We all love to visit the Most Magical Place on Earth but that can come at quite a cost!
Here are some things you should NEVER waste money on when at Disney World and handy ways to save some money!
DON'T Buy Water
One bottle of water can cost almost $4! Trying to stay cool in the Florida heat can make this cost add up quickly!
DO Get Free Water
Instead take advantage of the free water you can get whilst at Disney! Head to any quick-service location and ask for a cup of water or bring your own tumbler and fill it at the free water fountains found around the parks.
DON'T Buy an Item As Soon As You See It
The merchandise at Disney World is incredible and if you are anything like me you can't help yourself and always come home with lots of incredible merch! But instead of buying on impulse there is a great way to get the souvenirs you would like but at discounted prices!
If you see an item that you love make a note of what it is and where you saw it but check out the tip below to see if you could save some serious money!
DO Visit The Orlando Premium Outlets
Before you part with your cash visit the Orlando Premium Outlets. Disney have their own outlet store called Disney's Character Warehouse. Here you will find a treasure trove of amazing Disney merchandise, including many items that are still being sold in the Disney Parks for full price!
This Evil Queen Bag decoration cost $24 in the parks and I got it for $6 at the outlet!
Stop by this outlet store for everything from clothing, toys and even children's costumes! You can also find brands such as Alex and Ani, Danielle Nicole and Dooney and Bourke here for bargain prices!
The closest Orlando Premium Outlet to Disney World is a few minutes drive away at Vineland Avenue. There is also a location on International Drive near Universal Studios.
DON'T Spend Money on Car Hire and Parking If You Are Staying At A Disney Resort
If you are staying on-site at a Disney World Resort be sure to take advantage of the range of complimentary transport Disney provides. This will help save tons of money on car rental and parking fees!
DO Use Disney's Complimentary Transport
All Disney Resorts offer complimentary buses that can get you to the Disney Parks and Disney Springs. Some resorts also offer additional modes of transport such as ferries, the monorail or the latest addition, the Skyliner.
Some of the best resorts for transport are the Polynesian Village Resort, the Contemporary Resort and the Grand Floridan Resort, which are all located on the monorail loop but also offer boats to Magic Kingdom. You are even able to walk to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary Resort and the Grand Floridian Resort!
Caribbean Beach Resort, Riviera Resort, Art of Animation Resort and Pop Century Resort all have Skyliner stations as well as offering bus transportation. The Skyliner takes guests between these resorts, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.
Beach Club Resort, Yacht Club Resort and BoardWalk Inn are within walking distance to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios and also offer boats to both these parks as well as the free buses.
DON'T Miss Out on Rope Drop
You are on vacation. It is time to relax, unwind and sleep in. But when at Disney World this can be a mistake! The first few hours of the day are often the least crowded, so time sleeping in means losing out on precious park time.
DO Rise Early To Get The Most Out Of Your Day and Money
The parks are always the quietest first thing in the morning and get busier throughout the day. By lunchtime the crowd size increases greatly over the next few hours.
Get the most bang for your buck by heading to the parks first thing in the morning to experience as much as you can before the crowds arrive. You can often get more done before lunchtime than you can during the whole of the afternoon and evening.
Head to the most popular attractions first to take advantage of the shorter wait times!
DON'T Book Your Trip Before Checking Park Pass Availability
You now need Park Pass Reservations as well as valid tickets to enter the Disney Parks. One big, and costly, mistake is booking your trip before checking the Park Pass availability. If you don't check beforehand and there are no reservations left for the days you want to visit the parks this can ruin the entire trip!
DO Check the Availability Calendar Before Booking and Book Your Park Passes As Soon As You Buy Disney Park Tickets
In just a few minutes you can easily see if there are Park Passes available for the dates you want to visit. Once you know you are good to go ahead and book and trip!
Once you have booked your trip buy your Dinsey park tickets soon after so you can then secure your Park Pass Reservations. This will give you peace of mind that you will be guaranteed entry to the parks on your chosen days!
Check out the Park Pass availability calendar here!
DON'T Waste Money On Dining
Dining at Disney is such a fun part of any trip but this is an area that can cost some big bucks!
Disney offers a range of dining styles and restaurants for every budget. This includes quick service dining, which is similar to eating at a fast food restaurant, table service dining, which is a sit down meal at a restaurant and fine dining which offers gourmet food and high end service. The difference in prices can escalate wildly between every restaurant.
DO Pick Your Meals Wisely
Luckily Disney are generous with their portions so a quick service meal that costs $14 is probably shareable, whereas a $7 item is most likely an individual sized portion. Also look out for combinations or platters as these often offer the most amount of food and are perfect for sharing.
Some Disney snacks are HUGE and can be a great and cheap way of dining. Mickey's Pretzel's are iconic but also massive and filling. They are also non-perishable so you can save any leftovers for later.
The Colossal Cinnamon Roll, pictured above, from Creature Comforts in Animal Kingdom, is ginormous! It costs $7.49 and is the size of a plate! It can easily feed at least 2 (or more!) people. This is a great affordable breakfast or snack option to share.
If you want to get your monies worth visit an all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant, such as at Liberty Tree Tavern. You can order more of the items you like the most which makes this type of dining a great way to eat a big meal for a set price.
DON'T Buy all Official Disney Merchandise
I am a huge fan of Disney merchandise and always leave lots of space in my suitcase to bring lots home! But some items can be costly and don't necessarily need to be official. Save money on these items so you have more to spend on the must-have items!
DO Buy Disney Licenced Products
Visit Walmart or Target and get lots of items, such as autograph books, glow sticks, bubble wands and backpacks that are Disney licensed products. This means the manufacturer has been given a license by Disney to use Disney images to create these products but the items are not official Disney merchandise. This can offer great savings!
It is also a good idea to purchase items such as ponchos here which are far cheaper than buying them in the parks.
I hope this post has given you some helpful tips on how to save money whilst at Disney World! What will you spend the saved money on? Let me know in the comments below, over on Instagram or Facebook!
Easily plan a budget for your Disney World trip with my Budgeting Planner for Walt Disney World. Check out the full range of guides and planners at the Most Magical Shop!