How to Budget for Disney When the Parks Get Pricier

I know just as well as anyone how expensive it can be to visit Walt Disney World. Yet, despite the cost of everything from park tickets to hotels, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather go with my three beautiful girls, Ava, Ella, and Rose. Disney World really does have everything you could possibly want from a vacation – from constant entertainment to keep the kids happy, to fun and excitement for the adults too!

However, Disney recently announced that they’d be upping their prices for tickets at certain times of the year, which means that you might need to be more cautious than ever when it comes to budgeting for your vacation. Here are a few tips that could help.

1. Choose the Right Time

When your kids are young, like mine, and the chances are that they’re not going to miss anything too important at school, you have the perfect opportunity to choose the date you want to take your Disney vacation according to work commitments, and budget. Since it’s only certain tickets at certain times of the year that are seeing the price boost, your best bet is to choose your trip times around the cheapest tickets. There are plenty of charts online that can help you to pick a non-peak time to visit.

2. Go for More than Just a Day

It might sound counterproductive, but every extra day that you spend at a Disney park adds up to a bigger saving. Week-long tickets are far less expensive, and let’s face it, it’s practically impossible to do everything that you and your family wants to do in a single day anyway.

3. Bundle your Vacation

When it comes to booking trips for me, my partner Daniel, and the kids – I’m all about bundling. While sometimes, the most cost-effective approach to building a vacation will be to “do it yourself” and pick and choose different aspects of your trip from different providers, some travel agents offer incredible deals if you’re willing to buy your plane tickets, park tickets, and accommodation all in one.

4. Avoid the Upsells

If you’re on your first trip to Disney, the chances are that you’ll want to buy everything you come across. Trust me, I’ve been there. Let me reassure you, however, that me and my family found Disney on a budget to be just as magical as Disney fully-loaded. You don’t need to buy a photo pass unless you really want plenty of photos, plan what you want to do in advance and stick to your budget!

5. Get a Character Lunch

If you want to make your trip extra special with a character meal, the best advice I can give you is to book a lunch – not a breakfast. Afternoons are far less expensive than mornings, and they’re usually less crowded too. Since most people are already off to the parks by lunch time, you’ll have plenty of space to enjoy your time with the characters uninterrupted.

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