3 Tips to Lower Your Cost of a Disney World Vacation

Most families would go to Disney World every year if they could, but there’s one thing that keeps them from doing so: the cost. The good news is that we have five incredible tips that can help make your next trip as affordable as possible. Whether it gets you there sooner or allows you to spend your savings on extra meals or attractions, these money-saving tips are sure to please your pocketbook.

1. Carefully consider your ticket options

One of the most costly mistakes you can make is to show up at the parks on the day of your visit and buy theme park tickets at the gates. There are a few reasons this can be costly: you can end up not buying the right tickets for your family and you’ll inevitably pay full price.

The better option is to research multi-day tickets and park hoppers, then buy discount tickets ahead of time. Park hoppers allow you access to more than one park in the same day, and can be a great option if you don’t want to spend all day in a single park. Remember that Animal Kingdom generally closes around dusk, so this is a perfect park to visit in the morning and then hop to another park at night.

Also keep in mind that the cost of tickets per-day goes down the more days you buy. So if you’re planning to stay five days, a five-day ticket is hundreds of dollars less than buying a single ticket every day.

2. Bring your own food and drinks into the parks

Many guests are shocked to learn that they can bring their own food and drinks into the parks. Don’t pay upwards of $20 per meal, per person, when you can bring your own for pennies! There are a few exceptions to be aware of: no alcoholic beverages and no hard coolers.

3. Consider your parking options

Parking at the Disney World theme parks is $17 per day. Note that this covers all the parks, so if you park at one in the morning and hop to another, you won’t have to pay another parking fee. However, $17 a day can certainly add up! Luckily there are a few ways you can reduce this cost or do away with it altogether.

First, consider staying in an Orlando vacation home or resort that offers free shuttle service to and from the parks. Second, if you’re traveling with more than one vehicle, see if you can squeeze into one just to get to and from the parks. It may be tight quarters for the ride there and back, but a few minutes of inconvenience can be well worth the savings.