a normal popcorn, it will run you $5.50 minimum.
3. Bring your own stroller
Instead of renting a stroller, I always bring my own.
Single strollers cost $15 (or $13 per day), and double strollers cost $31 (or $27 per day)
4. Order ice water with your meals at quick service restaurants
Unless the quick service restaurant has unlimited free self-service refills, then buying a soda ain’t worth the money.
Plus, it’ll probably taste like garbage Florida sulfur water.
5. Dine at Quick Service locations with self service drink stations
Free refills at a quick service location inside a Disney park is rare. Thankfully these location have self-service drink stations:
- Backlot Express (Hollywood Studios)
- Restaurantasaurus (Animal Kingdom)
- Pizzafari (Animal Kingdom)
- Regal Eagle Smokehouse (Epcot)
6. At Quick Service restaurants, don’t pay for sides you don’t want
Most meals you see on the menu will probably be shown with a side. Instead, just opt for the entree a la carte.
For example, you can get a personal pizza from Catalina Eddies in Hollywood Studios but ask to get with without the side salad.
7. Avoid breakfast character meals
Like I get it, character meals are for meeting characters, but at the same time, if I’m paying the same price for breakfast and lunch, I’d rather have lunch food.
But that’s just me.
8. Do breakfast character meals
That said, some character meals are actually cheaper during breakfast as opposed to lunch like Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot.
9. Huge appetite? Go to a buffet!
I love buffets mainly because I feel like that I can eat my money’s worth.
My favorite buffets include:
- 1900 Park Fare
- Boma
My favorite family style (buffets) are:
- Whispering Canyon Cafe
- ‘Ohana (sometimes)
- Sebastaian’s Bistro (super underrated and very affordable)
- Garden Grill
10. Avoid Epcot festival booths
It pains me to say this but if the goal is to save money, you’ll want to avoid all of the Epcot festival food booths because everything is just so pricey and the portions are fairly small.
11. Skip the Signature Restaurants
There are only a handful of signature restaurants worth the money like Narcoossee’s, Victoria & Albert’s, and Jiko. The rest are eh.
12. Skip the cocktails
Unless you’re at Epcot, most cocktails at the other parks and resorts are just okay.
This is just my personal opinion and I’m pretty sure imma get wrecked about this…
13. Get a kid’s meal for yourself
Some of these kid’s meals are actually pretty filling and come cheap.
The grilled cheese and double tater tots with a bottled water is like $6 from Woodys’ Lunchbox in Hollywood Studios. Steal!
14. Kids can share a Quick Service meal
Most Quick Service meals have a pretty good serving size that’s large enough to share.
15. Skip PhotoPass add-ons
Unless you are buying Genie+, I think PhotoPass is a waste of money.
16. Bring your own refillable water bottle.
I’m never paying $4 for Dasani.
17. Pack your own pins at home and bring to Disney for trading
If you love pin trading, don’t buy the overpriced trading pack at Disney. Just bring your own cheaper Disney pins and trade them once you get to Disney World for the good stuff.
18. Skip the character meals
Unless there’s a character that you absolutely want to meet but can’t find them anywhere else, you can almost meet every character somewhere inside the parks.
Sure it might be more time consuming, but at least it’s “free.”
19. Don’t go to the McDonald’s on property
It’s nice and convenient, but it’s actually more expensive than the nearby ones off-property.
20. Eat off-property
Every major chain restaurant you can think of has a location in Orlando near Disney.
And it’ll almost always be cheaper than any restaurant on property.
21. Pack your own meals and snacks
I don’t ever do this but it’s the best way to prevent yourself from falling victim to overpriced chicken tenders and fries.
22. If staying off-property, eat breakfast outside the park
Like I brought up early, I don’t think there’s anything that great for breakfast inside the parks.
So if your hotel offers a free breakfast, I would jump on that and instead save your money on some great Disney snacks!
23. Use a refillable Gift Card
This is a great way to keep track of your spending.
27. Use a cash-back travel or restaurant credit card
IF you’re gonna be swiping and tapping either way, it’s best to at least get some credit card points too!
