******This post is currently being worked on to make it a better read. It will be broken in to "parts" so stay tuned*******
*the full version will still be available here until all series are posted*
My husband and I have been going to Disney together since the first year we were together. We got engaged there, it was our son's first vacation and we are frequent visitors. We hold annual passes, because it is a splurge that we have tried to live without, and just feel it is well worth it to have the passes.
Right now, as of 2014, you can use the monthly plan for resident annual passes, which run us around 62.00/mo total for our family (Our son does not have tickets yet) This is for the annual passes, not premier. We always use the savings offered and parking is always free, so it more than pays for itself in a couple visits, but that is for a different post.
Hotels : To stay on property or not to stay on property ;
Of course, experiencing a Disney hotel is one of those things that adds to the charm of a Disney vacation, but for us, the cost never adds up to something we feel is worth it. We have stayed at the contemporary, the budget resorts and everything in between, and aside from the SLIGHT convenience offered by monorail or ferry boat to TWO of the parks (from select hotels) it does not really matter. The other mode of transportation is the bus, which is also what off site hotels offer as their mode of transport. There are some GREAT hotels just outside downtown Disney with tons of amenities and great accommodations for half the cost.
Staying in "Downtown" Disney is a happy medium, as you can walk to Downtown Disney from most - but that will still run you a pretty penny on the off seasons. We prefer to stay in one of the many locations in celebration area that have 2 bedroom suites for the cost of a regular hotel. We usually use Hotwire to obtain regular rooms when we dont care about knowing, but the other site we use is https://entertainmenthotelbucks.com - You have to have an entertainment book to use that site, but the discounts are well worth it and we recently booked a 2 bedroom Wyndham Condo in celebration area (outside disney on the maingate side, not DTD side) for under 100.00/night.
When using Hotwire.com and Priceline.com, get familiar with betterbidding.com to try and research the hotels. It is a fun site that takes some of the guesswork out of the "process"- It allows you to bid or buy with a bit more confidence.
For a great Family Hotel with a little more "entertainment" that is off site, we recommend the The Holiday Inn Resort in Orlando. (http://www.hiresortlbv.com/) It offers an arcade, Theater that plays mostly Disney movies and a great pool area. The staff has always been amazing and they are extremely accommodating to their guests. Another great one on the celebration side is Holiday Inn (http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/kissimmee/mcoib/hoteldetail) This is within walking distance to tons of food, entertainment and fun. Across the street from Old town and down the street from the maingate entrance to Disney, this location is probably our favorite because it is easy to snag up for under 70.00/night most times.
Airfare/Gas Savings
While this is technically a post for a different kind, keep in mind your method of transportation to get to Disney. We use either our vehicle (which are all v8 trucks, so they are not fuel efficient) or if it is cheap enough, we rent a vehicle that will actually SAVE us money on gas. We do not use credit cards, however, if you are someone that does, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE GETTING ALL YOU CAN OUT OF YOUR REWARDS!!! years ago, my husband and I used cards and we would save all of our points up and get one or two awesome gift cards at the end of the year. One of those options was usually gas, and so theoretically you could be driving there for "free" (assuming you always used those credit cards to begin with and not just for points...)
The same goes for the Delta Skymiles cards. If you are going to use credit cards... be rewarded! Delta itself has one of the best loyalty programs, with free flights and companion airfare, so when possible, try and fly with them to earn toward the goals and milestones they have set forth.
If looking for a great rental, be sure to check out the hotwire and priceline car rental prices. You can name your own price and bid real low, and they will help you easily compare different companies. If you have the entertainment book, you can also use that to locate the extra deals.
Time of year to visit for savings :
As a Floridian I can tell you this; July and August would be a smart time to NOT visit unless you are planning on water park fun. While Disney does an amazing job at having a mix of inside and outside attractions, if you are not equipped for Florida heat, you will not enjoy it. There is no reason to not enjoy your Disney vacation, so go ahead and wait for the "fall" (which in Florida, is just slightly cooler then summer!) October and December are fun times to come, but keep in mind, hotels will be more expensive because the area attractions run holiday events. There are a couple weeks in early November where nothing is happening, so if you want to try and get in there, you can find decent rates.
