Heading to Disneyworld

Most people who travel to Florida go there for one reason—Walt Disney World.

This is the hottest vacation destination in Florida, and perhaps one of the most popular places for vacation in the United States.

Don’t think that only families head there to vacation.

There are plenty of travelers who go to Disney World to celebrate weddings, honeymoons and second honeymoons—most of the people without children.

Disney World is truly “the most magical place on Earth” and once you have been there, you are sure to agree.

The parks that make up Disney World offer something for everyone and with plenty of on-site lodging and nearby lodging, you are sure to find a place to stay that suits your tastes, needs and your budget.

Here are some tips that will help you book your Disney World vacation.

Paying for the trip:

Some people immediately dismiss the idea of taking the whole family on a trip to Disney World because they think that it is too expensive.

Disney World isn’t cheap, but it is affordable if you plan right. There are many Disneyworld vacation packages that are probably more affordable than you think.

You will find a package that will fit your budget no matter how big or small. The fact is that you will probably be surprised at the choices you have with your vacation.

Most avid Disney World fans will tell you to save your money before you go and have an idea of what you want out of the trip.

Come up with a budget and stick to it. 

Ways to save money:

Need ways to save money at Disney World? Of course you do. There are very few people that travel with an unlimited budget.

Everyone wants to know where and how they can save money on a trip.

• Getting there:

The biggest place to start saving money is to consider how you will get there. If you book your airline tickets at the last minute, you are sure to pay premium prices.

The same is true if you decide to go during peak travel season when the airline tickets will be higher.

However, you can save a lot of money if you plan your vacation well in advanced and book early—at least six months in advance is optimal for saving money, but even earlier than that is best. 

You can also save a lot of money on your Disney World trip by driving.

Even with the price of gas, if you have a large family and you feel that airline tickets are out of your price range, then load up your car and start driving.

If you do drive, keep in mind that you will have added expenses to your trip.

Consider car maintenance and stops along the way for food or overnight lodging should you find it necessary.

These will add to your overall expenses to your trip if you drive. Driving can also be made a part of the trip.

Depending on where you are driving from, you may find lots of interesting spots of interest and tourist spots that you and your family can visit along the way.

• Where you stay:

There are lots of places to stay in Orlando and in surrounding areas. You can certainly save money on your lodging if you plan carefully and do your research.

Some families choose to stay in an RV park.

In fact, Disney World has a place on site called the Fort Wilderness Campground where you can park your RV during your stay.

If you own an RV, this can be cost effective. If you don’t mind roughing it, you can even pitch a tent at the campground and pay a minimal fee each night you stay.

For those of you who would rather not rough it, you still have plenty of money saving options when you head to Disney World.

There are lots of hotels in the surrounding area that are in every price range. You can also research renting a timeshare or a rental home for your trip.

Many people who love to go to Disney World like to stay on Disney property.

There are many perks of doing this and you can even save some money if you stay on site.

For example, when you stay at a Disney hotel, you are guaranteed admission into the parks, even on very busy days.

People who stay off-site are not guaranteed admission.

You can also take advantage of the Magic Hour, where the parks will open a little earlier or stay open a little later.

Disney also cares for their patrons and you will have access to transportation to the parks at no additional cost.

If you rent a car while you are at Disney and you stay on Disney property, you will not have to pay for parking when you drive to the parks.

When you look into Disney hotels, you will see that there are many hotels that are run by Disney. There are grouped in to the high, moderate and low price range.

These prices also fluctuate depending on when you travel.

Peak season prices will be more, while off peak season prices will be the lowest.

These properties are also located all around the Disney World parks, so when you choose one, you will first decide on your price range and then decide exactly where you want to stay in the park.

Travelers who have been to Disney more than a couple of times and have stayed in a variety of their on-site hotels will tell you that there really are no bad hotels run by Disney.

It all depends on how much you want to spend and the amenities you want.

