Are you planning a Disney Trip any time soon? Yes, it is the most magical place on earth! But sometimes, the cost of a trip to Walt Disney World puts people off. So today, we will talk about and share our top tips on How To Save Money Going to Disney World in 2026.
How To Save Money Going to Disney World
A Disney family trip can be affordable with a little research and planning. Thus I am sharing a few tips for saving money when going to Walt Disney World, which I have learned along the way. Because it’s all in the planning and detail. Having planned many family trips to Disney World, I have picked up a few useful travel hacks that might help you get the best deal on your Disney World trip.
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Booking Your Hotel For Your Disney Vacation
Get Disney Resort Hotel Deals
If you book in advance, you can get great deals on Disney World Hotels, some offering free nights and dining credits. And if you are travelling to Disney World on a budget? Offers such as this make a huge difference. However, it all depends on the resort you book and the time of the year. The offers vary; It does pay-to-monitor offers to save extra money. Also, monitoring currency exchange rates may save you quite a few dollars.
Is It a dream to stay at a Disney property? Then the great news is Disney offer Disney Resort Hotels at varying price points to suit Disney guests on all budgets. The Disney Value Resorts offer an outstanding value, just as they promise, with Disney Pop Century coming out as the best value Disney Hotel onsite Disney World Resort.
The Disney Deluxe resorts come at a higher price point but are super magical. However, a great way to enjoy these resorts is to plan a twin-centre trip—a week in Disney and a week offsite at a more affordable hotel.
Benefits Of Staying In An Onsite Disney Hotel At Walt Disney World Resort
- Mickey Mail (A Personalised letter from Mickey)
- Free Transport Around Walt Disney World
- Vouchers and Disney Discounts
- Complimentary WiFi In Guest Rooms
- Early Theme Park Entry
- Extended Evening Theme Park Hours On Certain Nights
- Early Access to Dining Reservations
- Complimentary Parking at the Resorts and Theme Parks For Disney Resorts Guests
Stay In A Disney Partner Hotel
Disney partner hotels are all located around the Disney Springs area, such as the Disney Swan and Dolphin, Hilton or Wyndham and many offer resort transport to the parks. However, these partner hotels are mostly within walking distance of Disney Springs, have great facilities, and offer extra time in the parks, which is exclusive to partner hotels.
Some hotels also offer packages with breakfast included. Breakfast can be a big expense with all-you-can-eat buffets, so free breakfast is a great way to save.
Prices vary, but you can get some great deals and still be right in the heart of Disney, thus able to access the Disney Transport System.
Book A Villa Or Condo
Villas and condos offer great value, there are many resorts in the Disney Area, but you do need to drive while staying at a villa or condo, so factor parking costs into your budget. And at $30 a day, those parking fees add up.
However, the benefit of a villa is that you can head to the grocery store, stock up on meals and eat breakfast and evening meals in your villa. You can also take pack up lunches at Disney World; taking your food will be a huge saving on food costs.
Save Money Going to Disney World, Travel In Term Time
This is easier if you are travelling without kiddies, have pre-school children or your children have left school. But term time, special events, and peak holiday seasons are more expensive. Plan your travel dates around the quieter times to get the best price at Disney. These are less expensive, hotels and flights are cheaper, and you are more likely to find special offers and deals. You can save a lot of money by planning your trip this way.
If you have school-age children? Study the school’s yearly calendar; some schools offer bonus weeks in term time! This is a great time to book; you may need to tag it to peak time. However, this would enable access to some quieter days and trust me; the difference is huge.
It’s also important to note that children under three do not require Disney passes, entry for under 3s is free with a paying adult.
How To Save Money Going to Disney World, Food Tips
Dining is a big deal in Orlando food is part of the vacation. The good news is there are ways to do food on a budget.
- It’s a good idea to pack up lunches for yourself and your family members into Disney World; however, be aware you are not permitted to take glass items or alcohol into the parks.
- Stay in accommodation or a hotel room with a kitchenette; this way, you can head to the store and stock up on food.
- You can book your vacation as a package deal and look for free breakfast offers.
- Are you planning to do Disney character dining for a little Pixie Dust? The best time to get a great deal is breakfast, which is cheaper than the full-price lunch or dinner options, which are an extra cost. Check out which restaurants offer Character Dining.
- Quick-service restaurants in the parks always offer great value; the salads are huge and always delicious. You will always find a variety of choices, from burgers and chicken to healthy options.
- Get a diners card such as the Landry’s Card, Carries explains how it works in this post.
- Some planning guides have discount vouchers; check out Birnbaum’S Walt Disney World Guide. It’s fabulous and has coupons at the back.
Do Children Under 3 Eat Free At Disney?
