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Tips to Save Money on Your Next Walt Disney World Vacation!

Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be an exciting experience, but it can also be a bit overwhelming when it comes to budgeting. Fortunately, there are many ways to save money on your trip without sacrificing any of the magic or fun. In today's blog, we explore some money saving-tips for your next trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, and hopefully reduce a good bit of the stress that goes along with budgeting!

1.-Plan ahead and go during a "slow" period

Plan ahead and determine a good time of year to visit Walt Disney World. Going during a "slow" season used to be a lot easier to do at Walt Disney World. However, ever since Disney implemented their "surge-based" pricing model on everything from tickets to resort rooms, it has become harder and harder to find a "slow" season. The surge-based model is basically demand-based pricing, where typical busier times, such as Christmas week, are charged higher prices than slower times, or as Disney calls their "Value" season.

Still, there are a few periods during the year that are still slower and means you may be able to save upwards of a couple hundred dollars if you can swing a trip during these times. Generally, the time period between Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President's Day can be slower, although the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend tends to take place during this period. The marathon weekend tends to bring large crowds to Orlando, especially post-COVID, as runners are trying to make up for lost events. Additionally, the period between late-April and late-May is slower prior to the crowds picking up for summer after school lets out. Also, most of September after Labor Day is a great time to visit with lower crowds, the International Food & Wine Festival is still going on, AND the parks have gotten decorated for Halloween during this time. Finally, the early part of December can be a great time to visit as well. The weather during this time can be great, and the parks are decorated for Christmas!

Also, by planning ahead and booking early, it allows you time to save the money needed for the trip, as usually you can book a Walt Disney World vacation package for $200 down and final payment generally isn't due until 30 days prior to check in.

2.-Consider staying at an off-site hotel

Although it will put you outside of the Disney "bubble", staying at an off-site hotel can be a great way to save money, especially if you have a large family or are traveling as part of a large group. Many of the off-site hotels near the Walt Disney World resort offer free shuttles to the parks. Over the past few years, with all the changes to Walt Disney World, the value of staying on-site has almost disappeared, as the on-site "perks" have been slashed, so staying off-site isn't as much of a negative as it was, say, 5-10 years ago. Gone are the days of free transportation to your resort if you were an on-site guest. Gone are the days of extra magic hours, and replaced with only 30-minutes of early park access for resort guests.

However, there are still downsides to staying off-site. The biggest is the parking cost at the parks. If you are staying on-site, you don't pay for parking at any of the parks if you have your own car and decide against using Disney's complimentary transportation. With standard parking at the parks costing at minimum $25/day, that's at least an extra $100 you are going to pay if you plan on going to all four parks during your trip. Additionally, dining reservations may be a little harder to obtain at the 60-day mark since on-site guests still have the 10-day window they can book within once they hit their 60-day from check-in date timeframe. However, if you can save hundreds, if not thousands by staying off-site, these issues may be well worth forgoing.

3.-Buy your park tickets in advance!

Buying your tickets in advance may not save you any money per se, but it can definitely keep you from spending more than you originally budgeted for. Disney is notorious for raising ticket prices for their parks at least once a year. So, if you wait until closer to your check-in day to buy your tickets, you run the risk that prices could rise, and you end up spending hundreds more than you originally anticipated. I would say this is another reason to go ahead and book with that $200 down, but when Disney announced they were raising ticket prices the last go around they retroactively applied the new prices to all vacation packages that hadn't yet been paid in full. This was not well-received so hopefully with Bob Iger listening to visitors' issues, maybe this will be a one-off and you will again be able to lock in prices once you put a deposit down. Only time will tell.

4.-Get a Disney Rewards VISA card

The next money-saving tip for planning your Walt Disney World vacation is to get approved for the Disney Rewards VISA card through Chase. There are a few different reasons this can save you money on your next trip. First, you can earn rewards points on all your everyday purchases that you can then redeem for a "Disney Redemption Card" which is basically a Disney Gift Card. You can then turn around and use this redemption card to pay for almost anything Disney-related whether that be a vacation, souvenirs, meals in the park, etc.

