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Summertime is upon us, and many people will be traveling to the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World. This summer season will be the most visited and busiest for Florida and, expensive to visitors.
Disney ticket prices have skyrocketed over the years and we’ll definitely see it rise even more in the coming years. It’s insane how expensive tickets cost just this year. To give you all a break down, these are the prices I searched through their website for June 2024:
Magic Kingdom costs $179.00 + Tax
EPCOT $164.00 + Tax
Disney’s Hollywood Studios $174.00 + Tax
Disney’s Animal Kingdom $154.00 + Tax
Even though tickets are at peak this season, I wouldn’t throw out the idea of visiting Disney just yet. If you plan smart, there are ways to save money for your upcoming trip and you’ll still have an amazing magical time.
If you are new to visiting Disney World and are planning to travel there soon, I’ve compiled my favorite tips that can save you a ton of $$.
Book With A Travel Agent
If you want to visit Walt Disney World and do everything Disney, including staying at a Disney Resort, use the Disney Shuttle as transportation, and dining in the parks and hotels, and you don’t want to do all the work of booking, the best way to save yourself money and time is by contacting a Disney travel agency.
Disney Travel Agencies help you prepare your dream Disney Vacation and their services are free. Travel agents only get paid by commissions when you finalize and book with them.
What I love about travel agencies is the length they will go into planning your dream Disney vacation. They go above and beyond! They give recommendations on packages, which resorts to stay at, and they will work with your budget. If you want the Disney experience, ask for a free quote. Here are some of my favorite Travel Agencies:
- EnchantAway Travel
- The Vacationeer
- A Pair of Ears Travel
TIP: If you plan to take a Disney trip sometime soon and want to experience everything Disney, check out TikTok and type in the search bar “Disney Travel Agents” and you’ll find so many TikTok videos of agents promoting packages! Don’t miss out on these awesome deals!
Buying Merchandise/Souvenirs Outside Disney
Okay, so this tip I feel like it’s hardly talked about but it is a favorite tip of mine because it will truly save you big bucks. One of the many ways that Disney Parks profits is by selling merchandise. Disney’s Springs has a World of Disney store as well as stores in the Parks and they have a huge merchandise selection. One thing I will say is be prepared to spend a good chunk of money if you plan on purchasing souvenirs and merch in those stores.
If you want to buy affordable merch or souvenirs for friends and family back home, I suggest visiting Walmart and/or Target near the parks. My recent visit, I stopped at Wal-Mart in Kissimmee for groceries and I noticed that they had a huge section of Disney merchandise. I’m talking mugs, keychains, apparel, bags, hats, autograph books, frames, items you find at the Disney stores. The best part of it all, all these items are Wal-mart priced.
I bought myself a Disney spirit jersey for almost $30 bucks at Wal-Mart and spirit jerseys go for $80 at the parks. They have beautiful apparel designs, and overall amazing selection of merch! So, if you’re looking to purchase Disney souvenirs at an affordable price, I strongly recommend visiting Wal-marts and Targets near Disney World.
TIP: The merchandises in Walmart and Target are not the same from the Disney Park merch stores. Still, their products are affordable and great quality!
Vacation Rentals
One of the best and affordable accomodations to book when visiting Orlando is in a Vacation Rental. What is included in these resort rentals? Depending on the resort, you’ll enjoy a townhouse/house with spacious bedrooms, privacy, resort clubhouse amenities like the pool, fitness center, bars, athletic activites, and more. There are a variety of vacation rentals with excellent amenities and this type of accomodation is ideal for big families who are planning to stay for a full week and planning on a budget.
In my past Disney vacations, I stayed in this vacation rental called Paradise Palms Resort in Kissimmee, FL that I booked through third-party websites like VRBO, TripAdvisor, Vacasa, or Airbnb. The location is amazing, with minutes to Disney World and nearby shops and when I stayed at Paradise Palms Resort, I had access to the following amenities:
- Large Community Pool
- Bar and Grille
- Cinema
- Fitness Center
- Arcade
- Marketplace
- Basketball Court
- Tennis Court
- Volleyball Court
If you don’t want to stay at a hotel or a Disney Resort, I recommend checking out these amazing vacation rentals.
