Disney on a Shoestring Budget

Last time we went we rented a house (got it on eBay) $600 for the whole week. That allows you to eat breakfast before you go. And to make up some sandwiches and fruit to bring along meaning you only need to eat out 1 meal. And a pool to swim at night. We got week long park hopper passes. Also there are other things to do that don't cost as much. Old town is fun. You may want to go to universal or something so don't get sucked into having to do a full week.

Also we found that it worked well to give the kids specific amount of money for souvenirs. When it's gone its gone no extra anything.

It's out of some people's budgets.
You're going to have to save up for more than one year and I wouldn't go into debt for a vacation.

Orlando can absolutely be done on a budget! We've had alot of fun there through the years. We used to joke that our mission was to have as much fun as possible as cheaply as possible. Orlando EXISTS to separate you from your money! :) But as long as you know that it can be a great adventure.

My favorite book of all time: http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Walt-Disney-World/... .

Mousesavers.com is great too.

We love to stay at the Staybridge Suites Lake Buena Vista (http://www.sborlando.com/) which is near Downtown Disney. It is across the street from Winn Dixie and Walgreens which makes it very convenient. For a suite it is much cheaper than staying on Disney property. Who wants to run around the parks all day and then pile back in to a small hotel room at night? If you drive down from IL you will save money on flights and have your car to navigate between parks.

Take a cooler and eat breakfast and/or lunch out of it (major savings) when you're on the road (not sure you can take it in the theme parks except the water parks).

We have never done the Disney meal plan. Their food is crazily over-priced.

Don't overlook the Disney water parks. They are lots of fun and a nice break from the theme parks.

Nowadays the only time I stay on property at Disney is when we are there for a day or two, and it is a blast. But you don't *have* to stay within WDW to have fun.

You WILL need a vacation from your Disney vacation so plan for one extra day when you get back to rest!

Good luck and I hope you can pull it off.

You just can't do Disney on the cheap.

We went every other year from the time daughter was 2 -16. It is crazy expensive no matter how you look at it. NO WAY would we drive.... we always flew in from Dallas.

We always stayed on the property at the Polynesian, my favorite hotel and it is on the monorail line. There are no rooms for $100 or less though.

I am not a fan of the meal plan because we don't eat as much as a lot of families do, we don't eat desserts and it just wasn't worth it being told we had to spend so much a day. We just picked out our favorite places and ate when we wanted to . We did keep the fridge stocked with granola bars, etc.

If you do character dining, expect to pay for that... most of it is buffet style so it is pricey because it is all you can eat.

If you find something for $100 or less a night with a Shuttle, be careful... I'd be very leary of cleanliness and safety.

My vote is to wait and go when you can do the splurge and everyone have a once in a lifetime experience.

I live about 25 minutes from the park and if you are willing to drive 15 minutes or more then you can find some very nice places to stay off property and be able to make your own meals (you will need a car).

If you are flying in then check out some of the hotels/condos that are listed as "maingate west". These are places located on or just off of Rt 192 which is minutes from the World Drive entrance to Disney (just down from Celebration). Most offer rooms with kitchenettes and you can bring your snacks/food with you, there are also a lot that offer shuttles to all the parks.

You can do Disney on a small budget, people do it all the time. If you have questions about any you find I can let you know if they are dives. Just stick with the zip codes of 34747 or 34746, the rest of Kissimmee is crappy.

Almost forgot there is a very nice KOA campsite right off exit 55 in Davenport that has small cabins with or without bathroom (about 3 exits down from Disney, 15 to 20 minutes). There is another one next to it but I cant remember the name, it is also nice with cabins. I don't know if they offer shuttles to the parks.

ADDED**
There are companies/people that rent out their travel trailers/RV's and will deliver them right to Disney's Fort Wilderness. I am not sure of the pricing but it is less expensive then the hotels and they will have transportation to all the Disney parks/shopping.

No, you can't do Disney Land on a shoestring budget...and I'm just a couple of hours away. We have always had annual passes (I think they are $1000). You might be able to find a crack motel 15 miles away.

When we have done Disney World and the area it's the same. Disney is not cheap.

Maybe I'm a travel snob but we go a lot of places and I am going to enjoy it to the fullest.

