Pass On The Park Hopper

When buying your Disney World tickets, you are given the option to purchase a upgrade to a "Park Hopper". While a standard ticket gives access to just one theme park, with a park hopper add-on, you can visit multiple parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom — all in one day. Add a Water Park Fun & More option, and gain access to your choice of water parks, such as Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, in one day as well. These add-ons may look like a bargain. At the time of this writing, the Park Hopper costs $35 per person and the Water Park Fun option costs $57 per person on top of your ticket price. But buyer beware, your family might not even need admission to the extra parks. Each Disney Park is beyond massive, and certainly has enough attractions to entertain a family for the span of a day. Are you really going to need to visit two or three parks within eight hours? Not to mention travel time between parks. So, Why not hold off on buying the Park Hopper until you decide you really need it. The cost will be the same whether you order the add-on online ahead of time or not.

Buy Your Souvenirs Elsewhere

Who doesn’t love a pair of Mickey ears or Goofy hat? Buying Disney souvenirs, however, can be very expensive when purchased from any of the on-site gift shops or stands. If your kids have a case of the “I wants,” wait until the end of the day and head to a nearby department store or one of the many souvenir shops near the park. You’ll likely find many of the same souvenirs as you will in the park, but at a much cheaper price.

Pack Drinks and Snacks

Bring a backpack into the park, filling it with snacks such as chips, packaged peanut butter crackers, beef jerky ect. Also and most importantly pack a couple of bottles of water, freezing them the night before is a great way to go, don't worry by the time you’ve purchased your ticket and start walking around, they’ll have started to melt and will be icy cold. Buying drinks at Disney can get pricey, average $2.50 for a bottle of water, so it pays to bring a few of your own. Disney restaurants always offer a free cup of water. So if you’re totally parched, head to one of the eateries and ask for water only. If you end up buying a soda or drink look for the souvenir cups, they usually run around $7 but you’ll get free juice and soda refills all day long and the kids have a cool glass to take home. If you decide to eat at the parks, consider lunch. Lunch is cheaper at many of the eateries. Eating breakfast before you hit the park is always a good idea too. Now as far as dinner goes, if you are staying at a hotel consider bringing something and eating at your room. Many hotels offer microwave in the rooms. This saves money and can also work as a great way to escape the heat before returning for the night time fireworks displays. Especially when you have small children.

Stay In "Off-site" Resort

Sure, Disney World and Disneyland offer a tons of resorts and hotels that are on-site at the parks, but they can be very pricey. And if you are looking to save a little money, check out other hotels that are within five miles of the park, you’ll probably find that they’re several that are much cheaper, and most also offer perks like in-room refrigerators and a continental breakfast. By finding a hotel with these extra amenities, you can keep your kids entertained after hours, keep your own snacks, meals and cold drinks, and, most importantly, fill up on a healthy breakfast before you set foot in the park. It is often a good idea to check out travel sites for hotel reviews to find the best deal on one that’s a few miles away from the park, but offers a free shuttle to Disney to make up for the distance. Riding a couple of minutes both ways can help save major bucks in parking at the parks.

Plan Disney Trip For The "Off-Season"

If you really want to score the best ticket discounts at Disney? Plan your trip anytime from September till a couple weeks before Christmas; then from January through March will likely get you the most substantial ticket discounts. Nearby hotels and on-site resorts offer discounted rates also this time of year, and as an added bonus, the parks will usually be less crowded, meaning more time on rides and less time to get cranky while waiting in the blazing sun.