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Disney World may be the Happiest Place on Earth, but it’s also one of the most expensive. Between admission prices, food, and souvenirs, prices can add up fast! If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, here are four ways you can save 50% or more on your vacation.
Tickets
One of the biggest mistakes visitors make at Disney World, is buying their tickets at Disney World. There is so much theme park competition in the greater Orlando area, that Disney offers discounts through a variety of outlets.
The official authorized discount Disney World ticket provider is Undercover Tourist where you can save up to $71 off admission prices. The savings only kick in if you’re planning on visiting three or more days, but if you are, the admission tickets are $36 cheaper than what Disney offers – even for those staying on Disney properties! The more tickets you purchase, the more you save. Undercover Tourist is also the official discounted ticket seller for Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and Legoland so definitely explore their site if you’ll be visiting the parks!
While the prices are the most consistent on Undercover Tourist, eBay can also be a fantastic resource for scoring amazing Disney World ticket deals. Hundreds of Disney World tickets are sold on eBay every day, and you can frequently find three-day park hopper tickets selling for $150 which is only $50 a day! These deals often go fast, so it’s best to keep an eye out early to score the best deals.
Finally, if you want to book directly through Disney but still enjoy savings, sign up for newsletters like Mouse Savers to score $10-$60 off Disney World tickets. Disney offers special discount pricing when large groups of people are planning on attending their parks. Throughout the year, events like Dapper Day, in-park marathons, and conferences all take place, and when they do, Disney creates special website links for members to score discounted park tickets. Sites like Mouse Savers are created by Disney super-fans, and they’ll keep you posted on what the special discount links are. Often you can score $10-$25 off full day admission, with special half-day prices starting at $40.
Whatever you do, don’t wait until you’re at the Disney World ticket booths to purchase your tickets. Once you’ve parked and gone through security, they know they have you and tickets are sold for the highest price.
Food
While Disney offers a variety of dining options, you’re not required to eat their food. Disney allows guests to bring in their own food and beverages, so long as the food doesn’t need to be heated. You can view Disney’s official statement here.
What this means, is you can bring in breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks so long as you’re fine carrying it around. With the average snack costing $5 and meals averaging $17 per person, every little bit helps!
Tip: Even if you’re planning on loading up on Dole Whips and Churros, still consider bringing your own collapsible water bottle and snacks. Disney restaurants allow you to fill up your water bottle for free, and water bottles are the only way you can take drinks on attractions with you!
Souvenirs
From the moment you step into Disney World parks, you’re surrounded by souvenirs. While most of them are SO worth it, many guests are surprised to find that you can score the same or similar items for significantly cheaper outside of the parks.
Want Mickey or Minnie ears? They’re $14.99-$24.99 inside the parks but under $10 if you buy them online. My personal favorite pair of Minnie Ears are these for only $3!
Do your little ones want an autograph book? The official Disney World autograph book is $18, however, you can score Mickey Mouse autograph books for under $6 like this one HERE.
Anything from unlimited drink cups, to Magic Bands, ponchos, to Disney plush dolls can be significantly cheaper when purchased online ahead of time. By purchasing a majority of your souvenirs in advance, you can enjoy the Disney spirit and save money when visiting the theme parks! Even better, if you have an Amazon account, they can deliver many souvenirs to your hotel room within two business days.
Lodging
You can save upwards of 80% off Disney-central resorts simply by booking through third-party sites like Hotwire and Priceline. If you’re open-minded about where you stay, I absolutely love the Hot Rate hotel bookings, where you get to pick the area where you want the hotel to be, the hotel rating, and any specifics like free parking, free internet or free breakfast. Beyond that, the hotel you land is a mystery until after the room is booked. I’ve done this for Vegas before (read about how I scored 5-star Vdara for only $50 instead of $200), and it’s the same for Disney World.
Simply click on the areas you want to stay in, and those areas will turn red. Once you do, you’ll start seeing results for hot rate hotels, like a Disney Springs area hotel for only $59 instead of $259!
Rather not have your Disney vacation be a surprise? No worries, simply stick with the regular hotel room finder, and you’ll find 20-30% off rates for popular Disney hotels!
By saving money on tickets, food, souvenirs, and lodging you can easily save 50% or more off of your Disney World vacation!
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