Best money saving tips for 1st time visit to WDW

[Chinita129]

I'm starting to plan my family's first trip to Disney. I'm a single mom of two kids (almost 5 & almost 7) on a very limited budget and I'd love to know your best tips for saving money - when to visit, how long, best type of ticket to get, must see attractions, etc. I have very reasonable expectations based on my budget like willing to go for only 3 - 4 days and only visiting certain parks. I'm just tired of waiting to be able to go all out. They'll be so excited and overjoyed to be there for the first time that I just want to get planning

 

[MacDalt]

Just go and enjoy what you can! Don't wait for the perfect trip. It may not happen. Don't stress about what you are missing or things you can't see. Just enjoy the thing you do get to do and see. It's all great!! My money saving tip is this: do not buy drinks in the parks. Ice water in cups (not bottles) is FREE. You can add your own flavor packet or just drink it plain. It's FREE. Make it work, lol! We only buy one large soda at lunch and dinner to share. All other drinks are water. Again, it's FREE! Have a great trip! Take lots of pictures! And don't be shy about asking CMs or random strangers to take the photo so you can be in it too!!

 

[WDGPCFR]

1) Go on the Disney website and put in the vacation you are thinking of. Don't book it but save it. Chances are they will send you a PIN for a discount.

2) Don't waste money on park hoppers. There is so much to do in each park you will fill the day.

3) Remember that the more days you get tickets for the cheaper they are per day.

1/3 of the fun of a Disney trip is planning it.

 

[christineann]

My first vacation "alone" with my kids after my divorce was to WDW. We stayed on property in a value, and I felt safe there with my kids. We never used the car - used the bus system. We aren't big breakfast eaters and took juice and granola/breakfast bars to eat as we were getting ready in the mornings.

One of the best money saving ideas when my kids were little was to limit the souvenirs. I told them that they could pick out a souvenir at DTD/World of Disney the last day on our way out of town. After a couple days in the parks, they had pretty clear ideas of what their favorite rides/characters were, and there were no regrets that they might have had if they had gotten souvenirs earlier. It also made the last day and ride home easier since they each had something new.

The drinks are expensive, but you can get free cups of ice water at any of the CS restaurants. Some folks take in juice boxes or flavor packets and bottled water.

Try to go in the off season if you can. You can get a good deal on a value resort. Kids love the theming (and so do adults .

Go to the dining section and look at the menus so you can get a good idea of where you and your kids will find what you like best and what it will cost. If your kids aren't big eaters, many of the meals are big enough to share. We rarely did table service, as we spent our time at shows and doing the rides (and still do).

Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[shanejoseph]

Simply do research! Just like you're doing on this site, do a search on the Internet, and get ready for an avalanche of info. There are plenty of sites that will offer free advice. However, the 1st rule to save significant $'s, will be to go in an off season and take the kids out of school. We did it once. I had no problem with it, but my wife said she'd never do it again. She let the empty threats of the school board bother her. But not me, my daughter's such an excellent student missing a few days of school will never affect her grades! But what mama wants, mama gets! Another advantage to off seasons are the smaller crowds! I find 1st timers who go in very busy seasons, usually only go that one time, because they don't get a true magical experience.
Anyway, just do your research, and find a plan that works for you! Warning though, you'll get addicted, like us!!!!

 

[MacDalt]

I thought of a few more.

•Ask at check in for My First Visit buttons. Free!
•Share meals.
•Give them gift cards with a specific amount for souvenirs. You can get a decent sized stuffed animal for $20.
•As someone earlier said, eat breakfast in the room. Fruit, granola bars, pb&j.
•Buy tshirts before you go. Disney store online has clearance or Walmart. Check online there too.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Go during the low season, stay in a value resort, watch for resort discounts either room only or free dining and figure out how many nights you can afford. After three days the ticket price doesn't jump that much and as the pp said you can skip the park hoppers. Plan for one park a day, it's fine.