28. Skip the souvenirs inside the parks
The Disney Outlet Store has pretty good stuff at fraction of the price. Sure it might be last seasons stuff but at least it’s cheaper.
29. Cancel you advanced dining reservations at least 2 hours in advance
Disney will charge you $10 per person if you don’t cancel your restaurant reservation or are a no-show.
30. Take advantage of Magical Dining in September
A handful of non-Disney restaurants on property participate in Magical Dining which offers crazy food deals and affordable prix-fixe menus.
Some notable restaurants include:
- Bluezoo
- Il Mulino
- Jaleo
- Ravello’s
31. Find identical menu items but at a fraction of the cost
Some food items can actually be found cheaper around Disney.
For example, you can find the exact same Tonga Toast you’d get a Kona Cafe, but at a cheaper price at the quick service restaurant, Captain Cook’s downstairs.
32. Bring your D23 Gold Member Card
D23 gold members can actually take advance of dining disounts
33. Bring your Blue ID
If you are a Disney World Cast Member, you can take advantage of great restaurant discount, as well as Epcot festival booths (Tuesdays only).
34. Skip the Disney Dining Plan
I just don’t see how you can actually save money using it anywhere after the major price increase.
It’s not impossible, but it’s getting harder to justify the cost.
35. Buy a $100 Landry’s Gift Card for only $80 at Costco
If you plan on eating at Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex, or Yak & Yeti, you can use a discounted Landry’s gift card that you bought at Costco saving you $20 instantly.
36. Buy your ears before you arrive
Some shops on Etsy or Instagram sell better quality, sometimes more affordable Minnie ears.
37. Bring Cash
It’s so much easier to keep track of your spending by only using cash. I can’t tell you how many times I careless tapped my phone at Epcot…
38. Share your food
The best way to try as many food and drinks as possible without breaking the bank is the share with your group.
This is especially true during Food and Wine.
Hotels and Resorts
Whether if you choose to stay at a Disney hotel or off-property, these are my favorite ways to save money on your lodging.
1. Stay at a Value Resort
If you want to stay on-property, but also don’t want to break the bank, then staying at a Disney Value Resort is the best bang for your buck.
The cheapest Disney hotels include:
- All-Star (Music, Sports, Movies)
- Pop Century
- Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
Room rates average around $181 per night for a Value Resort.
2. Skip the theme park view
I don’t know about you, but I feel like overpaying for a theme park view isn’t worth the premium price.
3. Downgrade your stay
Do you really need to stay at the Grand Floridian if you’re only going to be in the room from 11 pm to 7 am?
Instead opt for something more affordable like Coronado Springs or even Art of Animation.
Heck, you can even still stay in the cheapest Deluxe resort to get the benefits like Wilderness Lodge but not at Grand Floridian prices.
4. Skip the weekends
Don’t stay over the weekends because room rates increase significantly.
And yeah I know, this all depends on your schedule too but I’m just saying.
5. Avoid RunDisney weekends
Unless you’re running, you should have zero business visiting during this busy and expensive time of the year.
6. Know a Cast Member? Get a friends and family rate
If you’re friends with or know a Cast Member, they can get you a Friends and Family hotel rate which can save you around 30-40% on your stay.
7. Take advantage of the military discount
Active duty and retired U.S. military personnel and their families can take advantage of highly discounted Disney World hotel room rates.
8. Military? Stay at Shades of Green
The Shades of Green Resorts gets all the benefits of a Deluxe Resort but at Value prices.
Although not owned by Disney, staying here is a great way to save a ton of money on your stay. And it’s like a 5 minute walk to the Polynesian if you don’t want to take the hotel buses.
9. Cast Member? Book ridiculously discounted rooms on The Hub
If you are a Disney Cast Member, then you’ll be able to book heavily discounted rooms at Disney World. I always see discounts upwards of 50% off.
10. Book a villa if you need two rooms
If you normally book 2 separate rooms, check to see how much it would cost for a two bedroom villa or suite.
You might be shocked to see that it’s sometimes a lot cheaper.