As far as time of year for ticket costs, if you are a FL resident, consider around mid January, Before May. For at least the last 4 years, Disney has run some promotion for ticket sales during that time. One year it was a 3 day for 99, another 4 day for 129 and another was 3 day or 4 day option for 119 and 129. It usually ends around May 24, when they kick off their summer time events, so all dates on those tickets will need to be used by then. Those will not be park hopper tickets, so keep that in mind if you plan on visiting two parks in one day- it will take TWO days off that pass. It is still an awesome deal, and hotels tend to be cheaper during that period straight until June.
For a non FL resident, your ticket costs really will not vary. There have been sites that have claimed to be able to lower costs or show you where to save, but the only legitimate way I have ever heard about is a timeshare presentation in the area who will usually throw free tickets at you. I do not personally know of any, so I will NOT comment on those. Look to save money everywhere else you can if you can not find a ticket discount.
Entertainment & Souvenirs
Our son is a very gracious kid, he does not ask for much. A couple lollipops and he is good. We are sure that will change (at any given moment) so we are always prepared. In case you have not noticed, the dollar tree is MY FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH (next to Disney World) - and they carry alot of Disney items. From Mickey figures, to Mickey puzzles and sometimes I can even catch some other Disney characters (today I bought all the figures from Nemo, little mermaid and monsters!!!) I keep these on hand, as well as some mickey shaped lollipops (or sometimes regular, he doesn't notice too much yet) and on the rare occasion he asks for something, and if we feel his behavior warranted it, we will allow him something we "bought" of our "pick" as a "surprise" - He has always been very very excited with the dollar tree mickey I pull out with a lollipop and there ya go- no 25.00 stuffed Stitch doll to collect dust. We understand as he gets older, he will have different phases where he will just absolutely "have to have it!" - we have discussed it and he will be given a Disney Gift card each year (probably 100.00 is what we have discussed, less for the younger years) and we hope that he will have learned enough to budget that wisely throughout all the visits that year. If not, well then.... he might not be mine :)
While you are sure to be all worn out from your Disney days, keep in mind Orlando offers alot of entertainment for your "off" days. Make sure to stop in your hotel lobby for the coupons they give away. There is something for everyone. Airboat rides, chocolate tours and mini golf. There will also be food coupons there in the coupon books, so keep a couple on you for when you eat off site.
On Site eating
If you are not staying on site and participating in the dining package, you will need to think about food for the days in the park. While it is tempting to make as many reservations at the coolest restaurants, we prefer to skip that and eat off site. With that being said, there are many great options we have tried on site and many ways to save money.
One of the coolest things I learned years ago from a cast member was that many of the smaller walk up counter services often a smaller version (and less expensive) of the menu for the larger sit down restaurants near it. For example, in Liberty Square(MK) there is a restaurant that serves A lobster roll, a soup and quite a few other dishes, but there is also a sit down restaurant that serves the same food at a higher cost. This is also true in the countries in Epcot. Our favorite place is China to grab a nice quick meal. they offer potstickers, orange chicken and other great food at an affordable cost, however, the sit down restaurant next door offers a larger menu, while still having some of the same items, at a higher cost.
My best advice while in Magic Kingdom is to save room for a dole whip float (pineapple or root beer is great!!) At under 5.00, two people (or three in our case) would easily be able to share it and be full.
A couple other places that we find inexpensive and good to grab a bite are: Peco Bill's - They are your normal hot dogs and hamburgers but what makes this place special is their onion and mushroom bar. That's right, fresh sauteed mushrooms and onions (separate of course!) right there on the condiment table. I may or may not buy a bun for 1.00 each and every time and load it high with just veggies!!!- talk about a cheapo lunch!
