What are some ways you save money/get thrifty while planning a trip.

[AmandaChan]

We have been to WDW a handful of times and just booked online, never really asked any questions. Now that we are officially planning our September 2014 trip (tentatively) I was wondering what are some great ways that everyone saves money. We are thinking about definitely trying to go during free dining but I guess that can't always be promised. We want to stay in Art of Animation probably the standard section, not the suites. I dream of a day I can go and stay in Polynesian but just don't see that happening anytime soon. We have Disney Visas, do you usually get a 30% discount on rooms that way. I definitely plan on using a travel agency (magical journeys?) in the process. Also we have had so many opportunities to do sit down restaurants, and we may do 1 or 2 but I don't see us doing a whole next time around (especially if we catch food and wine maybe?). Also we have two kids now, they will be 4 and 2 at the time we go. Thanks for the help.

[hauntedmansiongirl]

There are lots of ways to save money. Booking on a good deal is the first, and easiest way. For some people, free dining is the best promo, for others it's the 35% off deals that crop up now and then. If you are planning on going during Food & Wine there should be some good deals to be had.

With little ones, the dining plan may not be the best for you. At least the traditional one with one table service every night. Getting them to sit still every night for a long dinner might be too much. On the other hand, if they like the characters, it is a great way to get in as many character meals without paying the hefty out of pocket costs. You'll have to weigh the pros and cons. For us, going as two adults the regular dining plan is a great deal. However, when we take our 12 year old Godson, it is not worth the money. He eats only pizza and burgers- which is way less than the $54.99 per day we would pay for him on the dining plan. Also, we rarely eat our counter service dessert, which is a waste. Our upcoming trip in April we have bought Disney gift cards in $250 values that we are going to use for food. That way it is paid ahead of time and we don't have a big bill leftover. Also, any money left can go to souvenirs or our next trip.

Staying at a value will save you a lot of money. They all have great food courts with rotating menus that you'll love. And little kids love the big, huge icons that are so colourful. Your kids will love it!!

You have tons of time to plan an amazing trip!! Enjoy the planning as much as the trip!!!!

[PopPhan]

You only get a discount through the Disney Visa IF they have an offer for the time frame in which you are staying AND if you book in the proper window.

I would say that if you have not booked through Magical Journeys, try to have your reservation transferred to them. They will take care of any discounts that come along prior to your visit - make sure you are aware of them, change your booking to take advantage of them, and save you money!! The agents at MJ are all GREAT!!!!!! AND MJ is an INTERCOT sponsor!

[MargaretMessler]

Disney Visa does get you 6 months interest free if you use it to pay for your reservation, that can be helpful in budgeting.

As for saving spending money, I usually will tell everyone I am planning a trip and request for gifts (birthday, Christmas, etc.) WDW giftcards. I also save change, NEVER spend any (even if my order at the store ends in .02), it adds up REALLY fast. Then I cash it in for spending money.

Another good tip for spending money, if you have the discipline to not incur interest, is to pay all your bills and expenses leading up to your trip with your Disney Visa to earn Rewards dollars.

I always go with a value resort since we don't spend much time there anyway.

Usually we will only eat two "meals" a day because the portions are so big. Going to TS restaurants we do lunch instead of dinner when possible.

[JRocker]

While the dining plan is convenient, it doesn't pay off for a lot of folks. Especially if you don't normally eat as much as the plan offers. For my family, we save money by not purchasing the dining plan.
As far as "free" dining plan periods, discounts on rooms are difficult to drudge up during those times, so you typically end up paying the rack rate (even going through MJ)
There are arguments for and against DDP, but it costs my family more.

Take snacks with you. Kind of like packing for a day-hike. Munching on crackers or beef jerky can save you several bucks over buying a $4 pretzel in the parks.

Also, some people don't realize that ice water is free in the parks.

The resorts have refrigerators, so bring milk and cereal.

[faline]

Plan to eat breakfast in your room. With two little ones this should be fairly easy to do and might make morning preparations a bit easier - no whiny toddler waiting to get someplace for breakfast.

If you wanted, you could even pack sandwiches for lunch and take them into the parks with you.

Some places sell discounted Disney gift cards. If you could set aside some money here and there ahead of time to buy them, you can then use them during your trip.

Your four year old is certainly old enough to want a lot of things he/she sees in the park. If you can buy some Disney related items ahead of time, Mickey might be able to leave a surprise or two in the room that might alleviate some of the requests for additional items. You might thing about getting some glow in the dark items that the kids can wear/use during parades when they will see many others with such items.