For example, on the higher end of the price range, you will find Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is an exceptionally rated hotel.

The higher priced rooms (up to $500 a night) offer views of the savanna where there are free roaming zebras, giraffes and other wildlife.

The rooms are small, but are nicely decorated. Amenities and the hotel include room service, several high end eating establishments, two pools, and more.

On the lower end of the price spectrum, you will find the Pop Century and the All-Star among others. These rooms are very adequate.

They offer two double beds, a clean bathroom, television and storage.

While you are here, you can expect to pay about $100 per night.

While you won’t find high end eating or room service, you will find clean pools, a laundry mat, bus transportation to the parks and mall area with shopping and fast food-type eating.

Where you stay will boil down to how much you want to spend and what you want.

If you just want a place to shower and sleep, then the lower end hotels are very adequate.

You can also look into the mid-range places which will be somewhere in between.

If your family is larger and you need a bigger place to stay, you can also check into the Fort Wilderness Campground, which offers cabin lodging that sleeps up to six and offers a small kitchen.

These are priced around $250 a night. This is the biggest way to save money on your Disney World trip.

• Your park passes

When you travel to Disney World for your family vacation, you will need park passes. This will cost you quite a bit and will take a large chunk out of your travel funds.

Florida residents are able to purchase discount tickets, but if you do not reside in the state, how can you save money on your tickets?

A basic one day park pass to one park can cost you around $100. Just think of how much it will cost a family of four to get tickets for five days!

However, the good news is that you can save money. When you buy “add ons” to your tickets, you will get more benefits and save money.

The Park Hopper passes are your best deal. A Park Hopper pass will give you the option of visiting any or all of the parks on a single day.

This is often the best choice for families. You can visit Magic Kingdom during the day and then head on over to EPCOT to catch the fireworks at night.

These Park Hopper passes will add $52 to your ticket price.

So if you buy a six day pass for $231 and add the Park Hopper pass for $52, it equals to about $47 a day, which is almost half off the regular one day park pass.

While there is really not a way to get cheaper tickets for Disney World, you don’t necessarily have to buy them through a travel agent.

You can get your tickets through online vendors (just made sure they are legitimate) or even at your local Disney World stores.

Also, before you buy your passes for your Disney World passes, think about what you really want to do once you get out there.

As mentioned, you can spend extra money on extra perks added to your tickets, but are they really things that you want?

For example, should you add the extra $52 per ticket for the Park Hopper option? It depends. Most people do.

This gives you a  lot more flexibility when you go to the parks.

But, if you are only going to be at Disney World for a short time, or you know you are only interested in say, Magic Kingdom, then maybe that is not the right option for you.

You can also add the option of visiting the other attractions out there. There are two water parks, Disney Quest, mini golf and even the popular Wide World of Sports.

For an additional $52 per ticket, you can add these to your trip.

If you are going for six days, an additional $52 to each ticket will get you six visits to any of the above.

Before you plunk down that money ask yourself if you really are interested in water parks or mini golf when you have Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios (formally called MGM Studios).

Given most families, those four parks alone will take up most of your time, so think carefully before you add these options to your tickets.

For a family of four, that can add up to $208 for something you may or may not use.

Last of all, look at the expiration option on your tickets. In the past, Disney World passes never expired.

If you bought tickets for 5 days and only used 3 days, you could come back and use those remaining 2 days at any time.

However, tickets now expire 15 days after you use the first time.

Disney knows that some travelers like the no expiration policy, so have further added a no expiration option for additional fees.

For a six day pass, you can add $84 to your ticket price and your tickets never expire. Again for a family of 4, that will add $336.

If you know you will be using all of your days on your tickets or that you will not be returning soon, then you may not need that additional purchase.

Opting out of the additional attractions and the no expiration option can save a family of 4 $544 on their tickets.

That can easily pay for meals while you are on your trip, so choose your ticket options carefully before you purchase.

