How to do Disney on a Dime

I don't just travel internationally, I travel all over the US! Recently I visited Disney World (happiest place on Earth, well on MY Earth) and I covered every single inch of that place. Walt Disney's words sum up Disney in the most perfect way possible.

"Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy"

The one and only downside to Disney Parks (and there is only one downside, you tell me differently and you're a party pooper) is how costly they can be. $400 for four 1-park/day tickets? Yea, as a college student that wiped me out. I had to find other little ways to save! Key to keeping it cheap? BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET! Excel is your best friend. Here's how I did it.

Disney World Overview

1. 4 Disney Theme Parks: Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, & Magic Kingdom

2. Water Parks: Typhoon Lagoon & Blizzard Beach

3. Disney Springs: Like a "Downtown Disney", where you can find Disney shopping, dinning, and entertainment outside of the parks!

4. Disney Resorts: Over 28 resorts, all in different price ranges and all with different perks!

Hotels

By some miracle, I was able to score flight AND hotel for less than the price of my park tickets ($400 ticket)! Now, is this because I got a steal, or because Disney tickets are just that expensive? Maybe a bit of both. Anyways, I scored big! I got a nice room at Disney's Allstar Music Resort for $110/night. It might not sound like much, but split between 2 people for 3 nights totaled to only $165, which is cheap for a Disney Resort! There are way cheaper hotels, but if you stay at a Disney Resort you get free transportation to all the theme parks, water parks, Disney Springs, and the airport. THE AIRPORT! This was the big selling point for us. We saved so much money because we didn't have to worry about paying for transportation and could come and go as we pleased. Buses came every 15 minutes which was so nice!

Flight

JetBlue was my saving grace, with a round-trip from DC to Orlando for just $165. Flight, hotel, and all transportation for $330? Yea, totally worth it. I found the JetBlue flights through SkyScanner. Another feature that's great with Disney is that when you book your hotel, they also help you find flights. I looked for cheapest flight I could find for the specific day, and Disney was on top of it which was a pleasant surprise! Point is, do some research yourself. If the cheapest flight is listed in Disney, book through them, that way your hotel shuttle and flight information is linked!

Clothing

It's so tempting to buy all of the Disney apparel in the park. You're surrounded by the magic, everyone is wearing something Disney themed, and you want in on the fun! But when you come home after all that fun, you realize you're never going to wear it. To keep you away from the temptation, plan your outfits carefully in advance. You can buy Disney clothing, for much cheaper department stores! Forever 21, Khol's, Target, Walmart, and Hot Topic, they have it all! Another route is to plan Disney themed outfits, that may not have anything Disney on them. I tend to save money this way by coordinating outfits that will compliment the mouse ears I want to get (by scrolling through Instagram and ShopDisney to see what's offered). This way, no need to buy Disney clothing, but you feel "in" with the Disney spirit! See below how I paired a black & white top, overalls, and red lipstick while I rocked the sparkly Minnie ears.

Food & Drinks

This is where I was able to save big bucks! If you were to buy each meal in the parks, you'd spend about $10-$15 on breakfast, $15-$25 on lunch, $25-$50 on dinner, $30/day on snacks, and $20/day on drinks (if you want the full Disney experience). Here's how we dodged this bullet!

Breakfast To-Go

We brought our own breakfast to Orlando! I prefer lighter breakfasts, so I brought granola bars and some muffins (yes, I totally crammed them into my luggage). My friend needed something hardier, so she brought some oatmeal packets to heat up in the hotel. It was perfect and we saved money!

Street Food or Snacks for Lunch

A sit down meal at Disney World can cost about $25/person. That's some serious souvenir money. Instead, get some Disney street food or snacks for lunch, such as a turkey leg, corn dog, pretzel, or nachos, which can be $7-$15. If you really want to dodge the prices, pack a sandwich! PB&J is easy, cheap, and can last until lunch. Bring a granola bar as a snack and you're good to go!

BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle)

If you wanna save some extra bucks and stay hydrated (which is key when it's hot outside) bring your own water bottle! There are water fountains all around the park where you can fill your bottle up (typically near restrooms, just ask a friendly cast member). This way, instead of dropping $7 on a soda 3 times a day, you can save that money while still staying hydrated. Plus, you can save those calories for yummy Disney snacks :)

Souvenirs

We all love to take magical memories (aka souvenirs) home with us. Disney souvenirs are the best part about visiting! Who wouldn't want a Mickey shirt for $25? Or a Cinderella mug for $20? The souvenirs can start to add up and can burst your bubble (because I want it all!!!!). A great substitute for souvenirs is to collect pennies from the coin presses around the parks! It's like a scavenger hunt! $11 for a coin case, then spend your days seeking coin presses near big attractions. For only $0.51 per coin, it's an entertaining and cheap activity you get to bring home with you! Think about it, $20.40, you could get forty coins! That wouldn't even get you a t-shirt in Disney World

Don't let a tight budget ruin your magical vacation, it doesn't have to! Disney can work with any budget, and it's well worth it. Have a magical time and enjoy the experience!