Friday, June 17, 2011

Saving Money at Disney World

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When I saw the topic for this week’s Destination Disney, I knew I had to participate! Over the years, we have found LOTS of ways to save money on a Disney vacation. Some of the things we do are:

1. LODGING  We really like to stay on site. For us, it’s just part of the Disney experience. If you go off season and watch for specials on room rates, they can be reasonable. We stayed at the Pop Century Resort two years ago for about $70 a night.  Our very favorite place to stay is the Fort Wilderness Campground. We’ve usually brought our Pop-Up Camper, but last fall, we did stay in a tent for the first time. (Since Chris didn’t go on this trip with us, I was  a bit nervous about handling the camper all by myself.) We’ve paid as little as $35 a night in the off-season. Fort Wilderness is a very very clean, well kept up campground with a nice pool and a lake, where you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant each night. There are sidewalks everywhere for biking or walking and even a lovely bike trail leading to the Wilderness Lodge.

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2. TICKETS  In 2002  and 2005, we bought 10 day non-expiring tickets for each member of our family. By doing this, we only paid about $25 a day, plus had water park tickets as well. Each time we go, we use a few days off these passes and still have enough left for another trip or two.  Since Disney tickets seem to go up at more than the rates of inflation, I think they’re a good investment!

3. FOOD  I’m the ultimate cheapo when it comes to food! We eat breakfast at the campground or hotel room (cereal, etc.). We carry snacks with us—granola bars, fruit, string cheese, etc. Then we usually eat one main meal in the early to mid-afternoon and treat ourselves to a snack, such as Mickey Mouse bars. If the meals are large (and they often are), then two of us may share.

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4. MOUSESAVERS.COM Visit this site and subscribe to their email list!  You’ll find, not only useful information about closed and future attractions, but notifications of lodging specials and links to discounted tickets.

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What are your money saving tips for WDW? I’d love to hear them! Reply here or visit Destination Disney to join in the blog hop!

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