I've wanted to go to disney world for years with my kiddo. We are finally going this summer...make it or break it : ). Its going to be an insanely expensive trip even though I'm saving a good chunk of money. We are staying in Florida for seven days, driving from Fort Worth Tx would take too long. I can't take that much time off work. We are flying, luckily I got a "deal" from American by watching the travel websites. We are staying off site at a great hotel (rated alot better than the dinsey hotels) for much cheaper than we would have on site. And it has three pools! It also has a free shuttle to the world so no renting a car. Bonus : )! I'm going to pack lunch/snacks for us and we're eating breakfast in the room. The only thing we are going to have to buy at disney is dinner. I'm taking an autograph book and some small "extras" so we only have to get a few souvenirs.
Also if your flying, check into the flights to both disney world or land. See which one has cheaper airfaire from your state. Sometimes that can make a huge difference.

The one tip I do have is meals. When we went to Disney World we did not stay on Disney property. (We stayed in my MIL's time share, so that really doesn't help you.) We ate breakfast before we left, brought our own lunches into the park - sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies, drinks - and only ate out dinner. We even had dinner at the condo a couple of times.

I would do some research and see what kinds of prices you find on hotels with a continental breakfast and plan on packing your own. lunches.

I hate to tell you this, but we saved for almost 2 years to go to Disney.
And then I worked like a fool to find deals. It just costs money. As another mom says, there is an entrance fee for each person each day and it is a standard price. We did get a free day because we stayed the length of time necessary.

We went in the off season. We took snacks, for each day. We have never been a family that purchased junk or souvenirs. We just do not do that.

It really is easiest / less stressful to eat carefully on property. Thinking you will want to be able to shuttle from off of the property with that many people, wears me out just thinking about it. The Disney Shuttles are constant pick you up and drop you off all over the place. So if 2 kids break down and need a nap, a break or a swim,., one of the adults can hop on a shuttle to the hotel and meet up with the others later.

We stayed at a value property, we did use the meal plan. But maybe for your youngest children they can share your meals. We also did our laundry there one night so we did not have to purchase or haul a ton of stuff there. We purchased the stupid cups so we could have unlimited drinks. And even though I thought they were so expensive it ended up being Totally worth it for that many days.

When people ask what to give your children for gifts, Birthdays and Christmas? Tell them you all are saving up to go to Disney. They may be willing to give you money or the Disney Gift Cards, It all adds up.

I recently when to Universal and Disney world in FL with a friend. We went in the off season and waited until we got there to use a last minute deal (like hotwire) to find a hotel. We ended up with a beautiful room in an expensive resort (normally $300+ night) for $50 a night. We did have reservations for a cheap hotel just in case we could not find something better when we got there.

I just wanted to let you know that they Hyatt Orange County is about 1.5 miles from Disneyland and is totally set up for families. Depending upon when you travel, the prices really aren't bad at all. I stayed at this hotel on business once, and was upgraded to a Kids' Suite - so basically it was a 2 bedroom suite, one of which had bunk beds and an XBox. There's a shuttle that takes you directly to Disneyland.

Aside from that, actually being IN Disney is the biggest rip-off you'll ever experience in your life. Last time we were there, it was over 100*, and they were selling bottles of water for $9 each. (I mean, really?!) Obviously, you should bring your own water and snacks, and refill your water at the drinking fountains. Buy some breakfast foods that you can have at the hotel. If you can manage it, have dinner at a restaurant away from the park, because you'll easily top $50/person eating in Disney or Downtown Disney.

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel last time we went, and it was a huge mistake. Tiny room right next to the elevators, indifferent service, and I think it was over $500/night. Totally not worth it. Next time, we will stay at the Hyatt.

First, clarify Land or World, them I'll be glad to give some pointers :)

I live an hour from Disneyland. I went to DW/Epcot as a 19 year old on a road trip with my friends. I really hated it. It was so big and artificial.

But with my children, I really enjoyed day trips to DL. While it's all fake, it's small enough to be enchanting. The buildings are so fake, but still look cute. I used to love that park. It was not as huge and overwhelming as DW/Epcot. However, in the past 3 years I've lost all desire to go back like I used to. (I became a Christian and I am not going to go into the whole thing, but it just doesn't pull me in like it used to.)

Here the admission is now about $100 per person, per day. Frankly, a lot of locals are upset at the rising prices and don't want to go back due to the greed. I'm just so over DL personally. It's a money pit.

If you are really on a budget, I would forget it. Spending all that money supporting the Disney empire makes me ill. Spending a week at an amusement park with children is a little... crazy.

I wish I could find the blog piece a woman wrote about taking her 7 and 5? year olds to DW for a few days (the "dream vacation" the ads play up) and regretted it. She realized it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

This trip experience is so heavily advertised. Is that why you think you need to go? Because everyone else does? Isn't there another local park (water parks are huge fun) you can go to?

