Anyone Done Disney on an Extremely Tight Budget?

[Andrea]

my hubby and i just decided today ( sept. 15) to go to disney for the weekend of oct 3 - 5

i found us an offsite hotel for $66.00 for both nights
gas for driving 100.00 round trip ( we live in ga)
tickets $ 312.00 ( i have earned 300.00 in free disney gift cards from sunshine rewards, so park tickets will only be $ 12.00 plus tax )

food the hotel makes a huge free breakfeast ( well at least in other states this hotel does)
i will pack a cooler with water bottles and sandwhich stuff.

so i think our biggest expense will be boarding the dogs.

 

[The Hendies]

We froze individual applesauce and yogurts. They kept sandwiches cool, and had melted just enough when we were ready to eat. Poor Dad carried everything on his back, but that way when the kids were hungry, the food was right there. Walking to lockers when you are on the other side of the park is a hassle.

 

[basketlacey]

We stayed at a house in that neighborhood a few years ago. There is a playground and movie theater at the "club house". My kids thought the movie theater was the best thing. You went in and signed up for the movie you wanted to see and the time slot. We then popped our own popcorn and headed back for the show at the scheduled time. It will be great entertainment for your kids and the best part - it is FREE!

 

[DisneyShannon]

One year I took my lunch in the park pb and j and some chips. I found a nice spot in epcot to eat at a picnic table. Soon there came another group and they sat down at the picnic table beside me. They had also packed their lunch. As we ate I heard many people passing buy saying they wish they had packed their lunch.

I am also on a tight budget. We stay at the all star movies, and I go to wal mart before my trip and buy things I buy cans of soda to take with us. So we always have it on hand.

 

[cojimera]

We live in Miami and we're passholders so we go to disney a lot ,we just have to drive 4 hours and we're there.We stay off site ,usually in a hotel that includes breakfast( Buenavista Suite has been our latest option and we love it) I carry a soft cooler with some water ,sodas and snacks and put it under our dd stroller.It also helps to read this board and find out the places were you can stop and have a decent lunch and not spend a lot.For souvenirs I go to Target ,Walmart ,dollar tree and buy a few things put it on a disney bag and gave it to our DD as a present.
Don't worry your kids will be more in to the rides than in to the $$

 

[jacksmomma]

We have done some of the things that others have mentioned:

Glo Sticks: Were a huge hot and we gave our extras to a family on the last night of our trip. It made our day and theirs.
Toys and trinkets from the dollar tree: Every night when your little one goes to bed leave her a present along with a note from a character. If your older kids get involved they could have a lot of fun with it.
Epcot: Visit each country and as a CM to sign your autograph book. We got some wonderful messages and great keepsakes all in the CM's native language. Great Souvenirs! Similarly, have your older kids go "around the World" and get their picture taken with an attractive member of the opposite sex. My cousin had a blast getting her picture taken with "hot Guys" from around the World. (This may not be to everyone's liking, if it is not, move on.)
Pressed Pennies: Cheap and fun, some are very unique
Pins: Order some off ebay before you go, then you have plenty of traders while in the parks

Just have fun! Kids will surprise you, if you tell them what to expect ahead of time, they are usually great!

 

[babybaja2]

You children will understand if you just sit down with them ahead of time and explain, we go on a budget, or we don't go at all... they will vote for the budget option! We seem to always be on a budget (who isn't?) and I divide the spending cash by number of days, put each days cash into an envelope for that day.. when it's gone, it's gone, but at least the next day there will be some! Also, by keeping a closer eye on it, most days there's a little left, which gets added to the next day.

We also found a 2 bed/bath condo off site for $40 a night, and are spliting it with another couple from my husbands unit (military) so it's only running us $200 for the week. Breakfast will be at the condo, lunch we will pack, lots of snacks, granola bars, jerky, etc.. most of the time in the parks we are too busy trying to see everything, we don't want to take time for a sit down meal.. we eat riding the train or waiting in line.. And when we just have to have something to nibble on from the parks, we trying to find something we can share, like a turkey leg, funnel cake.. so everybody gets a taste, but we did not have to buy one for everyone.. we spread those purchases over the days, in between staying full on our own snacks.. as long as the kids aren't hungry, they don't notice all the stuff they're missing... and we drink water from our bottle that we can refill in the park for free with the drink mix flavors (bonus: I've noticed that when we don't spend the day drinking sodas, my DH is less likely to have tummy issues from being shook up on the rides )

Also, if you have time, hit the disney outlets on your way into town, let everybody get a souvenir at outlet price, so they already have something new before seeing similar items at higher prices in the parks.

