Buy your souvenirs before you go.
Or just skip them. Most end up in the next year's yard sale anyway.
Owning DVC has saved us a fortune and we enjoy large villas with a kitchen and W/D.
Only if you compare against on-site deluxe resorts. We always go off-season, and we can always get a large condo with a kitchen and a W/D off-site for around $100/night.
Money-saving ideas, trying not to repeat the good ideas already listed above:
- Bring your own drinks for the room. This alone will save quite a bit. We are close enough to drive, and sale-purchased 12-packs of soda are a huge bargain compared to Disney's drinks. Even if you pick up fast food, having your own drinks will save a large percentage off your bill.
- Bring your own breakfast for the room -- not only is it cheaper, but it gets you into the parks early for rope-drop.
- Do not buy tickets for your first or last day (meaning, your travel days); that is, don't buy tickets unless you can spend the whole day in the parks. Instead, use those half-days to explore your own resort, go to a character buffet at another resort, watch the fireworks from outside the parks, go to Disney Springs, or any number of other things that don't require tickets. Our tradition is to go to Beaches & Cream on our first night and have The Kitchen Sink.
- Be realistic about your family's age /ability to go-go-go. For many of us, a mid-week "no parks day" is a good idea: sleep in, have a nice lunch at Disney Springs, etc.
- Be sure to bring bandaids, Tylenol and sunscreen. Those things are outrageously expensive in the parks -- and if you need them, you'll pay the cost.
- Bring your own stroller, diapers, etc. if you have small children.
- Don't haul water around; you can have an ice water from any number of places in only a matter of minutes. And it's COLD.
- Really consider off-site. We love on-site, but we can't justify the cost any more -- parking at the resorts was the straw that broke this camel's back.
- When we're walking and it's hot, we don't eat a lot of big meals -- we usually split meals and get snacks from the carts. That means we find ourselves hungry back in the condo at night. Ordering a pizza is a good, cheap meal. I also like to make up homemade ready-to-bakes at home /bring them in a cooler, so while we shower and clean up from the parks I pop into the oven a pan of enchilladas or meat balls, and we enjoy a late-night snacky meal.
- Don't haul a bunch of stuff that you don't need into the parks. When you wear yourself, you won't stay as long /won't get as much value from your expensive tickets.
- Likewise, wear comfortable shoes. Few things will make you more miserable than uncomfortable footwear.
- Buy your tickets from a reputable online seller. Can't say the name, but "the frog place" is a favorite on this board, and we personally have had excellent business dealings with them.
- Make a plan before you leave home /make sure it includes ... well, not Fast Pass anymore, but I don't know what to say about the replacement. Wandering into the Magic Kingdom's Main Street and then trying to get your family to decide what you want is a sure-fire exercise in accomplishing little and later saying, "This wasn't worthwhile."
