One of the first things to consider when planning a trip to Walt Disney World is what your overall expense is going to be. Depending on the size of your family, the most magical trip of a lifetime could just be the most expensive trip of a lifetime for families of four or more. You have to think about not only your lodging, parks tickets and meals, you also have to consider your travel expenses and add in souvenirs and all the other added extras that can be found around the Walt Disney World Resort.
To give you an idea of what a week-long vacation would be for a family of four would be, a Deluxe resort could cost close to $5,700 for just your hotel and park tickets. This doesn’t even include meals. Did you just say WOW? Yes, WOW is right. Looking at the Moderate resorts, the numbers seem to be getting a little better…$3,000 for room and park tickets. The Value resorts for one week including tickets….around $2,600. Starting to sound better, right? Don’t forget, you are going to have to add another $1,000 – $1,500 for meals, souvenirs and incidentals, especially for a family of four.
Sounds expensive, doesn’t it? It is expensive, but can you really put a price on memories of a lifetime? I can promise that going to Walt Disney World is worth every penny you will spend there, and you will spend quite a few. Don’t get discouraged though, I have a few tips that will also save you a few pennies through our your trip. Ok – not just pennies but hundreds of dollars.
Since the day WDW opened, I have had approximately 300 visits and have learned along the way a few tricks that help save considerable amounts of money to share with you. Here are ten great tips on how to save money at WDW:
- Use a Disney authorized Travel Agent. I can’t stress this enough, especially if you are not a seasoned visitor to Walt Disney World. All Disney authorized travel agents’ services are free of charge (if they are charging you – you need to find another one) and are up-to-date on the latest special offers coming straight from Disney. If a better deal comes up, your bookings can be adjusted by your Travel Agent possibly saving you a ton of money.
- Choose wisely on when to go. This is a very important part of planning your Disney vacation. There are certain times of the year that are more expensive than others like the holidays or the summertime. Not only will it be crowded if the kids are out of school, but you will be paying top dollar for Walt Disney World resorts.
- Stay at the Value Resorts. This is really one of the best tips I can give you. I know, the Deluxe resorts are beautiful – they are elaborate with wonderful amenities and stunning grounds and they offer a convenience of being so close to a couple of the parks, right? Right! But they can also put a huge dent in your wallet. Think about how much time you spend in your room. If you are anything like myself and my daughter, we just use the room to lay our tired bones down after a 15 hour day in the parks and never see the room during the day. Save that extra money for souvenirs and other extras you will see throughout your day.
- Don’t select a preferred room. You see this on your options and wonder what it is, right? A preferred room doesn’t always equal the extra dollars you pay for it. It doesn’t mean that the room you will be in will be any better than a standard room – preferred rooms are standard rooms often with a closer proximity to the buses or the main buildings of the resort. Save this money for something a little more worth while. I have paid for preferred rooms before and never really found any benefit to it. Only once were we super close to the main building.
- Don’t purchase the park hopper option. Wait, what? No really, don’t park hop. I know it’s great to be able to park hop to soak it all in, but this can save you hundreds of dollars. Planning your day right could alleviate the necessity of park hopping, plus it saves you time as well. For a family of four on a 6-day pass, the park hopper option will cost $272. Think about where you could spend that extra money by not park hopping. Perhaps that money could be better spent on something like character dining.
- Plan on a “No Parks” Day. There is so much to see and do at the Walt Disney World Resort that it is easy to have a “No Parks” day during your visit. By just eliminating one day of park time from your week-long visit can save you almost $350.
- Pack Smart! What you pack to bring with you, especially in the parks, could save you tons of money. Sure, Disney has all the necessities your need in their resort shops as well as in the parks, but do you really want to pay twice the amount for stuff like sunglasses or sunscreen when you could have carried it with you to begin with? If you are uncertain as to what to pack to carry with you, you can check out one of my previous blog posts, 15 Essentials to Carry in the Parks, to get a good idea about what to bring.
- Take your own food and drinks to the resorts and the parks. This tip can save you hundreds of dollars alone. Each one of the resorts have a small refrigerator to hold snacks and drinks. If you are driving, you can always bring along snacks and drinks with you. Bringing a case of water offers a great savings as 1 bottle of water in the parks is $2.50. Carrying snacks in a backpack to stave off a little hunger in between meals is also a good idea. Some of the snacks in the parks can be upwards of $8.00. If you are flying to Orlando, there are several companies who will deliver groceries to your resort for you. We recommend www.gardengrocer.com. You can also pack your own lunch to carry in the parks with you. Packing your own sandwiches is a great idea for those who don’t want to pay upwards of $10 for a hamburger. Plus, saving money bringing in your own food for breakfast or lunch can free up some extra cash for some of the fantastic table-service options the resort has to offer.
- Bring your own stroller. Renting strollers in the parks is not cheap….and they are not comfortable for your precious cargo either. A single stroller is $15 per day or $13 per day for an extended length of stay rental. A double stroller is $31 per day or $27 per day for an extended length of stay rental. Bringing your own can save tons of money and provide comfort for your kids. If you are unable to bring your own, you can rent one from several different companies that will deliver it to your resort. We recommend www.kingdomstrollers.com
- Buy an Annual Pass. If you are planning more than one visit to the Walt Disney World Resort in a year’s time, you might want to consider purchasing an annual pass. Not only does the pass pay for itself in two visits, you also get discounts on purchases and dining. And, if you are not staying on the resort grounds, parking at the parks is free. We go anywhere from 4-6 times per year so being Annual Passholders is an absolute must for us and I love getting unlimited access to the parks and discounts on my purchases. An Annual Pass saves me and my family thousands of dollars every year!
Now that you are armed with great advice on how to save money, are you ready to book your trip?? Contact your favorite Travel Agent now – just make sure they are an Earmarked agency and reflect this symbol! 
Visit www.capturing-the-magic.com for a preview of the stunning coffee table book, Capturing the Magic and purchase your copy today.
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