Spring & Fall is good advice, but never go on Spring Break or other major holidays when everyone else is free too. Spring Break Disneyland - was one of the worst experiences of my life (and I used to love DL). It was SO CROWDED. Google images of Disneyworld/land crowded. Imagine lines 1 hour long. Imagine pathways so packed with people you could barely walk. That was Spring Break. Never go on Spring Break.

My 10-year-old daughter is BEGGING to go back (darn those early good memories of her 1 day trip of year when she was little, she went about 5 times).

I'm telling her that we will go in September NOT the summer, because I know the summer will be packed. It's only 5th grade so if she misses 1 day of school (the parks will be so empty!!!) that's fine. Not so for middle school or high school.

Don't feel guilty if you decide not to go. Spend your hard earned money on something else, something better for the entire family to enjoy. The beach. Find a way to get to the Caribbean.

Matt Walsh blog: Hi Mom, thanks for never taking me to Disney World.
http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/05/10/mothers-day/

In the late 1970s, my widowed mother was broke. We took GREYHOUND (thank goodness for Greyhound) on 2 separate occasions with my mom and younger sister from NYC to Miami Beach. It was a long trip, but it was memorable and I have lots of pretty pictures to prove it.

Get creative.

Disney has 3 classes of hotels - one is the value class of hotels which are notably less expensive, but offer free transportation to the park. I see ads all the time for 30% off these rates at certain times of the year or free meal plans. Check into those. If you drive to the park everyday, parking is $15 a day. There is also a group of hotels in the Disney area called Good Neighbor hotels that offer free shuttle transportation to the Disney. My kids recently stayed at the Doubletree Inn on Lake Buena Vista which was one of the Good Neighbor Hotels. We love to go to Disney, but there some expenses you can cut. You can bring food into the park and rent a locker at the front so you don't have to buy all your meals in the park. Bring water bottles - there are places to refill them in the park or you can ask for water at the restaurants and refill. The more days you buy tickets for, the lower the daily rate. The 9 yr old and the 3 yr old will get a slightly discounted rate. The tickets to the Magic Kingdom are almost $100 a day for one day (and less for each additional day) That sounds expensive, but we would often spend 10-12 hours or more in the park. Depending how long you are planning to stay, I would schedule a "free" day that you don't go to the parks, but enjoy the free things that Disney has to offer (Downtown Disney, The Boardwalk, the hotel pool and amenities. Do not let your kids go into the Disney shops - there are way too many temptations to buy in there and things are very expensive. We got a few Disney trinkets at the dollar store and brought them out in the morning before we went to the park. You can also get Disney t-shirts at your local discount store so you don't have to buy them in the park. We have never bought the meal plan, but they have made some adjustments to it to make it more adaptable for some families. Have fun! It is a great family vacation!

Check the Disney website first, so you'll know what tickets will cost you. That's pretty non-negotiable, although they're cheaper as part of a package (hotel/ticket combo). We like Small World Vacations and Undercover Tourist as good places to buy a package or tickets; they've often gotten us discounts of 20% or so, or gotten us bonuses thrown in at no extra cost.

Off season - and very rarely, during the "high season" of summer and school breaks - you can get the meal plan for free. If you can, grab it! Otherwise, you can eat less expensively on your own. The most expensive meal plans specify sit-down restaurants, and only during certain hours, so it can be very hard to get the reservation that you need.

Rooms off property are much less expensive. There's a lot of competition, so everyone wants your business. We've had a small suite with a full cooked breakfast buffet for less than the cheapest room on Disney property. They had a shuttle, as well. The down side is that even rooms close to the property mean an hour or more extra travel time. We once had to get a $60 cab as well, when the last hotel shuttle of the day cruised through the parking lot without stopping (and refused to return).

Rooms on property never come with breakfast, so we usually bring danish, fruit and other things that don't need refrigeration, and keep them in our All Star Resort room so we can eat as we get ready every day. We gain extra time not only because we're closer, but because Disney hotel guests get extra time in the parks every day. Plus, you're right on the Disney transportation route already. (Disney World is seriously huge - you can't imagine the size.)

Houses and condos can be great, too - check out sites like airbnb.com. We've never done that, but I know others have had good experiences that way.

Look on hotels.com to get an idea of room costs in the area. They'll have maps, too, that will give you an idea of the travel involved.

If you can, go in the spring or fall. The weather's great, and the crowds (and often, prices) are smaller.

