Everyone knows that a Disney trip isn’t cheap. To combat this, Disney fans are always on the lookout for deals and ways to save money in order to make another trip back to the magic. In this thread on the DISboards’ Budget Board, the question was asked “Tell me HOW to make Disney affordable.” Everyone has their own tips, but it can always help to learn more, so I’ll share what some of the thread’s posters had to say.
Marionnette: “Ticket prices are pretty much controlled by Disney. You can cut back on the cost by eliminating hopping or reducing the number of days. For accommodations, look into renting a 3-4 bedroom condo or vacation home instead of a hotel room. It will give you a full kitchen and the free use of a washer/dryer in most cases.”
Darcy032331: We have a Southwest Visa and a Disney Visa. Anything that can be put on a credit card is and the balances are paid off weekly. We then use the points for airfare or tickets. We fly so we rent a van when we get there. I play with the codes to get the best price I can.
Buy a $50 Disney gift card each week and put them away. I’ve found it doesn’t seem to hit the budget quite so hard when I do this. If you don’t want to commit to the Disney gift card, get a prepaid Visa and load $50/week on it. If I get any extra money (rebates, eBay, overtime, etc.) I put that away in a separate account to go toward vacations. You’d be surprised how quick all of those small deposits add up. I also deposit any money that has been budgeted for groceries, utilities, etc.
We go without a lot of “stuff” to be able to vacation each year. We don’t drive new cars, we don’t buy stuff we don’t need, we don’t eat out a lot, go to the movies, etc. All of that money is put toward vacations.
kcsqueen: Bring your own water bottles, freeze them over night and put in a small cooler. Or last year, I purchased Brita filter sport bottles. Go to any counter service, ask for ice water, and pour into the Brita filter and the yucky taste is gone. I found this easier and lighter on my back, no heavy bottles to carry.
We never ate breakfast in the parks. We are a family happy with cereal, bagel, muffins with some fruit for breakfast. Those items are easy enough to prepare in any hotel room. Even precooked sausages are easy to heat up in a microwave.
Vernie822: You can split QS meals here and there, only have a few TS meals in the parks, etc. I know when my fiance and I went, we ended up splitting QS meals because the portions were so large. Especially if you have a bigger breakfast that morning.
avic77: Plan everything in advance, make a spreadsheet. Look at menus to gauge meal costs, add gas, parking, snacks, dog/cat sitter. Know what your going to spend and stick to that budget!
Monykalyn: Sam’s club offers $150 of Disney gift card for $143.00-not huge savings but it can add up quickly for meals etc.
Pigeon: We really don’t do souvenirs. The trip is the treat. We take lots of pictures and don’t need to bring home a bunch of overpriced junk to clutter up the place.
DisneyDiana: My suggestion for tickets may not work for your family but when we were struggling I bought say a 3 or 4 day ticket and added the water park and fun option. This could stretch into a weeks worth of entertainment for us. We went and played mini golf, went to Disney Quest, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. I realize adding on days to a ticket really doesn’t increase the cost a huge amount after about 4 days but every little bit counts sometimes.
BlueStarryHat: Change. Save all of your change and have the whole family contribute to it and then use it for either small souvenirs or for doling out tips when needed.
So, were any of these new ideas to you? Did you find any tips that you’ll begin implementing? Share your best money saving tips with us!
