How to save?

[JennyDrake]

Lots of good info here and I will echo some of it and add some of my own:

You are correct that nothing really saves you WOW! amounts on tickets. Eliminating PH will help, but as a PPer said, matter of personal choice.

Bringing breakfast and snacks really helps. I keep a granola bar with me and as I'm not a big breakfast eater I can easily pack something to eat. I will buy one bottled drink and then refill with water all day. Healthier than sodas all day for sure!

As far as food goes, drinks, snacks and alcohol are what will eat you alive before you know it. Meal portions tend to be average to large.

A GF and I went 3x last year and ate only CS and no alcohol. She was on a Dr. supervised weight loss program. We did breakfast in the room and we ate for less than $40/day/person including a drink and usually a snack inside the parks. In fact, we're going back next week.

While I'm a Hard Core Foodie and I relish many of WDW TS, it is getting harder and harder to justify the cost.

I don't buy a lot of souvenirs, but I can tell you they cost a lot more than you'd think and it can add up quickly. When I've taken kids (nieces and nephew) w/ me, they have their souvenir budget and I didn't allow them to buy anything the first half of the trip. Knowing that they HAD to wait seemed to take a lot of the impulse out of buying.

 

[kelly3927]

To handle the gift shop meltdowns what I did last time we went is created Disney dollars on my home pc and printed them out. Throughout the time before we leave, the kids can earn them by doing extra chores, extra good behavior, good deeds, etc. When we get close to leaving I go to the store and turn their Disney dollars in to gift cards.

They then get a lesson in budgeting also, and they get to decide what they want to purchase with their gift card. If they don't have enough they can't get it.

 

[Marionnette]

We are going to Disney at the end of august. I booked our resort with a pin and saved 30% off. (I booked it just to have it reserved in case another good sale didn't come along)
But other than resort, how do you guys save money when you go?
Park tix, food, extra entertainment. I've heard of undercover tourist and checked it out today but it seemed like we would only save $10-20.
Have you gotten dining plan and and didn't save?
Or did you not get and wish you would have as you can pick anything on the menu?

Park tickets - be aware of the discounts that are available to you. Check HR at work to see if they offer discounted tickets. Get the military or FL resident tix if you qualify. Do you own DVC? There are discounts available on APs and PAPs. AAA has discount tickets if you're nervous about buying from other sources. The best deal out there right now is buying from Orbitz thru the ebates portal.

Food - Check for deals offered by Rainforest on kids' meals. Join the Landry's Select club for birthday bonuses and discounts at RFC, Yak&Yeti and T-Rex. Check Restaurant.com for GCs for restaurants located in the Swan & Dolphin or even offsite locations if you have a car. Starbucks GCs can be used at the Disney locations in MK and Epcot. Starbucks frequently offers deals on their GCs where you can get bonus $ on your card. If you qualify, get the TiW card that was previously mentioned.

Extra Entertainment - Buy Disney GCs at a discount by combining a the Target REDCard and Target Pharmacy discount card for a total discount of 9.75% off of the face value of the card.

I've been there with and without the dining plan. The last time that I got it, I felt that it was too much effort to try to "get my money's worth". I would rather order what I want and pay for just that. I don't like forgoing the appetizer because it's not included or ordering a dessert that I don't really want just because it is included.