How to do Disney world cheaply

[Rossigigi]

Posting for traffic- basically the above. Want to take dc in 2019 but obviously need to start saving now.
What tips do you lovely people have to keep costs down please? We are looking at 14 nights....

You need to do lots of research on different dates and different hotels v villas.

WDW regularly offer free dining which can make a big difference - which dining plan you get depends on the hotel, but a moderate hotel gives you a free quick service plan which pretty much covers all your meals. You also can get $200 gift card for free to use in the Disney shops - so will cover you for gifts for the children such as Mickey ears or a toy or two each. The deal is available in holidays too.

A fortnight is ideal for a first visit. There are 4 Disney parks, 2 Disney water parks, 2 Universal parks and a new Universal water park. If it appeals there is also sea world too which also includes one park, a water park and discovery cove. There is a Lego land park depending on your children's ages. We also love a day visit to the space centre and dh enjoys a visit to the coast on the west side. You can also have a day or two off at the resort, shopping or whatever if you wish.

It costs the same for flights and for tickets if you go for 14 nights as it does for 7, so a fortnight is usually better value.

We've been 8 or 9 times now over the past 14 years. We have stayed in villas and hotels (Disney and Hard Rock) and we have done both a week and a fortnight, in February, June, July and August.

We went in July and didn't want to carry picnic food around all day. It wouldn't have been very nice to eat after several hours in 36 degree heat.

Basically, whatever you do to cut costs Orlando is just not a cheap holiday.

To the person who was confused about whether OP meant Paris or Florida, 'Disney World' is the one in Florida and the one in Paris is called 'Disneyland Paris' (it hasn't been 'Euro Disney' since 2002!). The one in California is Disneyland. I've been to all but for work pre-kids so can't yet contribute re cost but just thought I would clear that up in case you were confused.

I think it depends on if you want to stuff other than Disney whilst you are there. If you literally just want to do Disney then I'd stay on site in one of their cheaper on-site hotels and use their free transport to get around to the parks rather than hiring a car. This also saves paying out for car parking. If however you want to do other stuff or parks (like Universal) whilst you are there you will need a hire car, and you may find it cheaper to stay in a villa off site.

Flights are obviously a big cost. Do shop around as the prices can vary wildly.

I'd strongly advise not eating at the parks as much as possible. The food is expensive and not that great.

If you really want to cut cost then stay on site at one of the budget hotels when the free dining is on and also do a shopping delivery to arrive on your first evening. You don't need a car if you stay on site.

Disney free dining saves a fortune. We have been a number of times (although we always stay at a deluxe resort) and tend to go at the same time as friends of ours. We always stay on site and they stay in a villa because its cheaper. Only its not as we discovered when comparing prices last time. By the time you add in food and car hire and car insurance and petrol and parking and soft drinks and snacks (on the dining plan) and a character meal (part of the experience particularly for little ones), they actually need up spending more, spending more time cooking and cleaning and spending less time in the parks/relaxing.

Signing in. I'm booking for next Feb so flights are coming up relatively reasonable. We are doing a three night Disney Cruise so that means we cannot do it on a "budget". Without that though I had it down to £3k before spending money. Looking at Sheraton Vistana for accommodation - anyone stayed there? And maybe a couple of nights in a Disney budget hotel to get the early hours. The tickets are the killer though and we are only actually going to be at the parks for five days so the 7/14 day thing doesn't feel worth it.

Reiterate ignore the Disney snobs, I was unsure the first time I went - did it for kids - but had the time of my life, so much fun and seeing my dd with autism meet Aurora in the Princess Pavilion actually had me in tears.

Try a Facebook group calle' its Orlando time' they have thousands of people there who will suggest everything from flight, places to stay and restaurants. Although when my friend went they booked room only. Think they realised it would have worked out cheaper if they had gone all inclusive. It was just 2 adults, but they said they spend about more than it would have cost for all inclusive

Sorry, I missed the 14 night thing; the £600 estimate was only for 1 day! Eurostar would still be the same of course but I don't know what kind of deals you get on Disney tickets for that length of time. I don't see how it can possibly cost more than the US though? Surely just the flights for 3 ppl would be at least £1200 as oppose to about £175 for the Eurostar.