Another reason it's a good idea to have the Disney Rewards VISA is that oftentimes, Disney will run special offers and promotions solely for those that have a Disney Rewards VISA. In the past this has ranged from extended dates to be able to book the free dining promotion when the Disney Dining Plan was still around to upwards of 35% off certain resorts. I recently was able to book a client in Port Orleans Riverside in a Woods View room for a week with park tickets for a price basically cheaper than a rack rate Value Resort stay for the same week, simply because they had a Disney VISA and were able to put the $200 deposit on the card. The rest of the trip you can pay however you want, but as long as you put the deposit on you Disney VISA card, you qualify for the discount on your entire cost of the trip.

Finally, many retail shops and select dining locations around the Walt Disney World resort offer discounts if you use your Disney VISA when paying. Usually it is no more than 10 percent, but any savings you can make when planning for a Walt Disney World vacation or even while at Disney World you should absolutely take advantage of.

5.-Take advantage of discounts and coupons

This piece of advice should be a no-brainer. If you see a special offer that is applicable for your stay, you should definitely take advantage of it. Also, any coupons you can find, including those in your welcome packet you can pick up at the front desk, don't hesitate to use. Usually Disney's special offers are resort-level specific such as 15% off Value Resorts, 20% off Moderate Resorts, and 25% off Deluxe Resorts, but sometimes you will see one-offs where Disney will offer even more savings on specific resorts. Like in my prior example, my clients were able to save 35% on Port Orleans-Riverside, which is almost unheard of to have that kind of discount on a Moderate Resort.

One thing some people may not know, is that if you book your vacation package at Walt Disney World prior to any special offers being announced, you can later have a special offer added to your package as long as your resort room category still has availability in the special offer. The price of your package would then be adjusted accordingly, or if you have already paid in full, a refund will be given back to you for the price difference!

6.-Consider renting DVC points

I have talked about renting DVC points in a few of the WDW for Beginners podcast, so I won't go in to real depth about it here. However, to save you some time renting DVC points basically allows you to stay at Deluxe Villa resorts (DVC resorts) on Walt Disney World property (or other DVC properties around the US), at a reduced rate than what you would pay directly through Disney. We have been doing this for our past several trips, and in each case I have priced cash stays and every time we spend basically the same amount as we would to stay at a Moderate Resort.

So, if you dream of staying at a Deluxe Resort, look into renting DVC points. We have used this money-saving technique to stay at the Polynesian, have a safari-view room at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and be steps away from the Magic Kingdom by staying at Bay Lake Tower (the DVC resort connected to the Contemporary Resort). Beware though, because once you are spoiled and have stayed on the monorail or enjoyed Deluxe Resort amenities like a safari view, you won't ever want to stay at a Value Resort again!

7.-Use a travel agent!

Yes, my final tip is a little (ok, a lot!) self-serving, but it's the truth. Using the services of a travel agent can save you hundreds of dollars! We are the first to hear of special offers and are on the phones ready to book or apply them to our clients' reservations the minute they are open for booking. We save you the time and hassle of constantly being on the lookout for new deals. We can help you with when to go, where to stay, and where to eat all based on your preferences.

When you use an agent like myself that specializes in Walt Disney World vacations, you get the expertise of someone that has been to Disney World multiple times helping you along the way. And the best part? It doesn't cost you a dime extra! We get paid by our travel suppliers, who already factor that into the cost of how they price vacation packages whether you use a travel agent or not, so if you are already paying for this service anyway, why not go ahead and use it? If I can help you plan your next vacation, whether it be to Walt Disney World or anywhere else, contact me today!

In conclusion, there are several ways to save money on a magical trip to Walt Disney World, from planning ahead and booking early to using discounts and coupons. With a little research, planning, and a little help from a travel agent like me, you can enjoy all the magic and fun of a Walt Disney World vacation without breaking the bank!

Ryan Travels, LLC. All rights reserved.

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