$$$$ Saving suggestions for a family of six please!

[momlvsdsny]

While this is not my first trip to Disney, this will be the first trip for all six of us going together. My kids vary in age from 15 to 4. Any helpful $$$ saving suggestions that I might not think of on my own would be greatly appreciated. I really love this site!!!!

Thanks!!

 

[GaTech]

I don't know how much I can help because my family of six includes 4 kids under age 8. I think that getting two connecting rooms at a value resort is the least expensive way to go unless you stay at the Ft Wilderness Cabins. Depending on the number of days you are staying look into annual passes. It may be cheaper to get one annual pass to get the room discounts and the regular passes for eveyone else.

I'm curious what others have to say.

 

[momlvsdsny]

Thank you! Actually, my husband booked our room and got our 4 day hopper tickets already(or whatever they are called now). Though now, he is thinking of adding to our stay, to see more. We will be staying off site at the Holiday Inn Nikki Bird. Any suggestions on saving while in the parks would be great!!! I have seen both you can and cannot take water/snacks into the parks. Anyone know??

Thank you!

 

[stacy6552]

bring your own snacks and water. That alone can save you big $$$ for a family of 6.

 

[Mom to Jordan]

Eat a big breakfast before you enter the parks, carry snacks and try to hold off your big evening meal till you leave at the end of the day. Eat counter service for lunch and share as much as you can. Put the kids in charge of their own spending money and eliminate the "buy me this".

Jordan's mom

 

[BUCKEYE MICKEY]

When in Epcot look in the shops, they have inexspensive suveniers. I think China had fans for $3, that they put your name on. Not "disney", but is still treasured by my DDs.
Late lunches, we liked buffets then had something smaller for dinner.
Snacks in the park a must, even those new powered drinks for bottle water, if nothing else individual snack packages- this helped at the airport also.
Doghunuts / poptarts for breakfast in the hotel room, or find a mcd's on the way to the park.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Buy disposable ponchos at the dollar store. Buy lots so you can just throw them away. Also at the dollar store I've gotten things like Big Mickey lollipops and glow in the dark necklaces. They can save you from lots of the "gimmies". I stopped buying each kid their own individual kids meal at counter service restaurants. I started buying 2 for the 3 kids to share and there was always some leftover. Definitely bring your own water into the parks.

 

[Buzz's_girl]

Depending on the ages of your kids, you might consider having them share meals. I think all the meals (Counter service and table) are fairly good sized portions...my kids usually share.

We plan on bringing in some snacks as well.

Depending on what time of year you are going I would say definitley bring water....it was 2.50 last time I was there for one bottle of water. Bringing your own can save a lot of money.

 

[Amirah95]

Yes, you've saved a lot of money deciding to stay offsite. Nikki Bird is not far from the maingates. As others recommended, try not to eat big meals in the parks and if you are really trying to hold on to your money you may want to break in the afternoons to get lunch and go back to the parks.

How many sit down meals are you going to schedule? Limiting those can save you tons as well.

 

[GaTech]

You can get free water anywhere you go so you don't have to carry it around. I would get 2 cups of ice water at the counter service locations and they would give it to me with a smile. I didn't purchase anything else and they would use large cups as well. I know that some people are loyal to bottled water but the water tasted fine to us.

Another thing we did was to eat a light breakfast(granola bars or pop tarts) on days that we had a character meal at lunch. We would fill up at the buffet so dinner would end up being a light meal also. With little kids the air conditioning, seating, characters and break from the crowds were also a plus of the charcater meals.

 

[soccermom5]

we are a family of 7 although this will be our first trip to disney we have taken many other trips and the main thing we do is ngive each child their own budget so if my dd wants an iceceram but we already had a snack its her money the same with the others, we find this cuts on alot of i want this i want that the kids will not spend as much money this way my dd11 asked if she doesnt spend her $ in wdw can she take it shopping for clothes at te mall

 

[eeyore kelly]

take advantage of free and very cheap souvies. Some are:

Some of our favorite FREE souvenirs:
The Room Keys! These are great souvenirs.
In your room, they provide stationery and/or postcards from the resort. These are also great souvenirs. And don't forget the Disney Resort Pen!
Napkins that have the WDW logo on them.
Theme Park Guide Maps.
At the end of Mission: Space attraction, you can send free e-mail postcards at the Postcards from Space booths in the Advanced Training Lab.

Popcorn in each park comes in a cup/pail thing to go with each park

Get a picture of on the Star Tours speeder bike

Over at Innoventions West, you can pick up a cool and, believe it or not, FREE souvenir. After a three-minute show, the Cast Members at the Pixography station in the Xerox exhibit will take a digital color photo of you and your group, then mount it on a calendar or other Epcot-related design, so that you can take it home.

At the plastics exhibit in one of the Innoventions buildings (I think it's East but not sure) you can design and build a toy robot which you can keep.

 

[DissyLove]

Also remember if you order at a counter service restaurant in the parks, you can order the items ala carte if you don't want the whole meal that is pictured. My family usually gets a few meals (with the sandwich and fries) and then a couple of only sandwiches. That way we split the fries and save a few dollars off of the "meals".

