Disney World on a Budget

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A trip to Disney World can be very expensive, especially since happiness is always just one splurge away. And, many families (like mine) were just happy to get to go to Disney. We didn’t have thousands of dollars to blow on this trip.

But, you know what? We made this Disney World trip on a budget – and we had a fantastic time! We were so excited about the fun things we got to do, we weren’t concerned with all of the things we couldn’t afford to buy.

Here are some ways to help have a great Disney World Vacation on a budget:

Accommodations

• Stay off-site – Staying at a Hotel, Resort, AirBNB, etc that is not on the Disney Property. This can save a lot of money. I recommend looking for a hotel that offers free breakfast – for an additional savings.
• If you have your heart set on staying on Disney Property (and I don’t blame you, there are a lot of perks), your least expensive options are going to be the Value Resorts or Camping at Fort Wilderness.
• You might also want to consider staying at a Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel. They offer some or many of the same amenities (like bus transportation to parks and Magic Hours) as on-site properties but at a much lower room rate.
• Many families have had success in saving money by renting Disney Vacation Club Points (DVC). You can read more about this at dvcrequest.com.
• Also, check Disney’s Special Offers Page to find special discounts and packages.
• Contact an Authorized Disney Travel Planner for the best deals! They are experts when it comes to planning a Disney Vacation and their services cost you absolutely nothing!

Transportation (Getting There)

• Drive -Driving is almost always cheaper than flying if it’s worth your time and sanity. We drove the 10 hours to Orlando. I liked that I could bring all of our snacks and extra blankets and everyone’s favorite pillows, etc. They did ask, “How much further?” and “When are we going to get there?” about 87 billion times, but I knew they were excited.
• Train- You can also check Amtrak to see if there is a train station in your area that goes to Orlando. Sometimes, riding the train is the least expensive and most relaxing way to get to Orlando.
• Fly- Sometimes it’s hard to get a deal on flying, especially if you have definite dates that you have to fly. 1. I like to use Google Flights because it shows me every day surrounding my travel dates and the lowest flight ticket. Some flights can increase or decrease $100 or more from one day to the next. 2. When it comes to flying, the best thing to do is shop around on travel discount sites. 3. And, don’t forget to sign up for the Airline Programs. Those flyer miles can help you get free or discounted flights for your next trip. IMPORTANT TIP: Always clear your browsing history/cache after each flight search. Cookies will save your search information showing that you are looking for specific flights. Then, the prices will increase to try to trick you into panic buying (“Oh no! I better buy these tickets before the price goes any higher!!”). Just clear you history, and continue your flight search…

Even if you do have to spend some money on plane tickets, you can save a lot of money with the other free and cheap ideas on this list.

Disney Park Tickets

If you are a little confused about Disney Tickets (especially since things are constantly changing), this is the best article I have read to explain Disney World Tickets.

Some great advice that I was given (to save money on tickets) was to avoid the Park Hopper add-on, which can cost an additional $40-60.

Here are some great places to look to get Disney Tickets and/or packages:

• Disney Packages and Specials –usually a package that includes accommodations and sometimes includes dining
• Undercover Tourist-Can combine tickets and accommodations or just buy tickets
• Park Savers –Can get tickets only

P.S. I have also seen packages on Costco’s Website (on the Travel tab). The tickets were packaged together with accommodations for a discounted total price.

Eating & Drinking

• Order groceries from Walmart and use their Pick-up service before heading to your resort. You don’t even have to get out of your car! You can google the Walmart stores in Orlando to find locations. Or, look on Yelp for the best grocery stores in Orlando if you prefer another grocery store. There are also some great grocery delivery services in Orlando as well (I’ve heard great things about Garden Grocer delivery service).
• Eat breakfast in your room. Some rooms have a mini-fridge and a few have microwaves (or they at least have toasters and microwaves in the resort restaurant). Bring fruit, cereal bars, string cheese, nuts, cereal, 1/2 gal. milk, boiled eggs, yogurt, granola bars, juice, Lunchables, etc.
• We drank TONS of water at Disney! We brought our own pack of bottled water for our hotel room and we took a few bottles into the park each day. Most quick-service restaurants will give you a cup of ice water for free. Sometimes the water is dispensed from a coke fountain machine. You can refill your cup of water or bottled water at the fountain machine and carry it with you as you head back into the park. It was so nice to come back to some cold water after a long day in the parks. We would drink 1-2 bottles each night. I’m so glad we had bottled water in our hotel room.
• Disney’s food portions are very generous. There are many meals and snacks that can be split between 2 people. Here is a list of all the meals you can split at Disney World.
• Here is an Ultimate List of Cheap Eats at Disney World.
• You can bring in your own food into the Disney Parks which is nice. I once saw a man whip open a Tupperware tub full of veggies while in line for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train (it looked really good). I’ve brought in Gluten-free snacks and a few things for the kiddos if they were needing a snack. But, you can bring in all your food for the day if you want. The parks allow you to bring in a small cooler – which will be checked to make sure there are no glass containers, alcohol, or loose ice. I don’t like lugging around a ton of food all day so we just bring a few granola bars or nuts.

