Cheapest Way to do Disney

[elishakaylen]

I am planning a trip for Dec 15-20 for me and my boyfriend, but definitely on a low budget!

Any tips are appreciated!

 

[blackacex2]

Rent DVC points. Check out http://www.dvcrequest.com/ . You will get to stay at a deluxe for near the price of a value resort.

Don't do the meal plan, it's not for people who are looking to save money.

Order your tickets ahead of time from undercover tourist. Search the boards for more info on that. The savings aren't huge, but could be around $50 for two 5 day tickets.

Don't get park hoppers unless you are absolutely obsessed with the idea of doing more than one park in a day. I've been 3 times in the past 3 years and we never felt the need to park hop.

Consider renting a car. Car rentals are dirt cheap in Orlando. Use the car to go to walmart your first night and buy food, water etc. and save big money vs paying for all food in disney.

Carefully consider if it's worth it to you to pay $100 for a meal at signature restaurants. You may be just as happy paying half the price eating Delicious but not-so-fancy food at other table service places.

Don't get sucked into to buying tons of souvenirs. Buy a few things that are memorable. Don't get addicted to pin collecting. The pins will probably sit in a drawer at home all year.

Most of all: Maximize your time there! Make sure you don't wear yourself out at the parks to the point you can't enjoy yourself. Plan ahead so you will see the parades, fireworks, and shows... you don't want to miss that stuff!

 

[DisneyEater]

I will agree with what most of the previous poster said except that I would not rent a car. It is not necessary in WDW as there is transportation that will take you everywhere. If you want groceries, you could take a cab or use one of the grocery delivery services. For 2 adults, I would probably just recommend ordering a case or two of water from staples.com (I think they have free shipping) because you will probably be eating out a lot.

I just think a car rental would be a waste if you are looking to save money and there are other ways around that expense.

 

[CarolineB]

You don't say if you're going to have a car or if you're confined to just the WDW property. Where are you staying?? On site / off site -- kitchen, no kitchen, breakfast included.

 

[Nayan]

What kind of a budget trip are you talking? Are you driving or flying? Where do you want to stay, on or off site? Are you flexible on your dates to take advantage of savings? A little more info please!

 

[brymolmom]

I will disagree with the posters who recommend DVC point rental. While that is a much more inexpensive way to stay in deluxe accomodations...if budget is a big concern, it is still way too expensive - ESPECIALLY if you are driving.

OP - where are you coming from? Can you drive to WDW?

If you can drive, by far the least expensive way to go is to stay at a nearby, inexpensive hotel or condo. You can likely find something in the range of $300 - $400 for a week this way. Even adding in parking at $15 a day - this will still save you at least a few hundred dollars off of staying onsite.

Make sure the place you have has a frig or bring a good cooler (again if you are driving).

Make a grocery stop. For $50 - $75 you should be able to get all breakfasts (unless you choose a place where breakfast is included), all lunches covered. For dinners, I would choose one sit down meal (if budget allows), 2 or 3 counter service meals and then for the other dinners do take out to your condo on your way back to the room (take out a pizza for $15 or similar).

For tickets - buy them online from undercovertourist BEFORE this year's price increase. You do not NEED park hoppers and can easily save a hundred bucks by leaving this out of your budget.

All told - if you drive and can follow most of the above - You could do it for somewhere around $1300 I would guess.

Not sure how this compares to the budget figure you have in mind.

 

[serene56]

I will disagree with the posters who recommend DVC point rental. While that is a much more inexpensive way to stay in deluxe accomodations...if budget is a big concern, it is still way too expensive - ESPECIALLY if you are driving..

cheap and disney does not go hand in hand. Tickets alone costs quite a bit much and that is my huge budget buster. and park hoppers cost 55.00 pp so no hopping

I found renting the DVC points was doubling my budget.

Look into what a value wold cost for that time frame. but if looking to do it cheap-- look at the begining of Dec. maybe the second week

 

[elishakaylen]

We will be driving to Disney, we live in North Florida, so its only about an 8 hour drive. Which also means we can take advantage of the Florida Resident park tickets!

Unfortunately the dates aren't all that flexible because I have finals the second week of December, and was really hoping to be in Disney on my birthday (the 19th).

Planning to stay on site, probably at one of the All-Star resorts. Figured that would save on parking fees at the parks because we can use Disney transportation to most places.

 

[christineann]

Downtown Disney hotels are another option. All but one or two charge for parking (check the website). You can walk to Downtown Disney, and the shuttle service from the hotels to the parks is good. We drove to the hotel and didn't use our car again until we checked out (now that's what I call a vacation!)

 

[honeydiane1953]

I have been a member for years here and visited WDW five or more times. I have learned A LOT of tips. Disney is not cheap. These are the most expensive vacations we take. It's more than a RCL cruise. Disney does not go with cheap. good luck

 

[disneybirds]

The cheapest trip we ever took was during early December when we stayed offsite at Windsor Hills. We were able to get a 3 bedroom/2 bath condo for $100 a night. I prefer to stay onsite, but you might want to consider Windsor Hills since the condos have kitchens.

