I Go To Disney World Every Day, and People Always Ask Me How I Can Afford It

It’s probably the single most asked question we get, and it might surprise you to learn we NEVER get tired of answering it!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

We get asked about visiting Disney World a lot — like where to stay, how to make sure you’re getting the best deal, and when’s the best time to visit. And we love answering questions that can really make a difference for your trip!

We go to Disney World every SINGLE day — no, we’re not exaggerating! Someone from the team is there every day — even on weekends and holidays. While we typically get mixed responses from folks ranging from “that sounds like a dream!” to “how could you ever stand it?” we’re pretty happy with being your eyes and ears at Disney World when you’re not able to be there. But the biggest question that remains is not THAT we go to Disney World every day, it’s HOW! Mostly, we get this question because visiting Disney World can be expensive!

Cinderella Castle

Because there’s some prep work involved with taking Disney World vacations, we’ve broken down what we do into two different groups. There’s a few things we do before we take our trip and several tips we stick to when we’re actively taking our trip.

Before Our Trip

We’re always looking for a deal! We’re huge advocates of taking advantage of big store savings by buying discounted Disney gift cards from places like Sam’s Club, Costco, Kroger (especially for fuel rewards) and Target. You can get significant savings just for being a savvy shopper!

Disney Gift Cards

The main thing we want to follow up about this tip is if you DO use Disney gift cards for payment towards your trip or while you’re on vacation, you’ll want to make sure you don’t prematurely toss those cards in the trash. Hold on to them until after you’ve traveled because if your plans change and you cancel anything that’s refundable, those refunds go back on to the original form of payment — meaning the Disney gift cards.

Promotion pricing

A budget and a well thought-out plan is your best friend. If you’re anything like us you’re constantly planning out those phantom Disney World trips and prices “just in case” but that’s a great start to an even better practice. We find ourselves pricing out our trips and dividing up the payments so we’re able to budget for the total cost much easier than forking over a lump sum of money all in one whack for these vacations! Disney World packages typically allow you to make payments towards your balance up through 30 days prior to your check in date and that’s been a saving grace for us time and time again.

DFB Guide

Take a deep dive into all the rewards your credit cards offer! Some credit cards offer travel perks and points like Marriott and Disney Visa. When you pay for everyday purchases with these cards or put your cost of your trip toward these cards, the rewards you accrue for making the purchases you were already going to make, could be fruitful in some bonus money to put towards your trip or towards your hotel stay.

©Disney

Of course, these will be specific to each credit card company so you’ll want to compare and strategize accordingly. We’re also BIG fans of saving up Disney Visa Rewards on the redemption card and using it as our super secret budget when it comes festival time at EPCOT!

During Our Trip

Do the research upfront and come prepared — especially when it comes to food! We’re always packing our own (non perishable) snacks in our bags, bringing our own water bottles to the park with us to refill throughout the day, and when the occasion calls for it we’re not above splitting meals and snacks with a friend.

Snacks!

If you’ve narrowed down your list in advance of the food and restaurants you’d like to try out (of course you have with our help here at DFB), then you’ve probably already got a good budget in mind for how big each restaurant or snack portion is and how much it will cost you. Preplanning is NEVER a bad thing when you’re coming to Disney World!

That’s A LOT of food!

If you’ve forgotten to pack a water bottle, don’t stress! There are plenty of quick service restaurants that are happy to get you free ice water when you ask at the counter.

Stay hydrated!

Prioritize what’s absolutely non-negotiable for your trip and make a decision on what’s left over. This one is pretty self explanatory but if you really “bare bones ” the outline of what you HAVE to have to make this Disney World trip worth it, then you know what you’re not willing to budge on before you run into snags.

This is so fun!

If you find yourself super budget conscious or worried that you won’t be able to fit everything in all in one trip, that’s when you’ll be able to see what’s “left over” and where you need to make decisions to cut activities and extras down that may not matter as strongly as other things will to you.

So there you have it! These are the methods we’ve personally put to the test as we plan out our Disney World visits no matter how often we step foot into the parks. It mostly just comes down to researching, planning, and budgeting as often as necessary until you find a sweet spot that works for you!

We’re always looking for the latest ways to save you (and ourselves) money at Disney World so be sure you’re following along for all the latest!

9 Disney World Guests That Had a Way Worse Vacation than You

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WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

Do you have any tips and tricks you use to help you visit Disney World often? Spill all your awesome secrets in the comments below!