Buy a spray/bottle fan before you go. Kids love them and they are very expensive in the parks.

In my opinion, a good room rate is worth far more than "free dining". Run, do not walk to Magical Journeys and let them book for you. They'll be able to add any discounts as they become available.

Plan a character meal at a buffet restaurant. Your 2 year old will be free, you won't have to stand in long lines to see the characters and you'll get a nice meal (pick one that features your kids' favorite characters).

It used to be that table service restaurants were less expensive at lunch than dinner but this is changing. Still, not all restaurants in Disney are created equally. Some still have a good value for the amount you spend. Do your research to find time.

Good luck and have a wonderful time!

[Kairi_7378]

We usually bring breakfast foods (cereal, coffee) with us in our suitcase, as well as snacks that will travel well in the parks (Goldfish, graham crackers, granola bars, etc.) I bring some one-cup Tupperware containers so the snacks don't get crushed. I supplement these with milk or fresh fruit from the resort. We bring Thermos bottles from home, fill with ice and water in the morning at the resort, and then fill for free at CS locations throughout the day. There are some CS locations where we are able to share meals. If we do a CS for dinner, we have sometimes been able to get pastries for breakfast as our desserts.

We have had success amusing our son with items brought from home such as light sticks and glow bracelets, Disney coloring books, etc. We also restrict the majority of our shopping for the last day that we can ship to our resort for pickup.

[etibbetts]

I find it helpful to save as much as possible beforehand. I save all my bottle redemption money, keep a change jar and try to put aside even the smallest bit of money any chance I get.

Free dining is a huge saver. I know you mentioned AOA, but keep in mind two standard rooms are cheaper than one suite. Also - if you stay in the AOA standard rooms they are not receiving a lot of the offers. If you book with Magical Journeys they can always switch you to another resort (like Pop) if free dining comes out for your trip time and AOA doesn't offer it.

[MarkC]

The two best ways I know of..............

Use your Disney visa for absolutely everything, including online payments of your cable bill, cell phone bill, etc. Just make sure to pay it off every month.

Start a savings account and save $10-$20 per paycheck. You won't miss it but after a year it's a nice amount to pay for meals, motel, etc.

[Mendelson]

The smartest thing I've done is take my toddler to the county fair and just put on our mouse ears and tell him it's Disney World. Soooo much cheaper! When he asks why there are so many tattoos and people with chewing tobacco, I tell him it's part of Disney's Nascar Day.



One thing I'd keep in mind with kids your age is cutting down park days and spending time at the pool/DTD etc. After all, most kids that age say the most memorable part of a WDW trip is the hotel pool.

Can't agree more with packing your own food and even bringing in lunch to the parks. This is probably the low-hanging fruit, pun intended.

[joonyer]

Ditto on eating breakfast in the room. We always do this; not only does it save a lot on money, it saves time, too. We take turns eating while others are in the shower, etc., getting ready in the morning. But we always drive, so we have plenty of room in our car for extra food. we usually buy muffins, granola/cereal bars, fruit, etc. at home and take it with us. we can take a cooler, too since we drive. If you are flying you can get a grocery delivery to your hotel from one of the Disney area grocery stores.

Another way we save $$ (an absolute necessity for us, other wise we wouldn't be able to go) is to share meals. DW and I usually split a CS lunch between the two of us. That cuts the cost of lunch in half right there. We carry snacks (granola bars, crackers) with us to the parks to keep us from getting too hungry.

[vamaggie]

I would echo the "ask for WDW $$ or gift card") for upcoming holidays for you and the kids. I know our kids get sooo much from family for Christmas and birthdays that if 1-2 folks gave them Disney money they would love it (and would not miss another present). ALso highly recommend MJ for booking the trip-have used them and was extremely happy with the service-they even got us a discount when it came out, even though I was at the beach and had no internet access, found out about it when I got home!!

[azcavalier]

We also have Disney Visa cards, put a lot on them and pay them off, then use the Rewards Points for our souvenirs at WDW. We usually have around $300, which can buy a lot of shirts/hats, etc!

We also almost always do free dining, but remember that not only do you have to pay rack rate, but staying in a value only gets you the Quick Service DDP. If you were hoping to stay at AOA and get the regular DDP for free, you can't.

