Brilliant Ways to Save for a 2022 Disney Trip

by The WDW Lists
Posted On June 20, 2021

If you’re planning a trip to Disney in 2022 or beyond, you may be surprised at the price tag! We’ve listed some of our favorite tips for planning a trip to Disney World on a budget that we use year after year! Dive in to see where you can be saving more to see the Mouse!

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Consider the time of year you are going.

Disney has an established low season, which starts about the middle of January. You’ll find lower rack rates on hotel rooms, and generally, you’ll find better promotions that pop up for that time! Conversely, if you choose to go during a busier time, you’re paying extra for the convenience of going during a time most people are off from work or school.

Don’t get Promo FOMO!

After your trip is “on the books” with Disney, keep your ear to the ground by checking back on the website regularly to find a promotion that applies to the time you’ll be visiting. You can apply discounts from Disney to your existing reservations, sometimes saving you hundreds of dollars! The best part about working with a free Disney travel agent is that they will stay on the phone with Disney on your behalf to make those changes for you!

Use discounted or free Disney gift cards.

We look to get a minimum of 5% or upwards of 20% discount on Disney gift cards. When you figure that most of our trips hit around $3,000 for four people, that’s an easy savings of $600. When looking for discounted gift card deals, be sure to start early.

Every dollar can be a Disney dollar.

This encapsulates the notion that eliminated expenses can serve as the funds to get you into the Disney bubble. If you drive by a Starbucks to redeem a gift card, you might ask yourself, “Wouldn’t this taste better on Main Street?” If you find out that a Dole Whip costs $6, would you rather add the extra item to your Amazon order or squirrel the amount away in your Disney fund?

Don’t forget about payment plans!

Most people don’t have $3,000 to immediately drop on leisure. But whether booking through Disney or through a travel agent, you are able to secure your reservation with a refundable $200 deposit, with the balance due 30 days prior to departure. While this isn’t a savings per se, it does allow you some flexibility while you generate extra income or watch for better savings on gift cards.

Set-it and forget-it apps can be great earners!

We even have an entire article devoted to apps that we love. Apps like Ibotta and Dosh can search your store loyalty accounts and transaction histories to find cash back. You can also check sites to save money or get points towards gift cards.

Character Warehouse can stretch your souvenir dollars!

Disney liquidates their previous seasons’ goods at the Character Warehouse at two different locations in Orlando. For the price of a roundtrip Uber, you can find deals like Minnie ears or ornaments for less than $5. Whether you’re shopping for kids or for coworkers, you can snag some really great deals at steep discounts!

Come prepared!

Especially if you have small children with you, it pays to bring a few special, Disney-themed items to keep the family out of the gift shops. You can find some fantastic deals on ShopDisney throughout the year, as well as just about anywhere these days- from DollarTree to Target.

Matching shirts permitted, but not required.

Pinterest and Etsy are brimming with matching shirts for the family. While these make for a cute photo op, they’re not necessary and can be expensive if you don’t already have the supplies and expertise.

Room service can save you a bundle!

Gotcha! Kind of. We employ a combination of favorite snacks from home and groceries delivered to the hotel to save extra money. Lightweight items from home like granola bars, goldfish crackers, and plastic solo cups line our suitcases. Once we arrive, we have a grocery order delivered with heavy items like bottled water or fresh items like hummus, milk, and sliced melon. Even with delivery fees and tips, we still save a remarkable amount of money over restaurant and cafeteria prices.

Mix it up with bottle service!

Along the same line of grocery delivery, we also have alcohol delivered. A single cocktail at the pool bar will run over $10 before tip, whereas we can order a small bottle or a six pack to keep in the room at grocery store prices. You can also check the resort gift shop for a limited selection of liquor, beer, and wine options for a reasonable savings over individually mixed drinks.

Load up on free gifts!

Search for unexpected, free souvenirs in the parks. The staff at the Festival Pavillion in Epcot will give a free bookmark to kids during the Festival of Fine Arts. There’s also buttons at guest services and resort front desks for those celebrating a birthday, engagement or any just about any occasion! At Disney Springs, kids can get a small, free necklace at Diamonds International using a code found in the Disney Springs map! Public health permitting, kids will also receive a free bookmark at the Magic Kingdom by attending Storytime with Belle in New Fantasyland. Not surprisingly, maps from the parks are often a favorite toy for kids after returning home.

Skip the Hopper.

With minimal planning, families can devote a day to one park without needing to navigate transportation and security at an additional park. With the Park Hopper option amounting to $75 per person, we can reallocate those funds to a more relaxed endeavor, like a table service dining experience- or adding an additional day to our trip!

Dress for the Season.

Ok, dress for all seasons. Florida is notorious for shifting weather rapidly. One moment you’re cursing the blaring sun, and the next moment, you’re dashing for cover in a gift shop when clouds unleash a downpour. Similarly, temperatures can be in the 80-degree range, whereas your trek back to the room will greet you with 50-degree gusts of wind. It’s advisable to be prepared with packable layers and a disposable poncho. Otherwise, gift shops will be more than happy to provide you with their famous $7 ponchos and exorbitantly priced hoodies.

Weigh your time off against driving.

While it’s not a fun topic to discuss initially, it’s worth comparing your lost income from time off plus any costs associated with driving to Disney World against the cost of airline tickets. Be sure to include resort parking fees of $15-$25 per night, depending on the resort. We’ve actually discovered that the difference between the two figures allowed us to fly to Disney World and spend an extra night. Had we driven, we would have burned four days in the car. We spent a day relaxing on either end of the trip at home and returned to work one day earlier than planned. Some families enjoy the road trip. Our kids do not travel well in a car, and we really wanted to dedicate our time off to relaxing at the resort and then nursing our “Disney hangover.” Check out our article on flying to Disney!

Challenge yourself.

Literally. The internet is full of savings challenges, from saving all of your coins to saving staggered amounts of cash over each week throughout the year. Because we are tipped employees, one of our favorite tactics is putting a $100 bill in a sealed envelope each week. If tips are slow, we’ve been known to stash a $20 bill instead. Whatever amount you can save and put out of sight is one envelope closer to Disney! We love fill-in coloring sheets and Paradise Falls jars. Whatever gets you motivated to save is what works!

Manage Expectations.

Before you hit the parks, manage expectations for kids and adults. We allow our kids to pick out a toy from the parks or hotel gift shop area. It does incentivize good behavior, which helps on days when little ones can get overstimulated. We do reserve the right to veto a $200 Lego set, but they usually pick something entirely reasonable. Some families give their older kids a gift card with a predetermined amount, purchased before the trip. Both ways keep a cap on purchases and keep your budget in check.

Hopefully you’ve found a few new suggestions for doing Disney on a budget! It can seem overwhelming when you first start adding up expenses, but by planning ahead of time you can easily substantially save on your next Disney World vacation! What are some of your tried and true tips for saving on Disney? Let us know what we missed in the comments below!

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