Time is Money at Disney World

Time is Money at Disney World

Planning Ahead

Let’s start out by seeing if we can all agree on the following:

1)      Tickets to Disney World are not exactly cheap.

2)      The more days that you add to your ticket, the more you’ll pay (total cost, that is)

3)      There are only so many park hours to see what your family wants to see (per day).

4)      The more time that you spend waiting in line for each attraction the fewer attractions that you will be able to visit each day.

Assuming that we can all agree on the four points (above), let’s take a look at some ways get more for each dollar that you spend for Disney World tickets.

1)      Check out the park hours:  http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars

2)      Contact Disney to find out what (if any) attractions are closed:  http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/contact/

3)      Write down the attractions (visit  http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/) that you want to visit before your vacation starts

4)      Prioritize each identified attraction into 3 categories

a.       Must visit

b.      Like to visit

c.       It might be fun to visit

5)      Take a look at this handy web site:  http://m.disneyworld.go.com/

a.       Select your Theme Park

b. Select Attractions

c.       Select Browse by Wait Times

d.      Select High Demand

e.       Write High Demand” next to each attraction that you identified (above).  These are the attractions that are most likely to have long lines.

6)      Ok, now that reality is starting to set in, now is a good time to map out attractions that are close to each other.  Take a look at the Disney World maps page http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/maps/

7)       Now figure out where and when you are going to eat at the park.  Of course fast food options will not only save you money, but they will save you precious time as well.

While on vacation

1)      Plan to try to arrive at the park gate at least 20 minutes before they open.

2)      If you have an internet capable mobile phone, check the wait time for each attraction using this web site http://m.disneyworld.go.com/ to get an idea of which of the attractions within each park are “High Demand”, “Moderate” and high demand.

3)      Be flexible and ready to reprioritize which attractions to visit.

4)      Make use of Disney FASTPASS which allows guests to make ‘reservations’ for a popular ride to avoid
waiting in long lines.

Magical ways to save at Disney theme parks.

Disney theme Parks can be really expensive since discounts are few and far between.

However we’ve come up with a few tips that can help you save some money on your trip.

• Plan to visit Disney theme Parks on off peak dates. You will save both time and money. The parks are less crowded and hotel prices and are cheaper during off peak times (avoid holidays, spring break and the summer months).
• Plan to arrive early and leave late so that you can get in as many exhibits as possible.
• Food is expensive in the parks and since you are permitted to bring your own food and drinks inside, you may want a pack a backpack ahead of time with sandwiches snacks and a few bottles of water. We’ve been told that Disney will provide guest with a cup of ice and water free of charge whenever you ask for it at one of the fast food restaurants counters (but you may want to verify this before your trip). The cheapest food option in the parks are probably the fruit carts located around the park. Not only will the fruit cost you less than fast food it’s healthier too.
• If you plan to stay several days at Disney World you might save money by booking a Disney vacation package where you stay at one of the resort hotels located within the park. Resort guests also enjoy extended park hours. On the flip side, your dining choices will be limited to the pricey dining establishments that Disney provides. These options can be expensive and could tally up to a sizeable portion of your total vacation costs. One way to get around this is to purchase a Disney meal plan. But be sure you use care when selecting the plan so that you use all of the benefits that you paid for (since unused meal services will not be refunded to you).