 

[leebee]

Just look carefully at the price breakdown, but you have some good advice here. It just depends on what kind of a vacation you want. You are driving, so you don't need to rent a car, which saves a LOT of money and makes staying offsite a consideration. Carefully compare the costs of an onsite hotel (which will save you $15 a day in parking) to an offsite condo or hotel room. Not sure if you can get a good "room only" rate at Disney at that time of year, but check it out. OK, I just looked: For Dec. 15-20, All Star Movies is $550 for room-only; that's $95 a night except for Sunday which is $110 a night, including tax, without park passes or food. Figuring you will have 4 park days, if you can find a hotel for less than $490 for 5 nights, you will save money staying offsite (I deducted the cost of parking at the theme parks). If you will be at the parks for more days, take $15 per day off your available hotel rate. Just look for a hotel that offers breakfast, or a microwave and fridge in your room, and you'll be all set for breakfast and snacks. (so for 5 nights with 4 park days, look for a hotel room in the $80 range and you'll at least break even).

sign up for the mousesavers.com newsletter. Every month, you will have access to slightly discounted WDW tickets; not sure Florida resident tickets are offered there, but it's worth a shot. Also check the blackout dates on FL resident tickets to make sure you aren't shut out, although I think you'll be fine.

Just remember what's important to you. Don't let people tell you you HAVE to stay onsite, HAVE to rent DVC points, HAVE to have a dining plan, park hopper, eat sit down restaurant meals every night, buy souvenirs, etc. If "CHEAP" is what's important, you can do it cheapLY... cheap for Disney. If you only have $500 to spend for your whole vacation, maybe think about staying for fewer days or going somewhere else. (yes, it's possible...)

 

[torinsmom]

Stay offsite. Use Priceline to get a hotel in the Disney area(someone can tell you what zones are best) Just bid on a 3.5* +. You can usually get one for under $50/night, but start at $30.

Get the Florida resident tickets since you can.

Eat most meals offsite. Check restaurant.com and see if there are deals there you can use.

Get free ice water at the parks vs. buying sodas. You can bring crystal lite type packs to add flavor. Bring whatever sodas you like from home, so you can save money at the hotel. Also bring snacks you like. You can even bring snacks in the park.

Limit souvenirs.

That's the cheapest tips I know. We go cheap every year and have great trips.

 

[burnurcomputer]

We will be driving to Disney, we live in North Florida, so its only about an 8 hour drive. Which also means we can take advantage of the Florida Resident park tickets!

Unfortunately the dates aren't all that flexible because I have finals the second week of December, and was really hoping to be in Disney on my birthday (the 19th).

Planning to stay on site, probably at one of the All-Star resorts. Figured that would save on parking fees at the parks because we can use Disney transportation to most places.

Forget the resident pass and get a YES program for college students!! That way you get a super awesome experience to go with your trip!

 

[Marionnette]

Forget the resident pass and get a YES program for college students!! That way you get a super awesome experience to go with your trip!

There is no individual enrollment for college students. Only groups.
http://www.disneyyouth.com/college/overview/

 

[Marionnette]

I am planning a trip for Dec 15-20 for me and my boyfriend, but definitely on a low budget!

Any tips are appreciated!

Drive to Orlando if you can make it in less than 2 days. Take turns driving and skip a hotel stay along the way. Pack a cooler of food for the drive so that you don't have to spend money on fast food during the trip. Avoid the toll roads if you can.

Stay offsite. Check skyauction.com for cheap condos and resorts. Make sure that you read the fine print before bidding.

Eat breakfast in your room. Make a few meals there as well if you have a kitchenette. Even a frozen lasagna and bagged salad will be cheaper than a meal at McDonald's. Pack a soft-sided cooler with sandwiches, fruit and water for the parks.

Look for cheaper tickets through your employer, school or one of the online ticket resellers. They will not be cheap. They will most likely be the biggest single expense in your budget. Don't get the hopping option and do not buy more days than you need. You can always add a day or two to your tickets once you are at Disney if you find that you have the time and money.

Look for free or cheap things to do around your resort and Disney. Mousesavers.com has a whole list of cheap activities.

Don't buy souvenirs, alcohol or snacks. If you're doing a cheap trip then those things are frivolous expenses.

But even with all the advice that you've gotten, you'll have to accept that there is no such thing as a "cheap" Disney trip. It may not be the most expensive vacation that I've ever taken, but it is far from the cheapest.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You can take your own snacks and drinks into the park. Which is a huge money saver! I nearly fell over this last trip I saw a bag of Snyder pretezels for $3.95 and I just so happened to have the exact same bag in my backpack and pulled it out. The price stamped on my bag was .79 cents!!!!

If you want to eat a Disney I would recommend eating a late lunch that way you are paying lunch price but eating closer to dinner time. We tend to eat 95% of our meals offsite because it is so much cheaper.

Earl of Sandwich at DTD has great prices and though it looks crowded the line moves very fast.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

If you are really aimed at a budget trip then you can save money by staying offsite (even taking into consideration parking and gas costs).

Eating offsite can save you some money but it really depends on what you want to eat. We don't eat fast food and I don't want to cook on vacation, we can find budget friendly meals onsite often easier than offsite but that is just our eating preferences too

 

[budafam]

Don't listen to everyone saying you can't do Disney cheap. You really can! Our last two trips costed less than $2,000 each. Our next trip would have been well over $5,000 but with smart planning I have saved us over $2,000. Look into Bonnet Creek... it's in Disney's gates, they have free transportation and you would have a full kitchen to be able to make all of your meals to save money. There's not much of a way to save on tickets unfortunately. As for gas money, use credit cards that get perks... pay them off every month and you get free money! Sign up on Quickrewards.net and start doing surveys. I earn a $25 giftcard every few weeks or so for Disney. By the time you go, you could easily have close to $200 in free Disney money to use (good for food or souvenirs!)

 

[leebee]

You can also check betterbidding.com for help with Priceline and Hotwire hotels. They have extensive lists and experience, and with Hotwire you can pretty much nail the hotel identity, using locations, stars, and amenities, before actually purchasing. Every time I've used betterbidding.com for Hotwire bids, I've accurately predicted the hotel before making the purchase.