 

[DisneyBrat]

I like a challenge of crunching numbers and making it work When I read your post I came up with a couple of plans of action for you guys....

Opt 1 Pack sandwiches for lunch(we did this many times) and also snacks for the park.... Dinner each person orders CS combo meal $8 avg inc tax and one $3 snack per person per day. This calculates to

$8 x 5
$5 childs meal
$3 x 3 Soda (Share 3 large sodas)
$3 x 6 daily snack
--------
$72 per day x 3 days in park

Gives you a grand total of $216.00



Opt 2 Pack sandwiches and snacks as above.... CS Dinner Order a Double cheeseburger with extra bun combo(Share the fries) order 3 large sodas and $3 snacks sometime during the day.

Combo with extra bun will be a little under $9

$9 x 3 combo and extra bun
$3 x 3 Sodas
$3 x 6 Snacks
---------------
$54 x 3 park days
Grand total $ 162


Snacks can also be shared sometimes too like popcorn or large pretzel even pastries

Good luck and don't sweat it all WILL work out REMEMBER any budget day is a good day when you're at Disney

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Wow, I know the feeling of having to stretch pennies. I am thankful we are even getting a Disney trip in this year. We had a SURPRISE baby, our oldest is in college, our son got braces and I have had three surgeries this year. To top it all off, our AC unit died for our home....and we hit the "emergency" money to pay that $5,500.00 bill.

So, our trip will be BUDGET this year.

We have talked to the older kids and they understand that we have paid for the things we need, and there isn't as much money this year for things we want. They agreed that a budget trip this year is better than no trip. So, we have agreed that this year there will be no purchases of STUFF!

We are taking our camera along, and we have looked at several on-line tutorials on taking better pictures. Our son is excited to recreate some great shots he has seen on line. We will print those out when we get home with a coupon from Walgreens Photo.

Our daughter has decided to do a scrapbook from the trip. So, she will be collecting all the silly things like clean napkins and fast passes to put in the book.

We have planned a couple days outside of the parks just enjoying the pool. I hit Wal-Mart and got some very inexpensive pool toys on great clearance.

Every trip I get a silouette done on Main Street, but this year I did them myself. It took a few tries, but the only out of pocket cost was for some acid free black paper (picked that up at Hobby Lobby with a coupon). I think it looks just as good as the professional version.

It is amazing what you can accomplish when you just decide you are going to learn to do it.

The biggest help is that any place that sells soda pop in cups will give you free ice water which is filtered and tastes fine. The water fountains are free but taste *off* in my opinion. The cups of ice water are a life and budget saver.

This trip I have a few silly things planned I know they will appreciate. One night we will have ice cream for dinner. Your kids might get a kick out of that one, too. Ice cream by the gallon and a container of hershey's syrup is a lot less expensive than feeding all of you at a Disney Counter Service meal, and it will be more memorable for your kids.

I also let the kids have pop tarts when we are either camping or on vacation. So, I would suggest you look at your family rules and guidelines and find something out of the ordinary to do to make this time memorable.

I am also bringing some colored gel and glitter to do up our hair. We like to drop in the Barber Shop and get goo and glitter, but this time we will do it ourselves. I doubt anyone will be able to tell the difference.

I made the template for the hair gel from a mickey head paint swatch from Home Depot and an exacto knife. I did a trial run of the hair gel yesterday and it looks just like our pictures from our last Disney World vacation.

So, just get creative, think about what your family enjoys, and have a blast!

