Doing a trip to Disney is an investment in your family..you will make memories you will carry with you for the rest of your life. Although it can be expensive, I can honestly say, it’s worth it! However i’m happy to say, there are lots of places where you can save money and still have a great time!! Here are some money saving tips for your trip to Disney World!
Bring Costumes From Home: If your kids are into dressing up, Disney is such a fun place to do it! They even have a boutique where you can get a princess makeover (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique)! Every year, the day after Halloween, I hit up the local Walmart and Party City and check for clearance costumes! We have a huge dress up trunk of name brand princess costumes and i’ve never spent more the 10 bucks per costume. Party City has costumes all year..and they put out $5 and $10 bins all the time. So buy a costume on clearance at home and bring it with you..your kids can get the cutest pictures with there favourite character all dressed up, and you didn’t have to pay a fortune for it!
Find The Right Time To Travel: The Disney parks have high and low peak times and they charge park tickets accordingly. You will find holidays and school breaks to be higher peak times and just after holidays to be lower peak times. You will also find tickets can go for less during the week rather then on the weekend (during the school year). So if you are planning on going during summer vacation or spring break, be warned..everyone else in North America is doing the same thing. If you are wanting to experience Disney during the holidays, they actually decorate well ahead of time…so you can enjoy Christmas decorations the first week of November when its less busy, rather then the week of Christmas which would be high peak time and more expensive.
Check Domestic Flights: If you happen to live within driving distance of the border..check the cost of a domestic flight vs the international flight from Canada. You with need to take the exchange rate into consideration, but sometimes you can find a deal that is worth it. Like if you wanted to travel over Thanksgiving..its not the same holiday in the states, so the flight prices won’t spike like they would in Canada. It’s always worth taking a look before you book your flight.
Bring Your Own Food: Did you know that you are allowed to bring food into the Disney parks? Although they have some great dining options, it can get really pricey if you are eating out for all 3 meals and you have a family of 4-6 people! Buy some snacks and juice boxes from the grocery store the night before (freeze what you can so it thaws throughout the day). This will save you time and money. At lunch time when everyone else is waiting in line to get food..you guys can have your food while you wait in line for your next ride!
Bring Your Own Glow Toys: All of the Disney parks have night shows (and they are all amazing) It does take a while for the show to get started..so for a while you are sitting and waiting. At this point, staff starts selling glow sticks and glow toys. Buy these the day before at Target or Walmart or even check the dollar store..put them in your bag and the kids will be super excited to crack the glow sticks and make necklaces and bracelets. This can save you big $$ and they will still get the full glow experience..without the price tag!
Be Strategic With Your Souvenirs : We were really surprised at the prices when we visited Magic Kingdom..compared to Canadian prices, it honestly wasn’t bad! But you have to keep the exchange rate in mind..and you can find similar souvenirs at Target for less. They have tons of T-shirts, mugs, picture frames…you name it, and its all real Disney licensed merchandise. Maybe skip the souvenir purchases at the park and check out the stores the next day. If you don’t find what you are looking for, Disney Springs carries all the same merchandise as the parks, and you can go there for free. We get Disney T-shirts every time we go to the theme parks, but we get them from Target the day before!
Skip The Car Rental: If you are staying at a Disney property, consider skipping the car rental. Disney will provide free transportation to all Disney properties. This includes all the parks, Disney Springs and other resorts (in case you want to check out the resorts and restaurants). We spent the money on a rental car one trip thinking we would do lots of shopping off property..honestly, the car just sat there. We basically paid for a week car rental to do one trip to Target..just get an Uber if its just one trip.
Travel As A Group: See if the grandparents want to come..or maybe some friends that also have kids? If you have a larger party, you can look at renting a house that has room and privacy for everyone, but you can split the cost! We have done this and stayed for as little as $400 CAD for a week in Orlando! Check out where to stay for more.
Cut Down On The Baggage Fees: If you are a group of 4-6 people and everyone is checking a bag, this will cost big bucks..like $250-350 CAD just for luggage! Consider having some of the non essential things (shampoo, diapers, wipes etc) delivered to your hotel or rental. You should definitely take a diaper bag to have diapers and wipes on hand for the flight..but you don’t have to take a 2 week supply on the flight. Try to condense it down to just a couple checked bags and save yourself some $$.
Mom life eh 