Disney – How to Save Money on your trip to the Happiest Place on Earth

Disney is a fantastic destination for families. Some would say that you are never too old, never too young and you can never visit too much when it comes to the happiest place on Earth!  Disney can be pricey, but if you plan ahead, Disney can be affordable!

Disney – How to Save Money – Plan Ahead

The first thing you can do to save money is to plan ahead!! Disney has lots of specials and promotions The BEST way to be sure you are getting the BEST possible deal is to use a Disney Planner – officially known as “Independent Travel Consultant Specializing in Disney Destinations” but since that is a mouthful…we’ll just use the slang…Disney Planner!

A Disney Planner knows all there is to know about Disney and it isn’t easy to become a Disney Planner! Official Disney Planners have classes and tight regulations so you can be sure you are getting the best possible information for your fun family adventure.

Using a Disney Planner is the best way to save money because the services of a Disney Planner is FREE. How is that possible? Disney pays them…not you! I used one for our cruise and it was fantastic!! All the nitty-gritty details were taken care of. She led me right to where I needed to sign up for excursions, answered all the questions about dining times and shows and even sent me email reminders when the time was getting close! The whole thing could not have been easier which was just what I wanted. Who doesn’t love easy???

Contact Laura Baustian, the Independent Travel Consultant Specializing in Disney Destinations,  to plan the trip of your dreams! She planned ours and it was awesome! With 2 years specifically planning Disney behind her and more than 20 trips planned, you can count on her to make YOUR trip the best possible AND stay within your budget.

Disney – How to Save Money – Bring your own Food

Unlike many other parks in the world, Disney welcomes visitors bringing their own food! Park food can be a fantastic part of the experience, but it can be pricey, too, for families. One way to cut the price is to bring your own.

Bring some favorite snacks with you when you enter the park. Put a few in your backpack to carry around and store the rest in a locker. Lockers are located at entrances and let you store things so you don’t have to lug them around all day!

The savings can really add up. Bring easy to carry pretzels and crackers. Even though our family is way beyond the toddler stage we still find Cheerios make a great snack!

Disney – How to Save Money – Choose food wisely.

Disney recognizes that the cost of food can really add up and has addresses that! One of the fun items you can get for a great price is a popcorn bucket! For $10 you can get a large popcorn bucket which can be refilled for the length of your stay for only $1.50.  Popcorn is filling and universally liked by kids and grown-ups alike!

Disney – How to Save Money – Stay hydrated!

Disney locations are warm, especially in the summer. When you are out all day long you need even more liquid than you get normally – especially the children. Bring your own bottle and ask for water – which is free and cold. Bring little packets of kool-aid or Power Aid for an extra treat.

Disney – How to Save Money –  Eat breakfast before you arrive.

This is a favorite for our family no matter where we travel. We stop at a grocery to grab bread, peanut butter, and jelly and drinks. In the morning we can eat with no rush which saves time and money.

Besides saving money, it starts our days off in a very relaxed way. We aren’t really morning people and get up slowly. Letting nibble while we get dressed really works for our family and saves probably $20 – $30 a day. It also saves lots of time.

If your kids are small and wigglers then this also gives you one meal a day that you don’t have to corral anyone! Take the peace and quiet when you can. 🙂

Disney – How to Save Money – Rethink souvenirs

On our first trip to Disney with our kids, the children were 3 and 5. Before we left, I bought Disney t-shirts and had their names printed on the back. I bought stuffed animals and stickers. All of these treats were surprises when we arrived. I brought out the ‘souvenirs’ at a scheduled pace…every day or so..and the kids looked forward to them. It was really amazing how much I saved buying them at Walmart at home rather than in the park.

If you are staying off the Disney property, you’ll find Disney paraphernalia everywhere. Even small things like keychains can add up. A friend who visited Disney found $10 key chains in the park and something very similar was only $2 at a nearby off sight store.

In the park, autographs are a really fun (and cheap) souvenir and activity. It is amazing that each character, in spite of wearing HUGE gloves sometimes (think Mickey and Donald) and yet are able to sign their own name! Compare the signatures…they all have individual ones! Buy an autograph book in Disney or bring your own. Consider framing a few favorite signatures when you get home and hanging on the wall!

Bring your souvenir t-shirt with you! Consider matching shirts and get excited about wearing them all at the same time! Walmart sells really great shirts and low prices or you can make your own!

P.S. I made the ears I’m wearing below! Find out how in an upcoming post.

Happy Travels,

Natalie, The Educational Tourist