 

[kebauc]

Here's a souvenir idea you might want to check into: autographed t-shirts. We've done this every year we've gone, mainly because I don't like the idea of buying "junk" that they won't care a thing about once they get home (and I'm a tightwad). We did "splurge" and let each of our 3 DS's pick out a Disney shirt of their choice when we first arrived at the park. But you could pick up a much less expensive Disney themed t-shirt before you go - Walmart, target, disneystore.com clearance, etc - or perhaps you already own one. The ones that work best are lighter in color. Keep your shirts rolled up in a backpack with you in the parks. Make sure you have at least two or three Sharpie markers. Every time you see a character, ask them to sign the shirt, instead of the standard autograph book. It usually takes two people to hold the shirt taut while the character signs it. Just have your shirts out and ready when you get to the front of the line. After a couple of signings you get the hang of it, and it really doesn't take much longer than signing a book. Even the characters that cannot hold a pen and must stamp their signature are fine - that ink is permanent as well. I cannot tell you how much they adore those shirts, and they are great conversation pieces - truly one of a kind! On our first trip we had done the autograph books, and our kids really didn't care about them once we got home. But the shirts -- they love to wear them and reminesce (sp?). Once in a while I do touch up an autograph or two, but rarely. Just make sure you tumble your shirt in the dryer after the autographs, before you wash it, to make sure the ink is good and set - just like those stains that go through the dryer and never come out again For older kids, you might consider an autograph hat. I must admit that "stole" this idea from another park-goer at Disney so I can't claim it as my own. But I loved the idea and our kids have really enjoyed them.

 

[dydo2424]

ALL of my Disney trips are on an extremely tight budget. I'm trying to remember what site it is - allears.net or something similar has a list of "free" things you can do while at WDW. They had lots of good suggestions that entertained you while not costing anything. I took my daughter to the movie at Fort Wilderness - free and lots of fun! Finding hidden Mickey's, etc.

We did the breakfast in the room, goldfish crackers in rubbermaid containers, fruit rollups, bringing our own bottled water etc to the parks saved a lot of money. Lots of dollar store treasures for decorating our room window, glow necklaces, etc.

And I agree with others a little explanation ahead of time and the kids will understand. The hardest part for us on the first trip was reminding them to wait before spending "all" of their money the first day. If I walked into the living room and told my 6 & 9 year old kids we could go to WDW but not get any souvenirs they would be over the moon ready to pack.

 

[donaldsgirl]

You guys are going to have a great time!!! We are leaving on sunday to be down for 2 weeks, with 2 kids ect..I spend ALOT of time trying to find ways to lower our cost so we can stay longer. I bring ALL of our food and drinks to the parks with us (I do have to have an ice cream every day though) and more than half the time cook in our condo. We might go to one maybe two "nice" restuarants but that is all. I clip coupons for dinners and eat breakfast in the room. If I stay off property, I park at Downtown Disney (please keep your opinions to yourself, you know who you are!!) and catch a bus to the parks so I dont have to pay for parking. As far as disney world goodies go, I go to the character warehouse?? It is over in the outlet mall on vineland and there is another store just like it in the outlet mall at the end of I-drive. You can get some super cool stuff (actual Disney World stuff) for a huge discount. 65.00 shirts for 7.00 or 8.00. Unless it is absolutely necessary I wont buy a thing on disney property. I promise you that you dont have more fun if you have more money to spend. Your at DISNEY WORLD!!! What else do you need? Have fun!!!

 

[NLD]

Haven't read through all the posts yet so I apologize if this has been said, but about the glo sticks:

Our Target dollar bins have glo sticks and bracelets. The bracelets are the BEST deal--you get 12 in a tube, $1 per tube. We just bought some for my five year old for our trip. They are pretty small (hard to get on my wrist) but they fit a kid just fine!

