Walt Disney World is comprised of four theme parks, two water parks, over thirty hotels, a shopping center, several golf courses and more. While it is proclaimed to be the happiest place on Earth, many people feel the cost of a Disney vacation makes it anything but happy. While it may seem impossible to get a bargain on a Disney vacation, it can happen if you know where to look for the deals.
Many people assume the only way to get a good deal on a vacation at Walt Disney World is to stay at an off-property hotel. While it's true that the offsite hotels are often great deals, staying at an official Walt Disney hotel comes with perks---some of which actually save money. For example, Disney hotel guests do not need to rent a car because Disney transportation takes guests to and from the airport and anywhere they want to go on the Disney property. The savings from not renting a car can easily offset the higher cost of a Disney hotel. In addition, Disney hotels do not have to be booked through Disney's website. Discount travel sites such as Expedia and Travelocity offer rooms at official Disney hotels for discounted prices of 30 percent or more off of Disney's rates. Guests booking through these sites still receive all of the same perks as guests who book through Disney.
The best way to save money on a Disney ticket is to stick with the basic pass. You can add Park Hopping capability, which allows you to go to more than one park in the day and you can also add a water park option. Both of these are flat rate and costs you the same amount of money whether you stay two days or 10. However, skipping out on these options and just purchasing basic tickets will save you over $100 per person in your party. These tickets allow you to visit one of the four major theme parks each day of your trip. Also keep in mind that Disney's ticketing system rewards guests with cheaper prices the longer they stay. As of September 2010, a one day adult base ticket was $82. A two day ticket saves just a couple dollars per day at $162, an average of $81 per day. But the price of a four day ticket drops down to $232, or $58 per day. And even better, after four days, each additional day's ticket costs just an extra $5. This means an adult staying 7 days will pay just $247, or about $35 per day---less than half of the price for a one day ticket. Discounts on tickets can be found from authorized sellers such as Under Cover Tourist. Be careful when buying tickets from anyone other than Disney, however, because scammers abound for fake Disney tickets.
Disney offers several dining plan options. These plans allow you to prepay for meals at a discounted rate. Guests can choose from a fast food plan, a table service plan or a plan that includes both fast food and table service. All plans also include snacks. The savings of these plans vary depending on what you order and which restaurants you choose. Many people like these plans simply for the fact that the meals are prepaid and therefore there is no worry throughout the vacation about the high cost of chicken nuggets or how much money has been spent on food. Other than these dining plans, guests can also save money on food by bringing their own. It is a little known fact that Disney allows outside food in the parks. Packing your own sandwiches, granola bars and bottled water and storing it in lockers inside the park can save a significant amount of money.
Sometimes Disney offers special promotions to bring in guests at low-crowd times of year such as January and September. For example, in the fall of 2010 Disney offered all guests who booked through their website or an authorized travel agent a free dining plan. In previous promotions, Disney has offered guests a gift card to spend on the trip, a free park day for your birthday and more. The promotions change all the time and sometimes these deals make an otherwise expensive vacation very affordable.
