9 Tips on How I Go to Disney World on a Shoestring Budget
What you are about to read... will save you loads of money !
Many families get quite a shock when they calculate what it will
cost them to have a Walt Disney World holiday.
You'll need flights, accommodation, car hire/driving costs,
food, passes to Walt Disney World, (they are expensive -
children are classed as ages 3-9 years old and costs not much
lower than adult prices), entertainment, and more...
I am going to show you how to have a budget-wise Disney holiday.
Tip # 1 Do it Yourself
Book your Disney World vacation online.
You will find the cheapest rates by booking each component
separately yourself - air, accommodation, car hire and even
theme park tickets.
You can book way in advance and still get the same savings as if
you had booked last minute. The difference is that booking last
minute can cause you stress. So Relax !
Take your own food and drink. If you're taking a charter flight,
you can pay far more than you want to pay for in-flight food and
drinks. You might not even enjoy it.
Tip # 2 Rent an Orlando Villa directly from the owner.
Stay in a privately owned villa or vacation rental home within
20 minutes drive of Walt Disney World.
People in Europe have been holidaying in private villas for
years. Many Europeans and North Americans now own villas in
Orlando all within 20 minutes drive of Disney.
These privately owned homes belong to families just like
yourselves. Because these families vacation in their homes as
well, they are fully equipped with everything that you could
hope for.
The price you pay is where the bargain comes in if you book
directly from the owner of the property. Vacation homes near
Disney can start from as little as $79 to less than $160 per
night for a whole family sized house. Price often depends on the
season and quality, level of privacy and amenities of the villa
that you want.
Your whole family could have room to themselves instead of
cramming together in the same hotel bedroom.
Plus, you can have lounge, private pool, spa, game room, full
kitchens and much more than I can mention here.
To make your holiday even cheaper, split the cost of your villa
with another family.
Orlando has many huge villas that can sleep 2-3 families. Many
have multiple master bedrooms. So each family can have a master
bedroom and extra bedrooms for the rest of the family. They also
have multiple bathrooms and multiple living/dining areas.
So if you don't mind sharing with friends or family you could
save even more money on accommodation.
Sign up for newsletters on Orlando vacation rentals websites.
That way you can keep abreast of special deals available.
Look out for last minute deals from private villa owners.
Once you rent a private villa you won't want to ever use a hotel
again.
Tip # 3 Go Off Season
Prices plummet when the kids are back at school ! You save more
than 50% on flights, and at low season, Orlando vacation rentals
are much cheaper.
Flights: You would be amazed how much you can save in airline
tickets if you go low season, especially if your family is
large.
Sign up to newsletters with your favourite airlines to hear
about the best flight deals first.
Seize the specials by looking out for bargain flight offers in
good time.
Many websites specialise in finding air fare deals. Use
farefinders. These are websites that search for cheap airfares.
Look out for newspapers that offer flight discounts that involve
collecting tokens. Some have 'buy one get on free deals' on
flights at specific times of the year.
Don't fly at weekends if there are surcharges.
But, who wants to go to Walt Disney World when kids are Back at
school ?
If you are a bargain hunting holiday-maker, you might consider
it if you realise the savings you could have.
Tip # 4 Spend Less on Your Family's Food
Food is expensive in the theme parks without a doubt.
You can eat meals in your Florida Villa and save money. You get
a fully equipped full-size kitchen. You don't have to cook. You
can fill the refrigerator with food from the Supermarket.
Bring snacks and drinks with you from your villa, to the Disney
Parks, especially on hot and humid days when your kids need to
drink lots of liquids all day long. Freeze drinks in a drinks
cooler and take them with you frozen.
You and your family can return to your villa for lunch and a
rest and go back to the Theme Parks refreshed and fed.
If you drive from home to your holiday villa, shop before you
go. Bring your favourite items from home.
Have breakfast at restaurants that allow kids to eat free. They
advertise this in their windows.
Look out for restaurants offering free kid's meals.
Pick up money saving booklets from the local Supermarket. They
are loaded with money saving coupons.
Look out for coupons that save you money at full service
restaurants as well as your fast food chains like McDonalds.
You can find some good deals at Walt Disney World if you choose
carefully. A family of four can easily spend $50 for little more
than a snack.
A better option is for you to splash out once or twice in the
Disney World 'Parks on the 'all you can eat character meals' or
on 'fun themed restaurants'. This can make your holiday even
more memorable and make for good photo opportunities.
Popular buffet restaurants with fairly good prices include
character breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table, and the
Polynesian Resort's dinners where food is cooked at a firepit,
games are played with the kids, and food is brought to your
table time and time again. The Boma restaurant at Animal Kingdom
Lodge has a huge selection.
Also, for a bit more than $50, you and your family could eat a
full buffet at a fun restaurant such as the Crystal Palace in
the Magic Kingdom, which has Winnie the Pooh and his pals in
attendance
Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets are $15-$29 per person. Kids
have their own meal choices, plus a make your own sundae bar.
There is a good selection for parents and your glass of drinks
will be refilled to your content.
Tip # 5 Save money on Theme Park Tickets and General
Entertainment
It's always wise to spend some time developing an itinerary
before you buy your Theme Park tickets, because the right passes
for you depend on how you plan to spend your days.
Be sure to check all your options. You may be overlooking a
special deal for which you qualify, such as Florida resident,
military/civil service, and corporate discounts
There are lots of legitimate ways to get discounted Walt Disney
World passes.
Unfortunately, there are also lots of places where you can get
ripped off.
So be very careful.
The WalMart at 4444 W. Vine in Kissimmee, has a travel agency
called Wal-Mart Vacations that sells discounted Disney World
tickets. The prices are discounted about 5%. But, they may not
carry every type of ticket.
Pick up a money saving coupons booklet from the local
supermarket. It is not just for food.
There are also money saving coupons in those booklets for
admission discounts to places like Universal Orlando, Sea World,
Busch Gardens and more.
Some popular events are also promoted at times such as Disney on
Ice, "buy one get one" coupon.
You can even save money on adventures like go-cart racing, with
free 'buy one get one free coupons'.
Tip # 6 Free Admissions at Disney !
Visit Disney's resort hotels (for example when you dine at
Boma), but you do not have to dine.
Tour the grounds, marvel at the gardens and architecture, listen
to the music, and mingle with the cast members.
If you do dine make sure you give yourself a lot of time before
dinner, so that you have time to savour the sights in daylight.
Tip # 7 Car Hire Savings Look out for car rental savings from
almost all of the national car hire companies.
Tip # 8 Airport Parking Book your airport parking in advance. It
is much more expensive on the day.
Check your car insurance or roadside assistance membership for
special offers on airport parking.
Some airport hotels offer one night pre-flight stays that
include holiday parking.
Look out for other parking offers.
Book your cab/minivan in advance. Negotiate a deal with the
driver to pick you up on return as you are giving them double
business.
Tip # 9 Buy Low Cost Travel Insurance Compare prices and make
sure that it has what you need. If you're going away more than
once in the year consider an annual policy.
I always save loads of money whenever I go to Disney, and I
still have a Disney holiday in luxury and style... you can too!