You can also pack cereal, granola bars, paper bowls, spoons, etc., in your bag and get milk in the resort gift shop. Having breakfast in the room and snacks for the park will help.

Kids are happy to be in Disney so table service meals are not a requirement, but if you really want to save for one sit down meal I'd do a character breakfast which is the least expensive. You can also do it for the latest time so that it's an early lunch as well.

 

[MOpGrad2013]

You don't have to buy the autograph books! You can bring your own sketch, journal book...Any paper book with blank pages. Decorate it with stickers and you are set.

Our family is a postcard family. Everywhere we visit, we have a postcard. Some are just funny sayings, some are pictures of local attractions. They make wonderful CHEAP souveniors

When the kids were around the same age, we bought multi-packs of disposable camera. Let them take the pictures from their vantage point. I have a picture of a ladybug on my son's nose because his sister was snapping random shots.

Have you checked the mousesavers website? They have good ideas.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Don't forget the Target 10% discount!

Get a RedCard - 5% back on all purchases, including Disney "Entertainment" Cards. Sign up for online management of your pharmacy rewards - 5% back. These two discounts stack. Get enough Disney Cards to pay for the trip at your Target. Use your RedCard and your pharmacy rewards discount to get 5% and then 5% off that total. (It's not quite 10%, but close enough.)

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You can take drinks and snacks into the park with you. Saves a lot of money

 

[Bribrittmom]

A fun free thing to do is take the boat ride from Downtown Disney to Port Orleans and back. My kids loved this when they were little. Kids also like going to Animal Kingdom Lodge and watching the animals. Again,free!

 

[Chinita129]

These are great! Thanks so much I just started planning yesterday and I can totally see how this can get addicting LOL

 

[Aliceacc]

Subscribe to www.mousesavers.com They have a LOT to say about ways, large and small, to save money.

As teachers, we only go over the summer. At some point over the summer-- it depends on the resort-- they switch over to "Value Season" and prices drop.

We always place an order with www.gardengrocer.com for breakfast, park snacks and-- most important-- cases of water. Water is incredibly expensive in the parks, and garden grocer will deliver right to the resort (Where bell services will hold your order until you're in a room.)

 

[Marionnette]

I'm starting to plan my family's first trip to Disney. I'm a single mom of two kids (almost 5 & almost 7) on a very limited budget and I'd love to know your best tips for saving money - when to visit, how long, best type of ticket to get, must see attractions, etc. I have very reasonable expectations based on my budget like willing to go for only 3 - 4 days and only visiting certain parks. I'm just tired of waiting to be able to go all out. They'll be so excited and overjoyed to be there for the first time that I just want to get planning

My best money-saving tip is to not allow saving a dollar here and there cloud your "big picture" when it comes to saving money.

For instance, taking a small collapsible cooler and renting a locker to store it in so that you can bring your own food may sound like a great money-saving idea. That's until you consider the cost of the locker ($7-$9 per day plus $5 key deposit), the cost of purchasing a collapsible cooler (hard-sided coolers are not permitted in the parks) and then the cost of the food itself. By the time you factor all of that in, you're saving a lot less than you thought.

Getting ice water when you are purchasing a meal at a CS location is a great idea. You'll save $2-$3 per beverage by doing this. Standing in line just to ask for a cup of free ice water is a waste of precious park time. In that case, getting a drink from the water fountain or using refillable, filtered water bottles is a better choice.

Bring the little "emergency" things along that kids almost always need - Band Aids, Neosporin, Tylenol, etc. They're very costly in the gift shops and I have never gone to Disney without needing my first aid supplies.

Sharing meals at some CS locations can save you money IF everyone wants to eat the same thing. If not, it can be pretty miserable being the person who compromises what they want for the sake of saving a buck. It gets old very fast.

Don't get caught up in going to a specific CS restaurant just because the people on the disboards said it's got generous portions and can be shared easily. For one thing, that great CS location may not be anywhere near where you are when you're ready to eat. For another thing, those anecdotal posts are only an example of what worked well for that individual. Your mileage will vary with the age and appetites of everyone involved.