Tortuga Tavern: You could almost miss this place if you didnt know it was there. Right across from the Pirate's ride, stop in for a rather filling burrito. I think this place is a very good value for your money, and it is also counter service which makes it no fuss. - we like no fuss
If you are looking for fresh and fast, or maybe a fruit cup to go with the lunch you brought, most of the counter service will have a fruit cup side, but there are also stands in many of the parks that carry Fresh Fruit (Animal Kingdom has MANY, including one right by the safari (***ps, the safari is a must do!***), they also have them in Hollywood studios on your way to the Tower of Terror - There are plenty more, so keep your eyes peeled !)
If you are wanting a sit down restaurant, MAKE RESERVATIONS AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS YOU CAN. keep in mind, you will need to reserve with deposit on a credit card if it is a special dining event or buffet. For a regular restaurant, you will need a credit card, but there will be no deposit. You will lose money by not showing up though, so keep track of that. When making reservations , look online, there are full menus on Disney's website with prices. You can see that some places offer the same menu, but lower prices for lunch, while some offer the same price with the same menu, no matter which meal of the day it is.
Bring it
I CAN NOT SAY THIS ENOUGH- never ever ever buy a drink in the park. You are able to bring in food and drinks, and I am constantly surprised that people do not know that.
You do not have to worry about freezing/keeping cold- any walk up counter will give you a cup of ice in a regular size cup- as many as you need. We like to bring about 6 bottles of water for three of us, some gatorade packets and then me and my husband usually bring one or two cans of soda for us as a pick me up. I have actually even packed a cut up lemon before for my son's water! Remember, you can not bring your cup on the rides, so only pour what you can drink, and you wont waste any of the drinks - once bag check is complete, we put the bag with all the food/drinks in the bottom of the stroller so we are not toting it around on our backs all day.- Look at the chart below if you think I am kidding about the savings. I am a firm believer that drinks is where they get you!
Comparison : 8 drinks in park at 3.00 each = 24.00/day VS 8 Drinks brought at around .25 each= 2.00
$22.00 SAVINGS EACH DAY - ON A 5 DAY TRIP THAT IS OVER $100.00, OR ROUGHLY THE COST OF A HOTEL ROOM OFF SITE.
If you want to go the complete money saving way (and especially if you have a stroller where you can keep the bag) BRING YOUR OWN FOODS/SNACKS. we often bring sandwiches for my son ( pb&j) crackers, fruit snacks, chips, pretzels etc and an extra roll or piece of bread (YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND TWO PIECES OF WHEAT BREAD THERE!! - THEY SELL THE UNCRUSTABLES, SO THEY DON'T CARRY SLICED BREAD WHICH IS MY SONS FAVORITE!)
He likes to munch on his snacks and sometimes we will buy a thing of sliced apples for about 1.50 from one of the carts that have them. Keeping him munching definitely helps him not to get cranky as well, so it is a win/win.
As far as bringing items, you should and can do the same for your hotel stay. While dinner is a bit more difficult to manage in a hotel room (but totally do-able in one of the condo-hotels), I always have bananas from home, a case of water and some snacks for breakfast.
As far as toiletries, buying from the hotel gift shops is the quickest way to abandon your budget. You should always be prepared with the essentials but if you forget something, as at the front desk before buying at the hotel gift shop. I have been able to get band aids, toothbrushes, razors, a sewing kit and in one hotel (I believe it was a hilton) I told them I forgot a toothbrush and they gave me a :"travel kit" which contained a small deodorant, tooth brush, floss, toothpaste and a comb.
Bang for your buck
I mentioned this briefly in the section above regarding flights and gas, but once again, I want to mention that if you use credit cards and earn rewards, make sure they are rewards that are worth while. Disney offers a credit card that earns you rewards toward your disney trip. You can apply either at Disney or before you go, so that you can start earning early!
If getting another credit card does not seem like a good idea to you, check out the rewards with the ones you have. you might be surprised to find a disney gift card could be an option for you to redeem with points. I know that at least in 2012, Chase rewards offered them as a reward.
