First Person: Saving Money on Disney World Family Vacation

When it comes to planning your next family vacation, your budget can quickly spiral out of control if you don't do the proper research. I recently started planning for my first family vacation in four years to Disney World. At first, I was perplexed with the price increases on airfare, hotels and park tickets since my last trip nearly six years ago. However, after doing some research online, I was able to save about $1,000 off my trip.

Avoid theme park hotels during peak dates

I began my search by visiting the official Disney World website to search for moderately priced hotels. If you plan your vacation around school holidays, you will easily pay more for every expense on the trip. The reason is that the parks and airlines know that demand for these times is high and they can charge more. If you plan to stay within the park, it can cost about $180 to $200 per night at a moderately priced resort such as Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort during the April school year vacation. However, if you plan your trip in January, during the school year, it cost $159 to $174 per night because it is not during peak season.

Park hotels are preferable over less expensive alternatives because of the location. Disney maintains its parks to a higher level than most out of park budget hotels. The benefit is that you don't need a rental car for the stay of your trip because the parks offer free shuttles, which can save at least $100 for a five day vacation.

Park Tickets - Longer is better

When during our research we found that the longer you plan to visit a theme park, the cheaper it is. According to the Disney website, the cost per day for a ticket for ages 10+ for a 5-day pass is $50.20 per day, while it cost $85 per day if you purchase just a one-day ticket. Similarly, the price goes down to only $29.10 if you plan to visit the park for 10-days. The savings is huge and children and adults appreciate the constant entertainment.

Take advantage of membership discounts - AAA

Disney offers discounts for AAA memberships and military discounts. We took advantage of the AAA discount, which gave us a free room upgrade with a water view just for our membership in AAA. AAA offers several other discounts to other theme parks and attractions, which can enhance your stay for a very small annual membership fee.

Compare airfare rates online

Never book your flight from theme park websites that package your deal. While they may offer you airfare deals, you might not get the best rate. Compare discounts on Kayak, Expedia, Hotwire, Travelocity, etc. These websites, especially Kayak, allow you to compare airfare from several different carriers to find your ideal rate and travel time. We saved an additional $150 per plane ticket by booking 10-months in advance. Expect to pay higher rates if you wait until the last minute to book.

Call and ask for freebies

Disney World offers one freebie that attracts many vacationers and that is the free meal plan. The park gives you passes to eat free, up to two meals per day. Call the hotel you plan to stay at and ask if they will include a deal like this into your stay if there is no deal currently offered.