Planning a trip to Disney World can be super stressful — especially if you’re on a very limited budget.

We here at DFB are here to help you plan a trip no matter what your budget is. We’ve crunched the numbers and done the research and are confident we can help you plan the CHEAPEST trip to Disney World.

Flying

First things first, it’s time to get your flights for as cheap as possible. Tickets will get more and more expensive the closer you get to your departure date, so you need to book your flights AT LEAST 3 weeks in advance. Yes, it is possible the airline could reduce ticket prices a few days prior if they’re trying to get more seats filled, but that’s a very risky bet we don’t recommend taking.

Additionally, try to pack the LEAST amount possible so you’re not paying for overweight bags or extra bags. Many airlines allow you to bring one personal item and one carry-on bag for free — be sure to check the dimensions of the bags allowed on the airline’s website before you fly!

Now you’ve made it to Orlando Airport and you need to make it to Disney World. Disney no longer offers free transportation to and from the airport, so you have a few different options. You can take Mears Connect and pay around $30-$40 per person, or can take a rideshare (like Uber or Lyft) for a fluctuating price. Typically a rideshare to Disney World from the airport costs around $35, but it does depend on factors such as time of day and day of the week.

However, you can also choose to rent a car (the most expensive option) to have the ability to travel around Orlando at your leisure.

Driving

What if you choose to drive to Disney World instead? This can be cheaper than flying, depending on what part of the country you live in. We suggest taking your car’s gas mileage and comparing it to how long you’ll have to drive overall to see how many times you’ll need to stop for gas, as well as what the average price of gas is at the time.

Don’t forget to add in what a hotel stay overnight would cost you! It’s important to rest on long road trips so no one is too tired while driving. Keep in mind though that this means it will take you longer to reach your destination, so you’ll need to add at least two more days onto your trip that will just be spent driving.

Many hotels and even some gas stations have rewards programs that can help you save money while you’re on the road. Be sure to factor in these savings when you’re deciding which way of traveling will be cheaper for you.

Hotel

Okay, so you’ve made it to Disney World, and now it’s time to decide where you’re going to stay. If you want to stay on property at Disney World, value resorts are your cheapest option. The average price for a stay at a value resort is around $200 per night. However, if you want to save even more, plan your trip during Disney’s slower seasons (mid January, mid-to-late February, early May, mid-to-late August, and pretty much the entire month of September). Prices can then drop to around $140-$150 per night.

And don’t forget to check Disney’s Special Offers, Deals, and Discounts page! Before you finish booking your trip, check the page and make sure you’re not missing a deal to help you save. This can be tricky, however, so we recommend using our friends at Small World Vacations to make sure you’re getting the best deals. This service is entirely free, and if a discount becomes available after you book, they can help apply it to your trip so you can save that money!

If you’re looking for an even cheaper option, you can look for nearby Airbnbs and/or VRBOs. These are homes, apartments, and rooms rented out by the owners. It can help you save HUNDREDS during your vacation. You can also check for reviews left by others before you to see if it’s a good fit for you and your group.

Good Neighbor Hotels are also a good option for your vacation! While these aren’t Disney hotels, they partner with Disney to bring guests lower room rates with the same perks as Disney hotels. Many of them offer free transportation to and from the parks and Early Theme Park Entry, as well as additional perks like complimentary breakfast buffets, happy hours, drink coupons, bigger rooms, AND maybe even a balcony with fireworks views! These can easily save you hundreds on your Disney World hotel stay, however, keep in mind that sometimes shuttle service can be slow, and these hotels aren’t filled with Disney theming.

Park Tickets

Of course, you’ll need your tickets for the parks too! The best way to save money here is to take a look at the Walt Disney World Ticket Calendar to see what the prices are going to be months in advance and plan accordingly. Tickets can range from $115 per day all the way to $159 per day — that’s a BIG difference.

However, be sure to use our Ticket Trick when booking — Disney World tickets that are for more than just one day will allow you to have a few days of leeway to use your tickets. If you’re planning to buy a 4-day 1-park-per-day ticket for your trip from October 3rd through the 6th, instead of choosing October 3rd as your start date (when your four days in the park can be any time between the 3rd and 9th) with a start price of $143, choose October 1st (when your days in the park can be used between the 1st and 7th) that has a start price of $139 per day! It may only save a few dollars, but that can certainly help. Long story short — play around with those start dates!

Another option is to shorten your trip to be in the parks for fewer days. We know, it stinks to think about leaving out any park, but to save some money, you may only be able to choose two parks to visit and condense your days. The remaining days of your trip, you can spend at your resort pool, hanging around Disney Springs, or exploring Orlando as a whole!

The cheapest ticket will, of course, be the one park, one day ticket. Single-day ticket pricing works differently than multi-day ticket pricing because they’re priced by park as well. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is usually always the cheapest, followed by EPCOT, then Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom.

Choosing a Park Hopper ticket will be more expensive, but it will allow you to visit more than one park in a day. It means you’ll cut down on the amount of time you’re sending in each park, but at least you won’t be tied to just one park for the whole day. At this time, park hopping doesn’t start until 2PM, so be sure to keep that in mind!

Food

Looking to cut down on the amount you’re spending on food? Our first tip is to choose a buffet dining reservation that can become Brunch, because breakfast pricing is cheaper at most buffet table service restaurants. The later you eat for breakfast, the closer it can be to lunch as well — two meals in one!

Dining at quick service locations is also a much cheaper option than table service dining. You’ll be able to choose what entree and sides you’d like to purchase, and can even share with other members of your family if you’d like. Some of our top recommendations are:

• Columbia Harbour House
• Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie
• Woody’s Lunch Box

Do you want to know what’s even cheaper than eating at Disney? Eating OUTSIDE of Disney World! Disney allows you to bring in your own food to the parks, so we recommend bringing your own snacks into the parks with you, and you can even bring your own lunch! We recommend getting groceries delivered to your hotel so you can pack your park bag every morning. Trust us, it’s cheaper than Disney pricing!

Merchandise

When it comes to merchandise, it can be super expensive around Disney World. However, one of our tips is to buy Disney merchandise at a nearby Target or Walmart instead of in the park, OR you can even buy it at home ahead of time. If you’ve got kiddos, you can surprise them with the toys when they start asking for something in the parks.

Don’t forget to check prices online at shopDisney too! Many times you can find the same merchandise from the park for cheaper online, or utilize a special online deal.

Lastly, don’t forget to grab those freebies in the parks! We love grabbing celebration buttons for free, scavenger hunt booklets, stickers, festival passports, and more.

Check out ALL the freebies you can get in Disney World right here!

And there you go — you now know how to save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on your Disney World trip! We’re always here to help you out with all the latest Disney news, so stay tuned to DFB!

Need us to go a little more in-depth with saving money at Disney? We’ve got you covered!

 

What’s your favorite way to save money in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!