You’ve decided to go to Disney World on vacation, but now you have to figure out how to pay for it!

Time to start filling this puppy with some spare change!

Luckily, we’ve grabbed some great trips for doing Disney World on a budget, but first – you have to get there!

Here are some great ways to save money, some are Disney-specific, and some can be used for saving money for any type of vacation or occasion!

Buying Discounted Disney Gift Cards

You can find many Disney Gift Cards discounted at stores near you, like Sam’s Club, Target, and BJ’s Wholesale. We wrote a whole post about where you can find these discounts and about how much you can plan to save. One thing we all know is that when it comes to money, every little bit helps!

Be Careful About Financing Your Vacation

It can be so tempting to pull out the credit card and book your next vacation. You can even justify to yourself by considering the credit card awards you accrue by putting a large purchase on your card. But if you don’t have the money to pay it off within a reasonable amount of time, you’re going to negate those credit card rewards you earned and add a lot to the total cost of your vacation in interest charges.

Disney Visa

Remember that you can book a vacation package at Disney World with a deposit, and then pay it off before you go on the vacation without paying any interest charges — it’s kind of like layaway. We’ve got lots more info on Disney Payment Plans here.

We’re Answering ALL of Your Disney Credit Card Questions

Book as Early in Advance as Possible to Maximize Savings

Last-minute trips can’t always be avoided, but when you can, try to book your trips as soon as you know your travel dates. This can be especially true if you have to book airline flights. If a new discount or promotion is released during your travel dates after you’ve book, you can always call Disney directly to have those promotions applied to your existing reservation. Better yet — use a travel agent who will monitor all the new discounts coming out for you, and their services are free! We recommend Small World Vacations. 

Disney-authorized travel agents are often the first to learn of new discounts and promotions and can apply those to your existing vacation for you, without you having to take the time to call Disney.

The Ultimate Guide To Disney World Travel Agents

Calculate Your Entire Vacation Budget

Calculate your entire vacation budget and stick to it! You’ll want to be sure to factor in transportation, accommodations, tickets, meals, souvenirs, and miscellaneous fees — like tips, taxes, and unplanned rideshare trips.

Magic Kingdom

This can feel overwhelming, but if you put in the work, it’ll totally pay off. We have a complete guide on planning your Disney World vacation that takes you through all of the items you’ll need to consider. And the best part is you can tailor to your family’s needs and priorities.

The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your FIRST Disney World Vacation

Cut Some Costs from Your Monthly Budget

These suggestions can help you cut costs for any reason. It doesn’t have to just be for a Disney vacation (or Disney Cruise, or Aulani trip, or Adventures by Disney…😂). Most of these are commonly discussed, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t work!

Save some pennies to get this view!

• Drop to one streaming service. Pick just one budget-friendly streaming service—this will help you save for the trip and free up cash in your budget every month.
• Go on a spending freeze. Try a no-spend challenge. Pay for essentials only for a week (or really ramp it up with a whole month).
• Cut out extra expenses. No more concert tickets, spur-of-the-moment day trips, or fancy restaurants. Remember: This is temporary!
• Find a side hustle. Make some extra cash you can throw directly toward your vacation savings.
• Work overtime hours. Put in extra hours at work. Your boss will love you, and your vacation fund will too!
• Sell your extra stuff. Go online to sell all those clothes you don’t wear anymore, or clean out your entire house and host a garage sale.
• Save on groceries by meal planning. Decide upfront what you’ll eat for each meal throughout the week, and watch your vacation fund soar.

So those are some of our tried-and-true tips for saving money FOR your Disney trip and DURING your Disney trip! Our BEST tip for sticking with your budget at Disney World will forever be to plan ahead – especially for dining! When you buy our DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World, you’ll get immediate access to our downloadable worksheets for planning your trip, as well as sample one-day dining itineraries! And as a DFB reader, you’re entitled to a discount! Use code WDW2023 for 25% off your purchase.

Which Disney Discount Actually Saves You the MOST Money? We’re Breaking It Down.

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WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

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Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

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What are your best money-saving tips? Share them below in the comments!