And keep in mind that when you're on vacation, time = money. You're paying a lot in both dollars and days off from work in order to go to Disney. Get the best possible deals that you can before you head out the door and then try to relax the purse strings a bit once you're there.

 

[katie111]

My best tip is to set expectations before you get there. For example, my kids know they can get one snack a day while we are in the parks (in addition to meals of course). They don't ask for more than this and some days they won't even ask for one. My other rule is that we buy all souveniers at the end of the trip. They have a set amount (usually $25) and then I will sometimes buy then a T-shirt as well, especially if they ride a big ride for the first time, i.e. Tower of Terror. I think that is plenty of "stuff" for most kids. I see people buying hundreds of dollars worth of stuff in the stores & just wonder "what the hell are they going to do with all that junk when they get home?". Another great idea is to ask grandparents, etc to give the kids Disney giftcards for b-days, holidays, etc. They can then use that $$ for their snacks and souvies. Also, definitely buy t-shirts before you leave home if you can.

Also agree with looking at the "big picture". Find the best possible deal on a hotel that you can. I usually stay at a value when I am traveling alone with the kids and you can often get great deals on 3rd party websites (Orbitz has 20% off right now). And kids love the Value resorts. You can buy your tix at Undercover Tourist and save a few dollars. I would try to stay as long as you can and definitely go when school is in session if you can (just make sure other areas of the country are not on vacation that week). My kids just love handing out at the hotel pools and that costs no $$ at all.

Have a great trip!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Will you be driving or flying? Do you have certain times of year that won't work?

If you will have your own car and can't go during free dining, the single biggest cost saved will be to stay offsite and drive yourself to the parks. The $$ saved can be pocketed or applied toward a much longer stay.

 

[ssawka]

Consider renting points from a DVC Member for your room. Yes, there are risks and generally you cannot cancel (you could get travel insurance however), but you can probably get a one-bedroom apartment (with a full kitchen) for the price of a moderate room.

 

[Happyjen27]

In order of importance:

Go in the off-season

Don't do the dining plan

Pack a suitcase full of food. I pack:
cereal, shelf stable milk (packed in large juice boxes) (last time I bought milk at the resort, not too bad of a price), homemade cookies, granola bars, goldfish crackers, box of wine (good wine is available in boxes now, not just the gross stuff), frozen go-gurt.

I prefer to buy gallons of water at the resort and refill my stainless steel water bottles rather than buy or ship a case of water.

If you're driving, you can also pack sandwich fixins so you only have to pay for dinner. I can't say I would bother with a locker/cooler, etc. Just pop them in a small lunch bag sized cooler with a little freezy pack and would carry it in my backpack. I've seen plenty of people in parks eating their packed lunch, I'm usually jealous because my QS food never looks as good or feels as healthy.

Share meals, avoid character meal buffets. No way your 2 littles are going to eat that much $$ worth of food.

Don't try to do it all to "get your money's worth". Packing more activities/attrations/rides in doesn't equal a better trip, but sometimes it does equal tired kids, tired mommy and that can make for grouchies.

 

[Heluvsme]

If you'll have your own transportation.... there's a Super Wal Mart nearby, they have TONS of Disney licensed stuff for a fraction of what the parks sell it for.

We got t-shirts with all the favorite princesses and characters on them for $6.99 each!

Plush animals, souvenir cups, necklaces.... ALL of it was there and at a fraction of the in-park prices!!

While you're there, pick up a case of water to keep in your hotel room. Buy granola bars, fruit snacks, etc to keep on hand...much cheaper than snacks in the park or at a resort store.

I agree with an earlier poster who said to not wait for the perfect trip. Just go, do it as cheaply as you can, don't think you have to do it all---- it will be there later on and gives you a reason to go back!

 

[amcnj]

If you are planning any sit down meals, check out the menus and prices ahead of time. You can save a lot by opting for lunch rather than dinner at the sit down restaurants.