How to Save Money on a Disney World Vacation

News flash: It’s expensive to go Disney World.

Wait. You probably already knew that.

I tend to think the cost of a Disney World vacation is worth it, for all of the entertainment options you get in return, but the initial sticker shock can be painful. Brutal even.

Take heart. With a little planning and a lot of restraint, there are numerous ways to make the cost of a Disney World vacation less obnoxious. I won’t call it cheap, especially since I’m referring to staying in a Disney resort and spending multiple days in the parks, but there are definitely ways to spend less. I tend to save 20-25% off the total cost of a Disney World vacation by incorporating the tactics below, and I would describe my money-saving skills as average at best. You could easily save more.

Here’s some inspiration:

1) Travel in the Off-Season.

Disney has a vast array of pricing from peak to value and various levels in between. In general, the most expensive pricing occurs when kids are out of school: Winter Break, Spring Break (mid-March to mid-April), Summer Break (mid-June to mid-August) and most national holidays (notably Thanksgiving and President’s Day). If you have the flexibility to visit Disney World during “value” times, such as January, early May, September or early November, you will typically pay a lower rate.

You can also trim some expense by booking your stay for Sunday through Thursday, since Friday and Saturday night-stays typically cost more.

2) Book a deal, then keep checking.

Disney offers numerous deals throughout the year, mostly in conjunction with the seasonal pricing referenced above. “Free Dining” is probably the most popular one, but there are several others such as room-only discounts. If you find an offer you like, go ahead and book it.

Just don’t stop there. If you receive a promotion in the mail, see a commercial on TV or just have extra time on a random weekday, try calling Disney (or your travel agent) to check for a better offer. You may have to prod the Disney cast member a little, (e.g. what if I moved my date back a week, what if I added another day, etc.) but if you qualify for a different promotion that lowers your rate, the associate can update your reservation on the spot.

3) Limit your park days.

Disney’s default plan is to offer you a park ticket for every night you plan to stay at a Disney resort, plus one. That means if you book a Disney resort for six nights, they will offer you a seven day pass. If you don’t think you’ll actually visit the parks every day of your trip, including your arrival and departure days, reduce your tickets. You can easily cut a day or two or three and replace that time with “free” activities at your Disney resort (swimming, outdoor movies, etc.), another Disney resort (shopping, gawking, firework watching..) or Disney Springs (live music, more shopping…). It’s not a huge savings, but every bit counts. If you’re traveling with a larger group, the savings add up quick.

If you’re planning to spend one day in each of the four parks, consider the Four Park Magic Ticket if available. This ticket restricts you to visiting each of the four parks once, rather than allocating the four days to whichever parks you want, but it averages $35-40 per person less than the traditional four day pass.

Finally, you could also investigate discounted Disney theme park tickets from other vendors such as Undercover Tourist. Sometimes you can score a seven day pass for the price of four. More often, you’ll save a small percent (around 5%) on multi-day passes.

4) Skip the extras. You probably won’t miss them.

Remember above when I mentioned showing restraint? Here’s an opportunity to show some. When you purchase tickets, Disney will offer fabulous options like Park Hopper or the Park Hopper Plus. The first one allows you to “hop” to multiple parks on the same day. The second option allows you to “hop” to multiple parks each day as well as the two water parks (6 different parks total!!). The options are great, but consider how much you’ll really use them.

If you haven’t been to Disney World very often, or very recently, you might want to skip the Park Hopper options and save the money ($80 or $95 per person depending on the option). There’s so much to do within each park, you can spend a full day exploring and still not experience everything.

While we’re on the subject of skipping, another way to save is to pass on all the extra options. Disney will enchant you with behind-the-scenes tours, firework viewing parties, boat excursions, princess or pirate makeovers and more. These “extras” are awesome, but not a requirement for having a good time at Disney World. If you’re looking to keep your budget in check, focus on all the fun that’s already included! Rides, shows, parades, fireworks, character meetings, oh my!

