Disney on a Budget
Is it possible to do Disney on a budget? Definitely. I did
it while in graduate school without a job on student loans. I was a single
person, though. Can a family go to Disney on a budget? Yep! Can they have a
magical experience with all the fun stuff like somebody who blew the bank?!
Heck yeah… Let’s do this.
First we need to lay out some parameters for this budget and
some expectations for the experience: 1) Must be Magical, 2) four day/three nights
visit, 3) family of four with two children under 10, and 4) they are HUNGRY. I
am going to choose a hotel that provides benefits similar to an on-property
hotel with a lower cost.
One of the best money saving tips is to visit during the
slow seasons and keep your travel dates flexible. Room rate discounts and
package deals are more likely to appear for late January – February, late
September – early December (except Thanksgiving). Book your hotel and admission
tickets separately using discount websites. Disney will automatically include
park-hopper tickets and the room rate won’t be the lowest available. Save some
extra cash by getting discount tickets from sites like Undercover Tourist or
MouseSavers.
Anaheim Fairfield Inn by Marriott $163/night with about $90
in resort fees
Themed rooms, walking distance to park entrance, visual of
the Matterhorn and Disney monorail, outdoor pool, breakfast available but no Extra Magic Hours
Best Western Lake Buena Vista at Disney Springs $80-$93/night
with $60 in resort fees
Heated pool, on-site restaurants, official WDW gift shop,
continuous transportation to parks and walking access to Disney Springs, FastPass+, Extra Magic Hours
Admission Tickets – $1,267.80 (MaxPass $15 extra per person,
per day extra); $1,271.54 (includes FastPass+)
DLR Base ticket with MaxPass (one Magical Morning) for 2
adults, 2 children $1,457.80; with Park Hopper $1,277.89
WDW Base ticket for 2 adults, 2 children $1,271.54; with Park Hopper $1,596.48
Food Budget - $800-$1,000
$20 per meal x 3, $8 per snack x 2 for adults and $10 per
meal x 3, $5 per snack x 2 per child
$200-$250 per day for full meals including drinks; $100-150 quick service meals with water
Souvenirs
Give each family member a budget for souvenirs with a
pre-paid Disney gift card. If you have a Target REDcard you can get 5% off on
your merchandise purchases – even Disney gift cards. Sam's Club also offers discounts of 5% on Disney gift cards. Another strategy is to
purchase souvenirs direct from The Disney Store online with has authentic park
merchandise often on sale and with free shipping on orders over $75.
Total - $2500 + souvenirs (not including airfare or gas)
If you aren’t a family or don’t mind greater distance from
the park, you might also want to consider a condo rental which can
come in under $500 for a three night stay. A condo with kitchen will also
improve your food budget with breakfast in the condo and keeping to quick
service menus with adults prices less than $14.99 per meal. Quick services meals can also be enough to split, skip the soda and opt for water to bring your budget down more. If you have a
larger family, consider hotels with suites that sleep up to six such as Homewood
Suites by Hilton and Springhill Suites by Marriott in Anaheim and stick with Best Western in Orlando. If you’re really strapped
for cash and still a family of four you can make it a special 2 night, 1 park
day trip with Park Hopper tickets for less $1000.
What are your secrets for saving money during a Disney vacation?
Comment below!
Comments
Post a Comment