One of the most common questions I get when I share photos and stories from our Disney holidays is, “How on earth do you afford to take your family to Disney so often?” And to be honest, although this question always makes me feel a little uncomfortable, I totally get where it’s coming from because I spent the first 40 years of my life dreaming of being able to afford Disney but always feeling like it was financially out of reach. It’s a big expense, and for many working families, it seems like something that’s just not on the cards.
But I don’t believe in gatekeeping tips and tricks that could help others make the same dreams come true! That’s exactly why I’m working on a detailed guidebook to help families like mine plan a Disney trip without breaking the bank. But for now, I wanted to share some of my top tips on how I make our Disney trips more affordable. These aren’t magic tricks – they’re just strategies I’ve learned through years of trial and error. So, here’s how we do it!
Travel Off-Peak
This one is probably the biggest game-changer for us: **travelling off-peak.**
Not only does it significantly reduce the cost of flights and accommodation, but it also means we get to enjoy the parks with far fewer crowds. If you’ve got neurodivergent children, like I do, the quieter the park, the better!
Off-peak travel usually happens during school term time, which can be tricky, but if you’re able to make it work (we home educate), it really does pay off. And because it’s cheaper, we can usually afford to stay longer than we could if we travelled during the busy seasons. So, it’s a win-win for us.
Wait for the Right Deals
Another major piece of advice: **patience is key!** I never book our trips impulsively; I wait for the right deals. After years of research, I’ve learned when the best offers tend to be released. For example, I always wait for Disney World’s deals to come out around March – this is usually the best time to snag the free dining plan for trips the following year. And let me tell you, the dining plan is a huge budget saver because food can be pricey in the parks!
When it comes to park tickets for other theme parks such as Universal or Discovery Cove, I grab them during the Black Friday sales. I always make sure to compare the deals on offer between different companies as the best offer can sometimes be surprising – for example for our next trip, it was significantly cheaper to book our Disney stay and tickets via AttractionTickets.com rather than through Disney themselves.
For flights, I never them book on release – as contrary to popular belief, I’ve found that the cheapest time to book flights is usually about 6-8 weeks before travel. This may not apply during peak travel times of course, but for our off-peak trips, this strategy has always worked wonders. You just have to hold your nerve!
Flexible Hotel Booking
When it comes to accommodation, I always use **booking.com** or other third-party sites to book our off-site hotels. The great thing about these sites is that they usually offer free cancellation and you don’t have to pay until you arrive. This gives us more time to save up, and that flexibility is key when you’re working with a tight budget.
I always make sure to book a stay at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort during part of our trip. It’s an unbeatable price for what you get – a great resort with fantastic facilities, and it’s right in the heart of the action on International Drive. Again, booking.com lets me hold off on payment until we arrive, which gives me a bit of breathing room financially while I save.
Use Cashback Sites
This is one of my favourite little tricks: **cashback sites!** Every time I book something, whether it’s Disney park tickets, hotels, or flights, I make sure to go through TopCashback. I got £400 back on our last holiday just by doing this! Disney World bookings, hotels on booking.com, and loads of other travel sites are all on cashback platforms, so it’s really worth setting up an account and making a habit of checking for cashback offers before you book anything. I use Top Cashback everytime I order our food shopping, a takeaway or for buying Christmas and birthday gifts online – I managed to put almost £1000 toward our last holiday just from the money I’d accumulated that year via Top Cashback!
Side Hustles Make a Difference
When you’ve got a big savings goal like trying to afford Disney trips, every penny counts! That’s why I’m a big believer in side hustles. One of my favourites is doing online surveys – yes, they might only pay pennies, but those pennies really do add up over time. My favourite is the AttaPoll app (you can use my code baugf to get a little welcome bonus) and I’m also a regular at the car boot sales and I regularly sell unwanted items on Vinted. Plus, I’ve found little ways to earn extra money, like signing up to offer pet-sitting services through Cat in a Flat or offering tarot readings for a small fee. It’s all about making the most of whatever skills or opportunities you have. No side hustle is too small when it comes to saving for a big trip and if you can get the whole family involved, all the better!
Use a Savings App
A huge help for me has been savings apps like Plum. This app helps me siphon off small amounts of money regularly without really noticing. It rounds up my everyday purchases to the nearest pound and saves the difference, as well as depositing £10 from my bank account each week into a savings pot and before I know it, I’ve got a tidy little sum building up. It’s such an easy way to save without feeling the pinch, and it’s made a big difference in helping us reach our Disney fund goals more quickly.
Other Tips
Another tip is to plan ahead for souvenirs. The shops inside Disney are full of temptations, but you can find so many cute Disney-themed items online or in stores like Primark for a fraction of the price. I usually pick up a few Disney goodies before we leave and surprise the kids with them when we’re there – they’re just as thrilled, and I save a ton of money!
Finally, when it comes to food in the Disney parks, we make sure to share meals. Portions at Disney are often big enough for two, especially for the kids, and it really helps stretch our dining budget further. Kids meals are also often plenty big enough for adults, and they come with a drink and dessert which adult meals do not – for around half the cost of an adult meal!
We also make good use of the local grocery stores for breakfast and snacks. Eating out for every meal can get expensive fast, so this is a great way to cut costs. I schedule a grocery delivery to coincide with our arrival to the hotel so that we have a fridge stocked full of snacks right away!
Eating outside of the Disney parks can also save you a pretty penny. The off site restaurants offer much better value for money, or you can choose to use delivery services such as Uber Eats or DoorDash to have takeout foods delivered to your hotel – you can get some great family dining bundles which are substantially cheaper than dining in the parks.
The Bottom Line
I hope these tips help if you’re dreaming of being able to afford Disney but wondering how on earth you can make it happen. It might not be easy, and it does take some planning and patience, but it’s absolutely possible to afford Disney holidays for regular working families. Happy planning!