Discount Disney Clothing

• Department Stores & Target -T-Shirts at the Parks and Souvenir shops can cost 29.99-39.99+ and Sweatshirts up to $100+. Target has Disney themed T-shirts for 12.99 (sometimes on sale for 12.00) These are located in women’s, men’s, and kid’s clothing sections. Department Stores also carry Disney-themed clothing. I’ve also seen some really cute Disney themed shirts at H&M and even at Walmart!
• Five Below – Head to the back of your local Five Below to find Disney and Star Wars-themed t-shirts for only $5. We have several stores in our nearest city (Birmingham, AL) and each store had different t-shirts. You don’t always know what sizes and styles will be available, but we found several t-shirts for our trip for only $5 each. If you want matching shirts for the whole family, you might get lucky and find them all at Five Below depending on the availability and sizes you need.
• Shop Disney – The apparel on the Shop Disney Website can be pricey, but I’ve found great deals on their SALE page. Sometimes, the site has a 25% off Sale Items promotion. I’ve seen sequined Minnie Ears for $11.00, stuffed animals for $2.25, and t-shirts as low as $5.00.

Disney Outlet: Discount Clothing & Souvenirs in ORLANDO

When we finally arrived in Orlando, we headed to the Disney Warehouse Outlet (address below). This is a great place to get Disney shirts, Princess dresses, and souvenirs. And, the prices are so much less expensive than the Disney Parks & Resort souvenir shops.

We got some Cars-themed Mickey Ears for 5.99 and several shirts. I got a Mickey shirt for 1.99! I think the most we spent on a shirt was 12.99, and the t-shirts in the parks can run up to 39.99. Of course, some of these items are seasonal (Halloween merch after Halloween, Christmas Merch after Christmas) and some items are from canceled events. I’ve noticed that lately (2021) they are trying to get rid of the NBA merch from the closed NBA Experience at Disney Springs. So, you may have to dig around to find something that appeals to you.

This is a great spot to check out for souvenirs and clothing. They carry dresses, toys, hats, coffee mugs, etc. Keep in mind that this huge outdoor mall is very popular and crowded. And parking is crazy!

Disney Warehouse Character Outlet // 4951 International Drive //Orlando, FL 32819

Less Expensive Character Meals

Wyndham Lake Buena Vista – This hotel is located near Disney Springs. Each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista hosts a Disney character breakfast in their Lakeview Restaurant. The breakfast is from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Character Meal with All-You-Can-Eat Buffet (with Mickey Waffles)

• Adults $26.95
• Child $12.95

In comparison, the Buffet Breakfast at Akerhaus is $45+ per adult and $28+ for kids. Cinderella’s Breakfast Buffet is $60+ for adults and $35+ for kids. So this meal at Wyndham is significantly less expensive.

You can meet Goofy and Pluto at this breakfast. The meal and experience are not rushed and is very low-key. The kiddos will get to spend a generous amount of time with Goofy & Pluto and can get autographs and photos.

Free Activities at Disney World Resort/Property

These are great things (mostly FREE or super cheap) to do on your Arrival Day, Departure Day, or your “Day Off” From the Disney Parks. You can still have a lot of fun Disney experiences without spending any money!

At Your Resort

I wrote this based on our stay at a Disney hotel/resort, but many hotels off Disney properties have some of the same amenities (like a pool, mini water park, playground, arcade, etc).

• Pool Day– My kiddos could stay at the pool all day! We did a few other things in the morning and headed to the pool after lunch. The resort had trivia, movies, and s’ mores at/or near the pool. We even ordered pizza and ate it at the pool. (See below). ***The arcade isn’t free, but if you participate in the trivia at the pool, they usually give away gift cards to the arcade. You don’t even have to win for the gift cards, you just have to participate. My daughter got a $20 Arcade gift card just for playing.
• Movies by the pool – Our hotel showed Disney Movies on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. Check at the front desk of your resort or call to find out when movies at the pool are available.
• Movies Under the Stars- Many resorts offer Disney Movies at their resort out on a lawn. If your resort doesn’t offer this, you can “resort hop” to another resort that is having Movies Under the Stars.
• Jogging & Walking Trails
• Playgrounds

Hitch A Ride

Riding the buses, boats, Monorail (and future Skyliner) are a great way to see the Disney World Resort area and they are all FREE!

• Buses – My favorite thing about staying on property is parking my car and not having to drive around the rest of our vacation. We could just hop on a bus to get to other resorts, the parks, and Disney Springs.
• Boats – These ferry boats are a very relaxing way to get around the Disney World Resort. They sail to and from Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs. The boats run every 15-30 minutes.
• Monorail- Disney World has two monorails. One monorail serves Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and The Grand Floridian – the hotels on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop. This monorail connects at the Transportation Center to the second monorail that travels to Epcot. See more info on the Monorail HERE
• Disney Skyliner – Aerial Gondola ready in 2019. Read more about the Skyliner HERE. See our experience on the New Disney Skyliner HERE.

