How To Do Disney on a Budget with Kids (Yes, It’s Still Possible)

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Disney truly has the market cornered on pure wonder — from iconic films and beloved characters to awe-inspiring parks worldwide. For many families, a Disney vacation is the ultimate trip where magic, adventure, and memories come to life. 

But let’s face it: The cost of the “Most Happiest/Magical Place” on Earth isn’t cheap. Year after year, the cost of a vacation to Disney becomes increasingly unaffordable.

Still, the dream of a Disney vacation is an obtainable reality — if you’re savvy about it. Here are the best tips for doing Disney on a budget, with kids.

How To Save on Tickets & Planning 

Disney World (Orlando, FL) and Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) are stand-out theme parks with top-tier service and experiences. 

From a cost perspective, the first essential is to be strategic with your planning.

Go during off-peak times 

Disney tends to be in more demand at certain times of the year, which affects the prices of accommodations and tickets. 

Peak times are park events (like the Halloween and Christmas parties), major holidays, and the summer when kids are out of school. 

By going during the off-peak season, you can enjoy some savings on your tickets. This is:

• January through March
• Late April
• Mid-August through late September

Not only are tickets pricier in certain months, but they are pricier on certain days of the week.

Friday through Sunday tend to be the most expensive days, with mid-week (Tuesday to Thursday) being cheaper. You will also see fewer crowds mid-week, too!

RELATED: Want Cheap Flights? Be Flexible With Your Travel Dates

Strategically plan, or skip out on, extras

Extras like Park Hopper and Lightning Lane may or may not be worth it, depending on your itinerary.

Park Hopper allows you to go to multiple parks in one day, so you can maximize your time. But, they come at an extra cost (anywhere between $65 and $85 a ticket). 

So, unless you truly need them, sticking to one park a day is going to be cheaper. Plus, dragging kids between parks can be exhausting.

Lightning Lane (formerly Genie+ and FastPass) is Disney’s way to help you manage long lines by joining a smaller, quicker-moving line. But, this comes at a premium price that varies per park and per day. 

You are also only able to use it for some rides, with other rides having a more premium “Premier Pass.” Some parks (like Animal Kingdom in Orlando) may not even have the crowds, attractions, or availability to be worth the cost of Lightning Lane. 

So, consider only purchasing it for the crowded parks with more attractions where it offers the most value, like Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.

Use the “free under 3” rule

Kids under age three are special guests of the Mouse — park tickets for toddlers are completely free! Kids under three also eat for free at buffet or family-style restaurants. 

If your child is close to that age, plan your trip before their third birthday to save big.

Note that Disney uses an honor system and does not physically verify the age of your child, though they do reserve the right to be skeptical if you appear to be dishonest.

Buy tickets in advance through authorized resellers

It’s a little-known tip that buying directly through Disney will be more expensive than buying through authorized retailers like Undercover Tourist or AAA. 

These resellers buy tickets wholesale from Disney, allowing them to offer lower prices than Disney’s retail prices.

How To Save on Food & Dining

For many travelers, food is one of the greatest experiences, wherever you go. And Disney has nothing short of great dining options. But, if you aren’t careful, dining can break the bank. 

Limit table service restaurants and character dining

Beating the heat in a nicely ambient table service restaurant is without a doubt nice. And the signature character dining is bound to make your little ones light up. But it should come as no shock that these experiences can be pricey.

You may find yourself spending as much as $300 to $500 at premier experiences like Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom for a family of four. And well over $150 (for a family of four) for more moderate table service.

You can find the sweet spot by limiting your party to one or two of these meals and focusing more on quick service (do not underestimate the quality of the food!). Plus, table service might be difficult with smaller kids anyway.

Reuse, reuse, reuse 

Bring your own refillable water bottles that you can refill for free at fountains. You can also ask for free ice water at any stall. 

If you want a practical snack, buy a refillable popcorn bucket (can also be a souvenir) for unlimited refills for less than $3 each, valid for your entire stay at Disney.

Bring snacks and meals

The best hack? BYOT (bring your own treats). Disney allows you to bring outside food in without any question. 

This can save you hundreds of dollars — and also prevent meltdowns. Plus, who really wants to spend $7 on one ice cream, cute Mickey face and all? 

When you book your hotel, make sure to book one with a mini fridge to keep milk, juice, and other snacks on hand. You can also do a grocery shop/delivery to stock the fridge.

RELATED: How To Manage Food Costs on Family Trips

How To Save on Hotels & Lodging

Speaking of hotels, another hefty cost for your trip is going to be your accommodations while you are visiting the Mouse House.

Pick a “value” resort on Disney property

If you want the full Disney experience by staying at a resort, consider staying at a value resort. 

