By NADIA TAHIR

Wealth of Geeks

Via Associated Press

Disney World is a dream vacation for many families. But what happens if you can afford everyone’s mouse ears and don’t have the budget for a lot more beyond that?

A trip to Disney World is a considerable expense and requires a lot of planning. With four parks to visit, the cost of transportation, accommodation, park entry, food, and additional entertainment can add up fast.

There are, however, ways to save money and make a Disney World trip affordable. For starters, according to Gavin Doyle, the best-selling author of Disneyland Secrets, discounts on Walt Disney World tickets can be found by working with a Disney-authorized ticket reseller.

Doyle says, “they have a relationship with Disney to deliver the lowest ticket prices, and you are never at risk.”

Start Planning Early

The more time you give yourself to start the planning process, the more likely you can save money. That also makes it easier to book vacation time from work. Months like January, February, and September tend to be less busy. Similar to traveling in general, it’s best to be flexible with dates, as even traveling a day before or later than a target date can offer significant savings.

Jaime Michaels, Editor of Magic Guides, a website that provides Disney planning advice, gives the following example. “Moving your visit by even one day can make a huge difference. For example, a one-day ticket to Magic Kingdom on Thursday, 9/7/23, is $129. The very next day is $144.”

It may only seem like a $15 saving, but it can add up for bigger families. The same applies to plane tickets if you are flying in and hotel stays.

Start Collecting Rewards Dollars and Gift Cards

Many people use credit cards for all their purchases to get cashback or rewards points. The Disney Visa card allows users to earn 1% of purchases in Disney Rewards Dollars. They can then be used towards theme park tickets, resort stays, shopping, dining, and more in the U.S.

Another card to consider using is the Target Red card. The Red Card works like a debit card that can only be used in Target stores. You can save 5% on your Target purchases, including Disney Gift Cards.

Disney Gift Cards can be used at theme parks, water parks, Disney Springs, and Resort Hotels. You can use the cards to pay for admission tickets, hotel rooms, merchandise, and select dining locations on the resort.

Another considerable cost is accommodation. It’s possible to save money by staying off-site instead of at the Disney resort. But additional costs are associated with staying further away from the resort, such as car rental, gas, insurance, parking expenses, and availability of car seats if required.

Some hotels will have a shuttle, but it may not run throughout the day. They may have one drop-off and one pickup time. However, if you plan to have some downtime away from the parks to relax at the hotel or do some other kids activities, then staying off-site is a good option.

Although cost is a downside, there are several benefits to staying on-site. Several shuttles run regularly around the theme parks, so if you want to go back to your room and rest or if the kids still need naps, it’s easy to go back and forth.

Hotel guests on-site can also enter the parks thirty minutes before the general public. This allows families to take rides with much shorter lineups than when everyone is allowed in. Another perk is Lightning Lane reservations can be made at 7 am, so you can get on rides sooner.

People staying on-site can order groceries as easily as those staying off-site. Most Disney hotels will receive them and even place perishable items in a refrigerator. Families can bring sandwiches, snacks, and drinks into the park and save on overpriced food purchases.

There are many options for accommodations for off-site and at the Disney resort. Choose what works for you based on your needs and your budget.

Carefully Consider Extra Purchases

Some miscellaneous purchases may or may not be worth the cost, depending on the length of your visit. The Park Hopper pass allows people to visit a different park in the second half of the day. If you are in Disney World for four days or less, the Park Hopper pass can be worth the cost. But if you stay longer and have the time to spend a day at each of the four parks, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, skip the pass and save your money.

Disney Genie+ is a service you pay for which allows visitors to choose a return time to enter the Lightning Lane instead of the long lines of the standby queue. Although you can access over forty rides this way, not all rides are included in the Genie+ pass. But not all attractions are available through Genie+, and rides are not guaranteed on busy days.

The cost of the Genie+ pass is per person per day. Consider buying the pass for only one or two theme parks or skipping the service if you visit when it’s lower traffic, like in September.

Many Disney experts agree the sooner you plan your trip, the easier it will be to save money. Many kids dream of going to Disney World. Hopefully, with these cost-saving tips, parents can make this magical trip happen.