Children under three may eat for free at buffet restaurants onsite at Disney. Restaurants such as Chef Mickey’s and Garden Grill Restaurant serve shared platters. Children can share at no charge! And restaurants with a traditional menu that features multiple entrée options, children under the age of 3 may share from an adult’s plate at no charge or order something from the children’s menu and be charged for the cost of that entrée.
2026 Disney Character Dining By Price
All prices for each character meal are plus gratuity. Some restaurants offer a soda fountain included, but not all. Children’s prices are aged 3-9. Remember that you will need Disney World Park Tickets to dine in any of the parks but not the Resort Hotels.
| Restaurant | Park Or Resort | Price Band | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Princess Fairytale Dining | Epcot | Adult Child | $62 $39 | $69 $46 | $69 $46 |
| Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast At Cape May Cafe | Beach Club Resort | Adult Child | $49 $33 | ||
| Chef Mickey And Friends | Contemporary Resort | Adult Child | $59 $38 | $69 $44 | |
| Be Our Guest Beauty and the Beast (Themed, not Character) | Magic Kingdom | Adult Child | $72 $43 | $72 $43 | |
| The Crystal Palace Dine With Winnie The Pooh And Friends | Magic Kingdom | Adult Child | $54 $35 | $64 $44 | $64 $44 |
| Cinderella’s Royal Table | Magic Kingdom | Adult Child | $76 $47 | $89 $54 | $89 $54 |
| Garden Grill Restaurant Chip N Dale Harvest Fest | Epcot | Adult Child | $49 $33 | $62 $42 | $62 $42 |
| Breakfast With Disney Junior Stars Lunch and Dinner With Minnie At The Hollywood and Vine | Hollywood Studios | Adult Child | $49 $33 | $64 $44 | $64 $44 |
| Ohana with Lilo And Stitch | Polynesian Resort | Adult Child | $53 $33 | $67 $44 | |
| Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White | Wilderness Lodge | Adult Child | $69 $43 | ||
| Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera With Mickey & Friends | Disneys Riviera Resort | Adult Child | $54 $35 | ||
| Tusker House Restaurant With Donald Duck And Friends | Animal Kingdom | Adult Child | $52 $35 | $64 $42 | $64 $42 |
| 1900 Park Fare With Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel, Princess Tiana | Grand Floridian | Adult Child | $58 $37 | $69 $44 |
Use Discount Vouchers To Book Your Hotel
Watch out for voucher discounts when you are booking your Disney accommodation. This is a great way to Save Money Going to Disney World, especially as many hotels offer reward points which you can save for discounts.
You can also use your Tesco points as vouchers on Hotels.Com, turn every £5 in coupons into £10.00 to spend on hotels, and many hotels at Disney Springs can book through the site. The maximum amount of club card vouchers you can use is £250, which translates to a £500 discount.
Is It Possible To Get Cheap Disney Tickets?
There are often 14 days for the price of 7 Disney ticket offers; it’s just a case of keeping your eyes open for these deals. There are also many more deals, such as a free memory maker and Disney gift cards to spend on-site.
Buy 1,2, and 3 Day Tickets Direct From the US
You can also buy 1, 2 and 3-day tickets at Getaway today. This is a trusted US agent and how we bought our 2024 Disney tickets, as we were are only stopping for a few days before a cruise. You are able to purchase and upload directly to your Apple Wallet and Disney App.
Save Money On Parking By Using The Walt Disney World Transport
The on-site Disney transportation system offers so many options and is very efficient. Using Disney transport is as much a part of the adventure as the parks. We hired a car from Downtown Disney on the days we wanted to venture further than Disney. This was easy and cost-effective. It’s also easy to book a transfer or Uber from Orlando International Airport.
The onsite transport is free to all guests; thus, if your offsite hotel offers transfers to Walt Disney World, you can travel between all parks and water parks free of charge.
Ways To Save Money Going To The Disney World Parks.
Buy drinks from Walmart and carry them in an insulated bottle or take a refillable water bottle and fill up at the free water fountains. This is a great way to keep cool and prevent having to keep buying water.
Take a pack a Mac or lightweight poncho; when it rains, you will be prepared and not need to panic buy a park rain cover.
Buy Your Souvenirs From Walmart
Walmart has a Disney section in store which sells a huge array of souvenirs—such as beach towels, mugs, crayons, costumes and more. Having a Disney shopping trip is a great way to spend an afternoon, and you can stock up on all the Disney goodies for a fraction of the price.
Disney Souvenirs To Look Out For
- Autograph Book
- Beach Towels
- Refillable Bottle
- Mickey and Minney Head Bands
- Tiaras
- Disney Costumes
I hope that rounds up of Walt Disney money-saving tips and good deals have been useful. Part of the fun of Disney is the planning and the joy of seeing all of your plans coming together on a trip of a lifetime. Oh, and it’s ok to do Disney more than once! I, for one, will never grow out of it.
This post originally appeared on Extraordinary Chaos.
