The Ultimate Guide to Saving on Disney Vacations

Let’s be real: no matter which way you slice it, Disney is expensive unless you know an employee who can get you into the parks for free. Having said that, all of these tips combined can save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars, making it my ultimate guide to saving on Disney vacations. I know people don’t really have the attention span to read through articles anymore, but if possible, try to read through this like a guide because I’ve organized this list into different sections so that you can plan as effectively as possible. Now, without further ado, let’s get started.

Reserving Park Tickets

First things first, you need to buy your park tickets. Assuming you don’t know someone who can get you in for free, here’s how to get them at a discounted rate:

1. Purchase Disney gift cards for 5% off at Target, Costco, or Sam’s Club. If you’re a Target member, check for those Circle Deals because sometimes you can get an additional 25% off! Ideally, it’s best to estimate how much money you’ll need for your trip, including room, food, etc. because Disney gift cards can be used on park tickets, Disney hotels, park food, and merchandise. Once you have an idea of how much you’ll need, buy enough gift cards to cover that amount, and then you can merge them together here so that you’re not carrying around a bunch of cards and dealing with the hassle of losing them or trying to figure out which ones are out of money.

2. Check sites like Mouse Savers and Undercover Tourist, which keep people updated on theme park discounts. Undercover Tourist is an authorized seller, so it’s totally safe!

3. Double-check the “discounts” page on my website! (Yes, it’s a shameless plug, but I do update it regularly with any new deals I see.)

4. Utilize your AAA membership because they usually offer theme park discounts. We recently did this for our Epcot trip, and they also threw in some free Dining Dollars as a nice little bonus.

5. Be flexible (if you can) about your Disney park day(s). There are peak days and non-peak days, and non-peak day tickets will always be the cheapest.

6. Reach out to a Disney travel advisor. Using a travel advisor is free, and they can often help you get the best deal possible, especially if you plan on staying on Disney property.

7. Skip Park Hopper (maybe …). Adding the Park Hopper option to your ticket increases the overall price by $65 – $85. If you spend multiple days at Disney World, you might as well just do one park per day so that you’re not rushing, and not paying extra fees. For Disneyland guests, Park Hopper is only worth it if you plan to spend only one day at the Disneyland Resort (which is technically doable). Still, again, if you plan to spend two whole days at the D.R., you might as well just go to one park per day (Disneyland and Disney California Adventure) and save yourself that extra fee.

Once you’ve decided on how you’ll pay for your tickets, consider how many days you want to visit the parks because the more days you go, the cheaper the park tickets are, so people will often do a whole week at Disney World. I’m more of a 1-2 day park girlie myself since I prefer Disneyland over WDW anyway.

8. Don’t go to the parks every day. This may seem weird since the parks are a big part of a Disney trip experience, but you’ll need the rest anyway so that you might as well do a hotel/pool day. Plus, Disney Springs (in Disney World) is beautiful and HUGE, so if you plan to fly to Florida, you should dedicate a day just to Disney Springs, which is free to get in. Downtown Disney in Anaheim is a bit smaller but can still take up a day. You can shop there, get ice cream, check out the Lego store, etc. You don’t necessarily have to be in the park to enjoy your vacation!

9. Take advantage of the Photo Pass perks without paying extra by asking the Photo Pass cast members nicely to take your pictures (they’re professionals, so they’ll do a nice job) without paying for the full-on Memory Maker. When you book your park tickets, you will have the option to pay for this, and I say skip it.

Booking Your Stay

I’m team Airbnb all the way when it comes to Disney because you just can’t beat $60/night when it comes to a clean and safe place to stay, but that’s because I always plan on being out and about at the parks during the day so to me, a room is just a place to sleep, shower, and store my luggage. If you’re absolutely set on staying in a hotel, consider the following:

10. Disney Good Neighbor Hotels aren’t owned by Disney but are really close to the parks and often offer the same perks, such as extra magic hours (early park entry for hotel guests), and are usually less expensive than the hotels that are on Disney property.

