Disney World on a budget!

I have noticed that when people think of Disney World they instantly start seeing dollar signs. People assume it is something that is out of reach and completely unaffordable. Taking a vacation to Disney World is actually a lot more affordable than some may think. There are many options available to fit pretty much any budget. In my last post I wrote about how I make Disney affordable for our frequent vacations, so I figured now I will do a post for one off vacations. I am also going to keep it to the major trip expenses for this post.

Let's start with airfare...since this is where your trip will start. As I have mentioned before I live in Canada so flights are extremely expensive. For those who live near me on the east coast, drive to Portland for your best deal on flights. If you drive to Portland you can fly for approx $250 round trip per person through Jet Blue or Southwest airlines. These airlines also do not have any baggage fees and fly into Orlando International airport. I always drive down the night before my flight and book a park n fly package at the Howard Johnson or Double Tree in Portland. You can book these for an average of $80-$150 for the night. You would pay $12/day for parking at the airport so instead that can pay for the hotel the night before and you can catch a morning flight to Florida. I like to catch the 6am flight because then I arrive in Orlando by 11am and this gives me an entire day on my vacation!

 

The biggest decision you will need to make for your vacation is where to stay! This can be a huge choice and all of the available options can be very overwhelming. When asked I will almost always recommend staying on site at a Disney resort. Even if the cost is a little more it is completely worth it just for the convenience and experience! If you are on a budget you can generally get a room at a Disney value resort for approx $100-$120/night. If you plan on spending any significant amount of time at the Disney parks you will save money in the long run. By staying on site you get free transportation to and from Orlando International airport. As well as free transportation all around the Walt Disney World resort to all of the Disney parks, water parks, Downtown Disney, etc. In the long run this will normally work out to be cheaper than staying off site by the time you factor in a car rental for the week and parking at the theme parks ($17/day). Plus you will get all of the Disney perks and just the overall full Disney experience, and there is honestly nothing like staying on site. Disney also almost always has some sort of promotion such as 15-30% off the room rates or free dining. If you are taking children it will also be a better experience for them staying on site and they will LOVE the theming of the value resorts!

 

Now there are times that I will recommend staying off site. If you are only planning on visiting one or two of the Disney parks you will be much better off staying off site. Also if you are traveling with a large group of people (more than 4), you are likely going to spend less by staying in a large unit or renting a house off Disney property. On occasion I do choose to stay off site (although I still prefer on site), just for a variety. There are a lot of options available near the theme parks at affordable prices as well. If you are traveling with a large group your best option is going to be renting a house. I have seen options available for about $400-$700/week for a large house or townhouse. There is also many resorts in the Orlando area that often have pricing available for less than $500 for a week in a 1-2 bedroom unit if you just search online. One of the cheapest is Wyndham certificates. You need to get a code and then buy a certificate for about $180 - $250 for a week at a Wyndham resort. Keep in mind as mentioned earlier staying off site does add many other expenses such as car rental and parking at the theme parks. One advantage is you will normally have a kitchen and you can save some money on buying groceries and cooking your meals (unless you get a free dining package). 

 

Now onto park tickets. If you stay onsite and book a package with free dining you need to buy your tickets through Disney with your package. With any other option you can buy your tickets wherever you want. You will not find any deals for anything less than a 3 day ticket. So if you are only looking to do 1-2 days you are looking at $99 for a one day base ticket or $190 for a 2 day base ticket. After 3 days the cost to add an extra day just $10 more per day. For example, a 4 day base ticket will cost you $294 but the cost for a 5 day ticket is only $304....$10 more just for one extra day. So you may pay $190 for just 2 days yet can get a 7 day base ticket for $324 (obviously a much better value as it is only $46/day). Now these are all Disney's non discounted prices. There are ways to purchase discounted tickets for 3 days or more. One option is CAA (although I have never used them for my tickets). My preference is a website called Undercover Tourist. They offer the cheapest price I have been able to find for Disney and Universal tickets and they will ship them to your home for free. The price shown on their website also includes taxes! I have used this website many times with no complaints. I have always received my tickets quickly and have never had any issues. So this is my recommendation.

When you are on vacation you will need to eat. If you want to eat at a restaurant every night the cost is going to add up quickly as Disney's table service restaurants are expensive. I do recommend splurging on a character breakfast if you can fit it in your budget. It is worth every penny since the characters come to you! If you can only pick one, I recommend Donald's Safari Breakfast at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The Disney dining plan can also be a great deal depending on your budget and what you plan to spend. The cost for this varies based on what season you are visiting and there are several tiers for the plan. There are many "quick service" locations in the parks where you can get meals for about $10 per person. If you are staying off site obviously the cheapest option will be buying groceries at the local Wal-mart and making your meals. Great news is that food in the United States is cheap! If you do happen to eat at a quick service location keep an eye on your receipts because sometimes Disney will have coupons at the bottom for 10-20% off merchandise at the main gift shop for each perk in a certain time frame!

As you can see there are many options available and these are only a few! A trip to Disney may be much more affordable than you think :)