Check out places like CardCash.com, giftcardgranny.com and even Ebay to obtain gift cards for Disney at a discount. You may only save 10 or 15% overall, but the gift cards can be used throughout the parks for food and merchandise, So it is well worth it. As usual, I suggest making sure you are buying from a reputable place with a good protection policy or paying through Paypal. I have purchased many gift cards for disney in the past (many people who have 5.00 or less sell them because they figure it "wont get them far, so don't scoff at buying smaller denominations, they add up!)
One thing that will save money in the end that we do is when people ask "what do I get Big man (or even me or hubby) we always graciously tell them that gifts are not necessary, but remind them that we will always get use out of a Disney Gift card. a couple years in a row, we have saved gift cards up and bought one or more of our annual passes- even now, our son's AP will be purchased in October, and we have gift cards set aside that he received over the last year to go toward it.
****Side note- Walgreens and CVS sell DISNEY g/c, I like to grab $10.00 or $20.00 gift cards every now and again. Even though there is no money saving there, it is less out of pocket during the vacation and its money put away. Consider it your "Disney Savings Account" :) Furthermore, CVS and Walgreens sometimes run promotions for "Buy (Amounts Differ, I have seen $25.00 to 200.00) in G.C and get a Walgreens Gift card for (Amount differs, I have seen anywhere between 5.00 and 25.00) - This is a great time to buy a couple gift cards for Disney because you can use the Walgreens Gift cards in Orlando to buy GREAT Disney Merchandise.... Which brings me to my next part of this post.........
I spoke about merchandise buying on site above, which was all well and good, but it is important to mention that there are TONS of offsite stores competing for your business. Their prices are competitive (and negotiable sometimes which people do not know!) and many (but not all) sell licensed Disney items. Many of the stores sell clothing, accessories, toys and stuffed animals just like Disney World - So I suggest if you just have to go home with that Nemo stuffed animal, that you first check the off site stores for the deals.
**** Other things to remember that cost nothing ****
**GO TO THE FRONT OF THE PARK, REQUEST A PIN - THEY HAVE BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY, JUST MARRIED, ENGAGED, FIRST TRIP AND "IM CELEBRATING" WITHOUT BEING SPECIFIC. THESE ARE FREE AND SO FUN TO WEAR AROUND THE PARK.
**DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO BUY THEIR PICTURES. 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES, YOU CAN ASK ANY DISNEY CAST MEMBER TO TAKE A PICTURE OF YOU IN THE EXACT SPOT WHERE THE PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE SET UP. (and when I say cast member, I mean I usually ask the photog to use my camera instead and he does!) **
**Make a fun "project" with the kids BEFORE going to Disney - A DISNEY PASSPORT! they will have a blast getting signatures from all the fun characters around there. The cast members in the countries will sign too- and even though it is not a "character" they will write a "fun" or "interesting" fact about their country for you. We did this years ago and it was a blast. we actually wrote it down ourselves, but we asked a person in each country something they thought was a fun fact. One day I will find that paper! - This will eliminate the autograph book expense, but it will also get the kids involved and excited about the things they will see**
**BRING THE STROLLER- I always joke that even after little man is grown, I will continue to bring a stroller. It is a great place to put all the items and not have to carry everything around- Of course if you are staying on site, you can have your packages delivered or even do pick up of gifts at the end of the night if you are staying offsite.
******HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION WITH EVERYONE BEFORE YOU GO******* In my house, aside from Disney, we have been really having heart to hearts with our 3 year old with Wants Vs Need. For your family, maybe you want to put a budget on what each kid can spend or maybe you want to explain that if they only pick one small item, they will have money for NON Disney items when they come home (I have a friend, (fellow DW AP holder) who said she explained to her 6 year old that since he had a lot of Disney character items already, each time they went and he didn't ask or buy something from there, he would have 10.00 to put away towards a bigger toy at home, from the toy store... like a video game etc- I will say, the first couple times he asked for items, was reminded of the deal and decided to buy the Disney item anyway- by the 2nd or 3rd time he realized the 10.00 was a better deal - It allowed him to really think if the item he wanted was really worth it. It was a good teaching moment too.
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