Best Disney Money Saving Tips???

[travelinggnomes]

I would love to hear some of the best tips out there on saving money and enjoying WDW to it's fullest without breaking the bank!

Wanna share???

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Have a look here

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3219387

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Drive rather than fly
Stay offsite
Eat as many meals outside the park as possible
Carry snacks and food with you into the parks
If you must eat in the parks, counter service only
Don't load up on souvenirs
Don't stay in Orlando any longer than you need to

 

[ihave2manykids]

We called our local AAA Office and we were able to receive a cheaper room rate than calling Disney directly. This surprised me, since I honestly thought Disney would have the lowest rates on their hotel rooms. We are staying at the Boardwalk and the room was about 100 cheaper per night-granted, we had to get one of the larger rooms.

 

[Marionnette]

We called our local AAA Office and we were able to receive a cheaper room rate than calling Disney directly. This surprised me, since I honestly thought Disney would have the lowest rates on their hotel rooms. We are staying at the Boardwalk and the room was about 100 cheaper per night-granted, we had to get one of the larger rooms.

AAA is not usually the best discount available. Disney often has room-only rates for the general public that are better. You just need to know where to look.

 

[fairy8i8]

For Tickets: look at the Ebates thread, or if you are flexible, go during Homeschooling Days

For Rooms: UK version of Expedia thread or rent DVC points

Off Site: you can find some great deals at timeshare condos (just don't do a deal that requires attending a presentation). Renting from owners is often the best way.

For everything else: Buy Disney Gift Cards - 5% off when using Redcard at Target or more if you have a local Grocery Store that offers fuelperks/fuel rewards and you get a double deal.

Free Dining at a Value Resort if you have only 4 people in your party (still good deal with 2 or 3 people). If you have more than 4, it depends as you will need 2 rooms. Use Disney Gift Cards bought above to pay for it (you CAN do this) and save an additional 5+%

 

[samsteele]

I don't buy the dining plan. I just can't eat all of the extra desserts, the refillable mug is not a good value for me as I don't need all of the extra sugary pop and the restrictions on which entree from what part of the menu doesn't impress. In my suitcase, I pack healthy cereal and granola bars for breakfast, buy milk to put in the mini fridge, and eat breakfast in the room. I make my own coffee in room with Starbucks Via or I pack a cheap, compact plastic coffee cone like Melitta's Ready Set Joe, a basic plastic mug and use the hottest H2O than I can get from the tap. Some people hate drinking Florida tap water. I don't really notice the difference when swirled in instant coffee. I then splurge on the lunch and dinner that I want to eat. If I want a fancier, more relaxed breakfast, then I will sleep in a bit, do brunch and then skip lunch. I have also found some tasty counter-service restaurants in the parks that I love. At MK: Sleepy Hollow and Columbia Harbour House. At AK: Flame Tree BBQ. At Epcot: Sunshine Seasons and Tangierine Cafe. HS: always a tough place to eat. Studio Catering Co isn't bad for a quick lunch. Otherwise, I jump on the bus to Downtown Disney where Wolfgang Puck Express and Earl of Sandwich are great tasting and good value eats. The Kona Island Sushi Bar at The Poly Resort is a good early dinner choice if you like sushi. I'd get there shortly after 5 pm, though, or you may have trouble getting a seat. If you have a down day without park tickets, consider touring the resorts on the cheap. Many have incredible grounds and are wonderfully decorated. If you take a Disney bus to the French Quarter, you can buy some beignets and then take the boat on the Sassagoula River to Downtown Disney. Always great to see if the grass is greener at the other resorts and to scope out where you might like to stay on a return trip.

 

[kjs1976]

For Tickets: look at the Ebates thread, or if you are flexible, go during Homeschooling Days

For Rooms: UK version of Expedia thread or rent DVC points

Off Site: you can find some great deals at timeshare condos (just don't do a deal that requires attending a presentation). Renting from owners is often the best way.

For everything else: Buy Disney Gift Cards - 5% off when using Redcard at Target or more if you have a local Grocery Store that offers fuelperks/fuel rewards and you get a double deal.

Free Dining at a Value Resort if you have only 4 people in your party (still good deal with 2 or 3 people). If you have more than 4, it depends as you will need 2 rooms. Use Disney Gift Cards bought above to pay for it (you CAN do this) and save an additional 5+%

I second all of this!!! We are doing the expdia uk resort deal and I already did the ebates deal, which yielded us $164!! We will do the $50 gift cards at target with our red card in a couple of weeks but will use ours for food and souvenirs.

Do you have junk around your house you could sell?? Think EBAY!!!!! The day after Xmas this past year I was going though a declutter phase...you know, get rid of the xmas boxes and put all the new stuff away, plus declutter the old to make way for the new. Then I took it a step further and decided to list some old stuff on eBay. We've done that here and there over the past 10 yrs, but this year I've taken it to a whole other level! OMG, our trash has become someone else's treasure! We've probably made over $700 (plus another $100 on craigslist) since the end of December. I have a DD 6 so I've been able to sell a lot of her clothes that she's grown out of or new stuff she never fit into. I use Clinique make up and get free samples from them when I buy with different promotions and guess what? Those go for $$$!! Yesterday I listed and sold one of DH's flannel shirts from target that he wore ONCE and a very ugly pair of new wool socks that my monster in law got me for Xmas. Normally I would have sold about half the stuff at a garage sale this summer for not even half of what I've made on eBay. We live in MN so it's been a fun Winter hobby when it's been so darn cold and snowy.