TIP #1: These vacation rentals will require a certain amount of days in order to book accommodations. Keep an eye on the policies when searching for vacation rentals.
Tip#2: These vacation rentals all have a laundry unit so you don’t have to overpack for your week long vacation. This is a big money saving tip since all you need to take is a carry-on luggage and save yourself $$ from checked bags. If you think you may not have enough space for a carry-on, I recommend purchasing this set of 8 cubes luggage packing organizers from Amazon. They hold a good amount of essentials that fits great in a carry-on bag.
Check the product here!
Avoid visiting all Parks
If you’re planning on visiting both Disney parks and Universal Studios parks in one full week, I’d recommend only choosing 2-3 parks and use the remaining days to relax at the hotels/vacation rentals or sigthsee Orlando.
Take advantage of the amenities of the resorts and enjoy a peaceful day taking care of yourself and your family and recharge for the next park day. It’s also a way to save money for you and your entire family.
TIP: Take a park break and visit Disney Springs, a beach like Clearwater, Vero Beach, or Siesta Key, Alligator Tours, Shopping, Dine out at restaurants. There’s so much to do in Orlando besides the parks.
Arriving: MCO vs. Tampa International
Okay, I have to give the biggest shout out to my older sister Judith on this tip and let me explain why. Trust me, there’s a point to this story:
Back in January we planned a Disney get-away for our birthdays and our airport destination was MCO. My older sister Judith flew out earlier through Spirit while me and my sister Edna were waiting to fly out through Frontier.
Long story short, Edna and I were screwed over by Frontier and the airline delayed our flight for the day. Judith had already arrived in Orlando and while we were searching for other airlines heading to MCO, they quickly were all sold out! Judith came through with securing us flights to Tampa, scoring first class tickets for $150 each! And the best part, the flight was not fully booked! We got on the flight at 1 pm, arrived to Tampa International Airport, and Judith picked us up. 45 minutes later, we arrived at our hotel in Kissimmee.
Now, even though driving to Orlando from Tampa was 45 minutes, it truly saved us. I really thought I was going to wait the next day to fly out and miss on my dine in breakfast reservations at The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom. I was impressed how affordable the flights were compared to Orlando’s MCO airport so I went to see how much flights are from Houston to MCO and Tampa for June 16-23 2024 through Kayak.com and these were the results for United Airlines:
IAH – Tampa Nonstop Roundtrip:
United Airlines $219.00
IAH – MCO Nonstop Roundtrip:
United Airlines $271.00
Keep in mind, prices will fluctuate between both MCO and Tampa Intl. Airport with MCO having better rates than Tampa and vice versa, but still, keep a good eye on both these airport destinantions for your next Disney Trip.
TIP: If you’re planning on staying at a Disney Resort and use the Bus Shuttle as transportation, it is best to fly in to MCO as Tampa International does not have direct Disney shuttle services.
Book Early
The best way to save a ton of your money is to book your Disney trip early! This is the best and obvious plan for saving $. If you’re planning on traveling in the Fall or Winter season, or even next year, book your dates as early as you can. You’ll more likely to find affordable flight prices, affordable accommodation prices, and affordable ticket prices.
As previously mentioned, check out TikTok for Travel Agents and see their packages for the upcoming seasons for Disney World, or start searching for Vacation Rentals now.
TIP: If you really want to save money and don’t mind visiting Disney World during cold weather, may I suggest traveling in January or February? These months are the cheapest to visit the parks, but keep in mind the weather. These months tend to get cold and super windy, so take that into consideration if you want to travel during these months.
Conclusion
Planning a Disney Trip can be done if you plan smart. These tips has helped me save so much money everytime I visit Orlando and they will help you too. Tips like these will also maximize your magical time and you’ll have a great experience.
Let me know with a comment below what are your favorite budget friendly tips that has saved you money when traveling to Orlando or to the parks! I love learning new ways to save!
Great tips!