*Bonus tip: If you’re staying at a Disney Good Neighbor hotel for your Disneyland trip, consider taking the public buses back and forth to the park. An unlimited all-day ART (Anaheim Resort Transporation) pass is $6, that’s way cheaper than an Uber or Lyft ride!

11. Disney Value Resorts is another excellent option if you can plan far enough ahead in advance, and the biggest bonus when it comes to staying on Disney property (besides those magic hours) is that you get free transportation and parking. This is especially important if you’re planning to visit Disney World. However, if you’re planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, this isn’t necessary since everything is walkable anyway.

Lightning Lanes a.k.a. Fastpasses

Is Lightning Lane worth it? What about Multi Pass? As much as I hate that they now charge for something that used to be free, it can sometimes be worth the cost. I mean, if you’re flying across the country, you might as well get in as many rides as possible, right? This is supposed to be the ultimate guide to saving on Disney vacations, though, so here are some workarounds:

12. Set an alarm for five minutes before the virtual queues open. I can say without a doubt that all of the rides that only offer virtual queues are absolutely amazing rides and worth waking up early for if you don’t want to pay for Lightning Lane.

13. Rope drop if you’re a morning person! If you can get to the park a few minutes before it opens, be there for the rope drop ceremony and then hit up all the most popular rides right away before the crowds arrive.

14. Skip the fireworks or nighttime parades if that’s not your thing. It pains me to say this because the fireworks show is always my favorite attraction, so I usually wouldn’t recommend skipping them, BUT if you’re really not a morning person and don’t want to pay for fast passes, this is another good time to get on a bunch of popular rides because everyone else will be preoccupied.

15. Use the Single Rider system! You can still line up with your friends and fam, and you’ll only be separated once you’re put on the actual ride and the total wait time is usually only a few minutes. Only some rides offer Single Rider, so check ahead of time. Based on that info, you can decide if Multipass is worth investing in for your trip. For a complete list of Single Rider services at Disney World and Disneyland, click here.

16. Go when it rains if you live in California or within driving distance of Disneyland. A rainy day is a great day to go, because the rain scares away locals. Trust me, I lived in L.A. for over a decade, and everyone reacts to rain like it’s the apocalypse, even though it’s nowhere near as intense as a Florida rainstorm. Plus, you’ll still be able to enjoy all of the same attractions regardless of the weather.

17. Go during a slower month, if that’s even a thing anymore. Disney has become more crowded than ever in recent years, but if there’s any hope for a “slow” day, it’ll likely be on a Wednesday in February or September since that’s when everyone’s back in school. You can check my crowd calendar to plan your trip accordingly, and this will also be the best way to find out when the value resorts are actually, well, a value.

Getting There

18. Book your plane ticket with a miles card. If you don’t have a miles card, it’s important to get one when there’s a signup bonus. Otherwise, it will take years to rack up enough points to pay for airfare. I have a Delta Reserve card myself and was able to get enough points within three months to pay for two roundtrip tickets and I haven’t paid for airfare in about five years. Now, if you have a spending problem and can’t be trusted with a credit card, this may not be the route for you, but I’ve always treated mine like a debit card and pay it off in full every month, so this system works just fine for me, especially since I get free checked luggage, too!

19. Fly Southwest and get free checked bags. I may be a Delta girlie, but I love that Southwest gives everyone two free checked bags regardless of their points and status; that’s another $70 worth of savings! *They recently announced that they’re taking way this perk so try the one-bag method instead.

20. Use Google Flights or Skyscanner for the cheapest flights. If you’re not loyal to one particular airline, Google Flights is a great way to find the cheapest flights available, and Skyscanner will show you the most affordable times to fly if you can be flexible about your trip dates. That’s how I found a round trip to Korea for $400!

21. Look for flights on Tuesdays at noon PST because this is when the airlines are supposed to compete to offer the best deals. Some people debate whether or not this is still true, but generally, flights are about 12% cheaper when purchased on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday anyway.

