Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are, as always, my own.
I have been asked several times, “Isn’t Disney World expensive to visit so much?” “How do you afford to go on so many trips to Disney World?” Whether something is expensive is in the eye of the beholder. I do not find going to Disney World expensive for a couple reasons 1) it is cheaper for us to go to Disney World than it is to spend a week on vacation somewhere else (using the tips below), 2) I consider it part of my mental health and 3) I can not put a price tag on family memories.
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There are so many ways that I save money for a trip to Disney World and save money during our trip that I have divided my advice into two posts. Below are some tips on how to save money for a trip.
Found Money Fund
I utilize what I call a “Found Money Fund” for all of our vacations, Christmas presents and emergencies (ie the car needs new tires). So where do I find money? It is easier than you would think. Twice a year my husband and I get a third paycheck – that entire amount goes into our “Found Money Fund”. Our federal and state tax returns also go into our “Found Money Fund”.
I use a credit card to pay for EVERYTHING (yes you read that right) and then every month I PAY OFF my credit card (I have never carried a balance in 13 years – the whole time I have had credit cards). I use a credit card that gives me cash back, so I am making money every time I use my credit card. My cash back amounts go into my “Found Money Fund”.
Cash Back Apps
There are many programs and apps out their that help you save money or get money back for purchases. I currently use Ebates – which you can read a whole post about how Ebates works here – but essentially by going through Ebates for every purchase I make online I get cash back and then every quarter Ebates sends me a check. More money for my “Found Money Fund”!
I also use Ibotta to receive cash back for purchases made in store, mostly grocery or household items. When you make a qualifying purchase, you take a picture of your receipt and select the items you purchased. Then your account will be credited, once you meet the minimum you can withdraw your funds using Paypal or Gift Cards.
Disney Gift Cards at Target
If you use your Target credit card to purchase Disney gift cards at Target, you get a 5% discount. So for every $100 worth of gift cards you purchase, you are really only paying $95. You can use the gift cards to pay off your Disney hotel room/cruise, apply them to your hotel room/stateroom for purchases made using your magicband/onboard account or any other purchase at Disney World, on Disney Cruise Line, at Disney store or at Disneyland.
These were some tips on how to save money to help you afford a trip to Disney World; in part 2 I’ll tell you how I keep our costs down while visiting the most magical place on Earth.
Great post! We are Disney buffs too, and frequently get asked the same question. My answer is the same as yours. Disney isour therapy. 🙂
It is totally therapy!
We use the Disney Card for our purchases and our cash back goes straight to Disney. Great idea about purchasing the Disney cards from Target.. Very good idea.
Thank you Aimee!
These are great tips, Paris! When we went on our trip this past December, we used several of these tips! I ended up getting about $200 in Disney gift card through Quick Rewards for doing surveys and shopping online. I love “Found Money”!! 🙂
That’s awesome Natalie! I use to do a lot of surveys but I’ve slacked lately – I may need to start again!
I love this! We do the same thing with credit cards and all of my friends and family think we’re crazy. We don’t carry a balance and all of our cash back money goes towards fun things we want (like a Disney trip). We also usually take whatever money we get back on taxes and put that towards our annual passes each year. It works out well!
Another thing we do is only stay at the Value Resorts because they’re so cheap. If it’s a special occasion (like an anniversary) we stay at a nicer resort, but we normally are all about the All-Stars. They’re not as nice as some of the other places on-property but they’re cheap and by staying there we can go multiple times a year!
I’m all about the value resorts too! Our favorite is Pop Century – we are hardly in the room anyways and it has everything that we need 🙂
Definitely great tips, Since we only live an hour away from Disney World I am planning on getting annual passes once I have a car again.
I wish I lived that close Nicole! Or maybe right outside the gates 😉
Fantastic tips! I’ve gone to Disney so many times (twice in 2014) and planning a first-ever trip this fall for JUST the boyfriend and I – definitely going to use some of these tips 🙂
I think adult only trips are some of the best trips! I hope you have a wonderful trip just the two of you!
Great tips!! I want to go to Disney World soooo bad!!! One day….
You can do it Ricci! Adult trips are awesome!
These were great tips, thanks for sharing. I’ve begun saving for Disney for 2016 and I cant wait to bring my son. We’llbe flying from Ireland so it’ll probably be a bit more expensive but so worth it! 🙂
Fiona @ http://www.dollydowsie.com
Thank you Fiona! You are going to have a wonderful trip! My husband and I was just talking about taking a trip to Ireland – we’ve been wanting to visit for several years now.
Great tips! I am definitely going to try these.
Thank you Stephanie!
Great tips! We also pay for everything on credit cards to miles points. My husband also has a business credit card that gets points. We were able to get free tickets for all 7 of us to take our family to Disney World over Christmas! Was a great time.
That’s awesome Krista!
Thank you for posting to Motivation Monday!
These are great tips! I am fortunate to live 2 hours from Orlando, so Disney trips are much less expensive for me since I don’t have to get a hotel or pay as much in travel costs. The park tickets are still really expensive, though! Sometimes they do Florida resident deals, though, so that helps!
Thanks for sharing this with Hump Day Happenings. See you tomorrow for another party!
I wish I lived so close to Disney World! 🙂
Thanks for this money saving post. We are featuring it over on The Wedensday Roundup. I hope you’ll come visit again this week.http://foodyschmoodyblog.com/wednesday-roundup-week-58/
Thank you so much Christine!
Thanks for all the great tips! Like you I put almost everything on our Rewards cards and it’s amazing how quickly we can save up for our next trip. I also have used what we call “The Power of 5”- every $5 bill we get, is immediately put away-out of sight-out of mind and then that becomes our spending money for our next trip! Try it and let me know how it works for you!
That sounds like a great idea Gayle! Thank you so much for sharing!
These are awesome tips! I have a credit card that does the rewards points and we have been collecting points for over a year now. I always put money to the side every month for trips to amusement parks and vacations.
Thank you Louida! Saving each month is a great idea – it adds up fast!