rope in savings at the disney world parks
disney world park tips & tricks to savings
- stock up on discounted gift cards: what do we mean by discounted? discounted gift cards are regular disney gift cards that you purchase from retails at a discounted price. using a target circle redcard can save you a baseline of 5% on a disney gift card purchase. using your credit card points or cash back to purchase a disney gift card is another money savings tips for purchasing a disney gift card at a discounted price. sam’s club is the most popular option for finding the best disney gift card discounts & deals.Â
- skip the park hopper: as my children have gotten older, park hopping has become something we do, but if you are on a budget, you don’t need the added cost. you can save $300 or more on your disney stay by eliminating the park hopper option. we recommend purchasing a 5 day single day pass and scheduling magic kingdom twice instead of purchasing the park hopper. it is tempting to upgrade to a park hopper, but if it is your first visit, you will want to “get in” a full day of what each park has to offer. especially if you are traveling with young children, park hopping is probably something you can do without since you may call it an early night anyway.Â
- skip the magicband: magicbands are a great souvenir collector’s item and if you have one from a previous visit, by all means reuse it. but if it is your first visit to disney, you can do without a magicband purchase. it is an added cost that can eat into your budget. magicbands are no longer complimentary with your disney resort stay, so they can cost you anywhere from $24.99 to $50.00 per band depending on the band you pick. with tickets being linked to your my disney experience app, you can scan your tickets from your phone to enter the park. no magicband is needed, besides magicbands can easily be lost. i’ve had to re-purchase one a time or two when my daughter lost hers on a ride.Â
- memory maker purchase?: if you are a first time visitor, the memory maker might be something you want to consider when you are planning your budget. the memory maker is an extra added cost ranging from $185 to $210. with this one purchase you can get unlimited photopass downloads to capture all the magical moments of your trip. don’t plan to take lots of pictures? there are other picture taking tips to save money: take your own photos with your phone or camera, purchase individual photopass pictures that you really like, or ask a cast member to take photos with your phone for you at character meet and greets—they will gladly do it for free.
- buy discounted tickets: purchasing theme park tickets for a family can add up quick. it helps to shop around for discounted disney world tickets. this can be a cost savings anywhere from 5% to 10% off of ticket purchases. if purchasing directly from disney it is best to surf the website for any upcoming discounts & deals before purchasing, although any discounts and deals can be added and adjusted to your purchase. it is best to purchase online or by phone. purchases on-site at the guest service’s ticket booth is an upcharge to purchasing in advance. active & retired military, family members with a current id, and retired civil employees can enjoy discounted tickets with purchases at shades for green or military exchange sites. military id is required for purchase which includes military members or their dependents who still have an active military id card–active duty or retired (see our military tips page for specific details). these military discounted tickets can be a significant savings. for discounted tickets, check online for reputable disney ticket brokers—this can be a savings of $100 to $150 on your total ticket purchases. We recommend: undercover tourist.
- buy souvenirs ahead of time: purchasing souvenirs at the disney parks can be expensive. plan ahead so that you don’t impulse buy and waste money. find out what disney souvenirs your kids like. purchase these in advance at walmart, amazon, on sale online at the disney store, or take a trip to an outlet. what fun would it be to have a gift set out for the kids each morning of their trip? and at a cost savings price. recommendation for teens: look for discounted prices at loungefly, hot topics, and amazon for discounted loungefly bags, disney lanyards, and trading pins. the vera bradley outlet has great deals on their disney printed bag collections. budget what your kids spend by planning ahead. t-shirts & theme days: purchase disney tees ahead of time at walmart, target, etsy, or download graphics to make your own matching family shirts.Â
- pass on the dining plan: the disney dining plan is not the cheapest way to eat. plan a grocery delivery to your resort, eat breakfast in your room, bring your own food & snacks into the park (ham sandwiches, peanut butter & jelly etc), and share meals at the parks. besides you don’t really want to ride on a full stomach. you can bring a small backpack/cooler into the park and disney offers locker storage at the entrance of each park. disney also has great filling snacks under $10.Â
- Â bring you own stroller or not?: bring your own stroller into disney can be cost effective. you can design your own name tag, store your diaper or snack bag on it while you experience the attractions and its free to bring to the parks. the only hassle is loading it on and off the disney transportation system, but if you are a pro at it why not? you can purchase stroller rentals from an off-site rental company and have it delivered to your resort or strollers can be rented at any of the disney parks. single stroller rental $15 a day and double strollers rental $31 a day. if you are going to rent a stroller at the disney parks, we recommend purchasing a multi-day rental: single stroller multi-day rental is $13 a day for length of stay (cost savings $2 a day) and double stroller multi-day rental is $27 a day for length of stay (cost savings $4 a day). convenience of renting a stroller at the disney park is that you pick up and drop off at the front of each park. park hopping, no problem as long as you have your rental receipt tag, you can pick up a stroller at the next park (included in your first purchased price).Â
pixie dust tips
- gift cards: if you plan your trip in advance, purchase gift cards regularly leading up to your trip and stock up. use gift cards for souvenirs, snacks, or resort & ticket purchases. captain hook tricks: unfortunately, disney gift cards can only be used at disney resort & parks or for disney purchases on the disney online store.
- memory maker: if your goal is to take as many photos of your magical experience then the memory maker might be right for you at an extra added cost from $185 to $210. with this one purchase you can get unlimited downloads of all your disney photopass media during (your stay) length of activation. one memory maker purchase can include up to 25 people on your my disney experience app family and friends list. if you are traveling with other families, splitting the cost is a money saving hack. link up with family and friends through the my disney experience app to share the disney photopass.
- discounted military ticket: disney offers military savings with the salute ticket package: this is a package deal with a limit of 6 park hopper tickets ranging from a 4 days hopper to a 6 day hopper. this is a significant savings of almost $200 per ticket.Â
- discount ticket broker: if i am purchasing discounted disney tickets from a discount broker, undercover tourist is my go to. i have purchased from this site many times over the years. it is a reputable site, offers great savings from $100 to $150 on total ticket purchase, delivered as a e-ticket (includes tax & free shipping), tickets can be linked to your my disney experience app, and tickets are refundable (review their refund policy before purchasing).
- souvenir savings: consider purchasing a disney pressed penny coin collecting book. this is a cheap way for your kids to have a fun magical experience. pressed penny books range from $10 to $24 on amazon and other websites. coin press machines can be found all around the disney parks, resorts, waterparks, and disney springs. it is an inexpensive way to collect unique disney designed pennies at a fraction of the cost of souvenirs. click on the link to view the machine locations:Â https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/coin-presses/
- save on drinks like water & soda: want to save money on purchasing bottled water or soda in the parks? bring your own water bottle or pack drinks in your backpack. capris sun, kool-aid jammers, and apple juice are great to pack for the kids. did you know you can save money on water in the disney parks? why buy a bottled water for $4 in the parks when you can simply ask for a cup of ice water for free! ask a cast member for a free cup of ice water at any quick-service location. filled up your water bottles at a water fountain or bottle refill station.Â
- captain hook tricks: you cannot bring alcoholic beverages into the disney parks. alcohol is sold at table service restaurants in theme parks, resorts, & disney springs. alcohol is only available at magic kingdom at table service restaurants and all around in epcot, hollywood studios, & animal kingdom parks at different restaurants and kiosk locations.