Sprinkle Some Magic on Your Budget: Savvy Tips for Your Disney Vacation
Everyone knows a trip to Disney is not cheap. Here are some ways to save some money and stick to your budget.
The number one question I see from those planning a Disney vacation is: How much will this cost? It is no secret that a trip to Disney World is expensive. And the house of the mouse adds extra costs that add up quickly for a family vacation and easily breaks a budget.
Disney has a tight grip on hotel rates so it’s not likely you will find an amazing discount on any of the hotels within their property. That’s not to say you can’t save money where you can.
I have a family of three and when we go, I try to maximize any opportunity to reduce our costs wherever I can. Here’s my advice for some tips and tricks to help you cover those vacation costs and still have an amazing trip.
Book Early
If you are planning for a trip well in advance, say a year or two out, then booking early is one of the best ways to get the lowest rates. Disney lets up book up to 499 days in advance of a trip. My family is going in October of this year and I booked our vacation package in February of last year. I locked in my hotel rates AND booked my tickets at the price that was listed at that time. Since then, ticket prices will increase two times before I actually take my trip.
Booking this early can ensure you pay the best rate you can, but be wary of the deals that will pop up ahead of your trip. The room discounts or free dining plan upgrades require you to change your booking to the current room rate. You should consider this new rate and the value you may get from the deal before making changes to your reservation.
Target Circle Card
If you have Target’s Circle card, formerly known as the RED card, you get a 5% discount on all of your purchases – including gift cards.
Once I book my vacation, I pick up a Disney gift card every time I go grocery shopping. Depending on my budget, I may pick up $25 a week, or $50, or even $100. I use DisneyGiftCard.com to transfer cards to a single card I set aside for specific uses. One will cover my vacation payments. One is for dining. And we each have a card for spending. You can put up to $1,000 on each card. Don’t lose these cards though. The website is just for managing your balances, it is not a digital wallet.
I end up buying about $3,500 in Disney gift cards over the course of the year and a half ahead of our trip. This gets me about $175 in savings simply by purchasing the cards with the Circle card.
Wellness Program
My employer offers a wellness program that rewards employees when they complete annual health checks or take part in wellness challenges. I can cash out my earnings through a gift card and they do offer Disney gift cards as a reward. The nice thing about this is that I am taking care of myself while earning some free Disney cash. It also makes the annual mammogram a little less uncomfortable.
If your employer offers a similar program, make sure you are maximizing it to help fund your trip.
Points or credits
I noticed my energy provider has a points-earning system every time I reduce my electricity use. It isn’t a lot, but I will take every dollar I can, and in this case, I didn’t have to do anything extra to get it.
You can also check your other service providers or credit cards to see if they offer any kind of rewards program you can convert to gift cards to put toward your trip.
Gifts
When I know we are going on a Disney trip and family asks what I want for Christmas or my birthday – Disney gift cards are top on my list. It may not satisfy the need for instant gratification or feel special to get a gift card for a family trip, but I set them aside to be used as my own spending spree or pampering. It’s a delayed birthday present.
Chase Visa card
This one I save for last because it does require an application of credit. The Chase Disney Visa card isn’t the best travel card in the market, but it does come with a nice promotion of cash back. There are two levels of cards – one with a zero annual fee, and one with a $49 annual fee. The first currently offers a $200 statement credit when you spend $500 over three months. The latter provides a $400 statement credit for $1,000 in purchases.
The card also has a couple of perks that might be useful to you, such as a 0% APR rate for 6 months on vacation packages. As of March 20, there is an offer to get a free dining plan when you use the card to pay your deposit on a Disney vacation (see other rules to quality).
Cardholders also get 1% back on all purchases in the form of Disney Rewards Dollars, which can be used in the parks, for dining, shopping, or purchasing tickets. In the parks, you get 10% off select merchandise locations. In EPCOT, there is also a special cardholder photo pass.
I saved up $1,000 to pay toward my vacation package. Then I applied for the card. Once the card was active, I made a payment on the vacation, immediately paid that amount off and now I have a $400 credit on the card which I can use for my upcoming Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets.
Some extra ways to save
Ibotta
There are a few apps out there with a similar concept. You purchase items that have cash-back offers within the app, then scan your receipt for proof of purchase and you can cash in the rewards earned in the form of gift cards.
In the past, I have tried using Ibotta to score some Disney gift cards. I found that I wasn’t earning enough to make it worth the effort, but if you are using Ibotta or a similar app, this is another area where you can get some extra money for your trip.
DVC Rental
I will note that another way to save some money on Disney World resorts is to rent a Disney timeshare. Otherwise known as the Disney Vacation Club (DVC), timeshare owners can rent out their “points” to others. This allows vacationers to get the deluxe Disney resorts at the price that the timeshare owner would pay.
Let’s look at an example:
I want to book the Riviera Resort for Oct. 30-Nov.1. If I book through Disney, a deluxe studio, preferred view room will cost $2,268.00.
If I reserve a DVC rental, that same room would cost $1,300. This saves me almost $1,000 for the room.
(cost comparison made on Disney World website and David’s Vacation Club, as of March 21, 2025. Rates are for example only.)
There are some important things to note when considering booking a DVC. 1. You pay the full cost upfront, and often have to book 11 months in advance. 2. Cancellation options are not as flexible as booking directly with Disney.
To book a DVC room, you need to go through a third-party reseller, such as David’s Vacation Club, or DVC Rental Store. You can also book directly with some DVC owners. You are working with a party outside of Disney and if you run into any issues, Disney will refer you back to the place of rental.
Every Little Bit Helps
Just like planning a Disney vacation, there are so many options when it comes to saving up the money to take the vacation. I hope you found my tips and tricks helpful to make your Disney dreams affordable for you.