 

[Ambersmith6364]

I wanted to tell you, we go to Disney often because we live so close and always do it onj a budget. What we did is bought autograph books ahead of time, usually on ebay, I have found some great new disney stuff at goodwill too. Most 5 yr olds love getting autographs. I'm not sure what you where going to do with ur time there but at the premium or prime outlet, i think exit 75a there is a disney outlet store that has a bunch of great discounted stuff. Look it up online for directions and make sure its the right outlet. For a yummy treat we get the huge mickey mouse rice crispy treat. we have a family of 8 and good for us. Its like 10.95, but a good amount to feed everyone. Your going to have a great time. And always check in the stores they have sales sometimes. Oh and I was just there and in the winnie the pooh store, which you go through when you get off the ride, they have plastic characters like a set of 6 random characters on clearance for 3.99 originally like 15.00 I'm not sure if it something your little one woulds be interested in but its super discounted and sometime its just about the excitement for a kid that age. theres about three different packs with characters in it and the one on sale is the one with peter pan, hercules, alice, dopey, aladdin and I forget the other one. So check that out. Cant wait to hdear about your trip!
Oh and I'm not sure why it says hello grill whji at the top, i think my son started typing but i dont know how to take that off... oh well

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Here's a souvenir idea you might want to check into: autographed t-shirts. We've done this every year we've gone, mainly because I don't like the idea of buying "junk" that they won't care a thing about once they get home (and I'm a tightwad). We did "splurge" and let each of our 3 DS's pick out a Disney shirt of their choice when we first arrived at the park. But you could pick up a much less expensive Disney themed t-shirt before you go - Walmart, target, disneystore.com clearance, etc - or perhaps you already own one. The ones that work best are lighter in color. Keep your shirts rolled up in a backpack with you in the parks. Make sure you have at least two or three Sharpie markers. Every time you see a character, ask them to sign the shirt, instead of the standard autograph book. It usually takes two people to hold the shirt taut while the character signs it. Just have your shirts out and ready when you get to the front of the line. After a couple of signings you get the hang of it, and it really doesn't take much longer than signing a book. Even the characters that cannot hold a pen and must stamp their signature are fine - that ink is permanent as well. I cannot tell you how much they adore those shirts, and they are great conversation pieces - truly one of a kind! On our first trip we had done the autograph books, and our kids really didn't care about them once we got home. But the shirts -- they love to wear them and reminesce (sp?). Once in a while I do touch up an autograph or two, but rarely. Just make sure you tumble your shirt in the dryer after the autographs, before you wash it, to make sure the ink is good and set - just like those stains that go through the dryer and never come out again For older kids, you might consider an autograph hat. I must admit that "stole" this idea from another park-goer at Disney so I can't claim it as my own. But I loved the idea and our kids have really enjoyed them.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO doing this next time I go to Disney! Thank you! I love this idea!

Actually, I think I'm going to do a Disney messenger style bag to keep my dig kit in. And to think - I have an entire YEAR to find the perfect bag!

 

[Wants2Live@WDW]

Another way to keep the kids engaged is to play the "Hidden Mickey" game. You can find used copies of the official Hidden Mickey guide books on amazon.com for less than $2 sometimes, and it always kept my teenage sisters amused for HOURS. It is a book that tells you where there are hidden mickeys around the parks and in the resorts. You can approach it like a scavenger hunt, either taking pictures (cell phones are what my sisters used), or setting ground rules like writing down descriptions to get the "points" for finding a hidden mickey. Whoever had the most points at the end of the trip won. No prize needed.

The Kimmunicator game at Epcot is also a fabulous free way to keep kids entertained for HOURS, but if you are doing 3 days in the parks, this might eat up too much time. (Basically, you pick up a Kim Possible kimmunicator (a refurbished cell phone device) and follow the clues until you either have finished all of the missions or you have to leave. They have the stations in the World Showcase entrances at Epcot).

As far as other options, packing a lunch is a great way to go. Since you are going in October, the summer items will be on clearance, and it is still warm in Orlando (IMHO). Bringing your own misters (spray water bottles with a fan attached to the end) from home (from Wal-Mart for like $5 each...instead of $20 in the park), and a pancho for everyone from the dollar tree (packs of 2 pachos for $1) will help to make things more comfortable during your stay. Another option is to stop by the Walgreens on International Dr (or is it Blvd?) across from Universal Studios and stock up on Disney merchandise, in addition to anything that you could find at an Orlando WalMart or the Outlet Mall (on the other side of international dr). I remember that we picked up a disney hoodie (we were there in December during a cold snap) for $15 and they had souvenir t-shirts at Walgreens (and at the little shopping center right next to it) for like 2/$10. They also had snowglobes and post cards (and so did Wal-Mart) at rock bottom prices. So the souvenir budget could be stretched a lot further with a little patience and driving.

