These days, a lot of people are going to Disney World on a tight budget, and we totally get it.

Disney World vacations keep getting more expensive year after year, and if you want to continue visiting and enjoying the magic with your family, you sometimes have to find creative solutions that help lighten the budget. That’s what we’re here for! We’ve gathered up some of the best solutions for planning a Disney trip on the cheap, and if you follow these, you can make your vacation much more affordable.

Transportation

Starting out with transportation, we’ll cover the priciest of the “cheap” options first. If you need to fly to get to Disney World, the best way to save money is with a budget airline. Some of our team’s go-tos when we need to save money are Frontier, Allegiant, and Breeze Airways. You can often find one-way flights for less than $100 per person when deals are running, but you do have to be careful of hidden fees. Budget airlines may charge extra for anything from carry-on baggage to seat selection. 

Also, if you’re flying, you need to budget for airport transportation. One of the cheapest options out there is Mears Connect — it starts at $32 round-trip for adults and $26 round-trip for children. This is a shuttle service similar to the old Magical Express that will take you to your Disney Resort.

Perhaps the cheapest option of all is using public transportation. It usually only costs a few dollars, and the bus system can take you around much of the Orlando area, but you’ll need to navigate the complex map of bus lines and deal with the woes of public transport. For the most direct option, you probably want to book a rideshare. Prices can vary for Uber and Lyft depending on the time of day, so this one is a bit harder to budget for. However, you’ll get to go directly from the airport to the hotel or wherever you’re staying.

If you’re skipping flying altogether and driving to Disney World, you could save some significant dough (as long as gas prices aren’t too high!). Driving a car also allows you a bit of flexibility with transportation throughout your trip, and makes things simpler if you’re staying off-property. Here, the main costs you’ll need to consider are fuel and parking fees. If you’re not staying at a Disney World Resort, it costs $35 per day to park at the theme parks…and that’s just standard parking.

Parking is free at the parks and hotels for Disney Resort guests. However, when staying at non-Disney hotels or other locations off Disney property, you will need to double-check and see if your hotel has an overnight parking fee. Those can add up quick!

Learn More About Driving to Disney World Here

Accommodations

Now, on to hotels! The cheapest way to stay at a Disney Resort is to choose one from the Value category. Prices vary a bit within that group, but the All-Star Resorts tend to be the most affordable. The three hotels are themed to sports, movies, and music, and their prices for a standard room range from about $150/night to $300/night, depending on when you stay. The good news is that there are hotel discounts offered throughout the year in Disney World, and you can typically find ways to save on this rate.

If you’re willing to step outside the realm of Disney-owned hotels, we need to introduce you to the hidden gem that is the Disney Springs area. Near Disney Springs, there are a few hotels that are known as “Official Walt Disney World Hotels” that offer some of the same perks as the Disney-owned Resorts, and they’re right there on property. Pricing for these hotels is often under $200 a night. They do have resort fees, though, so you’ll need to factor that into your budget. But even with the fees, you can typically stay in a nice room very close to Disney Springs for cheaper than a Disney hotel.

Another good option is Disney World’s Good Neighbor hotels. These are hotels that are off Disney property but still in the area, and you can purchase ticket and hotel packages for them through Disney to secure a deal. This list of hotels includes some major name brands, and they sometimes offer transportation to the parks, though it could come at a fee. There will also be resort fees for staying at these hotels that you’ll need to factor in. Pricing varies, but you can still often stay at a Good Neighbor hotel for cheaper than you can stay on Disney property.

Of course, about the cheapest you can go is with something like an Airbnb or a budget hotel in the Disney World area. Here, you’ll have to do all the research to find the best deal, though you get more flexibility with your accommodations (more bedrooms and bathrooms if you need them). When shopping off property, make sure to find out if your rental comes with additional fees or parking charges, check out the distance to the parks, and factor in the cost of getting to Disney World property.