11. Book your hotel stay with points
There are properties from Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and Wyndham (just to name a few) both on and off Disney property where you can book with credit card or loyalty points.
12. Don’t book a premium view at a Moderate Resort
The views you get at a Moderate Resort are truly lacking since all of the rooms have exterior corridors.
The only exception is Coronado Springs Grand Destino Tower. But like I mentioned earlier, it still ain’t’ worth the extra costs.
13. Skip the Club Level Room
Besides maybe some free snacks and light refreshments, I really don’t think that Club Level rooms can justify their prices.
I mean, it’s not like you’re staying in a Concierge Level stateroom on a Disney Cruise.
14. Stay Off-Property
The amount of money you can save by staying off-property is quite significant.
Best of all, there’s a great hotel for every budget.
Just make sure that the hotel you pick offers free transportation to and from the parks.
15. Book a Split Stay
If you want to try multiple hotels during your stay, booking a Split Stay is the way to go.
This is perfect for people who want to stay at a Deluxe Resort for a couple nights but don’t want to spend all that money for the entire duration of their trip.
16. Make your own coffee in-room
As good as the coffee from Starbucks, Joffrey’s, or your hotel’s cafe might be, you can save a few bucks by brewing your own coffee inside the room thanks to the complimentary coffee maker that every Disney room has.
17. Go camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground
You can go camping by staying at one of their fully equipped campsites.
Just make sure to bring your own tent or popup camper. But if you don’t have one, you can always rent one.
Prices start at $121 per night.
18. Have an RV or Camper? Stay at a Disney’s Fort Wilderness
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground has fully equipped campsites with full hookups starting at $129 per night.
19. Look into Airbnb
I very rarely use Airbnb because it’s getting annoying, but you can still find some great home rentals around Disney that’s great for large groups.
20. Skip the water park, swim at the hotel instead
Unless you absolutely love cool waterslide or wave pools, the resort pools can be just as fun. And they’re free.
The best Disney hotel pools are:
- Yacht and Beach Club
- Art of Animation
- Polynesian Village
- Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village
21. Skip premium room views at Deluxe Resorts
I really can’t stress this enough. The premium room views aren’t worth it!
I would much rather use that money and put it towards a special event like Disney After Hours or even a Behind the Seeds Tour.
Trip Planning
An affordable Disney World vacation starts months, even years in advance.
1. Plan to vacation during the off-season
I hate to say it but the off-season is slowly disappearing. But thankfully there are still some small pockets of dates where you can expect lower than normal crowds, cheaper room rates, and cheap park tickets.
On the top of my head, the best times to visit are:
- early January to Presidents Day weekend in Febrary
- mid-August through September
This year, it was weirdly empty Easter week since it was in March.
2. Plan no-park days
Sometimes it’s nice to just relax by the pool. go to the spa, or spend the evening in Disney Springs.
3. Compare non-Disney hotel rates on third-party travel websites
Expedia, Hotels.com, and Travelocity will always have some cheap hotels rates for anything near or even on Disney property.
4. Take longer vacations
I mean if you’re already spending the money on flights, might as well just stay a couple days longer.
5. Keep Disney World special offers webpage bookmarked
Disney World always offers some sort of promotion or special offer throughout the year listed on this page.
6. Avoid eBay, Cragslist, and Facebook Marketplace like the page.
999 times out of 1,000, that ticket deal you found is a complete scam.
7. Don’t buy the Disney Dining Plan if you don’t eat a lot
There is no way you can get your money’s worth unless you a) eat a lot b) don’t mind opting strictly for steak every meal or c) don’t mind eating at only character meals or buffets.
If you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or have a small appetite, don’t waste your money on this.
8. Book your vacation during the free Disney Dining Plan promotion
Sometimes Disney will offer a Free Quick Service Dining Plan promotion if you book a package during a certain time of the year.
This is by far one of the best ways to save money since you’re legit getting free food.
9. Use a Target Red Card to buy Disney gift cards
With the 5% discount you get using your Target gift Card, you’ll get $5 back with every $100 spent on Disney Gift Cards, which can add up, eventually.