Keep reading all the threads on saving here on the dis and you will have saved your way to a WDW trip in no time at all! Good Luck!

 

[mafibisha]

I don't buy the dining plan. I just can't eat all of the extra desserts, the refillable mug is not a good value for me as I don't need all of the extra sugary pop and .

Haven't been for awhile so do the resorts still have the slushies available in the refillable mugs?

And what do the mugs look like now? If they're still cute, DD1 loves them for using at home too, long after the trip.

 

[Marionnette]

Haven't been for awhile so do the resorts still have the slushies available in the refillable mugs?

And what do the mugs look like now? If they're still cute, DD1 loves them for using at home too, long after the trip.

New RFID chipped refillable mugs were just rolled out. There are pictures of them here:
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2014/02/21/news-redesigned-refillable-mugs-at-disney-world-resorts/
I like them better than the old "beach" theme mugs. I'm so glad that they finally brought out the new design!

 

[Frugal Kev]

Eat breakfast in your hotel room. We always pack instant oatmeal, bagels and fruit in our luggage to eat in the room. You can microwave water to make oatmeal and eat everything else without cooking it.

 

[AliceandAriel]

Eat breakfast in your hotel room. We always pack instant oatmeal, bagels and fruit in our luggage to eat in the room. You can microwave water to make oatmeal and eat everything else without cooking it.

Correction: Eat one (1) meal a day in your room. Doesn't have to be breakfast, especially because breakfast is one of the cheapest types of food to (typically) eat out in WDW.

If possible, plan a way to make dinner the cheapest. Be it either by eating a late lunch that bridges over for dinner, and then a snack or two at night, or by making it in your room if you can.

Also; pack snacks. This is especially important if you're an allergy diner who can't have certain things. I made the mistake this trip of buying snacks as I was hungry, and paying $3+ for tiny bags of dried fruit or other safe foods for me. I'll be packing a boat-load of safe snacks this next trip, and maybe decorating them in a Disney style over the wrapper to make it 'cooler'.

If you have a room with a kitchenette or full kitchen, order food to be delivered that you can make that will not be as expensive as eating out on-site. Or buy it yourself, even! Disney will charge you $3.19 (as of February 2014) for a single serving size container of chocolate Soy milk. You can get a whole container of it for a little bit more than that at the supermarket!

 

[k&Jsmom]

When you are thirsty you don't have to spend the money on bottled water. All the counter service restaurants will give you free ice water.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Correction: Eat one (1) meal a day in your room. Doesn't have to be breakfast, especially because breakfast is one of the cheapest types of food to (typically) eat out in WDW.

If possible, plan a way to make dinner the cheapest. Be it either by eating a late lunch that bridges over for dinner, and then a snack or two at night, or by making it in your room if you can.

Also; pack snacks. This is especially important if you're an allergy diner who can't have certain things. I made the mistake this trip of buying snacks as I was hungry, and paying $3+ for tiny bags of dried fruit or other safe foods for me. I'll be packing a boat-load of safe snacks this next trip, and maybe decorating them in a Disney style over the wrapper to make it 'cooler'.

If you have a room with a kitchenette or full kitchen, order food to be delivered that you can make that will not be as expensive as eating out on-site. Or buy it yourself, even! Disney will charge you $3.19 (as of February 2014) for a single serving size container of chocolate Soy milk. You can get a whole container of it for a little bit more than that at the supermarket!

So true about breakfast. We try to eat breakfast late like a 10:45 reservation that way it serves as breakfast and lunch and saves us money.

Take snacks into the park with us is a huge savings.

 

[Marionnette]

Correction: Eat one (1) meal a day in your room. Doesn't have to be breakfast, especially because breakfast is one of the cheapest types of food to (typically) eat out in WDW.

Yes, but when you're in Disney, time is also money. Breakfast is the only meal that you can eat while all of the parks are still closed. Lunch and dinner take place when the parks are open. You could be touring instead of heading back to your resort for a dinner of Ramen Noodles. You can take turns eating breakfast while other family members shower and dress for the day, which is a more efficient use of time than waiting for everyone to get ready and then heading off for breakfast. Breakfast is also the easiest meal to prepare in your resort room and doesn't have lingering food smells that you would have to sleep with all night.

 

[mafibisha]

Yes, but when you're in Disney, time is also money. Breakfast is the only meal that you can eat while all of the parks are still closed. Lunch and dinner take place when the parks are open. You could be touring instead of heading back to your resort for a dinner of Ramen Noodles. You can take turns eating breakfast while other family members shower and dress for the day, which is a more efficient use of time than waiting for everyone to get ready and then heading off for breakfast. Breakfast is also the easiest meal to prepare in your resort room and doesn't have lingering food smells that you would have to sleep with all night.

I totally agree with this it! and it works well 100% of the time!

On the day we check out, we treat ourselves to a breakfast from the resort and eat it sitting by the pool. Difficult to eat though as we're crying from having to leave

 

[fairygodmomma]

This is our first trip to Walt Disney World : We are trying to save money by
-staying offsite at wyndham bonnet creek $900 for 7 nights
-bought tickets through ebates on orbitz 20% $491 cash back
-1 night at the new cabana hotel at Universal through ebates as well 6% $9 back
-using our target red card to purchase Disney gift cards for our dining and souveniers at Disney 5% discount
-we plan on eating most of our breakfast and at least a couple of dinners in our room since we have the kitchen.
-we plan on taking frozen water bottles and snacks into the parks with us
Does anyone have anymore suggestions? I want my family to have a great trip but stretch every dollar we can.