I didn't know Disney World referred specifically to Florida though.

Can confirm that Disney World is Florida. The park is bigger than the one in Anaheim. All the parks have slightly different names to differentiate them. My favourite is Tokyo Disney Sea- where they serve alcohol and Mickey speaks high pitched Japanese.

Another tip: on your first visit, arrive by the paddle boat across the lake. It's so much more exciting then the monorail.

I am actually really envious thinking about this now. It was brilliant being able to go to Disney regularly as a child. I never rated Universal, although I had a much regretted love of Sea World 😞

Is this link to Free Dining helpful at all, OP?

As a PP said, Disney World is Florida, Disneyland is California.

Of course there's Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland.....

Florida. Walt Disney World Resort.
Japan. Tokyo Disney Resort.
France. Disneyland Paris.
Hong Kong. Hong Kong Disneyland.
China. Shanghai Disney Resort.
California. Disneyland Resort. Walt Disney Imagineering.
Hawaii. Aulani - A Disney Resort & Spa.

We've just booked for 3 weeks next year as we're doing universal/sea world as well. Will post more later as about to go out.

We are going in August, 5 of us for 3.2k although this doesn't include park tickets. The same villa booked through Virgin was going to be 9k+ and we saved an absolute fortune by booking indirect and flying indirect.

We have to change planes in Montreal but given the saving, can suck that up.

We booked park tickets through undercover tourist and saved another 1.5k on those, although they are one park, one day tickets rather than unlimited but includes all the Disney and universal and that's the way we tend to do it anyway.

It can be done cheaply (relatively speaking) but you do need to do your research and perhaps compromise slightly.

I second the Dibb for great info.

I'm looking to book too but I am terrified of flying .... Will do it though, I will!

Another vote to say have a look at The Dibb.

We are going next easter with family and flights and villa have cost us 2.7k for 3 of us.

We have been disneyland paris and it was an absolute pile of wank. I would never go back there.

Creampastry I really hate it when people mix the names up because I'm a fucking loser pedant.

I also get offended when people say the food is rubbish on site. There are hundreds of restaurants all over the property, many of which are in the Top 100 in Florida, like Victoria and Albert's. Epcot and Animal Kingdom in particular have food from all over the world. You can take children and make sure they never eat a burger or chicken nuggets if you're one of those sort of people. And if you get the dining plan "free" (prices are inflated these days so it's not necessarily free) and enjoy food then it really is excellent value if you plan.

On a per day basis Florida is definitely cheaper than Paris.

Who do you all tend to fly with?

Look at Norwegian for low cost flights and Airbnb for accommodation. Sign up for groupon for meal deals and use coupons (available all over the place) while there. There's no shame in coupons. Also I agree with pp, two weeks is a long time and 10 days might be a better and cheaper option.

Herewego - we did top 3 hotel, a meal out and eurotunnel etc for Paris for under a grand for 5 days in January. That works out less than 200 a day. Can I do a fortnight it'll florida for less than 3grand for 4 people?

Also that's per a day cost anyway - 5 days was enough in Paris (including a day in Paris) whereas we wouldn't go for 5 days to florida. I can't see how florida is in any way cheaper!!

Donald Id be a little concerned about your florida holiday if you think disneyland paris "is an absolute pile of wank". Ive been to both. Clearly Paris is on a smaller scale but the general concept is the same.

I thought DLP was just as good actually, though yes, a bit smaller. All the best stuff was there. I never get the All The Food Is Crap thing either. I had lovely meals at DLP.

Wow I wasn't expecting so many responses- thank you!
My boys will be 19 and 14 when we go. I wanted to wait until they were old enough to enjoy it but then my health took a nose dive. After surgery this year I should be on the mend!
Stupid questions but:-

• how much roughly is a meal for 4 say in a chain restaurant off site
• how far away are parks between each other
• how much on average would I need spending money (beside for food) for example any additional 'pays' in the parks- photos etc?

I'm going to print these off thank you all so much!!!