Ask most kids where they want to go on vacation and you’ll probably hear DISNEY over and over. It is a magical place for kids (and adults). The truth is Disney is an expensive destination and may be out of reach for many. But, it doesn’t need to be. You can plan a Disney vacation on a budget, if you know what to do.
Image credit:Katie Rommel-Esham/Wikimedia Commons
One popular destination for families when planning a vacation is Disney World or Land. Of course, planning such a trip can be very costly — if you don’t know some tips from the experts! Aaron with Fairytale Journeys has FIVE tips to help YOU plan a your Disney vacation on a budget.
PLAN YOUR DISNEY VACATION ON A BUDGET
Book early
Don’t wait for a discount. If a discount will apply to your travel dates, it can almost always be added later. But booking early locks you in to a maximum price, even if rates go up before you travel. You can lock in with only a small, refundable, deposit ($200 on packages including a resort room and tickets), and enjoy what amount to free financing of your vacation until final payment is due.
Do the math before deciding which of multiple discount offers to book
Free dining is often treated as the “best deal” from Walt Disney World, but in many cases a room discount will save you more.
Go while school is in session
The least expensive Walt Disney World travel seasons mirror when school is in session. But there are slivers of not-as-busy and not-as-expensive time in early-mid June and late August if want to avoid kids missing school and your local school calendar cooperates.
Determine how long your trip will last
The first four ticket-days of Walt Disney World theme park tickets are, by far, the most expensive. In the long run, you’re better off saving a little longer and taking a longer vacation. Ticket days five through ten only cost about $10/person/day.
The Park Hopper add-on is a flat fee, regardless of ticket length. Adding the ability to enter more than one theme park per day to a 2-day ticket costs just over $20/day. But over a 7-day ticket, Park Hopping adds less than $9/day to your costs.
Use a free-travel agent (authorized Disney Travel Planner )
While Disney does not certify travel agents or agencies, Earmarked agencies are “recognized by Disney for knowledge of Disney product and the value provided to clients, with expertise in planning magical Disney Vacations.”
You will never pay more for a Walt Disney World vacation because you used a fee-free travel agent. Commissions are already built-in to Disney’s pricing (if the commission isn’t paid to a travel agent, it is absorbed by the Disney Travel Company).
There is a huge amount of information to know and understand to get the most value out of a Walt Disney World vacation, and that information is constantly changing. A professional travel agent can handle the messy detail for you, allowing you to focus on the fun.
This was a guest post from Aaron Rittmaster (ajritz@disdads.com). Aaron is a travel agent specializing in themed entertainment destination vacations, affiliated with Fairytale Journeys, an Authorized Disney Travel Planner. Contact him to request a vacation quote at http://yourfairytalejourneys.com/ or http://facebook.com/FTJbyAaron on Facebook. He also hosts the twice-weekly DISDads Podcast, which can be found at http://disdads.com/