How To Plan A Disney Vacation For Cheap
What do you get when you cross the Happiest Place on Earth with a cheapskate? A magical vacation for cheap! I’ve just returned from Walt Disney World and wanted to share with you my insider tips for planning a Disney vacation for cheap. Now, when it comes to vacations, I am all about saving money. I stay off site in an apartment so I don’t have to pay for a room at the parks. And, I plan my itinerary before I go so I won’t waste time or money wandering around aimlessly. Plus, the savings really add up since I never visit the gift shops at any of the parks. Here’s what we did…
Planning a Disney vacation seems easy — buy your tickets, find a hotel, pack the kids in the car, go for a few days….and come home. But planning a Disney vacation on a budget is much more complex. You’ll often find yourself sitting at work or on the couch staring at your computer screen trying to figure out how to fit everyone in the car and not spending thousands of dollars. To make things easy for you, I’m going to show you exactly how to do just that!Imagine yourself walking down Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom, sipping a pineapple-carrot juice while taking pictures with costumed characters. If you’re on a budget, and not made of money, this may seem like a dream. But it’s not — it’s a reality, if you know where to look. I’m going to walk you through some simple steps to help you plan an amazing family vacation to Walt Disney World — without breaking the bank.
Making your annual trip to Disney a little more affordable doesn’t take much. In fact, some of the money-saving tips are so easy you won’t believe how much it will save you. If you have been considering another big family vacation but have financial concerns, there’s no need to worry. I’m going to share with you several ways that everyone in your family can enjoy the magic of Disney World and your vacation won’t break the bank.
How To Plan A Disney Vacation For Cheap
DISNEY WORLD: AN OVERVIEW
When you think of Disney World, the first thing that pops in most people’s minds is Cinderella’s Castle. It is the iconic symbol of Disney World, but there is so much more on offer than that. The Disney World property expands over 25,000 acres in Central Florida (which is approximately the size of San Francisco). Within the gates of Disney World property you will find:
- 4 Theme Parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom
- 2 Water Parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach
- 28 Disney Resorts
- Disney Springs: Shopping, dining and entertainment
- 4 Professional golf courses
- 4 Miniature golf courses
- ESPN Wide World of Sports: A sporting venue that hosts several professional sporting events
HOW MUCH DOES A DISNEY WORLD VACATION COST?
A Disney World vacation can cost anywhere from $1,000-$5,000+ USD per person. The total depends on your length of stay, types of parks pass purchased, and how much you choose to splurge on accommodation, food, and extras like character dinners, ticketed events, and souvenirs. Below is an estimate cost comparison per person for a 5-day, 5-night trip.
Flights (not included in estimates below) will vary in price according to the time of year and where you fly in from. Weekdays are generally cheaper to fly. You can get alerts on flight deals from your closest airport at Scott’s Cheap Flights. Also use Skyscanner to conduct a broad search and select “Entire Month” to visualize prices across the month of your visit.
You can also get 60,000 points (worth $750) just for signing up and hitting the minimum spend of $4,000 in the first 3 months with your everyday purchases on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. That’s enough to cover your flights! You can convert your points to an airline like United, JetBlue, or Southwest, or use the points directly in the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
OFF-SITE, BUDGET
Accommodation: $40+ USD/night entire place AirBNB
Adult parks pass: $374.95 USD (tax included) for 5-day Magic Your Way pass (entry to 1 park per day) from Undercover Tourist ($40 cheaper than gate prices)
Transportation: $10 USD Uber ride to/from Disney park 2x per day. Transport to/from airport $25 USD twice. Get $10 off your first Uber ride with coupon code uberthriftynomads
Food & drink: $40+ USD/day, packed meals only
Extras: Nil
Total for 5 days (not including flights): $924.95 USD
OFF-SITE, MODERATE
Accommodation: $75+ USD/night entire higher-end AirBNB apartment
Adult parks pass: $433.95 USD (tax included) for 5-day Park Hopper pass (entry to all parks everyday) from Undercover Tourist ($61 cheaper than gate prices)
Transportation: $30 USD/day car rental + $20 USD/day parking
Food & drink: $50/day, alternating packed meals & basic dining, Character dinner $58 USD
Extras: Memory maker photo pass $169 USD, Souvenirs $25+ USD
Total for 5 days (not including flights): $1,560.95 USD
ON-SITE, BUDGET
Accommodation: $100 USD/night Disney Value Resort Hotel
Adult parks pass: $374.95 USD (tax included) for 5-day Magic Your Way pass (entry to 1 park per day) from Undercover Tourist ($40 cheaper than gate prices)
Transportation: $0 (transfers to/from airport included in hotel rate)
Food & drink: $48 USD/day Disney Quick-Service dining plan (two counter service meals only), snacks/breakfast $10 USD/day
Extras: Nil
Total for 5 days (not including flights): $1,164.95 USD
ON-SITE, MODERATE
Accommodation: $166 USD/night Moderate Disney Resort Hotel
Adult parks pass: $452.24 USD (tax included) 5-day Park Hopper Plus (entry to all parks everyday and waterparks) from Undercover Tourist ($58 cheaper than gate prices)
Transportation: $0 (transfers to/from airport included in hotel rate)
Food & drink: $69 USD/day Standard Disney dining plan
Extras: $126 USD Disney After-Hours pass, Character dinner $58 USD, Memory maker photo pass $169 USD, souvenirs $27+ USD
Total for 5 days (not including flights): $2,007.24 USD
GETTING THERE
FLYING
Orlando has two main airports that you can fly into, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International (SFB). Most airlines fly into Orlando International, but a select few only fly to Sanford. Orlando International is approximately a 30-minute drive from the Disney World property, while Sanford International is a 75-90 minute drive.