Disney World has more than 25 Disney Resort Hotels, and Disneyland has six. These resorts are classed in three categories: Deluxe, Moderate, and Value, based on pricing and amenities. 

Value resorts like Pop Century or the AllStars for Disney World and Pixar Place Hotel for Disneyland will give you the most bang for your buck, allowing complimentary transportation to the parks and a lower cost. 

Plus, I’ll be honest: There isn’t a bad Disney resort despite the price tags ranging so much.  

Stay off-site and use hotel rewards programs

While staying at a Disney Resort may seal the experience for many, staying off-site at nearby hotels with park shuttles may save you some money. 

Hotels like Good Neighbor Hotels are an example. Just be careful to select one with free (or cheap) transportation and parking — otherwise, you may offset your savings in transportation to the parks.

If you choose to stay off-site, you can use credit card rewards like Chase Ultimate Rewards® or Amex Membership Rewards® to transfer points to hotel programs like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and IHG Rewards and score a free or discounted stay.

Or if you have a hotel-branded credit card or hotel elite status, you may be able to save money or score special perks with your booking.

Take advantage of other Disney accommodations

If you’re feeling outdoorsy, you can stay on Disney property without paying the higher rates of resorts by camping! 

You can rent a campsite at Fort Wilderness Campground in Orlando. Tents can be as low as $120 a night, and RVs for around $170.

You can also “rent” Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points. DVC is Disney's timeshare program, which allows members to purchase points for use during stays at Disney resorts, primarily deluxe-tier properties. 

Non-members can rent these points from DVC owners, often at a lower cost than booking directly through Disney. You choose your dates and resort, and the DVC owner makes the reservation in your name. 

This is a great option if you want to stay at a luxury resort or have a larger family and need a villa. 

How To Save on Transportation

How you get from point A to point B is an important thing to keep in mind with your trip, not only for convenience but for cost, too. 

Use Disney's free transportation

Disney provides complimentary transportation for park and resort guests once on property! 

This transportation is in the form of the monorail, buses, and, at Disney World exclusively, their gondola system called the Disney Skyliner. 

Use complimentary transportation to avoid car rental, gas, and parking costs, plus the stress of parking. 

Skip the rental car

If you fly in, you can skip the car unless you plan on leaving the Disney bubble. 

When coming to the resort/parks, you can ride-share or catch a shuttle like Mears (in Orlando) from the airport and use Disney's complimentary transportation to all properties. 

Some rideshare companies also provide complimentary car seats. 

RELATED: Family Travel Tips for Planning Safe Ground Transportation

Fly into smaller airports 

It may be worthwhile to look at flying into smaller airports like Sanford instead of MCO in Orlando and John Wayne (SNA) in California. 

Ground transport may be cheaper, and even major airlines offer flights into these airports.

RELATED: Tips for Finding Cheap Flights for Families & Saving Big

How To Save on Souvenirs

Things like Mickey ears, princess dresses, and bubble wands are undoubtedly part of the magic. But, they can also rack up costs real quick. 

Buy your Disney gear ahead of time 

You will save lots of money buying your gear, like shirts, autograph books, and ears, outside of the parks. 

Retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart carry official Disney-licensed merchandise, and these are much cheaper than the sticker shock you will get in the parks. 

Set a souvenir budget for each kid

Kids are likely to get starry-eyed at all the shiny new things in a Disney park. But these shiny things also come at a high price tag. 

If you don’t want to take away their experience, as this may be a once-in-a-lifetime (or a few-times-in-a-lifetime) trip for some kids, set a souvenir budget per child. 

This is also a great opportunity to teach your children about financial responsibility with a tangible example. 

Consider skipping the photopass

While it's a nice convenience to have photos loaded to your account automatically via MemoryMaker, you can actually ask Disney’s photopass photographer to take photos with your own phone. 

Cast members are very likely to do this for you, though they do primarily focus on using their own camera. 

This could save you around $200 on the MemoryMaker extra. 

Other Helpful Tips 

Here are a few other tips to keep the costs down on your Disney adventure.

• Sign up for the Disney Rewards Card. This gets you a 10% discount on merchandise and dining in the parks. You can also use it throughout the year to rack up rewards dollars for Disney. And you can finance your vacation if you purchase a package (tickets and hotel on-property) for six months, interest-free.
• Set expectations ahead of the game. Talk about the budget with your kids. It may also be worth talking about the lines and how not every ride is instant. After all, fewer surprises = fewer meltdowns.
• Bring your own stroller from home. This will save you $15+ a day. Just make sure it fits Disney's stroller guidelines! You can also check strollers for free on most major airlines.

FAQs

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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.