The first option sounds crazy but you can do it! Drive to Disney rather than fly. I know this sounds nuts if you're not close to a Disney Destination, but we live in Oklahoma - which is SADLY nowhere near Disney - and we survived the road trip. You may get sick of being in the car together but there are lots of memories to be made along the way! Here are a few pics from our road trip. Whatever your path to Disney, there are sure to be some sights to see.
Besides saving money on the travel portion, you'll have your vehicle with you. This saves you on taxis or shuttles if you're planning to head over to Universal for a day. You'll also have everything you need with you. I tend to overpack, but I hate buying something on vacation that I already own just because I couldn't fit it in my luggage. If you're in your own car, you can take tons more than on a flight.
It's not for everyone and as my kids get older and need less equipment, I have to admit that flying is preferable (especially now that Andrew is okay with flying - if you missed that video, click here!). But if saving money is a priority, the travel portion of a trip to Disney is a huge cost that can be cut.
The second place to save money is on your food bill. If you eat out each and every meal, you're going to come home with a huge bill. First, try to find a time when Disney is offering free dining. I will always post on my website when that deal comes out!
If you're going at a time free dining isn't offered, you can still save big bucks. We order breakfast items, snacks and drinks from gardengrocer.com and have it all delivered to our room on the day of our arrival. Disney will hold your cold items in cold storage so order anything you'd like - it will be kept until you check in. Except for the one morning of our trip that we head to the best breakfast in the world at Tusker House Restaurant, we eat in our room before heading out. For a family of 5, that's a big savings.
We also take water bottles into the park along with flavor packets. You can always go to Quick-Service food locations for free cups of water if you don't want to carry your own. But you'll most likely have to wait in line and I like having a bottle that I can drink from whenever I want, seal back up and hop on a ride. I also take granola bars and easy snacks with us. Don't get me wrong, I have to have my Dole Whip and Mickey ice cream bars but can get away with only buying one snack a day. You'll walk a lot and get pretty hungry. Hungy = grumpy in our family so snacks really help. Having some in our bag saves money, time and sanity!
If your family eats several big meals a day and you don't want to have to carry your own food around, do look into the dining plans. It sometimes works out a bit cheaper than buying meals individually. And it's always nice to have pre-paid for your food and not be facing a large bill after you're home. Please let me know if you want more info about the dining plans and I'll help you decide if it's right for your trip!
I'm not suggesting you lie, but if you're celebrating ANY occasion near your trip, let me know. In the pics above, I had mentioned it was my birthday when making dining reservations and each restaurant made a big deal of it, with confetti, cards and FREE dessert. Free is good.
The third cost savings tip is to buy souvenirs before leaving home. I know it doesn't sound as fun as purchasing authentic Disney Parks items, but trust me, it's a whole lot cheaper. Dollar Tree and Target have a lot of Disney items that are super cheap. Be sneaky and buy them without your kids. Hide them in your luggage and each morning before heading out to the parks, give them one of the gifts.
Another way we kept our kids from begging for EVERYTHING in every gift shop (there are hundreds), was to give them each their own Disney gift card before travel. You can put just a few dollars or as much as you want on the card, but the point is that there's a set limit. Once the money is gone, it's gone. My kids knew the amount before we left and were amazingly careful with how they spent the money. There wasn't a single meltdown over wanting something they couldn't have. It can even be a great incentive pre-trip - offer to add money to the card based on behavior. They can also add their own money to it if they're savers like I hear some kids can be! :)
Get your Disney shirts, hats, and autograph books before you go. I even made shirts for Luke and I on our last trip and it was fun to have Cast Members point them out. There are a few things you just can't get anywhere else, so save a little in the budget for those fun items (specifically for me - Mickey shaped licorice from Goofy Candy Company!).
There are so many ways to save so don't let the cost be a deterrent from checking into a trip. It can be as affordable or once-in-a-lifetime as you want. Please request a quote today to find out!