FREE Art Class at Art of Animation (and Resort Tour)

When we were at Disney, we heard about a free art class at the Art of Animation. I called ahead and was told that we could attend the next classes, and we didn’t have to be staying at the Art of Animation to participate.

The Art Classes were being held at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. on the day we were visiting. The kids learned how to draw Stitch. The whole class only lasts about 15 minutes, but we also toured this resort (It is so cool!) and had some lunch at Landscape of Flavors. We also checked out the gift shop here to see what goodies they had.

FREE Things to do at Disney Springs

• Splash Pad –The free splash pad is located in the Marketplace area of Disney Springs -right next to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Earl of Sandwich. It is a great activity for little kids.
• Build Race Cars at the Lego Store – Kids can build and race their own race cars at the LEGO store. This activity is free and kiddos (and parents) love it. Of course, you can step inside the LEGO store and look at all of the LEGO’s and LEGO kits available for purchase.
• Take pictures with Disney Toy Statues or large LEGO Figurines (located in Marketplace – FREE) These LEGO creations and Disney statues may not be as exciting as meeting the characters at the parks, but taking photos with them seems to be really popular. There are several Instagram-worthy spots all throughout Disney Springs, especially in the Marketplace area. You can also take a photo in a Mad Hatter Teacup at the store Disney Style.
• Let Stitch spit water on you at World of Disney – You can also walk around the corner (on the outside of the store) and let Stitch spit water on you!
• Meet the Coke Bear at World of Coca-Cola – If your kiddos love meeting characters, they will love meeting and getting a hug from the Coke Polar Bear. It is also a great photo opportunity. Your pic can be added to your Photo Pass account. The Coca-Cola Bear is on the second floor of the Coke building. You can also head to the top of the Coke Building for a rooftop view of Disney Springs. No purchase is required to visit this area, but they do offer drinks for sale. See the Coke Polar Bear availability calendar HERE.

CHEAP Things to do at Disney Springs

• Marketplace Carousel- Small for little kids ($3 per ride)
• Small Train Ride –This is a small train, but adults can ride also ($3 per ride).

Resort Tours (FREE)

Disney World allows you to visit their resorts – many call it “resort hopping”. You are welcome to take yourself on a self-guided tour. Each resort is unique with its own themes, decor, restaurants, and activities. The only thing you can’t do at other resorts is to swim in the pool. You can only swim in the pool where you are staying. 

• Art of Animation – Art of Animation is over-the-top Disney themed and young kids will love it. The kiddos will love the huge Ariel and Crush and Lion King areas. The resort also offers free art classes (see above for more info). This is my favorite resort to tour and is free to see everything – Perfect for doing Disney World on a budget!
• Animal Kingdom Lodge – The gorgeous lobby is worth the trip to this resort. You can also (maybe) see some of the 100 animals in the 3 surrounding savannas. Ask for a daily schedule at the Front Desk and pick your favorite activities – from animal feedings to cookie decorating at BOMA.
• Contemporary – The kids will love that the monorail goes right through the middle of the building. At night, you can also watch Magic Kingdom fireworks and/or the Electrical Water Pageant Parade.
• Many resorts host Movies Under the Stars. These movies are free/complimentary to all those staying at a Disney World Resort. See more information for locations and times HERE.

FREE Chip ‘N Dales Campfire Sing A Long (w/ Movie)

When I first visited Disney World as a kid, we camped at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. One of my favorite memories was the nightly sing-a-long with s’ mores and a movie.

Even if you’re not staying at the campground, you can still visit and enjoy the sing-a-long and movie. You can bring your own s’ mores fixing’s or purchase them at the campsite.

P.S. Camping may not be for everyone, but if your family loves to camp (and/or have an RV), staying at this campsite resort is also a way to keep your Disney World trip on budget.

Read more about Chip ‘N Dales Campfire Sing-A-Long HERE.

FREE Mini Golf & ESPN Wide World of Sports (if staying on Disney World Property)

We were staying on property at a Disney Resort so we were given a “gift” of 4 free rounds of Mini Golf at either Fantasia Gardens or Winter Summerland. Disney also gave us a coupon to visit the ESPN Wide World of Sports for free. We were given our free coupons/tickets when we checked in to our resort. These coupons were perfect for free and fun activities – keeping our Disney World trip on Budget!

• Mini Golf – 4 free rounds of Mini Golf at either Fantasia Gardens or Winter Summerland.
• ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex – The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a huge sports facility. Admission fees vary depending on the event. We were given free tickets to ESPN since we were staying on Disney Property.
  See upcoming sports events at ESPN Wide World of Sports HERE.

For more Disney World budget ideas, read Meals You Can Split at Disney World.

Do you have any tips for taking a trip to Disney World on a budget? Let us know in the comments below!

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