A Disney Vacation Can Be Affordable If You Use These Tricks to Save Money

It's no secret that the cost of a Disney vacation has increased substantially over the years. With the high prices of Disney theme park tickets, hotel stays, add-ons, dining, and more, families are looking for opportunities to save wherever they can.

Fortunately, with a little bit of planning, there are many ways to save in these areas of your Disney vacation. We visit Disneyland and Disney World regularly throughout the year and always rely on these tricks to maximize our savings.

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Saving on Theme Park Tickets and Hotel Stay

If your schedule allows, it's always a good idea to visit the Disney theme parks during the off-season. If you visit during a time when you're not battling huge crowds, you'll be able to accomplish more during your park days and get the most value out of your ticket. You can consult our Mickey Visit Disneyland crowd calendar and Mickey Visit Disney World crowd calendar for crowd level projections each day of the year.

Keep an eye out for special deals that Disney releases throughout the year. For example, Disney usually offers deals in the off-season, like January and February. You can maximize your savings by planning a trip during this time of year when other aspects of travel, like airfare and hotel stays, are less expensive. We are constantly tracking the latest Disneyland discounts and Disney World discounts.

Rather than paying full price by booking directly through Disney, you can save on your theme park tickets and hotel stay by purchasing through Disney-approved third-party ticket resellers, who are allowed to sell tickets at a discount. Our top recommended option, Get Away Today, has been working with Disney for over 30 years. Our Mickey Visit readers are offered even lower prices that you can access using our exclusive link. Get Away Today also offers exclusive deals on off-property hotels at both Disneyland and Disney World. See details on how to save on your Disney vacations here.

Consider booking a cheaper hotel if you're enjoying a parks-focused trip. If you're planning on spending most of your time in the parks, there is no need to stay at a hotel with fancy amenities that you will not be taking advantage of. At Disneyland, there are dozens of affordable off-site hotels within walking distance of the resort in the surrounding Anaheim area that provide a clean and comfortable place to sleep. At Disney World, you can similarly save a significant amount of money by opting to stay at a value hotel as opposed to a moderate or deluxe-tier hotel. We've really enjoyed the comfortable amenities at these cheaper resorts and found that they provide great value for the money.

Avoid Unnecessary Expenses

Be careful to avoid unnecessary add-ons that can increase the overall cost of your trip. You can save significantly on park admission by choosing 1 Park Per Day tickets rather than Park Hopper tickets. If you're visiting for multiple days, park hopping is not necessary, as you can thoroughly tour each of the parks one day at a time. Additionally, if you skip Disney's Lightning Lane Multi Pass service on some days of your trip, the savings will add up. For example, at Disney World, you can get away with skipping the service for EPCOT and Animal Kingdom if you utilize a solid touring strategy and consider purchasing individual Lightning Lane entry for the attractions in the highest demand.

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Lastly, it pays to think ahead a little bit and bring your own food or “souvenirs” to save on dining and merchandise. Dining is one area of your Disney trip that can add up very quickly in cost. It can be worth it to order grocery delivery to your hotel and pack your own lunch and snacks to bring into the parks with you. Even if you do this for only a few meals, the savings will add up. Additionally, it can be easy to blow your budget on souvenirs if you go in without a plan. We recommend buying things like glow sticks, stuffed animals, princess dresses, etc., before your trip to avoid any splurge purchases. You'll find lots of cheaper Disney apparel at locations like Walmart, Target, etc., that you can buy ahead of time.

A Disney trip can still be affordable with some careful planning. If you make some smart choices in these areas of your trip, you can end up saving a lot of money!

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Don't miss the latest Disneyland and Disney World news from Mickey Visit. Join the FREE Mickey Visit newsletter that over 100k readers receive every single week. Mickey Visit is here to help you save money and experience more during your Disney and Universal vacation. See the Mickey Visit guide to Disneyland and the Mickey Visit guide to Disney World for tips.