For the cheapest rates, it is recommended to search for flights that arrive/depart mid-week. You’ll find the best flight deals with an account at Scott’s Cheap Flights, which can alert you about flight deals from your closest airport (and if you decide you want a premium plan, use coupon code TNOMADS20 for 20% off!) Use Skyscanner and select “Whole Month” to visualize the weekday rates across a month. For our other cheap flight hacks, check our guide here.
Also consider signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, which offer a 60,000 sign-up point bonus worth $750 after hitting the minimum spend of $4,000 in the first 3 months with your everyday purchases. That’s enough to cover a domestic flight! These are also great cards to have on hand for the high number of points you earn on travel and dining, plus, there’s no foreign transaction fees when you go overseas. Check out our full guide to getting free flights with travel points here.
The cheapest months to fly to Orlando will be when you typically see less people travelling to Disney. These tend to generally fall within:
- Mid-January to mid-February
- May to early June
- Late August to mid-November
GETTING TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
If you are staying at a Disney resort and arrive at Orlando International (not Sanford), then Disney provides complimentary transportation to and from the airport. This transport service is known as the Magical Express, and also provides luggage service to/from the airport. You must register for the Magical Express prior to your arrival.
If you will not be using Magical Express, there are other transport options. Car rental agencies are plentiful and competitively priced. You can secure a good rate on a rental with fee-free cancellation using BookingBuddy, then check back later. Pricing can fluctuate daily, so this is recommended. For other car rental cost-cutting car rental tips, check our guide, How to Book the Cheapest Car Rental Possible.
If you’d like to avoid renting a car, check with your hotel to see if they provide airport transportation. Several of the Orlando area hotels provide this, but always ask first. Other airport transport options include:
- Uber (Get $10 off your first ride with coupon code uberthriftynomads)
- Lyft
- SuperShuttle
- Mears
PARKING
If you are staying at a Disney resort, parking at the hotel and parks will be complimentary. Some off-site hotels do charge a daily parking fee, so make sure to verify that if you plan to rent a car.
BUYING TICKETS
Park tickets will account for a large chunk of your Disney World vacation cost. They are not cheap, but once you enter the parks, there is no additional charge for any attractions. There are different types of tickets you can purchase, starting at $99USD for a one day pass to $515 USD for a 10-day pass. Mickey Chatter’s Planning Guide provides a detailed explanation of the different types of park tickets.
With every park ticket purchase, you get access to Disney’s Fastpass+ system, which allows you to book 3 rides per day ahead of time. When using a Fastpass, you get to skip the regular queue, which will help you avoid waiting in long lines.
There are a variety of places that you can purchase your park tickets from, and a handful of potential discounts you can use. Undercover Tourist is one of the most popular sites that offers discounts on 3 day and other park tickets. You can also purchase your tickets direct from Disney, and they offer special deals on packages that include hotel and tickets. Check their Special Offers page to find current offers.
Other discounts you will find on park tickets include:
- Military discount (check our guide on military travel discounts here)
- Florida Resident discount
- Canadian Resident discount (until Feb. 10th, 2018)
- Air Miles Rewards (Canadians only)
- AAA/CAA, each club will vary in their ticket prices
- Corporate Sponsor – verify if your employer is a Disney sponsor, which may give you access to discounted prices
PARK INFO
Disney World consists of 4 main theme parks. Some deserve more time due to their size and number of attractions, while others can be sufficiently explored in just one day.
MAGIC KINGDOM
This is the most popular theme park. Magic Kingdom has the most rides, totalling over 20. It has six themed lands that cater to all ages. Entertainment includes a daily afternoon parade and an evening fireworks show. Since there is such a high number of rides in this park, I always recommend setting aside 2 days for this park.
EPCOT
This park will allow you to explore the future and travel the world, all at the same time! The front portion of the park is called Future World, which focuses on sciences, space, technology, and innovation. The back portion of the park is called World Showcase. In this area you will find 11 pavilions that represent countries from around the world. Epcot has 9 rides, exhibitions and live entertainment to enjoy. It is also where you will find some of the most diverse culinary dishes. If you are a foodie, then this is the park for you! You can enjoy this park in 1 day, but 2 days would be my recommendation.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Hollywood Studios brings the magic of movies to life. It is the smallest park on property and currently has quite a bit of construction going on. For this reason, I consider it to be a 1 day park at the moment. This park has 5 rides, 6 live shows, and 2 evening shows. The highly anticipated Star Wars Land is being built here, which is scheduled to open in 2019. Toy Story Land is coming close to completion, which is scheduled to open in summer of 2018.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
This park celebrates animals, nature, and prehistoric giants. It is separated into five themed lands. The park has 8 rides, 2 live stage shows, and several trails where you will discover all sorts of wildlife. Pandora: The World of Avatar opened at this park in May 2017. I would recommend setting aside 1 day to tour this park.