Saving Money at Walt Disney World

So, you're ready to pack your bags for a magical vacation at Mickey's house? Well, if you're like many Disney hopefuls, you're finding that your dollar doesn't stretch quite as far in Walt Disney World as it does in Timbuktu. If you're wondering how to vacation in Disney and still afford to pay the mortgage, look no further than these five Disney on a budget tips!

1. Plan Ahead

Disney offers many affordable packages to help your family enjoy the World without breaking the bank. The trick is to plan ahead and be flexible with your travel dates. Fall is Disney's slow season, so that's when the best deals will be offered. Fall 2006 travelers enjoyed free dining--for the average family trip, that's an over $500 savings! If free dining or another awesome package isn't being offered during your vacation timeframe, go ahead and call Disney's reservation line (1-404-WDISNEY) anyway. Ask the agent if there are any special deals. You never know what you might get!

2. Buy Your Park Tickets Now

Disney tickets have several options. The most important thing to remember is to buy only what you'll use. It may sound nice to have the option to visit Blizzard Beach, but with four theme parks to explore and a pool at your hotel, do you really need the water park? The best way to avoid falling into temptation is to buy your tickets now. Trust me, if you wait and buy your tickets at Disney, you'll somehow end up leaving Florida with unused extras. You can blame it on the magic of the mouse, but it will happen. Another word of advice: Don't buy your tickets from Disney! There are several websites that offer significant ticket discounts. This may sound fishy, but most of the websites are totally legit. If you're concerned, you can always call the website's phone number and speak to a real person. The discounts these websites offer can save you dollars per person per day, which really adds up! Plus, you can get the tickets sent to your home before you leave or to your hotel room in Disney--either way, shipping is usually free!

*A final word of advice about tickets: Never purchase used tickets from eBay. Once a ticket has been used in Disney world, it is connected to that specific user. If you buy partially used tickets off of eBay, you'll end up with tickets that won't work when you get to the parks.

3. Use the Internet

Millions of people visit Mickey each year. Of course they're talking about it online! Disney message boards are a great way to get tips and tricks for any trip. Many of these websites even have discount boards! I've listed three websites below but there are many, many more. A simple web search will lead to many great websites that are full of valuable information. Do your homework, have fun and save some dough!

4. Make Souvenirs Special

Instead of spending bundles on souvenirs, why not limit the number of take home items but make them more exciting? One possibility is to give your kids Disney Dollars in place of their allowances in the weeks leading up to your trip. Disney Dollars spend the same as cash in the World, plus they're fun to have. Offer to buy everyone in the family a t-shirt and then let the kids purchase their own souvenirs. Just think: the kids get excited about the trip, take ownership in their purchases, learn fiscal responsibility and, best of all, save you money! It's a win win for everyone.

5. Eat a Late Lunch

My last tip is probably the most obvious and yet the most worthwhile. Make sure your family eats a good breakfast every morning and carry healthy snacks with you. Schedule your meal reservations for between 2pm and 3pm. Just like every other restaurant, the ones in the world offer much of the same food at lunch and dinner but with a much high price in the evening hours. Yes, portions may be bigger at dinner, but rest assured that in Disney, lunch portions are often too large. With nowhere to put leftovers while exploring the parks (and no time later to eat said leftovers), those larger portions will simply go to waste. Eating around 2pm will keep your family going until late in the evening and part of the fun of a Disney vacation is a late night Mickey bar! Another plus to the late lunch comes in the form of smaller lines during traditional lunch and dinner times. Just think, while Sally Spendy and her family are eating lunch at noon in an overcrowded restaurant, your family is repeatedly riding Splash Mountain with very little wait time! When it's time for you to eat, the lunch rush will have passed and you can dine for cheap in (relative) quiet.

The moral of the story is this: Disney can be affordable for everyone. Just follow these five money saving tips and you'll be having an affordable magical day in no time!