You can look up restaurant menus & prices, merchandise and everything else online before you get there, so you can have a plan and a budget. We usually buy some T-shirts, stuffed animals and even costumes before we go, so our kids felt like they had something new and special, but weren't as tempted by all the shops. We also buy trading pins on eBay for as little as 50 cents each in lots of 25 or more, that can be traded with any cast member for any pin that they have. That way, our kids collect favorite characters etc., without us paying $8 to $15 per pin in the parks.

One thing that might seem like an expense you can do without, but we always get, is the PhotoPass CD. (Pre-ordering gets you a discount.) You'll get a digital copy of every photo the Disney photographers take, complete with special borders and character autographs, as well as a lot of the ride photos. It's cheaper than buying 3 enlargements in the parks, and you could end up with hundreds of images that you can print at anyplace you print your own photos. (They give you a copyright release so it's legal to make copies or post on social media.)

Have fun!! :) It'll be amazing.

I can help you with this, we live in florida and have been there many times. My brother is a chef there, so we know all the tricks to save money.

First, do not go in the summer, go in the spring or fall. When the weather is nice and the parks are not as busy. They also run specials in the off season you can save 30% or more by watching for specials.

Second, bring water bottles, sometimes they let you do this. Carry backpacks, with powdered Gatorade or cool aid, and snacks. Just tell them one of you is diabetic, when they search your bags, and they will search your bags. If you get a three day pass, go back to the hotel for a break during the day. You can keep a cooler in your room with sandwiches, and treats. Do not try to do the main park in one day, take your time and relax, spend 2 days there, and you will only need half a day for the animal park, and Epcot is (in my opinion) not that much fun for the kid.

Third, go to seaworld it is a great park. Everyone loves seaworld. They have weekday passes, at 30% off.

Fourth, where a hat, and bring sunscreen. Have a great trip.

We are a family of 5 too and found this to be a good resource when planning our Disney trip.

http://www.mousesavers.com/

We stayed in a Disney condo (used a friends' points and paid them). We love staying on property and wouldn't even consider doing it any other way.

Expect to lay down some bucks. Just getting into the parks is expensive. I would do the meal plan if it was included with our stay (sometime Disney has specials). Food in the parks is expensive.

I will never drive there again.

Everything and anything can be done cheaply. See if you can rent a home by googling or find a residential hotel where you can cook your own meals. Pack lunch, drinks, snacks and put them in a locker on site so you don't have to eat expensive Disney foods. To make the ride less costly, switch out driving with your husband. Are there any relatives or friends on the route where y'all can stop to sleep or eat? Sounds fun!

tickets for your family to the theme parks will be $1544 for four days of park time, for each day of park you add it will be about another hundred dollars. Adding in park hopper will add $300 to the cost, which honestly is worth it in my opinion.
When you stay on property you get into the parks early or get to stay late, this is invaluable.
There are multiple types of meal plans, if you do the standard one then it's a counter service meal and sit down and a snack daily which is just about perfect. Food is expensive there, and if you want to do any of the special meals then the meal plan is the way to go. If you don't do the meal plan, and you buy food for at least 2 meals of the day you might be able to eat for about $10 per day per person, that would be splitting a meal with someone, only buying one meal per day, plus cost of groceries per day so for you that would be $50 a day. I can never manage that on vacation though cause I like to enjoy the vacation and nice meals are part of that. Even McD's down there has prices about double normal.

When you stay on property the cost of tickets is included in the hotel cost, which makes them really cheaper per day in the end. You really have to just work the numbers and google the options. ALL Disney info can be found online, there are discussion boards purely for that reason, I know dis dot com board has a how to do it cheap board.
Get the Disney Visa and start putting all your purchases on that, we ended up with a few thousand to use by doing that the year before the trip.

I have to tell you though, we went twice, the first was in 05 when the meal plan first came out, we did that and loved it, stayed on property and felt that every penny was worth it.
The next trip was in '10 and we stayed did a 3 wk trip, 16 nights at Disney at a Deluxe resort, swimming with the dolphins, Sea World, backstage tours, 3 days of Universal staying on property there, etc. Really spent way more then I ever would imagine but we had the money, it was all paid in full when we got the credit card statements. I will always remember that trip as amazingly perfect. A month after coming home my husband got fired from his job of 24 yrs. Knowing that, I still would not have changed how much we spent, it was worth every single dime. I would not stay at Deluxe resorts ever again though.

You can stay on property at the Allstar resorts which are great very reasonably. Plus it will save you money on the transportation to and from the parks, unless you are driving. No meal plan unless u are big eaters. Buy snacks/drinks to bring to the parks. Best of Luck!!