A vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando can be expensive, but there are a few things you can do to save money. In order to plan the least-expensive trip, you'll have to be flexible and will probably need to travel at off-peak times, but the benefits will be well worth any inconvenience.
Visit during value season if you plan to stay at a Walt Disney World resort hotel. Hotel rates are cheaper during value season because fewer people are visiting. Value season varies depending on the class of hotel, but generally, lower rates are offered during the first half of January, through most of August and September, and after Thanksgiving to just before Christmas.
Be on the lookout for discount codes. During the less popular times of the year, Walt Disney World sometimes offers codes that can reduce the cost of a hotel stay. Several websites, such as Disboards.com and Mousesavers.com, track the codes and usually know when a code might be coming out well before it is published in newspapers.
Check travel aggregator sites like Expedia and Travelocity for Disney hotel deals. These sites occasionally offer deals, usually around the same time that Disney is offering codes. If a code has already sold out at Disney World, you may still be able to get the same price by booking through one of these sites.
Stay off-site. You can find hotel rooms at a fraction of the cost of Disney World hotels if you venture away from Disney property. One- or two-bedroom vacation villas are available off-site for the price of a regular Disney hotel room. In addition to having more room, you'll also be able to cook a few meals in your villa, saving money.
Shop around for park admission tickets. Ticket Mania and Undercover Tourist offer Walt Disney World tickets at a slightly reduced prices. If you are an AAA member, call your local AAA office and ask if they offer discounts on Disney World tickets.
Have lunch, rather than dinner, at full-service restaurants. Disney restaurants are expensive during dinner hours, but many restaurants offer smaller portions of their dinner entrees at lunchtime.
Bring snacks and water with you to cut down on the amount of money you spend in the park. Having snacks with you will also allow you to split the meals you do need to purchase.
Visit a local grocery store. Buy enough food for a few easy-to-make meals if you are staying in a villa or rental house. Disney World moderate and deluxe hotels offer refrigerators at no charge, so even if you are staying at a Disney World hotel, you can stock up on snacks and drinks. Refrigerators are available for a charge at Disney value hotels.
Spend a few days just relaxing. You don't have to visit the parks every day. Disney World offers a number of free or low-cost activities. Go window shopping at Downtown Disney or hop on the monorail and tour the monorail resorts. Spend the day by your hotel pool or visit your hotel's arcade. Visit one of Walt Disney World's miniature golf courses.
Take your kids to the Chip 'n Dale Campfire at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. The free evening campfire includes a sing-along and a Disney movie. At 9:45 p.m., you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant from the beach at Fort Wilderness. The Electrical Water Pageant is a music and light show shown from boats in Bay Lake.
