Disney is just plain better during non-peak times. The weather's still warm, but the crowds are smaller. Visit in fall or early spring, but avoid summer, popular school vacation weeks and the week on either side of a major holiday. You might find ticket package deals during these months -- check disneyworld.disney.go.com for information on ongoing promotions -- though you'll often have to book multi-night stays at a resort hotel to get a discount. Still, hotel prices will be significantly cheaper during these times and lines will be shorter, meaning you can fit more rides into a single day.
Spending a ton on a hotel room is a waste at Disney World, since you'll spend little time in your room. Avoid the major Disney-owned resorts and book a room in a motel near the park. Dozens line the surrounding areas, many within a 10-minute walk of the park. If you want the full Disney experience, compare rooms in the company's value accommodations. Rooms in one of the All-Star Resorts (disneyworld.disney.go.com) are the cheapest in the Disney family of hotels, and you'll be able to take advantage of the complimentary park shuttle.
You'll go broke in a day if you try to buy souvenirs, meals, snacks and other essential items inside the park. The prices for common items like bottled water and sunscreen are double what they are in area convenience stores, and you'll pay at least $10 per person for a meal and drink. At least one member of your group needs to carry a locked backpack that includes sunscreen, ponchos in case of rain, bottled drinks, granola bars, sandwiches and dried fruit. If you must buy a meal, make it a late lunch so it will hold you over until you leave the park. Don't buy any souvenirs; you can get the same items for less in stores back home.
If you're motivated, it is possible to go on every ride in the Magic Kingdom in a single day. Cramming everything into a single day means you save big on ticket prices; a two-day ticket is nearly twice the price of a one-day ticket. Make use of the park's Fast Pass system by visiting popular rides and getting an appointment ticket to come back later. When you return, you can enter a shorter line than the general one. If you're there when the park opens and stay until closing, you can see everything and spend the next day or two exploring Downtown Disney and Orlando's other (free) sights.
