How to Save
Budgets
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No one is going to tell you a week at Disney is cheaper than a week at home! But it's also certainly a lot
more fun! Here are some ways to save for your trip and to keep your costs down.
and two kids, ages 5 and 3, traveling November 26th through December 2nd 2007 (7 days, 6 nights in
value season):
Now of course there are lots of ways you can lower that cost! Here are just a few:
Total estimated savings=$1347.34
Adjusted price=$2340
more fun! Here are some ways to save for your trip and to keep your costs down.
- Impose a fine for things around your house, such as a quarter every time a family member
leaves a room with a light on, or every time someone says a swear word. Put the quarters in a
"Disney fund" jar. - Clip coupons and each week set aside the amount of money you saved in a Disney account.
- Ask your friends and family members to give you Disney Dollars, which are sold at Disney
Stores, for your birthday and holidays. - Give up cable for a few months, or even a year, and set aside the money you save. It could be
hundreds of dollars. - Hold a garage sale.
- Travel on the off-season, when it's less expensive.
- Keep your eyes and ears open for special sale rates.
- At first it may seem cheaper to stay off Disney property. But actually that might not be the case.
- The small cost savings you might gain by staying off Disney property is far outweighed by the
benefits you receive by staying on Disney property, such as extended theme park hours,
complimentary transportation to and from the airport via Disney's Magical Express (this would
save a family of four $140 over taking a town car service), free parking at the resort and parks
(this will save you $70 if you go to a park each day in your week-long vacation), free delivery of
purchases from the parks to your room (so you don't have to tote them around all day),
complimentary transportation from your resort to Disney's parks and recreational facilities. But
best of all, if you stay in a Disney Resort, you'll be immersed in the magic 24/7.
- At your first meal at your resort, buy refillable mugs for everyone. They cost around $12, but you
can refill them for free as many times as you want at your hotel's food court. The beverage
choices usually include sodas, iced tea, coffee, hot tea, and hot chocolate. We fill our mugs
while we eat breakfast at the resort each morning and then refill them and take them along to
the park each day. (I always carry a backpack anyway so once the mugs are empty, I dry them
out with paper towels and stash them in the backpack.) Before we return to our room each
night, we refill the mugs again. The price of a large soda at a counter-service restaurant in the
parks is $2.59. For a family of four, refilling their mugs three times a day each day for seven
days, that's a savings of $217.56! Plus the travel mugs are themed to each resort and they
make great souvenirs. - Officially, Disney does not allow people to bring food and beverages into the parks. Unofficially,
if you're discreet about it, you should be fine. Bags are searched, but they won't question a few
items in a backpack or small soft-sided cooler. For example, I always carry a backpack to the
parks each day stocked with snacks. You'll pay around $4 for a snack in the parks, so for a
family of four with each person eating a snack once a day for seven days, that's a savings of
$112.
and two kids, ages 5 and 3, traveling November 26th through December 2nd 2007 (7 days, 6 nights in
value season):
- Disney's Pop Century Resort (a Disney value resort) in a standard room and 7 days of Magic
Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper option and Water Park Fun and More option: $1,804.98 - Round-trip airfare from Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Orlando, Florida: $1,038.40
- Travel from airport to hotel via Disney's Magical Express: $0
- Meals:
- $20 for counter-service breakfast X 6 breakfasts = $120
- $30 for counter-service lunch X 7 lunches = $210
- $80 for sit-down restaurant supper X 6 suppers = $480
- Grand total: $3687.34
Now of course there are lots of ways you can lower that cost! Here are just a few:
- Bring breakfast foods, such as cereal and snack bars, from home and enjoy them in your room
as you're getting ready to go to the parks. Estimated savings=$120 - Eat supper at a counter-service place instead of a sit-down restaurant. Estimated
savings=$270 - Stay in a standard room instead of a preferred room. Estimated savings=$81.
- Skip the Water Park Fun Option. Estimated savings=$174.74
- Skip the Park Hopper Option. Estimated savings=$172.88
- Drive instead of fly. Estimated savings=$529.52 [Cost of flight $1038.40 minus cost of two hotel
nights on the road ($65.00 X 2=$130.00) and gas (1044 miles at 30 miles per gallon=34.8
gallons X $2.57 per gallon=89.43 X 2 ways=$178.88) and 8 fast-food meals ($25 X 8=$200)]
Total estimated savings=$1347.34
Adjusted price=$2340