We carry our own drinks, and eat breakfast in the resort as well.

One last thing we do is shop for some souvenirs at the two outlet malls off of I-4. They each have a Disney Outlet that has a ton of stuff from the parks. One year they had Princess Dresses (not unlike the ones that they sell at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique) for $20 on clearance. They have also had cute princess nightgowns for our daughters for a great price. I've gotten a couple of Mickey Golf polo shirts there, pins, etc, etc. It's a lot cheaper than the stuff in the parks, but it's still WDW branded stuff.

[AmandaChan]

We also have Disney Visa cards, put a lot on them and pay them off, then use the Rewards Points for our souvenirs at WDW. We usually have around $300, which can buy a lot of shirts/hats, etc!

We also almost always do free dining, but remember that not only do you have to pay rack rate, but staying in a value only gets you the Quick Service DDP. If you were hoping to stay at AOA and get the regular DDP for free, you can't.

We carry our own drinks, and eat breakfast in the resort as well.

One last thing we do is shop for some souvenirs at the two outlet malls off of I-4. They each have a Disney Outlet that has a ton of stuff from the parks. One year they had Princess Dresses (not unlike the ones that they sell at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique) for $20 on clearance. They have also had cute princess nightgowns for our daughters for a great price. I've gotten a couple of Mickey Golf polo shirts there, pins, etc, etc. It's a lot cheaper than the stuff in the parks, but it's still WDW branded stuff.

yeah that's one thing I keep forgetting about the CS dining plan, but I figure with two small kids I am not going to want to eat at a sit down like we used to. Biergarten is our must do and maybe one other sit down would be okay.

Great idea on the clearance princess dresses. and what someone else said before.. about mickey leaving stuff in the room. and bringing your own glow sticks. I do not mind to splurge and get them a special toy they see every now and then but it sure won't be happening everytime they see something they want. also I would rather spend that money on stuff in the stores (mickey ears, shirts, things you can't get anywhere else other than wdw) than on a $10 glow stick. Thanks for all the suggestions. DH and I both have a disney visa card as well.

[MargaretMessler]

We also almost always do free dining, but remember that not only do you have to pay rack rate, but staying in a value only gets you the Quick Service DDP. If you were hoping to stay at AOA and get the regular DDP for free, you can't.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but can't you pay the difference between the QS and regular to get the higher level?

[KarenP]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but can't you pay the difference between the QS and regular to get the higher level?

Yes, you can pay the difference to upgrade.

[nyobabe2]

We usually send a box down (UPS) about a week before we check in right to the hotel and we fill it with cereal, snacks, juice boxes etc...the kids get hungry all the time so this saved us alot of $$ not having to stop to get them something to eat!

[etibbetts]

Another tip for at Disney - if you have a daughter and can't afford Bibbity Boppity Boutique, take them to the barber shop to get an updo for $5. They can even wear a princess dress you brought from home.

[Auroring Good Time]

Breakfast in your room is a big money saver. Bring snacks. Get the water bottles with the filters so you refill them. Buy autograph books ahead of time. So much cheaper. Share lunches. Some of the portions are large.

[Janmac]

Your Magical Journeys has always saved us money. We also have AAA and that can get you a room discount - which YMJ can apply for you.

You can also buy your park tickets early, one at a time, as you accumulate money. We have used the ticket sponsor at the left menu. This can result in savings, if (when) the prices go up. Be sure to put them in a safe place - and make copies of the backs of your tickets.

Breakfast in the room doesn't work for me - need more fuel than that. But sharing lunches does work - DH, our 8 year old grandniece and I can share the chicken/rib combo lunch at Flame Tree just fine. And appetizers as an entree works for supper very well. Usually don't have enough appetite for appetizer and dessert.

Besides bringing our own glow stuff, we also bring all the Disney beanie animals our grandniece has. We've been doing this for several trips. She picks a "friend" to bring along for the day and hasn't yet asked to buy another friend. We have also brought all her Disney shirts and dresses along so she's wearing Disney every day, but even at 8, she isn't into asking for clothes that much.

She is into pin trading. Before every trip I buy bulk pins from a pin dealer down in Alabama. I did buy from Ebay one year but I'd rather buy than do the bidding. I'm not fast enough.

Way before the Bippity Boppity Boutique we were getting trims, hair cuts or just plain gel and pixie dust at the Harmony Barbershop. And now they have reservations. One of our must do places got easier.
Jan