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In today’s post we’re going to take a look at the best ways to save money at Disney World.

I live in Southern California and have been going to Disneyland for over 30 years. On top of that I used to be a Cast Member at Disneyland and know the best tips and tricks for having an awesome visit to a Disney park.

In this post you will learn how to save money on Disney World tickets, where to find cheap hotel rooms, food and beverage hacks, and money-saving tips for visiting Disney World with kids.

These tips are going to help you and your family save a ton of money at Disney World.

Let’s get right into my top 10 ways to save money at Disney World!

1.   How to Save Money Purchasing Tickets for Disney World

You basically have 2 ticket options when going to any Disney park: admission to one park per day or a Park Hopper ticket.

The difference being you are either confined to one park per day or you can bounce between the different parks with your ticket.

When going to a Disney theme park I highly recommend getting a Park Hopper ticket.

The benefit of a Park Hopper ticket is if one park is super crowded, you can just hop over to the other park with shorter wait times. A Park Hopper ticket also gives you the opportunity to get in more rides each day at Disney World.

If you are only going to visit Disney World Resort for multiple days, you need to get a Park Hopper ticket so you can visit the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.

These tickets are more expensive, however, in my opinion they are totally worth it.

After using several sites, the one I found with the best prices was Undercover Tourist.

For a 3-day Park Hopper ticket purchased through Disney was going to be $408.

Whereas through Undercover Tourist it only cost $386. That’s a savings of $22 – a total win in my book!

You need to print that out and bring it with you to Will Call at any of the parks to get your actual ticket.

You might be able to just pull up the email to show them and receive your tickets. However, I always recommend printing out the email and bring it just in case.

You do not want to travel all the way to Walt Disney World only to be told that you can’t get a ticket because you didn’t have the printout.

Bonus Tip

The daily ticket prices drop for each additional day you add to your purchase.

A 1-day Park Hopper Ticket was $165. However, the per-day price of a 3-day Park Hopper ticket was $136.

Also, ticket prices vary depending on the day of the week and time of the year.

Purchase your discount tickets to Disney World from Undercover Tourist!

2.   Save Money by Staying at an Off-Site Hotel Near Disney World

Looking for a way to stretch your dollars a little more and save some money during your trip to Disney World?

Stay at a hotel near the park! There are several that are under $110/night.

There are about 5,000,000 hotels within 15 minutes of the park that are much more affordable than the Disney hotels.

Some have free shuttles to and from the Disney World parks, and others are a short Uber away.

Renting a car is so expensive, as is the parking fee at Disney World. It is much more cost effective to just take an Uber or Lyft from your hotel, or the free shuttle if your hotel offers it.

READ MORE: Why you should stay at the Hilton Bonnet Creek when you visit Disney World.

3.   Have Groceries Delivered to Your Hotel to Save on Food

Disney World can take a lot out of you.

Sometimes you just don’t have the energy or the time to go to the store to reup on snacks and meals to bring into the parks.

That’s where a service like Amazon’s Prime Now delivery comes in.

With Prime Now you can get tens of thousands of daily essentials and groceries delivered to you in 1-2 hours.

You can wake up, order your groceries with Amazon Prime Now and have them delivered to your hotel room each morning before heading into Disney World.

Prime Now delivery is a game changer!

Sign up for a free 30-day trial for Amazon Prime now to take advantage of the Prime Now delivery.

4.   Save Money at Disney World by Bringing Your Own Snacks and Drinks

Disney World Resort is super expensive, especially if you are with a family. Paying for snacks, meals, drinks, sweets, and souvenirs really adds up.

Good news is that Disney theme parks allow you to bring in bags, food and drinks.

You cannot bring a cooler, however, everything else is pretty much fair game.

That means you can pack meals and bring them into the parks, which is a huge money saver at Disney World.

I always bring drinks (like Gatorade) and snacks.

Protein bars are great because they give you energy throughout the day without having to splurge on a meal. Also, stopping for meals cuts into your time spent on rides!

For kids, bring juice boxes and whatever snacks they like.

5.   Adult Beverage Hacks to Save Money at Disney World

Hey, you’re out there walking around all day, lugging kids around and standing in line. There’s nothing quite like having a beer or cocktail to get you through the day.

All Disney World parks have alcohol for sale, but those drinks are hella expensive.

The only place to get any alcohol at the Magic Kingdom is at the sit-down restaurants.

There is a way to have easier access to alcohol and save money while at Disney World.

A simple little hack I do is, well, I just bring my own alcohol on the DL!

