How to Visit Disney Parks on a Budget - Saving Money at Disney
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Destinations > North America > United States > How to Visit Disney Parks on a Budget
Are you looking for the best ways to save money at Walt Disney World or Disneyland? You’ve purchased your Disney Parks tickets and made reservations for park entry. You have your hotel booked, your dining reservations made, your flights scheduled or your drive planned out.
You’re going to Disney!
But wait! If it’s your first time to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, or you haven’t been in a few years, you might be surprised by some changes. There are several articles online about saving money at Disney Parks that haven’t been updated. Fast pass+ and Magical Express – both which were free when they were around, no longer exist. They’ve been replaced with paid alternatives like Genie+, Individual Lightning Lane passes, and Mears Connect.
Disney vacations have never been considered cheap and now you might have to consider adding these additional purchases into your budget. Don’t worry! Whether you’re planning a single, couples, small family, or large family vacation to Disney – there are multiple ways to save money when you get to the parks.
As former Disney Cast Members and annual passholders, we are so excited to share our best budget tips on how to save money at Disney. Because saved money means being able to visit the Disney Parks again sooner! Here are our top hacks to visiting Disney on a budget.
7+ Tips on saving money at Disney parks
1. Bring a reusable water bottle
FREE refills are available at quick-service (fast-food) and water fountains. There are quite a bit of free things to do at Disney, and water is one of them. If you don’t like to drink plain water or want to change it up a bit, bring some powdered flavor packets! With bottled water costing $2+, this can save you quite a bit over your vacation. Heads up! Florida water doesn’t always taste the best (I’m looking at you, Magic Kingdom water!) so getting a bottle with a filter is so helpful!
2. Pre-purchase Disney souvenirs
You can save a lot of money by not buying your souvenirs at the parks. Get your Disney shirts, mouse ears, keychains, phone cases, etc before you go. Bonus: you get to use them on your trip while you’re there! Need more ideas on what to get before your vacation? Check out our Disney Gifts Secret list!
PRO TIP: If you’re going with kids, you can create a little magic with a little bit of pixie dust by making the souvenirs magically appear overnight by your child’s pillow or at the foot of the bed.
3. Discount Disney Gift cards
Sometimes you still want to get a souvenir from the parks, or get a park-exclusive item. Use a Disney gift card that you purchase at a discount! The easiest way to get discounted Disney gift cards is to sign up for a free Target REDcard debit card. You can get 5% back on your purchase, including gift cards. Then, buy and use the Disney gift cards at restaurants and even park admission.
4. Bring your own food
Yes, you can bring your own food into the Disney Parks. You can even bring in a small cooler (see official size requirements here). Food in the parks adds up quickly and you can save a lot of money if you bring in your own. As an added plus, if riding attractions are your main priority, bring things like sandwiches that you can eat while standing in line. Saving time AND money!
If you don’t have a car to get to the supermarket, or if you want to save time on your vacation for something other than grocery shopping, get your groceries delivered! There are so many options for delivery these days – the go-to delivery was Garden Grocer – but now you can basically just choose your favorite delivery service like instacart, AmazonFresh, Walmart+, etc.
5. Purchase a kids meal
Walt Disney World Kids Meal
You don’t need to be a kid to purchase a kid’s meal. The kid’s meal usually comes with an entree, a snack, and a small drink. If it isn’t filling enough, you can always supplement with a snack or dessert. But it is generally filling enough to be a meal and save you some money. If you’re ordering from a quick-service location, save time by using mobile order. You can mark “I’m here” when you’re nearby and pick up your order soon after.
6. Eat at Quick-Service locations
I almost didn’t add this to the list because I thought it seemed a bit obvious, but sometimes in the planning process of going to Disney you can get caught up in all the dining opportunities. Also, if you haven’t been to Disney in awhile you might not realize that there are more options than just burgers and fries. If you’d like a list of recommended quick-service locations that are not just burgers and fries, let me know in the comments section below and I’ll work on it!
Besides the obvious reason of quick-service meals being more affordable than table-service meals – here’s my tip for saving money at quick-service locations: Order ala-carte. Oftentimes the menu shown at the restaurants are “meal-deals” which may or may not be a deal. But if you took tip #1 and brought your own water bottle (and powdered drinks), you don’t need the drink included with the meal. So you can save money by just ordering the entree and side. Or just the entree if you don’t want the side.
7. Bring your own first-aid items
If you just need one or two bandages or a single dose of OTC medicine, the first-aid stations in the parks can provide those for free. If you need more, then they will usually have what you need available for purchase. But it will be cheaper if you bring your own first-aid items purchased from off property. Besides bandages, popular items to bring are moleskin – for blisters, and anti-chafing sticks. You do more walking at Disney than you may realize! Be prepared!
8. Photos
Save money by not getting MemoryMaker. There are photographers in the best areas to take photos, but you can save money by just asking the photographers to use your phone or camera to take a photo. They will do it for free after they take photos with their camera. You can always look at the watermarked photos later and decide if you want to purchase MemoryMaker, but there are so many free and cheap apps to edit photos and add filters on your phone these days.
Going to Disney, especially Walt Disney World in Florida, takes a lot of planning and budgeting these days. Remember to make your park reservations! Gone are the days of just showing up and purchasing tickets at the gate.
PRO TIP: If the park you really want to go to isn’t available, but another park is, you can add the park-hopper option to your ticket and go to the park you want later in the afternoon. Of course that’s an additional cost, but now you have the tips above to save you money when you’re in the parks.
Countdown your vacation with this fun calendar. Kick-off your countdown by planning a weekend Disney-themed Staycation! If you’re going to Walt Disney World in Florida, check out this Epcot-themed staycation as well.
FAQ’s
How can I save money on food and drinks at Disney parks?
You can save money on food and drinks at Disney parks by bringing your own snacks and water bottles, or by eating at off-site restaurants. You can also use the Disney Dining Plan, which lets you prepay for meals and snacks at a discounted rate. Some Disney resorts offer free dining plans as part of their packages¹. Another tip is to share meals or order kids' portions, as the portions are usually large and filling².
What are the best times to visit Disney parks to avoid crowds and high prices?
The best times to visit Disney parks to avoid crowds and high prices are during the off-season, which is typically from mid-January to mid-February, late April to early June, and mid-September to mid-November³. You can also check the crowd calendars online to see the expected crowd levels for each day and park⁴. Avoiding holidays, weekends, and school breaks can also help you save time and money.
How can I get discounted tickets to Disney parks?
You can get discounted tickets to Disney parks by buying them from authorized resellers, such as Undercover Tourist, which offers lower prices than the gate prices³. You can also look for special offers and deals on the Disney website, such as the 4-Park Magic Ticket, which lets you visit one park per day for four days at a reduced rate⁵. Another option is to use a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations, as they can help you find the best deals and packages for your budget and preferences.
(1) How to Visit Disney Parks on a Budget - Saving Money at Disney. https://eatwanderexplore.com/blog/how-to-visit-disney-parks-on-a-budget-saving-money-at-disney.
(2) Disney Gifts Secret: Buying Disney Souvenirs BEFORE Your Trip. https://eatwanderexplore.com/blog/disney-gifts-secret-buying-disney-souvenirs-before-your-trip.
(3) How to Plan a Disney World Vacation on The Cheap. https://thriftynomads.com/disney-world-vacation-cheap/.
(4) 15 Tips to Plan a Disney Vacation on a Budget - Ramsey. https://www.ramseysolutions.com/saving/disney-world-on-a-budget.
(5) Disney on a Budget: How to Visit Cheap - Disney Trippers. https://disneytrippers.com/disney-on-a-budget/.
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