Of course, the other option you have is the season pass. This is only a good deal if you plan on returning to Disney World within the year.

You can get an annual Disney World pass for $489.

If you take a six day trip now and a six day trip later in the year, your tickets now averages $40.75 a day, which is not a bad deal for Disney Park Hopper passes.

This includes Park Hopper Passes for all four parks.

For the premium annual pass which adds admission to the water parks, mini golf and Disney Quest, you will pay $619.

• Feeding the family:

Another easy way to save money on your Disney World trip is watching what you spend for food and beverages.

Disney does a very good job of getting you in the parks and keeping you there all day.

You are then at their mercy for feeding your family and the prices at any Disney eating establishment is not cheap.

Do your research before you go and look at average prices for even the fast food-type eating places within the parks.

You will find that it is nothing to pay $5 for a hot dog!

Disney does not allow outside food or drinks inside the parks, but there are things you can do to save lots of money on food and drinks. Consider the following:

Eat breakfast before hitting the parks:

As soon as you arrive in Orlando, seek out a grocery store and load up on groceries—breakfast items, snacks and drinks.

Take them to your hotel and eat breakfast before you go to the parks.

Most families that go to Disney World will probably opt for a breakfast with Disney characters and while these are great fun for the kids, just know that you will be spending about $40 a person!

Fill up before you hit the parks and save a lot of money.

Take water bottles to the parks:

If you travel to Disney during the warmer weather, you are going to get thirsty walking all day.

One easy tip is to take each family member an empty water bottle into the park (hang it on your belt loop) and fill it at the water fountains.

You can even get a supply of water flavors from your grocery store to add to the water. Each time you fill up your water bottle, you are saving about $6.

Leave the parks for meals:

Any seasoned Disney traveler will tell you that trying to get your family lunch at noon inside any Disney park will leave you tired and grumpy.

The lines are long and the food is expensive and mediocre.

You can leave the park and go back to your hotel for a sandwich or find a less expensive fast food place to grab a quick bite to eat and then return to the park.

Once you are inside the Disney property it is easy to get absorbed into the Disney culture and forget that people live in the area, so with a bit of driving, you will find stores and places to eat just like you would at home.

Another trick that won’t really save you money, but will save you time is to plan to eat later in the day and to eat one large meal a day.

Have a good breakfast before you hit the park, pack some filling snacks to eat during the day and then eat a large meal around 3.

You avoid the crowds and won’t need to eat both lunch and dinner.

Look at the Disney dining options:

One relatively new way to save money at the Disney parks is to invest in the Disney Dining Plan. If you book a Magic Your Way Disney Package, you have the option of adding a meal each day to your plan.

You will get one table service meal a day that includes entrée, dessert and drink or buffet, one quick service meal that includes a combo meal and one snack a day. 

This price varies depending on age (a child is cheaper) and your package, but for ages 10 and up, it is about $40 a day, which could be a good deal if you want to eat that much a day.

The dining plan is not available for purchase individually and must be bought with a package plan that includes your lodging and park passes.

Curb daily expenses:

If you are taking the whole family to Disney, you know that your children will want to buy a lot of Disney souvenirs and just like everything at Disney, it is not cheap.

Have your kids save money before you go or give them a daily allowance to avoid them asking for money all day.

Character autographs also make cheap and popular souvenirs.

You will pay about $10 for an autograph book at Disney, but you can easily get one before you go at your local dollar store.

Take a large pen or marker and your kids can stand in line to get autographs from their favorite Disney characters.

These tips barely scratch the surface of traveling and saving money at Disney World.

If you are planning a trip, there are some excellent sources for practical tips for Disney trips.

There are also “unofficial” Disney travel books that everyday people offer up their best tips.

Read these and do your research and you will find that you can plan a fun trip to Disney World without breaking the bank.

Remember, Disney is a magical place, so spend your time enjoying your trip, not worrying about the money.