Take a Gatorade bottle, dump it out (or some of it out) and fill it with the cocktail or liquor you want that is a similar color. I would take a lemon-lime Gatorade, pour it out, then fill it with a margarita.

Then, you just need to get a cup of ice from anywhere and you’re good to go!

I have brought ice packs and stuffed them in my backpack to keep the bottles cold, however, they don’t really work as well, especially on hot days.

If you have a stroller, fill a flask and mix it in with all the stuff you’re bringing on the bottom. I recommend using a plastic flask – it’s what I use. You can also fill a plastic water bottle up with tequila, rum, gin or tequila.

Cast members search your bags before you enter. They do not, however, take the lids off bottles to give a sniff test.

That being said, if you spill on the outside of the bottle, wash it off so your bottle doesn’t smell like booze. Let’s be smart about this.

Also, don’t get too wasted or they will kick you out.

Be sure to drink plenty of water, too, especially on hot days. Heat stroke and alcohol poisoning are real folks!

READ MORE: See my Ultimate List of Disney World Tips and Tricks

6.   Save Money at Disney World by Bringing a Refillable Water Bottle

You can bring your refillable water bottles and fill them up at select locations throughout Walt Disney World. Disney World offers free cups of water at all counter service restaurants at each park.

Just be really nice and ask. If one place shoots you down, go to the next one.

I never had any difficulty having my water bottles refilled. Often times the cast members would ask if I wanted ice, too.

Be polite and you’ll get hooked up.

7.   Bring Your Own Stroller to Disney World

If you are thinking, “Should I bring a stroller or not,” bring one. Even if your child walks around all the time, going to theme parks is exhausting and a ton of walking.

Younger children will wear down and pushing them in a stroller is much easier on everyone than carrying your worn-out kiddo.

Stroller rentals at Disney World are $15 for a single stroller and $31 for a double stroller per day.

Instead of shelling out money to rent a stroller, bring your own.

There are stroller parking areas near most of the attractions with tons of strollers there.

I believe it to be totally safe to leave your stroller parked amongst them. I’ve never heard from anyone I know or anyone I talked to at the parks about any theft issues.

I feel it’s very safe, however, as always, use your best judgement.

Another smart thing to do is to mark your strollers so they stand out in the parking areas. A popular way of doing this is by attaching a balloon to the handle.

As an added bonus, you can pack up your stroller with sweatshirts, sunblock, hats, and other extras you won’t have to carry.

8.   Bring Your Own Ponchos and Umbrellas

Orlando gets plenty of rain and you need to be prepared.

You can save yourself a lot of money by bringing your own rain poncho and an umbrella.

You can purchase ponchos and umbrellas at the different Disney World parks. However, they are going to cost a lot more than they would if you purchased them from Amazon or a Dollar Store.

Disney World does not close for rain (they have closed for hurricanes, though).

Some of the outdoor attractions will close, however, the majority of the park is open. Have rain gear ready for those times.

READ MORE: These are the Best Rides and Shows to See at Disney World

9.   Pack Your Own Autograph Books for the Kids

Toddlers and little kids love getting their pictures taken with Disney characters.

Once with the characters you can have them sign an autograph book for an awesome souvenir.

Autograph books inside the park are going to set you back $10 to $20.

You can save a bunch of money by purchasing a Disney autograph book before you enter the park.

A package of 2 autograph books (1 Mickey Mouse and 1 Minnie Mouse) is available on Amazon for only $6.

You can also find autograph books at some Dollar Stores for even bigger savings!

10. Save Money at Disney World by Bringing Your Own Light Up Toys and Glow Sticks

Disney World lights up and comes to life once the sun goes down.

Children throughout the parks bring out their light up toys and wear glow sticks. However, purchasing these inside the park can set you back a pretty penny.

Be smarter than the rest and purchase yours before going to Disney World and bring them into the park.

You can get a light up spinner, Mickey Mouse light up wands, and glow stick bracelets and necklaces each for under $15. These make the perfect fun accessories for the kids to play with during the night at Disney World.

Final Thoughts on Saving Money at Disney World

I know that Disney World can be really expensive, especially for families.

From purchasing tickets to hotel rooms to food and drinks, Disney World can really drain your wallet.

Hopefully these tips will help you save a bunch of money at Disney World and take away a big stress from your trip.

Now I’d Like to Hear from You

I hope you enjoyed my post on the best ways to save money at Disney World.

Now I would like to hear from you.

What did you think of my money-saving tricks for Disney World?

What is your favorite way to save money at Disney World?

Is there anything you think I left out?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment below!

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• How to Save Money at Disneyland