To get away from sandwiches, my husband would get a pizza when we got back to the room and then pack 2 slices for the park on the next day. (I prefer not to eat my slices cold, nor can I vouch for the sanitary condition of his choice, but it is an idea).

The Disney magic is about your family making memories. Pictures, rides, attractions, and parades are all included in your admission ticket. I am sure that your family will love every minute, even though it did not cost a dime!

 

[Beckypooh1972]

Wow! There are so many great suggestions for saving money on this thread:
I'll try to add a few:

Avoid the tourist traps along Hwy 192: go cart racing, laser tag, helicopter rides, mini golf, etc. are all inferior entertainment to the parks and will add up in cost quicker than you realize. Enjoying the Disney magic with an extra day or 2 or your pass would be a better use of your money since adding days to a pass after 4 days is fairly cheap compared to shelling out over $60 for 6 people to ride a go cart for 3 mins.

One of my fave tips that we do is the free ice water at the counter service restaurants. You can also get free cups of ice and pour your own soda over the ice too.

I would actually stay out of the stores for the most part since they are so tempting. However I did see a cute tip once for great pictures. If your kids like to dress up you could put on some of the costume garb while in a store and take funny pictures (but not buy the merchandise) Disney cast members are very accommodating and will join in the fun. There is a great pirate area in the World of Disney store with hats, wigs and swords etc.

I would definitely avoid buying food in the parks. Bring your own and eat at the tables in the counter service restaurants during the less busy meal times. Resist the urge to "buy something" just so you can sit there. The cast members are not going to say a word to you about eating your own food in the park and you'll get to cool off and rest inside.

Cooking at the condo is going to save you tons of money. You might even have access to a grill, I'd ask when you get there. Since you are driving bring as much as you can with you so you won't have to buy so much in Fla. Take advantage of the pool, most kids love their hotel pool. You could also take a side trip to Cocoa Beach which is only a hour away by car.

 

[Minniemama350]

We have done WDW on almost nothing many times. One thing I told my kids when they asked where we were dining was that we spent so much time at those restaurants that we missed rides. I accented our ability to ride more and max our time by bringing our food. The PBJ has been renamed the "Disney Special" at our house. We had an awesome trip!
We also shopped at the nearby Walmart for the younger kids and got souvenirs cheap: backpack, Disney pen and autograph book, t-shirts. etc. It may not appeal to your older kids, but your 5 yr old probably won't care. We also have made the rule that no one buys until the last day. That has saved us tons of money on souvenirs. Dowtown Disney has a discount store also, but the quality is not consistent.

 

[Justbranches5]

Wow! You are all awesome! What a great bunch of suggestions...I'm a little more excited now
I took several of the great suggestions posted on here...sold my old scrap gold for $120! Bought some glow necklaces & bracelets at the dollar store & while I was there bought sm. bottles of laundry soap, paper plates & other items we'll need for the townhouse for $1 each instead of buying them down there (We are staying at Windsor Hills, by the way). We are thinking that instead of going out to a really nice seafood restaurant for our 'big nite out" (usually $160-170), we may make a really nice dinner at the Townhouse (crab legs, lobster tails & steak) & it will be half the price!
Glad to know that we aren't alone in the tight budget arena Keep the great ideas coming!!

(Special thanks to Lew for the number crunching!)

 

[TinkerBrie]

Wow! You are all awesome! What a great bunch of suggestions...I'm a little more excited now
I took several of the great suggestions posted on here...sold my old scrap gold for $120! Bought some glow necklaces & bracelets at the dollar store & while I was there bought sm. bottles of laundry soap, paper plates & other items we'll need for the townhouse for $1 each instead of buying them down there (We are staying at Windsor Hills, by the way). We are thinking that instead of going out to a really nice seafood restaurant for our 'big nite out" (usually $160-170), we may make a really nice dinner at the Townhouse (crab legs, lobster tails & steak) & it will be half the price!
Glad to know that we aren't alone in the tight budget arena Keep the great ideas coming!!

(Special thanks to Lew for the number crunching!)

Awesome!!!! Glad we could help!!!!!