Also we bring in snacks for mid-morning and mid-afternoon, I bring a small tupperware container for each of the kids filled with crackers or whatever kind of snack they like, that way we are not always buying the popcorn, and ice creams at the stands.

 

[jenr812]

Great tips in this thread - how cool about the free stuff at Epcot

 

[zdesiree]

I'm going for December and we are 5, but my mother, grandmother and mother in law are going too, that makes us 8. I've been doing a lot of research since we are going on a tight budget. But the thing is that it looks like the best is staying on site, but when you are on a tight budget it looks difficult. What it seems to be less expensive is renting DVC points for your staying. You should try to do the exercise because for me was a big difference, we are going to stay in Old Key West / 2 bdr villa (sleeps 8).

 

[Lesli54]

When we went a few years ago as a family of 5, we stopped at Cosmic Ray's for lunch. Getting the "meal deals" can be quite costly, so we ordered 2 roasted chickens (they were small) and a couple of sides. Everyone shared. It was just enough to satisfy for lunch without weighing you down with too much food.
If you take water bottles, you can refill them. For the most part, we had snack bars with us, but a two of the nights, my DH "splurged" for special treats in the park. The kids didn't mind.
We stayed in a Disney hotel with a mini fridge and microwave. That helps because you can have breakfast and sandwich fixings available in your room.

This year we are a family of 6 and staying DVC. It turns out to be a better deal for us because we can return to the rooms at anytime to prepare full meals. Besides, it is not always easy getting adjoining rooms.

And always, let the kids have their own "souvenir" money, even the young ones. If they work for it or do odd chores around the house to earn it, they will spend it wisely on something they really want. That eliminates alot of unnecessary purchasing from mom & dad.

 

[anditoo72]

Eat a big breakfast and bring snacks and water to the park.

If you want to do a character meal and not spend the $ try the Ice Cream Social at Epcot's the Garden Grill Restaurant $6.99 a person adults and children good price!!! and you get ice cream, yummmy!!!!

Meals eat out of the park, obviously I would recommend Sweet Tomatoes, its buffet and really yummy!

Have relatives give the kids disney dollars for birthdays or holidays (including easter instead of to much candy) Have one specific day to go to Downtown Disney and let them spend the money on what they want. Let them know this before going in the parks so they know they will have a day to spend. If you don't want to ask relatives, give them specific chores to do to earn some money for Disney and put it in a clear piggy bank for each of them that they are not allowed to touch they will be able to track thier progress and it might get them to do more to get more. Let them roll the change and change them for disney dollars just before you leave.

Hit the sales at the Disney Store or Disney Direct this past weekend I just got sweatshirts for everyone for 9.99 a piece, bring your treasures to the parks and leave them for the kids in the morning from Mickey as a little treat could be anything from a lollipop to a glow necklace (night parades) to a t-shirt. You wouldn't believe how much $ you can save.

They have a campfire program at Fort Wilderness that is free (features chip and dale) and then a Disney movie plays (also free). Then you could go down to the FW beach and watch the Electrical light pagent and you can see wishes right after the pagent (also free). (I am not totally sure all these are just for resort guest, you might want to check on that). If you wanted to make it a whole night, FW Trails End puts on a great buffet for good price, that would give you reason to be there, then enjoy the rest of the events.

That is all I can think of for now!!!

 

[elan]

At Figment in Epcot you can also send some cool emails of pictures taken of you that you have altered with a computer.

At fast food counters order a double hamburger instsead of a single. For a dollar more we could split the double hamburger between 3 people.

For fast food go to Pecos Bill or Cosmic Rays for the fixins bar.

If you want to eat at a character meal or eat at a sit down rest. breakfast and lunch are cheaper. A lot of rest. have huge sandwiches you can split. You can check the menus and prices at allearsnet.com while planning and have a good idea what you will spend.

Collect some pixie dust from behind Cinderella's castle. (It's Mickey confetti).

I'm not sure if the Land will be open while you are there but I've heard you can decorate cookies there, for free.

Take the boat to WL and do the hidden Mickey hunt.

Make your own autograph books.

 

[gurleym]

I have been to WDW more than 10 times in the last 13 years and we have never had a problem with taking snacks into the park. We have also packed sandwiches, chips the whole nine yards with no problem. Most hotels have at least a continental breakfast so make sure you take advantage of it. We also found that we would take a snack in the park and then leave the park for a late lunch like at a buffet so there is plenty of choices for everyone to choose from. Then for dinner we would just get a little something because after a big lunch you will find you are not very hungry. As far as souvies go I always tell my kids look around see what you like and then at the end of the day we will go back and get 1 thing. This also keeps you from having to carry it around the park all day. You will find that after tickets are bought and the hotel is paid for dining is the most exspensive thing. Another great ight to visit is mousesavers.com they have lots of ideas also.

 

[elan]

momlvsdsny

Don't forget to check out the budget board here on the DIS. You'll find LOTS of ideas there.