"It takes a lot of money to make these dreams come true" - Walt Disney

The other day while driving to work, I was listening to the radio when a man called into the station to talk about his upcoming Disney trip. He casually mentioned he budgets $20,000 for his family’s vacation. I have to be honest; this drives me absolutely crazy! Disney is expensive, for sure, but letting people believe that it’s the only way you could possibly go to Disney is just a weird brag and intimidates people who have never been there before but want to go. Can you spend that much on a Disney vacation? Sure! Do you HAVE to spend that much? Absolutely not! While going to Disney costs money (there is no denying it’s expensive) there are ways to make it reasonable for a family without taking the fun out of the trip. Which got me thinking, what are ways that I help curb costs for my family? As many questions I get about the fun “add-on’s” that are my favorite, I would say the top question is, “how do you make it affordable.” I am definitely not the poster child for saving money at Disney but there are a handful of things that I do that make a difference to our budget.

First things first, let’s talk about the most expensive part of my family’s trip: Theme Park Tickets. I find the biggest waste of money for most people is the Park Hopper option. If you’re brand-new to Disney planning, the Park Hopper is a feature that allows you to visit multiple parks on the same day. If you’ve never been to Disney before and your family is wondering if the park hopper will add to the magic of the visit, the answer is no. Actually, I think it probably adds more stress and takes away from some of the magic. Each Park has enough to do that your day will be packed full of things you’ll want to see, ride, and try. My advice is to focus on one park a day. A single Park ticket still allows you to come and go throughout the day. So if your family wants to take a mid-day break at the hotel to relax before heading back for a fun night at the park, you can. And listen, I have one friend who absolutely loves the park hopper. Even post-COVID (where rules have changed and you can’t park hop until after 2pm), her family uses it almost every single day on each of their trips. But for me and my family, I’d rather take the $500+ I’d spend on the park hopper and use it elsewhere (or not use it at all). We are usually too invested into the park we planned on for the day and too tired at the end of the park day to think about going to another park.

Next up, let’s look at the other large expense. Your resort. On Disney’s website you’ll find 5 categories in total: Deluxe Villas, Deluxe Resorts, Moderate Resorts, Value Resorts, and the campground. One of the things Disney has done really well is making each resort unique so regardless of which option you choose, your experience will still have its own Disney magic. When you are determining which resort to choose for your family, understand that spending more for the sole purpose of spending more doesn’t mean your trip will be any better than someone who decides to spend less. The Value Resorts offer fun themes, some of the largest pools on property, and transportation to the parks. Another bonus for families; they have outdoor entry to your hotel room which means no walking through hotel hallways with kids. If you’ve never found yourself pleading with your kids to be quiet as they walk like a heard of elephants through a hotel hallway at 6 am, consider yourself blessed.

Remember as you’re planning this trip it’s not so much the big purchases, but the little things each day that blow your budget. When you walk through the gates of the park you are going to want to buy everything: the merchandise, the toys, the food, the drinks, the balloons (ugh, the balloons). Obviously part of the fun is leaving with a few souvenirs. If you’re traveling with kids, I suggest giving each of them a budget. This obviously doesn’t work for really small kids but I have found that to be a really helpful tip. On our last trip the kids each received a Disney gift card. Their total “Disney Budget” was a combination of money they earned, received for Christmas as gifts from my parents, and the money we were willing to give for spending money. We told each of them we would buy them one sweatshirt, but all other souvenirs came out of that money. Anytime one of them wanted something I would tell them how much money was left on their card and they could decide if it was worth it.

This next one is my top Disney World tip! Unless you are absolutely desperate, do not buy water at the parks. Bring a refillable water bottle with you and use their water fountains (which are usually found near bathrooms). In my opinion, water is the biggest wasted expense at Disney. A bottle of water at Disney is approximately $3.50. This doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize you’ve spent $50/day on water and you still leave the park thirsty.

One thing I always do before we leave for a trip is identify foods the group likes to eat that can be easily transported. For example my family isn’t big on breakfast. We eat light and typically have something quick. Are there mornings we like to have more? Sure! But because I know that “meal” is best for us if it’s quick and easy, I pack foods with me that my family loves. I always travel with cereal and crackers in my checked bag and granola bars, protein bars, and water flavor packets in my carry on. None of these things are big expenses but they do make a difference. Other popular things to pack are easy mac and ramen noodle cups. These things can easily be made by using the coffee maker in the room. In a matter of minutes you can have food for kids (or adults) who just need something to eat in a hurry. Sometimes it’s nice to have lunch back at the hotel during a pool day or a snack upon a late night return to the room when you’re exhausted and don’t feel like going somewhere or ordering pizza. A friend of mine buys a cheap toaster and packs it in her suitcase so that her family can make toast and pop tarts for breakfast. They prefer to eat their other meals either at the park or back at the dining hall but breakfast is always better for them if it’s casual while they get ready for the day.

Sometimes packing food isn’t an option or maybe you want to add to the things you brought with you. In this case, I highly suggest ordering grocery items from a local grocery store. Each room has a small refrigerator where you can easily store milk, cream cheese, butter or mayo, cheese slices, deli meat, etc. Other popular items: soda, cereal, chips, pre-made popcorn, bagels, bread, oatmeal, granola bars, and let’s not forget maybe some beer or wine for the adults. This feature is highly used at resorts and if you’re worried about doing this for the first time, don’t. Chances are you’re one of many deliveries they make in a day. In no way am I suggesting that you should try to avoid eating anything in the parks because it’s one of my favorite things to do! But I think one of the biggest enhancements you can make to your trip is having familiar foods available to your group. Disney is one of the only parks that they allow you to bring food in with you. Every time we go to the park, we bring our backpack that has a small cooler on the bottom. We pack our water, string cheese, fruit, crackers, fruit snacks, and a few sandwiches. This isn’t so we don’t buy any food there but as the mom of picky eaters and a little girl with a peanut/tree nut allergy, it is also a lifesaver to have “safe foods” available during the day. We splurge on the fun treats and unique foods at each park but by bringing our own foods with us, we never find ourselves starving and looking for something to eat in a hurry.

This one is a little unconventional but might be my favorite. Buy one of the refillable popcorn buckets at one of the parks. They’re a little expensive out of the gate but you get popcorn for the entirety of your trip for $2/refill. My family LOVES popcorn. We get a bucket for each trip and make a game of getting it filled at every park, in every land. It’s a filling snack, everyone loves it, and the bucket doubles as a souvenir!

The Memory Maker is a really unique feature at Disney. In addition to the professional photographers that can capture your group throughout each of the parks, you also get pictures from the rides. Ride pictures have to be my favorite! I love the Memory Maker and we always buy it however; you do not need to have the Memory Maker for a fun trip. If you’re someone who prefers to take pictures with your phone, this is an easy way to save $170 (or $200 if you wait to buy it while on your trip). You are still able to access any pictures and decide to buy them while you’re there.

Hopefully you find some of these tips helpful when trying to plan a budget-friendly trip to Disney. Remember the magic doesn’t come from how much money you spend on your trip, it’s about enjoying being there! Let me know, what is your top tip to having an excellent, budget friendly, vacation?