10. Rent Disney Vacation Club Points
If you want to stay at nicer DVC properties, you should then look into renting DVC points through websites like David’s Vacation Club Rentals.
11. Plan free activities during your vacation
There are still some free things you can do at Disney such as movie nights under the stars, campfires, and even drawing classes.
12. Skip the Disney After Hours event
Although you will get access to shorter wait times, the After Hours Even costs over $100 per person.
13. Skip the holiday parties
As much as I love Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or Mickey’s No So Scary Halloween Party, the cost to attend these are sometimes more than a standard theme park ticket.
14. If you do want to attend the holiday parties, go early
The early in the season that you go the these parties, the cheaper the tickets are.
The halloween party in August is so much cheaper than it is in late-October.
15. If you are a Florida resident, booking your trip using one of those special deals
There’s always some sort of Disney hotel or park ticket promotion that’s available exclusively for Florida residents.
16. Make a budget
I threw this in here pretty late, but by making a budget, it’ll for sure keep you from overspending.
17. Plan to visit on the cheaper days of the week.
Technically, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and park tickets are the cheapest on Wednesdays.
18. Don’t visit Magic Kingdom on an event day
Magic Kingdom will close early on the days that there’s a holiday party or special event. But, the park ticket prices will still be full price.
Make sure to check the My Disney Experience app beforehand to see the hours of operation and events schedule.
19. Go to a waterpark instead of a park
If you hate a certain park like Animal Kingdom, I would then substitute that park day with a Disney water park where tickets only cost $74.
20. If visiting other non-Disney parks, see which is cheaper to stay at
If you plan on splitting time equally between Disney World parks and Universal Studios, I would compare hotel rates between the two to see if it’s a better deal to just stay at Universal and commute to Disney.
21. Use a Disney travel planning checklist and timeline
It’s a shameless plug but I put together a simple travel planning timeline so you don’t miss any important deadlines.
That way you can keep track of your planning as it progresses.
Travel and Transportation
For most people, getting to Disney World can eat up a big chunk of their vacation budget. These are some simple ways to help mitigate those costs.
1. Rent a car if you’re exploring
If you plan on visiting other areas or parks (like Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, and SeaWorld) a rental car might be good option as opposed to taking an Uber or Lyft.
2. Don’t rent a car if you’re just going to Disney
If you only plan on staying on Disney property, there is zero need to waste money and rent a car thanks in part to the extensive free transportation network Disney offers.
3. Fly a low-cost airline
Spirit, Southwest, and Frontier dominates Orlando (MCO), while Allegiant is a major carrier Sanford (SFD).
The sheer amount of cheap flights into Orlando is staggering.
4. Drive
Driving to Disney can be a lot more affordable than flying (depending on where you live of course).
5. Take Uber and Lyft to and from Disney World from the airport
It might technically be cheaper to use Uber or Lyft at the airport than Mears Connect, depending on how many people is in your party.
6. Skip the Minnie Vans
Yeah they look cool but they ain’t cheap at around $30 to $70 a ride.
That same route in an UberX could cost only $15 to $20.
7. If you have a car but are not staying a Disney resort, factor in parking fees
If the hotel you’re staying at doesn’t offer free theme park transportation, then you’ll need to budget your parking fees which start at $30 per day.
But if you’re staying at a Disney resort, you’ll get free overnight parking as well as free parking at all the parks.
8. Use Google Flights
I love using Google Flights because I can easily find the cheapest travel dates for the entire month/year.
9. Set a fare alert for flights to Orlando
When using Google Flights, you can easily track plane ticket prices and get email updates.
10. Skip the taxis
Taxis will never be cheaper than Uber and Lyft these days especially around the theme parks.
11. Use Disney buses when going from hotel to hotel
Sure it’ll take longer since you’ll have to go to a park first then on to the hotel, but it’s free.
The only other option is Uber/Lyft or a Minnie Van.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, Disney World on a budget is possible.
It might require a little bit more work but a the end of the day it’ll be 100% worth it.