You have to be careful with off-property options because occasionally, they can become just as expensive as staying in Disney World when you consider the pros like free Disney transportation or Early Theme Park Entry time in the parks.

Why I Will Only Stay in a Non-Disney Hotel From Now On

Tickets

Okay, you’ve made it to Disney World, and you’ve got your place to stay. What about actually getting INTO the parks? When it comes to tickets, there are typically fewer “hacks” to get the price lower, though there are still a few methods you could try. First, make sure you’re purchasing the right tickets for your budget. If you’re doing a longer stay, go for one park per day, no Park Hopper. It’s a pricey add-on that doesn’t often get used. Even if you’re in Disney World for just a weekend, consider cutting out one or two parks so you don’t have to hop — it can waste a lot of your park day going from one park to another, and time is money, baby!

Ticket deals aren’t quite as common as hotel deals, but sometimes Disney will sneak them into the Special Offers page. The most common deals are for Florida Residents or military personnel, but one offer we’ve seen a few times in recent years is the 3-day, 3-park ticket. This ticket typically gives a discounted rate with one day of entry each to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. No Magic Kingdom entry, but you could buy that ticket separately or just skip that park if you’re in for a short trip.

More on the “hack” side of things, there are a few major retailers that sell Disney gift cards at a discounted rate from time to time. We’ve purchased them in the past at Sam’s Club, Costco, and Target. If you purchase those gift cards, then use them to purchase your tickets online, you’d technically be saving money on your tickets!

Our biggest tip to keep in mind here is that you need to make sure you’re purchasing general Disney gift cards, NOT gift cards for Disney+. They are not the same!

Learn More About the Gift Card Tips Here!

Dining

Throughout your trip, one big expense that you’ll encounter is dining. Eating in the Disney parks can be incredibly expensive and add up quickly (especially if you’ve got a group of snackers!), so you may want to consider trying to cut back on that part of your budget. The good news is that Disney World parks allow you to bring in your own food and snacks, so you can pack lunches and bring prepackaged treats for waiting in long lines if you’d like.

One great way to pull this off is to place an Amazon Fresh delivery for groceries to arrive at your accommodations. They deliver to Disney Resorts and a variety of places off property, and you can get your favorite breakfast items, easy-carry snacks, and grab-and-go lunch options without having to bring them in your suitcase.

And if you have some free time on your arrival or departure day, you can try to dine at restaurants off Disney World property. There are quite literally thousands of places to eat in the Orlando area, and you could have a sit-down meal much cheaper at many spots.

One of my personal favorite hacks was to grab lunch or breakfast from the McDonald’s on Disney World property. It’s a bit more expensive than other McDonald’s locations, but it was still cheaper than ordering from Disney quick service restaurants (use the app to get deals!). The McDonald’s is located in the Animal Kingdom area, next to the All-Star Resorts.

When you’re in the parks, this is another great way to use those discounted Disney gift cards. Save a little money on snacks and dining here and there.

Learn More About Amazon Fresh Here!

Souvenirs

Finally, let’s chat about souvenirs! They’re technically the least necessary of the Disney purchases, but they’re a part of any vacation, nonetheless. To avoid relentless spending in the parks, you could purchase some Disney-themed items online via Amazon or Disney Store sales before your trip. Then the gifts could “magically” appear overnight in the hotel room at the start of your vacation for your kids.

If you prefer to do your shopping in the area, many major retailers like Walmart and Target have souvenir sections in their Orlando-area stores. There, you’ll find mugs, autograph books, lanyards, ponchos, t-shirts, ears, hats, and pretty much any other basic souvenir. Sure, you might still want to get something directly from the parks, but there’s no need to spend too much on an autograph book in Disney World when you can get it for less.

So there you go — some of our best tips for saving and having the cheapest Disney vacation possible. Let us know if you’ve tried any of these, and subscribe to our newsletter for all the discount and deal updates!

The $200 Savings Hack Nobody Uses in Disney World

Are you planning a trip to Disney World soon? Tell us in the comments!