You all know me. I don’t make that much. Plus, I’m cheap.
So the idea of taking my kids to Disney seems like a great idea, but I didn’t know if it would ever happen, seeing as how I’m not balling like that. The one and only trip my family ever took to Disney was after years and years (and YEARS) of saving.
Coming from that perspective, I was eager to hear from the folks at Disney to see how I would manage to get my crew of four down to Florida for a little of that Disney magic.
I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, Disney isn’t the most exciting place for extreme tightwads [**cough** like my hubby **hubby] but for women like me who enjoy making a dollar stretch, getting your crew to Disney on a budget isn’t as hard as I thought. It does require a lot of planning, but that’s what the Internet is for, right? Check out some of these tips I picked up during my African-American Mom Blogger Mixer:
1. Chat with the Walt Disney World Moms Panel. Definitely. Go now. Quit reading. Any question you could possibly have about the parks, including budget issues, is answered here.
2. Mousesavers.com is not an official Disney website, but they feature GREAT deals and inside tips on how to make your money go further.
3. Do Disney as big as you can, keeping in mind that you will want to buy souvenirs. Check the website for the deals and specials Disney offers. For instance, now they have a Buy 4 Nights, Get 3 Nights Free promotion that will save a ton of money.
4. Color me dumb, but I didn’t know that Disney had a few different tiers of resorts – deluxe, moderate, and value. The value resorts can be had as low as $82 a night (a little lower or higher depending on the season). Don’t turn your nose up at the value resorts. They are still very “Disney” and if you are planning a shorter, action-packed trip, you won’t be spending much time in the hotel anyway. There’s transportation to and from the parks so you can park your car once you get there and take the bus everywhere you want to go.
Any mamas been to Disney lately? Got any tips to share?
We went to Disney over the summer, for my girlfriend’s destination wedding, so fortunately we saved a bit by booking our hotel room thru the wedding block. The trip would have overall cost a lot more. I’m the Queen of Cheap, so that would’ve been painful for me…
These tips are awesome – will def keep in mind for the next trip!
I have a couple of tips. We do Orlando quite often (about every other year or so), and what I found was this.
Tip 1 – No matter how inexpensive Disney can seem when booking though Disney, you are much better off going with a 3rd party like Expedia or Travelocity for air, hotel, and car. Then buy your park tickets straight from Disney online. Additionally, you can get your other park tickets online as well (Universal, Sea World, etc.) and they usually have great package deals. Book EARLY!!! All of the Disney hotels are available on Expedia, and the earlier you book the better the availability.
Tip 2 – Before you book your trip, go to a large bookstore and buy or order the Disney PassPorter for the current year. http://www.passporter.com/
For a family, this is can be a key asset. It tells you all that is available in Disney for the fam and your children as well as phone-numbers to make your reservations. It includes restaurants, rides, character spots, times, camps, etc. You can plan your ENTIRE trip (including naps and everything PRIOR to leaving). It also has pockets to keep you organized. The first time we went, our sons were 3 and 6. The passporter kept me organized, within budget, and sane. Even though we have been several times, I still buy one each time we go.
Tip 3. Instead of running around the park looking for characters, try to do one character dinner and one character breakfast. This way you can get plenty of pictures with the characters of your choice instead of ending your trip disappointed that your child did not see Ariel. Use the passporter to decide which meals you will attend and make your
reservations.
Tip 4 – Schedule some time for yourself. We often take in-laws with us to sit a few nights so we can enjoy one another. If this is not an option for you, check out the “kid camps” at the various hotels. Book a day for just you and hubby to do something w/o kids. I have never used the sitters (too paranoid) but I have used the camps. Better than daycare.
Tip 4 – BOOK EARLY!!! I know I said this earlier but it requires saying multiple times. Character meals, camps, baby-sitting book very fast – as in months ahead of time. Particularly during the peak seasons (Spring break, summer, thanksgiving, Christmas)
Tip 5 – Disney is BEAUTIFUL during the winter weeks. Dec 1st – 18h (I think) is considered low peak. The park is not crowded during this time, but all the holiday shows and decorations are in full effect.
Utilize the speed passes!! Use the passporter to plan your ride schedule and utilize the speed passes where you can. Believe me, it is worth it.
Tip 6 – Organize, Organize, Organize. Plan, Plan, Plan. It really does make the difference between parents who are overwhelmed and snappy, and parents who are able to leave with with satisfied kids and their wallets, sanity, and marriage in tact.
That’s all I can think of. Yeah I know its a lot, but I believe these things will really help.
Let’s see. I have a 3M, 3 and 4 year old and we went to Disney World just last month. And much to my surprise, we didn’t spend much money at all! Here are some things that saved us money.
1. Although it would probably be nice to stay on a Disney Resort, I never have. Instead, we used my mom’s timeshare which had more than enough space and only cost $200 for the entire week.
2.Go grocery shopping and cook, versus spending tons of money eating out. We often got back so late from the park that the kids were usually sleep anyways.
3.Take your own snacks in the park, especially water! You can buy a whole 24 pack of water for the cost of 1 bottle of water @ the park! Depending on when you go, you could easily spend a fortune on just water alone. Also, I prefer for my kids (and they’ve become accustomed) to eat “healthier” snacks such as fruits and whatnot, versus the usual hot dogs, fries and chicken nuggets! To me it’s a win for your pocket and your health. The only thing we bought in the park was probably turkey legs!
4. I definitely agree it’s great if you can take the in-laws. My mom goes places with us more times then not. It allows me and my husband to have some time together and her time to bond with her grandkids…everybody wins
5. Disney can be overwelming. Online you can make customized maps showing only the items you want to visit. This will definitely save you time!
6. I’d say don’t waste a lot of money buying souveniers and everything disney, b/c most of that stuff will end up in the trash sooner or later. BUT if you must buy stuff, don’t limit yourself to getting it at the park. A lot of times the little shops in the area sell the same stuff at a waaaay cheaper price
Hmmm…I can’t think of anything else at the moment…
@Mrs. White – I love all these tips – I’ll have to repost them!
7. If you are any way affiliated with the military be on the look out for amazinng deals! Currently, Disney is offering the service member a free 5-day park hopping pass with the option to purchase 5 more for only $99 each (you CANNOT beat that) Also, the Anheiser Busch Parks (sea world, busch gardens..)lets not only the service member in free, but up to a certain # of dependents as well (I think like..up to 5 maybe)
8. If it is your birthday, you can get into Disney free as well! All you have to do is show proof
I love Disney…we have been twice as a family and plan to go back many more times; I always blog about my Disney World experiences. One of the ways that I save money is to go grocery shopping for breakfast food when we arrive. Eating breakfast in our hotel room is not only cheaper, but says time. Also, if you have little ones and will be using a stroller, bring as many snacks and water bottles as you can in the park. It is healthier, you can eat in line and it saves money. My kids don’t ask for many Disney gifts, but there are plenty of things to buy that are not that expensive.
Yes! Finally something about charming hotels.
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