Gourmet feasts at Disney resorts can break the bank rather quickly. Instead of indulging daily, take advantage of the Walt Disney World policy of accepting outside food and drinks. Stock up on bagels, muffins and toast for breakfast. Take along sandwiches for lunch and extra water to keep you hydrated.
Lunchtime meals at Disney's high-class, full-service restaurants are much cheaper than dinnertime ones, while often serving only slightly smaller portions. If you simply must have a character meal or fancy Disney dinner, consider splitting large portions between your kids, or even between adults to keep it cheap. You might also want to look around at counter-service locations next to the restaurant where you'd like to dine. Sometimes these self-serve places offer the same items as full-service restaurants at much lower prices. Remember to make reservations at full-service restaurants ahead of time.
When you call Disney to make reservations, ask for daily discounts, package discounts, AAA discounts or any other discounts that might be offered by a discount club.
Package deals and multi-day passes will save you more money per day if you stay for more days. While the sticker price may seem expensive, break your 10-day ticket down to a day-by-day price and you may find you are only spending $30 a day to access the parks.
Stay at Camp Wilderness, a Disney low-cost campground and cabin space just outside the park. Because it is owned by Disney, you receive the same benefits of staying at one of the swanky, expensive Disney hotels. You can take advantage of benefits like "Extra Magic Hours," when the park is only open to those staying on-site, and a free shuttle from the airport to the campus. Parking fees are also waived for all guests of the Disney campus, including campground guests.
If you add up the cost of a car rental, fuel and the daily parking at Disney, you could be spending $200 to $300 for a week. Stay on campus or very nearby for your whole trip and ditch the car. Take a cab if you must; the price of one or two cab rides will usually be much cheaper than a car rental price and the associated gas and parking fees.
During peak travel times, like summer vacation, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, everything is more expensive at Disney. Restaurants raise the prices of food, hotel rooms cost more and space is at a premium. Instead, look for online discounts on tickets in the off-season and enjoy more for less.
Disney offers annual passes, which is an advantage to locals who visit often. But if you are a friend of an area resident, have that friend buy your family Disney passes and benefit from the rate southern Californians or Floridians usually enjoy.
