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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

1. Budget in Advance Most importantly, the grunt work for penny pinching has to be done at home. Special exceptions aside, I would never encourage anyone to throw a trip on a credit card and worry about the bill later. (Plus, paying on a huge credit card bill will do nothing to ease post-trip withdrawal.) Instead, do the math in advance and make sacrifices if possible. Whether you have to cook mor

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

While Walt Disney World is the most magical of vacation destinations, it is not (and never will be) the most cost-friendly. The majority of visitors have to partake in heavy duty budgeting before they can even start to think about a trip. Don’t lose heart though! There are several tips and tricks that can help you ease the financial blow of your WDW pilgrimage. Check out some of our favorites list

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

10. Choose Value-Tier Accommodations WDW’s on-property hotels are categorized by different price levels and amenities. If the dollar amount of your trip has a higher priority than theming or ambience, I’d suggest that you book a simpler Disney hotel. True, staying off-site can save a couple of bucks, but if you have to factor in the cost of a rental car, I’d still encourage onsite accommodations.

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

9. Don’t Be a Shopaholic! We’ve all gotten caught up in the excitement of a trip, but do not fill your suitcase with items destined for a garage sale. Set a souvenir budget for yourself (and your children). Stick to this budget. When you do make a purchase, try to select something that has a decent life span. For example, if your child wants a toy, consider getting them a costume they can wear for

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

8. Reconsider the Dining Plan The dining plan may be tempting to book, but the price increases can make it (literally) hard to swallow. If you don’t want to eat at a sit-down restaurant every day or if you have picky children, buying into the dining plan is not a cost-effective. (Personally, I found that I spent a fraction of the money by paying for meals out of pocket.) The benefits of the dining

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

7. Embrace Quick Service Dining On that note, WDW has a plethora of quick service restaurants that will treat you to a scrumptious, tip-free meal! Some of my favorite locations include Tangerine Café (EPCOT), Pecos Bills (Magic Kingdom), and Flame Tree Barbecue (Animal Kingdom). You can save even more money by asking for tap water or ordering an entrée without a side dish. All foodies can rejoice

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

6. Save Money on the Journey Some families are lucky enough to be within driving distance (and I envy them). If you’re one of those lucky ducks, then you will save boatloads of money on airfare by driving to WDW. If you aren’t quite as close and get nauseous just thinking about long car trips, consider applying for a major credit card that will help you earn free flights! As long as you have the d

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

5. Select Upcharges Carefully Disney offers a variety of experiences that are lovingly (or not so lovingly) known as Disney upcharges. In my opinion, some upcharges (e.g. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party) are absolutely worth it. Other options, like the MK dessert and firework viewing parties, are insanely overpriced for what you receive. It’s worth your time to check out fan reviews of these

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

4. Don’t Venture Outside of “The World” Another way that you can shave money off of your trip, is to resist visiting any non-Disney parks. Please don’t misunderstand me. There are other lovely parks in the Florida area, but the cost of transportation and overpriced day passes will add up quickly. (The fact is that neither Disney nor Universal want to share their clientele, so weekly passes for bot

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10 Best Ways to Save BIG On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

3. Beware of Peak Seasons Certain times of the year are notorious for insane park crowds. Following suit, the price levels for tickets and accommodations fluctuate throughout the year as well. For example, room rates are considerably higher in the summer and late December. However; please note that while prices may be higher during peak season, the parks are also more likely to offer special event

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