This post was originally published on PlanningTheMagic.net by Krystel. All photos courtesy of Planning The Magic.

Disney on a Budget – How I got a 7.3K Disney Vacation For Less Than Half

I am a huge Disney World Fan. I love everything about Disney World except the price.  We all have heard that planning a Disney Vacation is an investment in family, bonding, emotion even.  With time, and a limited budget, I’ve learned how to get the most bang for my buck.  It’s not about being cheap or missing out on anything, more about getting the most value for your dollar. I know you want to make your Disney vacation affordable and figure out a way to create the perfect Disney vacation budget. I am going to show you how to get more than 50% off your Disney Vacation while not sacrificing anything.

Saving on Disney Hotels

You want to stay at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort, like Grand Floridian, but Disney quotes you $5500 for a room for 7 nights.  Now what?  Rent Disney Vacation Club points.  Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s timeshare program.  Sometimes people don’t go to Disney for a year or two and decide to rent their points.  You can use a service like David’s Vacation Club Rentals to avoid any risk of being scammed. You can get virtually the same accommodations for $1900.  Here is a screen shot right off David’s:

Saving on Tickets

There isn’t a lot of money that can be saved when purchasing theme park tickets.  Military discounts are the best discounts out there but a lot of people do not qualify for those.  AAA also has discounts they provide to their members.  My favorite and most efficient to save a few dollars on theme park tickets is UnderCover Tourist.  It is not a huge discount but anything helps and they sometimes have great deals.   You can usually save $10-$20 off the gate price. Please be careful when purchasing theme park tickets.  There are  A LOT of scams out there.  Here is an example of a buy 4-day Disney ticket, get one free:

Saving on Food

Disney does have some dining gems, and luckily with these tips you won’t have to miss out on them. When I go to WDW I like to have breakfast either in the room or on the go.  Breakfast is easily substituted with groceries.  Lunch and snacks you can pack and bring with you.  Also easy with groceries.  I once went to Disney World and didn’t buy groceries, expensive mistake.  Disney allows you to bring food and drinks into the park so I suggest packing water, various snacks, and a lunch item for everyone in the group.  If you aren’t the biggest fan of water you can always get those Crystal Light Lemonade To Go packets.   

You might be wondering how you would get groceries to your resort room.  For starters, every Disney room comes with a mini-fridge at the minimum.  DVC rooms also come with a coffeemaker, toaster, etc.  There are many ways you can make sure you have groceries.  Garden Grocer is a service that will deliver groceries to your Disney Resort. When using this service you do not have to be in your room to receive the groceries.  There is a $40 minimum and $14 delivery fee.  If Garden Grocer is for you make sure to book a date early, they fill up quickly.

How to bring groceries to WDW could be a post all in itself.  You can bring groceries with you whether that is in your trunk or inside a checked piece of luggage.  You can use Amazon and have them deliver groceries to your resort.  You do not have to be around for this either, you would just pick up at the front desk.   Most resort stores will have the basics as well but it will be a lot more expensive.  

Save your food budget for places you can’t miss.  Maybe a character dinner or you want to try out Be Or Guest Restuarant.  If you go to WDW often I am sure you have a favorite snack…..or two.

Here is what the savings we found looks like:

Cost without Savings – Approximately $7300

Cost with Savings – $2700

Total Saved:  $4670

I just showed you how to save more than 50% off your Disney Vacation.  Well… what are you waiting for?  Go plan that vacation!!

I hope I provided a lot of value for you here.  For more you can check out my eBook – Disney World on a Budget.  Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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My name is Krystel, and I am here to share the joy Disney gives me. If you want to learn more about planning the perfect Walt Disney World Vacation visit Planning The Magic. I’ve spent a lot of time creating the perfect Disney On A Budget eBook because I really want everyone to have a magical vacation within reach.