Buying (or Packing) Essentials in Advance

Okay, you’ve got your park tickets, your room, and your airfare; now, let’s think about what to pack ahead of time because the last thing you want is to be put in a situation where you have to buy items on the spot at the parks for triple the price. And believe me, when I say, you WILL need these items:

22. Umbrellas and ponchos– If you’re going to Disney World, it will rain. I don’t care what the forecast says, it’s going to rain, it’s going to rain, it’s GOING TO RAIN. And chances are it won’t be a cute drizzle, either; it’ll be raining cats and dogs, and umbrellas are easily $35-$40 on Disney property, so why not bring your umbrellas for free? Ponchos are a third of the cost on Amazon, and yes, you’ll need them, so get those ahead of time, too.

23. Ears– Wearing ears is a part of the experience at Disney parks, but you can get them at a much better price ahead of time on Etsy, Amazon, or in person at Target or Walmart once you’re in the Orlando or Anaheim area. Ears will cost you about $35-$40 at the parks but are only about $10 at Target. My favorite ears hat was only $14 on Amazon and has held up great all these years!

24. Autograph books (for meet and greet characters to sign)– Just like how you can buy a cute pair of ears at a Target or Walmart in Anaheim or Orlando, you can also get Disney autograph books for $2-$3, much better than spending around $20 on property!

25. Disney clothes– Disney clothes can also be costly, so if you want to wear some cute Disney outfits without paying a fortune, I’d recommend finding your shirts on Etsy, but make sure you put in your order well in advance because sometimes it can take a while for your clothes to arrive since they’re often made-to-order. I’m a big fan of Comfort Colors on Etsy. The artwork is top-notch, and the designs and styles are endless.

26. Nighttime park gear– Buy these items in advance, too. When it gets dark at the park, you’ll start to see a lot of carts with glow toys, light-up ears, etc.; of course, kids will often gravitate towards them, and yes, they’re pricey. It will save you a lot of money in the long run if you buy things like glow sticks and necklaces ahead of time and pack them in your suitcase instead. This glow-in-the-dark party pack (which includes five pairs of ears) that I purchased in Spring was only $24 on Amazon.

27. Jackets and sweatpants– If you’re visiting Disneyland, expect it to get cold at night. The humidity will go through your clothes, making you feel even colder, so what I like to do is bring an extra tote bag with a pair of sweatpants (something that can easily go over the clothes I’m wearing), plus a jacket and keep it in a park locker. If you don’t do this, you’ll likely drop $80 on a new pair of sweatpants out of desperation (speaking from personal experience … unfortunately).

While you’re at it, make sure to stock up on the following as well: sunblock, bandaids, MOLESKIN, neck fans, cooling towels, meds, etc. Trust me when I say that all of these will come in handy during your trip.

Eating on a Budget

I know that food is also a big part of the Disney experience, but this is an area where you can save a lot of money since Disney is very lenient when it comes to letting guests bring in food.

28. Pack bagels or cereal boxes and eat breakfast for free in your room, or have them delivered via Target, Walmart, or Instacart if you don’t want to store everything in your luggage. Even if you’re staying on property, it’s totally common to see families getting groceries delivered, and this is a great time to utilize those free app trials! I love a good Mickey waffle, but if you’re rope-dropping, you might as well save on breakfast and not be rushed.

29. Make coffee and tea in your room. Whenever I travel, I pack extra tea bags and instant coffee packets, especially if I’m going to Disney, where I know I’ll need the extra energy. Get that boost for free!

30. Use those Starbucks points! There are several Starbucks locations on Disneyland and Disney World properties; if you’ve saved up points, this is an excellent time to get some food on the go.

31. Bring your water bottle. You won’t need to dump it out when you go through security at the parks, like at the airport, so there’s no excuse for not bringing your bottle. Save yourself $5-$8 a bottle and bring your water.

32. Bring your own snacks since those things add up, OR get a cute Disney popcorn bucket, which is about $15 upfront, but you can refill it throughout your trip for $2.50. Yay, I love cheap snacks!

33. Refer to my list of meals that are $15 or under, and if you’re a passholder, make sure to use that discount for even cheaper meals.

Phew! That’s about all of the money-saving tips I can think of for now. I hope you found this list helpful, and I wish you and your loved ones the best and happiest Disney vacation ever. See you real soon!

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