How to go to Disney for Less
A Disney World vacation is expensive. However, there are ways to make the trip cheaper. I think it’s important for you to know that there are things you can do, that don’t include discounts, to make your vacation cheaper. Here are a few ways for how to go to Disney for less.
Visit Disney at the right time
Firstly, it is crucial to realize that hotel prices fluctuate. This will greatly help to reduce your vacation cost. Hotels base their prices on popularity of time of year. When a hotel has a higher demand, the price for a room increases. Disney World Resorts are no different. Moreover, there are websites with crowd calender’s in order to know what crowd levels are like each month.
The best time to visit Disney World is when the crowd levels are lower. However, the last few years has seen an increase in attendance even during the slower seasons. Even though the crowd level has increased, the price has stayed lower during these times.
Currently, the cheapest times to visit are, parts of September and November, the first few week of December, the end of January, and beginning of February. Make sure to avoid holidays. That’s when the price increases. Also, play around with the dates on the Disney World website when looking to book a Resorts. You will see the price difference. From week to week it can change a lot.
Book your Vacation Early
Every year the Disney parks see an increase in prices all around. Lock in your price by booking your reservation early. When you book earlier, you will get the cheaper price for your hotel before the price increases. The earliest you can book your stay is 499 days in advanced. That being said, you can’t book it online that early. Call Disney or book it through a Disney travel agent, it is free. There are several to choose from. Here are two Disney travel agents I like, Small World Vacations, and Dreams Unlimited Travel.
I booked my vacation 499 days out. In addition, I booked a date for a time when the free dining would be offered. Once the free dinning offer came out, I realized I needed to change my date by a few days. However, after I did the math, I realized it was not cheaper to get the free dinning. The price of rooms and tickets had gone up at that point and I realized the better plan was to keep my reservation as it was. For this reason, I think it’s a good plan to book early.
Buy Airfare at the Right Time
Airplane Ticket prices fluctuate. It can be hard to predict when to buy flight tickets. I love a good price, so there have been times when I regretted buying a ticket too early. I asked my Disney travel agent when to buy airplane tickets and she told me about 4 months out.
In the past, for other locations besides Orlando, 3 weeks out has been a good time to buy. However, for Disney World it probably isn’t a good idea. Orlando is a vacation destination so there will be less availability the closer you get to your vacation.
Four months before my vacation I frequently checked ticket prices. I got lucky and ended up getting the best price when I bought 3 and a half months in advanced. I kept watching ticket prices after I bought them and I never saw the price go back down. From my experience, its a good idea to start checking 4 months before. Also, prices are usually better during the week days.
Plan Where to Eat ahead of time
If you’ve never been to Disney World, the price of food will come as a shock. The cost of Disney food is higher than your local restaurant. It’s important to plan ahead where you will eat. Look at the menu of Disney restaurants beforehand to get an idea of where to eat for less.
Disney World has two categories of restaurants, table service and counter service, also called quick service. Table service is a sit down restaurant with a server. Reservations are required. Counter service is the same as a fast food restaurant.
In order to save money on food, eat at quick service locations more than table service. Typically, the cost for counter service restaurants are between $10 to $15 per entree. Table service costs around $20 to $30 per entree. Of course, some dishes are priced more than $30. Buffets are even more per person. Therefore, if you want to go to Disney for less eat more often at quick service. Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat at table service locations or buffets once in awhile. Because there are a lot of great table service restaurants.
Split Meals
Another great way to save money is to split meals. Disney World restaurants have plenty of dishes that are big enough to split. I ate at Friar’s Nook. They have these great Loaded Buffalo Chicken Tots and Creamy Bacon and Cheese Tots for around $10 each. We ordered 2 of the loaded tots and split it between the 6 of us. There was plenty to go around. Spending $20 for a meal for 6 people, that’s a great deal.
Eat Snacks instead of a Meal
Another great tip is to eat a snack instead of a meal. There are some great snacks around the park that are hearty. Typically, snacks are about $6 to $8. Eight Spoons Cafe is at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They serve Pulled Pork Baked Macaroni and Cheese and Shrimp Baked Macaroni and Cheese. For breakfast have a Warm Cinnamon Roll from Gaston’s Tavern. Those are just a few suggestions. I also have a list of more places to find hearty snacks.
Prepare Prepare Prepare
Preparing for a Disney World trip is a lot of work but it does pay to prepare. The more you do to prepare, the better you can control your trip cost. Its always a good idea to know how much to budget for your vacation. This will help you know how much to save.
Moreover, you can set a price for how much to spend for food. Then prepare by looking at the menu prices. That way you have an estimate of what food cost will be each day of the trip. Also, I have free printables that will help with planning where to eat.
What are some things you do to go to Disney for less? Do you have a favorite savings tip? Comment below, it really does help our reader out.