5) Buy discounted Disney gift cards.

You can use Disney gift cards to pay for almost every aspect of your Walt Disney World vacation, including park tickets, meals, souvenirs and Mickey-shaped treats. If you book your trip through Disney Travel, you can also use the gift cards toward your vacation deposit, hotel accommodations, Memory Maker package (photography) and more.

Sam’s Club sells Disney gift cards at a slight discount (about 3-4%) all the time. I usually buy the $150 pack of gift cards once a month during my regular shopping trips leading up to a Disney vacation. It’s not a huge savings, but I like how it spreads the cost of the trip over several months to make budgeting more manageable. You may also earn credit card rewards in the process. Sometimes they offer the $500 gift cards too. You can purchase them on-line too, but the shipping cost usually doesn’t make it worth it.

If you have a Target Red card, you can get 5% off Disney gift cards purchased in store.  I’ve never tried this myself, but I talked to a man in September of last year with a GIANT stack of Disney gift cards that assured me it works. If you already have a Target Red card, it’s probably worth the effort to check.

If you can’t find gift cards at a discount, you may still want to purchase them at retailers to receive other benefits, such as 4x the fuel points at Kroger.

6) Cash in loyalty rewards.

This one is a no-brainer. If you have credit card cash rewards consider using them toward your Disney World vacation. If you use the rewards to purchase discounted Disney gift cards, you can save even more. For example, I use my 5% reward on gas purchases with my Sam’s Club credit card to buy discounted Disney gift cards.

You could also consider getting a Disney Chase Visa card, which offers 1% Disney Dream Reward Dollars for every dollar spent with no annual fee. The Dream Reward Dollars can be used anywhere Disney Gift Cards can.

I’m not sure it’s worth switching to this card if you’re getting comparable or better rewards elsewhere, but it’s another option to explore. The Visa card also offers perks, like advanced notice for Disney World promotions, discounts at the Disney Store and select Disney World restaurants and access to mystery character meet ‘n greets within the parks.

In 2018, Capital One started offering a Savor Card that offers 2% back on dining and 4% on entertainment. I don’t have it, but it may be another option to explore.

7) Sell stuff.

Once Upon a Child offers cash for kids’ clothing, toys, books and gear. Plato’s Closet does the same for tweens and teens. Play It Again Sports pays on the spot for all kinds of sporting equipment, gym eqiupment, cleats and more.  If you don’t have these chains near you, you could always host a garage sale, post items on Craig’s list and eBay or drag your stuff to a local consignment shop. Not only will you get some extra cash for your trip, you’ll clean out your space too.

8) Cash-in rebates and coupons for more gift cards.

Here’s another tip regarding gift cards, if you happen to live in an area with a Meijer or a store with a similar program. Meijer offers rebates through their mperks program for spending certain amounts of money in particular categories. For example, if you spend $50 on produce over the course of a month, you may get a $4 rebate. Sometimes they offer $5 back on $50 of gift cards. The percent rebate varies by category, but it’s typically in the 3-10% range. Once I’ve accumulated a few rebates, I cash them in on more Disney gift cards.

You could do the same with coupon savings at any grocery story or rebates from other stores (Menards, Home Depot, Walgreens, etc.).

If you end up with way too many Disney gift cards, you can register at disneygiftcard.com and transfer all of the balances onto one card.

Now that I sound like a crazy Disney gift card hoarder… I’ll wrap it up. Obviously, there are numerous other ways to save money on a Disney World vacation. You could stay at a less expensive resort, pack some of your own meals and buy your Mickey t-shirts before heading to Orlando. Hopefully the tips above sparked your imagination on how to trim some cost from the planning stages of your trip. If you’re looking for tips on saving once you’re in Disney World, you can check out my separate post here.

You can also find an overwhelmingly long list of money saving ideas at MouseSavers.com.

Save some dough and add some magic to your world!